Calm, sincere and a gifted speaker. Spend a few minutes. It’s worth it.
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Peyote Healing Song
If you’ve never sat in a Lakota Stone-People Lodge and listened to sacred songs sung in their deep, deep language… well, it is moving.
I’m remembering a dark night in the hills by the lake with the sound of drumming in the air. That was an Earth heartbeat. The fire used in ceremony is the energy of the stars. Power is afoot.
I felt to share this sacred healing song because it seems to convey the heart and humility of an Earth people crying out to spirit for the benefit of their people.
As Grandpa taught us; “If you’re going to say something and break the silence, then say something good”. Prayers like this epitomize saying something good. Something worthy of breaking a sacred silence.
Performed by Robbie Robertson.
Peyote Healing (Prayer Song)
I want to live, Father I say this to you
I want to live, Father I say this to you
I want to live, Father I say this to you
I am sending my plea
Father, to live on some more
I am sending my plea to you
I am in misery, I pray to you
I want to live on, Father I say this to you
I want to live on, Father I say this to you
I want to live on, Father I say this to you
I want to live on, Father
I am sending my plea to you
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, I wish to be on that
am sending my plea to you
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, I wish to be on that road
I am sending my plea to you
Take pity on me, have mercy on me
Take pity on me, have mercy on me
Take pity on me, have mercy on me
Have pity on me, I want to live on
Have pity on me, I am sending my plea
I am sending my plea
Great Spirit take pity on me
Have pity on me, I am sending my plea
I am sending my plea to you
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, I wish to be on that road
I am sending my plea to you
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, a life to be
A life to come, I wish to be on that road
I am sending my plea to you.
Peyote Healing or Healing Song (Wóčhekiye Olowaŋ)
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até ómakiya yo
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até ómakiya yo
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até ómakiya yo
O héya na hé ní
Até nímíčiȟ’uŋ wo
O héya na hé ní yo wa
Oŋšiya čhéčhičiye ló
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até ómakiya yo
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até ómakiya yo
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até ómakiya yo
Waní wačhíŋ yeló, Até
O héya na hé ní yo wa
Wičhóni, wičhóni
Wičhóni, wičhóni
Wičhóni, wičhóni
Wičhóni, wičhóni
Wičhóni čhaŋkú kiŋ hé ogná
wawáčhi yeló
O héya na hé ní
Wičhóni, wičhóni
Wičhóni, wičhóni
Wičhóni čhaŋkú kiŋ hé ogná
wawáčhi yeló
O héya na hé ní yo wa
Oŋšimala yo, oŋšimala yo
Oŋšimala yo, oŋšimala yo
Oŋšimala yo, oŋšimala yo
Oŋšimala yo, waní wačhíŋ yeló
O héya na hé ní
Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka oŋšimala yo
Oŋšimala yo, oŋšimala yo
Oŋšimala yo, waní wačhíŋ yeló
O héya na hé ní yo wa
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Self Care and Covid-19
As March goes out just like the Lion it roared in as we’re all anchored to our homes and communities for the foreseeable future.
Take a look around you at this moment. What you see is YOUR COMMUNITY. Breathe that in and let it settle.
Please practice ‘kindness first’ in the days to come.
Stay alert. Stay smart. Stay healthy.
Remember that you must take care of yourself. If we are healthy, we are available to pitch- in and help care for others.
Community
As of this writing, My hometown on the coast of Southern California has been officially under quarantine for about 13 days. My household is in the ‘fragile’ demographic and we need to be careful.
In the first week of the “shelter-in-place” order, we found our miles of beaches, trails and acres of parks crowded with large numbers of visitors from other, inland areas. It was packed. In the first week of shutdown, few seem to be staying home or practicing any social distancing.
The second week of our quarantine seems to be a bit more serious and people are making social-distancing a ‘thing’. Of course, the authorities closed down all parking lots to beaches, trails and parks, basically forcing people to walk from their cars to public areas.. Yes, that made a difference.
Any gathering stands out now. The pandemic curve is on the upswing in our region right now. Still… People, here and on the news, are not all practicing the new social hygiene.
