Blue Heron; Transitions through Hypnosis

Using hypnosis for pain management

2012-01-05T13:45:00.000-06:00

When Your 2nd Chakra is in Balance

2011-08-01T12:24:00.000-05:00

Are you enjoying a creative burst of energy? Or are you spontaneously able to lose yourself in the wonder of life?

When your Sacral Chakra is in balance you will find yourself capable of these abilities. You will discover that you find that focusing on your instincts and passions are a way to express your creativity. Your may find that your sexual life is in complete harmony.

A few different techniques that help to enrich this chakra are being involved with nature, art, dance and beauty in all forms. When you have been awakened to this level of consciousness, your senses burst with life and you have cravings for some type of creative activity.

Have you been feeling self-assured lately in the things you are doing? This is another sign of balance, based on a positive self-image. You know you have the ability to attract all that you will need from the Universe.

Once this awareness is brought forth, it cultivates an inner sense of attractiveness, which in turn creates that outer magnestism that reflects this awareness.

Remember the difference between desire and appreciation. Desire is focusing on a state of lack. Appreciation is focusing on what is available.

When you focus on the fulfillment of your second chakra you are able to fully enjoy life, and no longer searching for something better. You know there are always other options,

If you’ve balanced your 1st chakra and awaken your 2nd chakra you will find that you feel secure and there is a lack of jealousy and envy.

Our 2nd chakra drives us to relationships. When you are balanced you have the ability to enjoy others for who they are. If you are unbalanced, you will find that you envy others and you are robbing yourself of the ability to enjoy the life you are living. Envy and jealousy will disempower you.

In order to awaken your 2nd chakra and bring it into balance, surround yourself with pleasure, soak in delights of all of your senses, (ie. sunsets, paintings, doing the things you love to do, all the beauty that surrounds you in nature). Let go of all the guilt and “shoulds” about what you think you ought to be doing. What ever you are doing in this moment, surrender to the pleasure of doing it. Go deep inside yourself to the places that acknowledge this pleasure and how it satisfies you.

If you take the time to let go of your physical beauty and focus on your inner beauty, cultivate it, help it grow, and immerse yourself in your inner truth. You can start doing this through meditation.

Next, we will focus on the different archetypes associated with the 2nd Chakra. Until then,

Namaste,

Sue

Sacral Chakra

2011-07-26T11:57:00.000-05:00

The second chakra is located midway between navel and the base of the spine. It spins faster than the red root chakra and is orange in color. If your sacral chakra is balanced and clear, it will glow with a pale, clear white interior. If your chakra is dirty and unbalanced it will appear as burnt orange. The crystals that align with this chakra are carnelian and amber.

The 2nd Chakra is all about pleasure. If you are unbalanced, the search for pleasure is not fulfilled and you continue to chase your tail in order to find it.

These are some of the things that are affected by thoughts and feelings:

Those cravings we have for physical pleasures - food, drink, sex or thrill-seeking

addictions - drugs, alcohol, food and other substances

your body - exercise habits, sleep patterns, weight, health, thoughts about your appearance

you want to feel attractive and able to draw the things to you that you desire

desire to lose yourself in a world of sensations - you want to feel, touch, taste, smell, and hear

to feel life fully and awaken your emotional life

The sacral chakra will reach out and grab whatever brings pleasure and these experiences become habits very easily:

alcohol

chocolate

drugs

Soon the habit overcomes the individual who is trapped in the center and the thought of pleasure drives one to indulge or over indulge.

This chakra lets you know what you are attracted to and what repulses you. This is also the area where we begin to develp our personal values. Without values, our search for pleasure is reduced to an undisciplined life. Our values guide us to allow certain pleasure filled opportunities into our life and we learn to develop discrimination toward those opportunities that do not appear to be in our best interest.

If you are worried about any issue regarding your body - am I too fat, am I too thin, I don't like my nose, or any other body part, your chakra will appear shrunken and dirty. You may find that you are experiencing fatigue or listlessness.

If you are obsessed about your body - over doing the exercise in order to have that perfect body, anorexia, bulimia, overeating, etc., this chakra will look dirty and oversized.

When you attempt to recreate pleasure from your past it's important that you realize that

you will not find fulfillment
quitting any indulgences rarely work. When you push down these indulgent desires, it only grows stronger
when you take part in any indulgence, remaining aware that it is an indulgence at the same time, this is the antidote to stop yourself.

When we are pursuing pleasure we tend to lose awareness of the fact that we are indulging in whatever and it can lead to over-indulgence. Once we abstain from whatever it is that has been giving us pleasure, our mind perceives it as a loss to some part of our person and we discover that the yearning never leaves us, it just remains pushed down inside our psyche.

The best remedy is let your indulgences drop away as they no longer serve you. When you begin to focus more on the pleasure, instead of being in pursuit of pleasure, you will abandon certain indulgences because you are more consciously aware that the experience no longer leads to that promised pleasure.

In other words, take a moment to think of something that you do that fills your pleasure center (ie. eating chocolate cake), yet you feel guilty about it. Reach out for that object of pleasure and experience it with all of your awareness. Take that piece of cake and take a bite. How do you experience the sensation of the cake? Are you enjoying it? Are you really tasting it, savoring the flavors, feeling the texture on your tongue, the roof of your mouth, how it slides down your throat? Where in your body are you feeling this enjoyment? Did you bring your full awareness to the experience?

This will help to sensitize your capacity for pleasure and you will become satisfied with less, not more. Get past your guilt and judging yourself, and just get into the experience. Slow down, don't rush it, really experience the pleasure.

When this chakra is unbalanced it leads to insensitivity and baser values. We discover that we need stronger and stronger doses of pleasure in order to get through to the numbness that surrounds the pain from previous experiences or mistrust that has blocked our balanced perspective.

These past experiences are not worth it. It's time to let go of the issue and come back into your balance by finding something you enjoy and can experience with your total being.

The most important clue in recognizing an imbalance in the Sacral Chakra is a desire to lose yourself in sex, drugs, alcohol, food or any stimulating sesation. You may find that you are experiencing jealousy or over-attachment to someone, or something. You are driven by the fear of loss therefore fulfillment in pleasure becomes an impossibility.

Strong passions and emotions are awakened that tend to be destructive and everything that results from this state will only lead to further suffering.

Imbalance can be caused from anxiety concerning your attractiveness. This can be caused by paying too much attention to media marketing (advertising), or so-called fashion guidelines. If you are unable to go anywhere or be seen by others unless you are "put together", or as a friend's mother always says "have her face on", then it has likely gone too far. It's time to reconnect with your own inner beauty and attractiveness to regain your balance.

Do you feel inadequate or uncomfortable in social situations because you perceive you are unable to measure up to others? Are you always comparing yourself to others and coming up short? Do you envy what others have? These are also indicators that you are not in balance in your 2nd Chakra.

Something to think about as I leave you, is that desire and appreciation come from the 2nd Chakra.

Desire is defined as focusing on what you want, but don't have. Focusing on wanting anything is defining yourself in a state of lack. Desire identifies with not having, but wanting the experience.

Appreciation is a higher form of 2nd Chakra consciousness. It takes delight in what is available. Appreciation focuses on what is being experienced. It flows through your entire body with colors, sunsets, music - sensory experiences that are focused on and the satisfaction that it brings.

I will continue the discussion of the 2nd Chakra, how to recognize when it is in balance and what you can do to make the change from imbalance to balance.

Namaste,

Sue

The Chart of Your Life

2011-07-13T15:27:00.001-05:00

I've talked before that we plan our lives in the spirit realm before we are incarnated into this body. You may think, yeah, sure a few scribbles here, a few scribbles there. Think again my friend. Your chart, or blueprint, is just that. If you were a house, this blueprint would show where every water line, closet, window and door would go. As a human, it's even more detailed.

Every challenge and lesson you have to learn in this lifetime has been planned out for you. All the rough and dirty stuff.

When we are on the other side with our Spirit Guide writing out our chart, we have absolutely no fear. We re totally confident that there is nothing down here that we cannot handle, nothing that we are unwilling to take on to grow spiritually. Hopefully, our Spirit Guide tightened the reins a bit and calmed us down to be more realistic in the life that we planned for ourself!

What is included in our chart is our intended purpose for living this life, also known as the Life Theme, what our most difficult challenge will be, how and when we will return Home to the Other Side, and who our animal spirit is that we will bring with us. These are just the basics.

Next come the fine details, like eyelashes being painted on a doll.

Who are our parents, siblings, and every other family member that we will have.
Every detail of our physical appearance. What color is our hair, our eyes, how tall will we be, how much will we weight (this includes the losing and gaining), do we have any birthmarks, disfigurements, or any peculiarities in how we look or walk.
The exact time, place and date of our birth - all the little details of our astrological chart.

Who our friends, lovers, spouses, children, bosses, coworkers, acquaintances will be, even the pets we will choose for ourselves.
We will even pick our enemies we will meet in our life.

Every city, neighborhood and house that we will live in, every school that we will attend.

What do we love, or hate, all of our flaws and weaknesses. Do we have a sense of humor or not, our skills, talents and gifts, and all of the areas we show incompetence.
Every time we cut our finger, break a bone, all of our minor and major illnesses.
What hobbies or interests we have. What are we passionate about and all of the little quirky eccentricities that no one knows about except ourselves.
Every important and trivial moment of our life has been planned.

Once you arrive here on earth, you need to be aware that even though these things are on the chart that they will happen, you have that choice to change it. Will you decide not to go for that car ride with Uncle Jon and get into a fender bender? Will you decide to go with Grandma instead of going to that birthday party?

If temptation or a shadow appears in your life, you can choose to follow that shadow, get involved and let it cause harm to your life, or you can choose to walk away. If you chose to follow and you got into trouble, this is a lesson that next time you will stay away and not get involved.

Your life is full of options. It isn't what we're confronted with that counts, it's how we deal with what we're confronted with that matters.

Namaste,

Sue

What is Cell Memory

2011-07-12T11:13:00.000-05:00

Cell memory is defined as being the total body of knowledge our spirit minds have gathered during all of our past lives. This knowledge is deposited and reacted to by every cell in the body that we are incarnated in as a fetus.

Cell memory is the key to taking care of hundreds of health problems, phobias/fears, chronic pains, and the small-minded prejudices we have, once we are able to understand the process that creates it.

I’m not a science buff, but what I do know is that our bodies are made up of billions of cells that interact with each other. Each of these cells is a living, breathing, feeling organism. I think my biology teacher would be proud that I retained this much!

These cells receive and respond to the information that it receives from the subconscious mind. When I put someone under hypnosis the subconscious mind is in charge. Our spirit mind lives, safely and soundly intact eternally in our subconscious mind. It doesn’t make any difference how healthy or unhealthy our conscious minds are, our subconscious is healthy.

Every memory from every moment is remembered in our spirit mind. Everything we’ve experienced in this life and others is placed in our spirit mind, from the beginning of our soul creation.

According to Sylvia Browne, “The instant our spirit minds enter our physical bodies for a new incarnation, they’re flooded with the familiarity of being in a body, and all thosr memories and sensations come rushing back.”

This is where deja vu comes into play. When you walk into that room, or meet that certain person, that information is in your cells, in your subconscious mind and all those spirit memories and sensations are responded to. This is your reality and will continue to be your reality until you leave your body and return back to Spirit.

Our cells continue to react to the memories of this life and previous one that our spirit mind has deposited in them, whether we are consciously aware of these memories or not,

If we choose to access these cell memories and understand that they are a part of the lives and deaths we’ve already live, we are able to rid ourselves of illnesses that are deeply buried, phobias, pain and trauma. We are able to give ourselves a “clean slate” within the life we are in the middle of living now.

Cell memories can literally manifest itself in our present lives as illnesses that doctors can’t explain, fears and phobias that we’ve got absolutely no reason to have, or pain that have stumped doctors and can’t be treated. Through past life regressions you are able to discover and release your cell memories.

An example I can give you is regarding myself. As a child I was climbing up in trees, boulder hills, scrambling around like a monkey. I was invinceable. The higher I went the more I loved it. I also loved horses, but have always been terrified of snakes. When I was about eleven I was invited to a friend’s house to ride horses. I was so excited - until I got on. You couldn’t get me off fast enough. Not long after that I was at another friend’s house, and I’d climbed up high and couldn’t come back down. I had a major panic attack and someone had to come and get me. I was terrified that if I tried to come down I would fall and die. From then on I couldn’t go higher than the bottom rung on a ladder without having major anxiety.

During a past life regression, I discovered that around the age of 12, I’d been riding my horse up in some rocky hills – they looked mountainous, and a snake had spooked my horse. I was thrown and fell over the side of the cliff to my death. Through this I’ve been able to work through my fear of heights. I haven’t been around any horses to see if I would even want to ride. And about the snakes… I’m still working on that one!

If you’re interested in learning more about past lives, hypnosis, or having a regression, please check out http://blueherontransitions.com/.

Namaste,

Sue

Spirit Guides and Totems

2011-07-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

We all have guides, spirit and animal alike. Have you just been drawn over and over to one particular animal that you just can't quite understand the attraction? If so, this is most likely your totem or spirit animal.

Totems are any member of the animal kingdom that you have chosen to be your most loyal, constant companion away from our Soul Home. These animals tirelessly stand guard over us and are totally committed to our well-being.

Animals are the most divine creatures of the Creator of all that is. They already possess the sacred wisdom that we continue to return from one life to another to find.

Our totems reveal themselves in several different ways while we're here on earth. If you're drawn to a particular animal, completely fascinated by it - even if you've never owned or seen one, then this is most likely your totem.

Do you collect every statue or stuffed animal that you can find of this creature? I have a friend who is completely taken by hippos. She has quite the collection of statues, stuffed animals and sketches. I am drawn to hawks, falcons, herons, and bears. Hawks are messengers for me, and the bear is my symbol and guide for healing, while herons represent my journey into the subconscious and bringing it to full consciousness. The falcon rides with me to keep me safe.

Along with the chart that we brought with us from Home, we brought along our totem. If you fear or dislike animals, you are missing one of the greatest sources of loyalty and protection you brought with you from Home.

If this is the case, perhaps it's time to find out why you dislike or fear animals, and overcome it if you can. No one should deprive themselves of the unconditional love, loyalty and protection animals give to us.

Our Spirit Guide is someone we trusted one hundred percent with our soul from our Home on the Other Side. They agreed to be our constant companion and helper when we made the decision to return to another life here on earth.

All Spirit Guides have been incarnated for at least one life. They've experienced all of the challenges, pains, fears, frustrations, mistakes and failures that we all encounter in the human world.

Your relationship with your Guide was developed between your spirit and theirs before you were born. So if you're wondering, it won't be someone that you've known in this lifetime.

Your Guide's job is to encourage, advise and support you in reaching the goals you've set for yourself in this lifetime. They took the time to get to learn who we were at Home through observation before we came back to earth. They memorized every detail of our chart, which we forget once we are born, then added their own perspective to the chart through other soul charts and the Akashic records.

You may be saying, yeah right, if my Guide is supposed to be watching out for me, then why didn't he stop me from doing.... One of the jobs of the Spirit Guide is to never interfere with whatever decision or choice you make, or to take away your free will.

You made a deal with the Creator and your Guides right from the start that you'd go through this lifetime here on earth to learn and grow. Just like with a parent or caregiver, you can't learn and grow if you're constantly shielded from the lessons you need to learn. A parent or caregiver is given many years to teach, show and help their child make decisions, the right choices, and to learn from their challenges. But a child still has free will to abide by their parents' wishes or to choose their own way. If the parent or caregiver consistently makes the decision or choice for the child, what does the child learn and how does he grow? The same goes for a Spirit Guide. They are not here to shield us from the life challenges that come our way to help or hinder our development.

Our Spirit Guides communicate with us in several ways, if we 'd just open ourselves to listen. You may think you're hearing your own voice talking inside your head. Sometimes this may be your monkey mind, or ego. Other times it's your Guides, or Guardian Angel. You need to learn to discern the difference through what's being told to you. Your Guide can also use telepathy or infused knowledge to get the information to you.

If your gut instinct or your conscience is telling you something, this is most likely a message from your Spirit Guide. Have you ever decided to take a different route to work or school without any good reason? Did you learn later that there was a very bad accident that happened along your normal route? You need to know you received your Guide's message.

You are always welcome to talk to your Guide. You can and should ask for their help, guidance and assurance whenever you want or need. Just remember they can't and won't interfere with what was written on your chart before your birth. They won't prevent us from receiving the lessons that we came here to learn.
If you don't know who your Spirit Guide is, don't use it as an excuse not to talk with them. If you want to know their name, just ask them or just make one up. They will respond to any name that you choose.

The more you communicate with your Guide, the clearer your communication will be with them, and they will be more effective in keeping their promise to help you to live the life you chose to live.

Our Spirit Guides send us off when we leave Home to return to earth, and they are the first to greet us when we return Home once this life is completed. There, they will help us to make sense of all that happened to us here on earth.

Have you stopped to whisper a thank you to your Guide today?

