Access Your Super-Powers for Inspired Creating

Jan 082013
 

Hello all you powerful creators!

What fantastic creations are emerging through YOU this year?

I’ve spent part of each day this past week asking myself that same question.

And I want to share a process I’ve been using that will help you access your own power to create what your soul wants to bring into the world.

Dreams and Practicalities

I’ve been so enjoying making my way through Leonie Dawson’s Create Your Incredible Year Workbook, Planner & Calendar. Just a dent so far, but a powerful one!

And the more I get into it, the more I love it.

She stimulates your dreaming muscles, yet has an enlivening way of lifting your spirits even while she leads you through the practical steps of planning. It’s a perfect combination. (And as a hugely successful and creative woman, she knows of what she speaks!)

Unlike a lot of planning tools, one of the things she does that I’ve already gotten so much out of is she guides you through a review of your past year before you jump into the next.

I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before, but it’s extremely wise to evaluate the things that didn’t work, and why. (Of course, you also get to appreciate the gifts and successes.)

I’ve gotten so much valuable insight already, I can’t begin to tell you.

It’s so invigorating!

Get and Stay Connected With Yourself

Another thing I’ve been doing on my own, just to make sure I’m clearly connected with my essence as I dream and plan, is I take regular, short (3-minutes or less) connection times with my own be-ing.

I started out using a timer but as I’ve gotten into the swing of it, am no longer needing that.

The advantage is that it opens you to the space where your inspirations reside.

Or rather, it keeps you open to it.

It also helps you get down to what’s really going on. And easily.

Do you ever notice how, when you wake up in the morning, you’re in a super intuitive & creative space?

If you’re like me, that’s when a lot of exciting ideas come flooding in.

This also happens when you’re relaxed and not in “thinking mode”, e.g. taking a walk, relaxing in the jacuzzi, driving long deserted stretches, etc.

Touching in periodically with that space of no-mind reconnects you with that same state.

It’s where our power and intuitive wisdom reside.

It’s so simple it’s almost silly to even outline it here, but I will anyway.

A 3-Step Connection Exercise

As you sit down to work, set a timer for once every 1/2 hour or so. When it goes off (and also once as you begin) take a moment to touch in like so:

1. Take a deep breath in and as you do so, place your attention at your 3rd-eye area (between your eyebrows).

2. Exhale slowly and as you do so, relax your whole body. You’ll notice your shoulders drop.

3. Now as you finish exhaling, immediately drop one more level by moving your attention from your 3rd-eye down to your heart area. You can envision a little elevator taking you from your head to your heart.

Do you feel the difference? How still and quiet it is? Then you’re connected.

Gently hold your attention there awhile.

There’s no need to try to get a sense of anything. In fact, it’s best to simply notice the stillness for awhile.

That’s it! As you do this periodically, you’ll benefit from these brief “re-groupings” and you’ll notice that a wonderful clarity remains with you as you work.

There will be space between your thoughts for ideas and inspiration to enter your awareness.

Those ideas are coming from your essence, and opening to them keeps you on track to fulfill your deepest dreams.

A Match Made in Heaven

A glimpse of the spirit within the pages.

What’s becoming more and more clear to me as I practice this, is that Leonie’s workbook is a tight match to my own spirit.

The further you progress, the closer you feel to your own heart and soul.

And it keeps you in such an optimistic and enthused space. No drudgery in this process, I promise!

If you want to get your own, you can! I highly recommend it. (Treat yourself!)

Just go to her Workbook page and check it out.

It’s a teeny-tiny investment for a BIG payoff.

The enjoyment you’ll get from using it is itself a huge gift you can give yourself.

And I just know that the world, too, will much appreciate the creations you will offer as a result. :-)

With encouragement and joy,
Patti

 

 

[BTW, I am an affiliate for Leonie's workbooks since I love her work so much. She puts her heart, soul, and wisdom into it and you always get way more than you expect.]

Why Emergence Is for Everyone – Even You!

Sep 072012
 

The art and science of consciousness technology.Whether you approach life with the right or left brain, as an intuitive or rationalist, this art and science of Emergence (a Consciousness Technology) can be both fascinating and helpful!

Art and Science

I remember making a choice in high school: Art or Science? Which direction to pursue?

I was very creative and a good artist, but I loved and excelled at math and science. Granted there are vocations that blend the two, but from where I sat at a tiny parochial school in a small town in the Midwest, I didn’t know that. I felt compelled to choose.

I ended up choosing a career as a software engineer, where I used logic all the time and got to work with some really smart people. It was a good choice for me since it was lucrative and I was able to raise my son (as a single mother) in the expensive San Francisco Bay Area quite comfortably. Of course there was a lot of creativity involved but my work was still primarily left-brained and logical.

Altered States of Consciousness

At the same time, I was interested in what’s often called “spiritual growth” as well. I learned my first meditation technique when I was 18 and studied many different disciplines, philosophies, gurus, teachers, methods, practices, etc. I continued to delve into all sorts of consciousness studies.

Admittedly, I also loved drugs, especially hallucinogens. I didn’t do LSD often like some people I knew, but I did it enough to find out that there are “worlds out there” that we can’t even imagine. Not necessarily the same as reaching altered states without the aid of substances, but not necessarily different in some important respects, either.

I also had a near death experience where I got a glimpse into yet another awesome world.

To this day I’m convinced that anyone who pooh-poohs the idea that there is much more to us and our world than meets the eye, then they are simply closed-minded and although they think we are foolish, they are only limiting themselves.

A Conscious Pragmatist

As a single mom (now grandma) and an engineer (now retired), I’ve always been inclined to deal with things sensibly and realistically. Not wholly but primarily left-brained.

I was always very pragmatic. I had to be.

But that didn’t mean that accessing and taking advantage of whatever these “other worlds” offered me contradicted that. In fact, doing so would be smart. So why not?

Why not a marriage of art and science?

Why not appreciate what our right-brain — and indeed, anything else we have access to — has to offer as well as the left?!

So although I’ve found that for me, drugs are not the answer (for various reasons), I am still wholly involved in raising and expanding my consciousness in natural ways. The difference is that now I approach it more experientially rather than theoretically, and suddenly it’s becoming clear in a way it never has before. Simple and powerful, it’s one of the most satisfying and meaningful areas of my life.

I’m also more than happy to take advantage of the naturally resulting expanded awareness and heightened intuition in order to access practical information and guidance that helps in everyday life. This delights me as I’ve always known intuition exists, and seeing how easy it is to access now is icing on the cake.

A Powerful Combination

When I first learned Matrix Energetics 6 years ago, I had no idea it was related to consciousness per se. And even after taking several seminars, it was only my own putting pieces together and adapting it to my life and my understandings that I began to see that consciousness is, indeed, an integral part of the technology. (At least the way I practice it through what I call Emergence.)

That’s why I like using the term Consciousness Technology (CT) rather than some of the other terms I’ve heard used. (This technology is popping up in various forms but is in such a new stage of life that it doesn’t have a well-known name yet.)

Sometimes it’s referred to in quantum physics or quantum mechanics terms, such as quantum or holographic, or it incorporates terms such as the Zero Point Field (or Matrix, or Energetics ;-) ) or related concepts. This is how it was presented to me, and I’ve done my share of research and reading from that perspective too. This is great when you come at it from the scientific angle.

But I continue to verify for myself that in a simpler and more experiential approach, it’s essentially based on consciousness.

And yet, the outcome is ultimately practical and useful.

The whole point of Emergence is to enhance our lives in meaningful ways, including — but not limited to — those primarily related to consciousness itself (such as attaining inner peace).

But what’s my point?

Emergence for Everyone

You, too, can come at this practice from any or all directions, such as consciousness, science, or even pure pragmatism.

So you may already be interested in developing an expanded or higher consciousness. You may have been interested in consciousness for some time and have an understanding of and experience with various modes of consciousness.

Or like me, maybe you’re a product of the (in)famous 60′s and have had expansive experiences a la Timothy Leary with LSD and other hallucinogens. Maybe you simply like playing around with altered states.

Or you’ve studied various “New Age” means of manifesting … or are familiar with the power of manipulating energy … or  already appreciate the “healing arts“.

Or maybe you are simply interested in being able to get useful results in the material world. Perhaps you’re an  engineer or white-collar/blue-collar worker who puts a lot of weight on what you perceive through your senses. You’re a cut-and-dried pragmatist who merely appreciates the power of intention and hard work.

Or you value science and like my physicist friend, you are fascinated and intrigued by this practical application of  quantum principles.

No matter.

Whichever direction you approach Emergence from, you’ll find value in what it offers.

No beliefs or talents are necessary in order to benefit from it. (In fact, strong beliefs can be a disadvantage.)

And if you want to actually practice it, there are no parts of it that are hard to learn, no matter what your background. And even though consciousness is an essential part of this technology, you don’t have to be a guru or master in order to begin to see results right away.

So if you are even wondering if Emergence is for you, then the answer is a resounding yes.

Yes!

You can benefit. And if you want to do it, that’s possible too.

The fact that you are intrigued is a good sign that you ought to stick around. (Get my posts via RSS feedreader or RSS email or sign up for my newsletter!) If you want to join the growing number of fans of this fascinating

Art and Science of Transformation

then I welcome you!

Patti

 

 

Are you an artist or a scientist, intuitive or rationalist? Both like me? I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions about Emergence. (Leave a comment, I’ll reply!)

And if you enjoyed this article, I’d appreciate it if you take a moment to share it (handy buttons below).  Thank you!

What Box? (Or How to Be More Creative and Intuitive)

Jul 112012
 

Do you ever wish you were just a little bit more creative? Or even a lot more?

How about more intuitive?

Well, I’ve noticed over the last years that as I practice this one simple activity, both my creativity and intuition have gotten stronger to the point where I’m often astonished. And both continue to grow day by day.

Let me tell you about this easy practice and why it works so well.

Latent Inhibition

In his book Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality, Dean Radin discusses the idea of latent inhibition. It’s an unconscious brain process that degrades our ability to pay attention to stimuli that have had no consequences in the past.

In other words, we automatically ignore things that are not critical to the task at hand. It’s what enables us to focus without becoming distracted and overwhelmed with all the millions of pieces of information in our perceptual field at any given time.

Healthy people tend to have high latent inhibition, since the more our sensory awareness is suppressed by what the brain considers irrelevant, the more we remain stable and focused.

Creativity

However, low latent inhibition is associated with the personality trait “openness to experience”, which in turn is associated with divergent thinking and creativity.

Tests done on Harvard graduate students showed that those with high creativity had significantly lower latent inhibition scores than those who were categorized as low creativity.

This underscores the idea that highly creative people have greater access to more of what the world presents.

Expanded Perception

So creativity requires “perceiving outside the box”. This is different than “thinking outside the box”, unless you experience thinking as perceiving a new thought. In my experience, thinking is often directed and active whereas perceiving is receptive. But in a creative state I notice that my thinking goes back and forth between being active and actually receiving ideas.

Creative ideas often come in a flash, and long ago I realize that they are much akin to intuition. In fact they’re so similar that being in a creative or intuitive state is almost — if not exactly — the same thing.

From this perspective, we can better understand why creative people report more psychic experiences. … Most people who believe in psychic phenomena are not ignorant or mentally deficient. They just see farther into the depths of the world than other people do.

~ Dean Radin, Entangled Minds

How to Enhance Your Creativity

Can you choose to lower your latent inhibition and thus expand your levels of perception and creativity?

