Category Archives: yoga

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The Issues are in the Tissues

For a little over two weeks now I have been working on flexibility. It is my belief that the body reflects the Soul, and as such the aura and related blockages tend to manifest in physical body issues that, if not addressed, can become exacerbated over time.

For example, someone who has had a life-long issue with a blockage in their throat chakra will at first find their neck sore, have tension headaches, develop seasonal allergies, experience a sore and/or scratchy throat, or have other irritating but manageable problems that come and go. However, if the blockage continues unresolved, major issues such as thyroid problems or worse can develop.

In my case, my issues tend to be in my hips. My hips are tight and inflexible in certain positions. I also often get female menstrual symptoms in that area that can be quite uncomfortable. Often, when the Kundalini rises, I have residual soreness in my hips and lower abdomen. All of this points to my lower chakras – first and second specifically – being out of balance.

Recently I have also noticed I have horribly tight shoulders. This is a high heart chakra related issue but also directly related to the hours I spend at a computer or huddled over my Iphone. As a CPT and trained in muscle imbalances I know that my tight hips and shoulders are connected and to fix one I have to also address the other.

My goal, then, has been to work on my tight shoulders and hips at least twice a day. Typically I begin with foam rolling and follow up with deep stretches. This regime takes about 15 minutes, twice a day, sometimes more depending on how stiff I am. If I am working out that day, then I do two more stretching sessions, before and after my workout. Yeah, that is a lot of stretching.

As a way to measure my progress I am focusing on my deep squat, or yogi squat. I am unable to go deep into the squat because of my tight hips and calves. The only way to remedy this is to continue to practice a modified version of the yogi squat consistently and over time the muscles will get use to their new positions and adjust. To give you an idea of how bad my squat is, I have to hold onto something in order to get all the way down, otherwise I fall backward if I go below parallel. Currently, I can do 1 minute at a time before my hips begin to bother me and I have to stand up. I should be able to 4 minutes without holding onto anything for support. So I have a very long way to go.

Here is an article about the yogi squat you might find interesting. If you also struggle to get low into the squat the article can help you figure out why and give you steps to address it.

When it comes to shoulders, my goal is to be able to sit in cow faced pose without discomfort. I am able to manage the seated portion fairly easily (yay!) but the arms/shoulders are another issue. I cannot, no matter how hard I try, grab my hands or fingers in the back. I have to use a towel and even then my right shoulder is very stiff when I come out of the pose. So, like with my hips. I have to work out the knots first and then do some deep stretches to loosen up my chest and shoulders.

Cow Faced Pose 

While also stretching twice a day I am now sitting differently and changing the way I move. When I need to bend over and get something, I squat to do it, even if it means that my heels are off the ground. When I sit at my computer I sit in a low seat that forces my calves into a flexed position. When I am in bed on my computer I sit cross legged for as long as I can or take butterfly pose. So far, these daily lifestyle changes seem to be making the most difference. Not that the stretching isn’t helping, it is, but lifestyle changes put those stretches to use.

In the end, just working on the physical issues is not enough, I know that. An old saying that was often said when I was in massage school applies here – The issues are in the tissues. When I was in massage school I was giving and receiving at least one deep tissue massage a day. I soon discovered that I had bouts of crying and other intense emotion that would come and go. This, I was told, were the issues releasing as my body healed. Pretty awesome, huh? So, I am certain that as I address my current flexibility issues that issues will arise for resolution in much the same way.

Get Flexible! 

Anyone want to join me? You don’t have to do my intense regime. You can simply devote 15 minutes a day to stretching. I also recommended getting a good quality foam roller and some lacrosse and tennis balls which are great for working out knots in places like the chest, shoulders, lats (underarms), back and other harder to reach areas.

Below are some of the tools I use:

IMG_6195.JPG

Foam roller – Triggerpoint
GoFit Roll-on Massager – I love this tool! I got mine at Academy but have seen it at Target, too.
BodyGlove massage bar (they have one on the GoFit website, too) – great for quadriceps.
Double ball (for thoracic spine/back)
Not shown – tennis ball

If you have no idea how to use these tools, check out the how-to videos here. There are also tons on YouTube. Basically, you roll a muscle area (thighs, back, calves, etc) and when you feel soreness or sensitivity you stop and hold firm for 30 seconds. Then follow with 30 seconds of stretching for the muscle you just foam rolled.

Here are some videos I recommend for stretching:

If you decide to try this, give it at least 30 days. You will be tempted to give up because if you are tight some of the poses will be uncomfortable (they should never hurt, though). I break a sweat from the intensity sometimes, especially those stretches involving my hips and shoulders. Ugh! But, you should begin to notice you are less stiff as you progress.

Good luck and let me know how it goes! I will be updating with my own progress over time.

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Yoga for the Hips

I’ve been doing a self-created yoga practice almost every night now for over two weeks. My goal has been to open up my hips and increase hip mobility.

I’ve been doing some heavy weight lifting lately and noticed that my body is very stiff compared to what it was in 2012 when I last lifted heavy weights. I was not able to go to parallel on the squat anymore without major form issues (eek!). I also noticed my hips hurt at the hip crease (hip flexors) during the squat, which is not suppose to happen. My range of motion on deadlift was bad in 2012 and hadn’t change. The only way I could deadlift was to do the sumo variation because my hips were too tight. I felt really old and out of shape when I picked up weights again – neither of which is true!

Did you notice I used past tense in the above paragraph? That’s because I have resolved all my issues and I am pretty confident that it is because of yoga! No more hip crease discomfort during the squat and I am squatting 110lbs already. 🙂 I can get to parallel just fine, maybe even a little below now, too. And I am, for the first time ever, using standard deadlift form with ease even at 120lbs. Yay!

