DEVELOPING A REGULAR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

We will look at different ways to develop a consistent spiritual practice, how we can fit it into our busy lives, and what the benefits are of having a regular spiritual practice.

What is a spiritual practice? A spiritual practice is a commitment, even a devotion to connecting with your Higher Self, or a Higher Power. Your Higher Self is a term used for your soul, or as some see it, your spiritual body. A Higher Power is used in referring to God, Source, Creator, and the Universe. For many people, having a regular spiritual practice is important because it brings them comfort, an inner peace. Spiritual practice for some may mean using prayer and a more traditional religious approach, and for others it may mean connecting with the Universal energy and your Higher Self. Spiritual practice doesn’t have to be rooted in religion or it can be rooted in religion, it is about what resonates with you personally, and when looking at developing a spiritual practice, you must look at what resonates with you and your soul.

You may be asking yourself, Why should I develop a regular spiritual practice, or Why is it important….even, What can it do for me? The reality is, most people begin a spiritual practice because they feel they are missing something in their lives, or they feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges, or they were raised with some type of formal religion and now as an adult, they may be looking for something different from what they already know, or they may simply be looking to enhance their religious practice. Whatever the reason, having a more consistent routine of spiritual connection is what can assist you in creating more of what you want in your life and less of what you don’t want.

If you look at your life, in its current state, does it look exactly the way you dreamed it would at this stage of your life? Are you fulfilled? Are your relationships everything you want and need? Is your relationship with yourself what it should be? These are all questions to ponder when wondering if developing a spiritual practice would benefit you.

Having a regular spiritual practice can bring calm in the midst of chaos, insight in times of confusion, and it can lessen stress during difficult times. Whether you see spirituality as religious or more Universal energy, connecting with this infinite wisdom, and knowledge, can bring balance and harmony into your life, which in turn can create better relationships, and more fulfillment. If you connect with your Higher Self or a Higher power, either way, you are developing a stronger connection between your soul, and your human self. We have all come here with specific tasks to carry out and soul contracts to be fulfilled. As humans we need to access this infinite guidance and wisdom from some place, and yes, this infinite knowledge is within us, but there is even more outside of us that can be accessed as well. So how do you go about accessing this knowledge, guidance, and wisdom? By developing a regular spiritual practice.

Let’s look at the various ways in which we can do this.

Intuition:

This is our ability to connect with other realms and dimensions, as well as Light Beings, to gather information, either about ourselves or others, and to gain a better understanding of what our purpose is while here. Intuition is a direct connection with your Higher Self and a Higher Power. Intuition affords your soul direct access to the information needed to make better decisions, more insightful choices, and ultimately, to be better equipped to walk your journey with ease. This can be done through traditional means, such as a class to teach you ways to develop your intuition. You can read different books that outline how to develop intuition, such as my book, “Tools for Spiritual Healing,” available on Amazon. You can also connect with others, in a group forum, finding groups of like minded people to learn from them what tools they use for developing their intuition.

Meditation:

Meditation offers you the quiet, the focus, and the calming energy needed for contemplation. When we are in contemplation, we are open to receiving guidance from our Higher Selves, or a Higher Power, and we are much better able to either hear this guidance, or see it, or feel it. When we have lots of distractions in our lives, which all of us do, it can be extremely difficult to notice the subtleties around us that are there for assisting us. Meditation does not have to be lengthy nor does it have to be what many believe as a shutting off of your mind, or quieting you mind. It can be taking time to notice what is creeping into your mind, are there things in your life that you are worried about but not really aware of? When I first started meditating, I couldn’t figure out how to shut my mind off because this is what I thought was the purpose of it, and I could not figure out how to do that so I was frustrated, and eventually decided to just allow my thoughts to flow, and eventually was able to immediately quiet my mind. Overall, Meditation is a wonderful tool to use to bring into the forefront of your mind what needs to be addressed.

Prayer:

Prayer is one of those techniques most of us are familiar with either because we practice prayer personally, or we know people who do. Prayer is often used synonomously with spiritual practice. This is one I want to focus on for a minute because if the objective is to create a regular spiritual practice, then you would want to engage in prayer regularly not just when things are going poorly. The reason I say this because a regular practice of prayer can really be the starting point of developing a spiritual practice. Whatever Light Being you pray to, or if it is the Universe that you send your intentions to, it is about constantly connecting with that energy. This practice can lead to other forms of spiritual practice, and is often where people begin theirs. Prayer time doesn’t need to be lengthy either, it can be a quick prayer of gratitude before you get out of bed, or giving thanks before a meal, but the more time you devote to connecting with a Higher Power, the stronger the connection becomes and the more you easily you access this infinite wisdom and guidance.

