health
The Transformative Power Of Gratitude
The act of giving thanks is a transformative one. When we live in gratitude, our energy vibration becomes elevated, and this positivity spreads outward like the ripples in water. If you’ve ever heard of paying it forward, this is the same idea! Gratitude changes lives – both our own and that of others.
Being appreciative and giving thanks to others, to the Universe, to the Earth for its sustenance, raises positive energies which will in turn come back to us.
Sometimes being grateful can feel like a chore, or something we need to pretend feeling. Every one of us experiences hardship and adversity. Life’s challenges sometimes get even the most grateful people down. The best way to flip that into something positive is to make a list of gratitude statements, in your mind, aloud, or in your journal.
Are you grateful for your friends, family, your health, the beauty of nature? Maybe you’re simply thankful you were able to get up this morning, when many other people were not.
Make this process one from the heart. Feel the positive energy. After a while, it will become an uplifting habit, and your body and mind will start to enjoy the positive rush of feelings. Let this routine be the first thing you do in the morning, and the last one you do at night before sleep.
Making The Most Of Pisces Season
Today we are entering Pisces season. The Sun moves into the zodiac sign of Pisces every year from February 18th through March 20th, and activates our compassion, intuition and imagination. This is a cycle where we are able to get in touch with our deeper emotions and heal any issues that might be weighing us down.
Pisces is a mutable, water sign, which allows us to be more flexible and go with the flow of the Universe. Now is not the best time for planning and taking action, but great for reflection, journaling, artistic expression and dreaming.
Technically, Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and shows us the accumulation of what we have learned in the past year. It also helps us release in order to prepare for the next cycle in Aries.
The negative aspects of Pisces brings up addiction issues, escapism, delusions, being overly sensitive and falling into a victim mentality. It can seem like we are swimming in circles in this period, so acknowledging our direction and any imbalances are vital.
The Sun in Pisces is also a good time to get in touch with our bodies, and to detoxify with lots of water, fresh whole foods, and upgrading our self-care routine. If you are unsure of where to start with exercise, more gentle movement activities, like Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates or swimming in a body of water, will help create re-connection. It is all about taking your time and accepting where you are in your life.
The Miracle Healing Power Of Prayer
Every month, I host a healing prayer circle. All those who show up are invited to share what has been going on in their lives. Whoever may need a listening ear or a prayer, we go to work and pray for them.
Sometimes just listening to someone else’s problems can also be very healing. Many people don’t have anyone in their lives who will listen, and sometimes people say they will pray for us, but don’t.
There is much power in prayer. I once again witnessed this with a lady who, while attending one of our prayer circles, experienced a instant healing miracle.
She is a mature woman who lives on her own and doesn’t do much else but attend a knitting group and our monthly prayer circle. During one of our gatherings she shared how grateful she was for the group and that she urgently needed a prayer for herself this time. She had never before asked that we pray for her.
She had been experiencing severe pain in her spine and painful rashes. Her doctor had examined her two weeks prior and told her she had the viral infection known as shingles. She showed us some of the rashes on her body and it was clear that this was a severe case.
We then laid our hands on her, everyone present that day, and we prayed for her. She started to vibrate. I could feel it clearly in my hands. Her entire body was subtly vibrating and two of the other women said they could feel it too. I could also perceive white energy going through her entire body, and she said she could feel it too.
Give Your Nervous System A Break
Given the fast pace of today’s world, the expectations of others, as well as the pressure we place on ourselves, giving our nervous system a break, and understanding the ways to support and strengthen this system, is physically, emotionally and spiritually important.
Stress is something we all experience – some more than others. Those of us who are empathic, psychic, or highly sensitive, can experience stress more intensely with more profound consequences.
The stress that empaths, psychics and sensitives experience may be tied to that of another person, or situation, as well as their own stress. This ability to experience the emotions, thoughts and feelings of others can create a rebound effect of high stress.
Racing heart, anxiety, quickening of breathing, tensing of muscles, sweating, feeling faint or nauseous, are all signs of a nervous system in flight mode. Add in the compounded impact of experiencing this in another person, on top of yourself, and your nervous system is off and running, literally.
The body’s ‘fight or flight response’ is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which is one part of the autonomic nervous system. The other part is the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to relax and slow down the body’s response.