Spiritually speaking, my hips tend to be where I hold energy. I have lots of stuck energy there (2nd and 3rd chakras). Yoga helps break up and move that energy. So I am killing two birds with one (yoga) stone – spiritual blocks and physical ones. 😉

I figured I would share (and document) my self-made yoga practice in case anyone would like to try it. I will warn you, if you are a beginning, some of the poses are quite intense and will most definitely need to be modified. When I first started out I was modifying like crazy. Now, though, I need it less and less. The only pose I find myself really modifying now is the side lateral bend/revolved head to knee pose. I have tight lats and lower back so I can’t go very far. Definitely not head to knee! haha

Just an FYI – I am not a yoga teacher. I’ve never even taken a yoga class – well online but that doesn’t count does it? I am a NASM certified personal trainer with a CES  (Corrective Exercise Specialist) certificate, though.

Yoga to Open Hips
Approximate time 15-20 minutes
Yoga Pose List and image source

This entire practice is done seated. You may need a block or bolster/blankets, so have them nearby.

Start in Thunderbolt pose, sitting on your knees. You can put a pillow or folded blanket under you if you need support or your quads are tight.

Put your hands together in front of your heart and tilt your chin slightly down as if you are praying. Sit and breathe for six to eight breaths. This would be the time to set an intention.

Continue to sit in Thunderbolt. Lean forward and touch your head to the floor and fold your arms along your sides. If you can’t quite reach the floor, rest your forehead on your hands or a block. Take four to five slow breaths.

Move into half pigeon. Stay in this pose for 12 breaths. Repeat on the other side. Go as low as you feel comfortable.

Slowly sit up and take butterfly pose. I do this against a wall but you don’t have to. Bring your feet in toward your groin as far as you comfortably can. Hold your feet and relax, letting your knees fall out. Stay in this pose for as long as you can, aiming for 30 breaths.

Straighten your legs and move into a forward fold/bend. Only go as far as you comfortably can. Bend your knees slightly if you have tight hamstrings. Stay in this pose for 2-3 breaths.

Move into Half Shoelace. Keep your left leg straight in front of you, foot flexed. Take the other leg and fold it over the other at the knee, putting your heel up against your left thigh. Lean forward and touch your toes or go as far forward as you comfortably can. Take about 10-12 breaths. Repeat on other side.

Now move into full Shoelace pose, meaning the knees are stacked with feet on opposite sides of your hips. Lean forward and touch your forehead to your stacked knees if you can. Stay in this pose for 12-15 breaths. You can take Eagle Arms here if you like or Cow Faced Pose, both work with Shoelace pose.

Slowly come out of the pose and lay down on your back. Take Bridge pose and hold for 6-8 breaths. Feel free to clasp your hands in the middle, under your raised hips for a nice shoulder stretch.

Slowly come out of Bridge pose and take Happy Baby. If you can’t comfortable hold onto your feet then hold onto the backs of your knees. Hold for 10-12 breaths.

Bring both knees into your chest and hold for a couple of breaths then extend one leg and flex the foot while keeping the other knee up at your chest (Winding release pose). Hold 3-4 breaths then go into Revolved Abdomen pose for a nice back stretch. Hold 8-10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Slowly sit up and extend legs for Revolved Head to Knee pose (modified or unmodified). Hold each side for 5-6 breaths.

Finally, take child’s pose and relax for as long as you need. If you want to go into Savasana that is okay, too.

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Opening to the Flow

Almost two weeks ago I started an online subscription to Kundalini Yoga. The main reason I was drawn to it was because I felt guided to it in order to help resolve the sluggish energy of my lower chakras.

The site I go to is for Guru Rattana called yogatech.com. Overall I like her energy and the classes, though long, are topic driven which allows me to choose areas to focus on. I have been focusing on the heart, the lower charkas and the feminine as well as the elements of water and earth.

If you want to try out some of Guru Rattana’s classes, you can sign up for a subscription that gives you 48 hours to preview the content. If you decide to do this, I suggest these classes:

Air element – Set Yourself Free.

Earth element – Awakening our Heart Center.

Water element – The Urge to Merge (Sa Ta Na Ma meditation at the end), Connecting to our Feminine Polarity, and The Flowing Force.

Meeting Life’s Challenges – Heart Opening 1 & 2, and From Fear to Love

Looking above at all the classes I think, “I’ve been busy.” LOL Yes, I have. Notice I didn’t include any fire element. I haven’t done any of those classes. I figure I have plenty of fire already. Probably better to hang out in the water element section. 😉

My least favorite part of the class are the kriyas and my favorite part is the meditation. My favorite mediation thus far is called Sa Ta Na Ma. I noticed significant energetic shifts when I did this meditation. My favorite kriya thus far was for the lower chakras but I cannot recall the name now. It is mainly sitting upright in easy pose, breathing in as you bend your spine forward slightly and then breathing out forcefully as you sit up straight again. Breathe of fire continues to be my favorite breathing/pranayama exercise, though the cooling breath is another I found helpful.

After over a week of Kundalini yoga I have noticed a significant decrease in anxiety levels and less intestinal issues (IBS specifically). My mind is clearer and quieter overall and my sleep is deeper and more restful.

yinyang

A Tool for Anxiety

An anxiety incident occurred about two days into my practice. I was driving to work and began to have an anxiety attack as I waited at a stop light. At the time I noticed a billboard that said, “Relax” and so relaxed and took deep breaths. I also began to move my lower body as if dancing as I sat in my car. The movement helps to release stuck energy. As I moved the symptoms noticeably diminished to the point of a very low level nervousness.

