I'm widely known as the cat lady because of my affinity for & understanding of cats. I'm a cat whisperer. I've actually been given the gift of attracting & understanding all animals but especially cats. I grew up with dogs but cats started happening to me 27 years ago & I've lived with multiples ever since. They've taught me much about taking care of my needs & about themselves. For about 20 years I also had a subscription to "Cat Fancy" magazine, which I read from cover to cover. I've also been blessed to babysit 2 month old hand raised tiger cubs for about a week! I fed them their bottles, rocked them in my arms when they were restless, played with them, let them teethe on my substantial Crocs. I'll never get rid of the pair that bears their teeth marks! For photos, see my Facebook page. In this series of blogs I'm going to share with you all I can about cats. Some of you will know these things but these are the things your cat wishes you knew. I'll start with the most simple & move on. Because even savvy pet parents come to me for help & advice about their cats.
First I have to say that if you own a cat I don't ever even want to meet you!!! I don't have anything in common with pet owners. I'm a pet parent. All pets have needs & feelings just like the rest of us. THEY AREN'T PROPERTY!!! We probably all know about science fair experiments where you yell at one plant & talk nicely to another. The ones yelled at shrivel or at least fail to thrive while the other plant does much better. Animals are way more sensitive than plants, so think about it. Don't yell at your pet, ridicule or say unkind things, or use an unkind tone of voice. And certainly don't hit them! That teaches violence & simply makes them afraid of you. The only lesson they learn is that home is an unsafe place. So I guess my first topic has to be good ways of disciplining cats.
There are many ways & aids. You can use aluminum foil to cover areas where you don't want your cats to go. It can be used to cover a couch when you're going to be away, taped to the edge of a counter you don't want them jumping on, etc. They don't like it. You can loosely fill a can with some stones or nuts & shake it when they start to do something you don't want them doing. I find a squirt bottle (WATER ONLY) to be my preferred method. After 1-2 times of being squirted, all I have to do is pick up the bottle & the cat leaves the area. I use that to warn away a cat trying to dart in or out a door or for severe aggression, like when I have just added a cat to the household. Cat safety is another issue, which I'll cover in another post. If you have a cat that chews electrical cords or something else unsafe, you can spray the undesirable thing with bitter apple or other store bought (pet store) deterrent, or coat with something like Tabasco Sauce.
I find redirection to be another very effective form of discipline. My cats have plenty of safe things to play with, climb. I can grab a toy & toss it to distract a cat from unwanted behaviors, including tossing a toy into the midst of 2 cats getting too rough. Mostly I don't have real problems with mine though. I am gentle & calm so my cats have a calm environment. When the environment gets ruffled, I sometimes play soothing music for all of us. You can also try TV. There are many nature programs on that show birds & other interesting things, or you can purchase special DVDs for cats. They're well worth the price. A small investment in your pets pays big dividends in peace of mind & enjoyment of them. It's so much easier to maintain a happy environment than fix a problem. And you want your home to be a sanctuary for you, your family, your pets, not another place of conflict.
Again, about voice & sound as discipline. Yelling is counterproductive but a stern tone of voice works wonders. You can scold your cat in tone & words as you would a child. You can also use cat language & hiss at your cat. Another option & one you can CAREFULLY use to restrain your cat is hold him/her by the scruff of the neck, with his feet on a surface. Don't lift them that way - you could hurt them. But if you have to restrain a cat to trim nails or give medicine, do it the way a mother cat does - firmly hold the scruff of the neck. I find that more effective than wrapping a cat in a towel - a fight I always lose & bleed from.
I also find that praise is a great reinforcement. Cats do understand certain words & tone of voice, & they love to be praised. They also LOVE to hear their names! So whether you have one or more, say their names often & every time you praise them. They love to be called cute, pretty or handsome. They love to hear that you love them & that they're good. They love to hear "thank you." They'll fully understand all that. They associate the sounds of the words & the tone of voice we typically use with our meaning, & know it's all good even if they don't all understand the meaning of the word. In another post I'll tell you about cat language & understanding, as it's worthy of it's own post. I'll also cover litter box problems, scratching furniture, & introducing a new cat to the household in another post.
Angel Baby Ornament sample 1
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Ultimate Pet Memorial
My Bonnie cat died in July 2000. I love all my cats but I've never loved one like I even still love Bonnie. She's the one who taught me animal communication, activated my abilities. Today I found a tuft of her fur (she had long hair) in my study Bible & blew it away somewhere, not realizing at first what I had. In my sadness at finding & then losing it, I remembered that I haven't spoken of my spinning service.
