self-expression
Everyone Is An Artist
Art is a powerful form of self-expression. It allows us to communicate complex emotions and spiritual concepts through various mediums such as the visual and fine arts, music, dance, acting, creative writing, and so on.
When we are being creative we connect with the subconscious part of ourselves. This can be a powerfully healing experience to help us process and integrate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences on a deep level.
When we are children, we don’t have any preconceived ideas about art. If you observe young children, you’ll see this very clearly. They don’t worry about how ‘good’ an artist they are. Most kids just see art as a form of play. They love to draw, or paint, or color, and are typically pretty thrilled with their creations.
So, what happens along the way that we become so self-conscious about our artistic endeavors? It seems to me that at some point most people have had ‘the artist’ within subtly discouraged or silenced. Whatever the case may be,suffice it to say that life takes over at some point and being creative artistically takes a back seat.
“I was never very good at it anyway,” or “I just did it for fun,” are common remarks I’ve heard from people. But what’s wrong with not being very good at something? Especially if it’s fun? Moreover, the benefits of spending time being creative are vast! Art Therapy is growing in popularity and more studies are being done around this modality. Continue reading
The Healing Power Of Movement
In my earliest years of life, I was severely shy, fearful of anyone I didn’t know, and acutely anxious of being separated from my mother. Any time we were out, or in the presence of others, I clung to her tightly and hid in silence behind her.
My mom soon received many recommendations to enroll me in dance lessons, to help me come out of my shell. She did, and I emerged. That was my first experience of the healing power of movement.
It continued into my ‘terribly turbulent’ teens, during which ballet became my only safe haven and sanctuary.
In the ballet studio I could pour out every feeling. From the barre to the stage, every move was an opportunity to express what I needed to release, and to find the solace I needed.
A decade later, I found myself bedridden with chronic fatigue. Yet, visions of ballet spontaneously continued to dance across the screen of my mind’s eye – almost every moment of every day. I could feel the movement in my body, even though my body was unable to move.
I know now it was a premonition of a life-changing return to dance, that ultimately remedied my illness and opened the way to reveal my gift of intuitive healing dance.
The power of movement is a beautiful thing. It can literally shift, shape, and reform energy. Energy itself comes in many forms and functions. Emotion, if you think about it, is energy in motion: e-motion. Everything, including you and I, are an emanation of energy from the Absolute Truth and Personality of Godhead.
Finding Your Unique Soul Path And Purpose
Sometimes life on the Earth plane seems overly difficult, or perhaps even futile. Depending on where you are in life, what you have achieved and how satisfied you are with the outcomes, these thoughts can be dreary indeed.
Take heart. There is no magic timeline within which you must accomplish great and wonderful things to impress others. You are at liberty to structure your life in a myriad of ways, in the time frame that suits you best.
Take the opportunity to reframe your criteria for success. There are unlimited possibilities when it comes to realizing your ultimate purpose in life. Each person is unique. No two paths are the same. Your journeys, therefore, will not be identical.
Give yourself permission to contemplate your life’s purpose. Allow yourself the latitude to try different ideas before making a lofty commitment. Do not judge yourself harshly for not taking action yet.
Be willing to try a different avenue that better suits your temperament or talents. In general, the end goal can be achieved in many different ways by taking different routes to get there
Avoid comparisons that cause distress. Being inspired by an accomplished master can be wonderful, however, you do not need to pattern your efforts after those of another.
Context, Context, Context
In the sales and marketing field they often talk of ‘location, location, location’ (no matter how good your product or service is, how successful you are often comes down to location). Perhaps in our communication with others we should think of context, context, and context?
We have entered a period of time in the world that communication is misconstrued, even fake and has more opportunities to be interpreted as confrontational, biased, and not politically correct.
On top of that put an individual’s personal style of communication – introvert, extrovert, analytical, emotional subjective and all the other styles, and the matter becomes more thorny.
