6 Things I Do with Every Client

No matter what energetic skill level and capacity a client has when they come to work with me one on one, we end up working on these 6 fundamentals, and it universally makes a huge difference.

I have shared some form of this framework with almost every single private mentorship client for the last few years--people who are newer on the path and get overwhelmed going to the grocery store, people who have some energetic tools but maybe not everything they need, and even well-established practitioners who may have a blind spot about something fundamental to their practice.

The reason these 6 things are so beneficial and universally applicable is because these are the Foundations of Energetic Mastery.

These 6 things build the solid foundation of your energy practice.

These 6 things make all the "fancy" work possible. These are essential skills for things like channeling and mediumship, shamanic extractions and soul retrieval.

These 6 things will save your butt when you feel overwhelmed, depleted and stressed out.

These 6 things will bring you back to center when things in your life go sideways and you're too distracted to channel the angels for guidance.

These 6 things are deceptively simple, but simple is effective.

A lot of people who already have some training in energy work think they have the fundamentals mastered, but then I show them these 6 things and their eyes go wide. They say, "No one has ever explained it to me like that before. I didn't know I could do that. That makes so much sense. Will you please teach me how?"

Here are the 6 things:

The Foundations of Energetic Mastery

1. Awareness

This is the foundational skill that makes all the other pieces possible. Your awareness is your ability to sense and assess your body and etheric field, to discern what energy is yours and what is not, as well as to determine the presence, location and other relevant information regarding blockages or interferences in your body and energy field. Your awareness is your ability to direct and project your consciousness like a voluntary muscle. Your awareness is foundational to your energetic regulation and radiance.

2. Clearing

Clearing is your ability to release and send away any energy that is not yours, or things that are yours that you don't need anymore. Clearing releases hidden and trapped emotional residue, old karmic patterning and soul blueprints, trauma and traumatic imprints, energetic parasites and psychic implants, stagnation, other people's energy, and more.

3. Grounding

Grounding enables presence. Grounding helps you anchor your consciousness firmly into your bioform, the cells in your body, and to Gaia. Grounding is your ability to be stable and resourced in your presence, and to call upon the aliveness in your body and the Earth.

4. Centering

Centering brings you back home to yourself. This practice calls all parts of your Self, your energy and your attention back to wholeness with you. Centering is also where soul retrieval comes in to support healing from soul loss and fragmentation.

5. Cultivation

Cultivation brings in energy from Earth, the Heavens and Source to increase the amount of energy in your field, as well as your capacity to hold it. Cultivation practices give you radiant aliveness, raise your vibration, support thriving health and well-being and enable you to practice high-demand energy work like incorporation mediumship.

6. Protection

Finally, Protection acts as a semi-permeable membrane to help you conserve your energy and regulate yourself efficiently. A lot of people think it's important to start with Protection, but this is actually the final step.

In which of these 6 things are you most confident? Which one feels the most challenging to you?

Do you want help with this in your own practice?

I've got you covered!

Get Support:

Are you ready for support with the Foundations of Energetic Mastery?

Book a call with me to talk about what type of support is right for you.

Most spiritual practice is like cleaning your house

Most spiritual work is like cleaning your house.

It’s mundane, but very necessary, and things get really yucky when you don’t do it.

If you’ve been following my work for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about this before. Yes, it’s time for another article about how spiritual practice is actually very unglamorous, contrary to a lot of what you might see on social media.

And friends: that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful, meaningful, powerful, miraculous and life-affirming. It is all of those things, and more.

But on the day-to-day basis, spiritual practice is more like cleaning the toilet.

Imagine you didn’t regularly clean your house. I am pretty sure every single one of us has gone too long without vacuuming at some point in our lives, so we all know the feeling. You get used to the piles of paper, the dust bunnies in the corners and the scuzz in the sink.

And then, a guest is coming over! Time to recycle all the junk mail. Time to vacuum up the pet hair and scrub the gunk.

And wow, it feels great. The sink is so shiny. The counters are clear. Your socks are no longer covered in pet hair because the floors are clean.

Cleaning your house feels way more dramatic and miraculous if you don’t do it often.

Spiritual practice feels way more dramatic and miraculous if you don’t do it often.

If you only clean your toilet once a year, it is going to feel like a f*ing revelation when you finally do.

If you clean your toilet before it actually gets yucky, it is going to feel sort of mundane and potentially unnecessary.

If you don’t have a consistent and regular spiritual practice, the moments when you do tap in and connect are going to feel like the clouds parting, a beam of sunlight illuminating your vision as a choir of angels serenades you with your favorite song.

If you do have a regular and consistent spiritual practice, you will probably reach a point where it feels boring and potentially unnecessary, because it is working so well.

One of the most significant benefits of spiritual practice is helping you be regulated and stable in your life, no matter what. This sounds super unglamorous, but I promise it’s easy to regulate your energy when things are going well and a whole lot more difficult to do so when shit hits the fan.

When things go sideways, as they do for every single one of us, your spiritual practice will help you maintain your inner equanimity.

Your spiritual practice will help you not lash out from hurt feelings or anger.

Your spiritual practice will help you process your grief.

Your spiritual practice will help you find joy and hope in the darkest moments.

Your spiritual practice will help you be kind to yourself and others, even when it’s more convenient to be unkind.

Your spiritual practice will help ground you and keep you from dissociating when you feel overwhelmed.

Your spiritual practice will help you access your intuition and inner wisdom when you feel lost.

Your spiritual practice will help you love, even when you’re hurting.

Your spiritual practice will help you tune in to the wisdom of your body when you need healing.

And yes, your regular and consistent spiritual practice will help you connect with high-vibration divine beings, have transcendent epiphanies and receive cosmic downloads. Your spiritual practice will help you sing songs to the spirits, experience magic and synchronicity, expand in love and joy, and feel more connection and beauty than you ever thought possible.

But the most beneficial support your spiritual practice can offer you is to help you be more at home in yourself and present in your life, which will make the biggest difference when you need it most.

Why you probably don't have an entity (and no one is attacking you)

I have learned to never be surprised by the shit people tell me, or by people contacting me out of the blue with some truly wild stories. Seriously—my email is a fascinating read. I regularly receive messages from random people that range from two sentences to a few pages long, and most of these emails include the person’s assumption that they have picked up a harmful entity, and/or someone or something is attacking them. Occasionally, people request an exorcism.

My response to these people varies, depending on the level of wackadoo in the email. I will usually offer support in the form of resources and practices to ground and strengthen the field. (I tell them, “go watch this podcast episode, do these practices for a week and then let me know how you’re doing.”) If the person seems relatively grounded and stable, I may invite them to do some sessions with me.

Interestingly, the people that I give practices to never circle back around with me. Seriously. Not once. This astonishes me, because in my mind, if I thought I had an entity and a Shaman told me to do something to support my system, I would do exactly what they told me.

Of the people I have worked with who came in thinking they had entities, attachments or were being attacked by someone or something, care to guess how many actually did?

Answer: a small handful.

In other words, over the 15+ years that I’ve been studying and practicing Shamanism and healing work, the percentage of people who think they have an entity or are being attacked, who ACTUALLY have an entity or are being attacked, is tiny. Like, maybe 5%.

So, what’s going on with the other 95%?

Without fail, the other 95% of people do not actually have entities or attachments, and are not being attacked by anyone or anything. Instead, they are feeling their own Shadow, and ascribing their discomfort to something outside of themselves.