Nature:

Spending time outside, among trees, plants, and water are all ways of connecting with Mother Earth Energy, and for many people this is their regular spiritual practice, just being one with nature, absorbing the healing energy from the living things surrounding them, listening to the sounds of nature, noticing the animals, insects, leaves, flowers, warmth of the sun, or chill of the winter air, the dying off of what has fulfilled its purpose, only to be renewed when the seasons change. Nature is a constantly changing energy and is extremely healing and rejuvenating to some people.

Visualization:

Visualization is another great approach to a spiritual practice. You can visualize anything that you want, or you can ask to be shown whatever it is that you are supposed to see for the future, or healing from the past. Visualization is a wonderful tool to use in getting in touch with your Higher Self or Higher Power. This is a tool I use regularly for seeing things I need to be aware of, or for making changes.

Physical Mindfulness:

This includes Yoga, Tai Chi, any physical activity that connects you with your breathing, and being mindful of what you are doing, being in the present moment. This does not include running on a treadmill, now physical exercise is crucial to your overall health, but when looking at it in terms of part of a spiritual practice, you want to do more of a mindful type of activity where you are deliberately focusing on your body, mind, spirit, and I would challenge anyone who says that intensive cardio or weight lifting fits this mold.

At this point, I’m sure some of you are asking “How do I incorporate all these techniques into my busy daily routine?”

Well, you don’t have to do all of these, or you can alternate between them from day to day. Remember what we discussed earlier, do what resonates with your soul, if there are things discussed today that make you feel “Ah, I don’t think I want to do that…or Yoga isn’t my thing” then don’t do them, but if there are other things that do resonate with you, try them.

I lived on the New England coast, and had never lived near the ocean before. I like the water, but never felt like I had to be near the water. I had taken advantage of having the ocean so close to me, and even in the winter, I would go to the beach and meditate, visualizing the waves washing away my worries, and fears, and replacing them with calming energy, and faith. I even visualized the salt air cleaning my aura and energy field of any stagnant energy that I had attracted throughout the week. The same goes for walking trails. About 10 years ago, I started to deliberately spend more time outside, then eventually in nature, walking nature trails, and taking time to notice my surroundings and it opened up my eyes to the beauty of it all, which I had never really noticed before, but now, if I go too long without connecting with nature, I can feel it. You will know what works for you but trying them all is important to see what feeds your soul best for this particular part of your journey.

WHEN WILL I BE HAPPY?

As we reach the end of another year, and embark onto the next one, this is the time of the year, when many people ask the age old question, “when will I be happy?”

As the years have gone on, and I have done what I can to assist people to achieve their own personal level of happiness, I will admit, I have become frustrated with the culture of our times convincing people that life is happening to them; therefore, their happiness is outside of them.

The other day, I was reading for a young woman and she had a number of questions regarding her relationship. Although it appeared that the person with whom she was desiring a relationship, was not interested in one with her, she continued to pose a variety of scenarios as to how things would play out with this person if she did this or that. When working with a psychic, it is important to understand that a psychic reading is a prediction of the most likely outcome of an event. It is not a guarantee that the prediction will come true, it only means that it is the most likely outcome, but if the person changes the course of their direction, then the most likely outcome changes. For instance, I can give you a prediction that there will be an opportunity for a new job, providing you put the work in to finding a new job, but if you never submit your resume for a job, then the opportunity will not come to fruition. So as in this particular case, with the relationship, this young woman really wanted to be involved with this person of interest, but when she heard from Spirit that a committed relationship with this person was extremely unlikely, she became upset, and wanted to see if that would change if she changed her direction in their involvement with each other.

After answering her questions, with quite a bit of “well,, if you do this, that will happen, but if you decide to do that, then this will happen….” She became angry and sarcastically said “So my finding love depends on what decisions I make…yeah, ok so everything I want depends on what decisions I make..” I replied “Correct, that is exactly how this works, if you want true love and commitment, then you can’t hold on to a man who doesn’t want that and has no plans of giving you that, otherwise, you will never get it.”

