The Eden Project

Now That's Weird: Hefty Calves have a Leg-Up on Resistance to Strokes

2011-03-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I remember once when I was in my twenties I was walking down the street in a skirt. Suddenly, a car full of black men drove by and started shouting something at me. Sensing it was some sort of "dog-whistle"--and obviously short on self-esteem that day--I called out, "What?" Because I didn't understand what they were saying. So they shouted the compliment again. "What," I called again. Once again, they bellowed.

I still didn't understand, so I turned to a gentleman walking next to me and said, "Did you hear what they were saying?" "Yes," he replied, "they were saying 'look at them fat calves.'" Well, this was long before the days that hearing "baby got back" was high praise, but I learned from some of my coworkers later that day this comment on my calf size was indeed appreciative.

Needless to say, this little white girl was mortified. At least now I can look back and laugh. Not only that, as it turns out my "swimmers calves," as I like to call them, may be healthier for me: "Though it sounds counterintuitive, a French study found that women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers."

The author suggests sipping green tea to stay heart healthy is probably more useful than hitting the gym to bulk up those babies. "In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke."

Well, we're not in Japan, and with our problem with obesity, we are high on the list of at-risk nations for stroke: "Over 20 million per year worldwide have a stroke and over 5 million per year die from strokes. In the U.S. about 700,000 people a year have strokes. 500,000 are first time strokes and 200,000 are recurrent strokes. About 61% of stroke deaths are women. Strokes are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart attacks and all forms of cancer combined."

It's quite possible, then, you may some day be in a position to help someone who is having, or who has had, a stroke. So grab that cup of tea and read the following taken from An Energy Practitioner's Guide to Medical Emergencies on how to identify when a stroke is occurring, and what you can do to improve the victim's chance of recovery.

STROKE SYMPTOMS:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the arm, leg, or face, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble understanding or speaking
Sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, or dizziness
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

The symptoms of a stroke can be difficult to recognize, and this can spell disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

Ask the person to smile
Ask the person to raise both arms
Ask the person to speak a simple sentence
If the person has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

WHAT TO DO FOR SUSPECTED STROKE UNTIL THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVE:

Medical Necessities: If the person has stopped breathing, administer CPR, including chest compressions if there is no pulse. This is the top priority.

Common Sense: Make the person as comfortable as possible.

ENERGY METHODS to help restore neurological balance:

Do a hook-up (one hand in navel, one hand on third eye, push in and pull up).

Push the middle finger of one hand into the person’s “power point” (indent at center base of skull where skull meets the neck) and with the other hand hold the K-27s firmly for at least a minute.

Hold the “electrical points” at the base of skull just above the neck (on either side of the power point) for at least a minute.

Do a crown pull

Do a frontal/occipital hold (one hand across the forehead area at the hairline, the other at the back of the head where the skull joins the neck) until you feel a pulse in the forehead. The top part of the hand on the forehead activates the liver neurovascular points (liver meridian feeds the heart) at the hairline and the bottom (across the eyebrows) activates the bladder neurovascular points (bladder meridian governs the nervous system).

Hold spleen neurovascular points (one inch above ear on either side of head) for one to two minutes.
The triple warmer strengthening points (TW3 & GB41, then TW2 & BL66) if the person appears to be leaving the body. Talk to the person and ask the person to stay with you. If you have help available, have another person pulse the K1 points on the bottom of the feet.
Even if you're not trained in Eden Energy Medicine, just doing a few of these according to the directions can be immensely helpful.

If you are in the position of helping someone who has been a stroke victim, Donna Eden suggests the following:

"Tracing figure eight energies helps the energy cross over from the left hemisphere to the right side of the body and from the right hemisphere to the left side of the body. It also helps energies cross over every part of the body, through the organs, even the cells. Another person can do this tracing of the cross-over energies (see the discussion of the Celtic weave in Energy Medicine Chapter 6). The stroke patient can also imagine the energies weaving. If possible, the person could trace figure eights of any size with a finger or a hand, or you could do it for the person by tracing the eights directly on or just above the body. Also, encourage the person to "doodle" by drawing figure eights on a piece of paper. This helps to imprint crossover energy patterns into the brain."

By the way, a figure eight is nothing more than the number eight lying on its side, or an infinity symbol: ∞

Last but not least, you can increase your own heart health with Eden Energy Medicine by practicing the Daily Energy Routine on a--guess what--daily basis! In addition, clear your heart chakra on a regular basis. Check out my blog on the heart meridian as well for more tips.

Blessings,
Rose

Now That's Weird! I'm Giving Money Away to Total Strangers

2011-03-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

Once when I was in college a friend asked me to visit her in DC. The cost of the bus ticket from Towson, Maryland to Washington was exactly $5. Despite the fact I didn't have a nickel to my name, let alone a five bucks I agreed to visit her that weekend.

You wouldn't think five dollars was much to sweat, and in the grand scheme of things it wasn't. I could have borrowed it from someone (in which case I'd have to pay it back). I could have asked my mother for it (in which case I would have to endure the maternal grilling). I could have earned it (in which case I would have had a job, which I didn't).

Or I could have prayed for it. This is the option I chose. Then I put the question of how I was going to find the fare in less than a week out of my mind and went about my business as a student.

A few days later I was going to lunch at the school's cafeteria. Two girls were walking ahead of me. Suddenly I saw a five dollar floor flutter to the ground at their feet. At least it seem to be coming from their feet. I picked it up and called out to them, "Hey, you dropped your..." But they were long gone. I sensed an opportunity. I could claim this as my answer to prayer and scurry on into the lunch line. Or I could follow the girls (who were passing by the cafeteria) and return the money.

I chose to follow the girls back to their dorm a few minutes away. Since I was behind them a little bit by the time I reached them they were in their room. I knocked on the door. One of them answered, a girl with dark hair whom I'd not met before.

"Excuse me," I said, "you dropped this back by the cafeteria. You or your roommate." I waved the money in the air.

"No, I didn't," she replied. "Hey, Anna (I made that up, I don't remember either of their names)," she called over her shoulder, "did you lose some money?" After a moment of silence the answer came back negative. "Nope, it's not ours! Sorry!" And with that she shut the door on me.

So I got my answer to prayer, and believe me...the answer wasn't the five dollars. The answer was a sort of combo of "God loves you, Rose. You are not alone" and the chorus from one of my favorite Stones songs:

You can't always get what you want

you can't always get what you want

but if you try sometimes you just might find

you get what you need.

You might think praying is a little too lazy to qualify as trying, but to a woman who has lost her job, or a man who is homeless and mentally ill, or a kid, say who was so abused at home growing up the thought of trusting in a loving God is as foreign as trusting a mother for five bucks...well, trust me, praying isn't all that lazy. Sometimes finding the courage to say, "help me" is like lifting a two ton weight.

I can't imagine how many silent prayers are out there right now for just a little help. Just enough to prime the pump of hope. Which is why I've decided to become a Kindness Investor for the week of April 10-16 right here in Chicago. A Kindness Investor is someone who follows in the footsteps of Reed Sandridge who for 365 days (200 of which were jobless) gave $10 a day to a total stranger and then blogged about it at The Year of Giving. Reed says anyone can do this, and I'm inclined to agree. I mean, how hard can it be for a child of the sixties? It's sort of like panhandling in reverse.

I am sooooooooo looking forward to being someone's answer to prayer! I hope you'll follow my progress that week as I post my giving adventures on Reed's blog. I'll send you friendly reminders, or maybe you'll just go ahead and start following his blog right now, or maybe you'll go here and like his page. Or maybe you'll just cut to the chase and be a Kindness Investor yourself.

Because you know it's weird to walk up to seven total strangers and hand away money. But you know what's weirder? Thinking money makes you rich.

Blessings,

Rose

'America Is NOT Broke': Michael Moore Speaks in Madison, WI -- March 5, ...

2011-03-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Now That's Weird! Size DOES Matter...for Women, Too

2011-03-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

If you're not packin' plenty, you may be thankful after reading the following. The rest of you may not be so thankful.

What size is your bra? A D cup may also spell diabetes: Women who wore a bra size D or larger at age 20 were one and a half times more likely to develop type 2 than those who wore an A or smaller, even after researchers adjusted for obesity, diet, smoking, and family history, in a 10-year study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It may be that the fat tissue in a woman’s breast is hormonally sensitive and influences insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, say researchers.

Prevent it: Incorporate high-intensity intervals into your exercise routine. In one study, adults who did six 30-second sprints on an exercise bike (resting for four minutes in between) improved their body's ability to metabolize blood sugar by nearly 25 percent after six sessions—enough to lower their risk of diabetes.

For those of you who missed it, I posted a question on Facebook the other day that lead to a somewhat silly/somewhat useful conversation on how to manage sugar cravings. Here's the question and here's what I got:

A couple of coolpeeps commented on my latest blog (about your smart fat), and it got me to wondering about cravings. I've found St. John's Wort helpful for reducing sugar cravings. Any other great ideas out there?

Sophie Hunter I found that sucking a clean pebble of amethyst help with any kind of craving. Put it in your craved for bottle if your craving is fluid. Make sure you cleanse the used pebbles by leaving them soak in salt water.

Anybody ever hear of that? I did a little research on Amethyst Gem Elixir, and found this:

The Eden Project Orgone Products sells the amethyst gem elixir: Our Amethyst Gem Alixir produces a calm, clear and focused mind. The stone for detoxification of Alcoholics, from the greek word 'amethustos' meaning 'non-inebriated' it has a dramatic purging... effect on the liver. Amethyst elixir acts upon the crown chakra, enhancing communication with higher aspects of self and helps in the overcoming of unwanted addictions. The elixir will supply your body with an overabundance of energy, reduce headaches and take pain away; aids in digestion and clears up the complexion. This versatile remedy also will stimulate the pituitary gland, facilitate the digestion of fats and sugars in regards to diabetes, relieve insomnia and hypoglycemia.

Oh, and the silly suggestion?

The Eden Project Sherri--all you need to do is put the words "Oreos & Milk" on a piece of paper and tape it to the side of a glass of water. The water will absorb the oreos and milk vibration. Drink up!

Donna Eden points out diabetes cannot be managed without keeping your spleen meridian strong. This is done primarily by sedating Triple Warmer (which drains Spleen chi) followed by strengthening Spleen Meridian. Refer to my earlier blog post to learn a quick way to sedate Triple Warmer. Other ways to strengthen Spleen meridian are listed here along with the page numbers from Donna’s book Energy Medicine:

1. Hold the acupressure points for sedating TW, followed by the points for strengthening Spleen (see p. 120).

2. Massage the Spleen neurolymphatic points on the torso (p. 84).

3. Hold the Spleen neurovascular points on the head (p. 274).

4. Tap the Spleen points (part of the three thumps in Chapter 3) several times a day.

5. Flush Spleen meridian by tracing it backwards one time and then forwards three times. You'll find a drawing on page 102.

6. Liver meridian is also often involved in diabetes (as well as hypoglycemia). You can follow the same basic steps described here for Spleen for balancing the Liver meridian.

7. Do the "Daily Energy Routine" to maintain better harmony in her body.

If you have Type One diabetes, you will probably always need to have insulin supplied externally. But I have seen these exercises be very effective in helping to keep sugar levels balanced and insulin intake reversed. I have also known people who have completely reversed Type Two diabetes following these exercises along with appropriate changes in diet and exercise.

And if you ask me, that's "sweet!"

Blessings,
Rose

Now That's Weird! Your Fat Has Brains

2011-02-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Well knock me over with a feather. Whoever thought fat was an endocrine organ? I mean, it's like finding out your slouchy, couch-potato brother just got accepted into mensa. Yes, your fat is intelligent, in a common sense sort of way; it is always trying to help you know when you've got enough fat.

Apparently, this "endocrine organ" releases a messenger called Leptin which tells the hypothalamus you've had enough to eat. I think, anyway. I'm a bear of little brain when it comes to reading scientific articles. So if you want to read it for yourself, and maybe draw a different conclusion, here's a fairly readable one on the subject of obesity and inflammation.

There's also a paragraph in that article that will tell you exactly why too much fat will lead to chronic inflammation, and that inflammation can lead to dementia later in life. Yet another reason to start a diet. Here's a little tidbit which says the same thing from the oh-so-much-more-readable article I keep quoting here.

Jeans size

Adults who have larger abdomens in their 40s are up to 3.6 times as likely to develop dementia in their 70s, even if they weren’t overweight, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. One possible reason for the link is that compared with subcutaneous fat (the noticeable fat that lies just below the skin), visceral fat (the dangerous fat that surrounds the organs) secretes more of the inflammatory hormones that are associated with cognitive decline.
Prevent it: Eat a portion-controlled Mediterranean-style diet. Research shows that the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in foods such as olives, nuts, seeds, avocado, and dark chocolate prevent the accumulation of visceral fat.

Yeah, you just stick with that dark chocolate and those avocados, and your spare tire will soon be a thing of the past. Maybe. Because while your busy almost eating all the right foods (everyone cheats, right?), your stress level may be busy eating up all or at least some of the benefits. I'm telling you, this is a good article on obesity I'm quoting from. Listen to what it says about the relationship between inflammation, stress, cortisol and overeating:

The constant state of increased inflammation as described above then brings another hormone into play. That hormone is cortisol. Our adrenal glands react to this constant state of low grade inflammation by pumping out high amounts of cortisol. Under short periods of stress, cortisol is actually anti-inflammatory. It results in increases in blood sugar which gives us energy to fight a predator or a disease. However, when the body is constantly bombarded with high levels of cortisol, such as under chronic low-grade stress from work or social pressures, several deleterious effects occur. The first is that a “catabolic state” is created resulting in the breakdown of our muscle tissue for energy. This then triggers appetite, causing us to consume more calories than are needed. These excess calories are primarly stored as fat (especially visceral fat), due to high circulating levels of pro-inflammatory proteins like NfkB which block the effect of insulin, creating insulin resistance. High circulating levels of insulin promote further fat storage and prevent breakdown of stored fat.

What we're talking about here, people, is emotional eating, right? My husband and I started the South Beach diet a few months ago precisely because we were experiencing the results of insulin resistance--high cholestorol, high blood pressure, and an inability to lose weight. Well, I've lost weight and am loving the reappearance of my waist and a flatter tummy. My blood pressure is down, and I'm assuming the cholesterol is following suit.

What I'm not loving is realizing what an emotional eater I'd become in the past few years. I didn't realize I'd been giving myself all sorts of permission to eat whenever I felt stressed. Or to borrow an acronym from AA, whenever I was Hungry (emotionally), Angry, Lonely or Tired. So now I have to manage not only my weight but also my stress differently. Yet once again Energy Medicine comes to the rescue! Here're a couple of exercises I've found most helpful to dieting successfully. They're quick and dirty, and very effective. Try 'em! You'll like 'em!

Cover the Eyes

This exercise activates your radiant circuits, calms Triple Warmer and energizes spleen. If you’re dieting, but having a hard time breaking old eating habits (like emotional eating), do this exercise six times a day. Yes, six. It takes a nanosecond to do. A couple in the morning, a couple in the afternoon, a couple at night. Try doing it right before you eat.
• Place thumbs over index finger nails and hold "oh my God" points on the forehead with middle, ring, and little fingers until you take a deep sigh, yawn, or feel a release.

• Cover eyes with fingers. Inhale. Exhale.

• Inhale with eyes still covered. Exhale while dragging fingers across eyes and out to temples

• Inhale while dragging fingers up over ears, and exhale while dragging fingers down behind ears to shoulders. Hang fingers on shoulders at neck.

• Cross arms, placing fingers on opposite shoulders. Inhale, smoothing hands down arms to forearms. Exhale.

• Inhale, place hands flat across ribs under bust area.

• Exhale while sweeping fingers down legs and off feet at toes

• Inhale while sweeping fingers back up legs to under arms.

• Exhale while sweeping fingers down and off body at side of waist.

The second exercise will keep your adrenals healthy. A healthy adrenal will not dump the stress hormone cortisol into your system. Do this one from two to one thousand times a day. In other words, you can't overdo it.

Adrenal Neurolymphatic Massage

• Find your belly button.

• Move your fingers one inch out from, and one inch above your belly button.

• Massage deeply for 10-30 seconds.

If it hurts, it means you need it. You may be flirting with adrenal exhaustion.
Last but not least, I discovered a very inspiring on the use of energy medicine for weight loss, check out A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Scale, especially, June 2010 and on.

Blessings,
Rose

Now That's Weird! You're Wearing Your Heart on Your Earlobe

2011-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

If you're wearing your heart on your sleeve, of course, it means you are making an open display of your emotions. In terms of romance, this saying dates back to the days of jousting when knights would wear the scarf of their lady love tied to their arms. However, Shakespeare also immortalized the phrase in Othello:

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

for daws to peck at...

In other words, when you indiscriminately make yourself vulnerable, you leave yourself at the mercy of the jackasses...I mean jackdaws of life. So be careful. And meanwhile, pay attention to those ear creases. It could save your life.

Earlobe crease

Linear wrinkles in one or both lobes may predict future cardiovascular events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac death.) A crease on one lobe raises the risk by 33 percent; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77 percent, even after adjusting for other known risk factors. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the crease and the hardening of arteries.

Prevent it: Keep your heart healthy in other ways: Slim down, and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Believe it or not, you could help save a life using energy medicine in the case of a suspected heart attack. For starters, if the person is not breathing, administer CPR. If they are breathing, make them comfortable. Then follow these basic steps outlined in the article An Energy Practitioner's Guide to Medical Emergencies:

Do a “hook-up” (one hand in navel, one hand on third eye, push in and pull up).

Strengthen the heart meridian by tracing it forward. As you come to the end of the meridian, rapidly twist the ends of the little fingers back and forth with some pressure.

Deeply and vigorously massage the heart neurolymphatic points between the 2nd and 3rd ribs, just below where the collarbone and breastbone meet, especially if the person is unconscious. Do not do this massage for more than 10 to 15 seconds.