I can spin your pet's fur into yarn, dye it if you wish (I recommend), then knit you a garment of your choice. I can spin long or short fur of just about any animal. If you can collect the fur, I can probably spin it. A few would not make good yarn no matter what, if you have an animal with extremely coarse hair/fur. It doesn't matter how much you collect, but the more the better. Collect when you pet them, groom them, clean up the house. I save what I collect in zip lock bags that I leave open. It's easier to add to that way & the fur is ventilated so doesn't clump as much, is more usable. I have bags labeled with each cat's name & a bag for combination fur when I don't know who it belongs to. I can also mix species if you'd like.
I combine whatever you give me with merino top wool, which is very soft. It helps to bind the fur you give me. Even long haired animal fur benefits from this combination. The ratio of your pet's fur to merino depends on how much yarn I need for your chosen garment & the amount of fur you give me. My favorite things to make with this yarn are scarves & shawls, because you can then wrap yourself in the fur of your beloved pet. I can also make hats, or other things by request. One thing though - I refuse to make socks. I won't have you stepping on them! I have many different patterns I can use, & am an expert knitter. I learned to knit when I was 8! I recommend having me hand dye the yarn because of the merino content - your garment would be predominantly a kind of winter white with your pet's colors mixed in otherwise.
If you have a very hairy dog, you can collect until you feel you have enough, & perhaps even collect enough for several garments during his/her lifetime. If you have a cat, you may wish to collect as long as the cat's alive, then give me the collection to spin. If this idea appeals to you, I recommend you start collecting now. That costs nothing but the baggie. Once you've started gathering, you've set the intent to make it happen. Sometimes that provides the basis for a most loving gift from your family or friends, or becomes a gift of your heart to yourself.
I can spin your pet's fur into yarn, dye it if you wish (I recommend), then knit you a garment of your choice. I can spin long or short fur of just about any animal. If you can collect the fur, I can probably spin it. A few would not make good yarn no matter what, if you have an animal with extremely coarse hair/fur. It doesn't matter how much you collect, but the more the better. Collect when you pet them, groom them, clean up the house. I save what I collect in zip lock bags that I leave open. It's easier to add to that way & the fur is ventilated so doesn't clump as much, is more usable. I have bags labeled with each cat's name & a bag for combination fur when I don't know who it belongs to. I can also mix species if you'd like.
I combine whatever you give me with merino top wool, which is very soft. It helps to bind the fur you give me. Even long haired animal fur benefits from this combination. The ratio of your pet's fur to merino depends on how much yarn I need for your chosen garment & the amount of fur you give me. My favorite things to make with this yarn are scarves & shawls, because you can then wrap yourself in the fur of your beloved pet. I can also make hats, or other things by request. One thing though - I refuse to make socks. I won't have you stepping on them! I have many different patterns I can use, & am an expert knitter. I learned to knit when I was 8! I recommend having me hand dye the yarn because of the merino content - your garment would be predominantly a kind of winter white with your pet's colors mixed in otherwise.
If you have a very hairy dog, you can collect until you feel you have enough, & perhaps even collect enough for several garments during his/her lifetime. If you have a cat, you may wish to collect as long as the cat's alive, then give me the collection to spin. If this idea appeals to you, I recommend you start collecting now. That costs nothing but the baggie. Once you've started gathering, you've set the intent to make it happen. Sometimes that provides the basis for a most loving gift from your family or friends, or becomes a gift of your heart to yourself.
Friday, July 8, 2011
What It's Like to Have Energy Work Done on You
As a part of the Reiki community, I've met a lot of different Reiki practitioners as well as those who do other types of energy work. I've both given & received Reiki numerous times, & have gotten to enjoy having other types of energy work done on me also.