What I saw in my own community this week included a neighbor welcoming couples over for a party on two different nights. Several places over this week I’ve seen unrelated kids playing together publicly in groups, while their adults socialized in questionable socially-distant isolation from each other. I saw one group of young adults playing touch football in the street.
There are way too many “Spreaders”. People among us who are not alert enough to the problem who continue to ‘mix households’, rendering our regional isolation less effective. Non-compliant members of our communities put the fragile among us at greater risk while the rest of us dutifully quarantine and the economy holds its breath.
Ways to Practice Self Care
Caring for ourselves is even more critical now because it means if we stay healthy we can help care for others.
What can you do? While you can, get that extra rest. Breathe deeply. Use the quarantine time to clean. Spring is here! Clear. Get caught up on all those ‘pending’ tasks at home. Make time to plan. Control your budget.
Barbara Ann Brennan, the famous energetic healer, taught us to approach being of service to others this way; “First those things that nourish the Self. Then pause for deep reflection. Then those things that nourish others.”
She understood that we must maintain our health first in order to be available to help others.
What Can You Do to Take Care of Yourself?
While all this chaos churns on around us, how can we make sure to take care of ourselves too?
You choose it. Just begin today with a single step.
Something that’s helped me commit to self-care during our isolation is to notice how overwhelmed I feel and just. Slow. Down.
I’ll take a few extra moments throughout the day to really enjoy little daily rituals. Extra, relaxed time washing and moisturizing my face can be very calming.
Dressing, grooming, straightening up our homes and cooking meals are all times that just scream at you “SLOW DOWN!” and just breathe a little more mindfully while we are in motion.
Really notice what you’re doing… and why.
Get out in Nature. We need exercise and walking in Nature now is perfect. It will clear your mind as well as your body’s energetic field. Time in Nature and her gardens gives me something to look forward to during this pandemic lock down.
Take time before sleep and give yourself a foot massage. Take a nap when you need one. Do a really deep meditation. Stretch your whole body. Breathe deeply. These are all things that will nourish your body and soul.
Salt Baths: The Flu Season “Go-To”
Don’t forget the salt bath as a seasonal therapy. It clears the energetic field of all that gunk that makes us feel so “polluted”. It will strip your field so remember to rest a while after. A salt bath is perfect before bed or meditation.
Himalayan salt is very nourishing, with its 86 minerals, and will leave your skin very soft. Epsom salts will soothe aching muscles because of the high magnesium content. Sea salt, table salt… it all works.
Use between 1/2 cup and 2 cups salt for your bath, depending on how you feel and what you want. Less salt gives a lighter cleanse and more will give a deep, saline wash.
Adding seaweed is an ancient bath ingredient and introduces lovely enzymes that nourishes the skin; especially helpful for soothing skin irritations. Any seaweed will work and can be used in a small, cloth drawstring bag or a zip-lock baggie with holes in it. Let the seaweed soak a few minutes to release the enzymes.
Add a few drops of your favorite skin oil and essential oil… and enjoy a lovely soak.
20 minutes is usually about right. You’ll feel your body begin to sweat when it’s time to end the bath. Now is a perfect time to rest or meditate for a few minutes.
If you don’t have a tub, take a handful of salt into the shower with you in a plastic dish or cup. After you are finished bathing, pour the salt into your hand and start at the top of your head, gently spreading it on down for a gentle salt scrub and clearing.
It’s always a smart idea during flu season to launder towels and linens and sanitize your surfaces often.
Let Nature Heal You
Take regular quiet time in Nature. She always helps us to clear and center ourselves.
Step onto an open path or into a garden space. Use this great, natural power to regenerate and help relieve stressful patterns. Remember to work with gratitude because we are truly co-creating our reality with Nature.
We’re In This Together
First of all, take a deep breath and let it go for a moment. Think about what you’re going to do to nourish yourself. Ok…
Self care is well-being. We’re moving through this pandemic and will find our new normal. Whatever we co-create with Nature, we’ll use our health and strength to do it.