I have driven many times since and have found that if I feel into my body, listen to it and breath deeply that I can stave off the beginnings of the anxiety and keep an attack from happening.

Feminine Flow

I have been focusing on learning how to tune into my feminine side more. This means focusing on feeling the body, the energy of the body, and just flowing with the feeling rather than trying to figure out what a feeling means. I have to shut off the mind and just be fluid.

A week into my practice and I wasn’t sure if I had really accomplished much in the way of feeling and flowing. However, it was soon proven that I had.

A few nights ago I had a breakthrough in this area. As I was doing my nightly tuning-in I felt drawn to visualize the masculine form. I saw a beautiful, swirling aura of blue, purple and pink and was invited to feel into it like I feel into my own flow. When I did this I experienced a merging with this male energy and my heart exploded in a warm, deep energy that then shot into my lower chakras. I was able to feel the masculine’s desire for me as if my own. Also, it was as if this male energy’s awareness became my own and was all around me and within me. The feeling of the connection was deeper and more solid than I have ever felt. I kept feeling into it and the more I did this the more I felt as if I would cease to exist and become this energy. Therefore I eventually shifted into my mind and lost the connection. I could return to it and did so several times but the depth was just too much and not something I have ever experienced before.

I was so excited after this experience that I couldn’t return to sleep for over 3 hours afterward. It was amazing to me just how easy it was to turn the switch from the masculine, mental space to the feminine, flowing space. I liken it to shifting OOB. The sensation is similar in many ways. It is almost like I “blink” and then enter the new space.

Since this experience I have been paying more attention to my physical body and emotions, shifting into my feminine flow whenever I feel “off” in any way. When I feel energy stronger in one area than another, I feel into it, go deeper and allow the energy to show me why it is there. Usually it is enough to simply acknowledging the energy/emotion/physical sensation that is present.

The issue with my anxiety attacks is that my mind runs rampant and creates stuck energy by fixating on the areas that feel off. Mental focus sticks the energy there, almost like a taser beam holding it in place. Stuck energy intensifies, creating more discomfort or symptoms until it can be released. Feeling into the energy, however, allows it to move as it is meant to so that it can be fully expressed.

I have been practicing going into the flow around my family as well. It has allowed me to be more in tune with what my body wants in regards to intimacy, acceptance, compassion, love and freedom. Instead of judging what I feel, I go deeper into it. This reveals truth where perhaps before there was suppression, judgement and self-criticism brought about by patterns, beliefs and resistances perpetuated by the mind in response to a disconnect with the emotional body.

If you decide to try this, please share your experiences. If you have already done Kundalini Yoga or practice it regularly, I would love to hear about your experiences, realization, wins, etc.

 

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Growing Up

Again I apologize for the long lag in posts. I just don’t feel motivated in this regard much these days. Since February my blog has become a non-priority. There are no considerations like I use to have such as – No one would notice if I don’t write. No one cares anyway.…etc. All those “poor me” thoughts desperate for some kind of acknowledgment and validation. Instead my mind is just blank and there is no desire to share like there use to be.

This shift includes a loss of desire and interest in dream interpretation for the most part as well. I do occasionally document a dream here and there but analysis is limited. I recognize that analysis of my dreams often leads me to speculation about future events. This in and of itself is not healthy for me. So, I can see the purpose behind it.

Of the dreams I do recall and take time to write down, there are themes indicating a “growing up” or maturation process is occurring. In fact, I had a string of dreams over the course of a couple of weeks where I observed the growth of my “daughter” from infancy to adulthood.

The only reason I recall the dreams about my daughter’s maturation process is that my partner in Spirit made appearances, sometimes within the dream of upon waking. Here is one example. This was from a dream in which my daughter, previously a toddler, had grown to the point of experiencing her first menses. I was washing her soiled garments when my partner approached me in the dream:

……..an older man who resembled Robert Redford came up and put his hand on my left hip. I felt our connection but ignored it all the while nervous he would instigate something more intimate and I would not be able to resist him. He was very gentle with me and kind……..Toward the end of the dream he came up behind me again and touched me gently on the shoulder. He pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me from behind, and offered me a plate full of doughnuts and danishes – all sweet foods. I did not take one. I could feel the beautiful connection we shared intensify and it woke me up.

I have not spent much time analyzing what these dreams mean overall, but I suspect that a new aspect was born from my February embodiment and is in the process of maturing. Eventually she (me) will be ready for what lies ahead. I can only speculate as to what that is.

Life is to be Lived

In the meanwhile, I have been focused primarily on living life. A Zen proverb applies here – Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water. I’m not saying I am “enlightened” by any means, but I did experience or get a taste of it in February. There is no way a person comes away from such an experience unchanged; however, life goes on.

Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. -Zen ...

For me life consists of family obligations and the usual day-to-day tasks that go with it. The main difference now is that I perform the tasks of living with an awareness that was not present before. This new awareness reminds me daily, hourly, sometimes by the minute, to apply what I have learned in each new moment – surrender and acceptance is the lesson.

During my embodiment experience surrender and acceptance came easy. I lived and breathed it in every moment. Life was so much easier, much more beautiful and flowing, during that time. I got to experience the reality of a life of acceptance and ease. It was my reality for three solid weeks.

Since then that reality has broken down somewhat. This was/is purposeful, for the human experience is not meant to be easy but to challenge us to step up and into our full potential. Life and all the illusions that goes with this reality acts as barriers to the ease and acceptance that is our true nature as Spirit. The lesson now, for me and many others like me, is to learn to bring forward into this reality our Light; to embrace the “chop wood, carry water” routine without expectation, fully surrendering to the experience and the moment, and carrying with us the Memory of who We Are so that our Light can penetrate the density of this physical reality.