If you'd like to learn more about Spirit Guides, please check out http://blueherontransitions.com/ classes and events.

Namaste,

Sue

Planning Your Life Before Birth II

2011-06-21T16:55:00.000-05:00

When we set up our life plans, we are meant to experience who we are before we remember who we are. This means we have to live life's challenges in our earthly lives before we are able to recreate the wonders of HOME.

Robert Schwartz refers to such life blueprints as "learning-through-opposites" plans. His example was of a deeply compassionate soul being incarnated into a highly dysfunctional family, where there isn't any compassion. Through this lack of compassion she turns inwards, whereby she remembers her own compassion. Because of the contrast between the lack of compassion in the physical world and her inner compassion provides her with a more profound understanding of compassion and herself. "From the perspective of the soul, the pain inherent in this learning process is temporary and brief, but the resultant wisdom is literally eternal."

For us to remember who we really are enables us to overcome our life challenges. Since our challenges bring us closer to remembering who we are as souls, the exact event that was the main cause of suffering may ultimately eliminate it. As we grow in the area of understanding ourselves from personality-body to soul we may or may not be able to reduce the pain, but this understanding will definitely ease the suffering we have. This awakening is one of our purposes in life and benefits us in our life's challenges. We discover our passion for life is revitalized to the passion we had before we incarnated.

Once we acknowledge, accept and respond in a positive manner to our challenges, we create a more positive energy that impacts those around us to be able to more easily handle and heal from their challenges. Since we are all connected through our energy, we affect each other.

We all carry our own vibration that is a part of the world's vibration. As we grow through our own challenges we raise our vibrational frequency, which raises the frequency of the world's vibration from within. It is important that we remember that each of us alters the frequency of the universe. If you eminate sadness, those around you will pick up those vibes and it will alter their feelings, just as emanating joy will help those around you to feel joy.

Our energy radiates not only through this earthly dimension, but also through other Universal dimensions. The higher and lower dimensions are spoken of, it does not mean better or worse. When a higher dimension is spoken about, it simply means a vibration at a faster frequency than ours and are not of a physica nature but they do overlap and incorporate lower dimensions.

We are all one. Therefore our individual frequencies that flow out in endless supply affect both nonphysical beings and other people who are quite separate from us, and may seem to be from a different plane of existence.

When we are incarnated, we are not literally removed from our eternal HOME, but our capacity to see the nonphysical part of HOME is limited. Upon our death that veil is dissolved.

When we are in spirit we remember we are all one with all of creativity. Compassion and empathy is our true nature. Even with individual identities we do not perceive ourselves any other way than as one. It is the human brain that perceives the illusion of separation. Once in our physical body we restrict our focus to that body which blocks our perception of oneness.

Thereby we are able to live pre-planned lives and create challenges for ourselves and others.

Our life challenges are planned to achieve certain goals. A common goal is to heal the "negative" energies that weren't taken care of in prior lifetimes. The example that is given is being consumed by fear during one incarnation. When that lifetime ends, this person may carry traces of that energy of fear. If this person died while experiencing great fear, this could be particularly true.

Fear- as a low frequency vibration - cannot reach the high frequency plane where the soul lives, but the residue of fear energy may still cross over. The soul plans a new life around this lingering energy in the hope that it will be healed through love.

Karma also plays a part in the challenges we plan for our life. As either cosmic debt or unbalanced energy with another individual, we have karma with members of our soul group with whom we've shared many lifetimes. Each of us has played many roles of husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, enemy, and beloved friend to the same souls.

We may chose many roles to play in this lifetime that is opposite a role we played in the past - ie. caretaker vs. illness, in order to balance out the energy exchange. Don't forget that neither soul will remember the plan. Perhaps one soul will feel burdened or as if being punished for misdeeds from the past. There isn't any punishment, only a need to balance Karma. We are not victims since we wrote our own life scripts. We can't blame anyone, because there is no blame. We aren't punished by the Universe for making bad things happen.

The law of Karma is neutral, impersonal. When we realize this all of the feelings of blame, victimization and punishment about our life challenges disappear. Once this happens we hope we learned what we'd needed and we appreciate the challenges that expanded our soul.

When we understand our Karma we are able to move beyond judgment, especially to those who've experienced major traumatic setbacks like drug addictions, alcoholism and those who are homeless. The individuals who planned their lives to include addictions and homelessness are living and balancing their past life energies as planned. From the viewpoint of the soul these people are successes instead of failures.

Another life challenge we may plan for is to be of service to others. When in spirit and filled with awareness of oneness, service is viewed as a basic purpose of life. Souls who are balancing Karma and are struggling with life may be performing acts of service. If someone chose to be an alcoholic, perhaps they did so as a service to others so that the others would be able to know and express compassion more thoroughly. As we know, our society judges alcoholics and other addicts harshly.

Our life challenges are planned for our own personal growth. Our learning does not stop after we leave our physical body. It continues on when we are in spirit form between incarnations. What we learn on the soul plane becomes deeply engrained when we are on the physical plane.

The primary theme of pre-birth planning is love. Our life challenges give us chances to express ourselves more deeply as love. Many of us are motivated in life to remember self-love. Remember, we are Love.

Namaste,

Sue

LASSOING YOUR MONKEY MIND

2011-06-15T11:42:00.000-05:00

Have you been writing in your journal each day? Are you discovering any negativity pouring out of you as you write first thing in the morning? If you are, you need to realize that all of this whiny, petty stuff is what's standing between you and your creativity.

All of the stuff we worry about on a day to day basis - the laundry, the spat we had with our loved one, or our job only muddies our day by clogging up our subconscious. Get all this "stuff" out on the page! Clear your mind of all these worries.

You do not have to be an artist, writer, actress, or anyone working in the "arts". We are all creative in our own way - a baker, a software programmer, a landscaper, architect, day care worker, or a stay-at-home Mom. If we are blocked from doing our job by constant worrying too much, we tend to criticize ourselves without mercy. We may not be doing enough or what we've done is completely wrong.

In this way we've turned ourselves into victims of the perfect person syndrome - that nasty, ugly gremlin, aka Monkey Mind, who sits on our shoulders and constantly criticizes and ridicules us. In turn we believe those comments to be the truth. By the way, your Monkey Mind lives in the left brain.

The number one rule to remember is that Monkey Mind does not speak the truth.

The best time to evade Monkey Mind is first thing in the morning. This is when you scribble your thoughts in your journal. Monkey Mind's opinion doesn't count toward anything. Let him keep on talking. All you have to do is keep moving your hand across the page. If you want to include Monkey Mind's comments you can do so, but take note that Monkey Mind is just out to get you.

One way to extract some of Monkey Mind's power over you is to find a nasty looking cartoon creature that you identify as your gremlin. This will help you to stop allowing Monkey Mind to be your voice of reason and instead acknowledging the harm it is causing you by blocking your creative abilities.

You may find that by writing your pages each morning that your inner "creative" child is being fed and paid attention to. He/she is allowed to speak his/her mind. It doesn't make one bit of difference what mood you may be in when you start. I can pretty much guarantee that if you're crabby or stressed when you start, you'll feel alot better when you're done.

Some of you are asking "What am I supposed to write about?" The answer: "Whatever pops into your mind." There isn't any right or wrong way to journal your "morning pages". Just write. You'll surprise yourself when you've discovered you've worked your way through the fear you may be feeling about something, a decision that needed to be made, pushed past the negativity you've been holding on to, or worked your way out of a down-in-the-dumps mood.

According to Julia Cameron we have two types of brain. Logic brain (left brain) is the brain of choice in the Western Hemisphere. Logic brain is categorized in a neat, linear fashion. This is our survival brain, that works on the "knowns" - our belief system. In hypnosis, the knowns is everything we've been taught (right or wrong) until age 8 or 9, when our critical mind came into being. Anything that is unknown to us is either wrong or dangerous. This is the brain we listen to. This is the Gremlin aka Monkey Mind who will try to talk us out of anything that we want to try to do because it isn't logical or it is unknown.

The Artist brain (right brain) is like a child - excited about what it sees, hears, smells, feels, or tastes. It is an inventor - putting a variety of odds and ends together to create a masterpiece.

Our artist brain is creative, holistic, associative and freewheeling. It sees things in a way that Logic brain doesn't ever see.

If you start to journal first thing in the morning you'll begin to teach your logic brain to move aside and let artist brain have fun. You'll discover that you aren't listening to the ridicule from Monkey Mind anymore, and you may be delighted to discover you've come up with an amazing solution to that problem you've been struggling with at work.

Writing in your journal can also be looked at as a form of meditation. You'll discover awesome insight that may help you change your life. You'll find your true identity, you place on the Universal path of life. You'll connect to your inner energy source that can help you to change your outer world.

Your pages become a pathway to a clear and strong sense of self and you will find you are able to create a link between the light of insight and the power of your energy source to come into contact with the Creator within. Best of all, you'll find yourself in touch with that source of wisdom that resides deep inside of you.

I have been doing morning pages off and on for about eleven years now. I've found it truly amazing to discover such strength, wisdom and power so deep inside myself. It certainly has changed many of the things I've thought about myself from the time I was a child until now.

My journaling has helped me to grow into myself more, to work through many life challenges and to connect with my soul on a profound level. For me, my pages are part of my spiritual journey. Your pages can be for whatever reason you choose to use them for.

I've resolved to start doing morning pages every day. Even if I don't think there's something inside of me that needs to be worked through my subconscious is able to help me out with that. No matter how big or small - whether to plant a rose bush in that corner, go to Rome on holiday, or if you need to work on forgiveness for yourself or another, your pages are there to assist you.

Happy writing my friends.

Blessings,

Sue

BALANCING YOUR ROOT CHAKRA

2011-06-14T11:36:00.001-05:00

It's time to finish the root chakra so that we can move on to the Sacral Chakra or second chakra.

Our chakra system is entwined with our endocrine glands which control the chemical factories of our body via our hormones. All of this is connected to our energy from the most subtle level up to the physical level.

Did you know that our chakras are connected to our past and our current attitudes? In other words our past/biology and attitudes/thinking equals our biology.

You need to remember that our chakras also connect us to our soul.

It's time to raise our awareness of our root chakra. Since survival is the key to our root chakra it makes sense that this chakra is one that is based on a fear of change. Change is a threat to our survival goes on to lead us to a fear of success and a fear of rejection.

Part of our growing process in when we commit ourselves to fulfilling our values. This is success. Our growing process entails valuing ourselves, forgiving ourselves and loving ourselves. Every mistake we make is part of growing as a person.

According to Dr. Roy Martina, in order to raise the manifestation and creative powers of the root chakra, we must become process-oriented instead of results-oriented. Success is not determined by the end result of a project, but the person we become while we pursue the final goal. If you feel as if you "failed" to achieve the outcome you were looking for, it's time to step back and ask yourself these questions: Did I "fail" because I wanted to get someones attention, care, or another basic need met? Did I really want to stay in my comfort zone? Did I really want the goal that I'd chosen for myself? or Did I do this for me or did I do it for someone else or to prove myself to someone else?

We've all been known to say or feel "I didn't succeed in reaching my goal because I couldn't....". Success is embracing your talents and skills but also your limitations and weaknesses (your identity). EMOTIONAL BALANCE

Have you listened to your self-talk lately? Is there some self-criticism going on upstairs? This is an indication of dischord or disharmony in your root chakra. Superficial opinions, formalities, pride, perfectionism, stinginess, pettiness and narrow-mindedness are also good indicators.

Other things to be aware of are becoming attached to rules, structure, organization, and you prefer secrets, ceremonies, rituals, suspicions and superstitions.

Once you become aware of these behaviors, you can begin to balance your root chakra by learning to let go, connecting with the universal consciousness, tolerating other people, places and things, humbleness, love, becoming softer and more compassionate to others, and acquiring a team spirit. We're all here to work for the greater good.

Some basic points to remember are:
1) The elements attached to the root chakra are Matter, Earth.
2) The organs involved are rectum, colon, adrenals, stress, bones, legs, blood vessels, and immune system.
3) Consciousness is all about survival, security, bodily functions and adaptation to change.
4) When we are in harmony we trust, have self-respect, have the ability to let go, acceptance of others and ourselves, and we feel safe.
5) When we are in disharmony with our root chakra we have these behaviors: humiliation, shame, abuse of authority and feeling inferior.
6) The second truth is ALL IS ONE.

7) The Root chakra sacrament is baptism, welcoming into life, family and community.
8) Our energy comes from our tribe's power.
9) Fears attached to root chakra: fear of change, fear of rejection.
10) In order to stay balanced feed your body nutritious foods and positive thoughts.
11) We place emphasis on competitive happiness and success.
12) The use of positive affirmations start with "It is safe for me..." "I am able..." "I have..."

I welcome any comments regarding your study of the root chakra or any work you've done with your chakras. Have you noticed any changes in your life?

Namaste,

Sue

PLANNING YOUR LIFE BEFORE BIRTH

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered if you planned your life before you were born? ALL aspects of your life? ALL of the experiences you've gone through and will continue to go through until your death?

This idea may seem extremely radical to you, especially if some of the events in your life have been traumatic. If you are willing to accept that pre-birth planning is a possibility, you may be on the path to learning to understand and embrace all of the challenges, including the most painful ones that have occurred in your life.

If you take the time to ask yourself "If I did plan this experience before I was born, why might I have done so?" Asking yourself these questions can help open you up to a journey of self-discovery and exploring our life challenges more.

As an eternal soul, which we all are, you planned the life you currently live. You didn't have any concerns about what your mind would come to know. What your eternal soul wanted was to experience the feelings that a physical life would generate. Our life's challenges are vital to the soul's self-knowing due to the feelings these challenges create.

Our mind is a barrier. When our mind and our soul do not connect and communicate we are out of balance. Our life's adventure is a journey from the head to the heart. All of the challenges we've planned assist this journey by opening our heart so that we may know them better and value what they offer.

When we decide that we want to incarnate we make very detailed and endless-reaching plans. We plan not only our life's challenges, but we choose who our parents will be, just as they choose us. We decide when and where we will be born, the schools we will go to, the homes we live in, the people we will meet and what relationships we will have.

Have you ever felt upon meeting someone that you know them already? You may have a very positive feeling toward the, or one that's not so good, or it's a terrible feeling. It's very possible that this person was a part of your pre-birth planning.

Perhaps a place, name, image, or phrase strikes a chord within you the first time you hear it. This may be something you heard or discussed before you incarnated.

Have you ever had a moment of de ja vu? Usually these are associated with past lives, but they can also be memories of our pre-birth plans.

As we are sent into this life, we are made to forget what we planned. We are aware that this amnesia is self-induced, prior to our ever being incarnated. According to Robert Schwarz, the phrase "behind the veil" refers to this state of forgetfulness. If we come into this world knowing that we are divine souls and our life plans, there wouldn't be any challenges, lessons or growth. This may sound great, but to me, this would be a boring existence. One in which I would never have to figure out who I am; get to know the "real" me.

To use an analogy, if you never experienced the cold, how would you understand and appreciate hot? The contrast between hot and cold leads to a more complete understanding, which in turn would lead to your ultimate goal - remembering. Our world consists of duality; up/down, light/dark, good/bad. Sorrow reveals joy. Chaos enhances appreciation of peace. Hatred deepens our knowledge of love. Can you imagine if you never had the opportunity to experience these challenges of humanity, you would never be able to know your own divinity.

Have you ever wondered where your interest for something came from? For example, you're drawn to the feel and smell of freshly cut wood. Images of beautiful hand hewn furniture pop into your mind when you gaze at a piece of teak, or walnut. No one in your family is a carpenter or shown you anything regarding woodworking or furniture making. In you head you know this is something you must learn to do. Your hands itch to create something with this piece of wood. You find yourself stroking the wood like a lost love. Yet you are unable to understand this connection to wood, carpentry or furniture craftsmanship.

A challenge is before you - one you can ignore it, or you can take that piece of wood, learn, practice, create. You continue to work on this until you're a master craftsman. Once you're done, you remember something - what you created was something from HOME. This memory may trigger another - you are this craftsmanship - this carpenter, creator of beautiful wood furniture. You were this and it was you - not from outside of you, but from deep inside.

You have opened up a new place where you now truly know yourself. If you'd never left HOME, would this have been possible?

This is what our soul desired. To experience yourself. To discover the personality of a human being; a portion of the soul's energy in a physical body.

Our personalities are traits that only exist in non-physical bodies. Upon our death, our immortal core reunites with our soul. It is important to remember that our personalities have free will. The challenges we planned before birth can either be accepted or resisted. We can go through life becoming angry and bitter with each challenge or respond with love and compassion. If you're unwilling to accept that your challenges were planned before birth, our choices become clearer and easier to make.

The emotions we feel are actually communications from our soul. Joy, peace, excitement are indications that we are behaving in our true nature as loving souls. Fear and doubt are not in our true nature. The physical body receives and transmits energy that tells us through our emotions or feeling whether we are in or out of contact with who we really are and in how we express ourselves toward others.