Hold one hand over the heart area and press deeply into the top of the pubic bone with the other hand for about 30 to 60 seconds (re-establishes electrical energy in the body and stimulates the penetrating flow)

Hold the triple warmer strengthening points (TW3 & GB41, then TW2 & BL66) if the person appears to be leaving the body. Speak calmly and ask the person to stay with you. If you have help available, have another person pulse the K1 points on the bottom of the feet.

Hold the spleen meridian strengthening points (Sp2 & H8, then Sp1 & Lv1).

If the heartbeat is erratic or if the heart is beating too strong, hold the small intestine meridian strengthening points (GB41 & SI3, then B66 & SI2).

If the person is conscious, stable and resting comfortably, hold the frontal neurovascular points to offer comfort until help arrives.

Don't know how to do all this stuff? Well, you should learn! Regional Eden Energy Medicine Classes are being offered all over the country. I'm really excited one is being offered in Chicago starting in June. Let me know if you are planning to take it!

Blessings,
Rose

Now That's Weird! A Short Reach Could Mean Alzheimers

2011-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Here's this week's weird news. Read it and weep (or cheer, you long-armed luckies!).

Arm length

Have a hard time reaching the top of your kitchen cabinets? Women with the shortest arm spans were 1 1/2 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches, found a recent study. (Find yours by spreading your arms parallel to the floor and having someone measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans were less than 60 inches.) Nutritional or other deficits during the critical growing years, possibly responsible for shorter arms, may also predispose a person to cognitive decline later in life, say Tufts University researchers.

Prevent it: Put your appendages to good use with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A five-year study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center found that adults who spent the most time engaged in engaging leisure activities were more than two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent less time challenging their brains.

Oh, good Lord, I'm in trouble! I'm not even 50 inches across! Fortunately I've got a lot of other good things going for me. I don't drink, I don't smoke and I eat well. I love puzzles. I exercise, and I'm in a musical recorder trio (they say it's possible people who play an instrument in a group setting, i.e. a trio or symphony don't get Alzheimer's). We play Medieval to Modern music and are given to making highbrow jokes during our practice sessions.

OK, read between the lines, people. I'm a nerd. A nerd who practices Energy Medicine and also goes to weekday mass, which makes me a pretty interesting and complex nerd, if you ask me.

Still, the spectre of declining cognitive skills is one that haunts, especially as I watch my mother--a one-time brilliant doctor and watercolor artist--exhibiting signs of confusion, word-finding troubles and short-term memory loss in her late eighties.

Energetically there is plenty you can do to support brain functioning as well. Stress can play havoc with our memory, for instance, because when we are "fightin' it or flightin' it" our brains are robbed of most of the blood and oxygen that helps us to think clearly, problem solve, take in information and remember things. Here's an EZ exercise from Eden Energy Medicine that will help improve your memory while reducing the symptoms of stress.

How to Keep Your Memory Sharp

For your memory to stay intact over the years, it is necessary for energies to flow freely through the suture lines in your skull. While these junctures tend to become less flexible with age, a simple procedure that will take about a minute each day can keep oxygen and cerebral-spinal fluids, as well as subtle energies moving through them:

1. Place your left hand over your heart and your right hand on the right side of your head, palm next to your right ear, fingers extended upward over your head.

2. Breathe deeply four times while holding this position - in through the nose, out through the mouth. Raise your body with the in-breath, relax it with the outbreath.

3. Move your right hand to the back of your head, and repeat the breathing.

4. Now place your right hand over the right side of your chest, your left hand by your left ear, and repeat the breathing.

5. Finally, place the palm of your left hand on your forehead with your fingers going up onto the top of your head and again use the same breathing.

Do this daily, perhaps when you first sit down at your desk, computer or TV, or while you are warming up the car, and you will not only be helping to retain your memory, you will be maximizing its effectiveness.

Well, that's all for today! This is an extract from Energy Medicine by Donna Eden, btw. You can buy the book and learn it for yourself, or check out their website for upcoming classes. If you want to meet me, come on the Caribbean cruise in March. I'll be a teaching assistant to Donna's five day training.

Blessings,
Rose

Now that's Weird! Leggy Ladies Have Less Liver Laments

2011-02-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

Your liver is the largest physical organ in the body. It is involved in digestion, metabolism, storage and distrubution of nourishment, filtration, detoxifcation, and immune function. You'd think short legs wouldn't be a problem: less body to nourish and protect. But apparently that's not the case!

Leg Length Lament

If your legs are on the stocky side, you may need to take better care of your liver. In a 2008 study, British researchers found that women with legs between 20 and 29 inches tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that indicate liver disease. Factors such as childhood nutrition may not only influence growth patterns, but also liver development well into adulthood, say researchers.

Prevent it: Avoid exposure to toxins your liver has to process, which will keep it healthier, longer. Wear a mask and gloves while cleaning or working with any type of harsh chemical. Limit alcohol intake to one 5-ounce glass of wine or 12-ounce bottle of beer daily.

Saundra Bubniak also reminded me of how easy Energy Medicine can be for Liver Health:

A powerful, simple way for keeping your liver strong and clean while also supporting the flow of hormones through your bloodstream is to massage points on the hands and feet that stimulate liver function. Massaging your hands almost everyday, and massaging points on your feet whenever you take a bath, get in a hot tub, or sink into bed is a great form of self-care that not only helps your liver function better, it also keeps your hands and feet, which function as "energy antennae", open and clear.

Points on the feet that keep your liver clear are, the "V" where the big toe meets the second toe on the top of the foot, the area between the tendons of the two toes and the bottom of the foot at the same time, the areas on the top of the foot between the tendons of each of the toes, and after repeating on the other side, place your hands around the bottoms of each foot and squeeze the sides hard.

Finally, your liver is very important to hormonal health. If you have PMS, sedating Liver Meridian can help immensely with groin pain. The simplest way to sedate Liver Meridian is to lie down and place your fingertips where your legs attach to your body. Rest for about two to three minutes. See if that doesn't help.

You can also sedate your Liver Meridian. This is usually the most effective way. Here's how:

1. Simultaneously place the middle finger of one hand on Liver 2 (inside of big toe where it meets the foot) and the other hand on Heart 8 (make a fist; see where the pinky touches the palm? That's Hear 8). Hold for two minutes.
2. repeat on the other side.
3. then place the middle finger of one hand on Liver 4 (a little dip in front of the anklebone) and the middle finger of the other hand on Lung 8 (on the crease of the wrist just below the thumb).

Don't panic about pinpoint accuracy. Meridian points have a range of a dime to a quarter. So if you have your finger in the general area, you're probably fine!

Blessings,
Rose

Now that's Weird! Tall Women Die Younger

2011-01-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Check out this tidbit from Your Body's Ten Weirdest Health Clues.

Women taller than 5 feet, 2 inches may be missing a gene mutation that helps them reach their 100th birthday, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Prevent it: Take a page from the habits of California’s Seventh-Day Adventists, who have one of the highest concentrations of centenarians: Quit smoking, and cut back on alcohol and eating meat.

I'm not convinced I want to live to be a centenarian, but apparently--despite my 5'6"--I have a better chance because I'm a non-smoking, tea-totalling quasi-vegetarian. Well, actually, a chickafishaturkatarian.

Changing habits can be hard, hard, hard! Fortunately, there are more support systems available than ever before for people who want to quit smoking, drinking and overeating. In addition, Eden Energy Medicine can help with this effective technique drawn from Traditional Chinese Medicine:

The Temporal Tap

Begin by identifying a habit, attitude, or condition in your life that you would like to change. Then describe the change in a single sentence, and state it as an affirmation in present time as if the condition already exists. For example, you could say, "I joyfully receive abundance in my life," or "Right now, I am prosperous," or even "I always have more than enough money to pay my bills." Affirmations can be anything you wish to become true and operative in your life. They can be specific, such as, "I easily and successfully attract 5 new customers every day," or general, such as "There are plenty of customers for my services." And they can be used to increase success, no matter what your career choice: "I am making good money being a writer, artist, mechanic, hairdresser, etc."
It is important that the statements are in your native language or the one you are most comfortable with, in your own lingo, and aligned with your own values. For easy recall, make them short and to the point.

To perform the Temporal Tap, start tapping at your right temple in front of the ear canal and continue tapping on the scalp around the top edge of the ear until you reach the back center of the ear, just opposite where you started. The active spots are only along the upper half of the ear, from front center to back center. Tapping with all your fingertips bunched together ensures that all the points along the Temporal-Sphenoidal (T-S) line are stimulated. Say your affirmation while you tap; repeat this procedure three times.
Do this several times a day, waiting at least 30 minutes before repeating the same affirmation. You can tap for as many different affirmations as you wish as long as you can easily address them all several times a day. Reinforcement is part of the process. Once your affirmation has become a part of your life, you can replace it with a new one.

By the way, I shamelessly stole this information from an online article. If you want to read it in full (well worth it!), click here. You can also read Donna Eden's variation in her award-winning book Energy Medicine.

Blessings,

Rose

Now that's Weird! Finger Length Can Predict Risk Level for Osteoporosis

2011-01-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

I found this interesting little tidbit online today. What do you think of this? Is not the body fearfully and wonderfully--and puzzingly--made?

Finger length

Women whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers may be twice as prone to osteoarthritis in the knees, found British researchers. Those with this predominately male characteristic tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis, say researchers.
Prevent it: Strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. While sitting, straighten each leg parallel to the floor 10 times; hold each rep for 5 to 10 seconds.

As my mother-in-law used to say, "Innnn-ter-es-tinnnnggg!"

Here's another exercise I used almost daily for about six months. This Eden Energy Medicine tool is taken from Donna Eden's book, Energy Medicine for Women, and it reversed my osteopenia! It'll take you less than two minutes, and is also good for trimming tummy fat.

The Bone Saver
Place your arms out in front of you, take a deep breath in, hold your breath, and push the heels of your hands hard against each other.
At the same time, squeeze your stomach in toward your spine, tighten your buttocks, and tilt your pelvis forward and up.
When you want to exhale, instead take three more rapid breaths in through your nose while holding the above posture.
Then exhale slowly, as if blowing through a straw (your stomach will tighten naturally).
When it feels like your exhalation is complete, blow three more rapid breaths out through your mouth.
Relax after each round. Do several rounds.
Repeat the entire sequence, except this time bend the fingers of each hand, hook them into one another, and try to pull your arms apart so there is isometric tension at your fingers and in your arms and shoulders.

Peace and strong bones,
Rose

Introducing Relevant Rodeo, or What I Am Weaving Today

2010-08-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

If you are a Facebook Fan of mine, you know I promised you a surprise in this week’s blog, and here it is: I’m not going to blog about Energy Medicine energy any more (except as it naturally weaves into my new theme). In fact, allow me to let the rest of the cat out of the bag. The Eden Project was actually a practicum project I took on to help me fulfill the requirements for my Eden Energy Medicine Advanced Practitioner training. I fulfilled the requirements at the end of July. God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will be awarded my certificate sometime in September 2010. I will post the summary paper (The Eden Project: Adventures in Social Networking) I wrote describing what I learned about leaving my digital footprint on the ether-world in a few weeks, once I'm done with the editing and it's final acceptance.

When I left on vacation, I made sure to have enough back-up blogs written to keep me current until my return. I had also left with the promise I would continue writing about Energy Medicine when I got back, specifically, the Five Elements. However, to be honest, I was very ambivalent about that promise. It was not because I had grown tired of writing about the topic. It was because I was also ready to take on another writing challenge (I joined a writer’s group that meets every three weeks and will go for six months. Each person in the group has a writing project. Mine is to resurrect an old dream of mine to write my spiritual autobiography), and felt I had just about stretched the rubber band as far as it was going to go without snapping.

But I’m not ready to give up on blogging yet. So I’ve decided to morph the blog into something new, something that reflects another side of me and my life: my journey of faith. I expect it to be more like a journal, reflecting my experience of being a Christian with new age proclivities and other talents which alienate me from some and endear me to others, and how I go about living with the tension of all that. I hope it will also be a way for me to work on parts of my book.

The name will change from its current one to Relevant Rodeo (you’ll have to read the first blog to see why). I hope you’ll still find it of some interest (or maybe more) and will continue to share your thoughts and experiences as I share mine.

Blessings,
Rose

What in the World are You Weaving Today?

2010-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin-Weaver,

Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” I truly believe the path of the Yin-Weaver is the path of doing small things with great love, because each act of love is like adding a tiny stitch to the quilt of life. I call YOU Yin-Weaver because you are a woman who wants to weave those “yin stitches” back into your life, back into society, and back into the world. But you live in a society that has become so hardened by a materialistic world view, sewing in those lovely energies of love, joy, peace, health, bounty, connection, reflection, kindness, nurture, goodness, generosity, gratitude and grace is like pushing a needle made of straw through a brick wall. Yet still, gently, quietly, faithfully and patiently you weave where you can, when you can—knowing so much rides on it.

Well, as a fellow Yin-Weaver, I’m here to support you on your journey. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rose Mattax. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I am an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner. I am a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner (FES & Spirit-In-Nature). I am an Usui Reiki Master and Visitation Reiki Practitioner (more on this later). I love to reweave the power of yin back into the world through my practice as an Energy Medicine Practitioner. In my office, I have seen Energy Medicine stop Multiple Sclerosis in its tracks, turn anxiety and depression into joy and peace, get rid of hot flashes, support high-risk pregnancies, rebuild resiliency after surgery, make emotional traumas truly a thing of the past, and so much more.

Over the next six months, I want to use this blog to help you discover Energy Medicine as the “oldest, safest, most organic, most accessible, and most affordable medicine there is.”* I will chart the use of Energy Medicine both in my personal and professional life with people, pets, at home and in my travels. I’ll be sharing exercises and how-to tips for you to practice on your own. You’ll be invited to participate in “Energy Medicine Challenges” to encourage you in making Energy Medicine a part of your daily life.

In the process, I hope to encourage a dialogue between us, or at least get YOU, Yin-Weaver, to think about how Energy Medicine can work in YOUR life. You don’t have to have a serious medical issue or life concern to make Energy Medicine work for you (and by the way, this blog is in no way intended to be a substitute for appropriate professional medical and/or psychological care where indicated). Look at it as an opportunity to participate more fully in your own health care. Together we can share our ups and downs along the way towards creating a more Yin-friendly and pro-Energy Medicine world.

Are you game? Great! Please sign up to receive my blog and you’ll be hearing from me every Friday.

Blessings,
Rose

What do Hot Flashes and Jet Lag Have in Common?

2010-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I love this article (see below) I found on the many uses of epsom salts. Dee has a lot of great suggestions for using ES on a daily basis. But she missed one. I'm a bit of an epsom salts bath freak, and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be taking Yarrow Environmental Solution ES baths next week to help me recover from the jet lag I'm bound to feel from my fourteen hour return trip from Europe tomorrow.

Here's how you do it. Mix two cups of epsom salts into water warm as you want it. To that add about 20 drops of Yarrow Environmental Solution flower essence. This combination will detoxify, revitalize and reintegrate your aura after overexposure to electromagnetic fields. It will also help you to re-establish healthy "grounding" after being literally up in the air. Soak for at least twenty minutes. Then hop into your jammies, because this bath can be very soporific.

By the way, this very same bath can be good for hot flashes and night sweats. True story: I had a client who was having very bad night sweats. So I suggested she take the bath I just described here for as many nights in a row as she needed until the sweats were gone or at least minimized. When I saw her a few weeks later she told me she took one bath. That night she woke up in the middle of the night, went to the bathroom and "peed like Niagara falls," went back to bed, and never had another night sweat.

Blessings,
Rose

The Many Uses of Epsom Salts

I remember as a kid when my Great Aunt Grace would put some Epsom Salts in a dish pan, add really warm water and soak her feet because they hurt.

So, to me, that’s what Epsom Salts was all about – a remedy for painful joints in old folks. Little did I know!

Times have changed – or have they?

All the talk about ‘Natural Remedies’ and ‘getting back to basics’ always floors me because my great aunt and my grandmothers were all doing this stuff when I was a little girl. So did my mom…and so have I. So, for me, there’s been no ‘getting back to’ anything.

However, I’m not too old to learn and since learning is one thing I LOVE to do, I decided to learn more about Epsom Salts after reading a snippet on detoxification. Here’s what I’ve found.

Studies show these benefits from the major components of Epsom Salt may:

Magnesium:
* Ease stress and improves sleep and Concentration
* Help muscles and nerves function properly
* Regulate activity of 325%2B enzymes
* Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots
* Make Insulin more effective
* Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps
* Improve oxygen use
Sulfates:
* Flush Toxins

* Improve absorption of nutrients
* Help form joint Proteins, brain tissue and mucin Proteins
* Help prevent or ease Migraine Headaches
The Many Uses of Epsom Salts…
1) Wash your face before going to bed: According to recent studies in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, deposits of nicotine and carbon monoxide (from secondhand smoke and pollution) can wreck havoc on the skin.. To cleanse your face – Mix a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Troubleshoot with the right homemade mask: Apply this mask in the shower, to your damp face, to lock in the moisture. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of nonfat dry milk, the juice of 1 Lemon, and a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt. For normal to dry skin mix 1/4 cup of grated Carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt.
2) Smoother Softer Skin: Pour two cups into a bath of warm water. Lean back and relax. As you soak, the natural action of Epsom Salt helps soften the rough, dry patches of your skin. You can also rub Epsom salts all over the body, while wet, then rinse and towel off. Rubbing Epsom salts directly on the body exfoliates skin and leaves it smooth and silky. They make a great gift to give someone when you put them in a nice glass jar with lid and tie on a pretty ribbon. You can add scent to them by sprinkling them with essential oil. Or mix Epsom salts with baby oil and keep by the sink if you wash your hands a lot.

3) Add Body to Your Hair: Combine 3 tablespoons of deep conditioner with 3 tablespoons of Epsom Salt. Microwave the mixture for 20 seconds. Work the warm mixture through your hair from scalp to ends and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Promotes body and life in your hair and restores curl to permed hair.