Each time I've been a receiver of energy work, the common experience was the deepest relaxation & peace I've ever known. A true "ahhhhhhhh" experience that I didn't want to end. Group Reiki only lasts about 5-10 minutes because we try to make time for all who wish to receive & because it's many channeling the energy into you at once rather than just one channel - you get the benefit in less time. Usually if you get an individual Reiki "treatment" it lasts about an hour. Whether I've received for 10 minutes or an hour, I never want it to end because it feels so glorious. When I receive I just feel so good. It's very hard to describe, something better experienced for yourself. You're receiving loving energy lovingly channeled so it brings peace, wellbeing, calm, & relief flooding through you. It's like receiving the best massage but without the pain a massage sometimes entails if you have knotted muscles. Instead, hands are gently laid on you, & the energy does the work. The hands feel comforting. (And you can choose to have hands held over or near you if you aren't comfortable being touched. I'm very comfortable with it because it's always respectful, never near any private places.)
When I perform Reiki on someone, my hands get very warm when I reach an area where the person most needs the energy. I find many others have that experience too. Remember that your body (as the receiver) tells the energy where to go. I believe the purpose of our hands getting very warm is that we then know to spend more time in that area, concentrating the energy straight to where it's most needed. That way the energy is going directly into that spot rather than needing to travel. Also, the receiver gets the added comfort of a heating pad type experience. It's especially soothing in areas where there's physical pain (vs. emotional healing needed). My latest experience of that was when I seemed to be developing an ulcer, & my stomach had again started hurting. I was receiving Reiki from a group of people & T. had his hands on my abdomen. His hands got very warm & the stomach ache faded the warmer his hands got. It felt wonderful! Plus, it was the end of the all signs of the ulcer! I did Reiki on someone with menstrual cramps & my hands got very warm on her abdomen, which was a great comfort to her. She was also experiencing a great deal of shoulder pain that ran up into her neck, & my hands were very warm there also. Doing that spot on that person was interesting for both of us. She could actually feel the energy working & so could I, sort of like an electrical current. She was traveling so we only had time for two brief sessions, but afterwards her pain was virtually gone, & it didn't come back.
Energy work can also bring up emotions you've buried or been struggling with, really helps you release them. Sometimes it's not our bodies that are in the most need, like when you're going through a divorce. I've cried while receiving Reiki & remember, I don't really cry. Because the energy is being given out of love, I know no one judges the tears, that it's totally appropriate. Even when you aren't sick or in any great need, Reiki can help right any imbalances within your body systems before they begin to cause problems, & is simply very relaxing. We all have stress so we can all benefit. This is true of any energy work. Energy work also helps your body release toxins (emotional &/or chemical) so we always recommend you drink lots of water afterwards to help rid your body of whatever has been released. I've had a lot of experience with this, since becoming attuned to Reiki is like having one giant supersized receiving session. After a few days of drinking lots of water, I noticed I had more energy & stamina than before. Releasing toxins does wonders for your body.
Some experiences defy words - you just have to experience it for yourself. I find this is true about having energy work done on you. All I can say is it defines "ahhhhhhhh."
Each time I've been a receiver of energy work, the common experience was the deepest relaxation & peace I've ever known. A true "ahhhhhhhh" experience that I didn't want to end. Group Reiki only lasts about 5-10 minutes because we try to make time for all who wish to receive & because it's many channeling the energy into you at once rather than just one channel - you get the benefit in less time. Usually if you get an individual Reiki "treatment" it lasts about an hour. Whether I've received for 10 minutes or an hour, I never want it to end because it feels so glorious. When I receive I just feel so good. It's very hard to describe, something better experienced for yourself. You're receiving loving energy lovingly channeled so it brings peace, wellbeing, calm, & relief flooding through you. It's like receiving the best massage but without the pain a massage sometimes entails if you have knotted muscles. Instead, hands are gently laid on you, & the energy does the work. The hands feel comforting. (And you can choose to have hands held over or near you if you aren't comfortable being touched. I'm very comfortable with it because it's always respectful, never near any private places.)
When I perform Reiki on someone, my hands get very warm when I reach an area where the person most needs the energy. I find many others have that experience too. Remember that your body (as the receiver) tells the energy where to go. I believe the purpose of our hands getting very warm is that we then know to spend more time in that area, concentrating the energy straight to where it's most needed. That way the energy is going directly into that spot rather than needing to travel. Also, the receiver gets the added comfort of a heating pad type experience. It's especially soothing in areas where there's physical pain (vs. emotional healing needed). My latest experience of that was when I seemed to be developing an ulcer, & my stomach had again started hurting. I was receiving Reiki from a group of people & T. had his hands on my abdomen. His hands got very warm & the stomach ache faded the warmer his hands got. It felt wonderful! Plus, it was the end of the all signs of the ulcer! I did Reiki on someone with menstrual cramps & my hands got very warm on her abdomen, which was a great comfort to her. She was also experiencing a great deal of shoulder pain that ran up into her neck, & my hands were very warm there also. Doing that spot on that person was interesting for both of us. She could actually feel the energy working & so could I, sort of like an electrical current. She was traveling so we only had time for two brief sessions, but afterwards her pain was virtually gone, & it didn't come back.