My experience is definitely yes.

The more I do it, the more information I have conscious access to. My intuition is constantly getting more active and reliable, and I get so many creative ideas I can’t hardly keep up with them.

And all it takes is intention and practice.

3 Things You Can Do This Week

1. A super easy and fun way to practice expanding your perception is this:

When you have a free moment, simply ask yourself

“What am I not noticing?”

If you want more direction than that, then use all your senses, inner and outer, to

a. first check your environment

b. then your body

c. then emotions

d. then thoughts

e. then vibrations.

You’ll be amazed at how many things suddenly come into your awareness!

Some will be things that could be obvious to anyone but some will be very subtle things that you may wonder if you’re really even perceiving as opposed to just imagining.

Trust that you are.

2. Repeat #1 as often as you feel called to. :-)

3. Join us for my free “Summer Activation” next week.

An activation is a group Holographic Emergence™ session that’s done with the intention of activating and boosting a particular thing, in this case — ta da — your creativity! (For more about what an activation is, you can see my “Spring Activation” announcement.)

Details about the activation, including the link to register, will be in this week’s newsletter. (Note: The free activation is for newsletter subscribers only. If you’re not a subscriber yet, then you can sign up here!)

Emergence and Expanding Your Perception

Over time I’ll present (as blog posts) a lot more ways for you to practice and exercise your skills of expanded perception. It’s something that comes into play at several levels of the Emergence process, especially:

1) Entering “the state”

2) Engaging with “the field” (aka playing :-) )

3) Noticing what’s different

Right now I’m in the process of developing a free quick-start kit that will guide you through the process of doing an easy Emergence session on your own. It’s going to be great! Stay tuned for an announcement about its availability.

And now: I’d love to hear what happens when you try the exercise(s) above to expand your awareness. Or maybe you have some suggestions of your own? Do let us know!

How to Attract the Life You Dream Of – Plus a Giveaway!

Jun 062012
 

“Are you ready to jump in and begin the most exciting journey of your life?”

These are the words Angela Artemis uses in the first chapter of her new book The Intuition Principle: How to Attract the Life You Dream Of.

And if your answer is yes, then read on, because I’m going to tell you why I think Angela’s book is a perfect first step on that journey.

Here’s my review of The Intuition Principle.

First, The Intuition Principle is a hugely impressive book.

I’ve grown accustomed to the way Angela writes on her blog, and her book did not disappoint. Some people write fluffy, superficial pieces. Not Angela. Her blog is full of posts that you can sink your teeth into. A few minutes with Angela is like an hour with someone else.

The same goes for her book.

It is substantial.

No wonder she’s so quickly become a best selling author!

(I’ve got so many of Angela’s well-chosen words to choose from — besides an impressive clairvoyant, she’s a talented writer — that I’ll sometimes let her speak for herself. Unless otherwise noted, quotes are from the book.)

The Field of Consciousness

Much of what Angela elaborates on in her book is related to what this blog is about: Connecting with a vast field of information and possibility and learning to apply it toward living a life that’s full of joy.

In Angela’s words:

The source of our intuition is the field of consciousness, or what I refer to as Greater Intelligence. … All that it takes to reconnect to this vast storehouse of knowledge is our intention and desire. It’s always there just waiting for us to invite it to work with us.

This last sentence is much like what I said in my last post about “The Field”: that it’s always there.

It’s up to us to interact with it and to accept its gifts.

This book helps us do that.

The Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Here’s why I love this book and why I added it to my list (I’m building a list of favorites for you to refer to): It’s about being integrated with your authentic self.

The Intuition Principle is about getting in touch with who you are authentically by listening to your intuition. It’s not so much a book about developing intuition as it is living an intuitively inspired life. …

It’s about living your best life, feeling joy, and feeling fabulous!

~ Angela chatting with Suzie Cheel about The Intuition Principle

And again, from the book:

The Intuition Principle is the concept that within you exists an innate technology, your intuition, capable of both guiding you to and attracting to you the life and happiness you’ve always dreamed of.

“Guiding you to” and “Attracting to you”.

That means it works both directions.

So this book shows you how to best interact with your life situation and how to draw to you (or create) more satisfying life circumstances.

Intuition as a Means, Not the Main Goal

What I found is that this book actually does guide you into using your intuition but in a different way than I’ve seen in most books on the subject (and I’ve seen/read/used a lot of them)!

I think you’ll find that as you go through it, your intuition will increase easily and naturally as she shows you how to use it to investigate and ultimately discover your authentic self and its ideal relationship with the world.

She takes you on a guided journey toward the meaningful goal of discovering your spirit (and all that implies in practical term), and teaches you to use intuition as your main tool.

It’s a beautiful blend of the two subjects: discovering your authentic self and using your intuition.

So although Angela states that intuition includes psychic ability, this book is primarily about getting to know ourselves more deeply rather than about extending our psychic skills. Even as a professional intuitive, I love it and plan to go back through it more thoroughly as an intensive.

The Importance of Intuition

This is not to under-state the role given to intuition and developing it in this book. (It is, after all, the title!)

I love Angela’s bold statements about it:

You will never live your authenticity until you partner with your intuition.

and further along:

Intuition is the only way to connect to your authentic self and your true calling, your reason for being here at this time.

A Peek Inside the Book

Here are a few notes I jotted down as I read the book. (Note: This isn’t comprehensive nor even necessarily in order. Just some of my favorite things about it that I wanted to mention.)

First, I’ve seen and held the paperback edition. It’s beautiful, and it feels so good! For me, that’s always a good sign and a reliable indicator of a book’s value to me.

But paperback or kindle edition, it’s obviously a gift from the heart.

Angela’s bright spirit shines through right from the beginning as she starts you off with a “pop quiz” about if and how you use your intuition. It’s a fun way to calibrate and compare once you’ve gone through the book so you can see how much progress you’ve made.

And in Angela’s no-nonsense way, she has you making progress from day one.

The bulk of the book is various ways to apply intuition to look within and get to know yourself, or in Angela’s words: “To find your passion, purpose, and authenticity.”

She gets you motivated with a list of the benefits of using your intuition in this way, and talks about how “her life changed dramatically for the better afterward when she started relying on it.”

Exercises are sprinkled throughout the book. By the end of chapter 2 she already has you effectively looking within with questions designed to help you begin to get in touch with your intuition. And these are useful questions — questions I’m sure you want the answers to. (Those are the best kind of questions for prompting intuition.)

She talks about the different ways of receiving information, and how to find out which is your primary mode or vehicle.

She gives you the main tools for developing your intuition. And notice how effective these would all be in getting to know yourself!

1. Meditation

She teaches you here how to do it in a simple and easy way, along with how to integrate it into your life.

2. Guided Meditation

She includes quite a lot of powerful guided meditations, including

  • Meet the “you” that you were meant to be in the life you were meant to live
  • Remember your mission and see your blueprint

If you like guided meditations I highly recommend you purchase her guided meditation system. (I’d do it now — the price is going up any day now.) She’s got the most beautiful voice and the meditations themselves offer so many gifts, e.g. relaxation, insight, expanded awareness, etc. Plus, there are some amazing bonuses!

3. Journaling

This is another major tool, IMHO.

4. Dreams

Easy, practical ways to apply them.

5. Muscle testing and how to do it

Super! I still find this challenging – grrr. I’m going to really use this section. ;-)

6. Meeting and working with your spirit guides

A major topic in itself, and you can even download a recording of one of these exercises.

7. Mind Maps

You draw a map of your purpose and lessons – literally – as she guides you through creating a mind map (& includes related bonus materials that you can download from her site).

Incorporating the Tools

Angela is nothing if not practical. So she then gives you “Twenty-five fun and easy ways to incorporate intuitive exercises into your daily life”.

And then, a super helpful chapter is about how to troubleshoot blocks to intuition. She elaborates on 19 of them (!) and gives you ways to work through them.

If you get this book, you have no excuse not to be benefiting from your intuition on an ongoing basis, and I’m not kidding!

Wrapping Up

At the end she pulls it all together for you.

She discusses this “age of intuition”, and even includes a chapter on how doing this kind of work helps heal the planet.

And she includes a nice glossary of terms, and even an index, gasp! Those are so often missing but an index helps make it a useful reference as the years go by.

As Angela says in closing:

The intuitive personality is an evolved personality.

Do you want to evolve? Then get this book!

Note: Angela is offering you all the free bonus materials whether you get the book or not — and one of them is a free chapter! If you’re still not sure about the book, grab the bonuses and see if they speak to your soul. :-)

Comments? Questions? Please share your two bits!

Angela

Angela Artemis, an intuition coach, is on a mission to teach readers around the world to “speak intuition” so that they unlock all the brilliant potential that resides within and start successfully living the life of their dreams now – not later. She blogs at www.PoweredbyIntuition.com and is an Amazon best-selling author. Her newest book is, “The Intuition Principle: How to Attract the Life you Dream Of,” Readers are welcomed to download free bonus material here.

> > > Get a FREE Copy of The Intuition Principle! < < <

Angela has generously donated a free PDF copy of her marvelous book to one “lucky” winner of a random drawing. That can be you!

To enter:

1) Tweet this post or “share” it on Facebook. (Buttons below.)

then

2) Leave a comment using the term “free copy” and tell me a) how you shared this post and b) why you want to read the book.

[This contest has expired. We have a winner: Congratulations, Saralee! Thanks to everyone who entered, and many blessings to you all.]

And speaking of intuition and our authentic selves, hop on over to Facets of Joy where the fabulous Joy Holland asks — and several of us answer: “When one has set the intent to query and listen, how does one differentiate between an authentic, intuitive voice and any other voice that is heard? How does one know it is ‘truth’, not just ‘wishful thinking’?”. There are some excellent tips there — and do add yours to the pot!

Are You a Door or a Doer?

Mar 212012
 

This Friday I’m holding my first group Holographic Emergence Session, in the form of a Spring Activation teleconference.

And boy, do I keep wanting to control it!

I’m so trained. We all are. Trained to take charge, “make” it happen, be responsible. I want so badly for it to be beneficial for all the attendees that I keep feeling like I have to force it somehow. No unknowns. Not even “happy accidents”. I notice myself starting to worry that I need to be better prepared. That it ought to be structured.

But this new (cutting edge, truly) way of operating challenges all those old habits.

And it can be downright unnerving.

Trust vs. Control

The power of consciousness technology (such as Matrix Energetics, on which my Holographic Emergence sessions are based) is that you don’t need to “do” anything.

In fact, doing can be counterproductive.

In order to achieve success, first give up the idea that you are “the Doer.” Instead of constantly doing from the mere human or conscious level, become the “Open Door.”

- Dr. Richard Bartlett (founder of Matrix Energetics), The Physics of Miracles

Rather than “do” something, the main (and maybe only) skill involved is being able to access the state in which “it is done”. And even in this paradoxical statement, the word “done” is more an adjective than a verb.

The other main skill for some of us (as already mentioned) is to let go of being a control freak! Aach! Pant pant pant.

So how do I manage to step into this new way of operating? Or rather, NOT operating? This state of being, and allowing?

♦ I can only remind myself that a lot of people for whom I’ve done individual Holographic Emergence Sessions where I’ve let go of control have noticed positive results.

♦ I also remind myself that when this idea came to me just a few weeks ago, it already had a life of its own.

I was compelled and propelled to just do it.