Can you take some time and go back through you life and look at the challenges that you dealt with, the choices you made, and honestly see the direction you headed and where those choices may have lead you? It doesn't pay to look back at the past with regret, but to look at the past and see the lessons and the direction we moved in to accomplish a small step along the path of the life we planned before birth.

Namaste,

Sue

Functional Root Chakra Archetype - the Mother

2011-05-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

When we think of Mother, hopefully all of us think of a nurturing, loving, giving, kind person. Someone who takes care of us when we are hurt, physically and emotionally.

This person teaches us to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, others and life. She teaches us to honor our needs and assists us in integrating our feminine aspects of our personality so that we are able to love.

Unfortunately, not everyone has grown up with a mother who was able to, physically or spiritually, or unwilling to give or teach any of these things to us. This is when we draw upon the Mother Archetype we all possess inside of us to give us what we need.

If we are able to stop projecting our needs onto our own Mother or substitutes for our Mother, we will make our own lives richer and more fulfilling. We will be able to care for ourselves and make our lives right.

The Mother is the functional archetype for the Root Chakra. The more we develop a strong relationship with The Mother, the less the victim will be the center or all-consuming aspect of our lives. Remember that a major part of being a victim is being ungrounded.

The Mother is all about being grounded in earth energy. She nurtures, feeds, watches out for us, and provides for all of our needs. We know she's always there for us no matter what.

The Mother archetype is embedded within all of us. When we lose our grounding - or become the Victim, we have lost contact with the Mother.

As we continue to learn, grow, mature, and are able to confront the challenges that life puts in front of us, and develop the Mother within us. At this point we'll understand our physical limitations, our emotional strength and weakness. We'll focus and think more clearly. When we become our own good mother we'll know where we stand in life.

Life is Mother. The two words are synonymous. When we connect our roots in the earth, our life is simple. The Mother is within, keeping us well and we feel safe.

In this day and age our lives can become complicated and out of balance at the snap of a finger. This is when we need to draw on the Mother within, and do the simple things that give us comfort and ground us.

I find great comfort in gardening, writing and quilting. I am able to settle and ground myself when I work on any of my projects. The chaos of the world and my life isn't as daunting anymore. I am at peace and solutions are easily found for challenges that aren't so complex. These activities help to soothe and heal me - emotionally, physically and spiritually.

If I stray too far from my roots - the things that give me comfort, I am cut off from the Mother's love and energy, She will not thrive. I become confused and lost. I no longer know who I am. I am way out of balance and my life is total chaos. I find I am completely drained of all energy.

Have you ever been able to relate to this feeling of being totally lost and disoriented? Have you stopped doing the things that you love to do?

We all need to be aware of what is needed to keep balance and harmony in our lives. This keeps us nourished, cared for and loved. Mothers tune in to the needs of their children and respond in kind. We have to tune in to our inner self and listen to what we need in order to find balance and harmony in our lives. The more the Mother is active in our lives the healthier and happier we are.

We all have to take responsibility for ourselves. One of these ways is to look after your needs - nurturing and feeling safe and secure. In this way you will discover you have the ability to manage your life leaving you healthy and happy. The better you care for yourself, the less dependent you are upon others to "mother" you.

Some people go through life believing they have to have someone else take care of them and their needs in order to survive. They expect that others will tend to their needs and gratification. They've never learned to be self-sufficient and the Mother archetype has never developed.

When the Mother is weak and undeveloped, you will stumble and fall throughout your life. Mother is the foundation for growth and development, and helps you to become aware of your needs in order to take care of yourself.

I HONOR THE MOTHER IN ME WHICH KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR ME AT ALL TIME.

Blessings,

Sue

CHOICES

2011-05-20T14:05:00.000-05:00

We all have choices in our lives. We can choose to continue to work a job where we are totally miserable, angry and depressed about everything that goes on around us, or we can choose to find another job.

We can choose to remain in a marriage with a partner who is unfaithful, abusive - emotionally, physically and mentally, or we can walk away or seek help.

We can choose to be happy or we can choose to be miserable in every decision that we make. You may be snorting over my comments, thinking why would anyone choose to stay in a job that makes them miserable or with someone who is abusive? You would be surprised how many people do. Perhaps if you look closely, you'll even have to admit to yourself that this could be you.

Perhaps it's time to re-evaluate your life and find what's truly important to you. What have you missed out on in your life? Is there something that you've always wanted to do, but you just keep putting off doing it? What's the good of wanting to do something if you aren't going on to do it?

You can choose to stand up for yourself and speak your mind, or you can choose to keep burying it deep inside of yourself. This is called AVOIDANCE. You do anything and everything to think of something else so that you don't have to deal with what you're really feeling.

You are denying your soul happiness. You are denying yourself - your physical being, all the joy in the world if you remain in a (ie. job, relationship, location) where you are completely miserable not only to yourself but to those that you love.

You may say that you don't have anywhere else to go, but you do. There are always choices. Talk to your soul, dig deep inside and find the answers. Are you being fair to yourself or to others?

If you're truly miserable in your job, are you doing the best you can do? How many days are you out sick each month? How often do you schedule vacation because you can't stand to be there any longer? If you truly loved your job you would yearn to go to work each day. Sickness would be an unheard word, because your inner self is happy, not holding on to grudges, hurts or anger.

The same with relationships, past and present. If you continue to hold on to the anger, hurt, grudges, and all of the "stuff", you are keeping yourself from moving forward. If you aren't in the relationship any longer, good for you, but for heaven's sake, let it go.

You won't be able to even get close to another relationship - a good relationship - unless you get rid of all that baggage that you're carrying around with you. Forgive yourself and the other person, release it to the Universe to handle all of those emotions and get on with your life.

If you want to salvage your present relationship, then you need to dig deep to figure out all the positive good reasons to keep it, and get the help you need to restore it. Sometimes no matter how hard we try to hang on to a relationship, it isn't meant to be. If you've done everything you can, and nothing is working, accept defeat and walk away.

There isn't any blame or judgement on either part. There was a purpose for the job, the relationship, or the place you moved to. The Universe put you there for a reason - but you always had a choice to accept or not accept the reason.

It's time that we all learn to open up and listen to our soul. There are some very important messages to be heard. Perhaps if we did, we wouldn't find so much conflict within our lives.

"IF YOU TRULY LOVE YOUR WORK, SICKNESS AND DEATH GET TIRED OF CHASING YOU" - THE SIMPLE LIFE OF NOAH DEARBORN

THREE LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

2011-05-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

As we grow from infanthood, we forget our true nature. We tend to go through life with our heads lowered, living in fear and unable to acknowledge the strong, noble person inside of us.

Each of us is a divine being, one with the Creator of all that is. Once we accept this and act upon this knowledge with absolute certainty, we become masters of our destiny. We are able to live with self-respect and capable of facing the challenges that fall onto our path.

Since we are all divine beings, we will treat each other as such even if the other is not aware of this knowledge. Only when we accept and act as a divine being will we be able to overcome anger, hatred, jealousy and greed with effortlessness. We will then be overcome with the feeling of love and empathy.

When we come into this world we are born with basic survival skills. These are not taught, but programmed within us. These are the abilities of eating, sleeping, excreting and growing. As babies we are cute and lovable, making the sounds that get us attention, when we want a hug, to be fed, or changed. These are all unconscious acts on our part as infants, meaning that infants don't think about making noises - it just happens. This is an act of survival.

As we grow older we are taught that our parents will feed us and fulfill all of our basic needs without any longer having to use the basic survival skills we were born with. Our parents show love and affection through quality time, respect, acceptance, comfort, etc., just because of who we are.

According to Dr. Roy Martina, we are programmed to find people in general who will not give us what we want and need. The end result is that we become more desperately depressed and clingy, or bitter, aggressive and negative. We project our needs onto others to give them to us, then we either blame ourselves or the world for not giving us what we think we need.

At the first level our consciousness is based upon matter. We use a lot of energy working hard to accomplish our goals, desires, dreams and to get what we need to survive. We are often frustrated by obstacles that get in our way - one being not enough hours in the day to accomplish what we think we need to accomplish. You want to be a success and you are intense about it. This level entails material manifestation. This is your goal.

The second level of consciousness is all about energy. You discover that if you work smarter, you can do less. You begin to follow your intuition and listen to your feelings. You find that when you make choices from your intuition you create a life of harmony. Here you rely on your core values. What is most important to you? Family? Career? Happiness? If we suppress our feelings and intuition, we create dis-ease within our body. There may be a tendency toward illness such as immune dysfunction, cancer and chronic fatigue. You will find that balance and harmony are an essential part of your life now.

The third and final level of consciousness is anti-matter. Work is effortless, thereby boosting and energizing us instead of depleting us, We are one with the Universe; in total synchronicity. The right people seem to cross our paths at the right time for us to create our desires. At this level, we don't waste energy and know the Universe is here to support us. We accept that we are tuned in to our higher consciousness and are guided in allowing our intentions to manifest. Here it is all about communicating with your guides. Your number one priority is spiritual growth and letting go of all distractions.

It's important to know that your relationships will be built on spiritual values with unconditional love. With your complete trust with the Universe, you are on the level of true healing.

As you read these three levels you should be able to recognize in which level you are dominant. Most people are dominant in one level, yet you may also be able to recognize yourself in some of the other levels. Don't be discouraged if you are not in the level you want to be. As with anything in life, it's natural to start at the first level of consciousness and work your way up the ladder.

Blessings,

Sue

The Shadow Aspect of Archetypes

2011-05-17T09:29:00.001-05:00

According to Caroline Myss, author of Sacred Contracts "the shadow aspects of our archetypes represent the part of our being that is least familiar to our conscious mind."

The shadow aspect of our archetype are self-evident. But when we recognize the victim in us, it can be an amazing help to us, in regards to warning us when we may be in danger of allowing ourselves to be victimized. Watch your behavior when it runs from one end of the gamut to the next, in other words, you are very passive to being rash and exhibiting inappropriate actions.

Have you ever done something then realized you just victimized someone else for personal gain? Or perhaps you intended to do so.

Do you continue to play the part of the Victim because of the positive feedback you receive through sympathy or pity?

It's important that you start to recognize these inappropriate attitudes in yourself and others, you can change your attitude and walk away from someone elses. You don't need to encourage their "victim" behaviors and attitudes.

The shadow aspect of any archetype is just like any other person you have to get along with, Sometimes you must work out a compromise, or you have to resist them, or shower them with love. These actions are all determined by the situation at hand. Your shadow will turn on you with hostility only when you ignore it or misunderstand them.

The shadow aspects of any archetype is fed by our relationship with power. Last week I told you that the Victim archetype feels as if he has no power, no choices and has become helpless, without any hope,

Whether it's empowerment or disempowerment, we are all intimidated by this feeling. Disempowerment threatens our ability to survive.

You're wondering why we are intimidated by being empowered, aren't you? The shadow aspect is basically unexplored power. When your shadow behavior emerges, it often sabotages the picture you carry of yourself and your desires of who you believe you are. Do you ever find yourself behaving or doing something that you have no idea why you did it? It is so out of character for you. Or perhaps you have a fear that you have to cope with and no explainable reason for that fear.

Can you recognize a moment in your life when you realized that you held a lot of power? Perhaps in grade school or high school? Did you take that heady feeling and use it to perhaps bully someone younger than you? Or did you use it to stand up to the bully and protect the one being harassed? This is just one example of a shadow aspect using power.

All of these different aspects of our personalities flow through our behaviors, pulling one over on our conscious minds, then these various aspects assume a dominate role in our personality.

Once you become emotionally and intellectually aware that you are harming another, you must hold yourself responsible and you must also admit that you made a conscious choice to be negative.

Something that is important for you to remember is when your mind and heart do not communicate clearly, you will be confused about what you are to do with your life.

Besides emotional and intellectual responsibility, there is spiritual responsibility. This is when you've recognized that negative behaviors, which include judging yourself, cause harm not just to you but to others as well. You must evaluate your behavior/attitude as son as you see that you are being judgemental.

Judging others and creating excuses for yourself and your actions, in other words being aware of your behavior/attitudes and taking responsibility for them plays an active part with your health. Anger and guilt is toxic to our body and spirit. If you are unaware of your behaviors the toxic poisons of this negative behavior would not be so pronounced. But once you do realize, accept and take responsibility for your actions, and you continue on with this behavior, you need to be aware of the consequences of continuing to allow this toxicity to build in your mind and body and the havoc it will play on your health.

Dreams IV

2011-05-16T12:10:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been called a dreamer? Told to get your head out of the clouds? What exactly is a dream? According to Oxford Dictionary a dream is a train of thoughts, images or fancies passing through the mind during sleep.

Do your dreams seem like they are real, conscious experiences? Does the fact that we can sometimes remember our dreams make them more of a conscious rather than an unconscious process?

According to Sigmund Freud our dream's content consists largely of what we fear, home for and expect.

There are two kinds of sleep: Quiet sleep and Active Sleep (REM). Quiet sleep is associated with growth, repair, restoration, relaxed body and an idle brain. We've all heard of REM (rapid eye movement). This state of sleep is also associated with muscular twitches, a paralyzed body, highly active brain and dreaming.

You are not confined to dreaming only within the REM state. If you get eight hours of sleep, break it down to the first two hours are the wishful dreaming stage, the next four hours are the precognitive stage, and the last two hours are the venting state. The area you are most likely to remember is the precognitive stage. The venting stage is where we let go of all the unnecessary stuff we heard, saw, felt, tasted or smelled the day before. This is a very necessary stage of sleep.

If you've ever known someone who hasn't slept for a few days, you'll notice how twitchy, probably paranoid, and most probably aggressive they act. They aren't anything personality-wise like the person you know. It's because their brain is overloaded with "stuff"! They've been unable to vent out anything that's come in over that period of time. It's like a house filling with smoke and none of it seeping out - it's a disaster. This is why it is extremely unhealthy for people to go for long extended periods of time without sleep.

According to sleep study experts REM sleep gradually increases throughout the night and reaches a maximum about the time to awaken. REM sleep happens every ninety minutes or so throughout the night.

How often do you remember your dreams? Studies show that the average person remembers their dreams once or twice a week. According to Stephen LaBerge, PHD. ninety-five percent of most dreams are forgotten. We all dream every night and in REM sleep alone - five cycles per night x two dreams per each REM cycle - that's ten dreams each night x seven nights is seventy dreams. And you're lucky to remember one or two of them!

Sigmund Freud believed we didn't remember our dreams because they contained so many taboo thoughts. Francis Crick believed that the content of our dreams is what the brain is trying to unlearn and shouldn't be remembered. LaBerge proposes that humans might have been protected from dangerous confusion (believing our dreams were real) by the evolution of mechanisms that made forgetting dreams the normal course of affairs.

I, along with LaBerge, personally like to believe that I dream to find out who I am beyond who I dream I am.

The interpretation of our dreams can expose our personality and become a rewarding practice. If our dreams can tell us about our personal concerns, how to work through our challenges, or what our true personality is, doesn't it make sense that our dreams are worlds that we have created from the contents of our minds? If dreams are our most personal, most intimate creations, doesn't this also lead to the belief that they are most revealing in who and what we are, as well as who and what we become?

I have to disagree with LaBerge's statement that dreams don't send us a message. I interpret the dreams I remember and am impressed with the messages that I am able to discover within them. I use dream interpretation with my clients, and I have found that once they are able to dig deep within the dream and use the interpretation method they are taught in order to understand, that they, too, find a message there that will assist them in working on their challenges or making changes in something they are doing.

Have you started recording your dreams? Have you stopped to try to figure out what message your subconscious is trying to tell you? If not, why don't you give it a shot? You might be surprised what you learn.

Happy dreaming,

Namaste

Sue

Root Chakra II

2011-05-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

According to Ambika Wauters, author of Chakras and Archetypes we have two archetypes that represent the Root chakra. The shadow Archetype is the Victim who is informing us that our root chakra is weak or out of balance.

The victim is the lowest level of awareness and energy. When we are in the throes of the victim archetype we have no awareness, or very little awareness of what we're doing, then there is absolutely no sense of responsibility for the circumstances. Things "happen to you" and you feel as if all choice has been taken from you, that everything is out of your control.
We see this behavior alot in our society, starting with the youngest generation. "It's not my fault, so and so did this. I was just there, I didn't have anything to do with it." They are unable to see their part in any of what had happened, They could have stopped encouraging their friend or tried to stop what was happening. One of my favorites is "I wouldn't have flunked the quiz if we'd been told there was going to be one. This is all the teacher's fault."
Or even as adults, "It should be my turn to have a day off, so and so's had the last two days off and yet I have to work for the next nine days straight." Well, perhaps this person may need to remember they asked for a large advance on their next paycheck and perhaps the boss values this employee, knowing the job will be done and done right. Or perhaps the boss doesn't want him stuck without any money when payroll time comes next.

There are so many people who are victims - they've lost their jobs, homes, etc, due to the economy or natural disaster, but they don't remain in the victim archetype. They don't stay stuck in a frozen state of fear, terror, or desperate frame of mind. They refuse to lose the power of their own lives.

