Are you interested in using either Acupuncture or Acupressure to manage your holistic health issues? If so, are you wondering which one is best for you? Let’s talk about the benefits of each of these modalities, as well as important differences. I also want to dispel some misinformation along the way! Read on or watch the video below to learn more about Acupuncture vs. Acupressure and decide which one is better for you!

What’s The Role of Acupuncture and Acupressure in Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Before we talk about the comparison between Acupuncture and Acupressure, it’s important that we take a step back. What these modalities are and what their role are in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?

Acupuncture is 1 of the 5 main branches of TCM, along with Dietetics, Herbology, Tuina Massage, and Qigong. Acupressure uses the acupoints from Acupuncture, but is a Tuina Massage technique, so is a combination of the two.

Both modalities stimulate the movement of Qi (vital energy) along channels in the body that link up with the vital organs they’re named after. When Qi is moving freely, we have no pain and are in good general health. When we experience pain or disease, this is indicative of Qi being stuck or vacant in a certain area. Acupuncture and Acupressure regulate the Qi in these regions to restore health and vitality.

What Do Acupuncture And Acupressure Help With?

Acupuncture and Acupressure are extremely effective in treating you if you have an existing health issue, such as:

Even more phenomenal, Acupuncture and Acupressure, as well as other aspects of TCM, are preventative health measures. With regular treatment, they help us stay healthy and free of disease!

Difference Between Acupuncture and Acupressure

Let’s talk about what makes Acupuncture and Acupressure unique. Take note of what sounds most appealing to you, or what you think would work best for your circumstances.

With Acupuncture, it’s performed by a Licensed Acupuncturist or a Medical Doctor. I have a strong opinion that you will get a more well-rounded experienced from a classically-trained Chinese Medicine practitioner. Some Western medicine practitioners will only treat pain conditions (and that is usually all that insurance covers). Disposable, stainless-steel needles are used to gently pierce the skin and access the Qi. It’s usually painless, but sometimes that’s unavoidable. There’s a chance of a punctured lung if the practitioner is careless when needling the torso. But if they know what they’re doing, that is easily avoidable and the only risks are slight bleeding and bruising. Because of the pain issue and fear of needles, some people have a strong aversion to Acupuncture. But if you have no issue with them, this can be deeply relaxing!

Acupressure, on the other hand, can be performed by anyone and even on oneself. Of course it’s best to first learn from a practitioner and understand that your intention while doing it is what’s most powerful. You can use your hands or shonishin tools. If you’re doing it on yourself, then you’re not completely relaxing. And it usually takes longer than Acupuncture to receive the desired effect with Acupressure. However that doesn’t matter so much when you are able to access this healing skill whenever you want and have complete control over your treatment.

Which is Best – Acupuncture or Acupressure?

Of course, that question is best answered by you!

If you would like to leave your house, rest for an hour on a table, want quick results, and don’t mind needles – then Acupuncture is best for you.

However, my own personal preference is Acupressure, and for many reasons:

• I love teaching people this skill so they feel more empowered with their self-care and healing abilities. Especially with moms – by just teaching her acupressure I’m treating the whole family!
• I also love incorporating the use of essential oils with Acupressure which accentuates the effectiveness of both.
• I’m able to do Acupressure with clients in our online Health Coaching sessions to help them resolve the energetic, emotional, and spiritual root of their health conditions.

I hope that this information was insightful and that it makes you want to try Acupuncture or Acupressure! As mentioned above, I do Acupressure in my Health Coaching sessions and currently have spots in my schedule for new clients. I love helping women with stress, anxiety, gut health, hormones, emotional stability, trauma, spiritual guidance and navigating relationships affected by their health. We do this in conjunction with Human Design. You can schedule a free 15 minute call with me here if you’d like to talk briefly about your holistic health issues and we can decide if we’re a good fit for each other.

Well wishes to you and your family!

Healing happens when we’re in an empowered state of being. Whether we’re talking to ourselves in our own healing journey or whether we’re supporting others with their care, what we say matters since words are a powerful influence over our body, mind, & spirit! Read on or watch the video below to learn which words we need to hear to make healing possible and powerful. I’ll also share the words we should avoid! Once you bring more consciousness to your speech, and the intentions & beliefs behind it, you’ll wield more power in healing!

