Lifestyle
Spiritual Cleansing
With a new year comes the opportunity again to better ourselves, but how many of us consider the spiritual along with the physical or mental? Like our homes or our cars, our spiritual selves accumulate ‘junk’ over time and need cleaning too.
The first clue that a spiritual cleansing or psychic clearing is overdue is that general feeling of heaviness, emotional clutter, or being overwhelmed. Just as we tend to get depressed when our living space is a wreck, if our spiritual essence is no longer working properly, neither will we as a whole unit.
A perfect way to get started, which is inexpensive and environmentally friendly, is to smudge your physical space with a healing herb such as sage, or something stronger like frankincense. As you burn these herbs, focus on ridding negative energies and memories and repeat a mantra such as, “I release that which I no longer need, and focus now on the present.” Continue reading
What Goes Around Comes Around
Karma is a very real thing. I know an older lady who firmly believes that she will never have to struggle coming in the door, whenever she comes home to her condo. She never has to set down any of her items to look for the right key to unlock the door and let herself in. There always seems to be someone there to let her in; people are usually going out as she is coming back in.
Amazingly, this appears to be true. I have never actually seen her having any trouble letting herself in, and it seems to be the case especially when she is bringing in groceries, or carrying a heavy load.
I asked her why she thinks this is, and she told me that when she was younger, and her legs used to worked better, she used to always help elderly people. She would help them to their car, or help them bring things in, or help them cross the street. It was something her parents taught her from a very young age – to always be ready to lend a helping hand to children and the elderly. Continue reading
Does Your Life Own You?
Addressing our desires, needs, goals and actions is imperative as we go through life. Ideally this happens on a regular and consistent basis. Yet, life sometimes has the uncanny ability to delay our well-defined plans, or simply start it without us. It can also unexpectedly speed up our plans.
If you reflect on your current life status, are there aspects of it that make you cringe a little? Is your career, financial health, relationship, or family life in a space where you are just ‘getting by.’ Are you living month to month on your paycheck? Stuck in a stagnant relationship? Do you hate your job? Feeling overwhelmed?
If such feelings are prevalent, then it indicates that your life owns you, instead of you owning your life. Your life owns you when your everyday routine consists mostly of elements of necessity, not of desirous choice.
There is no doubt that modern society has burdened us with the pressures to succeed, to pay the bills, to live where we live. Navigating the meandering river of our material needs occupies much space in our mind. My brain hurts! Continue reading
Take Some ‘Me Time’ This Holiday Season
The current holiday celebrations, extensive to-do-lists and family gatherings is usually a hectic time of the year for many. But this year we can expect it to be even worse.
Whether you are battling the crazy crowds at the mall doing your last minute shopping, or trying to find a way to inform co-workers or family that you don’t particular enjoy holiday gatherings, or simply dealing with the stress of trying to do it all and be perfect at it, things are going to be just a bit more difficult this year with the incoming energy of Mercury Retrograde. Continue reading
How To Not Lose Your Mind
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard comments like “people are losing their minds,” or “folks are sure cracking up lately!” The last one is from my sweet Grandma. She says this almost every day when she watches the news. She does have a point – it definitely does seem that way, doesn’t it?
I noticed people losing their minds on the road, at the gas pump, and in grocery stores. There was also the women at the salon, talking on the phone with someone. Many people do seem to be so quick to anger. Some even go into a mad rage over their hamburger not being cooked right (as we heard recently on the news). Continue reading
We All Thrive Differently
I love plants and enjoy sharing space with them. I several in my home and take very good care of them. I’m mindful to water them around the same time every week and I even talk to them. In many ways, I look at them as my friends.
I live in a home that doesn’t get much sunshine, so I have selected plants that require low light. While they never receive any direct sunlight, they are thriving like champs and are healthy and happy.
Plants are much like people in that sense. Some of us require a lot of people around us to be happy, the same way some plants need lots of sunshine. But some of us require lots of quiet, alone time, like some plants prefer the shade. We all recharge and thrive in different ways. Continue reading
Release Control And Live In Joy
Last month, an old friend reconnected with me on social media. She talked quite a lot about the old days, when we lived and went to school on an island in the Canary Islands. It was fun looking back and reminiscing, as well as sharing all the things we’ve done, and the weird and wonderful places we’ve lived in and traveled to in-between.
I was quite taken back when she made a comment about how controlling my father was back then. In the past, I would have defended him, but she had a valid point. Make no mistake, I adored my father, but as years progressed the controlling behavior actually worsened. Continue reading