Am I Psychic?

 Everyone has gifts.

The level to which we can access and utilize them is another matter.  Our psychic abilities are alot like other gifts, such as the gift of music, song, skills in sports, or business acumen, in that you have to practice and learn about it in order to hone your skills.


While some people are born with the ability to know and see far beyond what most of us are able to, we shouldn't get discouraged by the ease with which they access their gifts.  


Some people are born with this door more open, but some people are born as business prodigies and musical virtuosos, as well.  That doesn't mean that we shouldn't work on learning the instrument of our choice.  Most people don't have innate ability when it comes to their successes.


It turns out, that most, if not all people, had to work hard to get what they achieved.


So, what are the steps to accessing this knowledge?  This will range from person to person, but it certainly will begin with awareness of yourself.  If you are running from point A to point B, never taking a second to care for or inquire deeper about yourself- then you likely aren't developing the awareness to hear beyond your inner monologue.


The first thing you have to do to receive an answer is to ask a question.  If you aren't questioning, than this is your first mistake.


Here are a few steps to beginning to open to your own psychic abilities:


1.  Set aside time dedicated to yourself and to increasing your inner awareness.
For most people, psychic thoughts and feelings will come from inside as a intuitive "lurch," not in a movie-eque way with visions and involved dream sequences, although this may happen with time! (Hey, anything is possible so don't discount it..)

2.  During this time, close your eyes and really go within.  
Begin to play with your other senses.  See how far you can hear into the distance.  Put a series of objects in front of you and use your fingers to trace and explore them, use your sense of smell and taste to explore your environment.  Question yourself about what are sensing.  What do you notice that you hadn't noticed with your eyes open?

3. Exercise.
Our mind is more rested and more open when our body is tired.  So many people spend their days at the desk and then go home to flop on the couch.  Despite the exhaustion many of us feel at the end of the day, our body has unexpressed energy that it is holding onto; maybe it's frustration from an interaction with a co-worker or excitement over a promising deal; whatever it is, releasing is necessary.  Some suggestions include joining a sports league, doing yoga, dropping into a dance class, or hiking.  Whatever way you enjoy using your body, make time to do it. 

4.  Begin to question when you want to know something.
Start with small things.  Where is there a parking spot?  What time will my wife be back?  etc. etc.  See if you can begin to get answers to some of these questions.  You'll find the more you do this consciously, the easier it is to question subconsciously and start to get answers to the questions you are asking.

5.  Consciously note your predictions and intuitive feelings when they come true.
It's almost like a stream that starts as a trickle and begins to gain momentum.  Become aware and consciously make note of when when you are using your abilities.  This is a good way to better understand when a thought is your intuition knocking or when it is something that's been generated from your thoughts, feelings, wishes or fears.  Being an "active antenna" also makes it more likely that messages will be sent your way.  People tend not to send mail to an address that isn't checking the mailbox!

6.  Recognize the intersection of manifestation and psychic ability.
We all also have the power to manifest what we want.  The intersection between manifestation and psychic predictions can be confusing.  Did that thing happen because I wanted or feared it was going to happen or because I knew it would and it was inevitable?  Much of our lives are created by us and our thoughts and feelings.  Begin to play with the idea of creating your future from your desires.  Set intentions and create goals and action plans.  You may be surprised to see that this helps you to tap into your abilities, to foresee possible pitfalls, recognize when a person is an ally that can assist you, and attract more fortuitous coincidences.


Using these tips and practicing everyday will begin to open you up to the amazing amount of information that is bouncing around at any given moment.  Make sure you protect yourself when you begin to play with your psychic abilities in the white light of love and protection.  You want to surround your aura with a golden net to keep out negative energy.  Being more sensitive is wonderful, but you want to make sure you are only letting positivity and light into your sphere.

Have fun!  Let us know your results!


- Christine

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE FEELING SAD

You'll be feeling great, and then all of the sudden out of nowhere you'll begin to feel a little off.  During these times, I can't quite place what happened.

It's human nature to feel bad sometimes.  In fact, I think that the ads and the tv commercials that imply that being all good all the time is the norm are doing us a great disservice.  Sure, being happy and excited about life is what we all want, BUT 

It doesn't help us to beat ourselves up for the feelings we have that we can't control.  

