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?

Perfectly Placed

February 22, 2020

Just as beams are perfectly placed to support the weight of a house, so too are experiences perfectly placed in our lives to support our growth.  These experiences are placed at just the right time for when we need them and when we’re ready to receive them. Each one shaping us and helping us to move towards learning the lessons we need to move us forward.  Each lesson building on the last. The mention of a book title that opens your mind to a new world. An inspirational quote that sparks an idea or a new mindset. When once we wouldn’t have noticed we are now ready to receive the message.  These experiences placed in our path may not always appear to be of the positive type. They can come in the form of a loss, an illness, an injury, or financial stress. But just the same if we are listening and aware we can flip our mindset and receive the intended message.  

So are you ready to receive?  Is your awareness turned up? What is the message you are being sent right now?

 ~ Amanda

Reflection ... What is reflecting back at you?

As I stood there glaring at my child filled with frustration … okay, filled with anger, telling him to not make that angry face at me.  Then I heard it … Reflection.  

My guides were speaking to me in my time of need.  Here’s my advice … always listen to those messages.  I needed to hear that … I needed to be checked. What I wasn’t considering was that I was getting back a reflection of what I was projecting out.  How could I expect calm, mature and loving behavior from my child when I wasn’t modeling that for him?  

This concept of reflection spreads throughout our whole lives.  The idea of the universe reflecting back to us what we are projecting relates to the idea of co-creating our lives, manifesting and the age-old golden rule from Jesus “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.  

We need to remember that we are energetic beings and that like energy attracts like energy.  Our thoughts and emotions are energy. What are we thinking? What emotions are we embodying?  What do we want to see in our lives? Use these questions to help guide us. Are we projecting out that which we hope to receive?  

  As always, I want to finish with a message of self-compassion.  Although we need to take a minute to reflect on our behavior and use these moments to grow.  We also need to practice self-compassion and understand that we are living this human experience and that all emotions are valid.  Remember to listen to the emotions we’re experiencing and see what message they have for us. Observe the emotion … accept the emotion … use this space to choose the best way to respond.    

So what is it that you would like to see more of in your life?  How can you project this?  

- Amanda 

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

Resistance to Change

Why is it so hard to get into, or back into, healthy routines?  Our brain wants to keep us in the familiar … the safe. We can’t blame it.  It’s job is to protect us and keep us safe. So if we want to make changes or continue moving forward we need to flow with this resistance.  We need to step out of the familiar routine and shake things up. There will be push back! Just like when we fall off the wagon with flossing, there will inevitably be bleeding.  We immediately want to stop when we encounter discomfort (physical or emotional) ... as we think this is a bad thing. However, this is just a sign that we are moving past our existing limit.  We are growing towards the new version of us. Just as the bleeding subsides after a few days of sticking with the flossing habit ultimately leading to healthier gums. So too will other forms of discomfort subside as we continue to stick with the new habits.

In the true spirit of mindfulness I would like to encourage you to embrace the concept of non-judgment in this process.  The pressure around the new year often leads to a lot of beating ourselves up when we feel we didn’t live up to the expectations we set or when we start comparing ourselves to others.  However, there are many opportunities to keep moving forward. As the very wise song from Frozen 2 says: “Take a step, step again. It is all that I can to do the next right thing”.

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 

Balance

We’ve all heard that balance is the key to life. But how the heck do we actually get there??!!

I think I’m realizing it’s not an actual destination but a journey. Life is complicated and we can easily get off track from our goals or priorities.  I suggest a periodic assessment of your priorities and goals.  We all think that we know what our priorities are but we are constantly evolving and so may our goals and priorities.  Once you have an updated priority list you can use these as a scale to help you determine when things are getting out of balance. So once a day/week/month ... whatever feels right for you ... let’s work on a mindful check-in.  Take a few minutes to slow down and think about your current choices, actions, commitments, etc.  As you go through and compare your goals/priority list vs. your current actions/choices list you can ask yourself...

* Are my current actions supporting my goals?

* Are my actions reflecting my priorities?

* If no to either ... what actions can I take to shift the balance back?

So for example ... is work (#5 on priority list) conflicting with your personal health (#1 on priority list)?  What changes could you make to shift back to focusing on what you want your #1 priority to be - personal health?  Not check email after work hours?  Leaving work on time?  

Or ... When you find yourself saying "no" to playing Barbies with your daughter (#2 on priority list) over housework (not even in the top 5 priority list) ... Possibly shifting the focus back on the appropriate priority by taking 10 minutes to play with your daughter before your tackle the sink of dishes!  

What are your top 5 priorities?

Anything actions need to shift to get your priorities back in order?

Live the Example!

Are you living the example you want to set for the next generation?  

Whether you are a parent or not this is an important question for us all.  We all know the famous saying, "Do as I say not as I do".  Also, we know that this saying does not work!  We know from our own childhood and from watching the children around us that children are watching and listening to everything happening around them.  They are learning their values and their role in society with every experience.  

As we move through life I encourage you to think about the impact of your life.  What values are you exemplifying?  Would you hope that your children would follow in your footsteps?  We all with have missteps along the way and that is okay too!  In this we are showing our children that we are human and with that comes moments of fallibility and opportunity for growth.  This is no easy task we are challenged with and we may need to remind ourselves of daily of what truly matters to us.  

So the next time we are neglecting our health or holding back our passions let's ask ourselves, "Would I want this for my children?"

I'd like to pass on the following advice to my children and all children:

*Make your physical/mental/spiritual health and wellbeing a priority.

*Be present in the moment ... don't let the worries of the past or future get in the way of enjoying each present moment.

*Follow your heart not expectations ... defy expectations that conflict with the passion inside you!

*Do what brings you joy, wear what makes you smile and ignore the judgements from the outside.

What example do you want to pass on??

Be Brave! Follow Your Heart!

Along this journey of life we will be faced with challenges.  Challenges in the form of illness, loss, decisions and expectations.  It is how we respond to these challenges that will define our lives.  

Often in order to make change and live our best lives or to effect a greater change in the world we will need to challenge expectations.  Throughout history those who have had the greatest impact on society have been the ones to challenge expectations ... disrupt the status quo.  Many amazing people have come before us to make way for our current way of life.  In our country we have been especially lucky to have many amazing men and women pave the way for us.

These expectations may also affect your life personally in terms of expectations to act a certain way, live a certain lifestyle or have a certain type of job.  However, I encourage you to listen to the fire within you that is calling out to you to fulfill a purpose.  This may be scary and difficult.  You may feel stuck by circumstance or current societal beliefs.  It may be easier to continue on the current path of your life.  But be sure to ask yourself, "Am I fulfilling my purpose?", "Is there something my heart is yearning for?" 

Many times others are scared of change and things they don't understand yet.  However, can you be the one to educate or inspire others?

When you are ready to say goodbye to this life what is it that you will look back with regret and sadness?  

Is there fire within you?  

Be brave!  Follow your heart!