When a new year is a foot, I always find it fun to reflect on both the passing year, and the year ahead.Here are some of my reflections:
Was there a moment (or day) in the past year that just knocked my socks off? Yes, we remember the challenging days- how about the celebrations? Remembering those golden moments reinforces positive neuropathways in the brain. So many for me this year…. Watching the sun rise from in front of the great pyramid after having been inside the King's and Queen's chamber, and receiving a visible energy infusion blessing while in the sarcophagus. And later that day, standing in Egypt in front of the Sphinx, brimming with gratitude for my choice to make the trip, and for the spiritual teacher who brought me, when that teacher, Sai Maa, opened her eyes and gazed into mine- as though she knew exactly what I was feeling. What did someone say to you this year, that really surprised you? I’ve been to a few retreats, and I have never learned so much from any of them as I did from this one:) I am very grateful, and I want you to know how much I appreciate everything that you offered to us❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. Was there a habit that contributed greatly to my year? This habit could be useful, or not so much. Creating energy grids and engaging guides really made a big difference. Find out more about grids in this video. Did I turn lemons into lemonade? What was a challenge that became a gift? When the Maui Fires decimated my retreat, I ended up gaining new vigor, learning the power of tenacity, engaging people, making new friends, and creating a retreat that exceeded any expectations! Something unexpected that I really loved: Having an extended period of Canyoneering- stepping off the edge of a cliff! What was on the menu more often this year? Cacao nibs and overnight oats…. Usually not together. I ushered in 2023 with a visit from my sister who has a 3 year old. And his favorite food is overnight oats with frozen tropical fruit from Costco. That was my first experience. I liked them so much that we fed them at my Akashic Records Retreat (another one will be November of 2024) - and when it started to cool off on Maui in late November (a chilly 71) that became my go-to breakfast. I stopped eating sugar in early 2021 - and replaced any chocolate with Lilly’s stevia chocolate. But when I learned of high levels of lead in those bars, I skipped over to banana + cacao nibs or cacao stuffed into a date. That satisfies the chocolate fix and I haven’t missed a thing. A kindness that touched my heart: The kindness of those of you who contributed to Maui Fire victims… by sending diapers, backpacks for the children, and shopping in my online store. Is there something I want to cultivate more of in the coming year? Yes! Reaching out... to old friends and also to strangers. I just re We are more alike than different What would I really like to accomplish this next year? Stay more in equanimity, even when others are not. Have another... or many, experiences of oneness. Create 2 retreats in which, once more, participants are sad to leave because they've enjoyed it so much, learned a lot, and bonded so well. Get my finances in order, and find an amazing (and accurate tax preparer). The transition to the new year is a fantastic time to cultivate the state of consciousness that we wish to expand throughout the year. What quality would I like more of? Welcoming. Welcoming people, experiences, and welcoming life exactly as it is. XO To your best year yet!
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ENERGY MEDICINE - FROM STRESS TO CALMOver the next few weeks, I'll be posting some videos to help you take down the stress response. I used to be an incredibly anxious person and learning to breathe better and adopting some energy medicine practices changed that so now it takes a lot to ruffle my feathers! The more calm and relaxed you are, the easier it is to receive your whispers of intuition, and the guidance from the universe about where to go, who to talk to, what to choose. When you're able to relax, you can tap in and receive more of the abundance that's available to you. Energy medicine and breathing techniques can be quite effective at calming the nervous system, and they take just a few minutes. I suggest practicing the ones you like multiple times during the day. On May 22, I'll be offering 5 days of practices to calm the nervous system. It's only $22, you can get your questions answered and the videos will be yours to keep. Check that class out here. A darkness retreat is a powerful way to connect to yourself, your deeper inner wisdom, and to the fabric of reality. The first three days of a darkness retreat, the mind is chatty chatty, but by the end of day 3 or 4, a delicious sense of stillness arises. I received from profound gifts from the darkness retreat, which I wouldn't have unless I stayed those 4 days, because it can be painful to listen to the mind reiterate the same things again and again. Once that slowed, (and I used breathing practices to help) the experience of the dark became very enjoyable. In fact, it got better and better.... I would have stayed even longer. I realized that everything -everything- is made of the same substance. Your joy, your pain are all made out of the same thing at its core. This video explains more, and I'll have a zoom to answer all your darkness retreat questions. It truly is a profound experience to spend a week in the dark. Register here
HONORING THE ANCESTORSWhen I was in my early 20's, I studied at Ayurveda school in the rolling hills of North Carolina. It was an ideal place for a recovering perfectionist to find respite. My teacher, authorMaya Tiwari, had been told as a young woman that there was nothing that doctors could do for her ovarian cancer, except give her some morphine so she could die peacefully.