Inspiration For This Subject On Mindful Speech

This topic is inspired by the story I shared on YouTube with you a couple of weeks ago about my friend and patient who was recovering from Covid-19 in the hospital. What I didn’t share about that story was that she had just had a baby (who she hadn’t seen or held yet) and was recovering from a C-section. The reason I didn’t share was that I wanted to just highlight her recovery from Covid and all the progress that she had been making. I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her. Many moms could put themselves in her position and feel despair.

I was also careful with the language I was using with this patient because she was still in the hospital when I was making the video this was still very much she was still in the middle of this healing journey. I wanted to stay positive, hopeful, and encouraging to help her through this process.  Now that she is well on the other side, and she and her baby are doing awesome, I wanted to share a little bit more here about this mindful speech because I think it was key in supporting her.

Reasons To Choose Your Words Wisely

I’ve talked about mindful speech before in a parenting article about Nonviolent Communication. But here I want to emphasize the importance of it with regard to healing. Words matter in the healing process, no matter if we’re supporting ourselves or others.

Our bodies believe everything we say!

I learned this when I was in massage school a long time ago. I remember our teacher telling us that we needed to be very careful about how we were talking to our clients when they were on the table, especially when we were touching their bodies. If we found an area that was tense and needed more work, she asked us to say something like:

“This area needs more support”

or

“I see that this area is really opening up!”

We were instructed to talk about the progress of healing.

We were conscious of not saying:

“This this feels really bad”

or

“Wow you’re you’re really broken”

I would even refuse to agree with people talking about their “bad back”, that it was something they’d always have to deal with. I’d try to correct that by letting them know that their body was speaking to them and that the pain was evidence of the seriousness of the message! If we listen to the message and not berate it, healing is possible.

Since then I’ve been conscious of helping clients feel stronger and empowered. That is the state of being that I want to shift them into.

These days, I take this even more seriously and go in much more depth. I believe we can pick up on each other’s intentions. We can pick up on thoughts and feelings from each other too. So it’s not even just what we say but the thoughts and beliefs beyond those words that matter. We really need to be shifting this within ourselves.

Words That Heal

This is what I think people need to hear in order to feel more healthy, strong, and hopeful:

They need to know that…

• healing is possible
• the body does miraculous things every second of every day
• illness is a temporary setback
• this is an opportunity to make more positive changes in their life that their life will be even more amazing on the other side of the healing journey
• they loved and supported by their friends and family
• they are loved and supported by their ancestors
• their healing journey is actually healing this whole family line
• they have support from beyond as well from spirit

When working with clients, I actually go beyond the words to the beliefs and energetic power that I’m holding for them. I see them in this empowered state, sitting up strong and vibrant, and full of joyful light. I hold that vision for them and that is what I’m speaking from.

What makes this powerful is that I believe everything i am telling them and I hold that vision until they can see it themselves. Hopefully this also changes their beliefs about their situation and how they’re talking to themselves.

Unhelpful Words That Can Impede Healing

It’s my opinion that there are some things you definitely should not say.

Of course we don’t want to say, “oh that’s really bad, that’s really terrible” or a variation on that phrase. It definitely does not lift people up and it can magnify the despair.

Nor do we want to say something like “oh if only you did so and so to prevent it”. This is not the time to bring up things they could have done differently that makes them sit in guilt, shame, and regret which are extremely low vibration states. When they are completely recovered, then they can investigate the changes could be made in their lifestyle to prevent it (if there’s a chance of this recurring).

I am also careful to not pity the person and say “you poor thing…”, which can keep them in victim-mentality. And this brings me to the phrase I refuse to say which you may disagree with:

“I’m sorry…”

To me, “I’m sorry” is a variation of “you poor thing”. And it implies that I have some responsibility for how the person is feeling too. If that’s true, I definitely do not want the responsibility of keeping them feeling weak and powerless!

I think we need to be careful with the language and really investigate what these phrases mean. We can be more clear with our intention too. If you don’t feel sorry for someone then don’t say “I’m sorry”, just because it’s automatic. Thing of more helpful words instead . We can still acknowledge that a situation is serious while also being positive and encouraging at the same time.