Here are a few notable examples:

1. Several years ago, a woman contacted me about getting an exorcism for her 8-year-old granddaughter. She described the situation and I tuned into the field. Did the granddaughter have an entity? Answer: no. She was just being an 8-year-old and processing a lot of trauma in the only way she knew how—by screaming, acting out and going from zero to tantrum at the drop of a hat. I offered healing work (not an exorcism) and the woman said no. I believe she went on to have her granddaughter exorcised by a priest. (Cringe.)

2. Last year, a client came to me who thought he had entities that were making him tired and depressed. Did he? Answer: no. He was processing his own Shadow and metabolizing energy on behalf of his lineage. We did some very powerful healing sessions that released ancestral trauma, rewrote some unhealthy soul contracts and supported him in stepping into his empowered soul work and purpose.

3. Recently, my ex asked me if I was “sending her bad juju.” When I asked for clarification, she said she felt a lot of bad energy coming from me and was physically afraid for her safety. She thought I was attacking her. Was I? Answer: of course not. The fact that she thought I would further illustrated the wisdom of that separation. What was actually happening? She was most likely processing her Shadow and pain body magnified by our breakup.

4. A while ago, a woman reached out about her son. She was concerned for his health, and thought that he might have an entity or attachment. It turns out that the boy’s father had died in a bad way and that the boy had been the one to find him. Did he have an attachment? Answer: in this case, yes. The father’s spirit had attached to the boy.

These are only a few examples, but my god, people! The level of story-making blows my mind. Why do people so quickly jump to the conclusion that they have an entity, or that someone or something is attacking them? How did this become a thing?

I have a few thoughts on this:

1. Generally speaking, most people don’t understand the principle of Shadow or Shadow Work. For our purposes in Shamanic and Alchemical philosophy, the Shadow is “that which is unseen or unintegrated.” If people are confronted with their Shadow, it’s probably something they’ve been avoiding and it makes them uncomfortable.

2. If people aren’t used to being uncomfortable, they will try to explain their discomfort by assuming something is wrong, rather than “I’m processing trauma” or “I feel really bad about my decisions” or “I’m learning some really hard lessons right now,” and letting that be okay.

3. Projecting the discomfort to an external source means that people don’t have to take responsibility for it. If they’re not ready to own the energy and actually move through it, it’s a lot easier to blame their off-ness on an entity or an attack.

4. If people think there is an external source to blame, it means they get to be a victim, and they don’t actually have to change themselves or their behavior. Instead of looking at how they are creating or contributing to this experience, people think that the problem to be fixed is simply getting rid of the entity or stopping the attack.

5. Pop culture has glorified and misrepresented possession, entities, psychic attacks and all sorts of other bullshit. Yes, all of these things do exist. Yes, it is possible to be possessed, to have an entity or attachment, and energetic attack is totally a thing. However, it is not the most LIKELY explanation. Far more likely is the Shadow Work explanation. Occam’s razor, people: the simplest solution is probably the correct one.

The next time you’re moving through some uncomfortable energy and wondering if you have an entity or are being attacked… stop. It’s probably just your own Shadow. Here’s what to do:

1. Regulate your energy. Use energetic and physical practices to clear, ground, cultivate and protect your field. If you don’t know any of these techniques, tune in to my podcast, Shaman Sister Sessions. Katherine Bird and I offer lots of tools and practices.

2. Once you’ve regulated your field, assess how you’re doing. Ask yourself some guiding questions to learn more about your experience. Examples include:

   • What energy is moving through me?

   • What part of me is asking to be seen?

   • What am I getting out of this experience?

   • What part of me is asking to change or transform?

3. If you still need help, contact me! Yes, I know how to do exorcisms, but you probably don’t need one. Instead, we would most likely work on supporting your field, metabolizing unprocessed energy, healing trauma, actualizing your purpose and bringing you into your fullest, most empowered expression in the world. Isn’t that more fun than an exorcism?

When these people who contact me choose to show up and work with the Shadow, the results are incredibly powerful. Imagine consciously and lovingly working with the unseen and unintegrated parts of yourself to bring them into a harmonious state. Wouldn’t you love to give yourself that gift? Instead of keeping it surface level and assuming that someone or something else is to blame for your experience, imagine taking empowered agency for your process and transmuting your own Shadow.

Special sneak peek: new Shaman Sister Sessions episode comes out on Thursday! Episodes #92 and #93 are both about Entities, Attachments and Psychic Attacks. Episode #92 continues this conversation about why you probably don’t have an entity. Episode #93 talks about what to do if you do have an energetic attachment. Want access to the episodes? Join Lightworker Portal—the FREE community I created just for you! Get instant access to all the content archives.

Whether you have an entity or not (let’s face it: probably not) the opportunity for you is the same: to transmute your Shadow, to master your energy and to embody your fully empowered sovereignty. Regardless of how you choose to learn this lesson, your own Soul is inviting you to be more powerful and compassionate, and live with more grace than ever before.

This is true Alchemy.

If you find yourself in a situation like this, it's because your Soul is giving you the keys to your own actualization. Even though the energy may feel dense, heavy, insurmountable and incredibly painful, it is this same energy that will liberate you. This is your own personal lead--the heavy base metal that you get to transform into Gold. Your Soul is calling you to step up and alchemize your Shadow into your greatest Light. Your Soul is asking you to alchemize your pain into joy. Your Soul is inviting you to alchemize your grief, your anger, your suffering into grace, compassion and peace.

If you’re ready to say YES to your Soul, I’m here to help.

Do you want to…

• …go from feeling like you’re living at the whims of change, to intentionally choosing your own path of transformation and creation?

• …have a roadmap to guide you through the hardest transformational moments of your life?

• …learn tools and practices that will immediately and noticeably enhance your vitality, health, energy and well-being?

• …know without a shadow of a doubt that you are living your life “on purpose?”

• …feel connected to something bigger than yourself? Do you want to commune with Spirit through this ancient and powerful lineage?

• …use these powerful tools to support loved ones, clients and your community in their journey of transformation and actualization?

Applications are now open for Embody-Wild that will help you heal your Shadow.



Check out all the details here.

Many Blessings,

Practice prompt:

Get comfortable sitting with your Shadow body. Rather than dismissing or avoiding it, practice asking questions like:

• What energy is moving through me?

• What part of me is asking to be seen?

• What am I getting out of this experience?

• What part of me is asking to change or transform?

How to Deal with Energy Vampires

Energy vampires are everywhere. Sometimes they're obvious (that friend who seems to suck the life out of a room and whom you care about but feel really tired after talking to them), and sometimes they're super sneaky. Sometimes they seem like awesome people on paper. Sometimes they are so good at hiding in plain sight that they successfully attract lots of juicy, vibrant people to feed on.

Guess what: the "spiritual" community is not exempt from energy vampires. In fact, there are probably more of these "hiding in plain sight" vampires in the spiritual community than almost anywhere else. They're practitioners, they're "spiritual" business coaches, they're shamans, they're speakers. They have a foothold in a community of heart-centered people. They are sneaky, and they are gross.

I don't mean to sound dramatic about this (it's all very deal-with-able), but I recently encountered one such energy vampire. It's been a while since I've dealt with an energy suck of this level, so I wanted to share with you the process I went through in dealing with this vampire so you can apply it to your own experiences.

Here are some of my favorite tools and practices for when you inevitably encounter one, yourself!

How to Deal with Energy Vampires

1. Trust your intuition. You are not crazy.

If you feel like something is off, something is probably off. Even if this person is saying all the right things and it seems like there's something wrong with you for not wanting to be around them, I guarantee you will eventually find out why. Better to trust yourself from the start.
 