Instead, she took to the woods, and healed herself through food, breath, sound, and tapping into ancestral memories. My time at her school was rejuvenating and taught me a ton about living in harmony with nature. And it taught me something powerful that I neglected to put into practice --until now. Ayurveda is the health science of India, and with it's ancient roots, has many branches, and many elements to contribute to health. Food, breath, sound, daily practices like self massage, seasonal practices like fasting at the change of seasons, or eating what most appropriate to the time of year; there are so many practices that it's often we'll choose those which most suit us. And neglect the ones that don't seem to. So I paid minimal attention to connecting with ancestors. Enter my neighbor. Kristopher almost died from malaria after living in Africa for a month. An Ayurvedic doctor rejuvenated him to full capacity. And K shared with me that in Africa, when people want more money, they honor the ancestors. And October is the perfect time for that. Pitru Paksha is 16 days in September/October. (Sept 29 - October 14th in 2023) This is the time period in Hinduism which is considered best to pay respect to the ancestors, through offerings, especially of food. Pitru Paksha is simple to do, and you can kind of customize it to your own needs... and it brings a tremendous peace and freedom of mind. There's a mythology to this observance which I'll post below. Every year, a 15-16 day spread marks the presence of our ancestors on the earth. It's considered a time when ancestors ascend on the Earth to bless their children and lineage. Food is offered to dogs, cows and crows, and it's believed that the food offered helps the ancestors feel satisfied. But do you know why offering food to elders carries such significance during Pitru Paksha 2021? Pitru Paksha 2021 & Usefulness Of Offering Food To Elders As per Hindu Puranas, we owe a karmic debt to our ancestors because they have helped us take birth. After getting free from the circle of life and death from Earth, our 3 preceding generations reside in the world between heaven and earth. Here, our ancestors are not able to find respite from their bodily needs such as hunger, pain, thirst and heat. Only the Pooja performed by the succeeding generations on earth can provide them with relief and ensure their entry into heaven. Offering food satisfies the unfulfilled wishes of our ancestors. The ‘Raj Tama’ that emerge from their bodies attrats animals such as cows, dogs and birds like crows. Therefore, we offer food to them. In this manner, it is believed that the dishes and food are fed to the ancestors. Mythological Legend Of Pitru Paksha In Hindu mythology, after he died, Karan went to heaven, where he was offered only gold and jewelry. Without food, he was hungry and asked the god Indra why he was being offered jewels and not food. Indra replied that he always offered flowers and jewelry and to his ancestors, but never any food. Karna's response was that he was unable to offer food to his ancestors because he didn't know who they were. Lord Indra took pity on him and blessed him with 15 days to come to earth to correct his mistakes. This is how Pitru Paksha came to be celebrated, Karan took this time to donate water and food in memory of his ancestors. Pitru Paksha Suggestions Traditionally Rice, and water are offered to the Ancestors. Any food that your grandparents really liked is also a really good choice: things like coffee, potatoes, a special fruit, etc. Black sesame is also a traditional food that is considered very good to offer. Starting any work like new studies or projects, or making a big purchase such as a new home or vehicle is generally saved for after this 15 day period. You can light a candle or ghee lamp and make a prayer or request that your ancestors are freed from any suffering or negative ties. Ho'oponopono can be used, or Paul Selig's statement from the Guides: "I know who you are, I know what you are, I know how you serve. You are Free. You are Free. You are Free." I have a class to support you in unwinding your ancestral and genetic ties on special right now HERE. The Day Out Of Time July 25th, is considered The Day Out Of Time. It's the final day of the Mayan Calendar... the eve of the Mayan New Year dawns on July 26th.