Additionally, I am learning how to recognize and prevent the Ego from taking over and resuming it’s dictatorial rule over this life, body and physical experience. Just because I experienced an “Ego death” does not mean the Ego was eliminated nor does it mean that it cannot return from the dead. This requires diligence and a conscious effort on my part. The Ego has the advantage. It has been ruler for this entire life and has established itself via habits and beliefs based upon the illusion of this physical reality. Tearing it down was just the beginning. Keeping it down is the real challenge.

My method is to not use force to keep it down but to instead use love and understanding. I listen to it without becoming the effect of it. Then I talk to it and help it to understand, to Remember, and show it my perspective. So far this is working, but there have been occasional upsets along the way. It is to be expected.

Plans

Currently, the plan is to “stay the course” in regards to my life situation. This means no major changes are to be made to my life path or circumstances at present. You can imagine how difficult these instruction are for the Ego to digest. It wants to know “how long?” and “then what?” It’s reaction is very similar to that of a two-year-old child and as such loving reminders need to be provided at consistent intervals in order to stave off tantrums.

At present the main objective on a personal level is, as I mentioned previously, live life with acceptance and ease. Personally, the focus has been on healing and balance of the physical body. Many lessons involved here, but the main ones are how to listen to the body and how to maintain it and avoid break downs. Similar to a car, we humans tend to use up our bodies until they break down and force us to listen and perform necessary maintenance. When young, it is easy to ignore the body’s cues to us because the signals it sends are rarely intensely painful or alarming. They are there, but overlooked as “growing pains” or some lesser condition.

If you are like me, then you just push past those minor body complaints. Most young people do this and, as there are no major complications to follow, continue to do so until such complications present themselves. This, I am learning, is a big no-no.

How am I learning this? Well, mostly I seem to have become hyper-aware of all sorts of body complaints that I was not aware of before. They were always present but I ignored them. I had become so use to ignoring my body that I didn’t even notice them. But now I am so much more in-tune with my body that I am noticing all kinds of things that are in need of repair. Nothing major, thankfully, but they could easily turn into much more complicated issues without proper rest and healing.

The main method of repairing my body for me continues to be yoga. The Ego and I have lots of arguments about it, though. “Yoga is boring” is the primary complaint. lol This is very true in comparison with all the high intensity exercise routines (running, weight lifting, HIIT, boot camp) that are my normal go-to stress relief. Yet I know deep down these high-intensity workouts are taking a toll on my body and are not conducive to a pain-free, healthy and functional body in the future. The message I received in February and continue to receive (Remember) is that less is more in regards to high-intensity exercise. My tendency is the opposite and my goal is to slowly work my way toward a more balanced fitness routine incorporating more yoga and mobility training while slowly eliminating high-intensity exercises.

What yoga does is force you to feel and listen to your body. It is very mentally and physically challenging in it’s own right. I attribute my new hyper-sensitivity to my body to all the yoga I have been doing. My HS and inner Knowing is saying, “More yoga please.” It is leading me toward certification but my Ego has a lot of fear regarding this path despite knowing it will lead to a much more balanced, healthy and happy life.

In February, I was excited about yoga and accepted the path toward certification without hesitation. Since then the Ego has worked hard to diverge from that path. Yet the messages still get through. For example, this week alone I had several messages all pointing to the certification path. There is a certification workshop in Atlanta, GA in September I figured I could go to and then visit my friends in TN. But it kept being put off and was all but forgotten until this week. Out of the blue a reminder came to mind. “Don’t forget,” it said. All kinds of reasons and excuses came to mind. So no decision was made.

A week passed.

Then, when running a 5K race, I met a guy who just kept talking to me and being friendly. He looked like a young Ewan McGregor. Really. lol Anyway, he talked to me before the race and then again at the end of the race. Turns out he won the 5K. 1st place. After some talking I discovered he was visiting Austin from Nashville. I thought it odd but ignored the “coincidence”.

Later in the day I went for a walk and parked right across the street from my house was a car with Georgia plates. It is still parked there. lol

All the while my SIL and BIL were visiting family in Dalton and Atlanta, GA and sending us photos of their road trip.

Eventually I was like, “Okay, what gives?” lol

Since then my guidance continues to nudge me toward attending the workshop, but I keep contacting an (illogical) fear of this path. So, we compromised by purchasing a yoga video package that will prep me for the workshop should I opt to go. I have until July to decide.

In the meanwhile, I opted to do the first video in the package I bought. It was a grounding flow that lasted over an hour. When I finished I felt….different. It is hard to say how really but my body felt lighter and more limber. My energy was light but grounded. It felt really good.

Finally, I want to share a vision that continues to visit me in regards to this whole yoga path. It is really more of a feeling and sense than a visual, but I do get visual flashes here and there. The feeling is flowing and calm, without stress or anxiety. I feel centered and solid in this body and life. Purpose is present as well. Work isn’t “work” anymore. It is enjoyable and part of my daily, healthy regime that balances mind, body and Spirit. The visuals are mostly colors – muted blue, indigo and pink like stained glass. There is also a sense of belonging and a group of friends who are like family.

Of course, the Ego can’t accept any of this vision as a possibility. Stress and worry are her reality. Take that away and replace it with ease and acceptance and it scares her. She is left grappling for anything familiar to hold onto. So we ease into change, show her that it isn’t scary and IS possible.