Take care of yourselves and each other. Consider the new reality still gestating in the void. Contribute.
Being in this together…. That’s the old way and old ways are coming back!
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Technology: Somewhere Between Master and Slave
It’s happened silently. No one could have stopped it even if someone had wanted to. When it comes to technology, we’ve found ourselves somewhere between master and slave.
Let’s face it; technology is seductive. We are all better off for it, except for one little problem.
You see it everywhere. Family groups sit together silently, looking down at devices. We’re becoming isolated. It’s completely shifted our culture.
Instead of interweaving our lives through companionship, we sit in immediate proximity to others, but preoccupied with a device. Separate. We’re having separate life experiences in the same moment we share others.
What do older folks remember about their childhoods and what they used to do? How different are young people today?
You guessed it. Devices.
A powerful solution to the lack of engagement is: get your kids out in Nature. That the world is an amazing place and our children need to be turned on about that.
Baby boomers will remember a childhood without computers, or ANY high technology. As a youth back then, a curious mind meant thinking creatively to have fun. We knew every square foot of our neighborhoods and had forts and went on “adventures” as we explored. We made things. We read books.
Television was still new. There were cartoons on after school and on Saturday mornings and nothing was a re-run! Looking back to the pre-technology era of the 1960’s, any kid inside sitting in front of the TV during daylight hours it was because you didn’t feel good.
People had better posture back then too. Everyone walked upright, with eyes on what’s in front of and around them. We waved at friends and neighbors and smiled a greeting.
Today, we’re constantly reminded to put devices down for our own good. Signs along freeways caution us to focus on our driving because “that text can wait”. We’ve all gotten in to such a hurry.
Technology is a tool. And, what does that even mean? Surely it’s not meant to be attached to our mental processes 24/7. Our bodies are organic. Whatever words we use to understand it, the seduction is too effective for us to resist.
We need time “off the grid” to be healthy and happy humans.
How can we keep our organic bodies healthy? What can we do to take care of ourselves and our loved ones? A great start is to be conscious that you need to take time. Get yourself unplugged from time to time. Make it happen. Get out in Nature. Be present with others you are with.
Will history show that a pendulum has been swinging back and forth as humans adjust to technology? Let’s try to remember our humanity as we expand.
Do we have the maturity to control the ongoing influence of our devices? Taking time to uplug is a number one step to responsible device use. Humans need to be human.
Will we forget how to have common, courteous conversations? Or, how to have friendships? Let’s remember that the ones we love are the reason we even push forward. Take the time to be kind.
At the center of the relationship discussion is the need we all have for quiet time alone. Pause. Listen to Nature moving through you.
Our culture is energetically swinging with that pendulum. Our people, especially our children, are caught in these changes in culture.
We help our body’s health by getting out in Nature. Our mind and body both need to unplug from the electrical, digital zone regularly.
Reconnect with loved ones and make time to play.
Then, after regenerating your “organic batteries”, plug in to the grid again.
There is a joy in moderation; living life with balance health. In this time of rapid, ongoing technological expansion, we continue to be somewhere between master and slave.
Take care of each other.
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What is Reiki?
The Usui System of Natural Healing
Reiki pronounced (“ray-key”), gives powerful access to a means of encouraging sustainable health and well-being
Elegant and simple, reiki is a hands-on healing system originating with Dr. Mikao Usui, in 1922. Originally an oral tradition in Japan and then Hawaii, reiki has evolved into a world-wide fellowship of natural healing.
A reiki session will last about 50 minutes, though a little additional time is often needed to talk with the client. An 80 minute session would allow for both. Reiki is also very effective as a 15-20 minute ‘mini-treatment’ at the end of a massage session.
Anyone can learn Reiki and be able to treat themselves and others.
It can be used with any therapeutic approach or religious belief without conflict. It’s a powerful healing modality for a massage therapist or nurse to include in their list of skills.
Just having reiki training will give someone a more ‘healing touch’.
An amazing tool for well-being.
Reiki is given through gentle touch and will quiet your mind, support your body’s natural healing, celebrate your spirit, and strengthen your mind-body-spirit connection.