The Day Out of Time is considered a day of sacred reflection and celebration. It signifies the closing of the 13 Moon Calendar, a 13×28 day period of time (364 days). That means today is an extra day!! Having this "extra day" re-aligns the 13 Moons Calendar to the Solar year -365 days- and gifts us with an opportunity to realign our own energies. We can pretend this day is a magical, otherworldly one - or that it doesn't count ;) According to the Mayan Calendar, July 25 marks an end, and July 26 establishing a beginning. Hence, these are 2 sacred days. July 25th opens the ‘Day Out Of Time’ portal where all and nothing exists simultaneously. (In truth, this is always the case, but here is a day dedicated to that awareness.) This day marks the end of a calendar cycle for the Mayans, so it is a day full of ceremony and reverence, purification and a time to extend forgiveness to all humanity. (Ho'oponopono, the Hawaiian practice, is a great practice for today.) July 25/26 marks a time of beginning anew, both for the individual, and for humanity. At this time, communities gathered and focused their intentions on peace and forgiveness. The Mayans celebrated freedom, including freedom from ideas of time. This was a time of aligning with the environment, a time of resetting human intentions that focused on global and spiritual awakening. Modern July 25th Celebrations Celebrations in modern times continue-- celebrating forgiveness, atonement and the idea of timelessness. The 25th is a day of reverence and respect for life, and for the recognition of Being Beyond time. What can you do? You can use these 2 days for reflection, evaluation and change. Like the turn of a new year, use today release the past and begin again, free from the old patterns released during this time. I like a fire ceremony to help do this. Fire is symbolic of transformation. You can write your fears or bad habits on a paper and burn them. You can also write about your trauma, and resolve to let it go. The Bowl of Light is also an amazing practice for release. This Hawaiian practice was taught to me by a Kahuna. It is a meditative/shamanic practice of transformation, that helps clear your energy and tap you into your core essence. For the Bowl of Light, go here . After releasing the past, put your focus on what you appreciate. Any situation or person can be a catalyst for moving forward in life and for your spiritual evolution, so try to find a way to be thankful for every person and every event. Even the challenging ones. Have challenges with that? Here's a video for you. For more on the 3 types of Ho'oponopono go here Just like each of us has a dominant sense (or two)
~ from your interior designer friend who can visualize a dump into a dream home, to your touchy-feely massage therapist, to your friend from school who remembers everything they hear, we each have intuitive senses that are more or less dominant as well. While there are fancy names for these different talents: Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Clairsentience and Claircognizance, Empathy - they really just differentiate intuitive strengths. You have an intuitive strength, even if you don't know it. If you think you aren't intuitive, or if you doubt yourself a lot, you may be trying to use one of the intuitive senses that isn't your forte (and not even know it)! Or your doubt may come from dimming your intuitive capacities because they scare you -- or scared somebody else. Perhaps this happened when you were so young that you don't even remember it. Is this you? You may like Clearing the Blocks to Your Intuition Here are the different intuitive categories. Claircognizance is when you just know something. This may feel like you just know it from nowhere, or there may be guiding factors like signs. "I just knew he was the one." "I just knew I had to go." Clairvoyance is when you "see" information -- you get visuals of the turn to take, or the person you'll meet, or the mishap that could occur. This may occur far ahead of time, a moment before. Many people find that when they take up meditation, their sense of inner vision becomes stronger. Some people put the images we receive during dream time at night in this category, while others put it in a category of its own. Clairaudience is hearing. "Go left," you may hear. "Say hello to the man in red," "Stop," or "Don't." These may come in bite-sized, bits or in lengthy communication. Sometimes you may not even like to follow these directions because they don't always make sense, but you know that following them does make life better. Clairsentience often shows up as a gut feeling, though it can show up as other sensations in the body as well.... often goosebumps is an indication of clairsentience. When you feel a sense of contraction or expansion in the heart area on making decisions, it would fall under this category. If you're dominant in clairsentience, you may have been told , "You're too sensitive." No you're not. You have clairsentience. Empathy if you get overwhelmed being in crowds, or sense how someone is feeling without them having to tell you, you likely have this capacity. Empathy could even be a classification it's own because if you are an empath it impacts your life in a multitude of ways on a daily basis. For some people, their