Treat yourself with love and respect.  Sometimes, we may not know what or why we are feeling a certain way.  During those times, rather than play into a routine (dissolve into sweatpants, get a pint of icrecream, throw on old reruns of Friends and pretend none of this every happened?) why not stop for a moment and really delve into what led you to feel this way.  

Often, we'll find that limiting beliefs create the illusion that something is wrong, when in fact, everything is just fine.

A limiting belief is anything which is based on supposed norms, expectations, possibilities, or abilities.  

We typically do not know what is a limiting belief and what is a real obstacle unless we have the presence of mind to question what we think and feel, but many people live with these false boundaries all their lives.  

People get swept up by the emotion, not realizing that the emotion is a sign post saying, "Please look at this..!"

So, when you find yourself feeling upset, think - really think - about what got you there.  And then question yourself, "Am I feeling low because I think I should be other than I am?  And if so, why do I think that?"

You may be surprised to find that you are putting alot of pressure on yourself.  Does that mean that we shouldn't work at changing or reaching for other things?  No.  But you'll be a lot more energized and excited if you don't pummel yourself any time you feel you aren't stacking up.

Here's some ways to get out of feeling sad:
1. Shake it off - when we move the body and breathe, we can often find renewed energy to work with.

2.  Affirm to yourself - I am a creative being living and growing at my own pace.  I respect the rate at which things happen, and I am grateful for the work I do every day.

3.  A great rule to live by - if you're tired, rest; if you're hungry, eat; if you're sad, cry; if you're angry, scream (into a pillow preferably) ; if you're energized, run; if you're happy, dance.  

So dance, and feel happy, because it all is ok or it will be soon.


- by Christine

Next Class: Energy Affects on Thursday August 20th at 6pm

CLASS RESCHEDULE- PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR NEW DATE/TIME OR SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST BY GOING HERE.

Why Come to This Class?


- Have you been feeling extra sensitive? Overwhelmed? Exhausted? Cranky?

- Do you feel like you have no time for yourself?

- Are you having trouble focusing?

- Do you feel yourself getting angry and frustrated easily?

- Are you beating yourself up?

- Do you flip flop between extreme emotions and then all the sudden you are ok again?




You DO NOT have to feel like this! This class will help you to break through the illusion of these negative feelings to see how YOU actually feel. We're all being bombarded by these high intensity emotions from people around us and taking them on as our own.




In this class, we explore how we pick up thoughts and feelings from others around us, learn to block and protect ourselves, and create healthier connections.

It is so important to begin to use our gifts consciously instead of just acting like a sponge. You will be AMAZED how much better and more like yourself you will feel after this class.

Price:
$60

***Bring a friend special!***
Buy one, get the second half off! ($45/person)

Barrage of craziness!

Do you feel like it's hard to get anything done? Tired, stressed out, overwhelmed, having a hard time trying to stay focused? Emotionally, mentally, physically drained? Getting hit by your stuff and everyone else s all at the same time! Feels like a barrage of craziness?  This feeling is part of another shift we are going through, our mind and bodies are in the process of downloading new information, new codes as the vibration of the planet moves even higher. Each time it shifts to a higher vibration we have, lets call it a beat you over the head opportunity to let go of the old and usher in the new. There becomes a fight within as we are transitioning from our old beliefs and programs to the new. We can experience a lot of intense emotions and feel very victimized. Everything we experience can feel like torture and then there are moments where you can see and feel the joy, happiness and peace poking through.  This process can literally be painful as well, our bodies can feel more aches and pains than is normal for us. We may even be getting sick easier and more often.

When major shifts are happening, we are under pressure. the pressure can seem so immense at times that it is hard to function. Time is already moving so fast and there is way to much on our plates as it is. If that wasn't difficult enough. These shifts bring up all of our issues, our beliefs, mostly our negative programs, to give us another opportunity to heal from, understand and finally let go of the baggage we have been holding onto, keeping us stuck.