She explained to me that she simply wanted to be happy and that she would be if she had a relationship with this man. When I asked her what things she was doing, besides seeking a relationship, to bring in happiness, she had no answer. If you are feeling unhappy with your life, your job, your finances, your relationship/lack of relationship, then you need to make changes to bring about what you are seeking. We are the only ones who stop us from having what we want, and we do this through limited thinking, such as “I’m too old to change jobs/careers…….I have already been with this person for so long, I don’t want to start all over again……I want more money but unless I win the lottery, it isn’t going to happen…” these are all limited beliefs that keep people trapped in the cycle of unhappiness. Happiness does not come with a relationship, a promotion at work, nor does it come from winning the lottery. Happiness is an existence, and ability to find light in darkness, and to believe that you are deserving of what you seek. If you already practice bringing in, and cultivating joy, then a relationship can enhance this joy, but if your life is lacking contentment, satisfaction, and happiness, no person, other than you will bring it to you. Our culture tells us otherwise, in that we see adds on television that tell us that if we are thin, or rich, or married, we will be happy. This is a myth, and unfortunately, has perpetuated the myth that all that we see for fulfillment is outside of us. In this new year, try one new thing in the first three months of the year, something that you haven’t done, something that you have been putting off such as learning yoga, or taking a class, or training for a 5K. Then in the next three months, implement something else such as journaling, or spending more time in nature. If you do something new, that interests you, by the end of the year, you will have done a few things….1) made yourself as much a priority as you have made others….2) taken risks and gotten yourself out of your comfort zone…..3) had some enjoyment……and 4) begun the process of living life, not just existing. Commit yourself to your own happiness, because your happiness is up to you, and no one else.

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE 

As we embark on a new era in our country and the world, as a whole, change can be terrifying for us. It is a natural human emotion to experience fear and worry about things we cannot see. As a psychic, I am always asked what an outcome will be for a relationship, a career, and finances. We always want to know when a new career opportunity will come, or when a relationship will get better, or when one will begin, but sometimes those answers are not always readily available to us. Before I started doing psychic work as a profession, and very early on in my psychic development, a good friend of mine, who I go to for psychic readings, once said to me “You cannot know the outcome of everything ahead of time.” I was so upset and asked why. She said “If we know the answers to everything, all the time, then it can affect how we make choices and deter us from the path we are destined to take for learning.”

Although I understood, intellectually, what she was saying, I was still very dissatisfied with this answer. I sat and pondered this conversation for some time, and realized that she was completely right, that if I knew what every aspect of the future looked like, then I would likely not make mistakes, nor would I allow my soul to navigate my path, which is what we are called to do. As time has gone on, and my trust in the process of events, and circumstances has increased, I rarely ask Spirit what the outcome will be for anything. I simply let things unfold as they should, but am proactive in my work toward the things I am looking to achieve. if I am looking to achieve more success in my career, then I take the necessary steps to bring about more success. This is really all we can do. I talk to so many people who are looking for specific things in their lives, and yet, when I deliver the guidance as to how to achieve the things they claim they so desperately desire, there is often this drop in their energy, as if to say “oh…..so I have to do something to make it happen? Never mind.” I am amazed at the number of people I come across who truly believe that change spontaneously occurs. Which, sometimes it does, but not in the sense that your life is outside of your control, more so in the sense that there are events that occur in everyone’s life that we don’t expect, but direction in your life comes from you, and only you.

We may not know what the future holds or will look like a year from now, or 20 years from now, but change is happening regardless of whether we want it to or not. We are afforded the ability to be co-creators with the Universe, and once we realize how much power we have to create the change we seek, we can bring about positive change, not just in our own personal lives, but collectively for humanity. So, as we move into this new era of needed change for the world, may we be directed by love, by acceptance, and understanding that we are truly all One, and although we may look differently or speak different languages, we are still all here to live our best life yet, and we can only do this by being co-creators with the Universe and with each other, not by fueling fear, hatred, intolerance, or bigotry. Allow your own inner Light guide your path to better days, and the change you seek.

EMBRACING CHANGE

As a new year has begun, so have our wishes and desires for a year ahead of new things, different things, and better things. We all know about those New Year Resolutions, most of which we just can’t seem to keep, all the while hoping that circumstances, events, and situations change or improve. But as we look at change and making the most of a new year, we must first look at what it is that we wish to change. Simply saying “Gee, I hope this year is better than the last one” is not enough. We must look toward what we desire to change and see what that change will look like, feel like, and taste like.