Energy work can also bring up emotions you've buried or been struggling with, really helps you release them. Sometimes it's not our bodies that are in the most need, like when you're going through a divorce. I've cried while receiving Reiki & remember, I don't really cry. Because the energy is being given out of love, I know no one judges the tears, that it's totally appropriate. Even when you aren't sick or in any great need, Reiki can help right any imbalances within your body systems before they begin to cause problems, & is simply very relaxing. We all have stress so we can all benefit. This is true of any energy work. Energy work also helps your body release toxins (emotional &/or chemical) so we always recommend you drink lots of water afterwards to help rid your body of whatever has been released. I've had a lot of experience with this, since becoming attuned to Reiki is like having one giant supersized receiving session. After a few days of drinking lots of water, I noticed I had more energy & stamina than before. Releasing toxins does wonders for your body.
Some experiences defy words - you just have to experience it for yourself. I find this is true about having energy work done on you. All I can say is it defines "ahhhhhhhh."
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Energy Workers Are Your Humble Servants
Active energy workers are humble, spiritual, loving, & gentle. We do energy work out of a deep desire to help others. We are humble because we understand we are not the Source, only the channel. We're also human, so we love to hear positive feedback, to know we've helped.
Every time I'm done performing Distance Reiki, I thank God for allowing me this gift to use to help people & animals. It fills me with such joy to perform Reiki, to be allowed to participate in helping others.(Plus, I also receive healing benefits as the energy flows through me.) It feeds my soul to be able to directly help others, & helps me stay in a state of gratitude. Taking time to perform Reiki honors the gift, the giver, & the receiver. I also believe in the power of prayer, so I pray twice daily for those I've been called upon to help. I begin & end my days with formal prayer. Other times during the day I'm more likely to just talk to or with God rather than form a prayer. To me, there's a difference between prayer & talking, with the first being structured & more one-sided.
I'll list a few of my greatest Reiki experiences. Through Reiki I've been able to participate in a friend's recovery from reconstructive shoulder surgery, alleviate pain in my daughter's shoulder, help a friend nearly painlessly pass a kidney stone, ease a man's neck pain & greatly increase his mobility. I've also helped shrink a cat's nasal polyp, & helped 2 cats who were being euthanized due to extreme illness. Cats hate to go to the vet, hate to be handled & restrained, so going to the vet's to be euthanized when they're miserable is a tough one. In both cases I performed Reiki before & during the appointed time. The results were that the cats obviously didn't feel stressed, didn't react to what was being done. One of them had great pain in his hind quarters at that time, but didn't react to having it handled at the end. That was proof to me. In both cases, the "owner" (truly, you never really own a cat) was looking into the eyes of the cat at the last moments. This made a tender send off for the cats & made it less traumatic for the people.
I know that virtually anyone can do what I do with Reiki. I'm nothing special, it's just part of my calling. We're not called to do all things & some are not called to energy work. The only thing that you might argue is special about me is my willingness to help others in this way. But you have to remember that most of us give to others in one way or another. We each have our unique callings, so we're each "special" when we answer & honor those callings. And when we actively use the gifts we've been given, we're given even greater gifts. It's part of the flow of abundance available to all of us. Good deeds are rewarded in countless ways.
Every time I'm done performing Distance Reiki, I thank God for allowing me this gift to use to help people & animals. It fills me with such joy to perform Reiki, to be allowed to participate in helping others.(Plus, I also receive healing benefits as the energy flows through me.) It feeds my soul to be able to directly help others, & helps me stay in a state of gratitude. Taking time to perform Reiki honors the gift, the giver, & the receiver. I also believe in the power of prayer, so I pray twice daily for those I've been called upon to help. I begin & end my days with formal prayer. Other times during the day I'm more likely to just talk to or with God rather than form a prayer. To me, there's a difference between prayer & talking, with the first being structured & more one-sided.