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The Best Path is Your Own

It is seldom that I feel like blogging these days. At first, it felt wrong, like I was letting all of you down by not posting my thoughts, insights and experiences. I have since realized that it is merely that I no longer feel I need external acceptance and validation. Where my morning routine once consisted of sometimes more than one hour of dedicating a part of myself – my energy – to blogging, now that time and energy is entirely dedicated to stabilizing and grounding my energy through a dedicated yoga practice.

I wanted to share with you all what nearly 8 weeks of daily yoga practice has taught me. Firstly, yoga forces you to feel your body and energy. It brings to the surface thoughts and mind chatter – similar to meditation. The main difference, however, is that yoga, through its various asanas, assists you in feeling the energy pathways of your body.

Previously I thought I was good at sensing my own energy and blockages. Well now I know that my awareness of my physical and energetic bodies was – is still – juvenile compared to the mature sense that it could – SHOULD – be.

I have just recently begun to notice during my daily practice the areas where energy is stuck or not moving. It reveals itself via a feeling of resistance. For example, I wrote in my yoga journal just today:

When I do JM (Joint Mobility) drills I notice certain energy flows that are resistant. It makes me feel tense and then with acknowledgment it releases. Sometimes I have several of these resistant flows throughout JM drills. Most of the resistance is around my hips.

Joint mobility drills are a precursor to my yoga practice, preparing my body for movement. They are simplistic but extremely important. The resistance reveals itself in many forms, the most common being a physical tenseness with a holding in of breath, but a short second would be that my thoughts muddle up or become clouded.

Inevitably, by the end of my 30 minute practice I feel grounded, clear, and exceptionally happy compared to before my practice. If I wake feeling anxious or grumpy, yoga completely shifts me out of that state and into present time. Thankfully, I have been waking up feeling optimistic and excited for the day for weeks now. It is rare that I wake up feeling negative these days.

I wanted to share with you a video that was shared on FB by one of my online friends this morning. It explains why I am experiencing the changes that I am and I hope it sways those of you who do not participate in a regular yoga practice to do so.

The Best Path is Your Own

Now I want to shift gears and share with you a lesson I am learning within my own family. Before I do so, however, I want to share how I was led to awareness of this lesson.

When I experienced my soul exchange I came into contact and then merged with my Higher Self, a part of me that has always been with me but has been unable to fully join me within this vessel/body for various reasons I will not go into now. This “Higher Self” is a compilation of all aspects of me – it is not one Being or Being-ness but a conglomeration of all Being-nesses from various vibrations and frequencies spanning all of Me that has been, will be and currently IS within this Time space. So with merging with ALL of Me I was shown my present life circumstance (relationships, locations, connections, lessons, etc) and its purpose within the bigger and much broader picture that is my existence and spans all of ME.

To grasp finally why I am where I am and experiencing what I am was in and of itself an awakening for various reasons. With this understanding came total acceptance and willingness to experience anything. “Good” and “Bad” mattered not. Where previously I was resistant because of my own wants/desires (Ego) I now am willing and open to completing what I started.

The main component of this acceptance came in understanding the purpose behind my marriage. Previously I had resisted my relationship to my husband, seeing only our differences and concluding that our paths had diverged. Since the exchange, however, I am resolute in my promise to fulfill the contract I have with my husband not only for my own growth and advancement but his. In fact now, his growth comes before my own, where previously my own would have superseded his.

As if to bring into my mental awareness all I have just stated above, articles and posts online were brought to my attention. One such article is by Ram Dass – How do we awaken in a way that doesn’t push away those we love? 

When I read the article I was first reminded of something my “partner” (this is my Companion, my guidance, my HS) has been telling me ever since the exchange. When I inquire as to why I feel unable to share some things I hear, “DO NO HARM.” And this message comes through loud and clear in Ram Dass’ article.

But also this, “Another way of saying this is that those people that you are with, because of your karma, because of the nature of things, you start to work with their presence. They become your curriculum.”

I understood when reading this that I am being asked to participate in the lesson that is my life, my marriage and all that it entails. By rejecting it, by resisting it and making excuses as to why I need to disconnect from my life, I have been delaying not only my own progress, but his and my children’s.

This morning this message was further expounded upon via a text conversation with my husband. He has his own spiritual path, one that I have also traveled but I mostly dabble in, using aspects that I agree with and ignoring the rest. Our differences have long been a source of our disagreements and thus have been, unfortunately, the focus when they should not have been.

My husband recently had a setback on his path. This is a part of our text conversation this morning:

“The biggest win from this trip is knowing I have you in my corner when push comes to shove. It certainly gives me a New Perspective. I guess I kind of got knocked off my “high horse” a little bit! Sometimes one realizes maybe they aren’t the smartest one after all. Perhaps your alternative path is even better than my own.”

I replied, “The best path is your own.”

Our conversation triggered huge understanding on my part and all of what I wrote above came together, bringing Clarity.

One final thing I want to communicate. For those of you struggling right now (the energies have been off the charts intense), please know that all your work is not in vain. You are progressing. You will get there. The answers really do lie within. Look within for all you are seeking. Everything is within you. The process is not active. It is not a DO-ing. It is a BE-ing. Embrace everything you are – the Dark, the Light, the scary, the intoxicating. Fall into it. Surrender to it. The feeling will fool you into thinking it will destroy you. It won’t. It burns away the lies and deception and leaves only the Truth.

I love you all.

Namaste,

Dayna

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SAHM Again and Loving It

Day two of being a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) again. Well, technically four but I’m only counting the workdays. I’m loving not working again. It feel so free! Nothing like going back to work full-time to remind a person just how restrictive  it can be. It is also nice that my husband is out of town. When he’s gone, I am free to be in my own space and energy. The awareness which has come with his absence and my time away from work has been great. My energy body is different. Bigger? Maybe. Hard to put my finger on it, but because of it my physical body feels different, too. I am just……different.