It is one thing to deliberately get on a hamster wheel and go around and around as an exercise program. Like any exercise program we would like to choose it and most importantly choose one that we enjoy, that actually makes us feel better, happier and healthier.  Probably not the hamster wheel we may feel like we are on! But, this too is an exercise program, it is an exercise of your spirit. Your spirit is pushing you to a higher level and to tell you the truth, we did chose it. Although at this time we may want to renege on the contract and swear we never saw the fine print! But we did, most people are not awake enough yet to understand we have chosen to be here. That incarnating is something we are excited about, the opportunity to learn and grow, to expand our soul especially at this time as we can grow exponentially.

So it's a time to be extra patient with yourself and others. Understand you are already working overtime, give yourself a little down time. Go out in nature and take in the energy and beauty all around you. Know that everything is magnified, so you can look at it. Try not to react, just see what it is showing you about yourself. We are all in this together, let's not forget that so be compassionate we are all going through major changes.

In love!

Energy, Entities, and Attachments- Oh My!

t's time to talk about something that we've been putting off for a bit. It has everything to do with who you are versus who you feel like and may make some people uncomfortable.

We are not alone. This, many of you will already know, is a strongly held belief and reality.

This wonderful reality is what allows us to communicate with our guides, angels, and passed on loved ones as well as our higher selves. The world goes far beyond what we see, is multi-dimensional, and full of varying energies.

How many of you, at a time of need, have reached out to something beyond your vision into faith to find that something reaches back for you? How many of you have asked for help and received a knowing or a sign? Through struggle and challenge, again and again, I have been blessed with the certain knowledge that there are energetic beings of varying vibrations out there to assist us. The fact is that, for me, this world is not an accident and we are far more special than we give ourselves credit for. Think, for a minute, when was the last time you considered the vastness of the universe and the miraculous fact of your existence. There are others, surely, but at this moment in history for all we know; we are alone in our ability and our intelligence. You are one of a relatively small species (comparatively) that are capable of doing what we are doing in what appears an infinite ocean of space and stars. Sit on that fact for a minute.

It is so easy to feel unimportant, faceless, a number in the crowd. We are a loud bunch, for all that, and it is a small (getting smaller) planet.

If you can harbor, just for a moment, that golden knowledge of your lineage and the immense improbability of your existence (how many of your ancestors had to overcome great struggles to survive in order for you to live?) can you see that you are special?

We are in an age now where we are being asked to evolve. Transition is the name of the game, and being more sensitive is one of the effects. We are all much more sensitive than we realize. Our sense have been numbed by our world, society, and culture and yet we still absorb so much from those around us whether we realize it or not. Many have lost their connection back to source, yet live each day with the support and love that source offers. It's quite strange, honestly!

This is all back story, though. The real reason I bring all of this up is to acquaint you back with the idea of the unseen and the multi-dimensional. As much as there are beings that exist in this world as guides to bring us up to the next level, there are also beings that work the other way, that induce negativity, and feed off of lower vibrations.

This is not intended to cause anyone anxiety or fear. Yet, knowledge is power and we cannot solve problems when we do not understand what's causing the problem in the first place.

I have known for many years now about beings that work sort of like parasites. Like common parasites, they attach to other beings to survive. The parasite itself, like a virus or bacteria, is not really malicious. It's just trying to survive the way it knows how. If you have seen any of these, perhaps in meditation or while visualizing, you will note that some of them are downright comical looking. Others are more fear based and so attempt to play on our fears to give them strength.

If you are tired, low energy, feeling negative or unhappy; it is much easier for these lower vibrational entities to connect with you. Once you realize you have one, though, they are not hard to get rid of. Do the work to keep your vibration high, i.e. shake off things that do not belong to you, engage in activities that make you happy, and use gratitude and positivity to protect yourself from stress and worry. Strangely, I find that if you do have an entity attached to you, doing this work often helps them as well, and makes it easier to separate them when it comes time to part. Often, during a removal session; these entities or spirits will decide to enter the light and attempt to move towards their own evolution. It is very healing for all involved.

The thing is that these beings can and do influence many people. After a removal session, many people are surprised to feel more like themselves than they have in a while. They have more energy, are more lighthearted, and better able to move forward. It's very encouraging and exciting to see!

Look below for an exercise to check yourself for energies, entities or spirits. I know it may seem crazy, but it can happen! Also look at our blog for a first hand account from one of my clients on their experience with entities and spirits.