The sympathetic system acts like an accelerator, to ‘rev up’ our body and make us run, to remove us from danger. The parasympathetic system acts like the ‘brake,’ slowing us down when danger isn’t present.
The Laying On Of Hands
The laying on of hands, also known as the imposition of hands, is a ritual act performed in some religious and spiritual traditions. It is used for the purpose of ordination, healing, or the transmission of a spiritual gift or blessing. In this blog article I will explore the different traditions and how they use this ancient practice in diverse ways, with a special focus on healing.
Judaism
The hands are of particular importance in certain Jewish religious rituals. Deuteronomy 34:9 describes, for example, how Moses laid hands on Joshua, his successor. The term used for it is semicha, meaning ‘leaning of the hands.’
It is also associated with sacrifice. Thousands of years ago, priests practiced semicha by laying hands on the sacrifices right before offering was made. Moses tells Aaron, “This is the thing that God commanded you to do, that God’s presence may appear.” It is understood that this passage in Leviticus 9 refers to the laying on of hands.
Christianity
In the New Testament we find a continuation of the Jewish practice of semicha, still connected to the liturgies of ordination and now also of baptism, in both of which the imposition of hands is an important part of the ritual.
Ordination involves conveying a gift and an authority within the Church. The imposition of hands connected with baptism is a means whereby the convert is born to the ecclesia, or the Christian community. The action itself of laying on hands is connected with the gift of the Holy Spirit and is also used to convey a blessing. For example, in Acts 6:6: “These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.” It is also practiced as a means of healing (Luke 4:40).
Nurturing The Spirit
Walk into any bookstore in any given city, and you will find a multitude of titles on diet, nutrition and healthy eating. We are warned repeatedly by the experts of the dangers of high cholesterol, the importance of adequate fiber in our diets, low sodium, low fat, less meat, more fruit and vegetables, and a myriad of other dietary guidelines and advice to keep us healthy all the way into eternity!
One can also search the Internet and immediately arrive at an astounding number of expert sources telling us not only when, where and how to eat, but also how to play, exercise and live out the rest of our lives with good health and well-being.
There are also a wide variety of applications and activities that we are able to participate in, that promise us mental agility and good memory retention, in order to remain of sound and alert mind. This is accomplished through an assortment of tests, quizzes, puzzles and mazes to show us exactly where we might need additional help and improvement.
All these resources and tools are provided to us in order that we can believe and accept the idea that the present life we are living can stay at the same level, with no need to think things may have to deteriorate over time. Being healthy, both physically and mentally, is of course exceptionally important if we want to stay in balance while we are going about our daily grind.
But what about the spiritual side of us? Granted there are books and programs available for any of us who are seeking such knowledge and information. However, I find it interesting that this vital aspect does not appear to feature in the forefront of our quest for health, well-being and longevity. Many of us go to great lengths to fulfill our obligation to nurture our minds and bodies, but what essential steps do we put in place to nurture the spirit that clearly dwells inside each of us?
The Energizing Power Of Quartz Crystal
Quartz crystal is a stone of power. Some call it the ‘universal stone’ due to its multiple uses. It enhances energy by absorbing, storing, amplifying, and balancing energy. But in particular it is used to receive universal energy.
Quartz also improves our thinking, since thoughts are a form of energy. Because it directs and amplifies energy, it is very beneficial for manifestation, healing, meditation, protection and channeling. Due to its ability to balance energy, quartz is also excellent for harmonizing our environment, as well as energizing other crystals.
Quartz crystals, especially Amethyst, enable us to align our body with planet Earth. The quartz crystals help us to raise our vibration. So, when you feel sad, pessimistic, or abandoned and desperate due to the challenges of life, you can use amethysts or any other quartz crystal to recharge your energy and empower yourself.
Crystal attracts positive energy from planet Earth, while helping us to release out of the body the negative emotions and feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and all negative emotions of defeat or low vibration. One of the ways that quartz acts in the body is like an energetic shield that creates a bubble of spiritual light around your body.
Quartz also helps purify any negative vibration from your space, since they emanate a large amount of energy that you can use to thrive. They further help clear the mind of unnecessary thoughts and disorder.