Manifestation … You are a co-creator of your life!

Key concepts of manifestation:

• Believe that you have a part in creating your life!  

• Believe that you are worthy of abundance!

• Believe that anything is possible!

• Decide what you want to bring into your life and set the intention (say it, write it, imagine it, feel it)

• Incorporate gratitude into your life (if we are already grateful for what we have the universe will be more likely to bless us with more.  Manifestation is a delicate balance between being grateful for right where we are at this moment and setting intentions for the future … but not getting stuck in the “I’ll be happy when __” mindset.)

• Be a vibrational match for the good things you want to see in your life 

(Remember that thoughts and emotions have a vibrational frequency - put out what you want to attract!)

• Act as if … act as if it is already here … ask yourself, “How would someone who has these things/has this job/etc. act/carry themselves?”

• Look for signs and take inspired action   

• Let go of the outcome and trust!

(sometimes the universe has a bigger plan for us or the timing isn’t what we thought it would be)

3 Manifestation Practices you can incorporate into your life:

1. Get it in writing!

Things are definitely more solidified when written down.  Make sure to write in the present tense (as if it has already come into your life) and express gratitude.  “I am so grateful that I have this new job where I am feeling fulfilled and valued.”

• Journal

• Letter from your future self:  write a letter to your present self from the perspective of your future self.  Give yourself the encouragement you need and describe all the wonderful things to come.  

1. Visualize - Imagery is powerful!

• Day dream

• Meditation

1. Alternative Methods 

• Vision Board 

Create a visual representation of what you want to manifest.  Add images and words that represent

the actual thing as well as feeling words.  

• Two cup method

Fill a glass with water that you can drink.  Write your present situation (from a place of gratitude, no negative language) on a sticky note and place on the first glass.  Get a second sticky note and write in present tense language, from a place of gratitude, that which you would like to manifest.  Place this sticky note on a second empty glass.  Sit with this intention and feel the associated feelings as if it were here now.  Then slowly pour the water from the first glass into the second and finally, drink the water while thinking and feeling the intention.  

• Manifestation box 

Write down in present tense from a place of gratitude that which you’d like to 

manifest on a piece of paper.  Place this piece of paper in a special box and read 

the intention daily.  

Happy Creating!

Amanda 

Limiting Beliefs … What’s holding you back?

As we look at others and feel that spark of envy or we think about a long held dream that we’ve always had, we feel those thoughts creeping up.  The thoughts that sound like, “Good things never happen to me.” or “I’m not smart enough” or “I don’t have the right credentials” or “Things are always difficult for me”.  These are common examples of limiting beliefs that many of us hold.  Let us break down this term … Belief: a thought that we hold to be true … Limiting … something that holds us back, keeps us small … limits our experiences.  So, a limiting belief is a belief that we hold to be true (about ourselves or about how the world works) that holds us back from experiences or from achieving the things we’ve always wanted.  

Where do these beliefs come from?  They could originate from an experience in our childhood … maybe in first grade you made a picture and someone laughed at it, then from then on the limiting belief, “I can’t draw” began running in the background.  We also can acquire limiting beliefs from those around us.  We can hear our parents say things, our culture, our friends and take those beliefs on as truth.  For example, “Our family is not the type of people who do ___”, “We can’t afford to go ___”, “Money doesn’t grow on trees”, “Women can’t ____” 

These limiting beliefs can sometimes be common among many people or they can be completely unique to each person.  The thing they all have in common is they are negative, they are limiting, and they aren’t true.  Truth is only what you believe it to be.  It’s like the famous Henry Ford quote … “If you believe you can or believe you can’t … you are right”.    

These beliefs are tricky because often they are running on a loop in our unconscious mind.  The most powerful thing we can do for our healing and overall wellness is to start to identify these limiting beliefs.  If we can bring these beliefs into our conscious awareness now we have the power to address them and move forward.  Limiting beliefs may span across all areas of our lives.  You may have many in each area or maybe more in one area of your life.  I would recommend just selecting one or two areas of your life that you feel are most significant right now.  Once you learn the process of moving through limiting beliefs you can return at any point to address any others that are still lingering or any new ones that may arise.

So are you ready to move forward?  Are you ready for the life you’ve always wanted?  If so, check out my free worksheet to help you begin identifying these limiting beliefs here:

https://amandakugler.com/free-resources

Good luck!  