4) Remove Hairspray and Gel Buildup: Combine a gallon of distilled water, a cup of Lemon juice (fresh or bottled), and 1 cup of Epsom Salt. Cap the mixture and let it sit for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal.

5) Soak tired, aching feet (this one sounds familiar!): Soak aching, tired feet in a pan of water with half a cup of Epsom salts and not only will your feet feel better, but they’ll smell better too. Epsom salts work to neutralize odor and soften skin. Soak feet until they feel better then rinse and dry well. A full bath should contain 2 cups of Epsom salts for relief of tired feet, back muscles, legs or just as a way to have softer skin.

6) Combat oily hair: The salts do wonders for the hair, absorbing oil from problem hair by adding 8 tablespoons of Epsom salts to a half a cup of shampoo that’s formulated for oily hair. Put a tablespoon of the shampoo mixture on dry hair and work it in and around the scalp area, rinsing it out with cold water. To rinse it well, and further treat oily hair, pour a cup of apple cider vinegar over the hair, leave on for 5 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

7) Soak out splinters: Did you know, for instance, that soaking a splinter in Epsom salts can release the splinter and help the area to heal?

Make a poultice pack for strains or sprains: If you have any strained muscles or sprains, you can take 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom salts and make a “pack” with it to place on the affected area, wrap with hot towel and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. TIP: This can be a lot less messy and more relaxing if done in the bath.

9) Helps prevent hardening of arteries and blood clots: Epsom Salt is also believed to help prevent Heart Disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots and reducing the risk of sudden Heart Attack deaths.
10) Makes Insulin more effective: This salt also increases the effectiveness of Insulin, helping to lower the risk or severity of Diabetes.

11) Essential to plant health: Most plants to survive good health need nutrients like magnesium and sulfur. Magnesium Sulfate Crystals when added to the soil, provides vital nutrients to help prevent loss of green color (magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule), yellowing leaves. Epsom Salt makes the primary nutrients in most plant foods (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) more effective.

12) Get rid of raccoons: Are the masked night marauders poking around your trash can, creating a mess and raising a din? A few tablespoons of Epsom salt spread around your garbage cans will deter the raccoons, who don’t like the taste of the stuff. Don’t forget to reapply after it rains.
13) Deter slugs: Are you tired of visiting your yard at night only to find the place crawling with slimy slugs? Sprinkle Epsom salt where they glide and say good-bye to the slugs.

14) Fertilize tomatoes and other plants: Want those Big Boys to be big? Add Epsom salt as a foolproof fertilizer. Every week, for every foot of height of your tomato plant, add one tablespoon. Your tomatoes will be the envy of the neighbor-hood. Epsom salt is also a good fertilizer for houseplants, roses and other flowers, and trees.
15) Make your grass greener: How green is your valley? Not green enough, you say? Epsom salt, which adds needed magnesium and iron to your soil, may be the answer. Add 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon (3.7 liters) of water. Spread on your lawn and then water it with plain water to make sure it soaks into the grass.

16) Clean bathroom tiles: Is the tile in your bathroom getting that grungy look? Time to bring in the Epsom salt. Mix it in equal parts with liquid dish detergent, then dab it onto the offending area and start scrubbing. The Epsom salt works with the detergent to scrub and dissolve the grime.

17) Regenerate a car battery: Is your car battery starting to sound as if it won’t turn over? Worried that you’ll be stuck the next time you try to start your car? Give your battery a little more life with this potion. Dissolve about an ounce of Epsom salt in warm water and add it to each battery cell.

18) Get rid of blackheads: Here’s a surefire way to dislodge blackheads: Mix 1 teaspoon Epsom salt and 3 drops iodine in 1/2 cup boiling water. When the mixture cools enough to stick your finger in it, apply it to the blackhead with a cotton ball. Repeat this three or four times, reheating the solution if necessary. Gently remove the blackhead and then dab the area with an alcohol-based astringent.

19) Frost your windows for Christmas: If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, but the weather won’t cooperate, at least you can make your windows look frosty. Mix Epsom salt with stale beer until the salt stops dissolving. Apply the mixture to your windows with a sponge — for a realistic look, sweep the sponge in an arc at the bottom corners. When the mixture dries, the windows will look frosted.

20) Relieves Constipation: Numerous studies have revealed that Epsom Salt can also be used to treat Constipation. The salt acts like a Laxative. It increases the water in the intestines and can bring about temporary relief from Constipation. However, it is strictly warned that Epsom Salts should not be used to relieve Constipation without the consultation of a physician as it may prove to be harmful in some cases. For occasional Constipation or irregularity, adults can mix 2 to 4 teaspoons into water until dissolved and drink. Kids 6 to 12 take half of that. This can be used twice a day by taking the first treatment, waiting 4 hours and taking the second dosage if necessary.

Sources: epsomsaltcouncil.org/

Dee Braun, a single mom of 6 kids, is a Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Dr. of Reflexology and a natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Mom's Blog at http://www.moms-blog.com/ – a blog just for moms (and dads!) which offers more information on green living, children's health, child natural remedies and parenting advice and insight.

Energy Tools for Self Honesty

2010-07-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite people, Kealah Parkinson. She is guest-blogging for me during my absence on the topic of energy medicine and the role it has played in her journey of self awareness. You can contact Kealah at http://www.speak-your-truth.com/ for more information on her work as a Communications Coach.

Blessings,
Rose

Energy Tools for Self Honesty

Energy healing is amazing. If you're reading this blog, you may very well already agree with that statement. But did you realize that you can use tools for energy healing to improve the way you SPEAK? By simply becoming more self-aware as you either practice or receive energy medicine, you can do exactly that.

As a Communications Coach, I recommend to my clients something I call The 3 Keys of Communication©. They are:

(1) Self-Honesty

(2) Relational Honesty

(3) Universal Honesty.

Energy medicine can help you achieve each one of these. And, by the way, I know this, because I've tried it, myself!

During my first experience with energy medicine, I was in my early 20s and relatively new to Chicago. I had a small-town, wide-eyed wonder about a lot of life then. And when some of my colleagues recommended a holistic clinic where I could energetically detox, I had a hard time taking them seriously. But curiosity won out, and I wound up meeting a very professional healer—named Rose Mattax—whose demeanor put me at ease. When she recommended a variety of floral essences for me, I made sure to do my own research on the subject before I took even one drop! ... But after I began to use the essences as Rose had suggested, I was impressed with how well they worked: Golden Ear Drops, for example, gave me some very vivid dreams that helped me to make peace with some childhood issues that no longer served my life.

The more I began to use the various energy tools Rose offered me, the more improvements I began to see in my outlook on life. And, of course, the more self-aware and self-honest I was, the more I was able to be honest with others in my world; the more, you might say, I could speak my personal truth.

Today, I make sure to visit Rose at least once a month and receive Reiki—which I like to describe as "energy massage." It's like my very own spa day! I also employ a lot of other tools (Emotional Freedom Technique, Yoga, prayer, meditation and Eden Energy Medicine) as needed at home.

Are you waiting to explore new paths to self-awareness? Do you feel like you just can't say what you mean when you want to say it? Consider the tools of energy medicine as a way that you can speak YOUR truth and communicate more clearly today.

BIO: Kealah (KEE-la) Parkinson is a Communications Coach based in the Greater Chicagoland area. She is an expert at SelfGrowth.com and also blogs regularly about communication and vocabulary at www.BeyondTalk.blogspot.com. Her e-workbook, "Speak Your Truth: How to Say What You Mean to Get What You Want," is available online at http://www.speak-your-truth.com/.

Mark your calendars! FREE Webcasts with Donna Eden & Melanie Smith

2010-07-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

Get out your calendars and mark the dates.

On Tuesday, July 13th at 9pm Eastern and 6pm Pacific, you can hear Melanie Smith, acupuncturist and faculty for Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner training speak on Energy Medicine via Webinar.

On Thursday, July 22nd at 9pm Eastern and 6pm Pacific, join Melanie's mentor, Donna Eden, author of two award-winning books on Energy Medicine, for a Webinar. She will be discussing her work and answering your questions.

In both cases, you can submit questions ahead of time, or simply listen. To sign up for these amazing FREE events, go to Quantum Healing and Soul. I wish I could be a bug on the wall, but I will be in Parts Europe on both these dates.

Blessings,
Rose

Gretchen Rubin Makes Happiness Look EZ

2010-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Have you heard of Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project? I think it's really great, and I want to share with you one of Gretchen's recent posts. She makes stress-busting sound so EZ!

Stress Relief: 10 Extremely Simple Tips to Eliminate Stress in Your Day

When I was little, I was always puzzled by the maxim, "A stitch in time saves nine." I couldn't figure out what that meant. Finally, light dawned: A single stitch, made in good time, saves the trouble of making nine stitches later. In other words, a little effort now saves a lot of effort later.
That notion underlies several of the stress relief tips below. The other notion: When I have a reasonable amount of energy, life feels a lot less stressful.

1. Keep some cash in the house. For years, I badgered my husband to get cash so we had cash in the house. Finally, light dawned: Why did I get to decide that this was his problem? Now I get cash when we need a reserve, and I feel much better.

2. Never let your car's gas level fall into the "empty" zone. Special note to my fellow under-buyers: If you can afford it, fill the tank! Save yourself from having to return to the gas station in two days.

3. Have an over-the-counter pain reliever at hand at all times.

4. Put your keys away in the same place every day. This sounds so easy -- and it is. It will make you so happy.

5. Turn out the light as soon as you're sleepy. Since I started my happiness project, I've become a sleep nut. Getting enough sleep makes a huge difference in my sense of energy and cheerfulness.

6. Walk around the block.

7. Take 10 minutes before bed to tidy up.

8. If you have to pack a lunch for anyone, get it ready the night before.

9. Have at least one good friend who lives in the neighborhood.

10. Make your bed. This sounds trivial, I know -- but try it, it really helps!

Samuel Johnson pointed out that "To live in perpetual want of little things is a state, not indeed of torture, but of constant vexation." By making the effort to stay on top of the little things, you can keep the vexation to a minimum.

What am I missing? What tip would you add to this list?

Yes, I have a tip to add. When you've bitten off more than you can chew, repost somebody else's blog. Make sure it's someone you admire, and make sure you give them credit.

By the way, that's a picture of me with my friend Dawn, entertaining a party of parrots. I have several versions, but I like this one best. The palm fronds make me look like I'm sporting a tropical halo, with a particularly colorful Holy Spirit perched on my head!

Blessings,
Rose

So, did you miss me?

2010-06-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

What, I need an excuse? Give me a break. I'm leaving on vacation in ten days. I've got a list of things longer than both my arms to get done before then. I have to write this blog (which is obviously late), and next week's blog. If I want to be super efficient, I have to write two more blogs beyond that to post while I'm gone. Guess what, that's not happening (well, maybe it will; I'm feeling very super-over-achieve-y). I also have to write my Constant Contact newsletter for August. I have to resend my Summer Special email. I have to write a flower essence article on Chrysanthemum. That's a lot of have-to's, all of which have to be done by July 7th.

But here's the bottom line. After a bit of reflection, I realized last Friday I had indeed, as the proverb says, bitten off more than I can chew. So I will be delaying my promised Five Element Series until I return from Europe. I do hope you'll stand on the widow walk, watching for my return.

Meanwhile, I'm going to share with you an article I wrote about Donna Eden.

A Bouquet for Donna

I’ll never forget the first time I met Donna. I was attending a week long conference on Energy Psychology. It was a series of fascinating keynote speakers, a whirlwind of breakout sessions introducing me to a myriad of energy psychology techniques, and evenings full of spoon-bending parties, poolside parties and other special events. By Friday afternoon my mind may have been the healthiest it’s been in a long time, but my body, as they say in the hood, was trashed.

Then Saturday morning came. Donna was giving a post-conference day long class that day. I’d signed up for it on a whim. I had read part of her book, and her approach to energy medicine sounded intriguing to me. But could I stand another grueling day of balancing my energy?

As it turned out...

As it turned out, you read the rest of the article at here.

If I don't pull off being super-over-achieve-y, you will see me again the first Friday of August.

Blessings,
Rose

Next Eden Project Series--What Element are You?

2010-06-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Starting next week I will introduce you to the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Philosophy. You'll have an opportunity to take a number of polls and quizzes that will help you determine your primary Element. Although we are a blend of all five Elements, understanding your primary Element can help you appreciate your physical attributes, health patterns, personality traits and much more.

If you took this week's quiz, you may be wondering what food preferences have to do with the Five Elements. Well, what you like to eat can give you a clue to your primary Element.

If you like to eat predominantly sweet tasting foods, such as sweet potatoes with brown sugar, you might be an Earth Element.

If you like to eat predominantly bitter foods, such as green salad with vinegar and oil, you might be a Fire element.

If you like to eat predominantly salty foods, like salty nuts, you might be a Water element.

If you like to eat predominantly sour foods, such as tilapia with lemon, you might be a Wood element.

If you like to eat predominantly spicy or tangy foods, such as raw green peppers, you might be a Metal element.

Finally, if you can't settle on a predominant taste preference, imagine you have a plate of food in front of me, and it had a slice of raw pepper, fish in lemon sauce, a dish of salted nuts, salad with vinagrette, and a sweet potato, what would I eat first, second, third, fourth, fifth?

Even then, it can be confusing. For instance, I'm Metal/Water. I do prefer salty foods over sour or bitter foods. However, I much prefer a sweet potato over almost anything, and although I like mildly spicy foods, you'll never see me eating a raw green pepper!

But there's more to come, and when you put the whole puzzle together you'll have a much better answer to the question "what element are you?"

Keep coming back, and if you want to keep track of your poll answers here, along with your guesses as to your element, please do!

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: Let Go and Get Inspired!

2010-06-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Congratulations! You are about to complete the Eight Week Meridian Challenge. Hopefully you have taught yourself to trace them, and have found your life to be more confident, purposeful, passionate and nurturing. Today you will learn to trace the Metal element meridians Large Intestine and Lung. When these two meridians are balanced, you are able to let go of the past gracefully and live with a spirit of inspiration.

Large Intestine Meridian (5am-7pm): A common problem in the large intestine are constipation. We all know how uncomfortable that can make us feel physically. But ask yourself what you may be holding onto that is toxic not only literally, but figuratively. That also can lead to being very uncomfortable emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Here are some examples of an unbalanced Large Intestine meridian. We may find it hard to let go of past grudges, losses. We may stuff our painful emotions and memories. Our lives may be cluttered with unnecessary "things" to which we are too emotionally attached. Unbalanced energy in this meridian can affect our ability to reach our goals. Have the fruits of our labors spoiled? Or have the good things we've tried to accomplish become rotten? Balance this meridian and you will be able to live more effectively in the present, fueled with energy to step into your future.

To trace this meridian place the open fingers of one hand at the end of thee pointer finger of the opposite hand, trace straight up the arm to your shoulder, cross the neck to beneath your nose, and go out to the flare of your nose. Do both sides will repeating the words, "I let go of guilt, shame and fear. I live fully in the NOW!"

Lung Meridian (3am-5am): We can live without water and food for a week or two. But we will die within minutes without air. What would happen, also, if our lungs did not purify the air we breath? We could get sick with a whole host of ailments, such as asthma, bronchitis and cancer. Without air we couldn't express our thoughts or feelings either, which means healthy lungs are crucial to our emotional and creative lives as well.

Similarly, our Lung meridian draws chi--what I like to call "the air within the air"--into our souls, and releases stagnant chi from our souls. Without this vital function, we would be lacking inspiration, and the capacity for deep, soulful expression. Purity of mind and heart would elude us, as well.

Place one hand over the opposite lung and move it up over your shoulder, straight down your arm, and off your thumb. Do both sides will repeating the words, "I breathe in fresh chi and inspiration. I breathe out stale chi and grief."

I mentioned in another post that the best way to trace your meridians is to trace all fourteen of them in order of their time of greatest influence. Always start by tracing Central and then Governing meridian. Then move to the meridian that is active at the time of day you are tracing it. So, for instance, if you are tracing your meridians at 6 am, you would trace Large Intestine Meridian. Below, for your convenience, is a list of all twelve organ meridians (remember, Central and Governing don't have a specific "time" during which they operate; they are always "on"), starting with Kidney.

Kidney                5pm to7pm
Circulation/Sex     7pm to 9pm
Triple Warmer      9pm to11pm
Gall Bladder        11pm to 1am
Liver                     1am to 3am
Lung                      3am to 5am
Large Intestine       5am to 7am
Stomach                7am to 9am
Spleen                   9am to11am
Heart                   11am to 1pm
Small Intestine        3pm to 5p

If you don't remember how to trace them, just refer to my posts starting May 7th.
And now for the moment you've been waiting for. What do the answers to my poll mean? Well I'm not going to tell you! At least, not in this post. Honestly, as much as I like to write, I realize reading material like this can be a little deadly, and if you've gotten this far, well...you should be darn proud!

So I'm going to sign off now and then do another short blog on the poll, which will introduce the next Eden Project series. Stay tuned. And leave me a message, why dontcha?

Blessings,
Rose

Free Teleseminar on July 13 with Melanie Smith

2010-06-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

If you want to hear it live from one of my favorite teachers of Eden Energy Medicine, check out this F*R*E*E teleseminar on July 13th. Shifra Hendrie interviews Melanie Smith, Doctor of Oriental Medicine and Eden Energy Medicine Advanced Practitioner, who shows you how to create your own compelling personal vision of wellness. She will also share insights of her new energy technique Harmonize the Fire for stress reduction, adrenal exhaustion and hormone balancing.

By the way, this is just one of many talented speakers Shifra will interview during her Teleseminar Intensive between June 16th and July 22nd, including Donna Eden. Go to Quantum Healing to register.

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge:

2010-06-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

What is the value of tracing your meridians? When meridians become unbalanced, they can carry too much or too little energy to the organs, and they can create emotional havoc. Tracing them smooths and evens the flow of energy throughout the meridian system. The result is optimal health and well being.