It was kind of odd, actually.

It was as though I knew the doubts existed but I wasn’t able or inclined to even look at them. I often think it’s smart to examine doubts to see if they’re valid, but almost always I decide that they are — and then they are crippling.

And so, this time, I simply allowed myself to be moved.

Can it be that there is something, some force, some something (I know not what) that actually knows better than me?

Well, let’s hope so.

Choosing Trust

So, I’m letting this be a lesson to me to live as that door instead of just be that door when I do Holographic Emergence Sessions (or LOL when I absolutely have to let go and surrender because I have no other choice).

That means I won’t just be the door during the Activation session, but am also being a door that opens for this and possibly future Activation sessions to enter my life as they will.

The trust required to be an open door also opens you to receive inner guidance easily. I’m noticing that certain inspirations are appearing to me about the sessions. Things that may or may not be a part of it. That’s all fine and is a part of the process. It’s “showing up” on its own — through the open door.

I’m choosing it this time. To not do. To trust.

Because I’ve learned that that’s how magic happens.

Want to join us for the Spring Activation? There’s still time! You can find the registration link here. (And it’s free!)

And a big thanks to those of you who’ve already registered. We’ve already got a group of wonderful people; I’m so excited!

How about you? How do you know if it’s time to DO or time to be a DOOR … or don’t you? Have you seen the door lead to magical results? Would love to hear your thoughts.

What to Do When Your Intuition Is Wrong

Feb 272012
 

Do you ever get really strong hunches or intuitions, only to find out they’re “wrong”?

Or impressions that were so clear or extraordinary that you’re perplexed as to how you could have possibly made them up?

Well, there is a way to put those “wrong” impressions to good use, and if you’re smart (and I know you are), you’ll do it.

A Simple But Important Lesson

In the late ’70′s I took some psychic classes from the renowned psychic Kathlyn Rhea. Kay was so good she was often hired by the San Jose police department (in the San Francisco Bay Area) to help solve crimes and find missing people. In fact, she was officially deputized in two CA counties for her significant contributions.

She offered classes in her home in the Cupertino foothills and I was lucky enough to live close by and be able to attend. Needless to say, I learned a lot.

She taught us many things, much of which I still use to this day.

One of the most important things she taught was also one of the simplest.

It’s the idea that when you get impressions, you get them from somewhere.

You Got It From Somewhere

This may not seem important until you start applying it regularly.

Say you use your intuition to ask a verifiable question, but find out that what you “got” wasn’t the correct answer.

Well, it’s important to know that your impressions were still likely valid.

You didn’t make them up, and you’re not “wrong” just because they don’t match the answer to the question.

In other words, just because it isn’t the answer to a particular question doesn’t mean it isn’t so!

If I didn’t remind myself of this simple fact, I’d often miss useful information.

So rather than just dismiss it as wrong, it’s often helpful to take some time to see if the information might apply somewhere else, especially to important and current situations in your life.

It doesn’t always, or maybe it does but just not somewhere you think to look. Or maybe you won’t know where it applies until later.

But it’s always worth taking a look, because sometimes it’s obvious and relevant.

Investigate Where You Got It

Often Kay would invite her advanced students to work on cases with her.

One time, several of us saw something that looked like a blanket with a Native-American pattern. Even though Kay didn’t know what we were seeing, the next time she met with the officers involved in the case she questioned what it might have been.

It turned out that at the scene of the crime, the officers used a Native-American patterned rug to cover the body.

We weren’t asking what the body was covered with, but the information was still there and we were getting it. I’ve always remembered this as a perfect example of looking beyond the question to see where the impressions are coming from.

And that’s why, when I do intuitive exercises, I always try to stretch beyond the bounds of the question and see how else impressions might be applied to the situation.

For example, when we did an Animal Communication exercise on this site, a lot of you got specific impressions that didn’t answer the exact question but were still valid intuitive impressions. (Here’s the answer page with detailed feedback from me. The question was “What does Ollie get after dinner?”. There are lots of examples of what I’m referring to, but if you’re short on time, jump down to Angela’s section for a really good example.)

Another good example happened just last week, again with an intuitive exercise on this site. I asked if you could use your intuition to find my camera. (And one person DID find it, with so much specificity that I was utterly amazed!)

But just like with the Native-American patterned rug in my first example, several people –  while not finding the camera — were all picking up on a similar thing: a bed.

[By the way, that's another time to pay close attention: a) When several people are getting the same "incorrect" impression, or b) if you get a similar impression repeatedly.]

You can find all the impressions here, but just to show you what a match the impressions about beds (and sheds) were, here’s some additional feedback to one in particular.

Kara (a skilled intuitive who writes the delightful blog Conduit of Joy!), said:

Here’s my 2 cents…”felt” it in looking at your diagram as it is oriented in your diagram, in the most northwest corner of your house, whatever room is there. “Heard” bedsprings squeaking, so I’m thinking its under a bed, and also “heard” the sliding of the box across the floor, so I’m guessing it is. “Felt” the camera in the box under the bed, surrounded in white wrappings (tissue paper? white cloth?). “Smelled” dust motes, so I’m guessing it is a room that is not used much, like a guest room or storage room. “Tasted” iron, which I believe are the old bed springs (on an antique kind of bed – white wrought iron?). I believe the box was pushed far back under the bed almost against the wall.

First, the northwest corner of the house just so happens to be the bedroom. The bed-springs she heard are significant because at the time, the bed we were using didn’t have springs but we were in the process of moving it out and a new one in — well, an old one from the shed that we hadn’t used in awhile — that does have box-springs. Not only that, but it’s a very springy mattress, I’ve since noticed! Under the bed is a box. It’s empty except for white tissue paper. She smelled dust and that could easily be the shed where the bed was or under the old bed, which had gathered a layer of dust. (We live in the desert and it’s very dusty here. How’s that for an excuse. ;-) ) And she mentioned a storage room, perhaps relating at some level to the storage shed. The metal, antique bed she mentioned is interesting. We’re not using it but the bed we brought in from the shed has an antique brass head and foot!

Now, none of this had anything whatsoever to do with the camera. But as she tuned in, I’m certain Kara tapped into something that was much more important than the camera. The reason we’re moving beds around is because the old one was bothering my back and that’s a big deal. It affects my life and that of everyone close to me at a very basic level when my back is injured. Plus, I had already found the camera, and had moved on to the bed as an area of focus.

Julie was also picking up on this idea, even seeing the tools that were stored near the mattress in the shed.

Maybe they were just seeing all the activity. Or maybe it was guidance. There are ways to tell the difference but this is enough for one post. :-)

So. All put together, the impressions of Kara, Julie, and Beth are encouraging me to believe that perhaps we’ve hit on the right mattress, finally! (It’s actually a wonderful, high-end McRoskey mattress, and was only stored because we used to have it in the guest room. I don’t know why we didn’t think to use it for ourselves instead of buying a new mattress a year ago.) In any case, I’m going to consider it a “yes” vote and expect the best for now. Thanks to one and all!

Stay Open to the Possibilities

So the point is that if you ask about one thing and keep getting information about something else: pay attention!

It just may be something even more important that’s trying to get your attention.

The impressions will sneak in whenever and however they get their chance.

Remember: Staying open minded is what often alerts you to situations you’re not even thinking to ask about, such as the well-being of loved ones in your life, upcoming events you ought to be aware of, or factors in decisions you’re making at the time.

So next time you think you’re wrong, think again! You just may be getting information that’s quite important, and if taken as valid, can make a positive difference in your life.

Who Found My Camera — and How?

Feb 242012
 

A week ago I offered you a free reading if you could use your intuition to find my lost camera.

Thanks everyone for your impressions!

Even some of you who didn’t find the camera were definitely picking up on things going on around our home — especially those of you who spoke of beds and sheds. There were some matches that I found fascinating and I’ll share the details with you in an upcoming post.

But now … Drum-roll please!

Congratulations go to Debbie Jensen-Grubb for zeroing in on my camera so exactly that it took my breath away!

This is fun! …sort of like hide and seek. After sitting with it for a moment with the picture of the camera in my mind I thought it might be on a top shelf in a closet. I also asked my pendulum who suggested that it might be the office closet. Let me know! Thanks for the brain exercise this morning. :-)

And that’s exactly where it was: On the top shelf of my office closet!

So Debbie got her free reading for finding the camera, and she kindly agreed to do a podcast with me about how she did it.

Inner Voices and Magic Pendulums

Here’s the podcast for you to listen to if you want to hear how Debbie approached and successfully met this challenge.

It’s about 13 min. total.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

And I’m so glad she shared because I learned a few new things about pendulums.

I especially love her sense of lightness and fun as she approached this, which I’m convinced played a big role in her finding it. In my experience, this, combined with the fact that she trusted what she got is pivotal.

Also: note that Debbie is not a professional intuitive! She says she “tries to listen to her inner voice”, and in many ways, that’s all it takes.

This is a great example of the fact that we all have intuition and we can all use it successfully!

Yoga Nidra

The first 9 min. of the podcast is about how Debbie found the camera.

And then there was a nice surprise!

I got to learn a few more new things about the profound effects of yoga nidra!

I had asked Debbie what she did for a living and she talked a bit about her career as a yoga teacher.

She’s created 2 yoga nidra CDs so of course I asked her to explain what yoga nidra is.

“Nidra” is the Sanskrit word for sleep, and in short, yoga nidra is a specific type of guided meditation where just 1 hour of it equals about 4 hours of sleep. (I’m there! I’ve ordered one and can’t wait ’til it arrives!)

If you ever feel sleep deprived or even just want to dive into your “golden egg” (Debbie explains on the podcast what this is), you might want to check them out.

You can find Debbie at TheYogaTeacher.net and her yoga nidra CDs are available at her shop there: Essential Relaxation and Yoga Nidra Cat Naps.

Debbie specializes in gentle, therapeutic yoga and in a few weeks will also offer her new DVD called Gentle Yoga for Strengthening.

Thanks again to Debbie and all who participated! I’ll have to do this again sometime. ;-)

(And stay tuned for the related post where I’ll discuss some of your other impressions.)

http://lightspiritedbeing.com/2012/02/who-found-my-camera-and-how/

Find My Camera and Get a Free Reading!

Feb 172012
 

Calling all intuitives! (That’s you!)

I know that a lot of you are accomplished intuitives.

I also know from when we did some intuitive exercises on this blog that even if you think you’re not intuitive, you are! Every single person sensed some details correctly that you couldn’t have known without using your sixth-sense.

And I need your help!

I’ve looked all over for my camera and can’t find it anywhere.

I want to use one of the filters I packed with it.

If you can help me find it,

I’ll give you a free intuitive reading!

Details

The Camera
It’s an SLR (non-digital), Pentax ME Super with a set of filters and a telephoto lens. Also packed with it are some accessories (including a flash), plus a small automatic Pentax (non-digital), and cases for both cameras. I boxed them up a few years ago to sell and haven’t seen them since.

The Packaging
As I recall, they’re all packed in a smallish box, about the size of a shoe-box; maybe a little bigger. I’m not sure of the shape.

The Environment
Here’s the layout of our two buildings. It could be in the house or the storage shed.

The Reward
If you leave me any tip at all that leads to my finding the camera, I’ll announce it here (or in the comments) and contact you for a free reading. It will be 1/2 hour intuitive reading, and we can either do it interactively or you can send me a few questions and I’ll send you an audio response.