2. Step away.

Once you've identified the energy vampire, do what you can to create some space (energetic and physical) between you. It will be easier for you to maintain your field if you're not in immediate contact with this person. If for some reason you can't take physical space from this person, create space with your energy and your body (avoiding eye contact, turning your body away, placing others between you and the vampire).

2. *****Alternative step for confident and advanced practitioners only!!!!!

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless you are extremely confident in your energetic boundaries, you feel well-resourced and are ready to be extremely uncomfortable (and probably make other people uncomfortable, too). Instead of stepping away and creating space, lean in and "poke the bear" to see what kind of energy you're dealing with. The vampire will either back off or come at you harder. In this particular circumstance, I threw some darts to see what would happen and the results were downright nasty. The process was incredibly unpleasant and has made my energetic cleanup a little more challenging, but it confirmed for me exactly what I was dealing with. Totally worth it. And totally disgusting.
 

3. Assess your energy.

After you're no longer in contact with the vampire, do a scan and assess your energy body. What do you notice? Is your energy relatively intact, depleted, raw, reactive, etc? Are there cords or attachments? (Answer: probably.) If so, where? Are there energetic implants or traces from the vampire? If so, where and of what kind? Make sure you assess all the layers (physical body, emotional body, mental body, etheric body.)
 

4. Take appropriate action.

This is where your different tools come in. Depending on what you notice in your assessment, the tools and the order in which you use them may vary. Some of the tools you might use include:

• Grounding

• Movement practice

• Rest and replenishment

• Cord cutting

• Energy clearing

• Emotional Alchemy

• Reviewing and altering energy signatures

• Energy/entity removal

• Soul retrieval

• Re-upping your protection practices

For more information on tools for dealing with energy vampires, check out this episode of Shaman Sister Sessions:

Again, these people are everywhere. Some of them don't know what they're doing and are using vampirism to take energy from others because they are deeply wounded and don't know how to support themselves. And unfortunately, there are plenty of vampires like the one I faced off with who know exactly what they are doing and are really good at getting away with it.

I hope you find this helpful. It is my deepest hope that what I share with you (today and always) is useful to you and helps all of us step forward into more empowerment, confidence and integrity. When I encounter people like this vampire, I get really angry. I feel incredibly protective of my community (that's you), and I want to take a stand for ethical energetic practices.

A Shaman is responsible for the health and well-being of their Tribe. A Priestess is a temple keeper and guardian of the Sacred Work. As a Shaman and a Priestess, when I come across a manipulative narcissist masquerading as a loving leader, my inner Sacred Warrior rises up, sword in hand, to declare:

Not in my house. Not in my temple. Not in my Tribe. I commit to always taking a stand for you, my community. I commit to always advocating for love, integrity and Truth. I commit to holding a fierce boundary when necessary. I commit to doing this Sacred Work for the benefit of All Beings, and for the Earth herself.

Want to know more about other ways to protect and cultivate your vital life force energy?

Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery...

if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

I see you. I love you.

Many blessings,

Four Ways You're Probably Leaking Energy and Don't Know It

Do you ever feel like sometimes you might be hemorrhaging life force energy and not know where it all goes? All of a sudden you feel totally exhausted, depleted and have no idea why. You can't imagine what might be taking that much of your energy, and I can guarantee it's probably something you never expected.

I wanted to share this with you because over the years, I have witnessed an appalling number of practitioners fall into these super obvious traps (I have fallen into these as well) and end up feeling totally drained. Yes, all the usual stuff still applies (grounding, protecting your energy, personal practice, etc.). But these four things are so basic that they're not usually on our radar as potential energy leaks.

Sometimes it's helpful to look at the most mundane parts of our lives and see how they're contributing to our overall well-being. If you're one of the people whose first thought when you hear "energy leak" is "do an extraction" or "they must need Soul Retrieval..." start here first.

 

Four Ways You're Probably Leaking Energy and Don't Know It

1. Problem: Maintaining potential timelines.
We often see this in the case of non-commitment, "keeping options open" or replying "Interested" to everything on Facebook. Maybe you're the kind of person who tells your friends "Maybe, I'll get back to you" about plans and waits until the last minute. I'm a huge fan of flexibility, but did you know that it actually costs you energy to maintain that many open currents? As long as you keep the possibility open of "maybe" doing something or spending time with people, you are maintaining an energetic connection to those people and circumstances. Whether you like it or not, if the energetic connection is there, your life force is attached to that potential timeline.
Fix: Be clear in your intentions about what you commit to and where you make energetic connections. If you want to go to an event, buy your ticket. If you're not sure, give yourself a hard deadline to think about it and then make your final decision, yes or no. That way you can focus all your energy on the timelines you want to manifest.

2. Problem: Virtual connections.
This is a similar principle as above. The world we live in exposes us to the energy from more people, circumstances and events than ever before, while simultaneously isolating us into a little virtual bubble. You know all the healthy, positive things that come with spending time with friends and family, such as oxytocin, emotional resonance and heartbeat entrainment? We don't get those from virtual connection. We may be able to communicate through texts, messages and even video, but the benefits pretty much stop there. Instead, we form an energetic link with someone or something that can then tap the precious resource of our own vital life force (read the news lately? Geez. Don't want that connection). In other words, we get all the drawbacks of making an energetic link with someone without actually receiving the benefits.
Fix: Make sure to create space for nourishing in-person connection, and practice regular energy clearing and cord-cutting to sever connections with virtual energies.

3. Problem: Not taking responsibility for your own energy.
This one can be a bit tricky (I am definitely not "Law of Attraction-shaming" here), and we've all been here at some point. But here's a bit of tough love: I can guarantee that you have at least ONE tool in your tool belt that will help you take responsibility for your own energy, even if it feels like things are falling apart around you. Maybe you have lots of tools. Regardless of how many tools we have, they don't work for shit unless we actually use them. When we don't take responsibility for our own energy, we lose so much of our vital life force by placing our process outside of ourselves. (Not taking responsibility for our energy can look like blaming things on Mercury Retrograde/astrology stuff, excusing something with "my healer told me my root chakra is blocked so I'm really ungrounded," etc.) Avoiding responsibility for your energy body is a great way to become super depleted and blow out your system.
This means the next time you're spinning out (again, we all have those moments), instead of making your problem someone else's problem, STOP. Breathe. Go for a walk. Use any of the amazing tools you have to shift your energy.
Fix: Claim your sovereignty and embody your free will in the experience. Take responsibility for your energy body and use your tools. Be honest with yourself and others about how you're feeling, and take empowered, inspired action to shift your energy and/or ask for support.

4. Problem: Divided desire.
Do you feel like you're "stuck?" Do you look back at your life and feel like you're in the same place you were a year ago? Five years ago? Ten years ago? If so, you might be divided in your desires. Maybe part of you wants to connect with high vibration energies and become an Alchemist, but another part of you is afraid of the changes that will mean for your 3D life. Oh no! What if you outgrow your career, shift out of alignment with your partner and feel like you need to move to Portland to study Alchemy and healership with Michelle???
Relax. The Divided Desire trap exists because we believe it's an either/or choice, rather than a both/and option. We often think we need to figure out the details before making transformation happen in order to satisfy the concerns of that part of ourselves that's digging in its heels. But as long as we're divided in our intentions and desires, nothing happens and we get stuck. When we get stuck, we're no longer participating in the flow of Universal energy, and we lose our vital life force. We feel depleted, drained, disconnected and dull.
Fix: Get the conflicting parts of yourself on the same page, even if it's for a small change, just to get some energy moving and regain your connection with flow. You'll feel more vital and the next change will come more easily.