Donna Eden says in her book Energy Medicine, "As you pass your hand over a meridian, you are aligning your hand's energies wih the meridian's energies, like the moon pulling the tide."

But how do you trace meridians? Easy. Rub both hands together vigorously and then shake them off. Use an open hand, palm facing the body. You can touch the meridian line or stay within two inches of it.

This week let's learn how to trace the Stomach and Spleen meridians, which sit in Earth element. Earth Element is about our foundations. These two meridians contribute greatly to being grounded and sturdy, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. They can also contribute to being stuck and toxic. Yuck! Tracing these two meridians can keep you moving forward in life full of health and vitality.

Stomach Meridian (7am to 9am), according to Touch for Health founder John Thie, takes in new new feelings, thoughts, experiences for just the way the stomach takes in new materials, sees what is available and tags it for use in other functions of the soul and body. Sometimes, however, we don't pay attention to what we "eat," whether it be food, a feeling, a thought, and experience, or something else. Then the Stomach meridian can be overwhelmed by elements that are poisonous to our spirits.

If you have stomach trouble, don't always assume it's because of what you eat. Ask yourself, "What is difficult for me to swallow? What's making me sick to my stomach figuratively? What is it I can't stomach, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually?"

Because the energy of this meridian moves from the top of the body down and off the second toe, a balanced Stomach meridian also helps us stay well grounded. If you need to stay more grounded, balancing this meridian can be very helpful.

To trace Stomach meridian, place both hands underneath your eyes, drop to your jawbone, circle up the outside of your face to your forehead, come down through your eyes to your collarbone, go out at your collarbone, over your breasts, in at your waist, out at your hips, straight down your legs, and off the second toes. Repeat this affirmation while you trace it, "I have both feet on the ground; I am balanced and centered."

Spleen Meridian (9am to 11am) takes the raw "energetic materials" received by the stomach and transforms them into useable forms which are then distributed throughout the body and spirit. When Spleen meridian is balanced, it sustains us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It nurtures us, in a sense, like a mother.

When Spleen meridian is out of balance, we may have trouble finding the sweetness in life literally (think diabetes) and figuratively. We may not be able to break down problems into manageable parts. Our bodies and spirits may be working too hard to detoxify from toxins that can impact our immune system. Exhaustion in body and mind will be the result.

To trace Spleen meridian, start at the outside corners of each big toe and go straight up the inside of your legs, flaring out at your hips, up the outside of your rib cage, and down to the top of the rib cage. Repeat this affirmation while you are tracing, "I nurture myself with love."

We have been racing through these meridians over the past month, and I've heard nary a peep from anyone. Who out there has been trying to trace these meridians? Are the directions for tracing them confusing? Do the pictures help? How has tracing them helped you? What have you noticed?

Do you know what Element you are? Well, you'll notice I've added a survey to my blog. Each week I'm going to ask a question, and the next week I'll let you know what Element matches each answer. After awhile you'll start to see a pattern in your answers that might help you determine your Element.

Yes, you can only choose one, so ask yourself what you would want to eat if if was your last meal on earth.

Blessings,
Rose

Wish You Could Sleep Like a Baby? Here's How

2010-06-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I'm in complete agreement with the Psalmist who proclaimed we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." However, sometimes I'm puzzled by the design logic.

For instance, as you might remember from my second blog on the topic of meridians, each meridian has two hours during the day when it is most active. In the case of Triple Warmer, the meridian that gets activated whenever there is a crisis, danger, illness or some other cause for the "fight or flight response," is most active between 9pm and 11pm.

So, right when your body is starting to wind down and prepare for sleep, Triple Warmer is getting juiced up. That sounds to me like a design flaw. In addition, from 11pm to 1am, your Gall Bladder meridian is most active. This is the meridian that is always thinking about things, planning, problem solving, looking over things, mulling, judging, evaluating. Just when you would rather turn off your mind, the meridian most ready to help turn it on is juicing up. Sounds problematic, doesn't it?

Well, actually, no. Think about it. Sleep is a time when we solve problems and make discoveries. For instance, Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in 1845. He had the idea of a machine with a needle which would go through a piece of cloth but he couldn't figure out exactly how it would work. He first tried using a needle that was pointed at both ends, with an eye in the middle, but it was a failure. Then one night he dreamt he was taken prisoner by a group of natives. They were dancing around him with spears. As he saw them move around him, he noticed that their spears all had holes near their tips. When he woke up he realized that the dream had brought the solution to his problem. By locating a hole at the tip of the needle, the thread could be caught after it went through cloth thus making his machine operable. He changed his design to incorporate the dream idea and found it worked!

However, there are times when Triple Warmer and Gall Bladder meridian are out of balance, and the result can be tension, tossing and turning, and loss of the much needed, restorative sleep. When you find yourself unable to fall asleep, try this easy and restful exercise. By the way, this can help to boost the Thyroid gland as well.

The Sweet Dreams Triple Warmer Neurovascular Hold

1. Do the Triple Warmer Smoothie.
2. Place your hand lightly just over the hollow of the throat and inner edges of your collarbone.
3. Rest your other hand lightly at your temple. Both of these areas are TW Neurovascular points, and by drawing blood flow to these areas, you are stimulating a relaxation response in the TW meridian.
4. Hold gently for four or five deep breaths, and then repeat on the other side...if you stay awake that long.

Frankly, this exercise works like knock-out drops on me. Do you have insomnia? I'd love to hear some success stories! Tell me yours.

Blessings,
Rose

PS that's a picture of my cousin Lucero's beautiful baby Ivan

The Triple Warmer Smoothie--No, It's Not a Drink

2010-06-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

The Triple Warmer Smoothie may not be a drink, but it is definitely a way to unplug from stress and refresh your energies. It will take you all of 20 seconds to perform, which is why you can do this between 2 and 1,000 times a day. In other words, you can't overdo it, and the more you do it, the quicker you'll tame the tiger in Triple Warmer's tank!

Here are the directions to the Triple Warmer Smoothie, taken directly from the pages of Donna Eden's award-winning book Energy Medicine for Women:

Triple warmer energy starts at the tip of the ring finger, travels up to the neck, behind the ears, and ends at the temples. You can use the electromagnetic energies of your hands to readily calm overactive triple warmer energy by tracing part of this pathway backward. Here are the steps:
1. Place your fingers at your temples. Hold for one deep breath, again breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

2. On another deep in-breath, slowly slide your fingers up and around your ears, smoothing the skin while maintaining some pressure.

3. On the out breath, slide your fingers down and behind your ears, press them down the sides of your neck, and hang them on your shoulders.

4. Push your fingers into your shoulders and then, when you are ready, firmly drag them over the tops of your shoulders, and smooth them to the middle of your chest, with one arm resting on top of the other. This is the heart chakra. It brings you home to yourself.

5. Hold here for several deep breaths.

So, what do you think?

Blessings,
Rose

PS if you just happened upon this blog, and don't know what the Triple Warmer meridian is all about, visit my recent post for the details.

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: How to Stop a Panic Attack in Its Tracks

2010-06-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Panic Attacks happen suddenly. They fill a person with a sense of imminent doom, death or destruction. They usually strike when the person feels they are in a life-threatening situation from which escape is necessary. They may think they are experiencing a heart attack, or that an earthquake is about to occur, or something violent is about to happen. Situational Panic Attacks are triggered by situational stressors. These and are indicative of social and specific phobias, such as fear of heights or public speaking. Panic Attacks that appear without any specific cues are more likely to be indicative of Panic Disorder. You have Panic Disorder if you have recurrent panic attacks, and are persistently worried about future attacks, to the point you change your behavior in order to avoid having them. This can lead to Agoraphobia, the unwillingness to leave your home for fear you will have a panic attack.

Last week I explained the Fire Element is comprised of four meridians. We dealt with the Small Intestine and Heart meridians, and how keeping them in balance can help us create a life full of heart and meaning. This week we're going to talk about the other two Fire Element meridians, Triple Warmer (yang) and Circulation/Sex (yin). Keeping them in balance can play a big role in helping you overcome panic attacks and generalized anxiety.

Circulation/Sex meridian (7pm to 9pm) sends energy to all the sexual organs. It assists many hormone-related functions, such as menstrual cycles, ovarian and uterine functions and prostate and testicular functions. It supports the ability to experience sex as pleasurable. Also known as the Pericardium meridian, it also supports the membrane sac which surrounds and protects the heart. Think of it as the meridian which helps us energetically connect sexuality with love. Finally, it is the meridian which helps keep the beat of the heart steady and appropriate, depending on the external and internal environments. The emotional polarity of this meridian is panic versus joy. When this meridian is balanced, our hearts are able to "leap with joy" appropriately. But when it is out of balance, our hearts may be racing with panic instead.

To trace this meridian, place the fingers of one hand a the outside of the opposite nipple, come up over the shoulder, go down inside the arm and off the middle finger. Do both sides while repeating the affirmation, "My heart leaps with joy."

Triple Warmer (9pm to 11pm) is so named because it is the overseer of the "three burners." The upper burner refers to the upper part of the body and includes the heart, lung and pericardium. The middle burner refers to the midsection of the body and includes the Spleen, Stomach, Gall Bladder and Liver organs. The lower burner refers to the lower section of the body and includes the Small and Large Intestines, the Kidneys and the Urinary Bladder. In essence, Triple Warmer is concerned with threats to the homeostasis of the system. It's primary goal is to maintain balance and create an environment wherein you are safe. It doesn't matter if the stress is external or internal, real or imagined. If Triple Warmer perceives a threat it goes into action. Whenever you experience the famous "fight or flight response," Triple Warmer is the meridian that goes into action, conscripting energy from other meridians to give you the edge you need to either stand and fight, or turn and run.

To trace this meridian, turn your hand over and starting at the ring finger, trace straight up the arm to beneath your ear, follow your ear around and behind, ending at your temple. Do both sides while repeating the affirmation, "I honor the warrior within. I am safe."

Tracing these meridians on a daily basis will restore energetic balance to them, which can help reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of a panic attack. However, when you are in the middle of a panic attack, I can gaurantee you both of these energies will have too much energy. Tracing them during an attack won't harm you, but it won't help you either. You need to find a way to open the tap so the excess energy can drain away. What do you do? Simple! Trace them backwards, a technique otherwise known as "flushing."

There are other techniques to help quench the fires of Triple Warmer and Circulation Sex. Stay tuned this week for additional methods for releasing excess energy from this Dynamic Duo.

Blessings,
Rose

How Do You Make a Good Decision?

2010-06-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Since we're on the topic of decision making this week, I thought I'd drop in a quick article here (see below) on the subject. Of course, I know you can surf the web as easily as I can, but let me tell you...the hardest decision I had to make was choosing which article to cut and paste! If you know of a better one, or have your own techniques for making a good decision, let me know!

I found another website on decision making I decided was too complicated to reproduce here. But it's worth checking out. Here's a bit of wisdom from Decision Making Confidence: We all have freedom of choice, but you will never have freedom of consequences. Choose wisely.

Blessings,
Rose

Simple Laws for Making Good Decisions

from Good Decision Makers

Charles Foster, PhD

I have spent 10 years studying decision makers -- identifying 35 people who generally make good decisions and 35 people who frequently make bad decisions... then watching over time as they make big decisions.

My research has led me to two conclusions...

Good decisions come from disciplined thinking. If you follow the basic laws of decision making, most of your plans will work out. Think haphazardly when you make a decision and little of what you plan will pan out.

They are habit-forming. Each time you make the right decision, you gain the necessary self-confidence to keep making good decisions. That’s why following the laws of decision making is crucial.

Here are seven rules for making great decisions...

Focus on the most important thing. This seems obvious, but it is the decision-making principle that is most often violated. People overload the decision-making process with so many variables that what’s really important gets lost.

Example: Most decisions only require you to answer one yes or no question, such as, Do we launch this product? But then someone says, What about this? and someone else says, What about that?

What should have been a straight-forward decision gets confused by minor considerations. You lose the focus for making the right decision.

In every decision, one factor usually is the most important. Close your eyes, and concentrate on that element, forgetting all other considerations. Once you’re focused only on what’s most important, the odds are you’ll make the right decision. Everything else is a detail.

Turn big decisions into a series of little decisions. Some decisions appear overwhelming. You want to focus on what’s most important, but there are so many unknowns that your focus gets blurred.

Example: Taking a new job means learning new skills, moving to a new city, etc. With so many variables to juggle, you wind up making a bad decision -- or no decision at all.

Break that big decision into several smaller, more manageable decisions.

Take time to study the new employer in depth. Decide if it is a company you really want to work for. Spend a few days in the new city. Decide if you want to live there.

After you make all the little decisions, the big decision will essentially be made.

Base your decision on self-acceptance. Self-acceptance covers a lot of ground…

What you like.

What you’re interested in.

What you’re good at.

Any decision based on who you really are... how you really work... what you really like... probably will work out.

Problem: People think a decision will transform them from who they are to who they would like to be. Job offers aren’t measured by suitability -- as they should be -- but by whether they will make them better people. Their future becomes hostage to that lack of self-acceptance. A decision made under such circumstances is a disaster waiting to happen.

Ask yourself what you really like and what makes you comfortable. If the decision won’t add to your feeling of comfort, it probably would prove to be a bad decision.

Consider all the good things your decision can bring. Decision making is, for many people, an exercise in disaster avoidance.

Instead of making the decision that might cause something wonderful to happen, we often make the decision we hope will hurt us the least.

Reality check: There’s nothing wrong with running through possible negative outcomes when making a decision. It would be foolish to make decisions on the assumption that nothing could go wrong. But decisions turn sour when you fail to examine positive scenarios as well.

The decision-making process must be fueled by the possibility that your decision will lead to something wonderful -- a new career, a stronger marriage, etc.

Keep reworking the decision until you see it leading to something wonderful. If you rework the decision and nothing wonderful emerges, you risk making the wrong decision.

Get what you need to make your decision a success. Especially in business, this rule gets broken again and again. A meeting ends with the decision to do such-and-such, but no plans are made to implement the decision.

Example: Many dot-coms recently went under because they had no plans for obtaining all the capital they would need to feed the beast.

If there is no passion to implement the decision -- or if you know in advance that the resources you need won’t be available -- you haven’t decided anything. It is window dressing meant to satisfy someone’s ego or to be included in a report to show your department is on the ball.

Start with how you’re going to implement your decision and work backward.

Keep things as simple as possible. Even smart people break this law. Because they see the big picture, they want the decision to cover every issue that might arise. They draft plans so that no possibility is overlooked.

Reality: The more things that can go wrong, the more things that probably will go wrong. Keep the number of things that must go right for the decision to succeed to an absolute minimum.

Venture capitalists are justifiably wary of overly complicated plans for a new business. Business plans that are easy to grasp are the ones that are most likely to get funding.

Consider all your options. I have never met a decision maker -- good or bad -- who had checked out all possible options. Invariably, I come up with options never considered.

Example: Think back to when you mislaid your keys or your wallet. You convinced yourself that you had looked everywhere. But when you found them, chances are they were someplace you hadn’t looked.

Don’t assume you know everything there is to know to make a good decision. Talk to people who are more experienced about the subject than you are. Ask what they would consider when making the same decision. Not only will they present you with new options, their insights could completely change the way you think about the decision.

________________________________________

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Charles Foster, PhD, MBA, director of The Chestnut Hill Institute in Boston, a research and consulting firm focusing on the psychology of business success. He is author of What Do I Do Now: Dr. Foster’s 30 Laws of Great Decision Making (Simon & Schuster).

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: Do You Have Trouble Making Decisions?

2010-05-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

What are you doing today?

I had a woman come to see me recently because she was couldn’t make up her mind about what to do today, or any day. Every morning she would wake up, her mind ablaze with ideas. Should she garden? Should she paint? Should she study history? Should she read her book club novel? Should she organize the pantry? Should she practice yoga? The list of possibilities seemed almost endless to her, and each one was so compelling, she felt pulled in a million directions. What to do? What to do?

To start, I explained to her the belief we can multitask is a myth. It is true the brain is able to switch its focus of attention at lightning speed. But when it gets right down to it, we can only attend to one thing at a time.

Secondly, I told her not being able to choose suggested an imbalance in two of her four Fire Element meridians. These two are the yang Small Intestine meridian and its yin counterpart, the Heart meridian.

Small Intestine meridian governs the snake-y, 23 foot long part of your digestive system responsible for absorbing nutrition from your food and separating the waste material to be sent along to the large intestine. This same discernment process happens on the Soul level as well. Small Intestine meridian, when balanced, helps you to assimilate and make use of influences, subtle and not so, which you experience from within (dreams, fantasies, imagination, creative ideas) and without (the laundry list of daily experiences which demand moment by moment attention and response). It also helps you to let go of distractions from what your Soul recognizes as nurturing and important. The result can be a clear sense of purpose and creative output of energy towards accomplishing that purpose. Unbalanced, these influences feel like energetic assaults on your awareness, leaving you with a bad case of situational-onset Attention Deficit Disorder. What’s that saying? The faster I run, the behinder I get. Tracing Small Intestine meridian can help you pace yourself, and run your particular race with greater effectiveness.

Small Intestine Meridian (1pm to 3pm): Starting at the little finger, go straight up the outside of the arm to your shoulder, drop back on your scapula, go over to your cheekbone, and back to the opening of your ear. Do both sides while repeating the affirmation, “I know what I want and I am decisive!”

We usually associate the heart with love, along with its sundry pitfalls and dangers. So it’s no surprise that the Heart Meridian not only supports energy to the physical heart, but also reflects the energies of heartache and heartbreak, as well as love for ourselves and others. However, when your heart is settled in regard to self and others, it can also turn its attention to considering what has “heart and meaning.” The heart is your other brain, in fact, absorbed with important, value-centered questions. Who matters to me? What matters to me? What do I care about? How do I show that concern? What am I passionate about? For what do I have enthusiasm? Where do I want to put my energy? Strengthening our heart energy by tracing this meridian can help illuminate these questions for us.