Timing
As soon as your “clues” start coming in, I’ll start checking them out. Please give me as many impressions as you like until I let you know here that it’s found.

Tips for Novices

There are so many ways to get at information like this that my main suggestion is to get creative and do it in any way that occurs to you.

Here are a few ideas to help spark your own imagination.

• First, believe in beginner’s luck. It definitely applies here!

• Next, set your intention to find this camera, and open to get an answer.

• You can use your imaginative skills to cycle through all your senses and see what you might get if you were the camera and sensing your location.

• You can use your hands over a diagram of the 2 buildings to see if you feel anything anywhere. Or look at it with your mind’s eye and see if any areas catch your attention.

• If you’re good with kinesiology or a pendulum, you can ask yes/no questions about where it is. Or use a pendulum over the diagram to see what that tells you.

• You can use your audio sense to see if any words come to you.

• You can imagine me finding it and see if I’m reaching up, down, moving things off the top of it, reaching into something, etc. Am I in a small, enclosed space like a closet, or in an open space like the storage shed?

• You can browse this site for more tips, I’ve written quite a few articles about this. Here are a few I especially like:

The Indispensable Ingredient That Will Make You Psychic

The Secret to Finding Your Intuitive ON Switch

And oh my gosh, there are a zillion more ways. Just go for it. Play with it. Have fun! You have nothing to lose.

Hey, Lady, Why Can’t You Find It?

Well, maybe I can. I haven’t really applied myself to it fully except to physically look around for awhile. Frankly, I thought this might be a lot more fun than my trying to find it all by my lonesome. :-)

Thanks for any help you can provide, you talented intuitive, you! I appreciate it!

Now, let the search begin!

Note: When you leave your impressions, it might be fun and educational if you say how you got the information. I know that can take more time, though, so that’s optional.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Just after scheduling this post for tomorrow morning, I decided to take a few moments and tune in. After a short search, I stopped and tuned in again. And guess what?

I found it!

I went right to it as though I knew exactly where it was all along.

But I still think it will be fun for you to find it too!

I’m putting it back where it was and I’ll hold the idea of where it was/is in my mind for a few days.

If you can give me some valid and specific impressions about where that is, you can still win a free reading!

AND, if you’d like, we can also do a short podcast interview to be posted on this site about how, exactly, you did it.

I’ll announce the location and the winner (if there is one) next week.

Sound good?

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Update: It’s a week later and most submissions are in. Someone did win a free reading!

I wrote a follow-up post announcing where the camera was and who found it. The winner agreed to do a podcast which is included in the post so if you want to hear how she found it, check it out, it’s interesting!

As far as my finding it, I did know at some level where it was since I had put it there. It hadn’t gotten moved without my knowledge. But taking a moment to be quiet and tune in (like I mentioned above) helped anyway, as did writing down the question “Where is my SLR?”.

The reason I had trouble finding it was I had combined two Pictonary games into one box and packed the camera into the empty one. Both boxes were stored right there in the corner on the top shelf of my office closet and after all these years, I forgot that they weren’t both Pictonary games!

Thanks if you played! Cheers.

Bunny Bunches of Love to You

Feb 142012
 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Wishing you sweet love.

This is short and sweet today because — speaking of love — I’m spending a week with my awesome son and his wonderful little family in northern CA. I’m doing my best to play catch-up with my almost-2-yr.-old granddaughter. :-)

And if I work it right, I’m going to get to meet Sarah who lives near them, and who writes the fantastic blog Wellness – The Natural Way.

And … just about now, I’m on my way home to my sweet sweet man. :-)

Love love love!

But if you want a little something more than good love wishes, I’m serving up one of my favorite posts about love:

A Message About Your Relationship to Love

Something rather startling happened to me in late 1992, soon after my dad passed away. It was both comforting and revelatory in its simple wisdom. [more *magic*]

Wishing you the best that today can possibly offer. Thanks for being in my life. ♥

Does Your Guidance Have to Scream to Get Your Attention?

Feb 052012
 

“Get a clue!”, my guidance yelled at me the other day.

At first I thought it had to be my own, chiding voice that pipes in from time to time, but no. The wisdom of the guidance was unmistakable.

Besides that, the signs were obvious. They’d been showing up one after another for weeks, some of them for months.

Get a clue is right.

Apparently, I’d been barreling down a road that I shouldn’t have even been on. And some part of me just didn’t want to admit it.

But I can happily report that I listened. I’m beginning to stroll merrily along a path that is much more fitting with who I am.

Have you ever done that? Found yourself heading the wrong way but not wanting to acknowledge it? Forcing your guidance to have to pull out all the stops?

I want to share a little about the signs I saw along with a few morsels of wisdom from my guide that helped me redirect myself.

The Direction

If you’ve been following the past few months, you know that I’ve adjusted my blog topic and am changing my blogging style.

The soul searching that led to that was prompted in part by a problem I started having with my shoulder. (I could write  a whole series of posts on the details of how that related to my blog. For now, just trust me. It did.)

So this was all well and good, and I had plans for quite a few posts over this next month along with some more Jyotish Tutorial articles. I was looking forward to visiting some blogs I like to read regularly. I was also participating in the Blog with Videos Bootcamp, and getting ready for a trip I’ll be taking this week.

But as I jumped in and began implementing my plans, everything started going awry.

The Signs

Because my left shoulder was so problematic when I used my netbook, I’d started sitting at my desk to work on my desktop computer.

Well, now my other shoulder started acting up from that.

Worse yet, the chair at my desk feels good but it does a number on my back if I sit there too long. Wouldn’t you know, it got my back into such a state that I tweaked it last week and now it’s seriously injured.

Even as this was going on, I got a request by someone that I couldn’t refuse. It involved yet more work at the computer. But I committed anyway, thinking I could use my netbook, just in a different position.

I turned on my netbook and heard a horrible screeching and scraping noise that should never ever come out of a computer. Eeek! I turned it off immediately. (I did some Matrix Energetics on it. I tentatively turned it back on and it’s been fine ever since … but still!)

So, there were a number of issues preventing me from being on the computer more than just an hour or two per day.

On top of that, I somehow got myself into a disfunctional emotional state on a day when I had a lot of computer work to do, mainly writing my planned posts. I just could not bring myself to write.

I was so stressed. I had to write and be at the computer, but I couldn’t.

I just couldn’t.

What to do?

Channeled Guidance

In a state of desperation I decided to try channeling about it.

I got into a channeling state and blubbered to whatever guide would listen. In came a wonderful guide I have who is a master alchemist, and very loving besides.

He sort of lectured me (quite uncommon), and then did a healing session (on the order of a chakra cleanse) that left me trembling for about 20 min. afterward.

But it was just what I needed. I was calm and focused and at peace; and have been fine (and nicely functional) ever since.

Here are a few things he said:

You’ve got to break out of the rules. I’m going to tell you that you’ve got to watch for the “should”s. [Note: I'll get more into this with another post but I noticed a month or so back that my shoulder problems are partly about "shoulds". Should-er. Get it?!]

…

But part of the joy that you are moving toward with this vacation can only be found if you can not only move into it but unfold it and create it with the consciousness of joy.

And you cannot do that while you are vibrating with the consciousness of stress.

…

Do what is fun for you this week, period.

…

You are disfunctional because you have asked to open more to your subtle self. In order to do that you have got to quit living in your old patterns.

Part of your energy system is trying to communicate that to you with ideas such as this but also in other ways. Like not allowing you to do it anymore.

Do you see all the signs?

Get a clue!

…

Be responsible to your spirit, your fire. This is not what you are supposed to be doing. … You aren’t going to find your way if you’re spending your time stressing out — like you did last year — about your blog.

Surrender

It might sound obvious now but at the time, since I was approaching my blog differently, I didn’t see that in many ways I was still approaching blogging the same.

I didn’t dread it like I used to before my blog changes, but I still had too many expectations and just as much stress around it.

I decided to completely surrender to the circumstances.

Not only that, but to consider what they might be telling me. (For I don’t think circumstances are really “outside” of me. They’re me, having a conversation with myself.) It seemed the least I could do since they had to yell it at me just like my channeling guide had to.

For someone as tenacious as me, surrender was difficult. But it was a relief at the same time.

So I did what I had already committed to (because that’s what I do). I submitted a new Jyotish Tutorial article and met my commitments to the person I didn’t dare say no to.

I still felt I ought to post, even wanted to post, but saw that feeling a need to do it now while so many circumstances were against it was nothing more than a should.

I knew it was time to put my attention on other priorities such as healing my back so I can travel, and getting ready for my trip.

So I did that. I did what I enjoyed; and enjoyed what I did.

And I didn’t stress about anything.

The New Path

Over the past half week, I feel like a new person.

And even though I don’t know exactly where this renewed way of operating will take me, I’m somehow trusting that it will be good. And of course, if it’s not, I can always change course when the time is right. I can respond in the moment.

I did have one challenge yesterday. The husband of a good friend of mine who lives about an hour away is dying as we speak. He’s also a friend and I’m wanting to do whatever I can for them. But with my back condition, I haven’t been able to.

I’d accepted that but yesterday I got word that he was somewhat conscious and coherent.

I wanted so badly to drive down there and visit.

But even as I began to consider it, my back went into intense spasms! Even then, it took me a little while to see the connection and realize that again, my guidance was having to yell at me!

“Knock it off!”, it was saying.

Get a clue!

Today, I remain in surrender. I’m sitting in a comfortable position writing this post. And then I’ll go get my packing done for my trip. I’m fortunate to know how to do distance sessions with my dear friends who are in crisis — perhaps an even better help than being there in person.

And whatever doesn’t work out, just doesn’t work out; and what does, does.

I’m okay with it. It’s not up to me to control everything.

This morning I said a prayer I learned when I was in recovery:

God, I offer myself to Thee, to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.

Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I might better do Thy will.

I’m not pretending that I know best.

I’m just doing what I can to hear Divine guidance, and then to follow it without kicking and screaming for a change, so that it doesn’t have to scream at me!

And all the while, I get to live in curious anticipation of how it’s going to unfold.

What a much more enjoyable way to live!

P.S. As you might have guessed, I didn’t write the posts I intended to schedule for you during my trip. So! I may not be back here until I physically return in a few weeks. (Anyway, it seems this is long enough to last you til then. Oops!) Of course I’ll be checking in for comments, though, so I’d still love to hear from you!

How about you? Does your guidance ever have to scream at you? How do you understand “surrender”? Where are you with this right now?

Where Do You Want Me to Start?

Jan 212012
 

I had to laugh this morning when I got an email from a good friend that said she liked my new blog format and the changes I’m making.

The reason I had to laugh is because I haven’t even had time to change anything yet!

But she’s a perceptive and intuitive artist and a soul sister who plays in the multidimensional just like I do. Maybe she’s sensing the different energy behind it, or even seeing into the future. I wouldn’t put either one past her. ;-)

But what is going on is that I do have a new plan and direction but already am wondering if I can keep up with it!

Your input about what YOU want from me will help me prioritize. (Read on for some context, or jump directly to the options.)

A New Focus

Last year I discovered blogging and as I do with most things I get involved in, I jumped in with both feet. I let blogging be my main focus.

But as I already said, I discovered that it’s not exactly my thing, at least not how I was doing it. (Okay, okay, that’s an understatement. It chewed me up and spit me out.)