empathic capacities can even be debilitating... limiting them from going places, being in crowds, or interacting with people. If you're feeling that way, You may like my short program that has helped 100s of people: Help I Am an Empath Note: as mentioned above, getting information from dreams could be considered yet another category. No intuitive sense is better than the others. The challenge is when we try to make intuition be one best way! Often we want what we don't have. "They" are intuitive because they see. Or know. For example, if you keep trying to do visualization, when a more natural method for you would be intuitive writing. Or if you try to sense light or heavy sensation in your body, and your inner voice keeps trying to nudge you with words! Having read the different intuitive styles above, start to play with how you receive your info. When we acknowledge our own capacities, we develop them even more, and allow them to shine! Many of us have blocked our true capacities because of early childhood experiences. We learned to trust others more than our own intuitive seeing sensing hearing or knowing. Join us in Clearing the Blocks to Your Intuition Some people you just get. Even though you may not have a huge amount in common, there's a special connection. That's how I felt about Carol Kline, even before I got to know her.
The moment I knew I had to have a chat with her, I was lounging on my patio, feeling the evening breeze descend as the night grew darker, reading Conscious Luck, the book Carol co-authored with self-help/consciousness luminary Gay Hendricks. As I read a story she told, my whole body lit up, and I got the sense of 100% certainty I had to have her on the show. So I responded Yes, to the publicist who had sent me the book. And I wasn't disappointed. 8 Secrets to Conscious Luck was such a dream come true show. Gay joined us as well, and let's just say, I've had his books on my shelves since I was 22 years old! One of them even made a round the world trip with me to Bali, London, Chicago and back to Maui. What a fun hour it was chatting with not only 1, but 2 multiple New York Times bestselling authors, who are also just really authentic, loving people. This show outlines simple ways to make luck a conscious, rather than a random thing. (Your life will get better, I promise.... if you do the things!) Watch it here. Listen Here I reached out to Carol after the show-- sometimes you just have to follow that intuitive nudge, even if it feels like, 'I hope I'm not imposing', and we got to know each other, through some fun phone chats. We share a love of animals, breathing practices, and expanding consciousness. Oh, and writing. So it was only natural that we got together and recorded a conversation about writing. And the conversation isn't only about putting words onto the page. We also chatted about sorting your many bits of notes and interviews, getting published (self vs traditional publishing), being perfectionistic, and more.... The show will be on Omtimes Radio on October 22nd and on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Youtube & elsewhere after that! Watch it here, or Listen Here And watch, later this fall, for our article in OmTimes Magazine! Relationship cords are energetic connections between us and another person that drain, and limit us from expressing and fully choosing what we would like to choose.
The Kahuna I interned with years ago, used to say, "cords are the number one energetic block I see." So when I went to a psychic development school, I wasn't surprised when there was a whole section on cords. They are a big deal. Throughout our lives, we unconsciously create cords with people (and at first, they often feel good!) however if you feel drawn back into negative patterns with an ex, or have frustration with a loved one, often it's because of these cords. Cords are sometimes described as unhealthy attachments that need to be energetically cut, like with scissors or a knife... yet, a Hawaiian shaman taught me other ways of releasing them because if you let these go just by “cutting” them, it can create health challenges and undesirable outcomes. Often in new-age communities people talk about cutting cords, yet the mystery school teachings emphasize NOT to do that. In fact, a lot of times, the cutting cords methods don't really work. They give a temporary feeling of relief for something that needs a deeper level of change. Kahuna Ho'okahi's perspective was different. She doesn't like that people cut cords because a part of that energetic cord remains in your body. It's sort of like a foreign invader because, cut off from that other person, the energy really has nowhere to discharge to. It just remains, stuck, and what do stuck things do? They fester. While life goes on around them, they create blocks and disharmony. She said that many diseases are as a result of such energies. So... what to do? We need to release cords from the root instead of leaving a piece in your body. There are some simple ways to do that which don't take much time. Purchase How to Release Relationship Cords. Join a class "It was roughly a month after I moved to Maui that I met the Kahuna (Hawaiian Shaman) I would eventually study with. It happened, as many life-changing things do, in an unexpected and unusual way.