I'll list a few of my greatest Reiki experiences. Through Reiki I've been able to participate in a friend's recovery from reconstructive shoulder surgery, alleviate pain in my daughter's shoulder, help a friend nearly painlessly pass a kidney stone, ease a man's neck pain & greatly increase his mobility. I've also helped shrink a cat's nasal polyp, & helped 2 cats who were being euthanized due to extreme illness. Cats hate to go to the vet, hate to be handled & restrained, so going to the vet's to be euthanized when they're miserable is a tough one. In both cases I performed Reiki before & during the appointed time. The results were that the cats obviously didn't feel stressed, didn't react to what was being done. One of them had great pain in his hind quarters at that time, but didn't react to having it handled at the end. That was proof to me. In both cases, the "owner" (truly, you never really own a cat) was looking into the eyes of the cat at the last moments. This made a tender send off for the cats & made it less traumatic for the people.
I know that virtually anyone can do what I do with Reiki. I'm nothing special, it's just part of my calling. We're not called to do all things & some are not called to energy work. The only thing that you might argue is special about me is my willingness to help others in this way. But you have to remember that most of us give to others in one way or another. We each have our unique callings, so we're each "special" when we answer & honor those callings. And when we actively use the gifts we've been given, we're given even greater gifts. It's part of the flow of abundance available to all of us. Good deeds are rewarded in countless ways.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Energy Work is Biblical
I can't find the passage I wanted (I believe it's in Acts) where Jesus said His disciples will do "greater works than these." Maybe it's in one of the Gospels, since it's Jesus speaking. But I was greatly blessed in looking as I skimmed many of my favorite passages. They all have new meaning for me now, enhanced meaning, so I'm eager to drink in the Word. That's something I need to start doing for myself regularly, my heart is now telling me. (See my new priorities blog from yesterday.)
There's evidence of energy work in many books of the New Testament. Mark 6:5 & Luke 4:40 directly talk about Jesus laying hands on the sick & healing them. In Matthew 9:20-22 & 14:36, Mark 5:27-34 & 6:56, & Luke 8:43-48 we see just how powerful the energy of Jesus is. All it takes to be healed is faith & touching his cloak! The New Testaments has too many instances of Jesus healing to note here, but most Bibles have a concordance at the back.
Matthew 10:1 "He called His 12 disciples to Him & gave them authority to drive out evil spirits & to heal every disease & sickness." (NIV) Luke 9:1-2 says basically the same thing. Then Luke 9:6 adds, "So they set out & went from village to village, preaching the gospel & healing people everywhere." Ok, so that covers Jesus & the disciples. What about later, what about now?
Acts 28:8 "Paul went in to see him &, after prayer, placed his hands on him & healed him." Paul came way after Jesus was crucified. I'll now quote parts of I Corinthians 12: 6-7, 9-11. "There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom... to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit..." Please feel free to read the whole passage yourself in your favorite translation, as space doesn't allow an entire quote & you never know what wonders you may find while searching & reading! I Corinthians 12:27-31 also deals with this, & I'll quote part. "Now you are the body of Christ, & each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing..."
Finally, I believe I Timothy 4:14 describes the type of attunements I received to be able to channel energy through Reiki. "Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you." In fact, it's telling me to use this gift! The next verse says, "Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." And that's what I've done. I attend every opportunity to participate in Reiki events (mostly exchanges, where we perform Reiki as a group) because I consider Reiki to be part of my work. I attend guided meditations that raise my awareness & my abilities. I regularly perform Distance Reiki on people & animals from my home, & I'm sharing my progress with you through these blogs.
There's evidence of energy work in many books of the New Testament. Mark 6:5 & Luke 4:40 directly talk about Jesus laying hands on the sick & healing them. In Matthew 9:20-22 & 14:36, Mark 5:27-34 & 6:56, & Luke 8:43-48 we see just how powerful the energy of Jesus is. All it takes to be healed is faith & touching his cloak! The New Testaments has too many instances of Jesus healing to note here, but most Bibles have a concordance at the back.
Matthew 10:1 "He called His 12 disciples to Him & gave them authority to drive out evil spirits & to heal every disease & sickness." (NIV) Luke 9:1-2 says basically the same thing. Then Luke 9:6 adds, "So they set out & went from village to village, preaching the gospel & healing people everywhere." Ok, so that covers Jesus & the disciples. What about later, what about now?