Around New Years, I did a lot of soul-searching (see option #3 below) and everything in me is ready for a new/different focus this year. Not only for this blog but for my life.

This year, my life is my main focus, and I’ll blog about that as it relates to my blog topic of multidimensional (M-D) living.

It’s a subtle but important twist.

Further, a top life focus this year is to improve and expand upon the skills I use as part of my M-D lifestyle and in my M-D services. (Actually, there’s not really a difference between my lifestyle and my services. They’re highly integrated because I apply my service skills to my life constantly and vice-versa.) This is exciting to me because I love learning and I love living in the M-D that my life and my services keep me involved in.

I know we’ll enjoy this new direction because it’s very much about playing — and playing even more effectively — in the various fields that are us. (I was going to say “that make us up”. Are we made up? Kind of!) And I enjoy and benefit from doing that all the time!

So for my blog, I’ll share as I go about whatever form of play my life is taking at the time. That means I’ll share about my services and techniques and what I’m learning to improve them, but mainly about how I apply them to everyday life so that you can, too.

The problem is that things I want to share come up way more quickly than I can blog. I would be writing all the time, and I discovered last year that I just can’t/won’t do that. (And I still need to update my “About” page to explain this new M-D blog focus I keep going on about.)

A Bunch of Options

So here’s a bunch of experiences I’ve had just this month already that I want to share with you soon … and some are going to have to fall by the wayside.

[Here's a real-time example already. Part of my playing is being/staying open to my intuition and as I attempted to prioritize these topics today, I got the guidance (in the form of an uplifting idea) to ask YOU what you want to hear about! So ... let's see how this pans out, shall we? ;-)

Update: Another real-time example! I wrote this post as a draft yesterday, and remember my post about getting your questions answered by writing them down? Well, that happened to me last night and this morning! I got 2 exciting answers to my questions about prioritizing these topics. As before, I didn't realize a question was even being answered until after the fact. BUT: I still want your opinion!]

Here are the options:

1. I did a really great channeling for someone about knowing our purpose and our direction. I want to put some of it in notes for you and some as audio snippets of the actual channeling. (I’m “training my dragon” to transcribe for me but we’re not there yet. So sharing channelings is still time-consuming.)

2. I want to explain the epiphany I had about betrayal. It applies to any form of victim-hood, actually.

3. I can outline the process I used to soul-search over the holidays that resulted in a new and vibrant direction.

4. I’ve been reviewing some materials about intuition and recently ran across a talk with some really excellent points. I want to share them with you. This would be a series of posts.

5. There’s a situation in my life where I’m having trouble using my intuition to make decisions. I understand why, what to do about it, and alternative means of optimizing the situation. I can share these insights and techniques.

6. I’ve got a health issue going on and am constantly using various M-D techniques to improve the situation. I want to share these. This would be a series of posts.

7. My word for 2012 and the power of having it as a focus.

8. I had an emotional upset one night and a pivotal idea and practice made all the difference. I’d share it with you.

9. Explain more thoroughly what I mean by M-D living and what it can do for you. (IOW, I would focus on a new “About” page, plus a series of articles.)

10. I also wonder if you might like some videos and podcasts instead of all written posts. I’m considering podcasts especially because they’re so quick for me to create, but you may prefer to glance at a post rather than listen to a podcast even if it’s short. So …

Your Input Please

Will you help me prioritize these options?

I’d love to know what you want to hear about. I’ll use it as data to help me decide. This survey is about the short term, but if you have any additional requests or comments about what I share over time (or anything else), I’d like to hear them too.

I numbered the list so you can easily say which topics you want to hear about. And if you have more than one, you can put them in priority order, if you want.

Thank you!

The unfortunate thing is that even before I get your input, I’m sure I’ll have a bunch of other things I want to share with you. Eeeek!! Pant pant pant.

Ah, but oh well, such is life … such a lively thing. It certainly moves, doesn’t it? (Oh! I just had a deja-vu!)

Ask Any Question and Watch the Answer Reveal Itself

Jan 092012
 

We all have questions, all the time. Some are more important than others.

Here’s a simple process you can play with to easily get answers to them, even the important ones. Maybe you won’t get answers all of the time, but you will some of the time, and sometimes they are so profound you can hardly believe they came to you so easily.

(And no, the process isn’t channeling, even though I’m about to open my story with  that.)

A Question Asked

Over the holidays, as part of my decision to stay in touch with my intuitive side as much as possible, I decided I would channel on a regular basis. (When I first learned to channel I did it every day for months. But that fell off as it got to where I didn’t “have” to do that anymore, and could always connect at will even with longer gaps in-between).

If you’ve ever channeled or even participated while someone else is channeling, you know that during the session you usually get into a slightly altered state. In this state, your questions suddenly become unimportant to you because you somehow know that all is well, or you at least get a different perspective on your life where you don’t feel as threatened or desperate, and you don’t feel a need for anything, including answers to your questions.

Sometimes, when I channel for myself, I simply forget my questions since I’m operating from a different part of my being than my rational.

So as I mulled over what questions I could ask that were relevant to my life (since those are the most powerful evokers of answers), one glaring question came to my attention.

It’s not really the point of this story but it was about betrayal, something that seems to be a pattern in my life. Betrayal (sometimes simply abandonment which is a form of betrayal) by best friends, by regular friends, by family members, by institutions, by the government, by the so-called justice system, etc. But big time, life-shaking betrayal. No matter how well I think I’ve processed through it, the pain of it periodically comes back to haunt me, sometimes at the most inconvenient or unexpected times. Well, I’d been grappling with it again over the holidays.

So I wrote it down on a sticky note:

Betrayal: How to process?

And I went about my holiday break, fully intending to ask that the next time I channeled.

An Answer Revealed

Well, I didn’t channel over the next few days but I noticed that there were some thoughts that would appear in my mind now and then, usually when I was doing rather mindless things. An idea was developing, seemingly on its own and out of the blue.

By about the 3rd day I realized that not only was it a complete model that was presenting itself to me, but that it was in response to my question!

As soon as I realized this, I also felt guided to write it down, too; just like I had my question. It seemed to be a part of the process of earthing it, and bringing it fully into my life. Sometimes when I do a similar thing, the idea clarifies itself as I write, but in this situation that wasn’t necessary. It was all there, clear as day, right from the start … all fresh, and alive, and very very relevant.

Note: I can’t wait to tell you what the idea/model was that revealed itself. It so totally answered my question, and then some. In fact, just assimilating the answer completely processed the betrayals for me. And I haven’t looked back. So far, it just isn’t an issue anymore. (Of course it’s only been a few weeks, but still. It feels significantly different.)

However, as part of my new leaf, I don’t want my posts to get too long, so what was revealed to me will have to wait until another day. (Are you familiar with the acronym TL;DR? Too long; didn’t read. Gotta love it as I never read super long posts, and I sure don’t expect you to!)

The point of this post is not what I found out, but that if you present your question to the Universe, to Source, to your Higher Self — who or whatever that part of you is that knows the answer that is most appropriate for you to hear at this time — you’ll get an answer.

Get Answers With This Simple (Yet Powerful) Process

There are lots of ways to do it but I am especially enamoured by this one right now. :-)

Here it is:

1. Do you have a burning question right now? One that you really want an answer to? See if you can clarify what it is.

2. Write it down. This is optional but is helpful in the beginning. Just make sure you do something to explicitly ask it, though.

3. Pay attention. See what unfolds. The answer may be prompted by things in your environment (anything from normal, everyday activities to unusual “signs”), or it may simply be whispered to you in your mind or heart. It may come quickly or over the period of days or weeks.

4. Acknowledge the answer. Appreciate it. Apply it.

That’s it!

It’s deceptively simple. Don’t let that persuade you that it can’t do heavy lifting.

I used this process a few more times over my break and again got really great answers, and some very quickly. And the best thing about them is that they were more about teaching me to fish than feeding me one, you know? In other words, I was given a new way of seeing or thinking instead of just one answer to get me by until next time.

Pretty cool if you ask me.

I’d love to hear if you’ve ever tried this. Or if you’re willing to try it and report your results. Or maybe you have a better, easier way to get answers?

Turning Over a New Leaf :: A Fresh New Blog

Jan 042012
 

Yes, there are new leaves right smack dab in the middle of winter. I know because I found one! Just as my holiday break began.

And I’m still in awe of the amount of energy a new leaf can bring with it.

It’s exhilarating!

What It Means to Me

I have felt for awhile that something was off.

My work days had become a struggle. I was trying to build a successful blog as part of my livelihood and not doing a good job at it.

I realized I didn’t like it. I hated it, in fact. It was consuming me and not in a good way.

And that’s because I was looking outside myself for the how-to’s. And not that there’s anything wrong with that (wink wink to other Seinfeld fans), but what I wasn’t doing very well was taking what I learned “out there” and making sure it resonated with my insides before applying it.

Some of it I knew didn’t resonate so I didn’t do it.

Some of it did resonate somewhat so I tweaked it a little to fit.

But most of it I just blundered ahead and sort of half-assed did it without even taking the time to really consider if or how it fit with my own system at all. (Yes, I’m talking energy system. All-encompassing.)

As a result, my heart wasn’t really in it, and it turned into a big, icky, dreadful obligation.

I’m not doing that anymore. I’m going to break all the rules now.

It’s time to do it my way.

I’m going to do the stuff that “doesn’t work”, and I don’t care about the results. I really don’t.

I care that I feel really alive while I’m writing this. And that’s got to count for something, right? Besides that it feels *perfectly* on target for me, maybe you (or someone who’s yet to find this blog) resonate with what will express through me naturally, without all the rules and guidelines, the do’s and the don’t's … right?

What It Means to You

That means this blog is going to be way different.

1. Intuitively Guided

First, my main, #1 commitment to myself is to stay tuned in this year. No longer am I just going to do that when it’s convenient and use rationality otherwise. I’m going to check in with my heart, my gut, my inner wisdom, my intuition (all of those mean the same thing to me) with everything. Everything!

And mostly, I’m going to do it where my business and blog are concerned.

Whenever I do this, all kinds of exciting things start to happen!

So that’s the first thing.

2. The Magic of a Multi-Dimensional You

Second, because I’ve been doing that over my break, I’ve gotten more clear on how to define my passion in one short tagline.

I live a multi-dimensional life. Full spectrum, both poles, of multiple axes, and everything in-between.

I love living like this and besides being fun and fascinating, there are tons of advantages to it.

So that’s the topic you’ll hear about on this blog. What that means, how I do it, and of course, what it might mean to you.

3. Vibrantly Relevant

I’m also going to be writing more from my heart than from my head, which was not the case in the past.

This is how I LOVE to write.

You’ll see that it’s more stream of consciousness, more alive, more spontaneous, and — something tells me — more relevant to all of us. (That remains to be seen, but I’m forging ahead anyway. Because I have to, plain and simple.)

Welcome

So, welcome to my new world. Our new world. I hope you’ll come visit often and participate with me.

I want to hear what you think, how you feel, and how you do this thing called life.

Starting with … Do you follow your heart when it contradicts your head? Do you have a good example? How did it turn out?

Thank you!

Separated From Your Pet? How to Reassure Them

Dec 212011
 

If you’re going to be separated from your pet for any length of time, you’ll find peace of mind in knowing that you really can “talk” with them about it beforehand, as well as connect with them while you’re apart.

It’s natural, and not all that difficult.