On that note... Applications for I AM Alchemy 2020 are now open. 

Want to know more about other ways to protect and cultivate your vital life force energy? Have I got the training for you!

Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery...

if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Energetic Regulation is Not Just for Empaths

...it's for anyone who wants to understand their own energy and cultivate an empowered personal practice. Do you know anyone who needs that?

We might think our personal practice supports us fully, but in my 15+ years of training and work, I've found that one key area is missing from most people's practice, and that essential component is Energetic Regulation. Being able to regulate our energies directly affects our health and well-being on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels, and is usually overlooked in most forms of personal practice.

What is Energetic Regulation?

Even if you have some idea of how energy works or have even studied healing work, Energetic Regulation may not be a part of your practice. Energetic Regulation is both the practice of long-term energetic maintenance, and identifying specific imbalances in your personal energy field and making appropriate adjustments using the 4 Keys of Energetic Regulation.

When your energy is regulated, your energy body is fully online and empowered.

What would be possible for you if your energy were fully Empowered? Do you know what that feels like?

We live in a world where, for the most part, our energies are out of balance and not fully empowered. We walk on concrete, drive around in cars, talk on phones, stare at screens and eat processed food. We may interface with people who are angry, frustrated, unhealthy and out of balance. The more unbalanced we are, the more support we need to regulate and empower our energies!

Needing to regulate your energy doesn't mean that you're doing anything wrong. Regulating your energy is a necessary maintenance that supports your health and well-being on the physical, mental, emotional and Spiritual levels.

If you need to regulate your energy, you might:

• Feel depleted, tired, fatigued or drained

• Feel anxious, scattered, having trouble focusing or making decisions

• Be more likely to take on other people’s energy, feel angry or depressed

• Feel like you’re “stuck in your head,” disconnected from your body and your heart

• Have trouble connecting with others, not able to access your intuition

• Feel overwhelmed, insecure, or want to “check out”

• Have a strong personal practice and generally feel good, but like there's something "off" and you're not sure what

Your Energy Body, Empowered!

Good news! If you’re feeling any of those things above, that’s totally normal because of the world we live in. Even better news: there’s a simple solution, and that’s what this training is all about! Using regulation practices to maintain a healthy energy body is a life-long practice that requires awareness and commitment. Just like any other skill, the more you practice, the easier and more effortless it becomes. When you clear, ground, cultivate and protect your energies, you might:

• Feel energized, rested, resourced and comfortable

• Feel more confident, secure, focused and stable

• Feel more physical health and vitality

• Experience better sleep and relaxation

• Have healthy boundaries, feel happier and connect more easily with others

• Have a healthy connection with your body and your emotions

• Develop a healthy connection with your intuition

• Feel capable, alert and engaged in your life

• Have greater capacity to support your clients and people in your life

How would it feel if you had the tools and resources to build an Empowered foundation for your personal energy and your practice? What difference would it make for you if you understood how to regulate your energy field? How would it help you feel more empowered in your life, and enable you to show up more fully?

What would be possible for you if your energy were fully Empowered?

Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Are you ready to go from being "just another healer" to a Fully Empowered Master of Transformation?

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020!

The Empowered Healer Checklist

Over my 15+ years of training and practice, I've found that there are a few key essentials that make all the difference both in my personal practice and in my ability to offer healing to others. These were essential skills that I imparted during my 7 years teaching Reiki, and continue to teach to my private clients and Alchemy students.

...Do you want to know what they are???
 

How do you know if you're an Empowered healer?
Use the Empowered Healer checklist to find out!

The Empowered Healer Checklist

Every Empowered Healer should feel confident in these 5 key areas:

1. Energetic Anatomy: You know how energy naturally moves through the body and energy centers. You can identify different layers of your energy body, direct flow of energy and tell if something is out of alignment.

2. Clearing energy: You can comfortably and confidently use purging, releasing and cleansing techniques to clear the different energy bodies. You know how to clear trapped emotion, old energetic residue, other people's energy and stagnation.

3. Grounding energy: You know how to safely ground into Earthly and embodied energies. You know how to return all parts of your energy back to your body and create a solid container.

4. Cultivating energy: You feel confident building and cultivating your energy field. You know how to increase the vibration and the amount of energy in your field, and safely work with it.

5. Protecting energy: You know how to create a non-defensive protective field. You feel comfortable setting and asserting energetic boundaries, especially in stressful or chaotic surroundings. You know how to keep your energies safe.

If you answered an enthusiastic YES to all of these, congratulations! You're an Empowered Healer!

Were there some points where you didn't feel so confident? Did you see some areas where you would like to grow and feel more comfortable?

Applications for I AM Alchemy are now open. Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Are you ready to go from being "just another healer" to a Fully Empowered Master of Transformation?

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020!

Journal/Meditation prompts:
 

Who am I as an Empowered Healer?
What dreams do I have for myself in my Healing abilities?
What do I need to learn or be in order for that to happen?

Cycles of Power: Winter

Cycles of Power

Many people view time and energy as a linear trajectory: we experience a series of sequential events and threads that make up our lives. In reality, time and energy function much less like a line and more like a spiral. Energy naturally fluctuates, and as the saying goes, what goes up must come down (and go up again, and so on), following the Universal Law of expansion and contraction.

By bringing awareness to the cyclical nature of energetic movement and our own cycles of power, we learn to align our own personal energies in the most effective and efficient way with cycles of power that exist outside of us. Think about it like a current: it is much easier to swim with the current than against it. Swimming against the current is inefficient, tiring and you have little to show for your exertion. Working with Cycles of Power is like learning to swim with the current at all times—less work for you, greater results and you get to enjoy the ride.

In this case, we’re working with the Cycles of Power that we witness in the change of seasons. Shamanic tradition teaches us that each season has its own suite of associated energies. These seasonal signatures offer us clues as to how we can align our own energies to effectively “swim with the current.” Let's take a look at what Winter energy holds:
 

Seasonal Signatures of Winter

• Energy: Yin

• Direction: North

• Signatures: Silence, stillness, rest, hibernation, integration

• Guides: Animals of “structure” (such as Bear and Elk) and strong Tribe (such as Wolf)

Autumn asked us to harvest the seeds we planted and begin the journey inward, and Winter asks us to fully arrive home within ourselves to rest and replenish our energies. Consider the fields in Winter: the crops have been harvested, the soil turned under and left to rest until Spring. This is the season to offer that to ourselves so that we can fully integrate the energies of the year and be ready for the next Spring. Here are some ways you can orient yourself to Winter magic:

Aligning to the Cycle of Power of Winter

• Sleep more than you would any other time of year--how much does your body actually want to sleep? How can you include more rest in your day?

• If you default to listening to music in the background, try turning it off and tuning in to the silence.

• Even if you have an active personal practice (exercise, moving meditation, etc) add in a few moments of stillness. Maybe include an extended Shavasana in your yoga practice, or shift your movement practice in a more Yin direction. Restorative yoga, Yin forms of Qi Gong, stretching and rolling out your body are great for this season.

• Take a moment to review your year. Winter is the time of integration--what needs to be processed from 2018? (Stay tuned for a special Solstice article from me for more tools on this!)

• The guides of Winter orient our energies to hibernation, structure and Tribe. Consider hosting or attending intimate gatherings to share stories and build connection.