Your mind can convince you that you are unable, or unworthy of achieving what it is you desire, but we often times overlook the spiritual aspects that are greatly interfering with us moving forward on our true and destined paths. If there are spiritual components involved, which there always are, you must first identify those. Once you have done that, then, and only then, can you begin to strategize your next move.

As humans, we all carry fear, doubt, lack of worthiness, lack of faith, lack of self- love and acceptance. We all carry these to one degree or another, and all, or any of these can derail us from the best of intentions. Part of your job while in a human existence, is to rid yourself of these, as best as you can so that you can experience the human existence from a more positive, self-loving, self-accepting, trusting state of mind. As the saying goes, “It’s all perspective” and this is more accurate than we know. If my perspective is that my desires are too outrageous, too impossible, or too greedy, then this will shape my belief that I cannot, or should not have my desires fulfilled. From a spiritual perspective, many of these limiting beliefs are held in our subconscious mind; therefore, we aren’t even aware that we hold them. But with spiritual healing, guidance from your guides and angels, and loved ones in spirit, you can begin to remove these false beliefs and unhealthy patterns, and replace them with ones that feed your soul and nurture your spirit, all of which will lead you to attaining what it is you are in search of.

If improved physical health is one of your goals, you must be able to see what steps are needed to make that change, then map out your strategy. We know that diet and exercise are key, but what about emotions and pain you may have around food. What if your physical body is bogged down with past life trauma and this is interfering with your ability to get moving?

If romance is one of those areas you would like to see improve, then you must look at what wounds you still carry from past relationships that are interfering with you acquiring the one love you seek.

What about career?….you have been in the same job for some time now, it pays the bills, it’s stable, there is security in it, but what if you are being called, or even pulled into a completely different field of work?

There is so much focus on the external….diet…exercise…finding another partner…changing jobs…but what if the changes you are seeking are really rooted in your spiritual being, rather than your physical being? What if you were able to get to the bottom of the cause of the excess weight you have been carrying around? Or dissect the real reason you repeat the same dynamics in your romantic relationships, one after another? Or you sat with yourself long enough to recognize there is a job out there that is stable and secure, that will pay your bills AND feed your soul? Whatever you desire is within reach. There is nothing that you cannot have, achieve, or acquire, but you must first identify the obstacles that are standing in the way of these wishes. You must also be open to receiving into your life what you are seeking.

Too many times we see people receiving exactly what they have been asking for, and yet, they are so focused on their conjured up idea of “it” that they miss the pieces of it that are already in their hands. If it is love you seek, look around you. You are surrounded by people who love and care about you. If it is romantic love you seek, you must be open to receiving that and being rid of all the fear you have been carrying in relation to romance, and heal the wounds from past romantic relationships so that the one, true, Divine love you seek can come to you.

If you are being called to change careers, then you must have faith and trust that with effort and an open heart, the job that is meant for you will come to you in Divine time, and will be what you have been called to do.

Whatever change you want in this new year, be ready to accept it into your life, and be prepared for it to look a bit differently than you have envisioned it. We always get what we need, in the form that is best for us, so focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want, and open your heart to all the goodness that awaits you.

This year, may your desires be fulfilled, and may you be ready to have all that you truly deserve in all areas of your life.

CHAKRAS

What are Chakras? Chakras are energy center points throughout your body which are connected to your physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies. Each has a specific color associated with it, and energetically they spin in a clockwise motion, and are believed to be in the form of a lotus flower. Each chakra’s lotus flower has a certain number of petals, depending on the particular chakra.

The word Chakra, in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, are energy points through which life force energy (prana energy) moves. In Sanskrit, the word Chakra means “turning” or “wheel.”

There are a number of chakra channels, but the 7 most commonly known, and most significant are the following, in the order in which the energy runs, which is from the bottom of your body to the top:

1) Root Chakra – is located at the base of the energetic body, which is at the sacrum, or bottom of your spine. This chakra is associated with primal instincts, fear, survival, and connection to the earth. If your Root Chakra is out of alignment, you may suffer from sexual issues, feel imbalanced, unsteady on your feet, excessive worrying, and overly concerned with the “what ifs” in your future.

The color is RED, and crystals for healing this chakra are carnelian, and red agate.