When we’d had our first yellow lab for about a year, we left him behind when we went on vacation. It happened to be the day after we reprimanded him for eating a sandwich off the coffee table. We took him to the boarding kennel the next day, said goodbye, and flew off to Hawaii.

We returned 10 days later and picked him up at the kennel. He was more than ecstatic. Even as we were getting into the car he was still licking us, squeaking, and panting.

Just as we all settled in for the hour-long drive home, it hit me — and it wasn’t just a thought. I literally felt it like a stab in the heart as I realized he thought we had abandoned him.

He had no idea we were coming back for him. I knew this with certainty. Immediately I began crying and trying to explain to him that we would never leave him like that. But by then he’d already gone through 10 days thinking we had.

Never ever did I want to do that to him again.

I didn’t know until years later that I didn’t have to. That I could communicate with him ahead of time in a way that he would understand, and know that we were coming back for him — and even when. (In fact, you can touch in with them from far away too, even while you’re separated.)

The main technique is that of speaking to them in pictures as you learned in part 3 of this series.

And you’ll feel more confident that you’re actually connecting if you take the time to practice the exercise from part 1 as well.

Before You Separate

If you know ahead of time that you’ll be separated, that’s ideal. Even if you only have a few minutes, that’s enough in most cases. For complex situations there are several actions you can take that take more time, but for the most part what you need to do is pretty quick.

The general idea is to prepare your pet for what they’ll experience while you’re separated. There are lots of aspects of this.

1. Length of time

Think about how you experience time, how they experience time, and then how you can put that into pictures.

If it’s hours, you might show them you’re gone until you come home and feed them dinner. Or maybe you’re gone until it gets dark. See them at home while it’s light; imagine it getting a little darker, then see and hear your car returning home.

If it’s days, see it getting dark, then light, then dark, then light again (for however many days it will be).

Some animal communicators say that animals can understand numbers, e.g. I’ll be back in 3 days. I don’t disbelieve that but if you want to do that I suggest you also use visuals along with it, at least until you have a sense your pet understands.

2. People and places

Imagine the people your pet will likely encounter. If you know what they look like, all the better. Sometimes you don’t (for example, if you’re boarding a pet there may be various people at the kennel). You can imagine people while you think consciously of the concept that there will be a lot of people around.

If they’ll be home, or maybe in a boarding environment, show them that too.

FEEL and project the idea of safety while you show them where they’ll be, with whom, and their daily routine.

3. Activities

You may be aware of some of the activities your pets will experience. If so, play them out in detail if you can.

Again, the most important thing is that you FEEL safe and calm. See them having fun and enjoying themselves. If you just can’t imagine it being pleasant for them, then see if you can feel them experiencing it as an adventure.

It can be especially helpful to anticipate the things that may upset your pet and play through those with that sense of safety. For example, if your animal will be traveling by plane without you, play through the noise and commotion of a busy airport, what it might feel like in the cargo hold, etc. All the while, assure your pet they are safe.

4. Reunion

Most importantly, see the two of you being reunited. Do this last, so that what you are telling them is as much in order as you can make it.

Don’t worry about every little detail being right or even that everything be in perfect order.

You just want to get the general ideas and feelings communicated to them. That’s enough, as that’s a lot! Most pets don’t get the luxury of anything even close to this kind of connection.

While You’re Separated

If you’re just separated for a short time (e.g. hours), you don’t need to do anything to reconnect unless you want to or unless your pet suffers separation anxiety.

But if it’s a longer period of time, it can help to check in periodically.

1. Connect

When you have a quiet moment (eventually, you don’t even need it to be quiet), just connect with them. Use a photo of them if it will help.

2. Visualize

And then simply repeat some of the things you communicated above, all the while feeling a calm sense of safety and contentment.

Stay Calm Yourself

A lot of people are so connected with their pets and vice versa that they worry whenever they’ll be separated for a long period of time or during unusual situations.

This is one of the worst things you can do.

It really helps them if you remember that you have done everything you can to keep them safe and happy and the final ingredient in that being possible is for YOU to feel calm and happy about it all.

They do sense that and it does make a difference.

Take a look at part 2 of this series for some ideas of ways to think about it which will help you both be more at peace while you’re apart.

More Practical Tips

This isn’t specific to Animal Communication but here are some other things that can help you both feel more calm too.

1. Acclimate them

Whatever you can get them used to ahead of time: do!

Whether it’s the people they’ll be with, crates they may travel in, certain foods they’ll be eating, environments they’ll be in, etc. Do whatever you can to expose them to those things for short periods of time and in a calm manner.

And make them positive experiences as much as you can. Maybe give them treats during or after if that makes sense.

2. Leave them a reminder of you

If possible, leave something of yours with them while you’re separated. This is especially good for dogs or cats, who rely so much on their sense of smell. So, for example, a t-shirt you’ve worn or a blanket you’ve used can go with them in their crate or to the kennel.

3. Use Rescue Remedy

Use Bach Rescue Remedy during and after. You can have a caretaker put it in their food or water just like they would a medicine. Or if you’re leaving them with a blanket or t-shirt, you can spray it with Rescue Remedy beforehand.

Afterwards it helps them process any kind of trauma they may have experienced.

This is a lot to absorb at once and I’ve only scratched the surface, but I’m sure you can use your own creativity to expand these ideas to fit whatever situation you might be facing. That’s half the fun of it, after all!

Let me know if you have any questions. Or if you have experiences with this kind of thing, or other suggestions, please let us all know.

Thanks for reading, and happy holidays to you … and your pets!

The Easy Way to Talk Telepathically to Your Pet

Dec 122011
 

If you have a pet that you need to have behave in a certain way, you can appreciate the value in having a supportive or reinforcing technique handy.

Here’s an extremely useful one that you can use in lots of situations.

Speak With Pictures

We’ve already talked about communicating telepathically with your pet using any or all of your senses.

When you imagine a scenario you want to encourage, you can and should continue to use other senses, but one of the easiest and most effective ways to get a telepathic message to your pet is to use your visual sense to create pictures.

(And note that the ideas I’m giving here for vision can still apply to other senses too.)

To Encourage Positives

Typically, when we want to relay a message or suggestion, it’s something good or something we want our pet to do.

When this is the case, simply imagine in your mind’s eye what that looks like, literally.

You can experiment with doing it from your point of view, and also from your pet’s perspective.

To Discourage Negatives

When there’s something you don’t want them to do or you want them to stop doing, it gets a little trickier, but only because you have to get creative yourself.

The idea is to turn it around into what you want them to do instead, and then imagine that in your mind’s eye.

So, for example, if you don’t want your dog to go into the street, see them stopping at the sidewalk. You might even see them turning around at the sidewalk and coming back to the house. (Note I’m not saying to do this instead of training or other practical restraint measures! It’s done as an adjunct with them in situations like this.)

Or if you don’t want them to bark when someone comes to the door, what do you want them to do instead? Think about that and imagine it in every detail.

A Few Other Tips

Whenever you’re encouraging a new behavior, it’s helpful to take an extra moment to see (in your mind’s eye) your pet getting some congratulations, affection, or a treat right after they do what you want them to do. And then, when they do it, give them that! Besides reinforcing the behavior, it helps confirm to them that you were, indeed, “talking” to them.

As to senses other than visual, you can also give commands from a distance (in your mind) if your pet is already responsive to those commands. And even though “No” is a negative, if they already are responsive to that, don’t hesitate to use it especially in a dangerous situation.

As with any kind of training, it’s good to repeat the practice lots of times before it’s actually needed, or intersperse it with times when it’s needed.

An Example: Discourage then Encourage

Our boxer (God rest her sweet soul) used to be very protective of us when we were in our outdoor jacuzzi at night.

She would go off barking to all corners of our property, and it was annoying not only to us but I’m sure to the neighbors, too.

The problem was, she was getting old and losing her hearing, so even whistling for her had become futile.

So we decided to use telepathy.

We used a mixture of different techniques, but it went something like this:

1. We calmed ourselves down, so that we truly were okay instead of distressed about her barking. Otherwise she would sense anxiety from us, making her anxious or making her think we were in a distressing situation where we need her protection.

2. We made a deliberate connection by thinking her name as if she were right next to us and we were getting her attention.

3. We imagined what we wanted, which was for everything to be very quiet. I would put myself “inside” her and feel myself just being quiet and calm, i.e. not barking. (Discouragement from barking.)

4. Then we would telepathically issue the “Come” command. She was a very obedient dog, but for good measure I would then …

5. Envision her returning to where we were. I would do this either from her perspective (imagining myself, as her, coming up the hill and across the driveway) or from our perspective (seeing her come around the corner of the house toward us), or both. (Encouragement to return to the house.)

It worked! It worked immediately and repeatedly. It was amazing even to us how responsive she was, but I’m sure that was at least partly due to the fact that a few years before we had all made an agreement of sorts that we would play with communicating that way. She enjoyed it and yet this shows that she also took it seriously.

So don’t forget about all these great modes of communication you have available.

Try them out, and practice them until you see for yourself how well they work. They not only enrich your relationship, but they can be an important means of communicating in serious situation.

Note: This is the 3rd in a series about communicating with your pet energetically (mainly telepathically). The skills are best developed in order. Here are the previous articles:

1. The Very First Step in Communicating With Your Pet
2. Worried About Your Pet? 5 Steps Toward Peace of Mind

Do you have experiences with doing this that you can share? Comments? Questions?

> > > Special GIVEAWAY Announcement < < <

Do you want a free reading? I’m giving away two — winner’s choice of 3 types!

You can choose a:

All I ask is that you:

1) “Like” Lightspirited Being on facebook (button to the right if you’re reading this from the blog) AND

2) Write on Lightspirited Being’s facebook wall that you want to be in the “Solstice Drawing”

That’s it!

I’ll draw 2 qualifying recipients on the Solstice (Dec. 21 here in NM). Please feel free to spread the word until then.

Thanks so much — and good luck!

Cozy Up With Your Holiday Spirit This Season

Dec 062011
 

I used to have an ambivalent relationship with holidays.

I loved them because I got to be away from work, do some special activities, and see friends or family that I didn’t get to see regularly.

At the same time, I dreaded holidays because they always got stressful. Even when I made reasonable plans, my commitments inevitably multiplied like bunnies and before I knew it, I was frazzled and distracted, doing things I’d rather not, and all with an obligatory smile plastered on my face.

But all that changed soon after I met my husband. He had begun a practice of going to Yosemite for Christmas.

When I first considered going, I knew immediately it wouldn’t work. I mean, what about all my holiday “stuff”?

Getting together with family on Christmas eve?

Christmas dinner and all it involves?

What about all the presents I had to buy? And wrap? And pack? And send? And give in person?

The cards I had to write and mail?

The tree to buy and decorate?

All the boxes of Christmas decorations to unpack and put out, and then pack away again.

All the cookies I had to bake?

All the Christmas parties to flit around to?

What about donations to the needy, the service work to do?

On and on. And on and on. Aggh!

But alas … Christmas in Yosemite sure did sound heavenly!

So I began thinking about how to do most of my other stuff ahead of time. Yes! I could do it before and while preparing for the 5 day trip to Yosemite! But the thought of that just freaked me out.

And then it hit me.

I had been moving through all my holiday activities like an automaton. Sure, I enjoyed some of them, and some of them touched my heart.

But most of them were not enjoyable or meaningful at all, or they added so much stress and took so much time or money that they were just not worth it to me.