Current Reading

Now that I have time again to myself, I’ve been drawn back to reading. For a few days I have been reading a book long ago recommended which I finally purchased. The book is Through the Eyes of Love: Journeying with Pan by Michael Roads. I limit myself to two or three chapters a night. So far I am on Chapter 9. Enjoying it immensely. His experiences remind me of my own except his are done via his Light Body while mine are while OOB and in the in-between. I suspect I can do what he does if given the right amount of space and alone time. 🙂 In fact, I think I use to prior to 2007 but it scared me.

There are some quotes from the book that I wish to share. They struck a chord with me, so maybe they will for you, too.

Previously I was wild and headstrong, filled with the need of drama and trauma, because this made it more real, more indelible – even though I never realized this. Any task that Pan set for me I performed with the maximum amount of suffering, caused by my reluctance and resistance. Yet, with Pan’s guidance and my persistence, I came to that place of Truth, of spiritual enlightenment, the place where self is surrendered to Self.
~ Chapter 3

When I read the above quote I smiled and thought, “Sounds like me.” Why do I have to resist everything? It only causes pain and suffering. BTW Pan is Michael’s guide for lack of a better word.

Because of that attachment there could be no mobility, no expansion in my consciousness, no real growth, nothing truly creative, and nothing of true Love. An attachment is just that, an anchor firmly embedded in sameness. Like it or not, this is stagnation.
~ Chapter 7

This quote hit home for me. I have experienced this “stagnant” feeling and recognized it was because of a hefty amount of attachment.

I choose all. I choose to no longer be frightened that my reality is not real. To no longer be frightened to step fully into the metaphysical. To no longer be frightened to accept my reality as the only reality in which I can live fully. I choose to accept that this is my reality; a reality that is, and will always be, far greater than my understanding of it. I choose a reality that is rich in Wonder and Mystery, a reality that grows and expands as I grow and expand.
~ Chapter 7

I actually used the above as an affirmation the other night. Rather than feel stuck in the middle of two realities, why not just accept that this is my reality, one that is full of Wonder and Mystery, just like the author said? I like that much better, thank you.

Never resist thoughts, or you will create thoughts to resist. Just ignore them. Take your attention away from them. Do not engage them or be concerned with them. Like a neglected plant, they will wither, losing the energy and vitality they need to thrive.
~ Chapter 9

This is actually almost word-for-word the advice given to me by my guidance once upon a time. 🙂

I’ll post more quotes as they call to me. So far, this book reminds me of Conversations with God, another one of my favs.

Breath of Joy

Even when working, yoga was part of my spiritual practice and continues to be so. I usually practice yoga three or more times a week. My goal is at least 20 minutes each time. I typically do more. My favorite website for yoga is doyogawithme.com so last night I used my new TV for just that.

Side note: What an awesome invention the Smart TV is! I loved being able to use my huge TV screen to do yoga. Love, love, love it!

Anyway, I did a new video and learned a new breath – the Breath of Joy. What an awesome breath! Not only that, but there was also the three-part breath and Breath of Fire in the same video. I got a good breathing workout last night and really enjoyed it. Maybe that is why I had so many OBEs this morning? Who knows, but I really recommend Breath of Joy. It just feels good.

 

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Two Recent Signs

The universe has been sending me some pretty obvious messages lately that I wanted to share.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay has visited me before back in January, but recently he is showing himself again. The first time was quite unexpected and unusual. I cannot recall just when this happened (a couple of weeks ago maybe?) but on a walk with my youngest one afternoon I came upon three baby blue jays hopping about on the sidewalk. They were too young to fly yet, so likely they had prematurely falling from their nest. They had enough feathers and ability to fly short distances but would have been an easy catch if I had wanted to do that. Instead, my son and I stopped and watched the three babies bounce about and chirp to their parents in the trees above.

I had never seen a baby Blue Jay before. In fact, I have not seen many jays in my lifetime, at least not this close up. When I lived a hour north of my location now blue jays were very, very rare. Here near the city they are more common, this year especially.

In addition to the close encounter with the baby jays I have a pair of blue jay parents dive bombing my bird feeder. I purposefully bought a finch feeder with very tiny perches to keep the larger birds away. I prefer feeding the pretty songbirds like Cardinals. Anyway, the jay is very smart and has figured out how to get to the seed despite being way to big for the feeder. I have been watching as they grab some sunflower seed, take it to a nearby tree to eat and then return for more. The somehow manage to get the seed by balancing on the lower perches sideways, wings flapping. They also have babies that look like adults who they share their winnings with.

Eleven

As if the Blue Jays weren’t enough of a hint, the universe decided to give me a more obvious message. Yesterday afternoon I kept feeling something on the inside of my pants that created a slightly annoying itch. I brushed my leg several times and the last time I noticed something was stuck to my leg. I pulled it off and it was this:

11

Though the image is very large here, this is a tiny sticker maybe half and inch square. It is likely an inspection sticker from my pants. When I saw it I laughed out loud. The universe couldn’t have been anymore obvious!

When looking up the angel number of 11 I usually go to the Joanne Sacred Scribes website. This time, however, that explanation did not feel right. So I went to this site instead. I like how it immediately states that the number 1, which is doubled in 11, indicates a new chapter or fresh start. Two ones together, 11, symbolize a doorway. New opportunities await.

The message hit me hard while I was doing yoga. This is not unusual, something about yoga intensifies the connection I have with my Team. Usually my crown or third-eye will light up. I was hit very hard with a realization that something profound was approaching. I remember the realization made me hold my breath because the consideration of “it” made me a bit nervous. It was primarily a feeling so I can’t say what exactly “it” is. Regardless, the message of 11 was reinforced.

