Category Archives: Senses

Feb10

Herbalism

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Herbalism

rose geranium

Herbs have been used to treat every illness under the sun from the dawn of time. Every culture looks to its immediate environment for remedies, and Mother Nature makes sure each there is a natural remedy handy. This is why, in today’s “small world,” there are often many herbs reported to help the same malady.

In my opinion, you should look to the plants and herbs that grow naturally (or once grew naturally) in your own part of the world before considering a plant from a more exotic location.

For example, Americans should look to American herbs for natural remedies. More specifically, the best place to find an herbal remedy is within the culture of Native Americans indigenous to your area.

That being said, there are many ways to practice herbalism. Here are only a few: Read the rest of this entry →

Feb10

Blackened Chicken In Cajun Sauce

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Blackened Chicken In Cajun Sauce

Ingredients

4 Servings

garlic1 1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth (low sodium, no fat)

1 whole tomato, seeded and minced

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (choose from oregano, basil, tarragon, or marjoram)

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz penne pasta Read the rest of this entry →

Feb9

What Do My Senses Have to Do With Spirit?

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What Do My Senses Have to Do With Spirit?

body mind connection logoHow often do you “know” or “feel” exactly what it is that you want (or need) to create a better life for yourself?  Now, how often do you follow through with the steps to accomplish your goal?  The reason you do not “do” what you “need to do” is twofold:

  • Your body is locked in habit and feels much more comfortable with the status quo than with change.
  • Mind and spirit are often working for change long before your body makes it off of the couch.  Everything you “do” depends on your body’s cooperation.  Your mind and spirit easily accomplish miracles…but if your body doesn’t cooperate by doing what needs to be done, then you do not reach your goals.

Your spirit and mind do not effectively communicate with your body.

Mind tells Body to “Just do it!”

Spirit tells Body “I will support you every step of the way!”

Body hears, “Blah Blah Blah,” and thinks, “You two are nothing like me – you don’t understand!” and continues to follow habit.  (If you have kids then this conversation probably sounds familiar!)

In many ways, you’re body is right.  It is the only member of this powerful group that lives solely in the present and relates to everything in this world only through what it sees, hears, feels, tastes and smells.  If you were only your body, life would be very different indeed.

Fortunately, you’re not only your body, and our world is not only made up of what your body senses.  The trick is getting your body to accept this idea as fact.  It is possible!  Think about Helen Keller and Teacher at the water pump and that remarkable moment when Helen understood that “water” had a name.  The whole world opened up to Helen at that moment – everything she had known previously took on new meaning!

The same is possible for you.  You can gently retrain your body to understand more than what is directly in front of it by using items that are, well, directly in front of it. Herbs, stones and crystals, pendulums, Tarot…all of it works to convince your body that there’s more to it than meets its eyes.

Feb8

Spiritual Meal Preparation

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Spiritual Meal Preparation

healthy meal prepWith so many recipes available to us on the Internet, sometimes I forget that it is not the recipe that is important to meal-time, but the love that goes into preparing that meal.

My family can tell when I “throw something together!” Not by the taste of the recipe, but by the way I present it to them. The presentation is a direct result of how much love, or how much of myself, I put into the food. When I carefully measure, blend and stir, somehow the energy of the food is different and better than when I am not so careful.

How do you stir the pot?

How do you prepare the food for yourself and your family? Many times, I feel the heat at meal time to throw something together quickly and with the least possible trouble. However, with just a bit more concentration, I could infuse love and goodness into my family’s food.

It is important to treasure the moments you spend preparing a meal for yourself or loved ones. Make meal preparation enjoyable by planning what you will eat beforehand so that you can make the most of meal prep time.

Here are some mindful ways for you to make your meal preparation and family meal times more meaningful from start to finish:

bulletTake time to inspect fresh produce and meat. Is it ripe and beautiful? Is the meat truly fresh, or is it enhanced with color?  Choose fresh foods with care.

bulletWhen preparing a meal, handle foods with love. Think about the nutritious qualities of each food and how it will benefit you.

bulletAs you chop and slice, try to make the pieces of equal sizes so they are pleasing to the eye and easy to chew.

bulletAs you mix and cook, stir the foods carefully. Think about how much you love the ones who will eat this food (even if it is only for you!).

bulletStir the food in your pot clock-wise for better health and a happier family dinner time.

bulletMake eating time special. Play soft music, mention the nutritive values of the foods you’ve prepared, and be grateful from the inside out – you’ve spent quality time with your food!

Taking time to think about what you are preparing has the added benefit of priming your subconscious mind to believe that you are taking care of your body. Over time, you will begin choosing healthier foods naturally.