A New and Improved Way to Do Holidays

And for the first time, I began to make conscious choices about how I wanted to spend the holidays.

I let all the had-to’s and shoulds just fall away in favor of the want-to’s.

We went to Yosemite at Christmas for a number of years and it was *magical*. We used the heater in our little cabin as our imaginary fireplace and opened our few little gifts to each other. We went to the fancy Bracebridge dinner at the Ahwahnee, a lavish affair with an 8-course meal. We ate bad food in the brightly lit and nearly empty cafeteria and had lovely exchanges with the cafeteria workers, and oddly, that remains one of our happiest memories. And I’ll never forget being in the tiny chapel there with snow falling gently outside, while 2 young kids in front of us fought loudly over the candles for the candle-light service. My heart soared and I laughed and cried at the same time.

Those experiences enriched my life and made me a better person.

This was the point of Christmas.

Connect with the Holiday Spirit

You, too, can trade in your stressful pile of obligations for free time (*gasp*) where you can connect with the special meaning that each holiday embodies by nurturing its lovely spirit and bringing it to life.

You can make the holiday spirit a significant part of your experience instead of something fleeting you try to grasp or catch a quick glimpse of in-between commitments that have gotten out of control.

Examine Your Assumptions

Examine each thing you do and every person you connect with and ask yourself why you do it.

Did you merely “inherit” it and now just do it without choosing to do it? Without realizing you don’t have to?

Are you allowing others’ expectations to overly influence you?

Do you enjoy doing these things?

Do you enjoy being with these people? (Yes, ask this about family. Maybe especially about family.)

Can you afford it easily or does it add undue stress?

What are the results? Are they worth the investment of time and money?

Maybe you’ll find that some of these things really are where you want to put your energy. Good! Now you know. And the rest you can consider letting go of.

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

There are always trade-offs. So it helps to consider if there are things you might like to do instead.

Maybe you want to leave the newly freed-up time alone. Allow it to just be there and spontaneously enjoy it when it comes around … or not.

Or use your creative spirit to brainstorm some fresh, new ideas that have some life to them.

What does this holiday mean to you? How can you express that?

Who do you love? What do you care about? Do you want to make a connection or contribution?

What do you enjoy? What makes your heart sing? Don’t you deserve to commune with the spirit of the holiday for your benefit as well as for others’?

With just a little deliberate forethought, and feeling into your own heart, you can make the holidays a time to go deep instead of wasting them on meaningless, superficial activities.

Unless you like superficial! It does have its place. The point is to make conscious choices.

Give Yourself Permission

You’re a grown-up now, and no-one is the boss of you.

You don’t need to follow in the old traditions automatically. Of course, if you love them, then yes, indeed!

But spare yourself being an automaton for as long as I was. You can break free now.

Watch What Happens

If you’re like me, you’ll be surprised to find that the things you cut out are not missed. And if they are, well, you can do them next year. You can even do them just because. If they have value, do they need a holiday to go with? Maybe not.

As to the people you usually spend holidays with, perhaps they need to adjust to your new way, but they’ll come around before you know it. You’ll likely find that it’s not nearly so traumatic on them as you imagine.

And the time you do decide to spend with people is much more meaningful when you do it because you genuinely want to be with them.

Nowadays, my list is pared waaaay down. This year, we’re having a low-key holiday. We may or may not decorate, we’ll have a delicious meal that is simple to prepare, and I’ll give a few heartfelt gifts to my son and his family. (They may do a road-trip and arrive on our doorstep. If they do, I’ve got plenty of extra time to spend with them.) Lots of children — too many — in our area need hats and gloves (can you imagine?), and that’s my service/donation priority this season.

And that’s plenty.

It leaves me space to touch in regularly with the spirit of this beautiful season, and see where it takes me in the moment.

I wish you many spirited moments of your own this holiday season.

Thanks for reading!

How do you spend your holidays? Are they spirited? Would love to hear!

> > > Special GIVEAWAY Announcement < < <

Do you want a free reading? I’m giving away two — winner’s choice of 3 types!

You can choose a:

All I ask is that you:

1) “Like” Lightspirited Being on facebook (button to the right if you’re reading this from the blog) AND

2) Write on Lightspirited Being’s facebook wall that you want to be in the “Solstice Drawing”

That’s it!

I’ll draw 2 qualifying recipients on the Solstice (Dec. 21 here in NM). Please feel free to spread the word until then.

Thanks so much — and good luck!

Click here to go enter your vote for Lightspirited Being.

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If you like this blog, I’d so appreciate it if you’d cast a vote for it.

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Week 1: Recognize Your Spirit & Breathe

Dec 022011
 

Did you catch a glimpse of your elusive spirit this week? The one that sometimes hides out when you’re looking the other way?

This is the end of Week 1 of the 10 week online course “The Answer is Simple”. And week 1 was precisely about how to recognize that spirit of yours!

(The entire course is offered free by Sonia Choquette, and some of us are working it together here with a discussion at the end of each week. Join us!)

This Week’s Concept

Here are a few notes I jotted down as I watched the first Week 1 video:

• Who you are is not your story, ego, history, accomplishments, family, personality, community, etc.

• You are a spirit. You are unlimited! All those other things have limits, but you don’t. So change your identity. Say I am a divine, glorious, unlimited spirit!

• Spirit has personality. There are different kinds of spirits, e.g. Sonia says she is fiery. Some are calm, soothing, grounded. What kind are you?

• The key is to know that you are divine.

• Recognize and enjoy spirit. It’s beautiful and perfect. It is so powerful it gives you life.

• We’re here to grow. Life is school.

• Understanding your spirit makes life and lessons easier to navigate. It makes ups and downs more pleasurable to engage in. You’re immune.

• Notice Spirit frequency vs. Ego frequency

• Ego is insecure, etc. When you’re in ego frequency, you feel separate and pull away. You’re fearful, judgemental, etc.

• Spirit frequency is always peace, love, etc. You want to connect and participate.

• Practice and concentrate on recognizing your spirit.

• What do you love? What do you enjoy? What leaves you feeling inspired? Notice how your energy opens up.

My Comments

OK, yes, I’m going to do it. I’m going to disagree with Sonia on a few nuances. :-)

1. I think our spirits are a part of us (a more subtle version of our physical bodies), but I don’t think we are our spirits.

I think that our essential nature is even more basic than our spirits.

She says our spirits are all different (i.e. hers is fiery, some are calm, etc.) and as I understand it, she is speaking of something that is manifesting at some level. If it weren’t it wouldn’t have characteristics, even subtle ones. (Then during the practice video, she says that our spirits are all the same spirit, which sounds a little like a contradiction to me. I do agree we are all one, but our spirits exist as subtle energy bodies and are not the same spirit any more than our left thumbs are the same thumb.)

I think that at our core, we are pure consciousness. That might not even be the right word for it, but it’s a beingness that doesn’t have any “qualities” that we can perceive. It doesn’t change at all that I can tell. It’s always the same.

And I said I “think” that, but I’ve come to that idea through experience. It’s not just something I read or heard.

The best I can do to describe what I’m talking about is to refer you to John Sherman’s conversations so you can see for yourself.

2. I’ve been playing with getting the word “unbound” (or something similar) into my tagline. I take all her talk about us being unlimited as an encouraging nudge.

3. Another slight disagreement. I used to agree that life is a school, but now I’m not so sure.

I think we’re here to simply participate and enjoy (I like the Sanskrit word “lila” for this, the divine play) even more than we are here to learn and grow. We automatically grow and evolve just by being.

4. I agree that at our core, we’re immune. I don’t know that I believe our “spirits” are totally immune. Our spirits are still energy patterns (albeit subtle ones) and still subject to impermanence. Our basic selves are not; they are — or it is — immortal.

So, all that said, sometimes I “look at me”, or sometimes to my spirit. It depends on the application.

What do you think about the concepts she talked about?

This Week’s Practice

Here are a few more notes I jotted down when I watched the second Week 1 video:

Breathing brings you into spirit frequency. When in ego, you hold your breath.

  1. Breathe
  2. Share a breath with several different people (or pets). There’s only one spirit. (Here’s where I saw that contradiction I mentioned above.)
  3. Notice how doing this lifts your vibration and opens your heart.
  4. Energize yourself with breath when you’re in ego.

My Experiences this Week

First, I did pay more attention than I would have if I were just doing this on my own, so thanks to all of you who jumped in to do this with me! :-D I do think I got more from it as a result.

I made it a point to revisit the idea that I am not this personality; I am much more essential and basic than that. And more than just revisiting an idea, I actually did more of the “Looking” this week.

Monday I found myself in a total funk. Total. Funk. (On Weds. before Thanksgiving I impulsively decided to take Monday off. Now I know why! I knew at a deeper level than my conscious mind did that I was going to need it!)

I felt really pissy but at some level was still compelled to examine what was going on. I also did some Emergence which included some Channeling about it, and the results of that session were marvelous. Within the next few hours I just kept feeling better and better.

I took some time to do the breathing like Sonia suggested. I did notice that when I was upset in some way, my breathing was shallow … and I was in ego frequency like she said. When I focused on my breathing, and on breathing deeply, I was able to easily get in touch with my spirit as she described it. It felt good.

Your Turn

What do you have to say about the concept? What were your experiences? Can you make any suggestions or have some ideas for others?

Anything goes!

Please feel free to reply to each other, and maybe we can get a discussion going. (If it’s especially substantial, I’ll make a post out of it.)

If you’re not working the course, you can still jump in with your thoughts. And next week you might want to join us!

Also, since this is the first week, I’m playing around with the format of this weekly discussion/report post. Fellow-ettes: Let me know if you want to see something different. ;-)

Thanks for joining in! :-D

And now: On to week 2! See you next Friday!

Quick note: Thanks to Lindsay at The Daily Awe, Lightspirited Being has been nominated as the “Best Personal Development Blog of 2011“!

I’d be thrilled to make it into the top 50 but can’t do it without you.

If you like this blog, I’d so appreciate it if you’d head over there and cast a vote for it. All you have to do is say you “vote for Lightspirited Being” in their comments section. Thank you! ♥

> > > Special GIVEAWAY Announcement < < <

I’m finding that a lot of people who like my services hang out on facebook instead of blogs. I’m trying to spread my wings there and would appreciate your help. :-)

To that end, I’m giving away 2 readings, YOUR CHOICE of 3 types! You can choose a:

All I ask is that you:

1) “Like” Lightspirited Being on facebook (button to the right if you’re reading this from the blog) AND

2) Write on Lightspirited Being’s facebook wall that you want to be in the “Solstice Drawing”

That’s it!

I’ll draw 2 qualifying recipients on the Solstice (Dec. 21 here in NM). Please feel free to spread the word until then.

Thanks so much — and good luck!

 

Worried About Your Pet? 5 Steps Toward Peace of Mind

Nov 172011
 

Sometimes our pets will act peculiar, either for a little while or for an ongoing period.

Did you know that often it has more to do with what’s going on with you than with them?

They do what they can to keep you and your family in balance.

A few years ago someone asked me to use my Animal Communication skills to find out why her dog wouldn’t eat. She’d already had him to the vet (an important initial step) and knew it wasn’t a physical issue.

As I tuned in I got that his hesitancy to eat was somehow related to her (his owner). He was feeling her stress and anxiety which got the ball rolling, and then her stress around his not eating just made the situation worse.

