How to Date Yourself

When was the last time you took yourself out on a date? It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a quiet place and some dedicated time to self reflect. Yesterday was the new moon and after the light dusting of rain we got, the coast was clear and beautiful. I had a delicious healthy lunch, spent time meditating by the ocean, did some art and shopped for my Halloween costume. The moon cycles are a great way to set a monthly date with yourself. Mark down the new moon or full moon as your day to spend with yourself and stick with it as a self care practice. Life pulls us in a lot of different directions and we are often the ones who suffer. In my experience we are more likely to let ourselves down before we will do that to another person or obligation. It’s not selfish to put ourselves first and a monthly date is a great way to practice this. I also hosted by monthly new moon circle that night and it was the perfect end to the day. Join the Patreon community to connect in our next circle 10/27/19 and mark your calendar for a date with yourself! Everyone benefits when we take good care of ourselves.

Budding Self-Blessings

“The bud stands for all things, even for those that don’t flower, for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness, to put a hand on the brow of the flower, and retell it in words and in touch, it is lovely until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing” – Galway Kinnell

September has come to a close and on this black moon (the second new moon of the month) I’m very aware of that which did not flower. 30 days full of potential and yet much of it did not come to pass in the way I would have imagined. And so I will hold the image of the bud as a symbol for all things flowering as a self-blessing. Just like the seed that we plant at new moon time to watch unfold across the course of the weeks and months that are left of this year. My daily practices and my commitment to self is my reminder of my loveliness. As it always goes, some flowers bloomed so beautifully, in colors that you can’t even imagine and others remained a seedling, a bud or even just an unconscious glimmer.

I am lovely and so are you.

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Energy Healer Heal Thyself: A Self-Care Technique

Since moving up north I have been hosting a Women’s Circle each month at the new moon. It’s been a great way for me to meet some new people and connect in a sacred way. I love facilitating the group and being nourished by the lovely women who show up each month. This month the focus was on self-care and self-love and I led the group through an energy healing technique to open the circle and ground. I was reminded of the importance of doing this on a regular basis for myself. I often find myself laying hands on my own body for various imbalances and ailments but I had not done a formal self healing in awhile. It helps balance out the body and energy system and can be done as often as you like. And since I fully believe that we each have the ability to heal ourselves, it was a good reminder for me.

It’s a great way to start or end your day or any time you feel like you need to relax or energize. The great thing about energy work is that you will get exactly what you need each time. There are versions of this in various traditions and they are all slightly different but I encourage you to let your intuition be your guide on this one.  The Reiki self-healing technique starts at the head whereas the Healing Touch self connection starts at your feet. But, depending on how you feel from day to day, you could start at your belly.

Start by taking a few deep breaths and get comfortable seated on a chair or on the ground.  Imagine that you are growing roots like a tree and feel yourself grounding. Set the intention that this healing will be for the highest good of all concerned and that you will receive everything that you need whether you know what that is or not. If you have the time and space you can light a candle or some incense and play soft music to set the mood but any time you can devote to this is fine.

Next start by placing your hands somewhere on your body. Again you can start at your feet and work your way up, the reverse of this, or any which way you like. If you are experiencing pain somewhere you could start there. As you place your hands bring your attention to this area of the body and imagine sending healing energy. This could be in the form of an affirmation, gratitude, imagining white light, or love. If you have learned any symbols associated with energy techniques or have something else that resonates with you, feel free to use that as well. Make sure you keep breathing throughout and imagine the fresh oxygen is flooding the area where your hands are.

Spend as much time as you think you need at this first spot and then move on when you feel ready. It feels nice to keep your hands connected as much as you can so during transitions either move one hand at a time or slide to the next position. You can decide what spots to include along the way and it might be different every time. It’s great to hit the 7 main chakra points but there are so many other options and all are beneficial. Take 5-10 minutes or 30-45; any amount is perfect. Also, if there is a spot that you can’t comfortably reach you can imagine you are touching that spot. The saying in energy work is “energy flows where attention goes” or “action follows intention” so simply just envisioning the spot you want to give some love to will do.

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http://www.sage-thyme.com/what-are-chakras/

End with gratitude for yourself and all the helpers and teachers in your life (angels, ancestors, guides, animals, etc) and take a few more deep breaths. Bring back the tree root visual or anything else that helps you feel grounded and give yourself time to transition to your next activity. Make sure to have some water and check in with how you are feeling emotionally and physically. Sometimes you will feel refreshed and relaxed but other times this may bring up agitation or irritability. If negative feelings are strong or lasting and/or you are having trouble grounding try to get outside and put your bare feet into the earth. Repeat as often as you like!