I invite you to take some time before the Solstice on Saturday to sit with your intentions for Winter. See below for some helpful journal prompts!

Applications for I AM Alchemy are now open. Calling all Lightworkers! Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Many blessings,

Journal Prompts:

• What do I notice as I turn my energy fully inward? How does it feel to fully "arrive" in myself?

• What is my relationship to stillness? Where is my life asking for more stillness? What does that look like?

• What in my life needs rest? What needs to be restored or repaired?

• How am I engaging with my Tribe? How would I like to engage with my Tribe?

I invite you to journal for 3-5 minutes on each prompt, and allow yourself to slow down and tune in. Take some space on Friday to honor this process and allow yourself to fully arrive in your own Winter!

Righteous Living: Aligning with Flow

"Please help me to be in alignment with Divine flow, right timing and the Highest and Greatest Good."

Right timing.

I've been thinking a lot about this idea lately. In case you missed last week's article on Wu-Wei (the art of not doing), know that this has been a prevalent theme for me. I find myself asking, how can I be more in alignment with the flow of energy as it wants to move, rather than how I want it to or think it "should" move? And, in doing so, how can I align my own desires more authentically with the natural rhythms and currents of universal energy?

In addition to themes of slowing down and turning our energy inward, one of the signature energies of Autumn, according to Taoist philosophy, is righteousness. Let's look at this for a moment in contrast with self-righteousness:

Self-righteousness: my time, my reasons, my place, my people.
Righteousness: right time, right reasons, right place, right people.

Self-righteousness asserts a degree of ownership and control over the flow of energy, whereas righteousness itself infers a co-creative process of being in right relation with the flow of energy.

When you consider that distinction, what do you notice? What feelings arise in your body? I don't know about you, but when I consider the idea of right time, right reasons, right place and right people, it feels as though my whole body softens with a sigh.

What a relief.

In continuing with the theme of Wu-wei and the active process of not-doing, I am practicing paying radical attention to how self-righteousness is showing up in my life, and how I can surrender attachment and ownership and remove my sense of control from the equation. The sensation and energetic frame this requires feels much like what I find myself practicing when I work with horses.

Last week, the ranch owner asked me to demonstrate to a group of newcomers what it looks like to move a herd of horses with energy and intention. Entering an arena with five horses who are all doing their own thing, getting their attention and asking them to move cohesively as a group with focus and power is the ultimate practice in righteousness. (Oh, yeah--it was also my first time doing this exercise.) I dropped into my breath, noticed my posture shift automatically to a stance of grounded empowerment, and felt my attention move from my conscious mind ("how am I going to get them to do this?") into my subconscious, subtle awareness... the same place my attention shifts when practicing healing or psychic work.

Merely from these small changes, the horses shifted their energy and attention to me. Using the energy of their attention combined with my subtle awareness, I began to move my energy. The horses responded. As we cycled our energy and intention together, we created a feedback that resulted in the five horses running effortlessly together in a weaving pattern, with me simultaneously following their energetic flow and directing and shaping the current.

I'm not trying to be deliberately vague about this--the point is that it's not really a conscious thing. By being in a state of righteousness--reading their energy of right direction, right place, right timing and aligning myself with it--we were able to co-create flow and momentum. If I had kept my energy in my head and tried to assert my direction, my place and my timing, it probably would have fallen flat, resulted in the horses ignoring me or scattering and avoiding my direction.

Last week's very embodied experience of this simple distinction has me looking out for all areas in my life where I can practice righteousness over self-righteousness. The process feels like living constantly in that state of subtle awareness, and noticing how the universe weaves in co-creation with me when I allow it to show me the natural flow. So far, the result has been less effort-ing, less tiring, less time spent, and a whole lot more being quiet and paying attention, while making subtle shifts in response.

If you would like to join me in this ongoing practice of playing with righteousness with the universe, see below for meditation and journal prompts! Thank you for taking this journey with me into the subtle realms... 'tis the season.

This teaching comes from I AM Alchemy, and how to work with allowing energies to flow through you rather than "making" it happen.

Want to know more? Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020

Many blessings,

Journal prompts:

Where in my life am I living with righteousness? Where in my life am I living with self-righteousness? What in me needs to shift in order to align with righteous living?

Meditation prompts:

What does righteousness feel like in my body? Where does it live in my body? How can I consciously access this energy and use it with intention?

Wu-wei: the Art of "Not Doing"

This week, I am taking space for... "not doing."

One of the recent practices I've been playing with is the Taoist philosophy of wu-wei, which translates to "not doing," "not forcing," or "not striving."

This idea reminds me of something I heard from my Reiki master during a class many years ago: she said that Western society tells us, "Don't just sit there, do something!" Meanwhile, Reiki philosophy tells us, "Don't just do something, sit there!" We are taught to value action--even action undirected, merely for the sake of doing something--over taking a moment to sit and be present, without trying to exert or enforce ourselves on a situation.

The concept of wu-wei is not about being passive or sitting around. In fact, it is a very active principle. However, rather than channeling energy in the direction of what "should" or "shouldn't" be happening, the person practicing the art of wu-wei is simply noticing what is happening in present time, without trying to assert or impose their will upon the situation. Instead, this radical presence creates space to notice where energy is naturally flowing. If we accept that all things naturally move toward harmony and we ourselves are aligned with the vibration of harmony, following the natural current of energy in a situation will eventually lead to a harmonious outcome. Wu-wei demands that we release any attachment to the outcome of a situation while simultaneously being present in a state of heart-centered allowing.

Are you still with me?

I did a lot of "doing," "pushing" and "striving" this summer. On one hand, I got a lot done and learned massive lessons about sustainability, allocation of energy and how I want my life and my business to run. On the other hand, I worked myself into a state of depletion and overwhelm. Admittedly, elements of this were out of my hands. However, I ultimately had the biggest part to play in taking on more than was strictly healthy for my schedule and energy capacity.

Enter wu-wei.

In assessing where I can make improvements to ensure that I don't make the same mistake again, one of my solutions involved blocking off at least one week out of every month through January of next year where I do not take clients. These allocated weeks in my schedule will be a combination of deep rest (actual days off in addition to my normal days off, time to rest and recharge), deep work (dedicated days of working in my business as opposed to on my business) and deep listening. This last one is the most important.

During these times of deep listening, I am committed to quieting the outside noise, turning off my phone and being radically present in noticing the natural currents of energy in my body, my heart and my life. Knowing that I am aligned with harmony and that all energies naturally move in that direction, when I create space for noticing, I may follow my natural flow into harmony.

When I am "not doing," I may practice radical attention. When I am "not forcing," I may be in deep allowing. When I am "not striving," I may dance and flow with the natural currents of health, vitality and joy.

This is one of those weeks! I am delighted to see what will come out of these days of deep rest, deep work and deep listening. I promise to keep you posted on this little experiment of mine, and of course, you are invited to join me if you like!

Also this teaching comes from I AM Alchemy, and how to work with allowing energies to flow through you rather than "making" it happen.

Want to know more? Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020

Many blessings,

Journal prompt:

Where in my life am I taking action simply for the sake of acting? Where am I "doing," "forcing" and "striving?" How is that serving me? How is it not serving me?

Where in my life can I practice wu-wei?
How can that serve me?

The Door of Initiation

How do we interact with our initiatory experiences?

Many times, until we learn to recognize them, we don't recognize our initiatory experiences until well after the fact. We perceive them as struggles, losses, challenges and opportunities, yet it is usually not until after we have passed through the "door" that we realize the true significance of crossing the threshold.