We are all on a spectrum. Sometimes our vibration is high, we can help bring others up, and sometimes we are low, and we need a little bit more help. The important thing to remember is to not fear that which we don't understand. Let us seek to improve everyone's situation, even the energies that at this time, for one reason or another, are in an expression that takes more than gives. Our higher guides, angels, and loved ones are here to protect and help us as we evolve. Surround yourself with the white light of love and protection, and if you have questions about the above, or think you may need assistance in dealing with a pesky stowaway do not hesitate to contact us. You are a gift and a healer!

Entity Removal: A First Hand Account

"The thing I remember is waking up in bed and not being able to move.  That was alarming in and of itself.  Sleep paralysis wasn't anything I'd ever experienced before and was ignorant of at the time.  As my mind fought for consciousness, I became aware of a struggle happening.  It seemed like a wrestling match was occurring.  I felt scared and attacked, held down and gasping for breath.  I had been meditating the previous two days for almost 12 hours a day.  As I sat up in bed shaking from what felt like, for lack of another explanation, a psychic attack, I wondered if I had somehow left myself open and vulnerable from the transformational experience of marathon meditation. 
 

That was in 2010. I mentally thanked whatever being came to my aid, and freed me from the thing keeping me mentally and physically held down. Was it my own self that was the champion? Was it my own self that was the assailant? I really couldn't say at the time. I remember walking into my living room where my then roommate was sitting with her sister and trying to tell them what had happened. They looked at me like I had two heads and insisted that I just must have been very tired. We changed the subject.  I asked my yoga mentor and teacher about the experience and she said just to shake it off and try to move past it.  Psychic attacks weren't something that we were going to talk about, either, despite the many discussions about different dimensions of existence, spirits, guides, and angels that were ongoing during our teacher training course.  I remember feeling disappointed.  Why wouldn't she give me insight or advice into what happened?  I felt like she knew something but she wasn't telling me, but perhaps she just didn't really know what to say.  

The subject was left unexplained and forgotten for years.  

Then I met Janice Corsano.  All of the sudden we were delving, quite literally into very deep harbored fears and anxieties.  She helped me uncover beliefs about myself that I had been holding onto and proving over and over.  Beliefs like I am not good enough, I don't know what I'm doing, no one cares about me; the list goes on.  Through this "de-programming", I began to see the falseness of these supposed truths, began to see how many times a day I was doing really positive things, was being responded to with caring and kindness, was being invited to join others in community and friendship.  It was eye opening.  Still, while exploring these basic issues and getting to the bottom of neurosis, I held on to a dark sense of anger, frustration with the world, and cynicism, especially towards matters of faith.  I was bitter and wanted proof that was not coming.  

I expressed this frustration during one of the classes I attended on Empowerment that Janice teaches.  I couldn't allow myself to believe that there was more to see beyond the eye, couldn't help but feel that to hope for more was delusional.  I didn't want others to think that I believed in fairy tales.  Fairy tales were only for children, I thought, and those ignorant of science and naive as to the way the world works. But I was feeling extremely alone despite the work I had been doing to expand and grow.  Janice responded that we are never, truly, alone, but it can certainly feel that way.  We talked about the idea that our angels and guides are always with us.  The idea brought tears to my eyes.  I, who had been feeling so alone and isolated for such a long time, couldn't help but imagine how nice it would be to realize I wasn't actually alone.  

It stuck with me into the next day.  While driving, I forewent listening to my audiobook, and instead I began to shyly ponder the possibility of there actually being something akin to a guardian angel with me at all times.  It was just as I considered this that the stereo system suddenly came to life and the speakers began to play the sounds of my audiobook.  I was astounded.  Was it a fluke?  It felt too synchronistic for that to be the case.  Stereos don't just turn on by themselves, and the timing felt significant.  I took it as a sign, and began to revise my beliefs.  This is how I met my guardian angel who I call Radio.  I had once been someone whose greatest ambition in life was to help deliver people back to their spirits.  Somewhere along the way, I lost my belief, had felt abandoned by God/universe/source, felt naive and taken advantage of, and so had abandoned my faith. Now the embers of my belief in something else were rekindled although I stalwartly refuse to put a name to what that is.  It is a personal belief of mine that we are not truly capable of comprehending the universe and its workings at this time.  It wasn't long after my re-acquaintance with Radio, though, as it surely must be a re-acquaintance, that I began to have scary dreams.  