Acts 28:8 "Paul went in to see him &, after prayer, placed his hands on him & healed him." Paul came way after Jesus was crucified. I'll now quote parts of I Corinthians 12: 6-7, 9-11. "There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom... to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit..." Please feel free to read the whole passage yourself in your favorite translation, as space doesn't allow an entire quote & you never know what wonders you may find while searching & reading! I Corinthians 12:27-31 also deals with this, & I'll quote part. "Now you are the body of Christ, & each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing..."
Finally, I believe I Timothy 4:14 describes the type of attunements I received to be able to channel energy through Reiki. "Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you." In fact, it's telling me to use this gift! The next verse says, "Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." And that's what I've done. I attend every opportunity to participate in Reiki events (mostly exchanges, where we perform Reiki as a group) because I consider Reiki to be part of my work. I attend guided meditations that raise my awareness & my abilities. I regularly perform Distance Reiki on people & animals from my home, & I'm sharing my progress with you through these blogs.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
My Struggle is a Common One - Taking Care of Self
Many women, & givers in general, struggle with the problem I've had. We feel we have to earn all the love & goodness we get in life. You may not even be aware of it within you. It's not why I'm a giver, but it caused me to put everyone else first & me last. Both of those bore noting. I say yes too easily, to too much. I don't set my boundaries, so there's never enough time & energy for me. I can't tell you the last time I performed Reiki on myself, for example. I over commit for a variety of reasons including wanting to save & help everyone to not wanting to look bad by saying no. I feel bad when I don't do all I say I'll do as often as expected or desired. I feel bad for not meeting the expectations of others. I feel bad when I don't accomplish as much as I wanted to in any given day, despite the fact that no one could keep up with that day after day. So I've held myself back from the truest goodness & flow of life because I only feel I deserve it when I've done enough to earn it. And boy am I exacting in what that takes! I'm not that way with others, although having constantly high expectations of myself makes me feel less kindly toward others who don't give peak performance. But I don't put that off on them, fortunately. Can any of you relate to all this?
Sunday I spent a long time trying to come to terms with what's holding me back, what's keeping me from honoring myself. I was on another healing & abundance live call with Mary A. Hall & I was listening but wasn't entirely receiving. I knew the problem was within me, not Spirit. It all boiled down to still feeling I have to earn Love & goodness. So then I worked on how to get over that, because inside myself I really do understand that it's not what I do but that I am. I read back over material on separating your self from your birth family that I'd read & printed a couple of months ago. As always these days, what I needed was there waiting for me. It said that our mission is to discover who we truly are & separate ourselves from all that is not, which is often what we learned in childhood. I'm nearly there & it helped me see what my job is now.
I wrote down all aspects of my job, & made 3 more copies. I have one on my desk (by my phone & computer), one on my spiritual center desk in my dining room (near the other phone), one on the refrigerator, one on my bathroom mirror. These are the places where I make my commitments, my choices, & where I take care of myself. This is what I wrote, & it's in order of importance: "1) Take good care of my physical body. 2) Take care of my emotions & spirit. 3) Take care of my family. 4) Take care of my environment (home, belongings, etc.) 5) Honor the commitments I've made to others. 6) Stay in the flow. For #5, I need to draw boundaries on the commitments I make, & to whom. Don't make a commitment because you think you should - consider it first, in light of #s 1-4. #4 directly impacts #s 2-3. My talents go into #2 & #6. These are my only 'shoulds.' When I do them steadily I maintain #6. I'm doing my part."
My life has been out of balance & I've been asking for balance. This is the way to get it. If I don't take care of my body first, nothing else is going to continue to happen. Next I have to be emotionally & spiritually healthy. I can't take care of my family if I haven't taken care of all my needs first. Needs, not wants. Wants you juggle & balance, give & take. Needs you have to take seriously or they'll overtake you. #4 is because I hate housework but I also hate clutter & disorder. I function best with order, being able to find & use what I need without spending time looking. And cleaning makes everything look better no matter how shabby. I'm an artist & I don't want to put the work into making things orderly & clean, but it's important to me. My surroundings affect my mood, sense of wellbeing, my energy. By #6 I mean that I need to maintain all the others, stay within the place of my heart, & feed my mind by learning. I'm a lifelong learner, it thrills me. I love to learn all I can about what interests me, including essential oils. I'm fueled by new recipes, knowledge, experiences. All that goes into #6. Flow for me most equates to creativity, but is more than that.