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OBE: Conscious Exit and Pranayama

I woke at 5am. Again. Sigh. Wide awake, this time I was in a better mood and took advantage of the quiet time and meditated. I stated my intent to astral project and asked for help in dropping my astral body.

OBE: Conscious Exit

Laying on my back, I grew listless and uncomfortable after a short while, so rolled over onto my left side. I stated mentally several times, “I am out of body”. Then there is a blank space, as if everything goes black.

The next thing I recall, I am pulled out of the background noise of my conscious mind by the humming of insects and chirping crickets. At the same time I saw an image in front of me of a dense forest and starry night sky. With the image came the actual feeling of being in the forest along with the musty smell of the forest floor. The image would fade in and out and I knew I needed to focus on it in order to be pulled into it. Yet I was very, very drowsy and resisted the draw into the forest. Part of me just wanted to sleep.

As I watched and listened to this forest in front of me, the chirping crickets and hum of the forest faded out and was replaced by the familiar noise of my home in the morning – children talking excitedly, kitchen noises as breakfast is being made, etc. The image of the forest disappeared when these new noises came in. I knew these were noises-off and to not focus on them, even though I wanted to. I reminded myself to ignore them and that is when I recognized the vibrations hitting me in waves. Woosh, woosh, woosh.

Not near as intense as when I first began to project, the vibrations were noticeable enough to alert me to the fact that it was a prime time to exit my body. I remember having to convince myself that I wanted to project and feeling nearly sucked into unconsciousness. Eventually, though, my intent won over and I pulled myself out of my body. I exited via my back and my head and shoulders lingered longer than the rest of me. The feeling was like sticky, taffy, but I was not going to give up and I forced the rest of my astral body out and away from my body.

Instantly I could see very clearly and the room was lit up with a bright, yellow/gold color. The walls were white (in reality they are green) and everything was sparkling with energy.

I did not linger long at the sight because I knew I needed to get a certain distance from my body else it would suck me back it and the tacky, heavy energy was still present. I did look at my hands for a moment and say, “Clarity now!” but I did not linger and find out if it made any difference.

I floated through a non-existent door (which should have been there) and across the family room toward the stairs. The stairs were not in the right place either and instead of being one single flight, there were two separated by a landing.

As I floated down the stairs I felt a distinct rise in my vibration. I had gotten far enough away from my body! I began to giggle and wanted to fly but felt I should not attempt it yet. So, I hopped the stair railing and skipped the landing altogether, jump-floating down the stairs. Then I saw my son sitting at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by tons of toys. He looked up at me, his green eyes sparkling and a big smile on his face. I remember hearing him in my mind at first. His greeting was a surge of love and joy.

I had not forgotten my purpose for this projection: to drop my astral body. I knew in order to do this I needed to get outside. So, when I saw my son taking up the entire bottom of the stairs I paused and told him, “It’s a beautiful day! I’m going outside.” He looked at me and said, “I wanna go with you!” His energy reached out to me and was familiar. I wanted to take him with me but knew I could not.

I did not have time to answer him. In one big swoosh of energy I felt to be carried by a wave of energy back into my physical body.

Guidance: Pranayama 

Once back in my body, the vibrations were still present but faded off as soon as I thought of projecting again. Not disappointed, I checked the time feeling certain it must have been over an hour since meditating and projecting. But it was only 6:14am.

I asked my guides why I was able to project. Their answer, “You set the intention. You wanted to.” lol It is true. Prior to bed I took B6 just in case it might help me to project. The intention had been there ever since the previous day, when for months now I have really had no interest.

This does not negate what was told to me about the astral realms. They are collapsing in on one another. I questioned this yesterday and the answer was that projection can and does occur but is only sustainable by those able to keep their vibrations high and stable. The astral body has a reactive tendency similar to the physical body, which makes it harder to stabilize. The mental body, however, is not as reactive.

I was told that in order to drop my astral body, I must work on my energy body. Attempting to project when my energy body was not adequately energized results in a loss of vibration early in the projection. This is what happened yesterday morning. This morning, however, my energy was higher and so upon exit there was not darkness and my energy was light and flowing (despite the sticky exit).

So how to I adequately energize my energy  body? They said one word, “Pranayama.” Instantly, memory came to me of my Kundalini Yoga practice and the Breath of Fire.

I was encouraged to try two things then:

1. Circulate my energy very rapidly from my feet up to my crown and down to my feet. I was shown what this looked like when done. It appeared like a strobe light, flashing brightly as it hit certain chakras (heart, solar plexus and root).

2. Take deep, long breaths.

So I did as instructed while laying on my back. As I circulated my energy, I was asked to focus on areas where the energy was less present. I noticed my feet were a problem area. As soon as I noticed this my feet began to buzz with intense energy. Then my throat was another sticking point and focusing on it made my entire body jump. lol That was a shocker.

When I stopped circulating the energy, I continued deep breathing and within moments I was in the trance-state and my body seemed hit by an energy wave that entered via my lower pelvic region. I was able to maintain the energy for quite some time and began to get hypnagogic imagery and hear noises-off again.

Surprised that I had brought this all on so quickly (I was wide awake by now) I brought myself out of the trance-state by moving my hand. My feet still felt off but I was told the more I circulated my energy the less this area would trap energy.

Very cool!

 

 

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Beautiful Bliss

Did you feel the energy last night?! It was off the charts! Or at least for me it was.