Heart Meridian (1am to 1pm): Place your open hand underneath the opposite armpit in alignment with your little finger and trace straight down inside the arm and off the little finger. Do both sides while repeating the affirmation “I love myself deeply and completely.”

Together, the Small Intestine and Heart meridians work in concert to help you discern, decide and focus on what has heart and meaning while letting go of what feels empty and meaningless. I had my client trace these two meridians several times a day every day for a week. She was amazed by what a difference it made. She felt calm, focused and able to make choices on a daily basis that felt supportive and purposeful. I hope this simple exercise will do the same for you.

Blessings,
Rose

St. Ephraem said, "Prayer suppresses anger." Good idea? Bad idea? You Tell Me

2010-05-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I asked this question on my Fan Page (OK, Like Page. Still feels like a downgrade). Apparently anger is one tough emotion to handle, because my question got a lot of attention. The reflections are all listed below, but I'd like to hear more. So I thought I'd make it an official blog, and see who else wants to weigh in on the question.

I'll throw in the definition of the word "supress" here to get you thinking, as that seemed to be the "hot button" word in St. Ephraem's comment.

1.to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.): to suppress the Communist party.

2.to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.).

3.to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.).

4.to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.). ... See More

5.to stop or arrest (a flow, hemorrhage, cough, etc.).

6.to vanquish or subdue (a revolt, rebellion, etc.); quell; crush.

Clearly, St. Ephraem lived before the invention of psychotherapy. But perhaps by "supress" he didn't mean a simple denial of anger, which is bound to backfire. I like to think he meant to stop or arrest your anger before it erupts like a lava flow, or a hemmorhage (see definition five). After all, anger at injustice well-expressed can change the world. Look at Ghandi.

Here's what all my fans (ok, my likers) had to say:

Susan Hargreaves Parker said:

Seems like a good thing to me, changes your outlook on life. Isn't that one reason we pray?

Karin Evans said:

I'd prefer to think that prayer offers us a possibility to release anger, gently.

Mary Lou Carta said:

Suppressing anger is not a good thing. The anger is still there. I think a better prayer would be to be able to understand the source of our anger and how to handle it in a Christian manner. Don't forget that there is such a thing as righteous anger. Consider Jesus and the money changers in the temple. I would say that he was past upset.

Rand Gholson said:

I feel if the prayer is directed towards suppressing anger, that is the likely outcome, then what do you do with the suppressed(compressed) anger? However if the prayer is directed towards manifesting freedom from anger and its relatives, wouldn't it be more likely that it is released and a more benevolent energy can be chosen to take it's place?

Clara de Luna (dontcha love that name?) said:

When prayer is an activity of expressing gratitude {either aloud with others, or in solitude} it most certainly does release us of some negative energy.

Susan Hargreaves Parker said:

I vote for No. 5, to stop or arrest, as in if the flow of angry feelings are likened to a hemorrhage or as destructive as a cough might be.

Lisa Davis said:

Prayer is a conversation with God.....if that takes away your anger, then I say, PRAY ON!

And what about you? What do you say?

Blessings,
Rose

Did Pele Need Anger Management Therapy?

2010-05-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Are you on Facebook? If so, do you ever feel like me? Do you ever get the feeling that maybe Facebook is just a giant figment of your imagination, and that maybe none of these friends you've made-but-never-met actually exist?

Well, last Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of my "Facebook Friends" Jason Poole, AKA "The Accidental Hawaiian Crooner" when he performed with June Tanoue, a hula teacher friend of mine here in Chicago. What a delight! Read his blog here on his experience, and you'll see a picture of him with my friend June.

BTW, it's completely relevant to my topic this week on ANGER MANAGEMENT, because the chant and dance they shared was about how the goddess Pele destroyed her poor dear friend when she lost her temper and erupted volcanically, burning her to a crisp!

If only she had balanced her Gall Bladder and Liver Meridians first!!!!

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: What Meridians Help You Manage Your Anger?

2010-05-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

The subject of acupuncture meridians is vast enough to justify years of study and practice. I'd like you to learn a little something new each week so you at least have a greater appreciation for your own fascinating energy anatomy. This week I'd like to answer a question that often gets asked when discussing meridians named for organs that sometimes, er, go missing.

The gallbladder is a good example. Raise your hand if you've had your gallbladder removed. Well, you're in good company. Did you know gallbladder removal is the most common operation in North America? Between the USA and Canada, each year more than 550,000 gallbladders go the way of all flesh thanks to gallstones.

I find this news chafing, irritating, vexing, exasperating. In a word, I find it galling. Why? Because it is quite possible to resolve a large percentage of these problems using natural methods.

However, I digress. The answer to that unasked question is that yes, even if you lose a particular organ, the meridian remains. Although bathing particular organs with vital energy is the primary function of each organ meridian, they also serve other purposes. One of these purposes is to create greater emotional balance. Each meridian has an emotional polarity, as I've pointed out before.

Some emotions are more pleasant to experience than others. For many people, anger is not one of them. How about you? Do you feel uncomfortable expressing your anger? Do you keep it bottled up? Why is that? Are you afraid you'll lose control if you start to get angry, or are you concerned what others will think of you? Perhaps you believe you don't deserve to express what's on your mind. Perhaps you have the opposite problem. You are easily moved to rage, or are verbally attacking, sarcastic, even physically violent.

Whatever the challenges you face regarding your ability to manage anger effectively, learning to balance the Wood element Gallbladder and Liver meridians may be helpful.

John Thie points out the Gallbladder meridian is associated with the organ that stores and concentrates the bile from the liver. Bile helps us with digestion, particularly of fats. But have you ever heard someone described as "full of bile?" That person is thought to be angry and bitter. In a sense, the Gallbladder meridian also stores and concentrates the emotions of anger, rage and judgement towards others. If these aren't metabolized properly, our anger can escalate out of control. However, when the energy of this meridian is flowing easily, it can help you look at the world with kindness and mercy.

Gallbladder's yin counterpart is the Liver meridian. Boy, talk about a multitasker. Your liver has more known functions than any other organ in your body. It is involved in blood storage, the menstrual cycle, sexuality, digestion, metabolism, storage, distribution of nourishment, filtration, detoxification and immune function. It also drives the neighborhood kid's carpool to school every Wednesday. So you know how those overachievers get. Hard on themselves. Guilty. You know what I'm talking about, right? When Liver meridian is in its flow, not only does it help to detoxify the body, it also helps to remove those poisons of the mind which keep us from being as kind and gentle with ourselves as we would be with a newborn baby.

Eventually you will be rockin' around the clock, but today we're going to jump around the clock. Last week we learned to trace Kidney and Bladder meridians, both at their busiest between 3pm and 7pm. This week we're going to burn the midnight oil with Gall Bladder and Liver meridians, both associated with the Wood Element.

Gallbladder Meridian (11pm to 1am): Place the fingers of both hands on the outside of your eyebrows, drop to the opening of your ears, take your fingers straight up about two inches, circle forward with your fingers, and drop back behind the ears. Go forward again over ot your forehead, back over the crown of yoru head, and around your shoulders. Leave your shoulders, take your hands to the sides of the rib cage, go forward on the rib cage, back on the waist, forward on the hips, straight down the outsides of hte legs, and off the fourth toes.

As you trace this meridian (and I promise you, it will never get worse than this meridian!), repeat this supportive affirmation: "I assert myself peacefully and let go of judgment easily."

Liver Meridian (1am to 3am): Place your fingers on the insides of your big toes and trace straight up the insides of the legs, flaring out at your hips, up the sides of your rib cage, and back to above your ribs, in line with your nipples.

As you trace this meridian remind yourself, "I am kind to myself."

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: Two Tips for Greater Hope & Courage

2010-05-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

There are two basic facts I want you to understand today about the 12 organ meridians. One, each meridian has a two hour period during which they are most active. Two, every meridian is associated with one of five Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal), and each Element "houses" two to four meridians, half of which are Yin meridians and half of which are Yang meridians.

Here's a third point I think you'll find interesting. The Yin (or feminine) meridians support organs or systems that are constantly at work in the body. They are Kidney, Liver, Heart, Pericardium (or Circulation/Sex), Spleen and Lung. The Yang (or masculine) meridians support organs that tend to work in bursts, then go back to the couch, pop a fresh beer and watch the rest of the football game. They are Bladder, Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Triple Warmer, Stomach and Large Intestine.

I mean, really, is there no justice in the world?

Today you're going to learn how to trace the Water Element meridians, Bladder and Kidney. (By the way the directions below are straight from Donna Eden's award winning book, Energy Medicine.) All the meridian pictures are taken from Acuxo.

John Thie, founder of Touch for Health, points out in his book that the Bladder meridian is said to be the storehouse of emotions. When our physical bladders are full, their function is to empty excess waste. Bladder meridian, when balanced, also helps us to release excess emotion. When we aren't able to do that, sometimes the "backlog" of emotion can become so overwhelming it can lead to a state of despair. When balanced, it can flood our soul with hope.

Kidney energy, when balanced, helps us to manage effectively the "watery" aspects of life--emotions, mystery and spirit. If our Kidney energy is weak, we won't have the energy to move forward in life with the courage needed to master our emotions, live with mystery and grow our spirits' full potential. If you have trouble with depression or anxiety, strengthening these two meridians may be very helpful for you.

Bladder Meridian is most active between 3pm to 5pm. To trace Bladder meridian, place both hands between your eyebrows, go up over the crown and down the back of your head and neck. Remove your hands from your neck, reach them back underneath your arms and as high as you can stretch onto your spine. Trace your hands down either side of your spine to below the waist, jog in and up toward the waist, and then in and around your gluteus maximus. Leave the meridian there and come up onto your shoulders, go straight down the back of your knees, in at the knees, down to the floor, and off your little toes.

As you trace Bladder meridian, repeat this affirmation specifically designed to nurture Bladder energy: "I am vital, hopeful and fully alive!"

Kidney Meridian is most active between 5pm to 7pm. To trace Kidney, place your fingers under the ball of each foot, middle finger in line with the space between your first and second toes. Draw your fingers up to the inside of each foot, circle behind the inside of each ankle bone, and go up the inside of the legs and the front of the body to K27, the points beneath the clavicle at the top of the sternum.

As you trace this meridian, repeat this affirmation designed to nurture Kidney energy: "I walk forward with courage."

So now you have four meridians to trace this week! Once you've learned all fourteen, I will tell you a particular order in which to trace them. But for now, start by tracing Central and Governing meridian. I don't think I gave you the affirmations for them last week. Central's affirmation is "I am centered in spirit and truth." Governing's affirmation is "I am grounded in gratitude and grace. Then trace Bladder and Kidney meridians.

Happy tracing!

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge--Floating Down the River of Life

2010-05-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

Welcome to the Eight Week Meridian Challenge. Hopefully it will be more refreshing than challenging, as you learn the basics about your own meridian system, and a very simple technique for balancing it.

Meridians may be considered esoteric in our culture, but they are considered part of mainstream medicine elsewhere. Today, acupuncture is used in most hospitals in China to treat illness. In Japan, some government employees are required to have their meridians scanned annually for imbalances as a way of detecting health vulnerabilities and prevent disease. In her book Energy Medicine, Donna Eden says meridans can be thought of us "fourteen tangible pathways that carry energy into, through, and out of the body." Hundreds of energy stations line these pathways, each one a well of electromagnetic energy and other subtle energies. These are your "acupuncture points, " and can be stimulated with needles or pressure to help balance the flow of energy through them.

In truth, you only have one meridian. Those fourteen tangible pathways are actually part of a single meridian that runs throughout the entire body in one, long circuit. They appear as twelve segments, however, and are named for a particular organ or system that they serve. Imagine you are floating down a very long river in a tiny boat. The river is named for each town through which it passes. So, you pass through "Kidney Town," and for however long it takes you to float by, you are on the "Kidney Meridian River." Now you are in Pericardium-ville for awhile. Next thing you know, you're floating through Triple Warmer Whistle-Stop (watch out, the natives are fierce here). On to Gall Bladder Burrough followed by Liver Burg and Lung City. Just around the bend is Large Intestine Town. After that is Stomach-ville. Spleen City is the next stop, but you're already paddling your way to Heart Hamlet. It won't be long before you see Small Intestine Town. Finally comes Bladder Burrough, which brings you right back to where you started...Kidney Town.

Two additional meridians, called Central (also known as Conception Vessel) and Governing, run through the very core of your body. These two energies function a bit differently than the other twelve. I think of them as the "yin and yang sprinkler system" for the other twelve meridians. Governing, which runs up the spine, over the top of the head and to the tip of the nose, "juices" your yang meridians (Bladder, Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Triple Warmer, Stomach and Large Intestine). Central runs up the front of the body, lying just under the chakras, from the pubic bone to the lower lip. It takes care of the yin meridians (Kidney, Liver, Heart, Pericardium, Spleen and Lung). Donna Eden points out several other important qualities about these two meridians which set them apart from the other twelve. One, they "open more directly to the environment," and "energies that surround you can enter and exit through them." They also double as "radiant circuits" and can be sources of profound joy and peace.

You'll be learning more about radiant circuits a little down the road. For now let's just appreciate the fact you have a wonderful energy transportation system which, when balanced, can help to maintain your physical and emotional wellbeing. Over the next eight weeks you will become intimately acquainted with each of your fourteen meridians, and you will learn one very basic method of keeping them in balance. By the end of the eight weeks you will be able to trace all fourteen of your meridians!

Let's get started. This week you will learn how to trace Central and Governing Meridian.

Do you know what an Etch-a-Sketch is? It's a toy screen filled with aluminum powder. With a stylus you can drag the aluminum powder where you want to create pictures. Well, I want you to think of your hands as styli, and your Central and Governing meridians as if they're filled with aluminum powder.

To trace your Central meridian, place both hands on your pubic bone. Firmly draw a line straight up the center of your body to just below the lower lip. Imagine as you do that you are dragging fresh, life-giving chi up with you just the way an Etch-a-Sketch stylus would drag aluminum powder up. To finish, press your finger tips in here to "lock in" the energies. Repeat twice more.

To trace your Governing meridian, place both hands on your tailbone. Firmly draw a line straight up the spine as far as you can. Reach over your shoulder with one hand and attempt to touch the other hand. If you can't reach it, imagine you can. "Grab" the energy you've been pulling up and bring it up the rest of your spine, straight over the top of your head, and stop just below the nose. To finish, press your finger tips in here to "lock in" the energies. Repeat twice more.

When Central meridian is out of balance, you might notice you're feeling vulnerable and insecure. It's a great meridian to trace just before giving a public talk! When Governing meridian is out of balance, you will lack the courage to move forward, or overcome problems. Need more backbone? Trace Governing. It's possible you will start to feel more centered, secure and courageous if you trace these two meridians on a regular basis. Try it and see.

And as always, let me know.

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Day Blog Challenge

2010-05-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I'm in Day 6 of the Seven Day Blog Challenge sponsored by Connie Ragen Green. I don't know exactly what I hope to accomplish beyond the act of pushing myself to blog daily--sometimes twice daily--and twitter the results.

Today is Sunday. Last night John and I bid on a rain barrel and got it at a silent auction for The Children's School in Berwyn! We were thrilled. It was hand-painted by the fifth graders with peace symbols and "save the earth" slogans. Just the sort of touch our backyard will enjoy. I also picked up some gorgeous, hand-painted garden stakes which will need a little shellacking if they're going to last more than a season.

The Children's School is a progressive education school, and if I could attend a school like that it would be one of the very few reasons I'd be willing to do my life over again. Small, child-centered, reflective classes that are project-driven. It sounds like so much fun!

One of the main purposes of the benefit last night was to raise $10K for my friend Mary Dye, who is going to be the artist in residence there next year. She's is a wonderful potter. If you google her name you'll see it associated with different sites, but she doesn't have her own. She'll be at the Forest Park Summer Arts Festival, I'm sure, and a fall sale out of her studio later on. You should check her out.

OK, I've accomplished my goal! Off to church now.

Blessings,
Rose

Merry May Day!

2010-05-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Today is May Day, an ancient pagan holiday that dates back to well before the birth of Christ.

For the British Druids, this day was the second most important holiday of the year. It was on this day the festival of Beltane was held, when the new fire was set, lending life to the burgeoning sprinttime sun. Livestock was driven through the fire to purify them. Men and women passed through the smoke for good luck.

The beginning of May was also very popuar with the Romans. It was devoted to the worship of Flora, the goddess of Flowers. The Floralia was held from April 28 to May 2. When the Romans came to the British Isles, the rituals of the Floralia were added into those of the Beltane. Today's May Day customs are a blend of both.

The most common tradition that has survived in some fashion or other to modern days is the May Pole. the May Pole was originally a tree brought into the village to ensure fertility. It was festooned with wreathes, garlands and ribbons. Towns often competed with each other for the tallest and most beautiful May Pole. Dances were performed around the May Pole using the ribbons to guide the dancers through the intricate steps. You can find lots of examples on YouTube but I thought this dance at Glastonbury looked particularly authentic...someone did their research! I love the costumes. Can anyone tell what sort of horn was being blown at the very end?

Merry May Day, everyone!

Blessings,
Rose

Just a Yin Weaver Sitting at the Loom

2010-05-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Speaking of the Crown Chakra, does anyone remember May crownings? I mean, does anyone Catholic out there remember May crownings?

I remember my first one. I was in first grade. The nuns sent us home with notes saying we were to bring flowers to school on a certain day. I don't remember what I brought, but it seems to me it was a motley crew of dandelions, daisies, wild violets and other assorted weeds from our back yard. I don't remember what I wore either, but I was jealous of the two pretty second graders in their first communion "wedding dresses" who were elected to place the crown of flowers on Mary's marble brow. Then the rest of us processed forward to lay our bouquets at her feet.

Do you remember the songs we used to sing? I remember this one. I can still sing it!

Bring Flowers of the Rarest

Refrain:

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!

Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

Bring flowers of the rarest

bring blossoms the fairest,

from garden and woodland and hillside and dale;

our full hearts are swelling,

our glad voices telling

the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale!

Actually, it's a very sweet song. Listen to it here.

What about now? Does anyone out there STILL celebrate May crownings? In her blog Motherly Loving, Robina talks about other traditions, prayers, crafts and food she and her family use to celebrate (and if you need some recipes, there's actually a website called Catholic Cuisine). The Philipino community in our church celebrates with a 28 day novena which culminates in a May crowning. I'm celebrating with a 33 day renewal of my consecration to Mary.

Surprised? I mean, here I am writing about Eden Energy Medicine, Reiki, Chakras, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Flower Essences. What's a good new ager like me doing talking about Mary, Church, novenas, consecrations and May crownings?

Actually, I don't consider myself "new age." I'm just a Yin Weaver sitting at the loom, sometimes wondering how it all fits...never doubting that it does.

And you?

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Week Chakra Challenge: The Bonus Round

2010-04-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

This ends the Seven Week Chakra Challenge. To all of you, posters and non-posters alike, thank you for taking part. Many of you left very thoughtful comments regarding your experiences with different chakras. Hopefully these experiences have helped to open a new world to you and a deeper appreciation for your “energy anatomy.”

Now begins the Bonus Round! For the next seven days I'd like you to answer a couple of questions to help you integrate what you've been experiencing these past seven weeks

For starters, what have you learned? The answers may be as simple as "I learned the root chakra is associated with the color red and the quality of safety" or "there are seven main chakras." It may be more personal, such as "I learned I could really feel the energy in my solar plexus chakra" or "I learned I dreamed more when I did a chakra exercise right before going to sleep."

For seconders, how have you grown? The answers to this question will be highly personal. There are no right or wrong answers, just your answers.

For thirders, go back through the various original posts for each chakra, select the exercises you like the most. Here are the links to each one:

This week, give yourself one, big, long, luxurious (like soakin' in a hot bubble bath luxurious) chakra treatment. What did you notice? How did it feel? Were you drawn to one chakra more than the other? What feelings came up? Did any memories surface?

For fourthers, write it all down here. I would love to hear your feedback.

Last but not least, next week I will be starting a new series on another aspect of your energy anatomy--the meridians. Here’s a brief explanation of meridians:

Chinese use the term "jing luo" which means, channels, conduit, meridian etc. According to acupuncture, these are the invisible channels through which qi circulates throughout the body. The acupuncture points (or holes as the Chinese term xue is more aptly translated means) are the locations where the qi of the channels rises close to the surface of the body. There are 12 main meridians, six of which are yin and six are yang and numerous minor ones, which form a network of energy channels throughout the body.

You can read about them here, but I’d rather you come back to my blog for my next seven week series. Each week for seven weeks I’m going to write about two meridians. I am going to offer a simple challenge with each one which will teach you over the course of seven weeks how to trace ALL of your meridians in just a few minutes.

Blessings,
Rose

What's Your Crown Chakra Story? Write your autobiography here...

2010-04-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Apparently I asked the right question yesterday! Thank you for all your open-hearted replies. I learned quite a bit from each of you, and it raised a whole new list of questions for me.

How do you let go of fear so you can enjoy the adventure?

Do we need to suffer? Is it unavoidable? How do we respond to it? As a Teacher? A Betrayer?

What is my body trying to tell me through pain, illness, injury? Is it a source of Guidance?

How do I experience intuition in my body?

Can I really find everything I need by looking within for guidance?

What is the balance between looking within and seeking help from others?

How do I know when to turn to others for guidance?

Food for thought. You're welcome to comment on any and all of the above questions, AND...your "official" Crown Chakra question today is...

Do you bargain with the Divine? Do you complain to the Divine more than you express gratitude?

I have a daily gratitude practice. Each night I offer a decade of the rosary for all the blessings of the day, those I noticed and those I didn't. I then name my "five favorite blessings" for the day and dwell on those in gratitude. Lastly, I pray the rosary for all those who have nothing to be grateful for today, and for those who have no-one to pray for them.

I wouldn't say I was a naturally grateful person, but the practice does keep me from complaining. As for bargaining, I don't think I do that. If I do, it's very subtle and I haven't caught myself at it yet!

And you?

Blessings,
Rose

What's Your Crown Chakra Story? Write. your autobiography here..

2010-04-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Well, I guess I have a lot of shy followers, because I'm not getting any posts here or on my Fan page (OK, Like page). Maybe I just need to find the right question? Or are these questions too personal? Let me know!

Here's todays Crown chakra question: What type of guidance do you fear the most?

Hmmm, that's an interesting question. Compelling, even. Why would I fear guidance? What beliefs do I have about guidance that would make me be afraid of it? I suppose the answer is I fear guidance that stretches me out of my comfort zone and draws me into unfamiliar territory.

Why would that be? Because a part of me fears I can’t handle the truth. I’m reminded of Jesus’ words to his disciples near the end of his life: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.”

But have you ever had a dream where you’re in a familiar setting—say your home—only to discover a room you never knew was there? That’s the good news. Truth never appears until you’re ready to handle it.

And you?

Blessings,
Rose

What's Your Crown Chakra Story? Write your autobiography here...

2010-04-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Here's today's Crown Chakra story question. Take a few minutes to share your memories here.

Think of your earliest experience of prayer – who taught you to pray – who explained what God is or isn’t.

Hmmm. My earliest memories of praying are being tucked into bed by my mother and taught to recite, "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." That prayer worried me a lot. I can remember asking my mother what the chances were of--you know--dying before I woke.

Who explained God to me? I have a memory from when I was five years old. I was running around the back yard playing tag with the neighbors and my brothers. Suddenly, for reasons I can't begin to explain, I ran into the house and plowed into my mother's knee (she was having coffee with a friend), with this question burning to be asked, "What's the difference between omniscience and omnipresent?" My mother paused a moment and then said, "Well, omniscience means God knows everything. Omnipresent means God is everywhere." As she spoke these words I had a vivid image in my mind's eye of the world being a neat patchwork quilt of homes next to which stood all the moms, dads and children. Over each head a tiny candle flame was burning. God was everywhere. God knew everyone. Made perfect sense to me, and thus satisfied with my impromptu theology lesson, I raced back outside for another game of tag.

You?

Blessings,
Rose

What's Your Crown Chakra Story? Write your autobiography here...

2010-04-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

What's your Crown Chakra story?

Every chakra tells a story. The Crown story will likely relate to your experiences of and feelings about God, the Spirit, the Divine.

Each day I will post a new question to get you thinking about your story. Write just a few lines here and discover your Crown Chakra Autobiography.

TODAY'S CROWN CHAKRA QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOUR PAST AND CURRENT BELIEFS ABOUT THE DIVINE?

My story? I read a book recently called Same Kind of Different as Me (an amazing true story about a relationship between a street person and a volunteer in a soup kitchen). At one point in it, Ron says "All I can do is tell the jagged tale of my own spiritual journey and declare that my life has been better for having followed Christ." I was raised Catholic but was fortunate enough to encounter Christ when I was seventeen. It is a relationship that has challenged and transformed my life ever since. I am still a practicing Roman Catholic, although over the years I have travelled other paths and gathered riches there, especially from the Hindu and Tantric traditions. A Benedictine Abbot friend of mine says I have the gift of "dual-belonging" because of my ability to straddle and integrate dual realities.

And you...?

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Week Chakra Challenge--Keeping the Light in Your Crown Chakra

2010-04-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

We are finally entering the seventh week of our Challenge! Congratulations! This week we will address the Crown chakra. Sahasrara rests at the top of the head. It is also called the Chakra of 1000 Petals, and is often pictured as a beautiful Lotus blossom. This chakra is the most subtle of all the chakras. It is the chakra of pure consciousness, transcendent awareness of, and union with, God.

Maybe you think only yogis sitting in caves who meditate 24 hours a day can open their Crown chakras. I suggest you think of it a little differently. We all have the capacity to open our Crown chakras to the fullest. Your fullest will look different from my fullest. But that doesn’t matter. Let’s see, how can I explain this?

Well, a story comes to mind of one of my favorite saints, Therese of Lisieux. In her "Autobiography of a Soul," she wrote

One day I expressed surprise that God does not give an equal amount of glory to all the elect in Heaven—I was afraid that they would not all be quite happy. [Pauline] sent me to fetch Papa’s big tumbler, and put it beside my tiny thimble, then, filling both with water, she asked me which seemed the fuller. I replied that one was as full as the other—it was impossible to pour more water into either of them, for they could not hold it. In this way Pauline made it clear to me that in Heaven the least of the Blessed does not envy the happiness of the greatest; and so, by bringing the highest mysteries down to the level of my understanding, she gave my soul the food it needed.

Let’s say Heaven is the state of consciousness that occurs when the Crown chakra is open. What does it matter if your Crown chakra is the size of a thimble or the size of a rain barrel? It’s full of the awareness of the "Love in which we are made and the Love in which we disappear!” Blissed-out (blessed) are you! Hooray!

Well, we could all stand to be more blissed-out, don’t you think? Certainly a daily meditation practice will help you reach that goal eventually. But what about something you can do on the quick to support the flow of Crown chakra energy throughout the day? I’m going to suggest Donna Eden’s Crown Pull as our Chakra Challenge this week Here’s out it goes…

• Start with both hands on the sides of your head, place your thumbs on temples and bring your fingers forward to rest your fingertips on your forehead just above the center of your eyebrows.
• Inhale deeply .
• Breathe out; simultaneously press down and pull your fingers from the center of your forehead to the side of your face.
• Place your fingers at your hairline and repeat the pull.
• Place your fingers at the top of your head; breath in and as you breathe out push down and pull your hands apart to just above the ears. Rest your fingers at the crown chakra, and repeat the pull
• Continue these pulls down the back of the head
• Place your fingers at the base of your skull with your thumbs where your head meets your neck. On the out breath, pull your hands apart to just under your ears.
• The final pull – Place your fingers where your neck meets your shoulders and pull forward – over the shoulders. Let them hang while you gently rotate your neck.

Trust me, this is easier to do than it looks like on paper.

Personally, I like to imagine my Crown chakra is an Observatory, and the Crown Pull opens it to take in all the vastness of Heaven pouring its light down on me. But it has practical applications, too. Got a headache? Crown Pull! Need to clear your mind? Crown Pull! You can’t overdo the Crown Pull exercise, so have fun with it.

And as always, let me know what you think.

Blessings,
Rose

Keeping the Light in your Third Eye: Feed Your Imagination

2010-04-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Anodea Judith said this about the Brow Chakra and imagination.

Beauty opens the imagination. And as Albert Einstein has said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” We must have imagination if we are to envision a future.

That is why I have been asking all my fans to notice something beautiful everyday. Many of you responded, and here's a composite list of your reflections...

Children participating in story time! And making pictures of blossoming trees!

Redwoods ferns & wild iris

my 14 month old son kissing the tomato plants good-morning

The sun

spirit

Sunlight!

An unexpected note from someone telling me that my two sons are fantastic!

Every plant and tree that seems to have bloomed at onece.

The redbud blooming right outside my office window

My Grandchildren playing in the sunshine!

A beautiful azalea bush in my backyard.

The sunrise on my morning walk

The tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in bloom.

The sun in the sky.

My cats lazily sunning themselves in the rays falling across the bed!

A blue sky without clouds

One of my favorite Proverbs reads, "without a vision the people perish." What is your vision today? If you don't have one, then perhaps you need to open your Third Eye just a little wider. Watch for beauty. Let it inspire you.

Blessings,

Rose

The Seven Day Chakra Challenge--Keeping the Light in Your Third Eye

2010-04-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

We’re now on to the Sixth, Brow or Ajna Chakra, located at the center of the forehead. The word Ajna comes from the Sanskrit root “to know, obey and follow.” It is commonly translated as “command,” meaning it is from here you “know, obey and follow the command of the Guru.” For us Westerners, that may sound a little scary. However, in Hinduism, where devotion to a teacher is common, it makes perfect sense. In our culture we might be more comfortable being open to know, obey and follow that spirit of innate Wisdom with which we are all born. But an open Brow chakra could also mean you are teachable, open to wisdom from whatever source it comes.

This chakra is also called the Third Eye or “eye of intuition,” and is the gateway to the psychic dimension of consciousness. For most of us, though, this “inner eye” remains closed to subtle perceptions of reality. Why is that? According to Donna Eden, “The flaw that many of us have at the level of the sixth chakra is that we are so filled with our abstractions, mental constructs, and fantasies that more refined processes get crowded out.” As a result, “{o}ur sixth chakras can be dominated by thought that is not balanced by more subtle ways of knowing the world.”

Perhaps we would live in a different world if more people were asking how to open their Brow chakra so they could be wiser. But the truth of the matter is most of us are intrigued by the idea of being more psychic. I hope this week’s Chakra Challenge will offer you a few fun and playful ways to open your “eye” to a little bit of both. These exercises are based on the work of Donna Eden, and can be found in her book Energy Medicine or in her Energy Medicine Kit.

A Simple Exercise to Open Your Third Eye

Place your middle finger at the bridge of your nose and push up a couple of inches.

Inhale deeply and imagine you are lifting open the eyelid of your Third Eye

Exhale and repeat for several minutes once a day for thirty days

Another Simple Exercise to Open Your Third Eye

Spin a crystal on a string in a clockwise/counterclockwise spin an inch in front of your Brow chakra

Continue for 30 to 60 seconds

Stop the crystal from spinning and see if you notice any sensations (colors or pulsing, for instance)

Repeat the process as many times as you like.

Repeat the exercise once a day for thirty days.

A Simple Exercise to Open to Inner Wisdom

With your breath calm and deep, direct a question from your sixth chakra down to your root chakra.

Let the question settle into the energy of your root chakra.

Inhale deeply, and as you do so, draw up the light in the Root chakra so it moves back up to your Brow chakra.

Be open for the answer to reveal itself.

I’m looking forward to hearing some interesting stories this week!

Blessings,
Rose

Ahem! Have you cleared your Throat Chakra today?

2010-04-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I am happy to report my sore throat is almost entirely gone. I've decided to call it my "East Meets West" cold, because I don't think I could have licked it without finally adding in the antibiotic my doc gave me last Friday. Many thanks to all of you who suggested your favorite home remedies. I stuck with a combo drink of 1/3 ginger ale, 1/3 grapefruit juice and 1/3 water (not to mention a steady diet of Netflix movies). But here are some other wonderful ideas...

Sharon Hampp suggested hot lemonade with a cinnamon stick. Susan Parker also likes Cinnamon tea with honey. Smart thinking, because cinnamon is an effective remedy for colds and sore throats. Boil powdered cinnamon with a pinch of pepper powder in water, and add honey for a healthy home remedy.

Karen Klauber said to chew on fresh ginger, but I ain't got the noive.

Does anyone remember mom making you gargle with salt water? Eve Michelini still uses this tried and true home remedy.

Horehound candy has been around forever, hasn't it? I haven't tasted one in years, but I couldn't resist looking it up online when Cathy Goff suggested it. Listen to this description: Claeys Candy horehound drops are made from 100% natural horehound herbal tea that has been brewed using the traditional technique of steeping in copper kettles to enhance the flavor.  The ingredients are as follows: sugar, corn syrup, natural horehound herb, caramel color.  Doesn't that sound just so healthy? Well, except for the sugar, corn syrup and caramel color.

Still, Horehound is a tried and true herb that's been used to treat colds and sore throats from way back. But I'm with Susan. I'll stick with my Ricola, thank you very much. Here's a quote from Ricola's website: "Since time immemorial, Ricola has been blending 13 precious medicinal herbs from Switzerland with the same delicious recipe. The mix is particularly effective for colds, coughs and hoarseness, always refreshing and has that fabulous, unique flavour." And then, there's all those flavors to choose from, like Echinacea and honey lemon, as Sheila Edwards pointed out.

I didn't abandoned my use of the Shankh mudra, either. I did it every hour or so for just a few minutes. Call me crazy but I could swear each time, I could feel the pain and burning ease, and the muscles in my throat relax.  Would I have taken longer to recover if I hadn't used the mudra? I don't know.  I like to think so. I do know I recovered much more comfortably, and for that I'm very grateful.

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Week Chakra Challenge--Keeping the Light in your Throat Chakra

2010-04-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Wouldn’t you know it? The week I am to write about the throat chakra I have a terrible sore throat! I just came back from the doctor. He thinks it might be strep throat. So I’m on antibiotics, Vitamins C & D, a probiotic, licorice tea, bed rest and a steady diet of Netflix instant movies. Well, they say there are no coincidences, so I suppose I better pay especially good attention to what I’m about to write today.

Since I’m not feeling well I’m going to cheat and cut and paste a short article in here about the throat chakra written by Donna Eden and her husband David Feinstein. Donna Eden has a fascinating take on the throat chakra.

Metabolism and the Throat Chakra

Donna Eden & David Feinstein, Ph.D.
©2007

Metabolism—necessary for all life—is the unceasing transformation of matter into energy (catabolism, a yin process) and energy into matter (anabolism, a yang process). Ideally there is a harmony between catabolic and anabolic processes, a yin-yang balance.

While metabolism takes place at all levels of the body, down to events in the cells, metabolism is governed by the throat chakra.

Beyond metabolism as we usually think of it—involving physical matter such as food—information carried by a more subtle form of energy is also metabolized. This is the job of the throat chakra. Information from the other six chakras passes through the throat chakra.

Seven different truths, different kinds of information, are represented in the seven chakras. Here is how information from each chakra is metabolized at the throat chakra. It is both broken down (catabolism) so it can be assimilated, and assimilated information is built up into new syntheses (anabolism). The value of having all this occur in one place is that the truths of all 7 chakras can be incorporated into the new synthesis.

Each of the 7 chambers of the throat chakra corresponds with one of the 7 chakras.