Now that I have the answer on how to actively honor myself & bring more balance into my life, I'm determined to make those changes. This gives me a blueprint for my days, helps set my activities & priorities for each day. I'll use it for time & activity management. I haven't been anywhere near this order of priorities since I was in high school. Back then, taking care of my physical body was all cosmetic, but since I liked boys, it was top priority. Now cosmetics is the least of it, since I'm 55 & there are many more pressing issues. But perhaps remembering that time in life will help me succeed in this order of priorities. Our bodies are wonderfully self-healing plus I can channel Reiki for myself too. So I have a chance to undo years of burning the candle at both ends in mistaken service to others. I let myself be used terribly by those who were nothing but takers. Now it's time to learn a new, healthier way of being. Now it's time for me to honor myself. That's part of loving yourself. Just like you can't perceive the love others have for you or really attract it if you don't love yourself, you can't perceive the honoring if you aren't honoring yourself. I hope this sharing helps you.
Sunday I spent a long time trying to come to terms with what's holding me back, what's keeping me from honoring myself. I was on another healing & abundance live call with Mary A. Hall & I was listening but wasn't entirely receiving. I knew the problem was within me, not Spirit. It all boiled down to still feeling I have to earn Love & goodness. So then I worked on how to get over that, because inside myself I really do understand that it's not what I do but that I am. I read back over material on separating your self from your birth family that I'd read & printed a couple of months ago. As always these days, what I needed was there waiting for me. It said that our mission is to discover who we truly are & separate ourselves from all that is not, which is often what we learned in childhood. I'm nearly there & it helped me see what my job is now.
I wrote down all aspects of my job, & made 3 more copies. I have one on my desk (by my phone & computer), one on my spiritual center desk in my dining room (near the other phone), one on the refrigerator, one on my bathroom mirror. These are the places where I make my commitments, my choices, & where I take care of myself. This is what I wrote, & it's in order of importance: "1) Take good care of my physical body. 2) Take care of my emotions & spirit. 3) Take care of my family. 4) Take care of my environment (home, belongings, etc.) 5) Honor the commitments I've made to others. 6) Stay in the flow. For #5, I need to draw boundaries on the commitments I make, & to whom. Don't make a commitment because you think you should - consider it first, in light of #s 1-4. #4 directly impacts #s 2-3. My talents go into #2 & #6. These are my only 'shoulds.' When I do them steadily I maintain #6. I'm doing my part."
My life has been out of balance & I've been asking for balance. This is the way to get it. If I don't take care of my body first, nothing else is going to continue to happen. Next I have to be emotionally & spiritually healthy. I can't take care of my family if I haven't taken care of all my needs first. Needs, not wants. Wants you juggle & balance, give & take. Needs you have to take seriously or they'll overtake you. #4 is because I hate housework but I also hate clutter & disorder. I function best with order, being able to find & use what I need without spending time looking. And cleaning makes everything look better no matter how shabby. I'm an artist & I don't want to put the work into making things orderly & clean, but it's important to me. My surroundings affect my mood, sense of wellbeing, my energy. By #6 I mean that I need to maintain all the others, stay within the place of my heart, & feed my mind by learning. I'm a lifelong learner, it thrills me. I love to learn all I can about what interests me, including essential oils. I'm fueled by new recipes, knowledge, experiences. All that goes into #6. Flow for me most equates to creativity, but is more than that.
Now that I have the answer on how to actively honor myself & bring more balance into my life, I'm determined to make those changes. This gives me a blueprint for my days, helps set my activities & priorities for each day. I'll use it for time & activity management. I haven't been anywhere near this order of priorities since I was in high school. Back then, taking care of my physical body was all cosmetic, but since I liked boys, it was top priority. Now cosmetics is the least of it, since I'm 55 & there are many more pressing issues. But perhaps remembering that time in life will help me succeed in this order of priorities. Our bodies are wonderfully self-healing plus I can channel Reiki for myself too. So I have a chance to undo years of burning the candle at both ends in mistaken service to others. I let myself be used terribly by those who were nothing but takers. Now it's time to learn a new, healthier way of being. Now it's time for me to honor myself. That's part of loving yourself. Just like you can't perceive the love others have for you or really attract it if you don't love yourself, you can't perceive the honoring if you aren't honoring yourself. I hope this sharing helps you.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Part IV - Incredible Journey
The guy who told me about Reiki "warned" me that it would be a wild ride, to be sure I was ready. He told me that worlds would open to me, past hurts would come up to be healed, I'd find there's much more to the world than I imagined. But that's exactly what I wanted! It's also what's happening - he was so right.