I truly believe that that’s possible!

Find Practitioners Who Speak This Way To You!

As a side note, I hope you see how important it is to have health practitioners who empower you with their words. In that video about Covid recovery, I shared that my friend’s doctor said a few things that were not at helpful! I’m glad she shared this with me, because it made me be even more mindful of how I was speaking to her. The doctor actually told her she had a 50:50 chance of living or dying! Of course this made her panic (which doesn’t help when you have a respiratory illness that prevents deep breathing!)

I highly suggest you look for practitioners who speak to you with positive language. Look for practitioners who like to build you up and don’t make you feel bad about your choices, while at the same time offering you different ways to do things in the future. Find practitioner who will meet you where you’re at with loving kindness.

I hope that this gave you a lot to think about! Let me know what you think in the comments below! Please share if you have some words of encouragement that helped you on your healing journey or have helped others. Well wishes to you…

One of the intentional shifts you can make, if you are desiring change in your life, it to follow the cycles of the moon and adjust your activity to it. Why does paying attention to the moon phases make such a difference? And how exactly can we make this shift? Continue reading and watch the video below to learn how living by the moon can make your life truly magical.

Cyclical Energy Of Women And Men

I’ve written many times about how humans are microcosms of nature, but it bears repeating. Usually we’re talking about how to align with the energy of the seasons which cycle throughout the year. But there are smaller cycles we align with as well, such as the day/night cycle of the sun and the cycles of the moon.

Men and their Yang, active nature tend to be more affected by the sun and can reset their energy in a 24 hour cycle. However, women, perhaps because of their Yin nature and more complex hormones, align more with the 28 day cycle of the moon. So paying attention to the phases of the moon is especially important for women to consider.

The Energy Of The Moon Phases

We know the moon has tremendous influence over the ocean tides, so of course it influences the human body. And the energy can affect not only our bodies, but also our emotions and behavior.

We can look at the phases of the Moon from the perspective of Yin and Yang energy. The Moon itself is relatively Yin, emotional, and feminine compared to the Sun. However within the Moon we have different Yin/Yang energy patterns too.

Waxing From New To The Full Moon

As the moon is waxing and building, the activity is considered more Yang. At the Full Moon, we experience the full expression of this energy. It can be very emotional and chaotic, feeling like we’re going to burst. I’ve noticed in my practice that many patients have a harder time sleeping close to a Full Moon.

Waning From Full To The New Moon

Naturally, we feel a strong release at the peak of the Full Moon which is more of a Yin activity – letting go. It can be a more relaxing period if we allow ourselves to go with the flow and not cling to staying the same. We move toward the emptiness of the New Moon. And at that point, we pivot again. The emptiness represents pure potential that can spur new ideas and creations that motivate us to act again.

How To Align Your Activity With The Phases Of The Moon

If all of this makes sense to you, then I recommend you try living by the moon, which will bring more intentionality and purpose to your life. It can also help you stick with commitments and to evaluate how things are working out, month-to-month.

The Full Moon and the waning period after it is a great time to:

• Finish up projects, tie up “loose ends”
• Notice how abundant your life is and if there’s anything overwhelming your life that may be blocking the flow of more health, wealth, and happiness
• Commit to releasing unhelpful habits, time-suck activities, set boundaries with people & let go of shallow or hurtful relationships
• Detox & cleanse your living space (ditch toxic home products, processed foods, clutter, clean your car, donate clothes you don’t wear)

The New Moon and the waxing period after it is a great time to:

• Dream about a better future and take actionable steps to attain it (monthly or 90 day plan)
• Start new projects and endeavors
• Visit friends and network with business connections
• Develop your intuition and seek spiritual connection (nourish your heart, mind, and spirit)
• Make beautiful additions to your home and wardrobe
• Have a party
• Plan a vacation

Having a mindfulness practice such as Yoga, meditation, walking in nature (without a device), or journaling can be very helpful anytime of the month to help you see how well you’re aligning.

Consider joining my Full Moon Yoga classes online each month through the rest of the year (ending Dec. 2021). We do a gentle Yoga asana practice with a balanced Yin/Yang approach and end with a group energy healing session to help clear your system.