The 3 chambers on the left side correspond with the 2nd, 4th, and 6th chakras. These are a more receptive energy, more yin. These chakras are catabolic, more involved with breaking down and assimilating information, though this is not to say that any chakra is all yin or all catabolic. Each has both yin and yang energy, but the balance of these three is more toward yin, toward catabolic action. These three chakras happen to contain more layers that spin counterclockwise (which breaks down, catabolic) than clockwise (which stabilizes, anabolic).

The 3 chambers on the right side correspond with the 1st, 3rd, and 5th chakras. These are a more active energy, more yang. These chakras are anabolic, more involved with creating new information out of information that has already been assimilated. But again, every chakra carries out both processes--it is simply that the balance of these three is more toward yang, toward anabolic action. These three chakras contain more layers that spin clockwise (anabolic) than counterclockwise.

The energy of the 7th chakra comes through the central chamber, at least during the times in our life when we are enjoying harmony among all our chakras. When this harmony does not exist, however, because new information needs to be synthesized, or because of stress or other factors, the energy of the throat chakra comes through the central chamber. It does this to give a boost to the metabolizing and harmonizing of all the chakra energies it is managing. When the throat chakra energy comes through the central chamber, the energy of the 7th chakra will move through the far right chamber.

In case all of the above is too simple, some people are more yin and others more yang, which impacts the degree of anabolic or catabolic properties you will see on each side of the throat chakra. There are also figure 8 forces and spiraling layers of energy that move and blend the energies of all the chambers together, which are the final influences on the way the throat chakra metabolizes information from the other six chakras.

Your challenge this week is to open the throat chakra using the Shankh mudra. It is said to drive away every kind of throat problem. I’m sure hoping so!

How to form the Shankh mudra: The left thumb is placed on the center of the right palm. The right hand forms a firm grip around the left thumb. The left hand rests against the right fist. Right thumb touching the left index finger. Hold this pose in front of your sternum high enough so the tips of your fingers touch the hollow of your throat for two to three minutes.

I'll be doing this one but I'm also going to try my mom's favorite home remedy for sore throats...hot grapefruit juice with raw honey. Drop me a line and tell me your favorite home remedy.

Blessings,
Rose

Got Hypertension? Try these two quick energy fixes

2010-04-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

The Heart chakra is governs the heart and circulatory system. So if you have hyper- or hypotension, you want to make sure your Heart chakra is in good shape!

Here are two easy (I mean EZ) exercises that can help to relieve emotional stress in the heart and balance your blood pressure in whichever direction it needs to go.

Sunrise/Sunset (time--30 seconds)

This exercise can be found in Donna Eden's award-winning book Energy Medicine for Women. It can help stabilize blood pressure (it lowers high blood pressure and raises low blood pressure) and is generally very good for the heart. In addition, it calms body and mind.

1. Begin with your hands at the sides of your body, palms facing outward. Slowly with an in-breath, circle your arms above your head, as if directing the sun to rise.

2. With both arms now extended upward and palms facing each other, reach for the risen sun. Stretch one arm up high toward the sun. Imagine grabbing a rope with this hand. Close your fist around it and pull it down, drawing the sunlight onto you. As thi hand comes down, reach up to grab the rope with your other hand and pull it down. Keep drawing the su, alternating hands for several more pulls.

3. Turn your palms outward. Release your breath slowly as you circle your arms far out to the sides and down tot he sides of your legs, as if directing the sun to set and your body to calm.

Chakra Clearing (time--3-5 minutes)

Donna describes this exercise in her other award winning book, Energy Medicine! It's a simple method that can be used on all the chakras. Try it over your Heart chakra this week and see what you notice.

1. Rub your hands together vigorously and shake them off.

2. Spin your left hand in a counterclockwise direction over the heart chakra (note: the clock is sitting on your heart with 9am to the right side and 3pm to the left) for about 2-3 minutes. This helps to open and release stagnant energy from the chakra.

3. Shake off your hands. Rub them again vigorously and shake them off again.

4. Spin your right hand in a clockwise direction over the heart chakra for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Stay Hearty, Yinmates!

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Day Challenge--Keeping the Light in Your Heart Chakra

2010-04-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

We are now entering the fourth week of our Seven Week Chakra Challenge, and halfway through our seven chakras. Below us are the root, womb and solar chakras which help us to function successfully in the material world. Above us are three more chakras which help us mentally, spiritually and vocationally. The fourth or Heart chakra (so called because it sits in the center of the chest at the level of the heart) integrates the mind/body complex. The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Anahata. It is the chakra that enables us to be fully human, fully alive and fully divine.

Each of the first four chakras is related to one of the four elements. Root is related to earth, Womb to water, and Solar to fire. The Heart chakra is related to the element of air. It also represents the quality of love. I’d like to quote Anodea Judith here as she describes the similarities between air and love:

“Air is formless, largely invisible, absolutely necessary, and the least dense of our first four elements. Air is expansive as it will expand to fit any space it is put into, yet it is soft and gentle.

So, too, is love. Love is the expansion of the heart, the transcendence of boundaries, the interconnectedness of spirit. Love is balance, ease, softness, forgiveness. And love at the heart chakra is felt as a state of being, existing independently of any object or person, unlike the passion-oriented love of the second chakra.”

The balanced Heart chakra radiates love for self and others. It reaches out in compassion, unconditional love, forgiveness, hope and inspiration. It draws to itself the same. If the Heart chakra is too open, we give our time, energy and self away, losing our own center. If it is closed down, we become withdrawn, unforgiving, depressed and isolated. We struggle with feelings of hate, envy, fear, jealousy and anger. Physical dysfunctions can result from imbalances in the Heart chakra, such as any and all heart conditions, blood pressure irregularities, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, lung and breast cancer, and upper back and shoulder problems.

Since this is the air element chakra, we’re going to combine Pranayama (think “yoga for the breath”) with a Mudra (think “yoga for the hands”) for this week’s Challenge. It’s a simple meditation, but it does have a number of steps, so you may want to read through it a couple of times before attempting it.

Sit comfortably with a tall spine, shoulders relaxed and chest open.

Inhale the palms together into prayer pose so that the knuckles of your thumbs are touching the sternum at the level of the heart.

Close your eyes and breathe slowly, smoothly and deeply into your belly and chest.

Quiet the mind using your breath. On the inhale, breathe in silence. On the exhale release any thoughts and distractions.

Continue for one to two minutes.

Next, gently release and rub your hands together, making them warm and energized. Place the right palm in the center of your chest and the left hand on top of the right.

Breathe as if you were breathing directly into the center of your chest. Feel your chest grow warm, radiant and full of energy.

Breathe this radiant energy through your entire body. Feel it flow into your arms and hands and back into the heart.

Continue for one to two minutes.

Next, gently release the palms and turn your hands outwards towards the world.

Breathe. As you inhale, continue to breathe directly into the heart chakra. As you exhale, send the love in your chakra out to the world. You can send it to a specific person or situation, to all sentient beings, or ask it to go where it is most needed at that time.

Continue for one or two minutes. You can repeat the cycle as often as you wish.

According to Hindu philosophy, it is believed another smaller chakra sits just below the Heart chakra. It is called the Celestial Wishing Tree. In front of the tree is an altar for worship. It is believed the Tree contains the deeper wishes of the heart chakra. End with your hands in prayer pose as at the beginning, only bring them down a little lower, in line with this “inner altar.” Direct your breath towards this chakra, and allow it to carry all the prayers, desires, hopes, needs and intentions—known and unknown—towards this Tree. When done with humility it is believed “wishing and worshipping” before this Tree bestows even more than we could ever imagine.

Blessings,
Rose

Have you pointed your fingers today?

2010-03-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Yesterday I had an interesting experience while practicing the Usha mudra. As I held it for a few minutes, I found my stuffy (allergies acting up, I think) nose clearing up! Before you write that off as a meaningless coincidence, let me tell you which acupuncture meridian governs the sinuses. Stomach. Which chakra governs the stomach? You guessed it.

How about you? What are you noticing as you balance your Solar chakra?

Blessings,
Rose

Have you pointed your fingers today?

2010-03-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

In case you are dropping in for the first time, welcome to the seven week Chakra Challenge series. If you’ve been participating all along, please bear with me as I offer this overview of the chakra system. Think of it as a super-mini review course.

Chakras act as energy stations. The word “chakra” means disc-shaped or circular (think of a wheel). It describes vortices for energy exchanged between the environment and the body. There are seven chakras: root, sacral, solar, heart, throat, third eye and crown.

We are currently working on balancing the energy in our third, or solar chakra. (If you’d like to join in on the fun, please follow the link to my blog from last Friday.) Today I’d like to discuss with you in brief physical diseases and disorders associated with the solar chakra. These included stomach ulcers, intestinal tumors, diabetes, pancreatitis, indigestion, anorexia/bulimia, hepatitis, cirrhosis, adrenal imbalances, colon diseases and stiffness of the joints. Addictions, depression and insomnia are several other notable solar chakra disorders.

People don’t throw too much money at chakra research these days but I was recently reminded of one study reported in Richard Gerber’s book Vibrational Medicine. It showed that electromagnetic frequency measurements recorded at each chakra will vary in oscillations from 100 to 1,600 cycles per second (each chakra functions within a certain frequency range) in a physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy person. However, in an ill person, little oscillation will be detected at one or more of the chakras.

Do you have any of the problems listed above? If so, the solar chakra should hold a great deal of interest for you. Do not neglect getting appropriate medical care. But balancing this chakra on a consistent basis can quite possible contribute to improving any of these problems. The mudra you are practicing is a good first step. You might also want to consider adding other CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) modalities, such as massage, Healing Touch, Touch for Health, Reiki, Acupuncture and, of course, Eden Energy Medicine.

I look forward to hearing your comments and questions. By the way, I have a few questions for you. Has anyone had success using CAM to deal with any of the diseases mentioned here? I’d love to hear! Does anyone know of any recent studies done on chakras? Or on any aspect of our energy anatomy, for that matter?

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Day Chakra Challenge--Keeping the Light in Your Solar Chakra

2010-03-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

How did you do with the Usha Mudra? Eve shared “(i)t makes me feel calm and centered. When I am under stress I often find that I will sit with my hands together in my lap. Even as a child.” I especially enjoyed how easy it was to practice this pose in any social situation.

Now it’s time to talk about our third chakra. It sits in the solar plexus and is also known as the solar chakra. The Sanskrit name is Manipura, which means “city of gems.” It is truly a gem of a chakra! As our fire center, it is the energy of combustion and transformation. A healthy third chakra will release energy for vitality, inspiration, creativity and transformation, physically and spiritually.

Psychologically, we find in this chakra the energy to transform the world by our thoughts and actions. That is why it is also associated with self esteem issues. If we feel good about ourselves and powerful, we are likely to have a positive impact on the world around us.

If we lack confidence, our inner fire will be banked, so to speak, and we may feel disempowered and easily overpowered by others. We will lack the motivation, will-power, self confidence and creativity to make a difference through sharing our gifts and talents.

On the other hand, if the energy of the third chakra is too strong, we might be angry, competitive, jealous, and have an inordinant need for power, status and recognition. Do you have trouble letting go? Are you obsessive, singleminded, bossy? Call the fire department! Fire in the hole!

So what’s your Challenge? Well, this week you get a choice. If you think you have a wimpy third chakra, and would like more self confidence, go for the Matangi Mudra. It’s one of my favorites. I used to practice it daily for years back when I had a wimpy third chakra. It really made a difference for me. However, if you need to tone it down a bit, try the second exercise. It’ll help you remember what it means to be a child again, humble and at rest.

MATANGI MUDRA

The Matangi Mudra promotes inner power and enthusiasm. Interlace the fingers together and extend the middle fingers. Hold your clasped hands in front of the solar plexus, just below the rib cage and in the center of the torso, the middle fingers pointing outwards.

BALASANA

Bala means child. Asana means pose. The child pose is meant to be a resting pose in yoga. If you happen to have a very, very good memory you may even remember resting this way in your crib as an infant. Let it soothe you and connect you to feelings of trust and calm.

Have you joined The Eden Project Fan Page on Facebook yet? Please do, and don’t forget to post your thoughts, comments and questions here or there.

Blessings,
Rose

Have you folded your hands today?

2010-03-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I've been folding my hands a couple times a day this past week. Honestly, I don't find it as effective as the Alternate Nostril Breathing. This doesn't mean the mudra is ineffective. It may mean my second chakra is doing just fine, thank you very much. A few times I've combined the two (ANB first for three rounds and then the Usha mudra following), and I really like that. It feels like a cool breeze is flowing into my second chakra.

So how about you? Have you noticed any benefits from the Usha Mudra? Do you feel more creative? Productive? Are your senses more alive? Your emotions more available? Is it doing anything for your libido? Tell all.

Thank you, Theda Marie, for pointing out my readers might want to understand why I said women should fold their hands with the left thumb on top and men should do the opposite. The left side of the body is considered the yin, or feminine side. The right side is considered the yang, or masculine side. When the left thumb is on top, it's a way of accessing yin energy, and vice versa.

Blessings,
Rose

Keeping the Light on Saturday: Crohn's Disease & Your 2nd Chakra

2010-03-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I want to share with you the definition for Crohn's disease I found at Nutriage. Crohn's disease is a chronic form of inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease causes severe irritation in the gastrointestinal tract. It usually affects the lower small intestine (called the ileum) or the colon, but it can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. Also called regional enteritis and ileitis.

Let me draw your attention to the word ileum. The ileum is the lower end of the small intestine. The iliocecal valve is a small sphincter muscle found between the ileum and the large intestine. Its function is to prevent colonic material from backing up into the ileum, where it could cause inflammation. When the valve gets stuck open, it can cause more than just a waste management problem. In fact, it can imitate a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms. It's known as Ileocecal Valve Syndrome. I call it the "who knew?" syndrome, because who knew a rusty ileocecal valve could cause pain in the right shoulder, right side of the pelvis, the low back and around the heart? Who knew it could cause flu-like symptoms, tinnitus and nausea?

If you have Crohn's Disease, or any inflammatory bowel syndrome, or any of these symptoms, and you can't seem to get relief from all the normal routes, it's possible you have Ileocecal Valve Syndrome. In addition to practicing the Usha mudra this week, I also recommend resetting the Ileocecal and Houston Valves (the Houston Valve is another sphincter muscle that is responsible for pushing waste from the large intestine into the anus).

Here's how: Take a look at the picture on the left taken from Donna Eden's book Energy Medicine. Place both hands inside the hipbones, fingers pointing down towards the groin. Push your fingers in deeply and pull up towards the waist line. Shake off your hands and repeat two more times. After the third time, smooth your hands down over your pelvis towards the groin.

Feel free to leave any questions or comments regarding this exercise. Let me know if it works for you...or doesn't!

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Day Chakra Challenge--Keeping the Light in Your Second Chakra

2010-03-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Last week I shared with you how to balance the left and right brain hemispheres using the Alternate Nostril Breathing exercise. I also wrote about the root chakra. On reflection, I’m not sure I made the connection between the two as clear as I’d hoped. I wrote about how ANB improves creativity and problem solving. But I forgot to mention it also affects the subtle energy flowing through the etheric spine. So, the point of the exercise was not only to balance your brain, but to generally tonify all the chakras, including root. This way, moving forward into the next six exercises, you’ll be able to draw upon energies moving freely through the root to the rest of the chakras.

On to week two of the Seven Day Chakra Challenge series! This week let’s focus on the second chakra. In Sanskrit it is called Swadhisthana (swah-dis-tana). Some people call it the sacral or womb chakra because of its location. This chakra is associated with the color orange and the water element (did I mention the root is associated with the earth element?), and sits half way between your belly button and your pubic bone (the root sits at the very tip of your tail bone). It represents your sexuality, creativity, finances, relationships, sensuality and pleasure. It is associated with the health of the sexual organs, large intestine, lower back, pelvis, appendix and bladder. If you are having “second chakra” issues, you may be having trouble with sex, money and relationships, establishing boundaries, expressing your creativity, overcoming fear and hopelessness, or physical problems such as lower back pain, impotency, infertility, menstrual and menopause issues endometriosis, prolapsed uterus an bladder, bladder infections, constipation, Chrones disease, ulcerative colitis, and appendicitis.

So what’s the Challenge? This week I’m going to ask you to balance your second chakra with a Mudra. Mudras are simple hand positions, also known as yoga for the hands. According to an ancient yogic understanding of the body, each finger represents the energy of a planet which in turn represents a specific quality and emotion. Mudras redirect the unique energy of each finger to a specific part of the brain. In addition, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, each finger is the end or starting point of a different meridian. These meridians deliver vital life force to specific organs and also have an emotional polarity. I've listed below a brief overview of each finger. Hopefully it will deepen your appreciation for the Mudra you'll be practicing this week.

Finger Planet Quality/Emotion TCM Meridians
Thumb Mars Willpower, eog Lung; grief, acceptance
Index Jupiter Knowledge, justice Large Intestine; holding on, letting go
Middle Saturn Patience, control Circulation/Sex; panic, joy
Ring Sun Vitality, health, Triple Warmer; fight or flight, safety

Pinky Mercury Communication Heart & Small Intestine; Love, indecisive, decisive

I’ve said it before and I’ll again. We often practice energy medicine on ourselves without realizing it. For instance, right now I would like you to fold your hands in your lap as you seen in the picture to your left. Congratulations. You are now doing the Usha Mudra, also known as the Venus Lock Mudra. I will make only one small point of clarification. If you are a man, your right thumb should be on top. If you are a woman, your left thumb should be on top. However, feel free to experiment. Close your eyes and inhale, imagine you are directing the energy stimulated by this Mudra directly into the second chakra. Do this one or twice every day for three minutes. The Amit Online Yoga Center says this Mudra concentrates the sexual energy of our second chakra and directs it into the energy centers above it. It gives us mental alertness, pleasure, and new impulses. In addition, it harmonizes our hormonal system.

I’ll be practicing along with you this week. Don’t forget to watch for updates on my Facebook Fan page and here. Please share your experiences with me! I love getting comments.