It's one thing to receive Reiki treatments & another to become attuned to being a Reiki practitioner. Also, what you do once you're attuned makes all the difference. Some people get attuned, then go no further with it. They just aren't ready for what can come of it, obviously. People have various reactions to receiving Reiki treatments, all good. It's kind of like chiropractic though - can take many sessions over time to do all the good needed. Reiki energy goes where most needed & most people have a lot of need, not just a little. Reiki energy always works for your highest good & does what's most needed, so you may think you need one thing & your subconscious directs the energy to another. Reiki energy is Life Force & is not controlled or directed by the practitioner. It's simply channeled.
When you're attuned to be a Reiki practitioner & become active, you do begin an incredible journey of growth & discovery. Reiki opens you to Life Force Energy whenever you want to use it, so it hugely enhances whatever good you're trying to manifest in your life. I was led to Reiki, led to a particular Reiki Master & the group surrounding her. Turns out that group is part of my soul-family, so now my heart has the home & family I always longed for. They have helped me grow spiritually by leaps & bounds, have shared websites with me that have delivered the messages I need when I need them. They've supported me emotionally, spiritually, & in the launch of my business. They've given me opportunities to meet others, & experience many different avenues of growth & learning. Most of what you read in these blogs are a direct result of where I've been led because of them. I've also learned a lot directly from their sharing of themselves. Through sharing, I've been able to envision with intent, possibilities I'd barely even thought of before, & much that I truly longed for but believed impossible.
Reiki attunement facilitates great change if we let it, if we follow the path it presents. For me, it opened my mind & heart to balance, wellbeing, greater health, peace, serenity, the natural flow of life. It led to a sharpened awareness of the beauty around me, that all is possible, that I am Loved & worthy, of all I have to be grateful for in life. It opened me to becoming & being all that I've wanted to be, do the things I've wanted to do - equipped me to do much of it. I'm becoming part of the Flow of Life rather than always rowing against the current, as I always seem to have been doing in the past. By far, I'm not "there" yet folks, but I'm so far along being on the way. And I just wish for all of you that you would join me, row beside me on your own journey.
It's one thing to receive Reiki treatments & another to become attuned to being a Reiki practitioner. Also, what you do once you're attuned makes all the difference. Some people get attuned, then go no further with it. They just aren't ready for what can come of it, obviously. People have various reactions to receiving Reiki treatments, all good. It's kind of like chiropractic though - can take many sessions over time to do all the good needed. Reiki energy goes where most needed & most people have a lot of need, not just a little. Reiki energy always works for your highest good & does what's most needed, so you may think you need one thing & your subconscious directs the energy to another. Reiki energy is Life Force & is not controlled or directed by the practitioner. It's simply channeled.
When you're attuned to be a Reiki practitioner & become active, you do begin an incredible journey of growth & discovery. Reiki opens you to Life Force Energy whenever you want to use it, so it hugely enhances whatever good you're trying to manifest in your life. I was led to Reiki, led to a particular Reiki Master & the group surrounding her. Turns out that group is part of my soul-family, so now my heart has the home & family I always longed for. They have helped me grow spiritually by leaps & bounds, have shared websites with me that have delivered the messages I need when I need them. They've supported me emotionally, spiritually, & in the launch of my business. They've given me opportunities to meet others, & experience many different avenues of growth & learning. Most of what you read in these blogs are a direct result of where I've been led because of them. I've also learned a lot directly from their sharing of themselves. Through sharing, I've been able to envision with intent, possibilities I'd barely even thought of before, & much that I truly longed for but believed impossible.
Reiki attunement facilitates great change if we let it, if we follow the path it presents. For me, it opened my mind & heart to balance, wellbeing, greater health, peace, serenity, the natural flow of life. It led to a sharpened awareness of the beauty around me, that all is possible, that I am Loved & worthy, of all I have to be grateful for in life. It opened me to becoming & being all that I've wanted to be, do the things I've wanted to do - equipped me to do much of it. I'm becoming part of the Flow of Life rather than always rowing against the current, as I always seem to have been doing in the past. By far, I'm not "there" yet folks, but I'm so far along being on the way. And I just wish for all of you that you would join me, row beside me on your own journey.
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