Feb8

A Tarot Wand Story

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A Tarot Wand Story

tarot storyThe Tarot deck tells our common life stories. Although each of us are unique, our stories are similar because there is only so many things that can happen in this world! We fall in love, out of love. We earn a promotion and lose our jobs. We meet people and lose people. Tarot tells these stories not through magic but through intuition. The tarot draws out our inner voice, the one that speaks in metaphors and pictures. The tarot allows us to put into words what our soul knows to be true.

You can self-coach yourself using the Tarot cards as a guide.

Below is a sample story using the first three cards in the suit of wands. It is not meant to guide someone, but ultimately it will. Are you the one who needs to hear this story today? Read the rest of this entry →

Feb8

Creative Meditation

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Creative Meditation

creative meditationDid you know you could create your own meditation anytime with any item or idea? Grab something you love, then use all of your senses to imagine. Yes, that was the correct ending to that sentence: use all of your senses to imagine. It’s easier than you might think.

I meditated with cloves today. What do you think about what I saw? This is just an example of the kind of mental break with insight that meditation gifts to you when you do it. This is how my meditation went:

I’ve got an open container of cloves in front of me. The scent is perceptible, yet not over-powering. The cloves are dark brown and look like little nails.

I’m thinking that I’ve nailed something shut. Now, I’ve got to go open it again. I don’t know what’s in this wooden crate (who knew I had a wooden crate?!), but I’m going to find out. The clove scent is carrying me through a darkened tunnel…there’s a light at the other side…bluish. The smell is comforting, relaxing, and filling…nothing to fear here, take another step…I’m in the bright blue light. Read the rest of this entry →

Feb2

Yellow Color Energy

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Yellow Color Energy

Yellow energy is located at your waist, between your naval and your rib cage. Yellow energy is considered to be your intellectual center.

It is funny to me that our intellectual center is in our belly, but many of us favor brainy thought while ignoring our “gut” instincts!

Instead, “rational” people trust mental abilities like listing pros and cons or planning for (or worrying about) what-ifs.  This over-analyzing leads to action paralysis. We tend to do too much thinking in the brain, but ignore our gut, our intuition, our guide.

Healthy Dose of Yellow Energy

If you have a healthy level of yellow energy, you tend to be feeling open and outgoing. You are charming and warm, and others often feel their own self-confidence soar while in the presence of someone with healthy yellow energy. These People are contagious gigglers, both strong and relaxed, and highly respectful of others.

Yellow Energy Imbalance

If you recognize yourself in the following symptoms, do not worry. You are not doomed to a life of imbalanced yellow energy! There are simple ways to correct an imbalance in the last section of this page.

Too much Yellow

  • Egotistic
  • Demanding of perfection from yourself and others
  • Unfulfilled in your sex life although your partner is ‘willing’
  • Quick to judge others and yourself based on little or incorrect criteria

Too little Yellow

  • Self-doubting
  • Constantly seeking others’ approval
  • Insecure and/or afraid to be alone
  • Convinced the one you love is cheating on you while having no proof

How to Correct a Yellow Imbalance

Aaah, finally! The fun part! Below is a chart of ideas to help you to correct a too LOW yellow energy level. If you have a too high yellow energy level, you need to skip over to the purple energy chart.

You see, purple is yellow’s opposite. By working with purple, you will balance the yellow and purple energy flow. Your body will know whether the purple energy needs to rise to the level of yellow energy, or if your yellow energy needs to lower to the purple energy level. Sounds confusing…don’t worry about it. Your body will innately know what to do.

Feb2

Yellow Chakras & Gates

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Yellow Chakras & Gates

yellow modesty virtue

When you associate the color yellow with a chakra, you find its correlation in the solar plexus.

The solar plexus chakra reflects our feelings of personal power such as self-confidence, self-love, and self-acceptance. It is the energy center that regulates your physical metabolic rate and digestion.

This makes sense because your feelings of personal power are also metabolized in that those feelings must undergo changes, or stages, to support healthy life management skills. Read the rest of this entry →

Feb2

Color Energy and Chakras

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Color Energy and Chakras

color logo reverseYou have probably heard of chakras, but have you heard of governing gates?  The governing gates are specific to healing energies, similar to how chakras respond to healing energies.  No-Eyes, a Native American teacher, adds a tweak to the Eastern view of chakras.

Although Gates and Chakras align in meaning and purpose pretty well, there are some important differences.

The first difference concerns chakra/gate number 3. No-Eyes said this area is the connection to Force, not a typical power point or chakra.  In other words, gate 3 is our umbilical cord connecting us to Spirit.

No-Eyes also believed that the second chakra is not a static energy. To her, the second chakra is the Kundalini, or flow of energy, within the body.  No-Eyes considered the energy of the second chakra to be The Force.

Gates open to allow the Force to flow through us.  When one of our gates malfunction, it impedes the flow of The Force.  In time, impeding your flow of The Force makes you sick.