I believe, now, that I was becoming more sensitive and that I had succeeded in raising my vibration such that things that were holding me back were coming to light.  A particularly vivid dream left me certain that there was something antagonistic around me.The dream involved several friends at a party.  I remember there was a beautiful blond woman there with wavy hair.  A friend approached her and asked if she would do the "thing where we disappear."  I watched in fascination as they sat across from each other in a crossed legged meditation and instantly disappeared.  When they had both returned, I approached the beautiful young woman and asked if she could help me do it too.  I assumed the position and watched through slit eyelids as my body disappeared around me.  

When I opened my eyes again, still in the dream, I was sitting across a wooden table from Janice in an upstairs bare room. The bright, vivid sunlight fell across the bare wooden floors and cast shadows onto the white walls.  I looked again and saw that Janice had transformed into a man.  The man went to the window and began to climb out, hanging from the sill and yelling in excitement and glee.  Concerned, I approached the window and nervously requested he come back in.  He made to start climbing back inside when he slipped.  In a rush, I grabbed him.  As soon as I took hold of his wrist; his face transformed, becoming blueish- his ears extended, and his lips curved into a triumphant grin.  No longer falling, and he held on tightly.  Almost weightless, he climbed back in through the window up my arms.  He pushed me back into the wall and lifted me off the ground.  I raised my fingers in the sign of the cross yelling that infamous chant of the movies, "The power of Christ compels you" over and again until, dropped unceremoniously; I landed awake and scared, once again, in my bed.  A sharp pain stabbed me in-between the shoulder blades such that my chest rose up in an arc from the bed.  I was exhausted and shaking from the vividness of the dream and the ache in my back.  

I asked Janice.  In a departure from the past, Janice surprisingly said something to the effect of "Oh, that.  Yes there are beings that feed off of sensitive people and try to keep them in a lower vibration."  She said this like it was as common as getting a splinter.  We would deal with it, she assured me.  Surprisingly, when the day to deal with it came, a scheduling conflict kept us from doing whatever thing it is that Janice did for the particular problem of night terrors and feelings of psychic attack.  I had been in a funk all day, feeling apprehensive and angry at Janice for some unknown reason.  As soon as we realized the scheduling conflict, this feeling lifted.  I mentioned it to Janice and she said that that was not uncommon.  They try to find excuses and reasons to not be removed.. We rescheduled to the end of the week.  

The night before the day, I had another dream.  In this one I was laying prone in a void, and a heart in the shape of a bird was being dragged away from me.   It was disturbing and I woke up with the greatest sadness.  I barely made it to Janice's before I was crying.  I felt hopeless.  It was so different than the way I had been feeling recently.  As soon as I got there, Janice rallied me and we hopped into action.  Janice sat with me and led me into a meditative state.  She led me through a landscape to a room filled with my high white light angels, guides, and loved ones.  A handsome young man smiled and approached me as I entered the room, and I was delighted to recognize the personified "Radio."  We looked and found three beings attached to me.  

The first was a blue humanoid with pointy ears and wings.  The second was a woman with a bonnet and an apron.  The third was a bird.  We started with the blue thing.  Janice had me ask him his name, and he said something that made no sense to me, then smiled and said just to call him Bob.  Bob had been with me for a long time.  During the course of the hypnosis, we found that Bob had been fighting for his life, trying to scare me back into my negative ways so that he would not have to leave me.  He had begun to feel sort of protective of me.  Bob, I recognized from the first two of my dreams, first in the one where he protected me from another entity assailant, and the second, where he tried to scare me into a lower vibration.  Janice gave Bob the option of moving on, and learning more about the higher energies.  She said that when an entity has been with you during a transformational period, it raises their vibration as well as yours.  Bob was ready to leave the lower realms and discover what the white light was about.  

The second we approached was the woman.  Here was someone I recognized from yet another dream.  I had had a dream of children with blue eyes and blond hair playing hide and seek in the woods when I used to live in the East Village of NYC.    When I woke up, there was a pale spirit in the shape of a woman standing at the foot of my bed.  My roommate remembers me waking her with a drawn out "NO! Go away!" This was not something I had ever really thought about, passing it off as another bad dream.  This woman's spirit had been around for awhile.  She had stayed on for her kids, but didn't realize how much time had passed.  She was ready to move on, and she entered the white light easily and greeted her family.  