In order for us to survive not only mentally, but physically, we must ground ourselves in our feelings and reconnect with the basics of life - simplicity and goodness. Our survival depends on us staying rooted in our bodies, staying away from drugs and alcohol that may only temporarily ease the pain but will cause more issues in the long run; keeping our wits about us, limit your "pity party" to a couple of hours by having a good cry, or write out all the words you're screaming in your head, into your journal. Remember this isn't the end of the world, and trust in your Higher Power to unfold what ever is meant to be. "For every door that closes, another one opens."

Drugs, alcohol and suppressive medication only disconnects us even more from our feelings and instincts. Anti-depressants, and this is my opinion, cloud your mind and masks your emotions so that you don't recognize them in order to deal with the challenge they represent. If you can't deal with them
on your own find a counselor or therapist who is willing to talk with you so that you can get a good handle on what is going on in your life. If at all possible, don't start to rely on a pill to get you through. I understand that there are people out there with circumstances so severe that perhaps suppressive medication is the only answer. Please locate a person in the medical or counseling profession who is qualified to help you.

Living in the moment and trusting in life's process helps us to avoid falling prey to the victim archetype. If you have a strong life force, you'll discover it's easier to work on the challenges and meet them head on. You will survive and learn to master the circumstances that are presented on a daily basis.

If you have a weak life force you fall prey to the victim archetype more easily and you find that you've lost all joy in life. You are no longer able to see or feel the goodness in humanity.

Emotional victims, those who've suffered a tragedy, separation or loss in their life, may find it difficult to re-establish their life afterwards. They are highly vulnerable during this time, their emotions are clouded. They aren't grounded, so are unstable in the decision making and thinking process.

During this time, these people are susceptible to illness and plagued with a variety of problems. One that I'll mention is falling prey to another who is able to con them out of money or other valuables. Now the emotional victim is a victim once again.

When you are under stress or there is a crisis at work or at home, be aware that the victim is most likely to emerge at these times. Allow yourself to stop, acknowledge and experience the emotions caught in the moment: fear, anger, resentment, sadness, and frustration.

It's important that you recognize these feelings, truely feel them and let them go. Please don't get in to the habit of complaining about whoever or whatever is happening, it will only bring the same challenge back to you over and over. You are sending a message to the Universe and attracting the same issue again and again.

To help you rise above being a victim become willing to reframe the circumstances life has thrown your way into new opportunities, rather than dwelling on the loss. For example, if you've lost your job, you're immediately going to see if there's another job out there similar to what you'd been doing, right? What if there was something you'd always wanted to do? Something completely different from your old job? Would you consider trying your hand at it? Would you consider starting your own business or going back to school?

There are always options, Take a few minutes or hours to sit and think, take a nice long walk, ground yourself through nature and think. Don't immediately fly into panic mode - I know it's easier said than done, but we don't want to do anything drastic.

Reframing those negative thoughts into positive statements about your life will enable you to turn your energy around. By thinking positive you are helping yourself become empowered to freely choose what is the best action for you to take.

This is also the time for you to also start taking responsibility for where you are right now in your life. It's also very important that you take responsibility for your attitudes and ideas. It's crucial that you understand that everyone has choices in their life. You have the choice of becoming a victim, or you can attempt to understand what the roadblocks you've come up against have to tell you about your life's journey.

Some questions you might want to take the time to answer are 1) How do I feel about myself? 2) When do I feel good about myself? 3) Where do I have to be in my life to feel good about myself? 4) How worthy am I to attract love and the good fortune I need? 2) When do I feel worthy to attract love and the good fortune I need? and 3) Where do I have to be in my life to feel worthy to attract love and the good fortune I need?

Another very important question you should ask yourself is How do I feel in order to regain my sense of choice? In order to move forward in your life you will be able to learn and grow through the difficult and trying challenges. It's also important that you realize that it does take time to release the grief, sadness and anger associated with change.

A positive way of freeing ourselves from the victim archetype is to step back and look at any challenge you've had, what you learned about yourself and your life from this incident.

Most of all BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS!! Honesty frees you from any delusions about what's going on and helps you take those steps toward empowerment. Once you begin to tell the truth about how you are feeling you free yourself from the weight of negativity in your life.

When you recogize that you are feeling like a victim, it's time to remove yourself from the person or situation you are associated with. Take all of your energy back and put it all back into yourself.

Ask yourself how and what you feel about this person or that situation. Then if you freely choose, go ahead and release yourself from those negative feelings.

When we project our attitudes about anything onto others we make them responsible for fulfilling our expectations. If you are feeling unloved and neglected, look at how you are sending out that thought or attitude toward other people. When you recognize that you are doing this, you will be able to heal that part of yourself.

Once you learn to love yourself through your difficult challenges, you are empowering yourself and giving yourself the freedom to be you. Acknowledge each step you take to overcome these challenges, pat yourself on the back for a job well done. We all make mistakes and this is how we learn, so don't give up on yourself. There are always different solutions, you just need to find the right one for you.

It is extremely important for you to remember and acknowledge that if you are not willing to release your feelings, please take responsibility for this action. Either releasing or not releasing your feelings will empower you to understand that you have a choice.

Empowerment is all about you believing you are entitled to all the good life can offer and you can completely and totally enjoy it. Let me just say that you should never expect what you want handed over to you on a silver platter, it does take action (work) on your part to receive it.

If you put the intention out there that you want that brand new 2011 Porsche, what actions are you to take to get it? You can't just walk in to the dealership and ask for the keys to the vehicle of your choice without taking a positive action in order to have it. If you don't get it, ask yourself what you could have done differently. Perhaps your wants changed, perhaps you decided to do something different. Look at what you did or didn't do, not at what you think someone else did to you.

Until next week,

Namaste

Sue

HOW OUR EMOTIONS IMPACT OUR LIVES

2011-05-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

We all have one very big thing in common - we ALL want to be happy. According to Roy Martina, author of EMOTIONAL BALANCE "When your inner self - how you feel about yourself matches your Outer self - the way you portray yourself to the world and when your two selves are aligned, in positive energy your success will increase and be consistent. If what you have is not what you want, then you have to do everything you can to change so you will attract more of what you want. " You keep changing your strategies until it happens.

There are three levels of happiness:

1) Competitive Happiness
(ie. sports, business, war, gambling, school). We feel happy when we win and are ahead of others. Happiness at this level comes and goes and may turn against us sooner or later. When you get stuck at this level you can become very unhappy and destructive when things don't go your way.

2) Conditional Happiness. When you're happy here it's because things are just as you want them to be - the job, your spouse, children, etc. But you've put conditions on how you want things to be. When they change in any way from what you demand they are, you become unhappy with what you have.You discover that things were not really what you thought they were.

3) Unconditional Happiness.

Once you've reached this level you don't need anything from the outside world to make you feel happy or at peace. Here you've accepted that you are human and that you make mistakes. You open yourself to accepting and welcoming changes in your life, death and suffering. We are not attached to the outcome of any situation, we are able to accept and live with both discomfort and pleasure. We enjoy life to its fullest, experiencing everything that comes our way. We show gratitude for each blessing and challenge that comes along. We are at peace with ourselves and others. We've let go of the need to judge others or to always be right. Forgiveness falls easily from our lips. We are one with the universe. In other words, we've place zero conditions on anything or anyone that crosses our path. We've accepted it all without any judgement.

When we are in a state of bliss we are in the ultimate high of life. This is perfection in all its glory. Here you'll find the inner peace harmony and love that you've longed for, even if what created this moment of bliss is not actually what you wanted.

Do you feel alone, abandoned, unloved, rejected and powerless? Any or all of these emotions is telling you that you are not connected to your natural state of being in harmony with yourself or what is all around you, You've become disconnected from your Higher Power ( which you may call God/dess, Allah, Creator, Source, Jehovah, Brahma), I will continue to use Higher Power.

When you've placed the self-inflicted isolation on yourself by removing your energy from the world around you, you feel alone and neglected. You blame others for being abandoned, yet you are the one who withdrew into yourself. You cannot blame other people, circumstances that have gone on around you, such as an argument with your best friend, nature or because you feel your Higher Power took someone you love from you or caused an illness.

When we focus with our five senses this is our reality, which is limited and we forget who we really are. Living in a world with people who are unaware of who they are, we believe that imitations, pain, disease and suffering are a standard way of life. When we are unaware of our potential we continue to create patterns in our life that show we are disconnected from our inner self and personal power.

As we grow from infant hood, what we are taught is passed on from generation to generation. Unfortunately, this is our greatest limitation. According to Martina, "To achieve the wisdom needed to find unconditional happiness, we need to liberate ourselves from the many limiting beliefs we have grown up with."

Why don't you take the next week to think about what some of those beliefs are that you grew up with. How have those beliefs limited you in doing something you really wanted to do or even thought about doing? Jot them down on a piece of paper and keep it close. We'll talk about them more later on.

Until tomorrow,

Namaste

Sue

Recovering and Discovering Creativity

2011-05-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, just like any other day is a wonderful day to be creative. Whether it be working in the garden, writing a book, playing a musical instrument, preparing a meal, or coming up with an extraordinary idea to make your job much easier. There are hundreds of ways to be creative.

This Universe came in to being by creativity. When we were born we were all given the gift of creativity. How you learned to use it was your choice. You may have become a Donald Trump, a President Obama, Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Peck or a Michelangelo. Even better, you became a leader in the company you work for, or a stay at home Mom (this in itself requires alot of creative ideas to entertain your children, while also being a full-time housekeeper), a teacher, a quilter - who loves her hobby, or a student.

Unfortunately, some people use their creativity to cause harm in the universe, Adolf Hitler, Osama BinLaden, Sadaam Hussein, and Charles Manson, to name a few of the ones who reached the higher ranks of notoriety for all of the wrong reasons.

You may think of creativity as the times in grade school when you had to sit and color within the lines, or make a paper mache globe for an art project. But how many of you did a project for the science fair, joined drama, the debate team, or went on to play in the marching band or orchestra? When you grew up to become a trial lawyer, where do you think your strategy and closing arguments came from?

Our creative atist is not just a small child who has dreams that our parents don't approve of. If your parents disapproved of your dreams as a child, and you stopped pursuing what your heart craved, are you doing the same thing to your own children? If so, please stop. For one thing, you are causing blockages in your child's root chakra by having them give up on their dreams to possibly live someone else's.

When we allow our creativity to flow, we are opening a gate to let the Universe flow through us. According to Julia Cameron in "The Artist Way" "The heart of creativity is an experience of the mystical union; the heart of the mystical union is an experience of creativity."

Our creativity can be a truly spiritual experience for each one of us. This does not mean that you are required to believe in God. In order for your creativity to advance and as the gates open, pay attention to the process as it unfolds.

Many of you long to be more creative. Some of you claim you don't have a creative bone in your body, while others may sense they are creative but aren't sure how to tap into it.

Do your dreams skirt around you, leaving your life a bit dull and flat? Do you find that you have awesome dreams and ideas, but you have no idea how to go about accomplishing them for yourself? Have you ever wanted to learn to play the pano, paint a picture, write a book, or act?

Discovering our creative potential or recovering what was buried is a learnable process. You may find yourself highly excitable or completely rejecting the process when you first begin, Then you may become angry once you've gotten into it because it's harder than you think and certain emotions are popping to the surface, Then perhaps grief, resistance and finally hope will come hrough as you continue to grow and explore. You may even choose to abandon everything and return to your comfort zone of "life before" whatever you're trying to do.

You may be asking why there is so much emotional turmoil just from taking an art class, for example. When we start the creative recovery (if you wanted to be an artist as a child), and you were told it was a ridiculous idea, you wouldn't make ir, or you'd starve to death, all of these emotions, heartbreak, frustration, anger, or grief wil start to surface.

These are things we need to work through in order to help reclaim that part of us that was closed off. Perhaps you'll realize that the life you are living or all of your energy is being expended in living the hopes, dreams and plans of someone else. You've taken a detour from your own life in order for someone else to live theirs.

It may be that now is the time for you to start speaking of your own dreams, goals and boundaries you need to set. When we stop fulfilling everyone else's dreams and goals our own become more real.

Why don't we start to dig up those buried dreams? Don't wait until you're ready to retire. Le'ts put our overextended and misplaced creative energy back into the core of our being.

You may find that unearthing a buried dream can be quite explosive. That enormous surge of energy when you dust off your dream may scream out in grief over the loss and pain you felt when you shoved it away. You mourn the part of you that you abandoned.

It's okay to mourn, allow this pain to strike its lightning bolt of illumination. This is a step to healing and allowing your creative juices to flow.

Let these emotions out, put them in words on paper every morning. Ask the questions and just write about anything and everything that comes through. Julia Cameron calls these "mourning pages." She recommends writing three pages as soon as you awaken before you ever do anything else to get your day going. This is when you're still in the subconscious part of your mind before you allow your conscious to take over. You'll be surprised at what you'll find your subconscious wants you to know, or remembers. This is an excellent way to work things out through acceptance and forgiveness.

Until tomorrow,

Namaste,

Sue

Archetypes - the Shadow

2011-05-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

We all have a variety of archetypes that live within us. In fact, according to Carolyn Myss, in the Sacred Contract we have twelve of them. Four are standard - the Victim, Inner Child, Prostitute and Sabotuer. We will get into these more deeply as we go along.

With each archetype we have a light side (positive) and a dark side (negative). These are givens in who we are as humans. The dark side - negative - or shadow is based on fear and anger. Without the shadow, you as a human being aren't complete. If you are unable t see your own shadow, it's time to find it. We all have failed dreams that, at the time, seemed like a perfect solution to whatever challenges we were working, Each one of those solutions match an aspect of your shadow.

You may be wondering what I mean about the dark side of our personality, so I'll use a couple of examples: Addiction, anxiety, depression, out - of control rage. People can take personal responsibility for these behaviors by going into recovery programs, visiting psychiatrists or attending anger management classes. Yet, if you look at these issues logically, these shadow aspects remain undefeated.

We all must acknowledge our own shadows and the power our shadow has over us. When Carl Jung, a well-known psychiatrist from Sweden, spoke of the archetype of our shadow he stated "The shadow creates a fog of illusion that surrounds the self." The more we avoid our own shadow, the more we become trapped in this fog. And in doing so we give our shadow more and more power over us.

Take for example, someone who has been dieting and has lost a lot of weight, Within a year or two he/she has gained all of their weight back. his happens over and over. When you live in this fog, you are unable to see your self-destructive impulses. "One little cookie won't hurt me" or "I can't wait a couple more hours for a meal, so I'll just have a couple of potato chips." Even as irresistible and fun our impulses may be, they are extremely harmful to us.

We witness the shadow side of our world on a daily basis. The news portrays almost nothing but the shadow side of human nature, day after day, minute by minute on some channels. Mother nature can turn in an instant with tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis - destruction at its finest. The death of a loved one - interrupting their life in its prime or before they've even started, Isn't it a wonder we'd rather put on the blinders and step into the fog. Facing the darkness 24/7 is unbearable, but if you look beyond the news and the destruction, you are still able to find peace and freedom from the shadow side of life. Each one of us has that power to move into the light, to see beyond the dark.

The answer lies in our higher consciousness. I know some of you may be shaking your head and saying, "Yeah right." Others are nodding exuberantly saying "Absolutely."

One thing I have discovered a long my own journey is that in order to defeat my shadows, I have to give up on the idea of defeating them. The moment I talk about eliminating my shadow - beating it - I've already lost the battle,

Look at what's going on in the world. Human nature's dark side thrives on war, struggle and conflict, The United States is ready to jump into everyone elses challenges, Making them "our challenges". Our country's energy is caught up in the battle of good and evil somewhere else and avoiding it's own challenges on the home turf. Just as you, as one human, are caught up in the struggle between what you know is right and the impulse that will cause you anger, guilt, and shame.

When the world bursts in mass violence, individuals burst into personal violence. You have to shove the impulsive "bad" part of you into a dark cage if you "the good" part chose to live in a peaceful loving way,

If you repress this anger, fearful, insecure, jealous part of yourself, your shadow gains more power for its own cause. The power can become destructive and appear in physical or emotional illness or pain. Repressing your shadow creates dis-ease within your physical body. When your shadow turns on you all "hell" can break loose.

People who have addictions - food, alcohol, drugs and gambling cannot separate the "good" me and the "bad" me. The dark impulses preoccupy their thoughts and behaviors without the checks and restraints of a non addict, The inner gremlins or "monkey mind" will spoil any pleasure you've derived from your day of freedom by mocking your happiness and repeatedly reminding you of your weakness and pushing temptation in your face, One very crucial aspect you need to remember in an addicts life is the part that habit plays. There are probably some genetics involved, but I am not going to address those issues.

If you split your "bad" side - the one who overeats, drinks too much, or takes one too many pills, from the "good" side - the one who is able to say no and walk away, the "bad" side loses touch with the core of the self - our good side because there is no longer any violence, anger and fear.