I can’t remember all the details anymore but she was also trying to get him to eat certain things … things that were good for him, but ultimately I got a sense of her being a little obsessive about his food.

As I relayed this information to her, gently suggesting she not be so rigid about his diet because her anxiety about his food and his eating was actually a big part of the issue, she “happened to mention” to me that she was in the throes of an eating disorder. OMG!!!

In this situation, not only was her dog picking up her own issue around food, but also her anxiety around his food plus her anxiety in general. It doesn’t always happen that they act out in the same area of life where we’re having our issues (in this case, food), but this example was just too perfect not to share.

Even when the connection is as obvious as this, we sometimes don’t notice because our issues are not the first thing we think about when our pets have issues. In this example, even with the symptoms being so similar, it didn’t even occur to her that they even might be related until after we’d talked.

Our Pets Act Out Our Anxieties

Any anxiety you’re experiencing will be sensed by your pet and if it’s strong enough, they will begin to act it out.

Anxiety Not Related to Your Pet

In most cases our pets are acting out our stresses that don’t even have anything to do with them.

Maybe you’re worried about financial issues, health issues (your pets often match your symptoms almost exactly), or you’re just out of balance.

These things will definitely affect your pet.

Often they just help us process these things and are no worse for it. In fact that’s a supportive thing we all do for each other in general as part of a social unit. Just like a mobile, we all do our part to keep our family in balance, and our pets are very much a part of that dynamic.

But if it’s intense or prolonged, they’ll begin to show signs in their behavior or their own health.

Anxiety Related to Your Pet

Sometimes they act out anxiety that is related to them.

When it’s because of something they’re doing, it can create kind a mad cycle if what they’re doing is originally related to your anxiety. It just gets worse and worse until you stop the hamster wheel.

But often it’s simply something you’re concerned about because you love them so much and you want them to be happy all the time. (See, I have pets, I know!)

Like you’re going to board them and you don’t want them to be bored (interesting pun, don’t you think?), so you worry.

Or you’ll be traveling and you think they might miss you, so you worry.

Or they’re limping a little bit all of a sudden, so you worry.

Essentially, you have to stop that!

Easier said than done, I know.

What to Do Instead of Worry

First, just reading this and being aware is going to go a long way toward preventing or correcting this situation.

But here are a few ideas for when you see them acting out or even suspect it’s happening.

Better yet, doing these things as a matter of course will prevent your pets from needing to act out your anxiety to begin with.

1. Take care of yourself

If you’ve got deep, ongoing issues of some kind, try to make sure you don’t keep pushing them into the background. Do what you can about them now. What that might be is beyond the scope of this particular blog, but you know what I’m saying.

As in my example with the eating disorder, there can be things like addiction, depression, a bad marriage, a job you hate, etc. that can easily be affecting your pets. Please take care of yourself and they will benefit as well.

This goes for ongoing, serious things and passing issues as well.

2. Take it lightly

As to things related to your pet, be aware that they are very likely to reflect your attitude right back at you.

Are you a parent? Remember when your child took their first few steps, and landed *plop* right on their butt? You find out quickly that if you gasp and panic and run over to soothe them, they quickly pick up that it’s a scary thing and start to cry every time they fall. But if you make a surprised, fun face and say something like “Go boom!” and laugh like it’s fun, they’ll soon be laughing each time and scrambling up to do it again.

It’s the same with our pets, and using this little trick works in all kinds of situations.

3. Be optimistic

Once, during a turbulent flight, my young son and I were both getting nervous. I talked about how planes handle this all the time, and put on an unconcerned attitude. I was surprised to learn that pretending to be brave for his sake not only calmed him, but it had the wonderful side effect of actually allaying my fears too! Soon, I didn’t even have to pretend. And guess what? There was nothing to be nervous about!

Again, just like with our children, this dynamic works with our pets too.

So even if it’s something that might have a difficult outcome, you have a choice. You can make a conscious decision to focus on the positive. New or tentative situations can be an adventure rather than a threat. If and when difficulty actually develops, you can always deal with that then.

In the meantime, keep in your mind that right now all is well.

(If you’re familiar with the Law of Attraction you’ll recognize this as also being a way to help assure a good outcome, and you probably practice this already anyway.)

4. Remember your positive motivation and goals

If you find yourself anxious or concerned about an upcoming activity, remember that you’re doing it for a positive reason.

What is that reason? Keep it in the forefront of your mind.

This is important for personal situations but especially those related to our pets.

For example, your pet needs to go to the vet. We can think about how scared they’ll be when they have to ride in the car (ya right — this is cats, not dogs ;-) ), get examined, get a shot, etc.

But better yet, we can think about how lucky we are to have good vet care, their ears (or whatever reason they’re going for) will feel better, the vet is doing this for them not to them, etc. Even if it’s for euthanasia, they will be relieved of their pain and can fly free, etc.

Or if you’re going to board them, instead of worrying that they will miss you or that they’ll be bored, think about how safe and protected they are in a nice warm building with regular meals and that cozy blanket you left with them.

There’s always a positive or you wouldn’t be doing it. So stay focused on that.

All that said,  it’s important to also remember that animals are sovereign creatures just as we are. They have their reasons for being here, they are strong and magnificent beings, and they deserve to be able to grow through challenges just like we do. It helps all of us when we honor that. We can’t and perhaps shouldn’t try to protect them from everything.

5. Deliberately communicate positive ideas to them

If you haven’t already, you may want to develop the basic skill outlined in my first article of this series “The Very First Step in Communicating With Your Pet“. It gives a simple way to communicate telepathically with them so you have proof and confidence that your pets really are connected intimately with your inner goings-on.

If you commit to practicing it even a little, it pays off in the long run with greater peace of mind for you and like we’ve discussed here, with your pet’s peace of mind as a result of yours.

There are more things you can do that help you be at peace in relation to your pet, for example, touching in with them when you’re separated. But these things are skills (and articles) in themselves, and we’ll cover them and more in later articles in this Animal Communication series about how to connect more consciously with animals.

For now, the idea that you affect your pet profoundly is an important concept to be aware of and revisit often. The suggestions I’ve given are good skills to practice for the duration of your relationship with your pet.

Do you have any examples of when you were mirrored by your pet, or others by theirs? Were you/they aware of it at the time? If so, what did you/they do about it?

In Celebration of Light and of You * A Prayer of Opening

Oct 302011
 

Tonight is the 5th and last night of Diwali, the Festival of Light, which is both a harvest festival and a joyous celebration of the Hindu lunar New Year.

This auspicious holiday celebrates light and prosperity.

The focus on this final day and night is to see the good in others (including those you’ve had issues with).

I’m appreciating you very much, and all you’ve added to my life.

To celebrate and to thank you, I made an audio for you today of the prayer “I Open” that I posted awhile back in written form: A Two-Minute Opening to Inspiration and Guidance.

I say it almost every morning while I warm my muscles in the jacuzzi in the backyard.

It’s a beautiful way to celebrate each new day and open to its gifts.

You can listen to it below, or right-click to download it here, and I hope you like it as much as I do.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I wish you much light and many blessings in the year to come.

Namasté.

The Very First Step in Communicating With Your Pet

Oct 142011
 

If you have pets, you already know that talking to them in a way they can easily understand would be an especially useful skill to have.

Here’s a basic technique in how to send a message and get confirmation that it got through.

No matter what the ultimate purpose or situation, this is the place to start.

Later, when you really need to communicate something important, you’ll already have a connection established. What’s more, you’ll have confidence in that connection, resulting in greater peace of mind.

There are more advanced ways to communicate complex messages for complicated situations, but this is a perfect exercise to begin with. It’s a basic skill that you’ll need to have in place.

You’ll also find that even as simple as it is, it’s a valuable ability to have in its own right. You’ll use it all the time in all kinds of situations.

You’re Already a Team

In some ways, communicating with your own pet can be trickier than with an animal you don’t know. But that’s more true when you’re listening to them.

When you’re talking to them, you’re already connected and they are naturals at telepathic listening, so you’ve got an advantage right away.

That’s why learning to talk to them first is not only easier, but it’s also a fundamental skill to master if you want to advance to two-way communication.

A Strong Foundation

For the most peace of mind on both your parts, you want to practice together and develop your skill well before you actually need it. You want to know you’ve got it down.

Here’s how you can do this and get undeniable confirmation that they hear you and understand.

7 Easy Steps to a Basic Skill

Do this exercise when all is calm and nothing is at stake.

Choose something to tell them ahead of time; something very simple. It should be something positive and something that they would react to, such as a special treat or activity.

Make sure it’s something you’re able and willing to follow through on right after they get the message.

1. Be in the same room as your pet (or near them if you’re outdoors) when they’re relaxed and not involved in anything.

2. Relax and be still. Make sure you’re not giving any explicit or subtle subliminal messages about what you’re thinking.

3. Say their name to yourself, as if you’re calling them. This is to get their attention. Don’t worry if there’s no response … there usually isn’t at this point.

4. Give them the message you’ve already decided on. Do this primarily by imagining it in pictures. But don’t stop there. Use all your senses that can apply to conjure up the full experience. And feel it emotionally too. The more energy you can put into this step, the more chance of success you’ll have.

(It can help to visualize from your pet’s point of view rather than yours, but this isn’t always necessary. Experiment.)

5. Pay attention to your pet, and watch for any change at all. You want to get familiar with how they respond when they get the message. They’ll respond to different messages differently, but often they’ll at least turn and look at you. If it’s something they want, they’ll sometimes get up and come to you.

6. If you don’t see a response yet, you can form all the conjuring you just did into a “ball” and mentally toss it to them.

7. If you do get a response, or even if you suspect that maybe they got your message, then follow through on your promise right away! It’s very important not just to build trust but to confirm to them that you really were talking to them.

Don’t be disappointed if nothing happens yet. Repeat a few times. If still nothing after about 10 min. or so, then try again some other time. Maybe you weren’t really relaxed, or were preoccupied, or some other factor wasn’t in place. Sometimes it takes a few sessions before it all comes together.

When I experimented with these steps in preparation for writing this article, I was able to get confirmation from our lab, Ollie, that he had heard me within 5 to 10 min.

I didn’t get a response with one treat, so the second time through I envisioned a different one. (Oddly, the first is his favorite.) But even though he was snoozing and facing away from me, he just suddenly lifted his head, turned it toward me, and stared at me. It was as if I’d just called his name out loud.

Keep the Lines Open

You can also tell them that you want this to be a regular thing you do with them. Some animals are enthusiastic practice partners and you’ll notice a difference in them when you begin to practice regularly. They love the attention.

Since going through these steps with Ollie, I’ve noticed him reading my thoughts more. I was typing here at my computer and thought about taking him for a walk. He came over right then, sat by me, and just looked at me. This happened a few times. And then, just a few minutes ago as I was typing about the treats, it happened again! (That means he needs a treat now, right? Right!) We’re building a stronger rapport very quickly.

Practice Makes Perfect

So try this out as often as you have time for. Try to remember to do it for little, unimportant things that you would be doing anyway … Before you pick up the leash or the car keys. Before you reach for that special treat.

Once you’ve had success with this, branch out to things that aren’t necessarily positive or exciting for them, such as before you leave the house for awhile. Show them that they’ll be home alone. Notice that their response is different than if they’re going to go for a walk. Make a mental note of it and learn how to recognize their various responses.

Please come back and give me a report. Were the steps clear? Any questions? What happened? I’d love to hear.

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