The last we approached was the bird.  Gently, Janice asked me if it was really a bird that we saw.  I realized that no, it wasn't a bird, and watched as it transformed itself into a little boy with canvas shorts and a collared shirt.  He was scared and didn't know what had happened.  He had died, he said, but he wasn't sure how.  He was looking for his parents.  It was heartbreaking.  He had come to me, just the night before, because he saw that I was nice to children, he said (I work as a nanny), and he thought that I might be able to help him.  We approached the light with him, and encouraged him as he entered it and reunited with his family.  

Having finished the removals, I lifted out of the hypnotic state to the feelings of exhaustion and elation.  My body felt somehow lighter, and I became aware of energy circulating in areas that I hadn't really been aware of before.  The pain between my shoulder blades, which had been chronic for years, especially when I would meditate, was gone.  Since this time, I have had to do this process a couple more times.  Particularly sensitive, apparently, to taking on extra energies, I have found myself waking with odd pains that feel alien and shifting radiating energy that seems to come and go.  

I have repeated the process both alone and with Janice's help.  Despite this, my critical mind can't help but try to find rational explanations for my experience.  Sometimes I think that your mind just makes things real.  Whether or not these energies existed, they existed in my head.  Perhaps they are just names and faces I've given to my own neurosis and the ritual of removing them is just a process that I happen to need in my therapy and growth?  

The mind is very powerful, and the placebo effect real.  If you believe it will heal you, often, it will.  I find solace that the way other cultures looks at mental illness could be representative of the process I describe above.  When people hear voices, present with symptoms akin to schizophrenia, or depression, etc. in shamanistic medicine they treat it as "the birth of a healer," and recognize the difficulty as spiritual crisis.  People who are beset by these issues are given treatment but are also heralded as a voice of the spirits. This article about shamanistic views on mental illness resonated with me.  How different would our world be if mental illness was treated as a spiritual crisis, which to my mind it undoubtedly is?  You can alter your chemistry to feel it less, but shouldn't we be looking at the underlying cause of the fear, depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, neurosis, etc.?  I know that talk therapy does some of this, but perhaps, this idea of energy attaching to us isn't far fetched, and maybe, just maybe, recognizing and releasing the "demons" we have harbored is a way to allow our minds closure that it isn't getting another way.  

Either way you look at it, as a metaphor or a reality, I have found great use to this wisdom.  I personally think that there is much to the universe that we don't understand, as I've said, and have felt enough and seen enough now to be humbled as to the likelihood of my figuring it out.  I am not really concerned with being right, but very interested in doing whatever it is that helps myself and others to feel better, take control of our lives, and move closer to being who we want.  I am happy to say that beliefs and faith aside, I'm much more comfortable in my skin than I have been for a long while.  For that, I can thank Janice Corsano for being a constant source of nonjudgemental support.  After all, it's kind of a crazy world!  There just might be something to crazy ideas."

- Christine A.

  

Finding Meaning in Tragedy

UPDATE: After posting this, we received feedback from one of Janice's clients, Jeff W., who lives in Charleston. He wanted to let us know how the community has been responding:

"I was reading your post about the tragedy here and wanted to tell you what our experience has been. Sandy, Sophie and I have been attending many of the vigil's since it happened. To say the least, it has been an amazing, uplifting, inspiring experience for all of us. The family, friends and associates of the deceased have responded with Love and Forgiveness since day 1! Unbelievable, to say the least. We have not seen a moment of hatred, bigotry, or violence.. Sunday night, for example, we all went to the Ravenel bridge vigil where upwards of 20,000 people from all faith's and denominations showed up to join hands in unity to pray for love, forgiveness, peace and acceptance. We renamed the Ravenel to the "Bridge for Peace" for the night. The people, police, firefighters, politicians, relatives of the deceased, joined hands on the bridge to shout this message. People were high fiving, raising their hands in the peace sign. Cars traveling on the bridge were blowing their horns. Everyone had a huge smile on their faces. I was so grateful to be there. For this moment in time, from this community, a message to the world and beyond has been sent out! I am so proud to live here in Charleston County right now. I think it all started at the bond hearing for the young man who committed the crime. Relatives of the deceased attended and instead of screaming out their grief, turned to him and said, "I forgive you"! Not a new message for sure, but, in this case, a new astounding reaction to a violent act. Well, we all heard their voice. For this moment we have woken up and joined them in celebrating peace, love and forgiveness instead of hatred and violent reactions. I think God is smiling right now. I only hope this message travels far and wide and doesn't fade away too soon. It has changed many of us here in Charleston. Three cheers for this community and the people who started it!"