2) Sacral Chakra – is located in the lower part of the abdomen, below your belly button. This chakra is associated with reproductive organs, relationships, fear, and digestion. If this chakra is misaligned, you can experience digestive issues such as constipation, inability to reproduce, sexual dysfunction, or unhealthy relationships.

The color if ORANGE , and crystals for healing this chakra are orange calcite, and citrine.

3) Solar Plexus Chakra - is located above your belly button, and below your sternum. This chakra is associated with connecting with your higher self, communication with Spirit, digestion, and is also the channel in which Empaths experience the most discomfort, often believed to be anxiety, but, in fact, it is an overly opened Solar Plexus Chakra.

The color is YELLOW, and crystals for healing this chakra are citrine, and yellow calcite.

4) Heart Chakra (Heart Center) – this located in the heart area, also known as your heart center. This chakra is associated with compassion, love for self and others, unconditional love, and life itself. If you are suffering from a broken heart, or a heavy heart due to some unfortunate circumstance, this chakra will needs extra attention to bring healing energy to it and allow your heart to heal.

The color is GREEN or PINK (you can use either one), and the crystals for healing this chakra are green aventurine and rose quartz.

5) Throat Chakra – this is located in the area of your throat where one would have an Adam’s Apple. This chakra is associated with speaking up for yourself, advocating for your desires and needs, spreading kindness and love/or venom and anger. If you speak negatively of yourself or others, that will create a blocked throat chakra. Other symptoms are: acid reflux, indigestion, coughing attacks, trouble swallowing, or laryngitis.

The color is BLUE, and crystals for healing this chakra would be lapis lazuli, or blue calcite (can you tell I love calcite?!)

6) Third Eye Chakra – this is located in the center of your forehead, between your eyebrows. This is the gateway for “seeing” things of the past, and things in the future. This chakra is connected to your pineal gland (Eye of Ra) and if your diet is heavy in fluoride, as well as other contaminants, you may have difficulty with opening this chakra. This is also the chakra associated with mental illness, so a blocked or overly opened third eye chakra can create what we know as mental health issues.

The color is INDIGO, and the crystals for healing this chakra are amethyst and lapis lazuli.

7) Crown Chakra – this is located at the crown of your head, and is associated with consciousness, and Christ consciousness, your ability to connect with your higher self as well as Creator. You may suffer from headaches, poor sleep, or inability to focus if this chakra is out of alignment.

The color is VIOLET, and crystals for healing this chakra are selenite, clear quartz, or any violet colored stones such as amethyst. Clear crystals such as selenite and clear quartz are ideal because the color “white” encompasses all colors so it can be used as a catch-all for the other colors.

Now, let’s get those chakras in balance and begin seeing how good you feel once they are cleared, cleansed, and purified! Always be sure to protect your chakras once you have cleared and balanced them because they will always attract outside energy, but more than you can handle or process, if they are left unprotected. A simple prayer asking that they be protected from any energy that is not your, or in your highest good is all that is needed. A wonderful CD to use for clearing them is one of my favorites, CHAKRA BALANCING by Sophia, which can be found on Amazon.

Karma vs. The Law of Attraction

This week on my show, Soul Awakening, I discussed the parallels between Karma and The Law of Attraction.

Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning “action.” Each action we take, we are repaid ten-fold for that action, whether good or bad. Examples of taking action in life in positive ways is doing something kind for someone, being emotionally available to someone who is suffering, volunteering, donating your time, or some of your treasure. Karma is often viewed negatively, without understanding that Karma is a positive thing as well. It’s concept is “you reap what you sow.” But in Western culture, we view Karma as being a payback for all the negative someone has done, rarely looking at the other side of it, or even applying this concept to ourselves, but more so to others. In Western culture, Karma is also looked at more from a religious stance, in that, God is a punishing God; therefore, He will punish your evil deeds by causing some type of harm, anguish, illness, tragedy to you. In Eastern cultures, the concept of Karma is viewed more in terms of focusing on good deeds, and receiving good in return. In both cultures, it is understood that all actions have a cause and effect, so what you do to others, is done unto you.

In creating good Karma, it is about the intention behind your actions that counts. If you are looking to receive something in return for doing a good deed, or you are available to someone who is suffering because you are expecting they do something for you in return, then all the Universe understands is your intention. The Universe repays you and your action by meeting the same vibrational frequency that went into the action in the first place. If you do a good deed, without expectation of gaining something, and it is from a selfless place spiritually, that is the energy the Universe receives, and mirrors back to you.