The more you repress your shadow, it becomes easier to construct a "persona" or character that shines with a good light. This is when people say "I can't believe he or she did that, he/she is such a nice person."

Addicts are trapped inside the fog with nothing but their cravings and fear of not getting the next morsel, drink or pill. Once the addict starts to think and believe that they are more than their addiction and they don't want to lose everything, their fear can be overcome. They will tell themselves that it's time for this to end. Once they become clear in that moment, the healing power comes from that clarity.

Once the shadow loses it's power than your consciousness stops being divided. You are no longer split and there is only one self to see.

Until tomorrow,

Namaste

Sue

Dreams Part III

2011-05-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

Lucid dreamers can consciously influence the outcome of their dreams. The area of lucid dreaming offers a larger stage than ordinary life to do almost anything imaginable, from the most mellow to the absolute bizarre.

Through research it has been found that people can learn to have lucid dreams. You may be asking yourself why anyone would want to have lucid dreams. In fact, you may have already experienced an extraordinarily vivid, intense, pleasurable and exhilarating dreams. Not only are lucid dreams amazing entertainment, but they help to improve the quality and depth of your life.

It is recommended that the only people who should not experiment with lucid dreaming are those who cannot distinguish between waking reality and their imagination. Most people can safely use the available knowledge to explore lucid dreaming. You will not lose touch with the difference between waking and dreaming. In fact, you will discover that lucid dreaming will help you become more aware.

Once you learn to awaken to your dreams, you'll add experience to your life and be able to enjoy your waking hours more.

According to Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan Buddhist Lama, "Dreams are a reservoir of knowledge and experience. When we make good use of the dream state, it is almost as if our lives were doubled."

We carry knowledge from our dreams upon awakening, but we also carry the mood from the dream. If it was a positive, happy dream, we wake up feeling light, happy, confident and energetic. Bad dreams or nightmares can leave us feeling as if we woke up on the wrong side of the bed, because of the negative aspects of the dream.

With lucid dreaming you experience sight, touch, taste, thoughts, and smells just as you do in the waking state. A critical point to remember is what you experience while dreaming originates internally instead of externally.

What happens when you are awake is corresponding to actual people, places, and things. When you're dreaming you don't have a stable outside, stimulating source that you use to build your experiential world. Your dream world can be changed more easily than the physical world you live in.

When you are in a lucid dream, you know it is a dream, whereby you can rearrange and change things more than if it was just a regular dream, You'll find that the impossible can happen, in fact it may increase in clarity and brilliance.

Would you like to be able to go into lucid dreams where you find you are completely free from all laws of society or physical that might restrain your experiences? To have the ability to do whatever you could possibly conceive or anything you believe you can do?

By increasing awareness of your dreams and while in your dreams, you will be able to add more consciousness to your daily life. Are you interested in deepening your understanding of yourself and have the added pleasure of enjoying your dream journeys more fully?

Join me next Friday for the next segment on Dreams and moving closer to your own lucid dreams. Until then,

Happy dreaming,

Sue

Root Chakra

2011-05-05T16:52:00.000-05:00

The root chakra is located at the base of the spine and has the lowest frequency of energy. It is depicted by a brilliant ruby red when it is balanced. When unbalanced or dirty, it becomes a muddy dark red color.

The root chakra is based on our need to survive in the world, within our families and may be labeled as “animal nature”, in other words the sexual lust or drive to procreate or perpetuate our species.

We may not think of our finances, home, career, or possessions as survival, but they are just as important as our physical safety or our basic needs such as food and clothing, This not only relates to ourselves, but extends to our loved ones., Add into this equation the relationships – good emotional relationships we have with our friends, family, community and even our country.

All of these areas play a HUGE part in our daily lives. If we’re afraid that we may be the next one laid off from our job, or our paychecks aren’t covering all of our expenses, we create an unbalance in our root chakra, because we’re living in fear. Our fears about our survival actually cause this chakra to shrink.

If you, or someone you know obsesses about money, or their possessions (keeping up with the Joneses mentality) their chakra will actually become swollen and dirty. These people tend to be workaholics or continuously want more, more, more.

When we are out of balance we are the furthest away from our divine union., Some things you can ask yourself to figure out if you are imbalance or not are:

1) Do you feel insecure in your job, in your family?

2) Are you fearful or obsessed about where the next meal, paycheck or house payment will come from? Are you so consumed with these thoughts that nothing else can come through?

3) Are you constantly trying to build up your defenses because you feel that security is a defense mechanism?

4) Are you unable to look around with a clear perception of what is going on in your life? Or do you find yourself saying “It’s all Bob’s fault” or “if only the economy didn’t suck.” Are you feeling like a victim?”

When you are out of balance this can and will manifest a lack of abundance in your material world, which is only reflecting and providing justification to your inner imbalance.

Our inner imbalance is not created by any situations that are going on in the world. Instead our inner imbalance create the situations going on in the outer world,. If we work on changing our inner energy, to balance it out, the outer world will follow suit.

Are you trying to live a life that was picked or chosen for you by someone else? Over the years, marriages have been arranged or children are expected to follow in their parents’ footsteps. Instead of running the family hardware store, Timmy longs to be a lawyer, or instead of becoming the priest Mom and Dad want him to become, Jerry desires to be a doctor. Jerry and Timmy will be miserable in the positions assigned to them and their root chakra will demand attention,.

Jerry may feel isolated and unable to discover the greatest joys in his life. Timmy will become totally absorbed in just getting by and fear will guide all of his actions. Neither man will enjoy life and will become a “victim” to the world around him.

Physical ailments may appear as obesity, addictions/addictive behaviors, anorexia, Crohn’s disease, constipation, colitis, diarrhea, glaucoma, hemorrhoids, hypertension, kidney stones, knee problems, sciatica, or impotence.

The health of our blood, immune system, bones, joints and spine is dependent on the emotions associated with this chakra. It is possible that if you are having problems with this chakra you have not developed a strong knowledge of your identity or found your life purpose.

Nervousness and anxiety happen when you are not grounded. You are operating too much from your head, your ego.

When you are unable to make decisions and you rely and depend on others to take care of you, you have a weakness in your Root Chakra.

Next week Thursday, I’ll show you ways to balance your root chakra and introduce you to the first archetype, the Victim, that Amika Wauters, author of Chakras and their Archetypes, says is related to the Root chakra.

Namaste,

Sue

Dream Interpretation Two

2011-04-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to Interpreting your dreams. Were you aware that we have the capability to increase the power and effectiveness of our dreams? We are able to increase our energy for dreaming by taking care of ourselves. When I talk about taking care of yourself, I’m speaking about watching what you eat, by eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of rest and exercise and enjoying your life. It’s important to get away from things you don’t enjoy.

When we do these things our dreams become more focused and they begin to serve our higher level needs. Our dreams become helpful by getting us back on track with life. Once you start taking care of your basic needs, your dreams can begin to give you spiritual messages.

We are made up of energy, When taken care of properly; our energy has the ability to clear up our life, to get back on track and to help us solve the challenges that appear in our lives. Were you aware that you have the ability to ask your dreams to help you find the answers to your challenges and the answer will come to you in your dreams?

Here is one way for you to do this. Before going to sleep at night, sit down on the edge of your bed. Take in several deep breaths, relax, bring whatever problem or challenge that is concerning you to the front of your mind Concentrate on it, analyze every part of it in your mind. You are not attempting to solve it; you’re just going back over it from every possible angle, making the challenge fresh in your mind once more. Then say, either out loud or silently in your mind, “Tonight as I sleep, I will have a dream which will lead me in the direction which will allow me to settle the challenge I am working on. The problem (or I prefer, challenge) I am working on is (and fill in the blank). I will have this dream tonight and I will understand it and I will remember it. Once I wake up in the morning I will write it down, I am opening my mind, my heart and my soul to the highest guidance that I can receive a resolution in this matter.” Simple, right? Now just go to sleep. Immediately upon waking, write it down or record it on a digital recorder.

Another method to use and this is the one I personally use is to journal just before I go to bed. If I have a challenge in my life I write it all down, looking at it from all directions. Then I go to sleep, I record my dream as soon as I awaken. Don’t wait too long because you will forget details.

For either of these methods, it is important that you follow a few guidelines:

1. Keep a dream journal. I just use my regular journal, but if you choose you can have a separate one. Write it down or record it in as much detail as possible. Remember to capture it all so that you don’t forget, Jot down a note about how you felt in the dream ~ any emotions that appeared. Try to stay positive. It isn’t necessary for you to interpret your dream immediately.

2. Stay away from drugs not prescribed by your doctor, and alcohol. Both will interfere with your dreams.

3. If possible, and highly recommended don’t eat just before going to sleep, It isn’t conducive for dreaming, and this is an unhealthy practice.

4. Relax when you go to bed. Your dreams will come naturally. You can’t force them.

5. If you choose to use the first method say your programming with conviction,

If you don’t get an answer, reword how you’re asking. It is important to ask powerful question in order to get helpful answers.

Until next week,

Happy Dreaming

Sue

DREAM INTERPRETATION

2011-04-06T09:50:00.000-05:00

Dreams are interesting wonderful things that happen to us while we sleep. You may not realize it, but we go to our dreams for inspiration, guidance, or over-coming challenges.

You might be one of those people who swear up and down that you don’t dream. The truth of the matter is that you probably just don’t remember them.

You may be wondering how we can help ourselves through our dreams. Dreams can remind us that we are spiritual beings and put us back in touch with that spiritual part of ourselves that helps us become aware of what is really going on in our life.

We were placed here on this planet to learn something or to complete a lesson that we didn’t quite get in a prior life. That is, if you believe in the theory of reincarnation.

As we move through this life we are given challenges that we must overcome. This is a part of our growth, a part of our life lesson. Dreams can get us in touch with that part of ourselves.

I’m a firm believer that there is no such thing as accidents or coincidences, that everything happens for a reason. For example, you have been invited to a party, but you have a conflict in your schedule. All of a sudden that other conflict has cancelled out on you, so you go to the party instead. There you meet someone who will further your career, or it may be the person you will later marry. Another example would be that you are at the book store searching for a book that you’ve been looking forward to reading when another book title catches your eye. You glance through it and there is the answer to something you’ve been researching for a project you are working on.

In dream state we can get in touch with the challenges (problems) that we encounter with our daily lives. We can get in touch with the karma that we’ve carried through life with us, to get an overview of everything that has happened in our life, to help us resolve these challenges.

Dreams follow in a natural cycle of growth, just as we do. Some people favor winter and summer, others favor spring and fall. Dreams work in the same manner. From spring to fall, this is an advanced state of growing and learning. Our dreams will reflect this with increased energy. Things will start coming at you quickly, opening up rapidly. Your dreams will be teaching you things, giving you lessons you didn’t learn or giving you new lessons.

Fall through winter is a time to relax, but this, too, may be regulated by where you live. Our dreams do not usually play a prominent role during these months. You are relaxing while incorporating the lessons you learned during the spring and summer.

This is the time when our dreams are the strongest and clearest. Our spirit will be growing and getting ready for the next growing and learning season. During this time everything that you’re going to have to work on will be revealed. Our winter dreams will be easier to remember because this is the information that you need to review.

Winter is the time to put seeds into the ground and set your sight for what’s ahead, plan out your goals, and look for guidance. Just like the gardener, plan your garden, look for the answers to any questions you may have regarding plants, fertilizer, sun or shade, look through the catalogues and get everything in order.

Another time when our dreams are clearer is when usually the week before a full moon. Your dreams will appear stronger and clear while reaching intensity during the full moon.

If you are not in tune with your core, not balanced, the moon will reveal this. Your dreams may be odd, or you may become sad, while your energy goes up or down. The more grounded you are, the more aware you are. The more centered you are, the less often you’ve have these emotional fluctuations. Your dreams are acting as a conduit with the energy flowing through you in a productive way, allowing you to have new understandings.

Dreams can also reveal parts of us that are out of balance. Dreams can give us specific guidance about what needs to be fixed or attended to. When our chakras are out of balance, our dreams can reveal this and can help us get them back into balance. Pay attention to what part of your body is involved in your dreams.

We, our bodies, are made up of energy. Our spirit, inside our body, is a force that runs through our chakras. If our Kundalini (energy) is blocked the energy won’t flow.

It’s important that when you ask yourself the questions that you are seeking help with that you write them down. The time to do this is at night before you go to sleep. Ask for guidance and you will find that you will get your answers in your dreams.

Over the next week write down your dreams. Our dreams come to us in symbols, so pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel in your dreams, write them down.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll go further into how you can interpret your dreams to help you with what your subconscious is trying to tell you.

Dreams can be helpful in hypnosis, in understanding what it is that your subconscious is trying to tell you, so that you may help yourself change or motivate yourself in more productive ways.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment.
Until next week...

Namaste,

Sue

Commitment and Responsibility

2011-03-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

When you came into this life you made a commitment to your spirit/soul that you would take care of this gift you were being given – the gift of an outer shell, a body. The moment you were born, it became your responsibility.

The first few years, the actual care giving came from your parents, or those souls you chose to be born to. There was a reason for coming to them, one that only your spirit knows, but this is a conversation for another time. Today, we need to talk about your commitment and responsibility to yourself.

After those first years, you were able to feed yourself, make choices on what you like to eat, what you like to drink, how hard to play or not play, how hard to study, and the things that you love to do with your free time.

As adults, we have to work to support ourselves, which takes away from play time, then add on responsibilities to our homes, our families, friends, etc.

Every one of us has talked of losing weight, and to exercise more. To renew that commitment we made of taking care of the outer shell. When did it come time to stop being responsible for our own bodies? When did we stop being committed to our soul that we would take care of this gift?

I, along with hundreds of others have gone from one diet to the next, one intention after the other, of trying to lose weight, of exercising for one half hour of our day, only to blow it off after a few days, weeks or months.

This is a life-long commitment! It isn’t something that can be started then dropped because it slips our mind, or we become bored with it, or because it’s too hard. Life is hard. Are you going to just give up on yourself?

Your success in eliminating the excess pounds you carry on your own personal “gift” is only going to become a success when you take responsibility for your own actions.
I want you to think of this as a marriage. In a marriage, you have to learn to live with someone else, for better or worse, sickness and in health, to learn to give and take, be respectful, loving, caring and giving. To love, honor and cherish this other part of you. You want this union to work.

Your “gift” and your inner soul have to work together. Your inner self has to talk to the outer self (and here, I’m including your brain) to make your marriage work to the best of your capabilities.

When you walk away from the commitment of shedding excess weight – taking off the “fur coat” after a winter of hibernation, you are walking away from the responsibility of communicating. Why? Is it too hard to work on that communication, to solve the problems (which will from now on be known as challenges) that have you keeping your “fur coat” on and adding more layers?

If you can’t openly talk about these challenges, then write them down, journal out your thoughts and fears of why you continue to eat and wear that “coat”. Let’s figure out those challenges and eliminate them from your life by replacing them with the positive wants and desires that you do have.

You made a commitment to this union – this marriage of soul and physical body. Now, are you ready to renew your vows to love, honor and cherish yourself, to work on the challenges of keeping this union whole? The alternative is to divorce, but now, that’s really not much of an alternative, is it.

Namaste,
Sue

THE POWER OF SUGGESTION

2011-03-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

All thoughts - negative or positive - along with spoken statements seem to become self-fulfilling prophecies. Have you ever noticed that? You think something may happen, and you keep thinking about it, and it really does happen.

Each thought contains a suggestion that becomes a part of the memory bank deep inside the subconscious mind, to come back at a later time for the conscious mind to put the thought into action.

Suggestion, added to by imagination plays a larger, more important role in our daily lives than anyone thought. Suggestions influence us everyday and has since we were born. Did you know that our earliest moments of life play a part in the formation of our life long habitual attitudes and behavior? This is important to remember. From the instant of our birth, we have received suggestions that influence us for the rest of our lives.

The suggestions we accept become the basis of our personal beliefs which become the guiding principles in our lives. More often than not, emotional memories from our childhood, both good and bad, give birth to habits that may serve us very well. Other habits may be down right destructive.

Our mind has the capacity to change. We can erase the negative influences and replace them with positive beliefs and behaviors. Everything that we see, hear, taste, touch and smell throughout our lives, we're going to call input. How we choose to react is called output. Our inner belief system that develops throughout our life is called programming, or our "life-script". Through the use of hypnosis, this programming (life-script) can be changed to transform our lives and alter the way we react.

From the time we are infants to the age of eight or nine, everything we are taught or told we accept as the truth. As small children we lack the ability to reason and think logically. At the age of eight or nine, we develop what is called the critical mind or the ability to reason. At that point the child will begin to pick and choose what he believes to be true based upon the experiences of his young life and his emotions. Now this information must bypass the critical mind to reach his subconscious.