- Amanda

Guilty Pleasures

Pleasure … What does this word bring to mind?  What feelings come up?  Guilt?  Shame?  Are you immediately associating pleasure with something wrong … something selfish?  Or has it been so long that you are having a difficult time remembering what brings you pleasure?  This can be a difficult area for many adults … especially women.  We have even come up with a term that makes it clear how our society views pleasure … “Guilty pleasures”.  We are sent these messages that if we are seeking pleasure then we are “wrong”, “bad”, “selfish”, “frivolous” and if we do allow ourselves moments of pleasure then we definitely need to feel “guilt” or “shame” afterwards to make up for our momentary lapse in judgement.  When we are children we make most of our decisions based on pleasure (what will make us feel good).  Then over the years we are taught how to be responsible, how to sacrifice and how to do the “right” thing.  Slowly we lose sight of what we like, what we want, what feels good and our decisions are made based on what would be best for others, what is expected of us (by family, culture, etc.), or what is the responsible thing to do.  

I remember being so tightly wound that I had forgotten how to have fun.  I definitely identified pleasure with guilt and being frivolous.   I wasn’t allowing fun.  I had to be financially responsible … health conscious.  There was always the ever looming feeling that there was something more “productive” that I SHOULD (ugh!) be doing.  I had become out of touch with myself and what I actually found pleasurable.  I realized that I couldn’t answer simple questions such as “What’s your favorite ___?”  I was so used to working hard, doing the “right” thing, doing what was convenient for others.  I couldn’t even honestly answer the question, “Would you like a glass of water?” when offered to me because I would immediately default to “no, thank you” so I wouldn’t inconvenience anyone.  So, I began to make a list.  Started to tune in and raise my awareness.  When I found myself enjoying something I would stop and take it in for a moment … be mindful of the moment .. and then write it down.  

So I have discovered that sauteed onions and live acoustic music are two of my favorites. 

I started to realize that my responsibility/pleasure meter was way out of balance. 

Forgetting that allowing ourselves pleasurable moments is not only “not wrong” but is actually needed for our overall well-being (stress levels, physical health, mental health) and positively contributes to the health of our relationships (with ourselves, significant others, friends, children & families).  

Now we don’t have to go wild to embrace pleasure but I encourage you to begin tapping in to yourself again.  Start remembering what it is that you like!  Enjoy those moments of pleasure and plan to have more of them!  Remember that you are worthy of love, pleasure and joy!  

- Amanda

Needs: Dig deeper … Express more clearly … Let down our defenses

Did you ever have one of those arguments with someone where you quickly go to blaming?  Blaming the other for all the things they didn’t do for you … or ways they didn’t make you feel?  This is the time for us to stop and think about how in tune we are with our needs and how well we are expressing them?

I encourage you to take some time to be still and reflect on your needs and how you can better express them.  Sit or lay comfortably … close your eyes … start by placing your hands over your root chakra (base of your spine) and take a quiet moment to reflect on what some of your physical needs are.  Make sure to have pen and paper nearby to document what you discover.  Next, place your hands over your heart chakra (heart) and tune in to what some of your emotional needs are.  

Now on a daily basis are you structuring your day or effectively advocating so that most, if not all of these needs are being met.  

Sometimes when we feel let down we may default to the “I don’t need anyone” or “I can do it all myself”.  Maybe just because we CAN do it all doesn’t mean we “HAVE” to do it all ourselves.  Maybe just because we don’t NEED anyone doesn’t mean we can’t WANT to lean on others or share life with someone.  Maybe both of those statements are a defense mechanism for self-protection.  If we don’t let anyone in or don’t rely on anyone then they can’t disappoint us.  

Do you find yourself trying to do it all and then mad when you are left to do it all?  Maybe we need to dig deeper … express more clearly … and let down our defenses.  

Do you consider what you need?

Are you setting yourself up for success?

Does it make sense to be upset with someone else for not meeting your needs if you don’t have a clear idea of what they are and/or haven’t clearly expressed them?

- Amanda

I Had a Moment

Well I was tested … I have been doing okay for the most part during this pandemic.  It’s been hard, it’s been challenging in many ways, but overall I’ve kept my emotions fairly in check.  I’ve had the occassional moment, but finding a routine and working on projects that give me purpose have kept me anchored.  However, I didn’t realize how sheltered I’ve been.  When you’re almost exclusively at home it’s easy to get out of touch with what’s going on.  Yes, I’ve seen it on Facebook or videos but it’s still removed.  This week, my anxiety was tested.  We received some difficult news and then needed to make a decision.  Making a decision right now in this time where everything seems uncertain, was not an easy feat.  However, a decision was made … and then quickly changed.  I had the wave of anxiety hit me.  I had a moment.  Okay, several moments.  I talked in a recent post about some anxiety strategies that have helped me in the past.  After this experience I realized I left out a few other strategies.  