In Western culture, The Law of Attraction is based on the Universe’s energetic receptors, rather than religious beliefs. The idea with the LOA is that whatever I put my attention, and focus on, I create more of that. These are classic rules for manifestation. If I am stressed and focusing on all the areas of worry in my life, then I will find more things to worry about and it brings in more things for me to worry about, but if I am focused on all the things in my life for which to be grateful, I will find that there is more in my life for which to be grateful. Yet, in many ways Karma and the LOA are really one and the same. With Karma, the action occurs, and the energy follows and with The Law of Attraction, the intention is set first, and the energy follows.

I know a woman in her 80s and each time she receives an increase in her Social Security, she increases her donations to the charities she has supported for years. She lives a modest life, and never seems to go without, so one day I asked her “Why don’t you keep that extra $20.00 a month that you just began receiving from Social Security? Couldn’t you use the extra money at the end of the month?” She replied “Every month, without fail, I always have enough for my bills, and a little extra, I’m not sure how, but it happens.” This was intriguing to me as she was not sure how, or why she was always abundant with money considering she made very little with Social Security. What I came to realize was that her intention to give to others was from a selfless place, so there were no expectations of receiving anything in return, and as a result, she received repayment ten-fold of the same vibrational frequency at which she put out. This was Karma at work. She believed she would always have enough for herself; therefore, she did. This is the LOA at work.

Our deeds, good or bad, are not repaid with the same deeds, they are simply matched by the same intention, vibration, from which you performed the action.

I knew of a couple who owned and ran a fitness company, where they trained individuals in physical fitness. This couple believed they were being rewarded from the Universe for all the work they did with people because they were financially well off. Unfortunately, this couple was partially financially well off because they routinely overcharged their clients, and cheated them with hidden fees. As a result, this couple struggled with a variety of interpersonal issues, as well as spiritual disconnect, but they weren’t able to see that, all they saw was that their work of getting people in physical shape was being rewarded because they didn’t struggle financially. We can manifest all the material wealth we want, and being financially wealthy is not a bad thing, but if we are not using this wealth for positive means, or we are attaining financial wealth by dishonest means, that is the energy that you create from a karmic stance, and that is the energy the Universe receives and pays back to you.

If you are looking to create more good Karma, then be sure to do things from a selfless place, and if you are looking to manifest more financial wealth, better health, or more abundance of any kind, set your intention, and believe that you are worthy to receive it. If it is in your Highest Good, then you will.

May you experience all the positive Karma you deserve and desire, and may the Law of Attraction work in your favor with each intention, and action you take.

DEVELOPING YOUR INTUITION

We were all born with a natural ability to connect with realms that are not seen to the naked eye, but as we age, and we are more tapped into the physical world that surrounds us, and we tend to be less aware of the non-physical world. Children are very sensitive when they are young and are much more tuned into the “other side.”

Before I consciously worked on developing my intuition, my daughter had brought to the forefront of my mind how easily it is for children to connect with spirits. When she was less than 3 years old, she was regularly communicating with three young souls who had been appearing to her. As an only child, I thought she was simply entertaining herself with “imaginary friends” but that was not the case. After further discussion with her, I realized she was actually communicating with deceased souls with whom she had some sort of energetic connection, such as age, and interests. I will admit, initially, I was uncomfortable with this, but eventually accepted that she was a channel for these souls to communicate with the physical world.

So how do you assist your child in developing their intuitive skills? First, have open, honest dialogue with them about the non-physical world. Remove the mystery and fear around it so they can better understand it, and feel comfortable discussing it. A wonderful way to begin is when they are young, is to encourage them to call on deceased loved ones in times of struggle, such as a deceased grandparent. One particular approach I took was reading a book about angels to introduce the concept of Beings of Light for her to call upon in times of need, in part because there were no loved ones she had lost.

We talked openly, regularly, about what she was seeing, hearing, and experiencing so as to lessen the fear she may have been having. We worked together about saying specific prayers asking for assistance and protection, and how to identify something that was troubling to her. One of the major things was assisting her in shutting off her channel to these spirits so she could sleep at night (as this was a perfect time for them to come to her with information, often not even pertinent to her but to someone else in her life).

Another technique we used as she got older was watching unsolved crime mysteries on television. We would watch the first few minutes of a show, pause it, write down what Spirit was giving each of us, then begin watching again, while continuing to take notes, then at the end of the show, compare notes with each other, and see how close we were to the actual outcome. This was fun, and she greatly enjoyed seeing how gifted she was with channeling information from Spirit.