It is believed that the first six years of life is when we, as children, develop our strongest personality traits and behaviors. This is the time when we would learn to trust or distrust the people around us. Have you ever watched small children, or do you remember being terribly shy around people because you just weren't sure you could trust them, or as a child did you used to run up to anyone and tug on their arms or hands to get their attention and talk to them? You didn't know them, but you trusted everyone. No one had planted that seed of fear about talking to strangers into your head.

A sense of self-confidence or self-doubt is developed at this time, along with establishing their sexual identification or gender confusion. Did you believe you could do anything you put your mind to, or were you afraid to even try? As you watch your child, or the neighbor children, do you see any signs of being friendly towards other people or alienating themselves? Does the child show signs of having a fear of failure or are they willing to give it a good try? These are also programmed into the subconscious during the early years of childhood.

It is proven that the early formative years of childhood provide them with the emotional foundation upon which they build the rest of their lives.

Newborns can "sense" a mood change in his parent, and they react to this "sensation". As the child grows, he learns that his actions and words can evoke specific responses. A smile is rewarded for good behavior, while a frown means the parent is unhappy or angry. It doesn't necessarily have to do with whether the child caused the frown or not.

Since the world revolves around the child's way of thinking, he feels he is responsible for the emotions of the people who are closest to him. For the remainder of the child's life all that his five senses (hears, sees, tastes, smells and feels) absorbs will bring about a particular image and reaction that is recorded forever in the subconscious mind. Have you ever smelled something or heard something and it takes you back to a favorite event, or to someone special or not so special that was in your life at some point?

Our habits are formed by leaving an impression on the cortex of the brain. With our life's experience, every time we repeat an experience, this impression is strengthened, which in turn makes it easier to repeat the experience. Our thoughts and behaviors become a habit through repetition.

When emotions are involved, suggestions become more powerful and we tend to accept these suggestions faster. Most often our habits are associated with the emotions. Take eating for instance, if we're happy, sad, hurt, stressed, the fact is the majority of the population will head to the kitchen for something to eat. Any sign of distress can cause you to run toward this habit. It's been proven that if your emotions are in high gear at the same instant a suggestion is given, a habit may be formed. And this may only be after one time! Imagine that!

Subconsciously we accept suggestions every day of our lives, and from those suggestions we create a system of beliefs. Through these beliefs we automatically react and logic may often be missing. Pay attention to your words, thoughts and actions to see if you can recognize what they are.

An example, in my own life, is when I begin to feel extremely stressed or frustrated the thought of chocolate immediately forms in my mind. The only way the stress or frustration will be calmed is by indulging in chocolate.

How often do you hear a woman make the comment "Typical - all men are alike"? Does that sound like a conditioned response to you? If you said yes, your are right. What about religious and racial attitudes towards specific groups of people? Children grow up hearing the slurs against these people, what do you imagine they're going to believe? How many people have habitual reactions that were formed due to some emotional experience from their past?

The good news is that with the use of hypnosis you are able to change these negative behaviors and attitudes that are stored in your subconscious. New beliefs and behaviors can be established.
If we imagine and believe something about ourselves or our surroundings we will feel and act those behaviors. According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, Biology of Beliefs, we can change our DNA by changing our thoughts and beliefs.

Through the use of hypnosis, the hypnotist can use the subconscious mind's creativity by giving suggestions the mind will accept if the connection is made between the suggestion and emotion.

There are three Laws of suggestion. Do you recognize any of these popping somewhere into your life?

1) Law of Concentrated Attention
When a person concentrates on an idea, the idea tends to happen. When someone mentions food, you start thinking about food, and your mind tells you that you're hungry.
The Law of Concentrated Attention is used in television and radio advertisements to get people to purchase their wares.

2) Law of Reversed Effect
"The harder I try to stop eating, the more I want to eat." When someone talks about a favorite dessert and you try not to think about it, you're more than likely going to think about it even more. This has nothing to do with willpower, but has more to do with your imagination. There isn't any "power" struggle between will and imagination. Your imagination will always be going to be the winner on top.

3) Law of Dominant Effect
This law is what I mentioned earlier - when a suggestion and strong emotion are experienced in the same instant. This new suggestion will remove any other suggestion that was in your mind at the time. Through hypnosis your imagination can be directed with the use of positive suggestions that assist you in achieving the changes you are seeking to improve your life.

Now, it's very apparrent to me why my parents always told me to use my imagination when I was sent to play (we didn't grow up with video games, and alot of television). We had to pretend and develop our imaginations. We could be anyone or whatever we wanted to be. There weren't any bars standing in our way.

So what do you think all of the video games and television shows are "suggesting" to our children? What do you think their imagination is conjuring up?

Namaste,

Sue

MYTHS, MISCONCEPTIONS AND FEARS

2011-03-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

There are definitely some myths, misconceptions and fears out there regarding hypnosis. Here are a few that I'd like to clear up for you. I use the word client instead of subject in regards to the person who is being hypnotized.

1) "I can't be hypnotized." Everyone can be hypnotized. People who are thought to be more gullible or have weaker minds are not the only ones who can be hypnotized. Above average, intelligent people and certainly those who have active, vivid imaginations make the best hypnotic subjects.

2) "You'll discover my deepest secrets." The hypnotist and his client do not have a "power" relationship. The hypnotist never has power over his client. The power lies in the mind of the client because while in hypnosis the client has greater awareness than when fully awake and completely retains his own power of selection of what he wants to tell or not.

3) "You'll make a fool of me." Stage hypnotists stand in front of a crowd of people and pick their "clients" - the subjects who are willing to participate in silly, funny scenarios. They agree to be made to look foolish, but if for any reason a client objects to a suggestion, he can refuse to participate, or he/she will come completely out of hypnosis spontaneously.

4) "I don't want you to control my mind." The hypnotized client is always in complete control of himself, fully aware of the environment around him, and completely capable of making decisions. As stated above, hypnosis cannot make the client do anything. Hypnosis only helps to motivate and accomplish goals the client set for himself. The client is always the one in control, if he rejects the suggestions made under hypnosis or accepts them is his/her decision.

5) "I wasn't in hypnosis, I heard or was aware of everything going on. I didn't feel anything." There is no "feeling" of being hypnotized. The client hears every word or sound made, being acutely aware of what is going on around him. It's been proven that under hypnosis, your attention is more focused than your normal waking state. If you're looking for a special "feeling" after hypnosis, you'll discover that you have a feeling of coming out of hypnosis completely and totally relaxed.

6) "What if I don't wake up?" Hypnosis is not sleep. A person cannot get stuck in a hypnotic state. Hypnosis and sleep are two different psychological and physiological states. If a client chooses to remain in hypnosis when instructed to come out of it, they will end up doing one of two things 1) they will come fully out of hypnosis in a short period of time or 2) they will go into a natural sleep and awaken naturally.

I agree the robe and turban clad mystery man hypnotizing a helpless, near catatonic subject portrayed in the old black and white picture movies can scare even the hardiest of souls when he proclaims "You're in my power." I will even say the vision this portrays for me is ridiculous, but none-the-less there are many people who have real fears based on this misconception. I hope my explanations of hypnotic myths have alleviated these fears.

If for no other reason than to relieve yourself of all the stress and tension of your day, everyone should try a hypnosis session or two.

Namaste,

Sue

Dream Or Reality

2011-03-10T14:02:00.000-06:00

Definition of HYPNOSIS
1: a trancelike state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject
2: any of various conditions that resemble sleep Webster dictionary

Hypnosis is a very relaxing state of body and mind, that allows suggestions into your subconscious that will change negative behaviors (ie. Overeating, smoking), remove fears and phobias (ie. Heights, snakes), and to help create positive behaviors (ie. Focusing, confidence).

As children we carry dreams around with us like pennies in our pockets. When we grow up we want to do this, we want to be that, or live in this kind of house in that area of the world. Unfortunately, those dreams can be snuffed out like a flame on a candle because of words we overhear spoken by our parents, teachers, loved ones and friends.

As a parent, do you realize that some of the little things you tell your children, like “We can’t afford that” , or “You have to go to college to get a really good job”, or “You better think of getting an education that will pay the bills, instead of dreaming of becoming an artist”, can snuff out that dream? Of course, at the time these comments may be honest, sensible, or even logical. But those words stick in a child’s brain. It creates what, as a hypnotist calls a “known.” These “knowns” are truth, they are fact, and until that child turns 8 or 9 years old those “knowns” are absolute law. At the age of 8 or 9 this child will start discovering their own "knowns", others that weren't taught by their elders, but ones they figure out for themselves.

Even if you do realize that this particular “known” is wrong, it’s almost impossible to not fall back upon what you were taught to believe. As an example, let’s use being overweight. When you fell down and scraped your knee, were you taken into the house and given a cookie to make you feel better? Or if you were called horrible names by the bully down the street, was a bowl of ice cream given you to comfort your hurt feelings? How about when you got straight A’s on your report card, were you taken to your favorite restaurant, and not only did you get dinner, but dessert too? These are all things that have been given to us as rewards, comfort, and love, that we associate with food.

So now children are taught that comfort and love comes in the form of food, instead of talking and hugging them to let them know how much they are loved. When they grow into teenagers, the hurt of breaking up with a boyfriend can add an extra ten pounds, because that child is eating for comfort, to make themselves feel better. Or they didn’t get a part in the school play, or make the cheerleading squad. Instead of looking at these as learning experiences they turn to food, believing themselves to be failures.

Now that these children are adults, are they 10-20-30 pounds or more overweight? Every time they go on a diet, does it end up as a failure for them because they gained back all the weight they lost plus some? It doesn’t have to be this way.

Just as following a dream doesn’t have to be given up on, or if you were unable to achieve it one way, don’t look at it as failure. You may still achieve that dream implementing another way. You can still be that artist, but one that is thriving in your job, making money that pays the bills, that allows you to travel, and do all of the other things that you dreamed about. You just have to believe in yourself to continue to do what needs to be done to get at that spot.

Hypnosis can help you build your confidence, and find the motivation to do the things you want to do. Your self-esteem will increase, and you will find that you can focus on every small goal that needs to be achieved in order to reach the BIG goal. If you’re afraid to take the steps, hypnosis can help to eliminate those fears.

Imagine that dream you had as a child. Has it been sitting there in the back of your mind for several years? As you think about it, does that dream grow, begging you to give it a try? Or are you going to shrug your shoulders and put it back on the self because you’re afraid that you aren’t good enough, or the dream is silly, or you were told you can’t live off this dream?

Pull those dreams off the self, and if you need to give hypnosis a try. Let hypnosis replace those fears and negative thoughts with positive beliefs and actions that will make this the best dream ever.

Namaste,

Sue

Diets DON'T Work

2011-03-04T08:23:00.000-06:00

I, along with thousands of other people, make a resolution each year that I will lose weight. I have searched out and tried dozens of diets, some I've lost the weight I wanted, others haven't worked out so well. But in the end the weight has always returned and then some. Have you ever wondered why this is? I know I certainly have.

I have the answer. You may find it hard to believe, but weight loss needs to start from the inside. Yes, you did hear me right. We need to work on our beliefs about food, the reasons that we choose to eat. Or in some cases, why we eat without thinking.

From the time that we were very small children we were taught that food was a reward when we did something great, it was comfort when we were hurt, physically or emotionally, it was love when we were sad. We grew up believing that food could take away all of these bad emotions or enhance the good ones. Actually, it may have for a short term, but what it gave us long term was weight.

So, now it's time to change those beliefs. We can reward ourselves in other ways. We can deal with the pain, sadness, anger, in other ways.

You may be thinking, "Okay, I can do this. I can change my thoughts around so that I can deal with my emotions and the weight will fall off." Sure, you can try, but just doing it consciously doesn't work.

Through hypnosis your subconscious is accessed to change those beliefs. The beliefs that creep out from the middle of nowhere and lead you straight to the refrigerator or cupboard. Through hypnosis you can work through those issues, let them go and replace them with good, positive beliefs.

You Deserve to be free of the excess weight that you've put on your body over the years. You Deserve to be happy from the inside out.

We are all One

2010-12-27T12:51:00.000-06:00

The Christmas Season is almost beyond us. My family had an interesting experience this year, which brings me to this posting.

My son purchased me a stove for Christmas from a nationally renowned store. He bought it on the 10th of this month and it was scheduled by the store to be delivered to us on the 26th - 16 days after the purchase. The hours of delivery were set from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

About 9 o'clock yesterday I decided I needed to contact the store to see if we could get a smaller time frame, just in case I needed to go somewhere during the day. The message I received was that the store was closed. I continued trying, as another of my children called me to say that the parking lot at this store was full. Two hours later I get a message saying that they are having phone difficulties and to dial this extension. Nothing. The extension took me back to the "store is closed" recording.

The son who purchased me the stove for Christmas arrived in my living room at noon, and asked if they'd called me yet. When was the stove supposed to arrive? He tried to call them, and managed to get through.

The message we got was "there are no deliveries today and even though your purchase sheet states that it will be delivered today, it's not going to happen. Someone should have contacted you to reschedule." No apology came from them about the mix up.

Needless to say, my son went to the store to talk to the manager. He maintained his calm until the comment was made "The amount of money you spent here is inconsequential, and you still have to wait for three or four more days for the stove to be delivered." My son returned the stove and went elsewhere.

The point of this story is to say, that the person who each of us is is not inconsequential. It has nothing to do with money, our jobs, where we live or anything else. We are all one. I am you and you are me. I am Spirit, just as you are. A homeless person's worth or value is no less than Bill Gates or any other multi-billionaire. Every person should be treated with respect and dignity.

I understand at times it is difficult to apologize for the inconvenience we may have caused another, but in the long run, we feel better for trying to do the right thing. All that was called for in this instance was "We are so sorry for the misunderstanding. We don't have people doing deliveries today, but if we can put you on the list for the first thing tomorrow morning..." would have been acceptable. The effort is made to right a wrong, instead of intimating that you aren't worthy as a person.

This lesson is a reminder to me that I, too, need to make a conscious effort in how I treat others. If I'm frustrated or angry about something, I will remind myself that they aren't to blame, that they aren't to be treated without that respect they deserve. Because you see, I am you and you are me.

Namaste,

Sue

ADD/ADHD; ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR OUR CHILDREN

2010-12-04T22:18:00.000-06:00

Over the last couple of months I have kept having recurring thoughts about ADD/ADHD children, so I started studying more and more about the subject. My youngest child was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in the 8th grade, but I never really understood a whole lot about it.

I will admit when Nick was growing up he was a handful. He was wonderfully funny and full of energy, but when it came time for him to do his homework or any chore he may have been asked to fulfill, he would keep disappearing. You would locate him and ask why things weren't completed. The common answer was "I forgot." After a while this became very old, and my husband and I were at our wits end trying to figure out what was going on with him. We had never heard of ADD or ADHD before, so when someone I happened to bump into mentioned it I thought what if this was what was wrong with our son.

We took Nick to see a psychologist who spent 20 minutes with him, and never spoke with my husband or I about what was going on with him. She came out and stated that if he had ADD he would have been diagnosed in kindergarten.

Here our son was in the 8th grade and he'd been labeled behavioral disordered in grade school. He was always in trouble for being "too active", talking too much and generally not listening to the teacher.

We took him to another counselor who specialized in ADD. She spent two hours with us, asking us each a series of questions. Out of 250 points Nick got 189. The prognosis was "I can't say definitely that he's ADD, but it sure looks like it." From there we went to another doctor and Nick was put on Ritalin.

As soon as our son started the drugs we lost our happy go lucky child. He always looked and acted like he was depressed. Oh yes, his grades improved, but he was still getting into trouble as soon as the drugs wore off. So we had to have him receive another dose of Ritalin in the middle of the day. From there we went to Adderall. We did this for four years until he said no more, he wasn't going to take the drugs any longer. He wanted to be "normal" like all the rest of the kids.
Our happy go lucky child was back, but now he'd moved on to "recreational" drugs. Those drugs were just the same type of stimulant that he'd gotten from the doctor's to control the ADHD, only now they were illegal.

My son is grown up now. He holds down a job. He's responsible about getting too and from work on time. He's responsible enough that he's considered one of the best employees. It took a long time for him to get to this point. He dropped out of high school because he just couldn't seem to deal with it. He went through several jobs because he learned to play the "victim" game - I've got ADD, and they aren't being fair to me, or they aren't treating me right.

I've noticed that kids with ADD/ADHD don't seem to mature as fast. What I do know is that these kids are smart. Very smart. What I'm learning is that their self esteem is usually very low. They have been ridiculed by teachers, parents, and their peers over the label that society has given to them.

Their brain works differently from ours. Period. End of story.

From the studies that I have been reading these children don't need to be put on the drugs that keep the pharmaceutical companies happy. They need proper nutrition. They need a higher self esteem. And they need to learn to calm themselves, quiet their minds and completely relax so that they can focus.

As a hypnotherapist I can help them build higher self-esteem, self-confidence, to calm themselves, quiet their minds and completely relax so that they can focus. I can assist them in learning to listen and to wait to speak until it is their turn to speak. I can help them to feel confident enough about who they are so that they can achieve their goals.