The week before, I'd posted on Craigslist offering an abundance of wire hangers - for free. The following day, a man called, asking for many details about the hangers. How many, are they only wire - no cardboard, and on and on. I remember thinking, this guy is a little strange, but I gave him my address so he could collect his loot. When he (I'll call him Eric) arrived, I could only find 3 of the 25 hangers. My husband was left to deal with him, as I had a coaching call I was engaged in, and the two men got to talking. "I must be here for a reason other than hangers," Eric said. "My wife had a dream last night in which she created a statue from hangers and that's what these are for." Their chat continued, and Eric mentioned that he and his wife worked with a Kahuna, and invited us to come along to her program that Friday night. When we met, the Kahuna smiled at me. "You're 440." She said. I must have looked at her with puzzlement, because she responded, "440 means means you can hold and transmit high levels of energy." I was fascinated. Her arrival in my life was in response to an ask. Earlier on the day we met Eric, I'd mentioned to a mentor that I wanted to do Chi Gung to deepen my awareness of energy. When you ask, the Universe hears you, and your ask isn't necessarily answered in the way you'd expect. For the next 2.5 years, working with this Kahuna deepened my awareness of and abilities with energy in magical and amazing ways. She taught me to use my intuitive capacities for guiding and healing others, physically mentally and emotionally. She taught me Ho’oponopono, the Bowl of Light practice, and symbols and journeys from ancient mystical traditions. And she initiated me into high frequencies of energy, which she would smile and say, "a quantum leap beyond Reiki." And it is. I was disappointed when she stopped teaching, but I was fortunate to learn these mystical magical practices, and continue to use them to this day. Find out more... bowl of light practice I did an online meditation retreat this week.
On the first day, the Rupert Spira, the teacher asked that we drop our expectations. Expectations are the antithesis of living here, now... which is what meditation is. I came into the retreat thinking that the 7 days would bring me more expansion, light and peace, and reluctantly let this expectation go. What the retreat brought was something much different. It brought me face to face with the uncomfortable emotions lurking in the deep. Interspersed with spacious presence, I found moments of angst, tiredness, and later, sadness. Deep sadness. Sadness I’d held and socked away over the years. “Embrace the feeling,” he said. “Dive in, hold it close, don’t push it away. The act of resistance perpetuates whatever you don’t want. Make friends and invite it in. Get to the space where you could live with it forever.” I asked myself, Would I be willing to live with this forever? Surprisingly, the instant I realized I would, I opened myself fully to the grief. Which caused it to drop away. In life, each of us craves to be seen. In the same way, those deeply hidden parts, the woundedness and raw vulnerability crave to be acknowledged, met by one who does not reject them or see them as bad. On being seen and received -in totality- there is no need for them to stick around. You’re the spaciousness of Being. There is nothing to stick to. You can practice this by saying "I totally and fully accept you. My Being is unaffected- you cannot impact me in any way." Recognize that it's your rejection of the feeling that makes it unpleasant. Nothing is forcing you to embrace it or reject it, except you. Say yes to the feeling, be welcoming of the experience and release the need for life to be different. You are the ever-present sky beyond the cloud. This feeling is simply a transitory energy that has no impact on the sky itself. Meditation is a universal yes to everything. That is the nature of your Self. Something you Be already. Beneath it all. |
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AuthorA certified transformative coach, yoga therapist, author, + adventurer, Kathy has coached people to happier lives for over 20 years. (Has it really been that long?) Archives
January 2024
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