I first started noticing it around 8pm CST. I was settling my children into bed and soothing my youngest who demands I be right next to him until he falls asleep. So, as I lay there with him, sitting up and quite uncomfortable, my heart chakra just bursts wide open and wave upon wave of energy begins to pour through me and out of me. The energy expanded and then I felt my other chakras light up one by one. Root, sacral, solar, throat. The energy never rose above my throat.

This was pure bliss energy. My heart still felt almost painful at times but I didn’t care. Though my root and second chakras were pulsing with energy, I never felt sexual. It was just beautiful, wonderful, heavenly bliss. It made me want to cry tears of joy.

It lasted for over 20 minutes. Hehehehe

Another Wave

After that, it settled and I felt an urge to do yoga. As I was doing yoga, my crown and third-eye lit up with energy and I had what I like to call “raccoon eyes” from the intense energy around my nose and eyes that formed a mask of energy. I don’t know why I connect this mask to the raccoon specifically, but I just think of their little masked faces when I get it. lol

I also had sporadic intense shots of energy through my heart as I was doing yoga. This was most intense in savasana.

When I finished with yoga I felt like I had just had a strong cup of espresso. I was wired! Hatha yoga usually does the opposite for me. I do think it helped my physical body to relax and release areas of tension that may have been blocking the energy. Whatever the cause, I was flying high afterward.

From that point on the energy just kept hitting me in waves of pure bliss. These waves came in intensely and then would settle for a bit, giving me time to recover. I was able to read and function quite normally between them. Sometimes the shots of energy would hit my heart chakra in such a way as to be painful, but it never lasted long and I didn’t much care.

Interestingly, I could feel the energy doing its magic in certain chakras. At one point my sacral plexus felt like a massive ball of warm, tingling, swirly energy. It moved around in a circular pattern and reminded me of water.  My throat chakra was also lighting up in a strange way, moving around like it was alive. Very strange sensations!

After several hours of this intense energy a portion of my upper back, near my right shoulder blade, began to spasm. It was not painful but it was enough to keep me from relaxing and falling asleep. I finally gave up trying to relax at 12:30am and took a Benadryl. Thankfully it helped and I fell asleep about a half hour later.

I was told that my upper back pain was the result of a high heart block that was unable to clear. The pain was an indicator to slow down. My Team told me, “Slow down, your body can only take so much.” I had been requesting the energy to keep coming (who wouldn’t?). I was very enthusiastic about all of it. lol

 

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Heart Chakra Intensity and Swoosh!

I’ve had some energetic activity today which has been interesting. It began this afternoon on the way home from the gym at around 11:20am. I was singing a song and it vibrated intensely inside my chest, specifically right about my heart chakra. I was fascinated with this feeling. Had I felt it before when singing? If so, why was it so obvious now? I sang different pitches to test the sensitivity. The deeper notes felt the best. The vibrations felt lovely, too. Is this why I have always loved singing so much?

Around 1pm while at the park with my children I became very calm and peaceful. I kept noticing nature and feeling I should enjoy it. So I did. What was interesting is that my attention kept being drawn to individual leaves as they fell down towards the earth. I noted how different each of them was in the way they fell – their shape and movement. Some fell quickly in a mad dash for the ground. Others flitted and seemed to change their mind, flying upward toward the sky before finally settling to the ground. Again, I was fascinated by their dance. I could almost hear the Nutcracker playing in the background. hehe

Around this time I began to feel third-eye and heart chakra activity. We went for a walk like we always do after a visit to the playground. While walking my chest began to feel odd. There was a pulling energy in the same area where I had felt the vibrations previously, but this almost hurt. It did not last long, thankfully.

While going about the rest of my day I have felt as if I was being “watched” by a very large energy and had intermittent crown chakra sensations. I could not enjoy them because my children kept interrupting, so I don’t know much more than the feeling that accompanied them. It was a familiar feeling, one that in the past would have made me nervous. But this time there was no nervousness, just acceptance.

I decided to do yoga for the hips, back and legs. This is night three this week of yoga for me. I keep feeling drawn to do it, so I have been. This particular video was new and quite challenging for me since those areas are very stiff. I was completely immersed in the stretches and then when in savasana things changed.

The voice on the video requested I focus on the upper area of my heart (this was unexpected). So I did but when I did I felt uneasy, almost faint, and so would shift my focus to my third-eye and then redirect. The feeling kept returning along with a very strong presence to my left. It was really, really close and really, really BIG. I kept thinking, “I am going to pass out” but kept doing what the man was telling me to do. Focus on the upper heart area. Relax. Try not to think. Etc. The entire time this area of my heart felt very weird and caused me to feel as if I would pass out.

As the video was ending I was so deeply relaxed that I began to feel like I was sinking into the floor. I kept hearing noises that I think were on the video but I’m not sure. It just felt so wonderful.

All along there remained the huge presence to my left.

The next thing I know my body is being pounded by wave after wave of energy. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

I knew I had entered the trance state and my mind was alerted instantly causing my heart to speed up a bit. But the energy kept pouring over me. It was an all-over intense energy, that came in waves that swept over me each more intense than the last. It was not the energy blanket like I would normally feel in this state. It was superb!

Sadly, my middle son came into the room and asked me why I was sleeping on the floor. Energy slowed but I continued to feel as if I had become one with the floor. Wonderful!

I don’t think I would have gone OOB but I felt like if I had passed out I would have left my body. What was so strange is that I felt drugged, as if I were being lulled into this state. Perhaps that was what the BIG presence was doing?

I am also fascinated by the upper chakra activity from today. First the vibrations from singing, then the strange ache and finally it causing me to feel faint. Weird! I am intrigued!

The BIG presence is Them. You know who, etc, etc. They’re baaaackk. lol