These children don't need to be labeled. Their creativity, joyfulness and gift of life does not need to be stifled by drugs that after long term use can really screw up their cognitive thinking and ability to deal with stress.
If you take them off their medication without teaching them how to cope, they haven't healed anything. In fact, you may find their behavior is worse. They are out of control. The healing needs to come from within them. But they need the help of their parents, their families, and the education system.

These children do not deal well with stress. Stress reduces the nutrients in our bodies that can cause symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Proper nutrition and good vitamins will help with this. Sleep deprivation can also produce symptoms of ADD/ADHD. So your child needs a good night's sleep. Plenty of exercise and good nutrition will also add in your child's ability to sleep soundly.

If you are interested in learning more about helping your child cope with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, or if your child has been labeled ADD/ADHD and you are wanting to try holistic approaches of helping your child away from the drugs, please feel free to contact me for more information.

Our children need a fighting chance. It isn't simpler to give them a pill and call it good. We aren't being fair to our children. We aren't being fair to the generation that will be in charge of this world some day. Give them a chance to remain true to themselves; to stay that happy go lucky child and not become a zombie walking.

Namaste

Sue
Blue Heron Transitions

Star Children, Indigo Children, Crystal Children, Walk-Ins

2010-11-08T10:40:00.000-06:00

Star Children, Indigo Children, Crystal Children, Walk-Ins

Could it be a past life?

2010-11-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

Do you spend time daydreaming? As a child, I would spend an enormous amount of time daydreaming. In the evening while doing the dishes, I would stare into the window above the sink and it was as if I was transported back in time.

I remember a hill covered with what appeared to be sun-ripened wheat. A young woman, dressed in a long cotton dress with a white bib apron, stood in the middle of the field. She stared down the hill towards a thatch covered cottage.

This memory burned vividly in my brain. As a child, I swore that woman was me. Of course, my parents told me I really had an active imagination, but was it?

Is it possible I was remembering a past life? As a hypnotherapist who specializes in past life regression, I believe it is possible.

Each time we are born, we bring with our soul memories of the past. We don't have any experiences in this life recorded in our unconscious mind, therefore we don't think the same way adults do in terms of imagination.

Has your child told you stories that you are completely amazed at where the information came from? Are you, or your child, focused on items that draw you like magnets? These could be memories from a past life that have come through with you into this life.

Children may talk about their past lives, and they may try to keep living them. They may bring mannerisms, skills and habits with them when they come into this life. Does your child have a "natural" creative ability, excellent rhythm or coordination? Can they do things that you have no idea where they could have learned how to do them?

Children may experience past lives through dreams or nightmares. You may find them trying different skills or games that they uncovered in their dreams. The key to the process is the child's ability to imagine. The more they are allowed to imagine in a positive way, the more clues you will receive as to what they have recalled.

As we grow older, we sometimes close off these thoughts, these memories. Yet, on the other hand, you may collect something that you just can't explain the reason for, you just are attracted to them. They make you feel good, or they strike a cord in your soul.

Have you ever walked into a place and instantly knew you'd been there before, yet you know positively that you were never there in this lifetime. This is called deja vu.

Do you have a mistrust of people, a fear of something that you have no explanation for, or a habit that you can't for the life of you figure out why you developed it? Perhaps you'll find the answer in a past life.

Perhaps you'll find that your best friend, spouse, son or daughter, has been with you for more than this lifetime. Perhaps you'll discover why you really can't stand to wear a turtleneck sweater.

Aren't you just a little bit curious now? I know I am.

Namaste,

Sue

TRUTH VS. EXPECTATIONS

2010-10-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I'm working on my master's degree in Holistic Healing. My core classes are all religious studies. The class I'm taking right now is on Spirituality, and the book I'm reading is on Soul Recovery.

As I'm reading and absorbing this information on how to recover my Authentic Self - the Self I was sent into this life with, the Self I had before I donned the masks and costumes that everyone expected me to wear in order to conform to their expectations, I started thinking. This in itself isn't a miracle, I tend to think way too much any way.

I drifted back through my life and tried to remember a time when I was really happy. I mean, down to the tips of your toes happy about everything in your life. I couldn't. I honestly can't remember a time where I was truly happy since I was a small child. I had moments as a child, especially when I was with my cousin, Mike. I could be easy and free. I didn't have to worry about not living up to some sort of standard or expectation from him. No worries about being called names, or being ashamed of where I came from. It was all good.

I want to let that joy and happiness back into my life. That carefree wonder, the attitude that you don't have to worry about living up to anyone else's standards but your own. You can just be.

This made me start questioning how we are to teach our children to remain their own authentic self, yet still abide and live by society's rules and regulations. Children watch their parents as they react to different situations. We all have facial expressions that we carry when we talk about certain things; things that may disgust or anger us. We do not realize that at times we wear those same facial expressions when we look at, or say something about (ie,) what our child may be wearing. Children associate their behavior with the actions and expressions of their parents, teachers, or others that they look upon for guidance. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the child may then think that they are thought of as a disgusting person.

How do they react to this? They don that mask and costume that they believe you want them to wear. Or their behavior changes. Then something else happens, another expression, another comment, the child dons another mask and costume to become another character that their teachers expect them to be. Eventually, the authentic self is lost amongst all the masks and costumes. And we start to ask "Who am I? Why can't I please my mom, dad, or teacher? I'm being who they want me to be? I'm really, really trying, but I can't get seem to get it right."

As a parent and grandparent, how do we change this? How do we go about teaching our children to be true to themselves, but yet still behave within the guidelines of society's rules? I still question who I am, who my authentic self is. This is a journey that I'm traveling on, to find the truth of it. Maybe along the way I will come up with the answers to the questions that I am asking.

In today's society we are so busy with our daily routines, running here and there, focusing on our jobs and everything else that needs to get done in order for our days to run smoothly, how often do we sit down with our children and encourage them to pursue the things that interest them? Do we push them to do activities that we were good at when we were children, so therefore, it's in the best interest of our child to do the same activities? How often do we actually sit and listen to our child even if it is an argument, or do we say "I don't want to hear it."? Or "children should be seen and not heard"? This was a favorite one in my family.

To me, this meant I wasn't important enough to say what I thought, or perhaps I was too stupid to have an opinion. Is that the message we want to give our children? How many years does someone have to work through this issue in order to figure out that what they have to say is important, that they are important.

I would like to get your opinion on this? How and what do we need to do as a society, to help our children remain true to their authentic self, instead of donning masks and costumes, yet abide by the rules mandated by our society?

IT ISN'T OKAY

2010-09-21T21:07:00.000-05:00

Today I listened to a mother talk about her thirteen year old son and the way he'd tormented a new student at his school. The teacher called him on his behavior and told the boy he needed to apologize. The young lady said, "It's okay, I've been made fun of since the second grade."

I'm here to tell you. It isn't okay. As a slightly older person, I've listened to my children and to my grandchildren (0kay, so I started having kids when I was two), talk about their classmates and friends. I've sat all of them down at one time or another and had a serious talk with them about how they speak of these people, behind their backs and to their faces. It isn't okay to make fun and ridicule them. Unfortunately, children can be very, very cruel. As can many adults.

As parents, teachers, counselors, and mentors to the young people of our world, we must work together to help them understand that words do hurt. They leave a lasting mark upon another child's self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence. As adults we must learn that our words impact their impressionable behavior too.

Growing up, we were taught not to fight back, to turn the other cheek when someone teased, called us names, or bullied us. My parents always told me this one: "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Sorry, they lied. Words do hurt, and they will continue to hurt as long as we allow people to treat others with hate-filled, harmful thoughts, words and treatment.

I'm not saying to go out and punch someone in the nose. But to tell the one who caused you the hurt that "it's okay", doesn't cut it. It's time to stand up for yourself and let them know that you are smart, fun to be with, and loyal to your friends.

Perhaps if I'd learned to be honest when someone did or said something to me that caused me harm, my self-esteem wouldn't have ended up in the gutter, taking me a number of years to work up the courage to allow myself to believe that I didn't deserve to be treated in such a way that I allowed myself to feel stupid, unloveable, and a freak. Perhaps if I'd been taught how to let the hurt and anger go, I wouldn't have felt so terrible about myself.

Children are so impressionable. They believe what they are told by their peers, teachers, parents and anyone else that comes along. It is up to us to help all children develop a healthy love and respect for themselves, so that these words don't hurt. As an adult, I have the knowledge and the capability to not allow one persons actions or words to hurt and bring me down. But a child does not have the knowledge that they can choose to let it hurt them, or to let the hurt go, unless we help them understand that they are beautiful, special people, and the one causing them the hurt is missing out on a chance to know them. They have to be taught how to let the hurt go, not just told to let it go.

I've watched many parents treat their children in the same manner, calling them names, telling them they are stupid, stifling their need to grow and learn by talking about their experiences. Instead of helping them, allowing them to grow into healthy, loveable, respectable young people. Isn't it time that we allow the next generation, the next future to stand up and say "It's not okay that you treat me this way. It's hurtful and hateful. I'm a beautiful person and someday you'll want to know me."

I can guarantee the one causing the hurt, be it an adult or a child would not want someone else to cause them that pain. This pain may cause anger; it may cause violence.

For each "it's okay that you hurt me", a little piece of self-esteem, self-confidence, or self-worth breaks off and falls away. For each "it's okay that you are mean and cruel to me", one more piece of anger is added to that wall that's being built to protect their heart.

Have you ever met someone who is angry all of the time? Perhaps you have a bully that lives down the street? Someone who is constantly screaming and yelling at their children? Have you stopped to judge them about their attitude? Have you ever wondered what makes them so angry?

A smile, a warm hello, "how are you, you look wonderful today", may make a little piece of that anger melt away. A hug and kiss to a hurt child, along with a "I love you. You're so smart." can take away the sting of words from a classmate or neighbor. Quality time, loving words, a hug, can brighten anyone's day. A cup of hot chocolate doesn't hurt either.

So from me to you, my friends. I love you. Go make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and give yourself a big hug. You are a special, important person in my world and without you, it would be a sadder place.

Namaste,

Sue

Accepting Others

2010-09-08T09:12:00.001-05:00

A deep feeling of sadness overcame me yesterday when I heard a broadcast regarding a church in Gainesville, Floriday setting aside a day to burn the Qu'ran. The question of Why has continued to haunt me.

What is the purpose of burning the Islamic Holy Book? What message do they think this will really send to the Muslims who live in this country, or the people who have sought to follow this spiritual path?

The message being sent is that of fear. The same fear that over thousands of year has led to persecution, torture and murder for allowing others their own beliefs, spiritual or personal. Have we not learned anything over the years?

Yes, I agree 100 percent that September 11 was a horrible day. A day of fear, not just for those who watched, as I did, the death and destruction of thousands of people. Not only those who perished, but the friends and families of the lost. But it was also a day of fear for those who created this mass destruction. They were afraid to allow others their beliefs. These people were fanatics, not of the normal Islamic beliefs.

The best message that we can send to anyone is the message of forgiveness. We will not condone or forget the action, but we can forgive those who caused this terrible mass murder.

If we do not release this pain, and forgive, we will carry this burden around on our shoulders for years to come. We will create dis-ease in our own bodies and minds. This burden will become heavier with each day, and the dis-ease will eat at our souls like the most foul of cancer.

I, for one, welcome my Muslim friends with open arms, along with those who have their own spiritual path to follow. We all are on a path to discover our own spiritual self. Just because their path is different from yours or mine, does not mean that they should have to live in fear, watching over their shoulders for harm to come their way.

As I've spent some time studying other spiritual beliefs, I've come to realize, they aren't that different from each other. Religion is just a word. We're all on the path to reach that same goal. A oneness with our Higher Power.

Violence begets violence. Do we want to become known as terrorists to the Muslim Community? This church is threatening to burn a Holy book, is that not a form of terrorism? You are threatening their beliefs, which is the same thing those terrorists were doing to the United States nine years ago.

Please, let's forgive and accept everyone for who they are and allow them to have their own beliefs.

Namaste, Peace and Blessings

Sue

What Do You See?

2010-08-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

My husband passed away last November. Usually that time of year is chilly or cold, but this year it seemed unseasonably warm. Phil died late Saturday night. With a numb mind I made funeral arrangements on Sunday. On Monday, the minister came to the house to help us plan the service. Never having met my husband, he asked our children and me to tell him about their dad, my husband. We laughed and cried over the memories we relayed.

One such story told of Phil's love of joking and playing pranks on people. Knowing the women he worked with feared mice and snakes, he would plant plastic critters in their desk drawer.

He always knew when I discovered a snake in our garden by my dancing around and letting out a hoot. HE thought it was funny. I was trying to get my heart to stop pounding.

After the minister left, I had to do something, anything to keep myself going, so I headed to the kitchen to wipe up the dishes. My daughter-in-law gasped and asked me to look at the stove.

Upon further inspection, I noticed a snake's head barely peeking up over a lid resting on a pile of dishes.

I automatically assumed one of my adult children was playing a prank. I demanded to know which hooligan put a plastic snake on the dirty dishes. It wasn't funny.

"Like we walk around with rubber snakes in our pockets," they stated. "Besides, we were all in the living room with you."

I had to admit they were right on both counts. None of them had left the room. I suspected one of them had discovered Phil's plastic snake. There was only one problem - this snake was alive. Which started a whole new line of questioning. Who went out and brought a snake into the house? Where did they find a snake at this time of year? I hate snakes.

And my husband knew it. My children didn't know I would tell the story of snakes earlier. How could they? I didn't know. what I do know is my husband knew I would see the snake and react. This was a sign from him to me, "Here, I am. Lighten up. I'm okay now. I'm where I'm supposed to be."

My daughter-in-law returned the tiny, ten-inch garter snake to the yard. Two weeks later, another snake appeared in the driveway. This one was a whole lot bigger. A sign I couldn't ignore.

Since then, I've been searching my spiritual path, doing innerwork to help ease my grief so that I can move forward with my life. I've been told time and again to ask for help. Being extremely independent, this is a difficult chore for me.

A few nights later ago I had a dream. After spending time interpreting my dream, I understood I needed to go to my "sisterhood" for help. They are there to help me learn and grow. Tucking that knowledge back into the recesses of my mind, I went on with my day, letting the dream receded into my mind.

Later, sitting at a stoplight, I glanced over at a house surrounded by a wooden privacy fence. Sitting on that fence were two of the largest ravens I've ever seen in my life. The sun glinted off their blue-black wings mesmerizing me. I didn't fail to notice the third raven sitting in the bush next to them, eating its fill of berries.

I couldn't let go of that vision. It meant something to me. It caught my attention and wouldn't let go. Once again my thoughts returned to my "sisters", those who would stand by me and watch over me while I continue to feast on my learning and grow.

Signs appear everywhere around us. We just need to slow down, open ourselves up to a higher power and pay attention. Our souls are talking to us, helping to lead the way.

Listen to that voice in your head that talks to you. Watch the world around you. Nature is calling to you. Pay close attention to your dreams. You'll be surprised what you might learn, just as I was.

Shortly after my dream telling to ask my "sisters" for help, I had another dream. I was walking through a walkway with one of my biological sisters and we bumped into a spider's nest. I was bitten on my big toe, which immediately swelled and turned black.

I could take this dream literally and stop walking around barefoot, especially at night, outdoors. Or I could take it to mean that I haven't been paying attention to what I'm being told. The spider bit me to get my attention. Boy, did it ever. Spiders rank right up there with snakes and mice.

I took the time to break down my dreams, to listen to what I was being told. I need help. There's nothing wrong with asking for it. The "sisterhood" I need to go to understands, ready and willing to catch me when I fall and put me back on my feet again.

Listen. Visualize. Trust. More importantly BELIEVE.

I wrote that article two and a half years ago. The last three years have been filled with amazing things that have happened to me. I still have moments of grief, an ache that doesn't want to seem to ever go away. Yet I've had many dreams of my husband. He seems happy and content where he's at, waiting for me to rejoin him once my time comes.

I've also had many dreams of snakes. They seem to be a constant in my life, consciously and subconsciously. They are the messenger that draws me to the fact that there is something important that I need to pay attention to.

I love nature. Usually when it's this hot, I don't venture outside too much. I prefer the beautiful 70 and 80 degree weather that we had last summer. But when I am outside, or looking through the window, I observe and study what is going on around me. There are signs everywhere that we are able to see that give us messages of hope, joy, and happiness.

The other morning I watched the sunrise. The painter's brush the Universe uses leaves wisps of peach, pink, a soft orange and violet across the sky. The huge gold sphere of sun is split in two by the spire of a church. Rays of brilliance spread from the golden sphere to illuminate the world.

A glorious morning with the sunrise. So soft and subtle it symbolized a mild, peaceful day to me.

The sun being split in two reminded me of something, but I can't quite put my finger upon it. It's almost as if I've seen a twin sun somewhere - possibly in another life.

Is this a sign of things to come? Changes in our world? Positive changes is what I am getting from the twin suns.