The first was to just allow myself to not be okay for a bit.  I talked previously about acknowledging that these emotions are legitimate, but also not rushing through, or making yourself wrong for feeling what you’re feeling.  Taking a step back from the spiraling “what ifs” did help.  But the second thing I did this time that helped in the moment of intense anxiety was really trying to pinpoint the root of the anxiety.  There was a point where I was questioning, “What am I even anxious about?”.  I was completely operating in my emotional brain.  Taking a moment to step back to the present moment helped me to sort out what was going on.  Just acknowledging the actual source of the anxiety helped me to move forward.  I didn’t solve the causes or make them go away but identifying and acknowledging helped “give it a name” so I could move forward with the other strategies.  I talked it out with my support team … shout out to my sister and husband who are always there for me even when I’m at my worst.  I tried to balance caution with not letting fear (of what might never be) stop me.  I had to trust that I will be protected, trust in my body, and trust in my ability to make the right decision.  Then there was some nourishing … a nice fire with the kids in the warm evening.  

Following this, I tried to return to my journaling, meditation and self-Reiki routines to re-balance.  I feel strongly about being honest and upfront about my struggles.  I hope that these are helpful to you all in some way.  I’m here for you.  

- Amanda

5 Ways Chakras Can Become Blocked

Just like everything else in life our energetic system also needs balance.  If one or more of our chakras become blocked, our whole energetic system can be out of balance.  This imbalance can result in physical, psychological or emotional difficulties.  But how does this happen?  How do our chakras become blocked?  Here are 5 ways … 

1. Physical Trauma

Our energetic system is what carries the life force energy through our whole body.  Interruption in this system can occur when our physical body is impacted by an illness or injury of any kind.  Although we may have superficially healed from this event, oftentimes there is an underlying memory of this event held within our body.  

2. Emotional Trauma

Emotional trauma can include a range of events ranging from isolated, minor incidents to chronic situations.  We experience events where these emotions may be too much to process all at once and these emotions remain in our body.  Losses that we have endured and violations of our trust can also remain within our body.  Our nervous system can become overwhelmed, triggering our “fight or flight” instinct.  Our physiological mechanisms can help us to function in everyday life by separating us from our trauma.  However, this trauma remains stored in our body resulting in blockages in our energetic system.

3. Longstanding Limiting Beliefs

Beliefs are thoughts that are held to be true.  Limiting beliefs are those negative beliefs we hold as truth regarding ourselves or how the world works that are holding us back from truly loving ourselves and living our best lives.  Over time, the reinforcement of these beliefs can contribute to blockages within the corresponding chakra.

4. Chronic Stress

Today’s modern lifestyle has us conditioned for chronic stress.  Our busyness keeps us operating in the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”) and tension builds in our physical body.  These areas of tension can contribute to blockages within our energy system.  

5. Unhealthy Lifestyle

All of our daily choices can contribute to our overall health.  From our choice of food, to thought patterns, to our environment, to movement and sleep patterns.  Each decision can contribute to the overall health of our energetic system.

The Chakra System

We are not just a physical body! Just as important as it is to keep our physical body healthy, it is equally important to check in with the health of our energetic system! There are 7 main chakras that make up our energetic system and each one governs the functioning of different physical and emotional areas. Chakra is Sanskrit for “wheel of light”. These energy centers work in partnership with your life force energy (in different traditions named: “Chi”, “ki”, “prana”). The chakras are aligned vertically from the base of the spine to the crown of the head aligning with our body’s endocrine system and nervous system. Each chakra positioned at one of the endocrine glands and running along the vagus nerve (the main component of our parasympathetic nervous system - “rest & digest”). The connection of the chakras with these systems is support of the idea that health is holistic, where the system is working together as a whole to maintain health. When there is a blockage of the energy flow or the particular chakra is under-active or over-active you can see a manifestation in the physical body and/or in our emotional well being.

1st - Root Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Adrenal

Color: Red

Element: Earth

2nd - Sacral Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Ovaries/Testicles

Color: Orange

Element: Water

3rd - Solar Plexus Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Pancreas

Color: Yellow

Element: Fire

4th - Heart Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Thymus

Color: Green

Element: Air

5th - Throat Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Thyroid

Color: Blue

Element: Ether

6th - Third Eye Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Pineal

Color: Indigo

Element: Light

7th - Crown Chakra

Associated Endocrine Gland: Pituitary

Color: Violet

Element: Cosmic Energy/Thought

Reflections From a Pandemic

This year’s Mother’s Day may have been quite different for most of us. While we weren’t able to physically embrace our loved ones we tried to make the best of it. Just as we have for the entirety of this quarantine. During this pandemic, I have been trying to take in each moment and not miss all the lessons that are coming my way. What am I supposed to be learning from this time? What do I want my life to look like when this is all over? So throughout this experience I have been keeping notes about what I’ve been noticing. So here it goes:

• I don’t typically put aside enough time checking in with family/friends.

• My brain is always in planning mode (my brain was constantly trying to switch into planning mode to figure out what was next, what I needed to plan ahead for).

• Our lifestyle makes it very difficult to stay in the present moment.