ORIGINAL POST: The Charleston shooting has been on the periphery of my vision. It was only today that I could really think about what it means and why it happened. To think about the horror of such an act, and how many we've had to process recently, it really is hard to come up with ways to explain it or find purpose in it.

As most of you know from working with me, the guides teach that we create the circumstances of our lives for a reason and to learn. The people who lost their lives the night of the shooting were prayerful, loving, beautiful people. Many close to them attest to their goodness and their kindness. The idea that something like this befell them, these good people, is tragic. Still, I can't help but find meaning in the fact that these people, these good people, would not have wanted their deaths to be used as fodder for hate or for fear. These good people would have wanted the tragedy of their deaths to somehow inspire connection, love, and understanding. It is with that in mind that I think we may find a way forward. It would be so understandable if people retracted, hid themselves, and stopped taking risks. Of course, a part of us wants to not face the problems in our society that need fixing at all; addressing mental health, race inequality, and weapon control not the least of these. How do we come to an agreement with so many dissenting voices?

Far from hiding, and playing into the illusion of our separateness; we must take this moment to connect even more to those in our community, to cross boundaries, and to stop being afraid of that which we don't have much experience with. Often, when we approach the thing we have anxiety about; all fear drops away and we are left wondering why we were afraid in the first place! We are so afraid of being judged, of not being accepted; sometimes we stop trying. Fostering our own worth of self and continuing to be an emissary for light in this world, despite the obstacles entailed, will remove these fears. Perceived judgement cannot touch you when you know and love yourself as much as you deserve.

Help support those who who need it in finding assistance, be aware of those in our lives that are not receiving what they require and take action, support equality, bridge understanding and differences, and alter your way of life to make more time for connection: these are the things that will help us to move into a more peaceful and happier world. I believe that this is what the shooting in Charleston can teach us. Let us honor these amazing souls by endeavoring to create a better, kinder world. Maybe, if we can start to create that world, these atrocities will end.

Remember, we are all connected. If you are feeling sad or overwhelmed by emotions circulating right now, remember to bless the feeling and then shake it off and let it go. You will be better able to handle everything from a place of quiet.

Thank you so much Jeff for sharing this with us and for sharing your love with the community of Charleston. It's people like you and your family that are really doing the work of bringing everyone to the next level!

5 Ways to Feel Better Now!

Sometimes we are so trapped in the moment that we fail to see the easy ways we can begin to shift our mood.  One of the most basic components of our emotional world are our thoughts.  Thoughts can lead to emotional reactions.  Recognizing what we are thinking, being aware of our inner monologue and what we are saying to ourselves, especially the repetitive statements is incredibly important.  Unfortunately, the nature of the brain is that frequently used pathways become stronger.  That's why practicing is so important when it comes to playing an instrument.  The repetitive motion of your fingers on the guitar or piano creates links in the brain that increase processing and reaction to the visual and audio cues you are creating, making it easier to play and improvise. We forget that those same idea would mean that what we are thinking is what we will be feeling and creating.  If we're constantly engaging in negative self talk, our experience of the world will be more negative.  So many studies have shown that our mental attitude is important for how we feel about our lives.  If we feel people are untrustworthy, if we see the world as cruel; we tend to only see the evidence for our beliefs, and completely discount anything that contradicts our strongly held belief.  If we believe our family takes us for granted, we put much more weight on the times that they did not come through for us than the times that they did.  So what, they cooked us dinner?  Came to our baseball games? Went out of the way to listen to my problems?  They're supposed to do that, they're family.