I love the sunrise. It symbolizes hope for a new day, the beginning of a new life. Everyday is the start of something new. New lives, new habits, it's fresh, a chance to leave behind whatever is bothering me, so that I may begin again with clear vibrations along my path.

I pray that you see the symbols that surround you. Symbols that mean something to only you. Symbols of hope, joy, happiness. Symbols that help you get through each and every day feeling blessed and loved.

Namaste

Sue

The love of a mother

2010-08-03T07:01:00.000-05:00

Life comes at us in mysterious ways. Ways that we don't expect them to happen. sometimes they are tremendous blows of grief and pain. and you are left asking why. Most times those answers aren't available for us to see. It takes time for the emotions to clear so that we are able to "see" the overall picture.

I received a phone call a few days ago from a loved one. Grief and pain ripped through her voice when she told me the child she'd given up for adoption twenty-seven years ago had died during the night.

Sitting with her later on the question arose, "Did I do the right thing by giving her up?"

Putting your child up for adoption has to be one of the most difficult decisions a mother can make. Knowing you are unable to financially, physically or emotionally take care of the smallest of innocent creatures is a devastating blow to your soul. Being gracious enough to allow someone else to love, nurture and raise your child is an incredible gift.

This woman gave her baby girl to a couple through an open adoption. The child grew up knowing this woman as a family friend and later knew that she was her biological mother. Even as a teenager the child came to live with her bio mom for a short time.

This little girl was blessed with two mothers who loved her. They were all blessed with the gift of life and the giving of life.

Now these two mothers wil lean on each other for comfort, each giving, each taking what is needed to help themselves get through this difficult time.

This young woman was also a mother. Two young children are left behind. Thankfully there are two grandmothers to help.

After growing ill last fall, this young woman had surgery to correct the problem. Unfortuanately, the problem grew worse instead of better, and she left this earth to move gracefully through the heavens.

I know this is small comfort to the mothers, children, and other family left behind, but sometimes it's all we can offer. Words alone cannot express our sorrow for the loss of a life no matter the age. It's particulary hard when it's a young person.

This young lady brought life, love, laughter, joy, and I'm sure, a variety of exasperation, as any child will do, into the lives of two separate women. The woman who carried her for nine months and the woman who nurtured and raised her.

She also carried on that same love with the birth of her own children. As these women try to comfort their grandchildren, they too, may find comfort in the small smiles, or actions that bring back the memories of days past.

Is there a lesson in all of this? A bigger picture to see? I can't see all of it yet, but as time begins to heal the pain, the grief, perhaps I will be allowed to watch more of the "story" unfold. As of now, I can only see the beginning and the middle of the story. The rest is up to these women as they sift through their memories, their emotions, and their grief. Only then will the rest unfold.

Great information

2010-07-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

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http://www.BodyMindSpiritDirectory.org

Time waits for no one

2010-07-18T13:35:00.000-05:00

I have days when I am certain there aren't enough hours to accomplish everything that I want to do. I push and push in order to get done what I can so that I can start all over the next day, so that I end up working 13 -14 hours each day in an office setting. On Saturday, I continue to work for another 5 hours in the office. This is a lot of office time! When I'm home, I'm studying, continuing with my learning, working my own spiritual path, or household duties.

I'm not complaining, mind you, I love what I'm doing. When I'm doing my work, it's like everything in the world makes perfect sense. Helping others to help themselves, to heal their wounds and move forward; to discover who they are, or who they want to be; to help remove the negative and replace with the positive.

I'm just like everyone else though. Caught up in day to day activities, working a full time job, taking care of my household, spending time with my grandchildren and children, and any outside activities that I am involved in.

I just wonder where all the time goes, are the days actually becoming shorter and shorter, or am I just so caught up in what I'm doing, that time just disappears without me being aware of where I am, or what is going on around me?

Life isn't just supposed to be about work, or play, or love, friendship, family, solitude. Not individually anyway. It's about balancing all of these things in our day to day activities. Giving completely and totally to what you are doing at the time, before moving to the next event. This goes back to giving 100% of yourself in everything or to everyone, including yourself.

I'm finding that there are things I want to do, but I also hear that voice in my head, "I don't have time today to do this, so I'll wait until tomorrow."

Which all ties into something else that I've been thinking about for the last week. Becoming so busy that you wait to do something, to say something, often leads to guilt, heartbreak, anger, confusion. More often with yourself, rather than with another person.

How often do you not say "I love you" to your children, spouse, parents, partner, or any loved one, believing that you will see them later on that day, or tomorrow? You're in a rush to get to a meeting, or to catch the bus, whatever the reason. It only takes a second to add those three words.

When my husband was ill I got in the habit of telling him I loved him several times during the day. I often worried that he'd pass on not knowing how I felt. Now, I continue this practice whenever I speak to my children on the phone or in person, I always end with "I love you." I try to do this with my sisters, and my other loved ones. I want them to know how much I do love and care for them. I never want there to be any doubt of my feelings for them.

If I continue to say "one of these days I'll...." perhaps I'll never get those things done. This is part of giving to yourself, showing yourself that you are worthy of having these things. There is an abundance for you and everyone else in this world. Isn't your partner, your children, your loved ones worthy of having you do those things with them or hearing those little words? Isn't this one way of showing them, letting them know what they mean to you?

Time disappears and we don't know where it went. As I was reminded just last week, our loved ones leave this world and we start to think "If only I'd..." We can't change things anymore for those who've left us, but we can start today to change things for those who are still amongst us.

If you haven't hugged those people you love and care about most in the world or said those three magical words today, take a couple of minutes from your busy schedule and do so.

Time isn't standing still.

The Unknown

2010-06-28T19:58:00.000-05:00

Here I am in the third week of starting Blue Heron Transitions. I'm still a little at a loss, going to an office where I don't have any clients as of yet. I say yet, because I've been working diligently on my marketing, mailing out letters and brochures to my friends letting them know I've finally taken that big scary step into the unknown. I've taught a couple of classes, and have another class set up.

I've mailed out letters and brochures to a few doctors, chiropractors, and counselors that I've met along the way, hoping they will refer me to patients that have asked about or need what I offer.

And I mailed letters and brochures to bridal shops and photographers. I can see it now, you're gaping at the screen saying "WHAT?"

I did a relaxation, hypnosis on my future niece two years ago to help relieve the stress that occurs when you are planning a wedding. Every little thing that could go wrong, does go wrong, creating more stress and anxiety in your life, until, at times, you become a bit unbearable to live with. So I helped her out. We did a session - one session- and I made a cd of that session so that she could listen to it if she started feeling the least bit anxious or stressed out.

For the next few weeks Sally listened to it off and on until the big day arrived. A few things happened along the way, but she kept cool and calm, taking everything in stride. The day of the wedding, she was serene and very calm. She completely enjoyed her own wedding without becoming a basket case.

For her to take what I offered as a gift, and allow me to hypnotize her was a step into the unknown. She took a leap of faith into an area that she didn't know much about and let it work for her, creating a happy ending.

For me writing letters, making up my brochure and mailing them out is easy. I'm comfortable with doing the clerical aspect of setting up my business. Marketing - making cold calls to introduce myself and promote my business is not comfortable to me. This is my unknown. Yet, I'm willing to work on the discomfort, and turn this discomfort into a positive for me. If I can make those calls, go out and introduce myself face to face to the people I've already mailed brochures to, then I can pretty much do anything.

Or, I can hide in my empty office and hope that people will come calling. This may work, but then again, maybe it won't.

We all have things we're afraid of doing, or even trying because we don't know what may happen, how it will all work out in the end. If you're anything like me you have a vivid imagination and can visualize at least twenty horrifying scenarios that would curl your hair.

What I propose that each of us do is to pick one of those things that we are afraid to step toward and write out a list of ten things that bother you about going after this desire. Things that you visualize going wrong, or make the job harder to do. Number one is the least difficult to do and number ten, of course, is the most difficult. This is the one that really gets the stomach churning.

Now, let's start with number one. This is the least worrisome of the lot, but yet you may feel it's an obstacle to get past to reach that goal that you want to achieve. Sit back, relax and close your eyes. Imagine or visualize that you are completely involved in this action. You are actively participating in whatever scenario you have that has created this obstacle for you. But as you are visualizing the scene, you visualize it turning out exactly as you want it to be. Go through this visualization several times until you've taken it from being an obstacle to a minor challenge.

Then move on to item number two, and repeat this exercise. You are desensitizing yourself to the unknown, the things you imagine could happen to prevent you from achieving your desires. You are making them manageable challenges that will spur you along on your path to success.

This exercise can be used for anything that you want to become easier in your life, your job, a relationship, even just wanting/saving for something that is important to you. Or possibly something you've always wanted to try, like skydiving, or scuba diving.

Now me, I know I can talk to people, selling myself is a bit more difficult, so for now I'm going to sit back, relax, close my eyes, and imagine....

Namaste,

Sue

Giving 100%

2010-06-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

Wow, these last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. I have been working hard to get my office open so that I have a place to see my clients. After working eight hour days at one office, I've been putting in 3-4 hours a night getting the new office ready. I think it's time to slow down and take a deep breath.

We are always in such a rush to get here, go there, get this done, then that done, that we don't take the time to take care of ourselves, or to notice the disappointed look on a child's face when we tell them we don't have time right now. Life is too short to not pay attention to what is going on around us, to enjoy the moment.

We only get this moment once, it will never be exactly the same again. So, why don't we sit back, close our eyes, take a couple of deep breaths and relax. Enjoy the music in the air, it's all around us. The fragrance of fresh cut grass, or the roses blooming on the fence. The sound of rain on the roof - yes, I know we've had a lot of it lately, or the sun on our faces. The feel of a tiny hand in yours, feeling safe, secure and loved.

When you are at work give 100% of yourself to your job, but when you are at home give 100% of yourself to your spouse, your lover, your children. The same goes for when you are with friends and extended family. And when you have down time to relax, do just that. Give 100% of yourself to relaxation. You will be surprised how beneficial it is in the long run.

For me, it's time to give 100% to myself, so I'm going to go find someplace quiet and meditate on everything wonderful that I've experienced with all of my senses today.

Namaste,

Sue

Did you ever wonder?

2010-06-04T18:02:00.000-05:00

It seems just like yesterday that I held my daughter, Shena, in my arms. Tomorrow, her oldest child, Aimee, will graduate from high school. Where do the years go? They've flown by with all the twists and turns of every day living. All the ups and downs of our lives.

What have we done with those twists, turns, ups and downs? Hopefully we've used to them to help ourselves grow, searching for the meaning of our lives. The mystery of what makes us tick. The purpose we were brought here on earth. To find our soul. To grow and learn, and perhaps help others grow and learn.

For many years I worried and fretted. Why was I brought here? It had to be for some reason, for some purpose. I knew it deep inside of me, I just couldn't figure out what it was. Was I put here just to be a mother? If so, then why did I feel like a part of me was missing? What did I need to do to figure that out?

I started following the things that interested me. Things that had held my interest for years. As I searched out one thing, another link would just pop up out of nowhere, until I started accumulating all of these books, and meeting others who were just as curious and interested as I was. Coincidence, you might think.

No, there isn't any such thing as coincidence. All things happen for a reason, I believe. And I can sit back and look at all of these little "happenings" and say, "ah hah, that's why that happened." or "Wow, look at that."

I'm not done searching yet. I still want to know the truth, the reason, the purpose for my life. I look back and realize I'm a little closer than I was a few years ago. I know I'm a little closer than I was yesterday

Who am I? I can probably tell you what I am alot easier than I can tell you who I am. But one thing I've come to realize. I AM me. For whatever that is worth, I AM ME.

As for my daughter and granddaughter, I'm sure they are searching too. Maybe once my daughter's children are grown and living on their own, she will find herself staring out the window wondering who she is, what her purpose in life is all about.

Perhaps, she's already wondering. Maybe Aimee is wondering too. They'll find their path,just as one day I hope I truly recognize mine, and I know they will live it to the fullest of their ability.

Congratulations, my first born's eldest. You make me proud.

Namaste,

Sue

Greetings

2010-05-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Blue Heron Transitions.

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Sue Thornton. I am currently setting up my office as a hypnotherapist, Reiki Practioner, and Spiritual counselor.

This has been an interesting experience for me, going back to school at middle age, following a career path that I didn't have any idea I would lean toward until three years ago.

It has been kind of fun knowing that I'm in college as are two of my children. If we all were to attend the same school, I'm not certain how much fun this would be for them, but I've given myself a couple of pats on the back for challenging myself to restart my career.

I'd like to give you a bit of an idea of what gave me reason to start this change in my life. Three years ago my husband was diagnosed with liver cancer. We thought we'd have a good chance of getting a liver transplant, but as fate would have it, he didn't survive. At the time, I would look to the doctors for advice on what foods to feed him, and what I could do for him. Something to help him through the days. I was very discouraged when I received the answers I did. "Feed him whatever he wants. If he wants to eat all fried foods, then feed them to him." I learned quickly that they didn't have any hope that he would recover.
After his death, I was upset and angry with myself for not doing more. There had to be more than just the drugs and endless doctor visits and hospital stays.
Searching for my own spiritual path and purpose for being put on this earth, and an answer to what more could I have done for my husband, I went back to school, a Holistic college. And from there I moved into hypnosis and Reiki. I believe we all play a big part in healing our own bodies and lives. Our doctors play a huge part in our lives, perhaps they, too, would like as much help as we can give them.
So I'm here to assist you, your doctors, or someone else you may know that needs a helping hand. I can't heal you, I am just the channel to open the doors for you so you may heal yourself. It may not be from dis-ease, but a problem you just can't seem to figure out the answer to, or the fear of an upcoming surgery, weight-loss, or needing a helping hand with smoking cessation.
I love doing Reiki treatments, clearing out the negative energy that we attract to ourselves during our hectic schedules. Or if you just want to learn to relax, and reduce your stress, I'm here to help you.

Namaste,

Sue

Just Imagine

2010-05-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

Sometimes our days are very hectic. We’re running here and there, trying to cross off each and every job that needs to be completed off the list we compile each morning. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours or minutes in the day to complete all of our projects. Have you taken time for yourself today? Do you feel the need to relax, release some stress, calm your frantic mind? There isn’t any time to do this? Well, take fifteen minutes from your whirlwind schedule and let’s relax. Find a comfortable seat, or perhaps it’s once you slide into your car before you head off for the next chore on your list. Don’t put the key in the ignition, just lean your head back and breathe deep. I’m going to give you an exercise to help you along with your day.
Exercise #1
Take a minute or two, sit back and relax. Focus on your breathing. Inhale deep through your nose, then let it out slowly through your mouth. On the third deep breath, let your eyes drift shut. Imagine, just imagine that you are going someplace you’ve always wanted to go, or perhaps returning to that place you fell in love with at one point in your life. Picture this place in your mind’s eye. What do you smell? Do you remember the wonderful aromas that you encountered while you were there? Look around. What do you see? What do you hear? Are you able to feel the sand, the grass, the trees, the air upon your face? What emotion comes to you while you’re in your special place? Is there someone special there with you? Can you see them? Hear them? Feel them? Smell them? This is your special place. A place where you are safe and secure. A place where you can come to relax, to find yourself, to rejoin your inner you. You can sit, stand or wander around for as long as you like. If you use this exercise every day for ten or fifteen minutes, it’s a great stress reliever.
Exercise #2 is one to use if you are feeling a bit out of sorts, a little lost or troubled.
Now, imagine you are walking along a wooded path, going deep into a forest. You are secure and comfortable in these woods. Visualize or imagine a bowl that you are carrying in your hands. You’ve been along this path many times before, but this time you will meet three others, people or creatures, beings, possibly out of fairy tales, history, mythology, whoever or whatever you’ve always wanted to meet. You will meet each of these three, one at a time. When each one places something into your bowl, they will tell you why they have given it to you. You will also ask each one, “Why have you come?”
Describe in detail the bowl that you carry. What is it made of?
Describe the first being or creature. Why did it come? What does it give you? Why did it give you what it did?
Continue walking and describing your journey through the woods.
Describe the second being or creature. Why did it come? What does it put in your bowl? For what reason.
And the third? Why is it there? What does it give you and why?
After you have received all of your gifts, you will wander to a fallen tree and sit. As you gaze at your gifts, these symbols and what you have been told by the giver, do these have any meaning for you regarding something that has or is happening in your life right now? Describe how these gifts can be applied to your life in the present.
Take a deep breath in and slowly release it. Another and another, opening your eyes on the third exhale. How will you apply this new knowledge to your life’s journey.

This exercise may be one that you want to jot down what or who you meet and the gift they’ve given you along with the reason and meaning. It will add a little food for thought when you have a few spare minutes to meditate on what you sensed.
Sue Thornton
Owner, Blue Heron Transitions

YOU CAN CO-CREATE YOUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES
WORKING TOGETHER TO LEARN HOW TO FOLLOW YOUR OWN UNIIQUE WISDOM AND PATH OF SELF-DETERMINATION
eMail: Thorntonsue.sue@gmail.com
Telephone: (402) 202-8303