• There are a lot of generous people out there willing to come together in difficult times.

• Our society likes keeping busy and is very averse to being still and having “down time”.

• It’s an interesting experience when you are in the middle of a crowded supermarket with empty shelves and you are forced to think about what food I would need to feed my family … what food do we really need to nourish ourselves … how much of what I buy is unnecessary. 

• My theme of this time is:

  • Balance:  finding the “just right” amount of everything - nutrition/treats, routine/spontanity, tidyness/free, family time/alone time, productivity/rest.  I don’t need to have such tight control of everything.  If they watch too much TV … they are okay.  If they have too much sugar … they are okay.  If they stay up too late … they are okay.  If we miss an assignment … we are okay.  As long as they are loved it all works out.  We can always course correct and adjust so there is more balance.  Sometimes it's okay to be out of balance and give ourselves compassion.  

• I realized that we have so many natural local places to source our food and it is important to support our local farmers.

• When you strip all the noise away all that’s left is what really matters

  • Sports activites - exercise not competition/medals/trophies/winning

• It is also interesting to walk around and see older siblings playing with younger siblings (where they probably would’ve been away from home with friends) … to see fathers throwing a football with their son (where they probably would’ve been at a scheduled activity).

• I realized that I don’t want to return to feeling guilty if I’m not productive or if we haven’t “done” something that day.  I want it to still be okay to go slow, rest, just be together, read, play games, have outdoor time.

• I realized that most of my (our) decisions are based on what others will think… way more than I was even aware.   For example, if my kiddos pants are too short, if the outfit matches, if my daughter’s hair is brushed/styled.

• I recognized that most of my anxiety comes from time pressure.  When the time pressure is applied almost all tasks become “work” or “overwhleming”.  

How about you?? What have you noticed? Are there any lessons you have taken in?

Are you an "In-Between" like me?

When you go into business, especially a business with so many gifted, loving people, you question what your role is.  You wonder how you fit into all of it and if you are really needed. You question what it is that you can contribute.

In the spiritual realm, I wonder if I am “spiritual enough”.  I still feel as if I am an “in between”. I also wonder if as my spiritual knowledge and experience grows will I feel like I “fit” more in the spiritual community.

As for now, I am an “in between”!  I have entered into the world of spirituality and now know that many amazing and wonderful things exist and are possible.  I know undeniably that amazing healing can happen from simply laying of hands combined with loving intentions. I know that it is possible to receive loving, supportive guiding messages from our deceased loved ones.  I know it is possible to call on assistance from our support team in the spiritual realm. I know there is so much more than we can even imagine. I know that there is a beautiful state of stillness we can reach that gives us such a feeling of peace that we can become addicted.  I know now that there is nothing more important than our 360 degree health. But I’m still working on my many layers of healing. I still have my moments of doubt. I still bring the kids to activities, make dinner, and watch the occasional TV show with my husband. 

So does all that have to be strange?  Does it have to be reserved only for a certain “type” of person?  Does it have to be so outside of the norm to take care of our emotional and spiritual health/side?  I think, “NO”!

I am here to serve.  I am here to serve all of you, especially the “in-betweens”.  You know that the lifestyle and methods you are currently trying aren’t working or aren’t enough.  You know that you need to improve your emotional and spiritual health in order to improve your physical or overall health.  You realize that there may be other methods available but you’re not sure if they are “you”.  

Maybe it’s time to step out and try something new.  When you’re ready for a change … I’m here.

- Amanda

Gratitude

Ever have one of those periods where you just feel like you're in a slump?  Things are not feeling quite right ... you're feeling down ... you're feeling constantly overwhelmed?  I had one of those times recently and here's what I tried...

Gratitude!  I really tried to address each of those moments of stress (sadness, anger...) and flip my mindset to that of gratitude.  Instead of feeling stressed about all the decisions I had to make I tried to view it from a point of gratefulness for all the options that I had.  I tried to remind myself that others may not have the options that I was faced with.  This mindset can really work in any situation from small to big.  For example, instead of feeling overwhelmed with the amount of laundry we have to do we can try to flip the mindset to being grateful that we are able to provide all these clothes for our family.  

Additionally, this can be applied to larger events in our life.  As I look back now on some challenging life events I am grateful that I had those experiences to push me towards moving my life in a more positive, healthy direction.  I feel grateful for the lessons it taught me and how it helped me to discover myself on a deeper level.  At the time of those tragic events it feels as if you're drowning and you may not make it out.  But believe me there is another side and it can be a beautiful place to be.  

So if you're having one of those moments or periods of time where you feel stuck...down...overwhelmed... try flipping your mindset to gratitude!  It can be an instant mood changer and give some perspective.  When you start being grateful for everything you have, the people you are surrounded with and your circumstances you will start to realize how full your life really is!

-Amanda