Profoundly regenerating, a reiki session is deeply relaxing.
You rest on a bodywork table or floor pad, warm and comfortably clothed, and listen to soft music while your practitioner works.
Afterward, you feel rested, restored and balanced.
When we have an imbalance in our well-being, reiki helps us re-balance ourselves. It helps us to heal any causes and assist in eliminating effects of our dis-ease.
Reiki helps minimize your sense of helplessness when facing disease or the trauma of modern society.
Reiki helps to relieve blockages at all levels by bringing the body in to harmony with its mental, emotional and spiritual nature.
Physiological benefits include:
- An increase in endorphin production, (the ‘feel good’ hormone)
- A reduction in blood pressure
- Stimulation of the immune system.
People love reiki.
It’s soothing and centering. It’s a perfect offering to a client, guest or family member who wants a deeply relaxing experience. And, it’s a perfect add-on to the end of a massage service or other spa treatment.
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Reiki For the Sensitive
Being a ‘sensitive’ means we pick up information not only from the normal types of stimulus around us, but we seem to have wider-range receivers that also tune in some of the subtler realms.
It can be overlapping noise or a sudden, clear sound or voice. There is always a physical co-relation in the moment. A catching of the breath. A cool sense brushes past. A warm moment settles on you. You just never know.
For me, it’s like soft radio is on with conversations going all the time. It can be like television clips suddenly play for a moment and interact with us.
When ‘they’ see that you can see them… well, game’s on. Then the Others can be insistent in their effort to communicate. Loud. Direct and in your face. Begging with heart to have you share something with a loved one. Sensitives can learn to block it out or tune it in, but somehow we learn to live with it.
Someone asked me recently if reiki could be used to facilitate and even enhance a “sensitive’s” experience of interacting with Spirit.
That got me thinking.
Of course, I answered yes! Reiki is awesome for this. I use it all the time. Just becoming present to the Reiki Precepts will calm and focus me.
Still, I began reflecting on how that simple reiki training evolved for me over the last 25 years as a reiki master/sensitive.
Using reiki seems like an original ritual as inherently natural as breathing. A pulsing life that connects, channels and commutes reiki; or “divinely intellingent life energy”.
It can give you so very much more than a little deepening. Is it a tool? A practice? Knowledge to be shared?
The only true answer I can give is that it is. That we can channel it. We can access and influence raw life energy. Intention creates!
We do it all the time.
Being a sensitive has meant I’ve needed to define myself and my boundaries very well in order to stay healthy and safe. Reiki practice absolutely helps me do that.
Using reiki will help you center yourself well and stay protected.
That keeps us safe with regard to unknown elements nearby and allows us to do our good work. Remember; do not assume that every thing out there you come across has your best interest in mind. At all.
Be smart. Stay focused. Know who you are.
Reiki energy helps clarify our minds. Clarify everything. Sitting here writing this I keep thinking of the word succinct. Reiki expands access to life energy and increases the level of power flow .
So, what about using reiki with a sensitive’s abilities? How does that work?
The simple answer is that reiki heightens and purifies vibration levels in every thing it moves through. Sensitivities are sharper. More information comes to you from your environment.
Try this visual… Imagine being in a comfortable room. There is a lovely lamp right there, but it’s not lit. It’s low light in the room and we’re not really noticing much around us..
Using reiki is like plugging that lamp in.
With reiki, we are lit up. Nothing has changed. But, with the light now shining, more information and resources are available to you. Reiki will expand the area of direct interaction and influence you have access to.
Your little piece of the void – and experience of the dimensions that overlap our reality – just lit up and spread out.
I particularly love the beauty that moving with reiki through these realms provides. Every eye you come across and look into recognizes it. They see you too!
We will instantly have something in common if we acknowledge the light in each other when we see it. It makes a solid beginning for conversation, simple understanding or a passing moment with a stranger.
The quiet simplicity makes reiki an elegantly powerful way to turn on our light and have access to a greater experience of our own lives.
Jane Marshall Wright