My daughter is clairvoyant (she can see things of the past, present, and future), clairsentient/empathic (she senses things about people such as illness, their emotions, and what they are currently experiencing in their life), and clairaudient (she can hear Spirits speaking). There are an enormous amount of empaths in the world right now, and they are having difficulties managing their abilities because of the intensity of their gifts. Empaths tend to experience what we would call anxiety, panic attacks, being “stressed out” and overly reactive. From my professional experience, these symptoms are not actually medical or psychiatric but spiritual and once the person realizes they are simply a conduit for Spirit to communicate through, and they develop skills to shut off their channel when relaxing or going to bed, they no longer experience these symptoms, or to the same degree. One of the major obstacles for empaths is knowing how to identify the energy they are feeling. More times than not, the person is actually feeling someone else’s energy and emotions. For instance, being in a large group of people can be overwhelming and can trigger these symptoms. The goal is to develop a regular practice of checking in with yourself to see if the anxiety you are feeling is actually yours or someone else. Meditation and quiet time can assist you/your child in learning to turn your channel on or off at will.

For my daughter, the most challenging part of developing her gift has been the “shutting off” of her channel, and managing her own energy so she is not as susceptible to feeling and experiencing other peoples energy. It is a process and takes some time but with diligence you will be able to manage it with ease.

PAST LIVES

“Everything will change when your desire to move on exceeds your desire to hold on”

Alan H. Cohen

One type of reading I do with people is identifying past lives that are currently affecting this lifetime, and then assisting them in releasing those lives in order to make room for the experiences they need in order to move forward on their current journey. I make it a point to address the difference between past life regression versus past life identification, in that, my belief is that we do not need to experience the trauma again in order to release it, but simply identify it so it can bring understanding to confusing parts of one’s life. Because we have no conscious memory of our past lives, we don’t always know what is standing in the way of us moving into our future with confidence and grace. Identifying past lives is a great way to begin the process of letting go of what no longer serves your soul. It is a long process of unraveling your past to get to your present, but it is a necessary part of the process, otherwise, you will continue to experience the same challenging situations and find yourself stuck in a rut of displeasure and frustration. You were not placed here to be tormented, you were placed here to evolve and acquire wisdom and knowledge for your next human experience.

The process has been shown to me like this:

We originate from God, in pure form and as we navigate human lifetimes, we acquire wounds that are in need of healing. The objective is to return to pure form, and once that happens, you no longer recycle back in to experience another human experience, unless you and your Creator agree that it is in the highest good of all to do so. Prior to agreeing to enter another human experience, we meet with a host of Light Beings. Beginning with God, the others include Light Beings with whom we have traveled previously; those who have assisted us in prior lifetimes (Angels, Guides, Ascended Masters, etc.), to those souls to whom we have been related previously (i.e our ancestors).

During the contracting process, you are offered a list of all the areas of your soul that are in need of attention. The list can include (it is always shown to me in alphabetical order; however, this is not an actual list as it depends on the individual) Abandonment, Abuse, Addiction, Betrayal, Conceit, Corruption, Deceit, Disease, Enabling, Envy, …..Neglect, Oppression…..Self-loathing, Trust, Unworthiness….Weight….etc. Once you decide which areas you are willing to address for this next human experience, you are given options of who will assist you in the releasing of these such as parents, siblings, spouses, friends, enemies, etc. and God will assign a specific team to your soul to assist in the process, and this team changes over time depending on the level of growth that occurs, kind of like graduating from one grade to the next, there is new material, and always new teachers.

You may be asking yourself “Why would anyone deliberately choose to endure painful experiences?” Remember that when you are in pure soul form, you are fearless, and there are no human factors involved such as emotions, so you are only doing what is in your soul’s best interest, not trying to decide which path will be the easiest or the least painful, that is where your human self comes in. If I have endured betrayal in past lives, I will experience situations in this lifetime that will offer me the opportunity to experience betrayal again and to handle it either the same way as in the past, or differently, in order to release it from my future experiences, but the choice is mine.

I never know anything about the person I am working with when doing these releasements, so it is always interesting to me to see what past lives Spirit will show me and how those lives connect to the person’s current lifetime. Recently, I worked with a young woman and while describing a particular past lifetime to her and its wounds, she gasped in disbelief, and later explained that I had just described her father’s lifetime and the effects it had on her in this lifetime, which had been causing difficulties for her.