Then, add even another layer, such as email and social media, which does not involve the other person being face-to-face.
Now communication becomes even more complex, because body language and the human expression energetically is not a resource available to us to can pick up on the subtle options for interpretation. We will initially respond to the email from our frame of reference, and our reference alone, which is biased by our experiences.
So what do we do? Well, we recognize the importance of ourselves being energy vibration, through which our body communicates consciously and subconsciously with everything in our environment. We acknowledge that our emotions, beliefs and thoughts are complex, inter-connected and influence each situational response in our communication.
The Scorching Year Of The Yang Fire Horse
Today is the first day of the 2026 Chinese Lunar New Year, and with it the Fire Horse year begins, setting a faster and more intense pace for the months ahead.
The Year of the Fire Horse brings a powerful mix of independence, urgency, and honesty. The Horse is known for its need for freedom, movement, and self direction. When combined with the Fire element, those qualities become stronger and harder to ignore.
This year will push us to stop waiting, or hesitating, or pretending that situations are fine when they are not.
Unlike the cautious Metal Horse or the steady Earth Horse, the Fire Horse is not about careful delay. It favors action. It rewards people who are willing to make decisions and take responsibility for the direction of their lives.
This makes 2026 a year that supports bold changes, clear boundaries, and personal independence.
In many cultures, the Horse symbolizes travel, progress, and the drive to move forward. It is associated with vitality and the desire to explore new territory, both physically and emotionally.
This year invites you to look honestly at where you feel restricted and where you have outgrown your current circumstances. It encourages you to take steps toward a life that feels more honest and more self-directed.
Your Sacred Center Of Self-Love
We all thrive on being loved. This is natural, of course, if you look back at humanity in history on an evolutionary level. Ancient people came together in tribes, families, and groups, to cultivate a place of safety, security, nurturance, and love.
If you were different or stood out in any way, or even left the tribe, you were literally putting your own life at risk. This topic can be viewed from so many arenas, including psychological, spiritual, scientific, and psychic.
I often wonder how and when did we start defining ourselves by how others felt about us, and why did we believe that other’s thoughts about us were true? At what point in time did we allow others to define us? It’s as though we as humanity went into a deep trance.
We all know the phrase, “Love thyself first”. When did we forget this vital piece of information?
There are many ways we can come back in touch with this essential truth, but for the most part, our society does not support a lifestyle that would naturally lead us back to our sacred center of self-love.
How often do you take a moment to look in the mirror, or tell yourself, “I love you?” Most of us feel silly doing this, but it is very healing.
Have you ever met an older person who behaves in ways that are foolish or who just doesn’t give a hoot what anyone else thinks? My paternal grandfather used to throw dinner rolls across the table at me in fancy restaurants. While my parents and other family seated at the table would roll their eyes at my Grampy, I used to laugh hysterically!
Why Curiosity Is Essential For Spiritual Growth
These days, it is customary to access information instantly using various modern technologies. All kinds of knowledge are at our fingertips whenever we need it.
While some research is required for school or work projects, and other inquiries are made to simply satisfy a general “need to know,” Spirit challenges us to view our world differently and conduct a different kind of search.
Take time to be still every now and then. Extend your curiosity internally. Go within and take time to reflect on your past decisions, your current situation, and your potential future.
The past is a wonderful place to visit to reminisce about great experiences, evaluate decisions, and learn from events.
Note: This must only be temporary. It does not mean that you should constantly “live” in the past or obsess over what might have been, because there is no present or future in the past. There are only lessons and insight to be found there.
When considering some of the questionable choices you may have made in the past, be kind to yourself as you ponder the decisions you made and why you made them. Remember that your younger self did not have the benefit of the experience, wisdom, and insight that you have now.
Also, be kind to others who might have influenced you in a negative fashion or hurt you to the core, whether it seemed to be intentional or not at the time. Understand that their chosen paths may have intersected with yours for a specific reason but that you now have the ultimate control over your present actions and future dreams.