A lot of the people I work with come to me after they have experienced an awakening initiation: they have stepped through some sort of doorway (sometimes consciously, sometimes not) and now find themselves in unfamiliar territory where the world is not the same... and neither are they.

These doorways of initiation and awakening appear in all forms: job opportunities, death of a loved one, relocation, kids growing up, new people appearing in our lives, financial losses or failed careers, or even just waking up in a different reality.

How we interact with our initiatory experiences usually depends on whether or not we're aware that we are currently crossing a life-altering threshold. Sometimes it takes everything we have to choose to step through that doorway, and sometimes it feels as though we are dragged through it, kicking and screaming.

I have found myself in both of these positions: taking a breath to center myself, then deliberately crossing a threshold into a new way of being--sometimes with excitement, sometimes trepidation, usually both--and also, I have cried, howled in pain and clawed tooth and nail to try to get back through certain doors of initiations in the Shadow.

I feel inspired to share these thoughts today because we've all been here. And we will all be here again. Every single one of us has felt the squeeze, the uncertainty, the discomfort and growing pains associated with an initiatory experience. Learning to recognize them makes it easier to approach with purpose and resolve, rather than dread.

What would it feel like if you knew that your current experience was an initiation in disguise? How would you interact with it then?

Journal prompt:

"What door is appearing to me now? How do I feel about stepping through it? How have I interacted with my past initiatory experiences? How can I claim and recognize them in the future?"

Don't overthink it, just write and see what happens!

The Nature of Service, and Free Content for You!

What does it mean to serve?

I sit with this question often, as I wonder about the role my work plays in the world and how I am driven to be "of service." To serve means to provide for, to present someone with something, to attend to, to deliver, to be of use. All of these may be true, and yet they feel very technical to me.

When I ask myself, "how do I serve?" I come up with some variation of this core answer:

I make myself available.

This availability looks very different now than it did many years ago, as I discovered the importance of personal boundaries and maintaining my energetic protection. However, it still means that I'm living my life in such a way as to offer my time, my knowledge, my insights and personal experience for the benefit of others on the path.

Being available in this way usually entails a certain level of vulnerability and transparency for me.

Through making myself available as part of my service, I have told stories and shared publicly about moments in my life when I experienced deep trauma, shame, abuse, fear and heart-wrenching grief. I have told stories that don't make me look good, don't paint me as "qualified" or contribute to my professional image at all. I have shared moments of uncertainty, questioning and times when I have later changed my mind.

...and I am happy to share all of these moments and stories with you as part of my service. I know that, in doing so, I am making myself available to YOU, so that you know that you are not alone in your experience.

It is said that a Shaman's life does not belong to them: it belongs to their Tribe. A Shaman lives their life in service to the health and well-being of their community, and makes themselves available for the benefit of those around them, of all beings on Earth and of the Earth Herself.

As I bring a new vision to the archetype of the Shaman, by doing this work, I reclaim that my life DOES belong to me just as much as it belongs to my community. In doing so, I redefine the nature of service: how can I be just as much of service to others while still being of service to my own Highest and Greatest Good? How can I share my journey with others in order to inspire, uplift and connect us all? How can I serve even more?

All of us who offer our lives and our work in Service may ask ourselves these questions, and continue to discover the answers.

Free Content and Resources for You

One of the ways in which I enjoy making myself available in service is through creating FREE content and resources for you! I have hundreds of hours of free audio, video and plenty of articles available on all sorts of topics. And it's all FREE!

Check out some of the resources:

• Free Monthly Master Classes on a variety of amazing topics! See below for March's class, and links to past classes.
• Shaman Sister Sessions Podcast (just made a new website for the podcast! Links to 50+ past episodes and information to sign in to listen to the live recording. Sign up for SSS newsletter to receive the weekly episodes directly in your inbox, as well as calendar updates with upcoming episode topics!)
• My blog with tons of articles and insight I've gained from my personal and professional journey.
• Follow me on Social Media: Instagram and Facebook for updates, stories and photos!

Emotional Alchemy

EMOTIONAL ALCHEMY IS A POWERFUL TOOL.

During a session the other day, I enjoyed witnessing a client move herself through the process of some pretty impressive emotional alchemy. She has been working with identifying and transmuting a lifelong shadow pattern for quite a while now, and during our session, with a few nudges, she took herself through a powerful journey of redirecting her behavioral structure and programming.

She was able to shift her heavy shadow pattern (rooted, like so many of us have, in not-enoughness) and fully recreate her lived experience of this belief. With a little guidance, she formulated a new belief structure based in empowerment, self-trust and service. When she breathed this new system into her body, she felt her heart glow with the strength of this belief.

This process she experienced the other day is an example of emotional alchemy: applying the art and science of transformation to the way we feel about the world. In this case, she was able to transmute her wounded feelings and trigger response into understanding, compassion and self-love. As she practices and integrates operating from this new paradigm, it will shift her relationships, her confidence and her way of being in the world.

What would YOU like to alchemize? How can you apply these ancient practices to your own Self and way of being? What does emotional alchemy have to teach you?

Join me on Thursday for the FREE master class! You must register to receive the login information. All registered attendees will receive a link to the recording after the live class.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Master Class: Alchemy of the Soul

Alchemy, an ancient body of knowledge originating thousands of years ago, is not only the origin of all modern sciences but also a profoundly Spiritual practice. While popular understanding of Alchemy centers around the transmutation of lead into gold, this belies the core principles of Alchemical philosophy: in short, the transformation from Spiritual immaturity into enlightenment through harmonizing with Universal life force. The procedural steps of Alchemy, which eventually led to the foundation of modern chemistry, were merely the physical representation of the Spiritual journey of the practitioner.

Today, we apply the principles of Alchemy in the context of personal actualization and empowerment in order to transform ourselves and our lives to embody a state of grace, harmony and freedom. We employ ancient practices, surrender to the cosmos and align with the Universal Cycles of Power. We consciously ground Spirit into our bodies and our lived, human experience for the benefit of ourselves, of all beings on Earth and of the Earth herself.

Join me for a Master Class as we delve into the philosophy of Alchemy, its role in the modern context and ways that you can begin to awaken your own, inner Alchemist to align with the process of true transformation!

Come prepared with a journal and questions! There may be some opportunities for individual coaching.

Eleven attendees on the live call will receive a FREE gift from me!

Upon registration, you'll receive a confirmation email with login information for the class. I look forward to seeing you there!

Register here to reserve your space!

Personal Alchemy

My Morning Practice lately has been largely a movement fusion of my own invention: DanYoCoGong (dance, yoga, core and qi gong). Here's a bit of the dance part to let the creative expression flooooow...

I had a mini Soul Map reading the other day with a new friend. One of the things that resonated most deeply was the confirmation she offered about letting the silly, funny and creative part of me shine through my work.

As I've been playing with this process of Personal Alchemy over the last several months, I'm noticing my internal objections that naturally arise. Historically, I haven't shown that side as much when it comes to my professional face. I think a lot of that has come from wanting people to trust me, think I am capable and qualified, and not too young to be guiding them through major life stuff (I started my business when I was 21).

However...

There is room for Divine Play in the healing process. There is room for laughter in the darkness. There is room for dancing and being funny, even when it feels like everything around you is heavy. It doesn't mean we're taking the work less seriously. It just means that we remember that all things are birthed from the void and that creation springs up where death has passed moments before.

It means we remember that we can exist simultaneously in grief and humor, rage and creation, heaviness and grace.

Let the creative expression flow.