If you are noticing unpleasant patterns in your life, chances are you are carrying old wounds from past lives that are in need of releasing, and the more you carry the pattern, the more the healing needs to occur. Yes, the process can be painful emotionally, even physically, but the more you are aware of the wounds, the easier you can move past them in order to move forward into your future experiences and the less trauma you will carry into your next human experience.

Make the most of your current human experience because that is one sure way to get out of having to repeat some of these things next time Happy Journeying!

HEALING - RELEASING CONTROL

“Expectation is at the root of all heartache”

William Shakespeare

What does it mean to really “Let Go” of something? When people say “just let it go” what are they really saying? Don’t let it bother you? You’re making a big deal out of nothing? Or are they saying “You’re spending too much energy on something you cannot change.” Maybe they mean all of those things and then some.

When I give an intuitive message to someone, I rarely hear or remember the information that I channel, so when people come back to me months or years after a reading with me, and say “Remember? You told me such and such, and it came true!” I can honestly say that I don’t have any recollection of what message Spirit gave them. But, on occasion, when I give someone a reading, Spirit will say to me “This applies to you as well, so listen closely.” That’s when I know, the information is critical to my own growth as well as the person I am reading for.

A few years ago, I read for a woman who was angry with me about a reading I had given her 6 months earlier. She came in, sat down in front of me, was breathing heavily, as though exasperated, and proceeded to tell me about the last reading I had given her. I listened intently for a bit, and finally asked her “What are you angry about?” She replied “Well, you said……….and that’s not how it turned out.” I said “You got the job Spirit told you that you would get, correct?” She said “Well, yes, but it isn’t working out the way I thought it would.” I said “Ok, so the expectations you had of the job are not what you planned for?” She responded “Right!” I said “Who or what about this has you angry? Are you angry with Spirit for giving a prediction that came true? At me for delivering that prediction? At yourself for not being prepared for an outcome you didn’t expect? Or are you angry with this man who hired you and has taught you a very valuable life lesson?” She stared at me for a minute, her face became more red, and her breathing became more shallow, and she finally said “Well, I wasn’t expecting it to turn out this way! I make sure I always have my bases covered and I didn’t have this covered!” In that moment, I felt as though I was talking to my younger self, yet still needing to hear the message for my current self because I had not learned that very lesson as well as I thought I had.

For years, I was always prepared for anything and everything that came my way, or so I thought. I would spend sleepless nights figuring out a plan for every potential issue, obstacle, and outcome. I believed that I was simply being proactive in my journey, that if I was “prepared” then nothing could go wrong. What I learned was that the harder I worked at trying to manipulate the outcome to an outcome I could live with, the less control I had over any outcome. This took me years to realize and see from a different, clearer perspective, and unfortunately, there are times when I find myself still trapped in the desire to control the outcome of an event, trying to convince myself that if I do something, then I am not powerless and that I am in control. It is still a learning process for me because none of us are really in control of anything, we just think we are.

Recently, I had an experience that caused me to look at something I was holding on to and acknowledge why I was not ready to “let it go.” After careful contemplation, and what seemed like endless hours in meditation and prayer, it finally came to me. I was holding on so tightly to a desired outcome that I could only focus my energy, attention, and fear on that one outcome. I was faced with the realization that if I was to walk in faith, then I could not walk in fear because they are mutually exclusive. I remind people of this all the time in the work I do with them, and yet, I was so busy focusing on the outcome, that I failed to hear that same advice for myself. Eventually I asked that the fear be lifted from me so that I could allow the Universe to deliver the outcome that was in the highest good of all involved. It was only then that I began to see all potential outcomes, not just the one I had desired, and let go of all the expectations I had been holding onto, which, in turn, had been causing me such heartache.

Let go and let God is what I repeated all day, for many days, and over time, I came to accept that God knew exactly what the best outcome would be for everyone’s highest good, so I didn’t have to worry myself with the details, but as humans, it is difficult for many of us to relinquish control. In reality, we are not in control of anything, we are just participants in the master plan, and the less we resist the desire to hold on, the easier the journey. If we release any and all expectations we hold, the more we can enjoy the experience of living, and only then do we see that things will turn out exactly the way they are supposed to, not always exactly the way we want them to. I’m getting better at this game called Life, but I still have a ways to go!