Blessings,
Rose

Keeping the Light on Thursday

2010-03-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

I have good news for you. According to an article I just read, Zoning Out is a crucial mental state. Zoning Out, when you allow the mind to wander without awareness (think trance state, daydreaming, head in the clouds) "may be important to setting goals, making discoveries, and living a balanced life."

Alternate Nostril Breathing may be a perfect way to consciously stimulate a period of Zoning Out. During those few minutes, you improve communication between the two lobes of your brain, which I think of as a way of hitting your own personal "refresh" button. When you come back, you'll be ready to move ahead with your day.

Try ANB as a conscious way to move through transitions in your day. See if it doesn't renew your persepective and zest.

Tune in tomorrow for a whole new Seven Week Challenge!

Blessings,
Rose

Keeping the Light on Wednesday

2010-03-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Babies were born breathing from the diaphragm. But as we get older we lost the ability a little more with each new stressful event. If you are a shallow breather you might be finding the Alternate Nostril Breathing exercise a challenge. Training yourself to breathe from your diaphragm again would be a big help. Not only will it help you with the ANB, all by itself it is a great stress buster.

Here is a YouTube link to a video which teaches you how to breathe from the diaphragm.

Keep breathing,
Rose

Keeping the Light on Tuesday

2010-03-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

Below are 12 Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing I found at the Rejuvenation Lounge. Are you experiencing any of these benefits yet?

1: Revitalizes you: Feeling flat, tired, stressed? ANB gives your body a much needed dose of energy.
2: Improves brain function: ANB brings equal amounts of oxygen to both sides of the brain for imprived functioning. Use it right before an exam or interview.

3: Cleanses your lungs: Yogis from "way back when" used ANB to cure asthma. Can't hurt. Might help.
PS: 70% of our body’s waste products are eliminated via our lungs.
4: Calms an agitated mind: ANB can calm the overthinking mind and tendency to worry.

5: Merges the left “thinking” brain and right “feeling brain: ANB optimizes both sides of your brain so you can access your whole brain, and all the benefits that go with it.

6: Encourage a calmer emotional state: ANB will soften the intensity over over reactive emotional states.

7: Improves sleep: If you can’t sleep at night lay on your right hand side, gently close your right nostril and breath through your left nostril. This will allow you to access the right hemisphere of your brain which is calming.

8: Great preparation for meditation: Alternate nostril breathing is a simple little trick that can be practiced for a few minutes before you begin your meditation practice.

9: Soothes your nervous system: ANB trigger the parasympathetic nervous system. You have effectively switched your nervous system from a stressed response, into a relaxation response.

10: Regulates the cooling and warming cycles of the body: Left nostril is feminine, nurturing, calm and cooling. Right nostril is masculine, heat, competitive and force. Favouring one nostril more than the other can effect the heat or coolness of your body. A miracle cure for hot flashes?

11: Clears and boosts your energy channels: ANB oxygenates your blood and allows the energy in your body to be strong and flowing through the meridians and chakras.

12: Enhances rest and relaxation: ANB melts away an imbalances between the right and left hemisphere of your brain and calms your thinking. This is perfect for helping you access rest and relaxation far more efficiently. This can help people with Hypertension.

Blessings,
Rose

Keeping the Light on Monday

2010-03-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Yin Weaver,
This post is especially for you scholarly Yin Weavers. If you have a few minutes for some extra reading, I have found a number of articles on line that discuss the value of the Alternate Breathing Technique. It's good for a number of things,apparently, including Bronchitis and COPD:

Effect of alternate nostril breathing exercise on cardiorespiratory functions

Keep breathing,
Rose

Keeping the Light on Saturday

2010-03-13T10:38:00.003-08:00

Dear Yin Weavers,

I've been practicing my Alternative Nostril breathing several times a day.

What I like about it so far is the fast result I get. Within three rounds I find my breath slowing dramatically and a deeper sense of calm.

What I don't like is counting the 4/16/8 pattern as it keeps me too much in my logical left nostril, so to speak! So I've changed it and wanted to suggest it to anyone else having the same issue.

I've always been very fond of the mantra Sat Nam. It means "Be" or "I AM" or "Truth is my identity." The first two translations in particular remind me to stay in the present. It's a mantra that can be said in two words or by breaking down the syllables. So here is how I'm now doing my Alternative Nostril exercise.

Breathing in I repeat inwardly the four syllables Sa Ta Na Ma one time.
Holding my breath I repeat inwardly Sa Ta Na Ma four times.
Breathing out I repeat inwardly Sa Ta Na Ma two times

After three rounds, when I take my first ful breath, I say inwardly "Sat Nam."

How about you? What's the news?

Blessings,
Rose

The Seven Day Chakra Challenge--Keeping the Light in Your Root Chakra

2010-03-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

For the next seven weeks I’m going to write about chakras. Each week I will focus on one of the seven chakras. In addition, I am going to issue a “Chakra Challenge.” The Challenge will be a simple exercise lasting no more than two to three minutes. I’ll be taking the Challenge too, and writing daily about it here and on my Fan Page. If you can, post your experiences here (you need a profile on Blogspot.com to be able to do that), or write about your experiences on the Fan page. If you’ve never worked on opening your chakras, I hope you’ll have fun with it. If you’re a seasoned chakra-opening pro, well…have fun anyway!

The Sanskrit name for the root (or base) chakra is Muladhara. It sits at the base of the spine, and is traditionally associated with the color red. To borrow a landscaping term, think of the Muladhara as a root ball. Say you are about to plant a young tree. The root ball sits at the base of the trunk and is the network of roots and soil clinging to them. The Muladhara--your “energetic root ball”--has two main jobs. One, it sends the “roots” of energy (what is sometimes called the “grounding cord”) deep into the earth. Two, it pulls the “sap” (which has many names, but for the purpose of this series I will call it Kundalini) up those roots into the chakra. From there, it sends the energy through the etheric spine to nourish all the other chakras.

The etheric spine is composed of central trunk and two main branches. The trunk is called Shushumna (shoe-shoe-mna, emphasis on the second shoe). It runs along the center of the spinal column and is a channel for Kundalini. The left branch is called Ida (Eye-da). It is said to carry the energy of the Moon, which is receptive and cooling. Pingala is the right branch, and the energy of the Sun flows through it. It is active and warming. The branches cross the Shushumna seven times as they travel up the spine in a serpentine fashion. When the energies of the Sun and Moon meet transmutation occurs and a chakra is continually generated and regenerated.

Much has been said and written about the dangers of engaging Kundalini energy. I do believe there are times when caution is the better part of valor. However, we wouldn’t be alive if we hadn’t already engaged Kundalini to some degree. So, although it can be a risk very occasionally, on the whole nurturing the flow of this energy on a regular basis is as important to good energy hygiene as brushing your teeth is to good oral hygiene.

So what’s the Challenge? This week I want you to practice pranayama. Quite simply, pranayama is a method of controlling prana (or Kundalini) through the regulation of breathing. There are many breathing techniques. Let’s try Anuloma Viloma, or Alternate Nostril Breathing. The directions are written below. Practice it once a day and find your own pace. Try to do it for at least two to three minutes (about three rounds) which might be easy for some of you and an end goal for others. It is said the benefits of the Alternate Nostril Breathing exercise are equally balanced functioning of both sides of the brain, leading to greater creativity and problem solving ability. It is considered one of the best techniques for calming the mind and nervous system.

One of my favorite poets, Theodore Roethke once penned, "Deep in their roots all flowers keep the light." I hope this little seven day Challenge will help you to find and keep the light deep in the root of your being, the Muladhara!

Blessings,
Rose

One round of Alternate Nostril Breathing is made up of six steps, as shown below. Start by practicing three rounds and build up slowly to twenty rounds.

One Round of Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Inhale through the left nostril, closing the right with the thumb, to the count of four.
Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen.
Exhale through the right nostril, closing the left with the ring and little fingers, to the count of eight.
Inhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the ring and little fingers, to the count of four.
Hold the breath, closing both nostrils, to the count of sixteen.
Exhale through the left nostril, keeping the right closed with the thumb, to the count of eight.

How Nature Nurtured My Chakras Today

2010-03-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin-Weaver,

I want to talk a little bit about chakras today. The word chakra means disk, vortex or wheel. It is a center of electromagnetic energy and vital life force. Cultures worldwide recognize these centers in different ways, according to William Collinge: "in the Huna tradition of Hawaii, they are called auw centers; and in the Cabala, they are called the "tree of life" centers. In the Taoist Chinese tradition the term is dantien, and in yogic theory they are called chakras." Donna Eden calls them energy stations. Carolyn Myss (check out her cool flash presentation) calls them power centers and compares them to the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church.

There are seven chakras which emanate from the body from the base of the spine to the top of your head. Chakras have many functions. They generate the aura which surrounds you like an energetic space suit. They bathe the physical organs with their energy, helping to keep them healthy. They record our personal history and help to regulate specific psychological functions. They also help us to deepen our spiritual life. You can learn how to awaken your chakras many different ways, such as with reiki energy healing. But today I was reminded how being in touch with nature can awaken the chakras without any special effort on our parts, except perhaps the effort to be present to the moment.

It all began early this morning. I was talking to a friend about the weather. We were both hoping the reports were true that the temperature would rise to 50 degrees in Chicago. I told her I had spotted the beginnings of the first Dafoddil in our yard, and she said she was on the look out for the first Robin, but was not hopeful. Now, I happen to know something about my friend. I know her oldest daughter has been out of work for about two years, and has been living at home with her, and that they both have felt frustrated and discouraged by the present economic crisis.

Later on, my husband John and I went for a walk. At the end of our block is a beautiful Catalpa tree that stands about four stories high. As we passed under its bare branches, we heard a Robin singing. It stopped us in our tracks. We tilted back our heads and found the bird seated way up at the top of the tree, framed against the clear blue morning sky. I thought of my friend and her need for hope, and felt certain this synchronicity was meant to be shared. I made a mental note to email her as soon as I got home.

Chakras aren’t usually opened on the mountain tops of mystical moments. They are mostly opened by the bread of daily life. I didn’t feel my crown chakra opening to divine inspiration or my root chakra grounding into a sense of community as I stood beneath the Catalpa tree. But I did for a few moments share an awareness of my oneness with all of life, including my friend, her daughter and their dilemma. Taking the time to look and listen, I witnessed a moment of inspiration and hope to share with them.

Energy healing isn’t something that just happens in an office, or at a workshop or during the Daily Energy Routine. It happens all the time. Sometimes we instinctively do it on ourselves or for others. For instance, when we have a problem, we naturally tend to cradle the forehead with a palm which brings blood flow to the head and helps us think more clearly. Sometimes healing is done for us--and through us--without our really noticing it. But wouldn’t it be fun if we did notice it?

How has nature nurtured you today?

Blessings,
Rose

ps a teensy request. I'm trying to determine if people are trying to post a response to my blog and are unable. If this has been your case would you please email me directly? Tell me what you tried and what happened. Thanks!

Still Kneedy!

2010-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

In my last blog I said everything is an opportunity to learn and grow. Learning and growing, I believe, comes from reflecting deeply on the hidden meanings--the mysteries, if you will--of our daily experiences. This week I have been reflecting on what an easy target the knee makes for puns. What do I kneed to pay attention to in my life? What kneeds have I been ignoring to my detriment? Am I too kneedy? Not kneedy enough? Am I in touch with my kneeds? You get the drift.

Well, the Law of Synchronicity was working overtime. In the midst of these musings, I ran across a cute little exercise in another blog: Google your name with the word “needs” after it and see what happens. So I did, and the results were very interesting! Below is a list of the ten best ones. Beside them I've written my reflections on them.

1. Rose needs some help... (my wobbly knee has been forcing me to remember this lesson!)
2. Rose needs to be vocal to reach greatness... (What? I need to tell you? I thought my greatness was obvious!)
3. Rose needs to make some changes... (notice it doesn't say Rose wants to make some changes. I think life sometimes intervenes with accidents and injuries to nudge us towards needed changes.)
4. Rose needs to grow... (and I need to change in order to grow)
5. Rose needs to take charge... (using Energy Medicine is a way I'm taking charge of my knee's healing process)
6. Rose needs some extra light... (Yes. But who's going to pay for my ticket to Hawaii?)
7. Rose needs more clarity... (Oh. Not that kind of extra light! Extra Inner light!)
8. Rose needs the sun and rain... (it's a cliche, isn't it? But so true that I need the hard times as much as the easy times in order to grow. As they say, "It's all good." Or, as St. Therese of the Little Flower said, "it's all grace.")
9. Rose needs attention... (maybe that's why my knee brace squeeks every time I walk.)
10. Rose needs stitches after bedtime accident... (Sleeping...the new Xtreme support.)

So, what does Google say YOU need? Let me know.

Blessings,
Rose

PS By the way, I have great news to report on my knee. I got a second opinion from my regular doc who felt since the symptom picture had improved so rapidly in less than two weeks, I had time on my side. It’s not like I have to get back out there on the ice and compete for gold anytime soon. So I’m continuing my regimen of supplements, acupuncture and Eden Energy Medicine.

Thanks! I Kneeded That!

2010-02-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin Weaver,

"So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed."

These are words from the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. They've been on my mind a lot this past week. In the original context, the reference is symbolic. Whether or not we need to strengthen our biceps or quads, we are encouraged to accept the hardships of life as a kind of spiritual discipline that helps to improve our character. In my case, however, the interpretation became more literal when I found out on Monday I have a torn medial meniscus in my right knee. A meniscus is a disk of cartilage between the articulating ends of the bones in a joint, in this case--the knee. A knee is that bendy thing half way between your groin and your foot. It's a very simple hinge, actually, meant to only move in one of two directions. It takes not kindly to twists and torques, which is why menisci tears are common in athletes who make very quick turns on the playing field. In my case, I did not have a specific injury. Instead, it's probably a combination of wear and tear (my husband asked me, "how did you do it, Rose?" I answered, "Well, first I turned fifty...") and Yoga, which is full of interesting, pretzel poses.

Of course, the literal interpretation does not preclude the symbolic. Everything is an opportunity to learn and grow, right? So far I have learned three things.

One, between sorting out supplements to be taken 3-5x daily, icing, moxibustion, acupuncture sessions, acupressure, doctor’s appointments, talking to the health insurance company, back to icing, another dose of meds, putting on the brace, taking off the brace and general hobbling about from this chore to that, I have learned it is very time consuming to take care of a wounded knee.
Two, I have been reminded I have excellent friends who care about me, and smart-as-whips colleagues who have given me a host of ideas for helping me heal this knee as fast as possible. Let me share two quick and easy ones you can do to strengthen your knees:

Lightly hold your hands behind your knees for 3-5 minutes. The goal is to bring warmth to the area, so don’t press hard or you’ll cut off the blood flow. You aren’t just holding the backs of your knees. You’re holding the Gall Bladder meridian Neurovasculars. Indirectly, you are balancing Gall Bladder Meridian, which runs along the outside of the knee. Since the emotional polarity of Gall Bladder is rage and forgiveness, holding here might also help to drain off anger and judgment. At the very least, sitting on your hands will keep you out of trouble!

Lightly karate chop the pinky side of your hands together at the rate of about one chop per second while repeating this affirmation: “I know what I want, and I am decisive.” In this case, you are indirectly balancing your Small Intestine meridian, which supports the knee and quadraceps. Its emotional polarity is indecisiveness and decisiveness. If you think about it, when you know what you want, you move decisively towards that goal, figuratively and literally. So, this exercise energetically and emotionally helps you to make a straight path for your feet so your poor, weak knees won’t get dislocated.

Three, living and healing with the use of energy medicine takes care, compassion, courage, patience, creativity, thoughtfulness and experimentation.

Where in your life this week have you kneeded, um, I mean needed care, compassion, courage, patience, creativity, thoughtfulness and experimentation?

Blessings,
Rose

Welcome to the Eden Project

2010-02-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Yin-Weaver,

Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” I truly believe the path of the Yin-Weaver is the path of doing small things with great love, because each act of love is like adding a tiny stitch to the quilt of life. I call YOU Yin-Weaver because you are a woman who wants to weave those “yin stitches” back into your life, back into society, and back into the world. But you live in a society that has become so hardened by a materialistic world view, sewing in those lovely energies of love, joy, peace, health, bounty, connection, reflection, kindness, nurture, goodness, generosity, gratitude and grace is like pushing a needle made of straw through a brick wall. Yet still, gently, quietly, faithfully and patiently you weave where you can, when you can—knowing so much rides on it.

Well, as a fellow Yin-Weaver, I’m here to support you on your journey. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rose Mattax. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I am an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner. I am a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner (FES & Spirit-In-Nature). I am an Usui Reiki Master and Visitation Reiki Practitioner (more on this later). I love to reweave the power of yin back into the world through my practice as an Energy Medicine Practitioner. In my office, I have seen Energy Medicine stop Multiple Sclerosis in its tracks, turn anxiety and depression into joy and peace, get rid of hot flashes, support high-risk pregnancies, rebuild resiliency after surgery, make emotional traumas truly a thing of the past, and so much more.

Over the next six months, I want to use this blog to help you discover Energy Medicine as the “oldest, safest, most organic, most accessible, and most affordable medicine there is.”* I will chart the use of Energy Medicine both in my personal and professional life with people, pets, at home and in my travels. I’ll be sharing exercises and how-to tips for you to practice on your own. You’ll be invited to participate in “Energy Medicine Challenges” to encourage you in making Energy Medicine a part of your daily life.

In the process, I hope to encourage a dialogue between us, or at least get YOU, Yin-Weaver, to think about how Energy Medicine can work in YOUR life. You don’t have to have a serious medical issue or life concern to make Energy Medicine work for you (and by the way, this blog is in no way intended to be a substitute for appropriate professional medical and/or psychological care where indicated). Look at it as an opportunity to participate more fully in your own health care. Together we can share our ups and downs along the way towards creating a more Yin-friendly and pro-Energy Medicine world.

Are you game? Great! Please sign up to receive my blog and you’ll be hearing from me every Friday.

Blessings,

Rose