Let the Alchemy of personal transformation unfold.

~~~

It's so easy for us to get stuck.

• Have you ever taken a look at where you are in your life and had a sinking moment when you realized that you're in the same place you were a year ago? Two years ago?
• Have you ever felt like you always get to a certain spot in your job, your life, your relationships... and then everything falls apart and you have to start over?
• Have you told yourself over and over that you want to create a change in your life, but felt at a loss as to HOW that change was going to come about?

If you found yourself answering "yes!" to any of these questions, you might be stuck somewhere in one of the stages of the Alchemical process.

Alchemy is the process of change: even if we don't know it, we are moving through these stages in a continuous cycle throughout our entire lives. Most of us have no idea that we are living this cycle, and find ourselves washed around by the currents of change without any sense of direction or ability to consciously move through the process.

I have a gift for you.

I am offering eleven free one-hour sessions of Personal Alchemy! Here's the deal:

• This is first come, first served: once they're booked, they're booked. No reschedules, no wait list. Yes, this is my gift to you.
• We meet for one hour on my private conference line. I'll make a recording of your session, if you like!
• We'll explore where you are in your life right now and discover which of the Alchemical stages you're currently in.
• We'll look at the best way for you to get unstuck and continue to move through the cycle of Alchemy--get ready for personal practices and tools!
• If it feels like a good fit, we'll talk about ways we can continue to work together in your process of change (I AM Alchemy or one-on-one with me).

Book your Personal Alchemy session here!

Last time I put out an offer like this, it filled within a few days. If you're interested, please book your session ASAP.

Once you're registered, I'll contact you with further details for our Personal Alchemy session! I look forward to diving in with you.

New Moon in Capricorn: Sacred Structure

The New Moon in Capricorn next Tuesday brings us the powerful medicine of Sacred Structure.

Without our bones, it doesn't matter how much muscle or energy or force of will we have: we would not be able to move an inch.

The same is true of anything in our lives: without structure to support and hold a container, action becomes impossible. We spend so much time and energy focused on inspiration, movement, fire and momentum... but running around the world fueled by pure spirit is completely unsustainable. If we're hoping to build mountains, we need to root in the bedrock.

And I'm building mountains. Are you?

If so, we must focus on the foundations of our lives. What sacred structures can we build for ourselves to be able to grow? How can we strengthen the "bones" of our lives to give stability and sustainability to our actions? How can we make our work and our presence in the world more lasting, more meaningful and more powerful?

Let's build our bones together.

Here's my problem with the "New Year..."

I admit it--I'm a little bit of a grouch about the New Year. (In fact, I'm a bit grumpy about most organized holidays. My mom maintains that it's because I don't like being told what to do--I mostly just object to an arbitrary calendar.)

Don't get me wrong, I love honoring new beginnings. I actually celebrate the new year on the Winter Solstice--the point at which the days start growing longer with the return of the light here in the Northern Hemisphere. It feels great to acknowledge turning points, set intentions and enjoy changes in energy.

What drives me a little bit bonkers about the New Year is the "wave a magic wand" mentality that comes with it. The whole business of resolutions is just that: business. It's great marketing!

Most new year's resolutions are doomed to fail. People set completely unrealistic goals for themselves and abandon them after a few weeks, or set intentions for which they simply don't have the knowledge or skill set to fulfill.

So why, exactly, does this popular perception of the New Year frustrate the dickens out of me?

Because most people don't understand the nature of change and what it truly takes to create sustainable transformation.

I want people to succeed in the goals they set for themselves. Really, I do! I want people to feel empowered, enlivened and inspired to manifest the changes they most desire. More than just about anything, I hold in my heart the deepest wish for all humans to remember who they are and claim their role as the magical creators of their fabulous lives.

But it takes more than waving a magic wand to get there.

Among other things, it takes knowing ourselves, understanding our patterns, bring awareness to our choices, and being willing to feel uncomfortable. It takes being willing to feel, period!

It takes a willingness to master the cycles of power and come into right relationship with the nature of change.

Now, why don't we see that on a billboard?

Look below for my gift to you this January--the first step in mastering the cycles of change. Best wishes for a beautiful New Year!

"New Year, New You!"

...wait, what?

I've seen this marketing slogan all over the place every new year for as long as I can remember.

But what the heck does it actually mean? All of a sudden, the calendar flips and we transform into a different person? Some arbitrary day dictates a new chapter in our lives, where instantly we are capable of altering deeply ingrained patterns of thought, choice and behavior? That "New You" has been inside you all along, just waiting for the year to turn over so it can finally reveal itself?

Yeah, it doesn't work like that.

Of course we want the easy fix. Naturally, taking a deep look at the core of our identity structure can be pretty darn uncomfortable. But since we don't like to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced, it makes sense that we would rather hang all our hopes for personal transformation on a catchy slogan that requires no work or changes in behavior on our part.

"New Year, New You! Just make a wish, it will come true!"

Thank goodness it doesn't actually happen that way. We would be missing out on one heck of an epic journey into the center of our own Being... remembering your truest nature, the REAL you.

The only way we can actualize change in ourselves, our lives and our identities is by coming into deep, grounded knowledge of who we are--the I AM.

Join me for a master class on exploring your I AM, experience a guided journey and learn how to come into greater alignment with your Highest Self on every level.

Rather than the "New You," wouldn't you rather meet the "Real You?"

Do I Trust Myself?

I had the most beautiful session yesterday with a client whom I have known for many years. We delved into some deep soul contract work (the subject of December's master class, in case you missed it! See below). As a part of this journey into her soul contract, we examined the idea of who we are in terms of trust.

How do we relate to the idea of trust and truth? How do we trust ourselves? How does that inform our identity, our I AM? In turn, how does that affect the way we live and the choices we make?

It can be easy to trust ourselves when things are going well. But the true test of our ability to ground in and fully surrender to radical self-trust comes when it feels like we have no idea what the heck we're doing. In those moments, we have the opportunity to pause, remember who we truly are, and say, "Yes!" to ourselves and our innate wisdom.

As I reflect on some of my major life events of 2017, I see plenty of places where I was able to drop into deep self-trust.

...and I also see some areas where it took me longer than I would have liked to get to that place, or where I didn't trust myself and my innate wisdom because I wanted something else to happen. In these moments, I ended up wishing I had just listened to that whisper at the core of my being that always tells me the truth.

All of these moments are important. I have learned just as much (more, actually) from those times of hesitancy and resistance as I have from my "easy" wins. As long as we can do so without punishing ourselves or spiraling into guilt, shame or blame, reviewing those times when we didn't fully trust ourselves can provide a tremendous opportunity to alter our patterns of behavior.

The more we can surrender into radical trust of our truest nature, the freer we will be to put it into action and show up the way we want to in the world. Here's to a 2018 full of opportunities to trust ourselves even more!

Journal Prompts:

As we head into the final days of 2017, I invite you to examine your relationship with trust--particularly how you trust yourself (or not):

When is it easy for me to trust myself?
When do I find it challenging?
What are the differences in those circumstances?
What does it take for me to bridge the gap?

My Gift to You: Happy SOULstice!

This Winter SOULstice, I've been thinking about what I would like to give back to YOU, the amazing people in my life who inspire me to continue the work I do.

As work with Soul Contracts comes up big time during this darkest, most contract-ive time of the year, it feels more important now than ever before to clarify and clean up our Soul Agreements before heading into a new year.

So, I would like to invite you to receive a special gift. I am offering five FREE Soul Contract healing sessions to you during December 26-29!

Here are the details:
-These must take place in person at my healing studio in SW Portland. Address provided upon registration.