The experiences we code as "negative" impact us so much more than "positive" as well.  Studies show that troubling images and negative words impact the brain 5xs as much as good or uplifting images or words.  Why is that?  Scientists postulate that it may have to do with survival.  Threats to our livelihood needed to have a greater impact on our minds so we could take swift action.


So what does all this mean for feeling better?  On the bright side, it means that your emotions are pliable, and that a little bit of effort can completely alter our mental state.  Many times we just accept our feelings and think there is nothing we can do to change it.  "It is what it is!" We say.  That's where a perspective shift can come in handy.  Here are some simple ways to feel better now, right now.

1.  Write down how you are feeling.
Grab a paper and pen, or sit at the computer, and just begin to write it all down.  Thoughts carry an energy that can be released when you express them.  Writing, especially, is wonderful for this because getting your thoughts down linearly make them easier to process.  Sometimes, when we are upset, we get into circular thinking in which we are constantly thinking about the problem.  Simply write them down, put them in an email to us if you want! (miylana@aol.com) Try to use the space of writing to process where the thoughts and feelings are coming from.

2.  Shake it off.
Literally! No really!  Get up.  This is so helpful whether you are feeling angry or sad.   Put on some high tempo music and just shake it off.  Move around.  Dance if you want to.  Allow yourself to really express the anger and try to visually imagine physical energy dropping off you into the ground where it can be processed.  If you're feeling sad, watch that sluggish grief fall away and reveal the abundance of joy you have at your core.

3.  Go out in nature.
Nature has such a healing and beneficial effect on us.  Studies show that just 20 minutes in nature can greatly change the way our brain is processing information.  Go someplace quiet and sit.  Notice the natural world around you.  Or go for a walk, and let the movement and changing landscape help to quiet your mind.  We often forget that we are an aspect of nature that has, for many of us, removed ourselves from the natural world.  Being in a natural setting calls to the part of us that is nature itself.  Did you know the mineral compositions found in the ocean are also found in the human body, at the same percentages?  This fact alone implies just how much apart of nature we are; and how much it is apart of us.

4.  Imagine being someplace peaceful.
If you can't leave for a walk or dance, maybe you are at work, then go someplace for 10 minutes and visualize somewhere that makes you happy and is peaceful. Breathe deep, and imagine being there.  Studies show that the areas of the brain in charge of perception and the areas of the brain responsible for imagination are very similar.  That means that our brains don't necessarily know the difference between when we see the beach when we are there on the weekend, and when we are imagining being at the beach when we are actually sitting at the desk.  Conjure the feeling of your special place with all of your five senses.  The imagination is incredibly powerful.  Think about what this means when you are imagining potential negative scenarios in your mind or watching negative TV- your brain may think that those bad things are actually happening to you and may create a stress response in you.  And we wonder why we are stressed out!?

5.  Think positive thoughts.
If these other options aren't working for you, then we suggest consciously thinking positive thoughts or words.  Affirmations are an example of positive thinking that helps to re-wire a brain that is used to negative thinking.  You have to start somewhere!  Look at happy videos online, or funny pictures.  Surround yourself in your office and home with images that make you happy or are inspiring to you.  Even just thinking positive words like beauty, love, kindness, gentleness, caring, joy, abundance, happiness, and etc. can start to do the work of creating a neutral mindset, if not a positive one.  Remember that negative experiences have 5x the impact of positive ones, so that means it will take 5xs the effort to set you just back to neutrality after something that's upset you, like an argument or a stressful car ride, etc.

The thing that is most distressing is when people don't do these simple tasks to feel better because they don't think it's worth it, or think that they don't deserve to feel better.  The simple fact that these exercises work is proof enough to me that it is your right to feel better! Why else would it be so easy to alter your attitude?  If you can do it, why wouldn't you do it?  Your mind is a bundle of synapses and chemicals that work together to create a rough estimation of what's happening around and to you.  For the most part, many of us just let it do it's thing and think that if we are feeling bad, we must deserve it on some level.  Why else would we be feeling this way?  Studies show though, that so much of those emotions are arbitrary, or dictated by survival instincts that aren't compatible with today's world.  We can use the way our minds' work to improve our lives, so let's do it!  You deserve to feel good.  All it takes is a change of perspective!  Let me know how it goes!