-Once you register, there are no reschedules.
-First come, first serve! Once these sessions are filled, they are filled.
-Register here to reserve your FREE Soul Contract healing session.

What you can expect from these sessions:
-We will journey into the nature of your Soul Contract to examine any clauses that are no longer serving you.
-If possible, we will erase and rewrite them with a healthy, new agreement.
-We will do energy healing work to help this contract alteration integrate gently into your lived experience.
-I will not be doing this work "for" you. I will be guiding you and holding space for you to claim your full power in stating the nature of your Soul Contract with Spirit.
-There will be an audio recording of this session for you to revisit at any time.

If you would like to claim your FREE Soul Contract Healing session now, register here!

The Power of Subtlety

"Go big, or go home!"

"No pain, no gain!"

We're all familiar with these statements, and others that also glorify intensity, drama and suffering. I definitely used to be a member of the Harder/Better/Faster/Stronger camp. I think it was a combination of my desire for efficiency, my highly competitive nature and the need to receive instant gratification in knowing that my efforts had achieved some immediately measurable result.

It took me an embarrassingly long time, but I finally learned that healing doesn't work that way. In many ways, I almost felt exempt from the Universal Laws of subtle energy movements. See aforementioned competitive nature. "If anyone can heal overnight, it's me! I'll just do this one big ritual and I'll be good!" Then Spirit would kick my ass in some form or another and I would be forced to slow down, work on the subtleties and not try to rush anything or create some grand Hail Mary healing gesture.

There were times when I was moving through deep healing crisis, and the only thing I could do to work on myself was some mini personal practice, but I committed to doing it every day. One of the most gratifying examples of this took place a couple of years ago as I experienced the trials of the Portland housing market and had no idea where I was going to live. During a healing session, the practitioner told me that my root chakra was almost entirely shut down. I remember thinking, "That can't be right. I'm very grounded." But as I considered this information, I realized that I hadn't adjusted my personal practices to accommodate the destabilization I felt from losing my home. I silently promised myself in that moment to work on my root chakra and my sense of safety every day, even if only for five minutes.

When I saw this healer again a couple of months later, she noted that my root chakra was not only fully back online, but huge! Also, all of my other chakras were more balanced and aligned because of the work I had been doing on my root chakra alone. Aside from the measurable difference in my energy field, I emotionally felt safer, more secure and confident, despite the upheaval in my living situation. I had worked every day for a few minutes on internalizing my sense of safety, rather than having my safety be dependent on external circumstances.

I share this story about subtle personal practice right now because this exact phenomenon is coming up for many of my clients and people in my immediate surroundings. I have had more discussions about subtle personal practices in the last couple of weeks than I have ever had in my life.

In a conversation with a friend of mine last week, we got around to talking about energy clearing. I perceived that his field was a bit "dusty" and asked him what he did for a clearing practice. "You mean like a sweat lodge?" He asked. I answered that a sweat lodge was a good way to do some bigger clearing, but asked again what he did every day for himself. "Oh. Nothing," he answered. At this point Spirit started poking me with a very direct message, so I asked him, "Do you believe that subtle daily practices actually work?" He looked a bit taken aback as he thought for a moment, then, almost sheepishly, answered, "I guess not."

We all like magic fixes. We like thinking that there's one golden gem of a ritual or practice that we can bring in to clean up our energies and erase all the wounds. That's why there are so many "Intensives" out there in the healing and coaching world. There are plenty of retreats, ceremonies and other ways to experience a supercharged dose of healing. There is absolutely incredible value in dropping into your process and doing nothing else for one day, three days, five days, a week, but unless your awareness of the subtleties and your established personal practice is there to back it up, it is not sustainable and the energies won't stick around. While much less sexy, the subtle consistency of your daily personal practice is going to be the thing that saves your ass and creates the solid foundation for all other healing work to take place.

I guarantee you that the subtle work that you do every single day will be one of your greatest tools. This is what will allow you to become intimately acquainted with your energies, your process, your intuition and help you cultivate a strong energetic foundation. It is this foundation that will provide a clear container for whatever intensive healing/coaching/ceremonial work you do, and give you a place to channel that infusion of new energy.

I tell people, "Doing a subtle practice two minutes every day for 30 days is more powerful than doing one hour of practice once a month."

How can you harness your own power of subtlety? Check this out:

A Personal Practice Primer

Congratulations! You're ready to begin your subtle personal practice. Here are some things to consider:

Support

It's a good idea to receive some support in the form of healing work or coaching to help you determine the best direction for your personal practice. What energies would you like to develop?

Time

How much time can you commit EVERY DAY to this practice? I tell my clients to choose something in the range of 30 seconds to 1 hour. Choose the amount of time that you confidently feel you can commit to every single day. If there are some days where you do more than that, that's great! But at very least, you are setting aside that minimum amount of time.

The Practice Itself

So, what are you actually doing during that timeframe? Part of what dictates your practice is the amount of time you allot. For example, if you give yourself an hour, that's enough time for some journaling, breathing meditation, embodiment practices and affirmations. If you give yourself 10 minutes, maybe a brief visualization and affirmation practice would be more appropriate. If you give yourself two minutes, you can create a brief, but rich practice of silence, gratitude and simply being present in your body.

Here are some suggestions of a few things that you might want to weave into your personal practice:

• Self-healing work (Reiki, chakra balance)
• Breathwork
• Meditation
• Gratitude
• Affirmations
• Journaling
• Embodiment practice (gentle movement, stretching, yoga, exercise)
• Silence
• Gardening

It's important also to change up your personal practice every now and then so it doesn't become stagnant. But for now, just get started!

Identity Structure

This article is a follow-up exercise to my last post.

What makes up an Identity Structure?

Identity structures are exactly what you'd imagine: they're all the parts of ourselves that constitute any component of what we might identify as "Self." Some of the things included in our identity structures are:

-Physical body: What container do you live in?
-Emotional body: How do you feel about things?
-Mental body: What do you think about things?
-Energy body: What is your vibration and how does it respond to the world?
-Thoughts and beliefs: How do you think and feel about the world?
-Relationships: What role do you play in other people's identity structures and what roles do they play in yours?
-Childhood/past events: What formative experiences shaped your beliefs about the world?
-Memories: What is your subjective interpretation of past events?
-How you spend your time: Sacred Work/job, activities, pastimes... what do you do with your precious days?
-Language: What words do you use to speak about yourself and your existence?
-Interests: What captivates your attention?
...and SO many more!

Understanding Your Identity Structure

In order for us to work with the nuances of identity structure, we have to know what comprises the foundation of our Being. Here's my best advice to you:

Start with ONE of the points above. With your journal, sit quietly in meditative space and write intuitively about what comes up for you when you examine that facet of Self. For example, if you were to choose the "Memories" option, you might ask yourself, "What are some of the strongest memories I have from my childhood? What emotions are attached to those memories? What do those memories say about me? How do I feel about them?"

After you feel complete, review what you wrote and notice what jumps out at you. Is there any new information there? What themes do you notice? Does what you wrote feel positive and in alignment with a healthy identity structure? Does it feel as though it needs some further investigation and support to be fully processed and integrated?

The Outcome of Working with Identity Structure

Why do we do this? Ultimately, knowing who we are on all levels and allowing it to be witnessed is what lets us live our fullest expression. By diving deep and asking ourselves, "Who am I?" we create space for healing, processing and a healthy way of being in the world for ourselves and for everyone else.