I tend to follow the phases of the moon with home life, creative projects, business endeavors, and my relationships with friends & family. When it comes to my body, I tend to follow the wisdom of my menstrual cycle instead. For some lucky women, both the moon and their menses sync up with the Full or New Moon. But this is not the case for most women.

I may do a separate video & blog post on aligning with your menstrual cycle. Just know that the concept is pretty much the same, considering when you’re feeling more Yin & Yang energy and adjusting accordingly.

Do you have any new ideas of how you can adjust your life to the moon cycle? I highly suggest you try them out now! You may have more success than if you were trying to force situations without considering whether the time was “right”. I’d love to hear about how this works for you, in the comments below. Well wishes…

Have you heard that you need to “raise your vibration”, but don’t know exactly what that means? In the healing arts, we teach how to align internally so that our outer experiences match what we desire (whether that be health, wealth, happiness, etc.). In this post, I’ll be sharing exactly how you can raise your vibrational frequency and improve your life overall.

What Is Vibrational Frequency?

Everything in the world is made up of life force energy. Every person, fish, rock, chair, etc. is able to receive energy from the environment, store it, and emit it back into the world. This energy consists of oscillating atoms that vibrate at a unique frequency, measured in Hertz (Hz).

Human emotions vibrate at particular frequencies (see the chart below), which can flavor our life experiences. But more importantly, communities of people have collective frequencies that impact the world strongly.

If you’re new to this subject, an easy way to understand it is by looking at the chart below. On the bottom are the lower frequencies of shame and guilt which make us feel contracted and small. And as we travel up the funnel, we feel more expansive as we tap into higher frequencies of peace and enlightenment.

I personally don’t like focusing on the actual frequency numbers, but instead like to think about each emotion as having a certain level of awareness which leads us to relate to ourselves and others in a particular way. This is how we think of it in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong, and Reiki with our dan tiens or chakra energy centers. As we open them up and take responsibility from the choices we make in life, we reach a more evolved or enlightened state.

What Does It Mean To Raise Your Vibration?

It’s obvious looking at the charts why one would like to “raise their vibration”.

• Do you want to live a small existence where you feel like you have zero control?
• Wouldn’t you rather feel hopeful and limitless instead?
• What about on a community, national, or even global level? How do you want your outer world to feel?
• What would the world look like if the collective frequency was courageous, accepting, and loving?

Many people say they want to see peace on Earth in their lifetime. But they don’t understand that it needs to start on an individual level, within themselves. We all need to take responsibility and raise our own vibration to then affect the whole.

Luckily, because of the faster, more expansive nature of higher vibrational frequencies, it doesn’t take a lot of people at this level to make big shifts in the collective.

How Do You Raise Your Vibrational Frequency?

There’s much you can do to lift yourself up out of a lower vibrational state. These steps below can increase the quality of your life and contribute to a more peaceful world.

1. Make the intention to lift your consciousness

This is a challenging first step. Most people who live in fear, who blame others for their circumstances, have no concept of what it’s like to be any different. They think that people who speak of positivity about peace and love – are delusional and not living in reality. It’s actually true that there is a divide in reality between these people and ranges of frequency! Their lives and outlooks are completely different.

What’s unique though, is that people who have achieved higher frequencies have an easier time relating to those who are vibrating lower because they have experienced it before. And they are making the intentional choice over and over again to continue to evolve so that they spend more time in a higher vibrational state. They recognize that they’re doing this not only for themselves, but for the benefit of all beings.

2. Be grateful for everything in your life

Expressing gratitude for your life every morning can set you up for having a more pleasant day ahead. It will start you off in a higher vibrational state where it’s easier to fluctuate from instead of starting low and trying to rise up throughout the day.

Gratitude helps us see that every human experience and all the emotions we feel are completely acceptable. There are lessons from challenging experiences. There are huge growth and healing possibilities from trauma. We don’t necessarily want to welcome them into our lives. Chances are these challenging experiences happen when we’re vibrating lower (like attracts like). But these experiences if looked at mindfully, can show us that there is room to grow.

3. Meditate

Mindfulness meditation teaches us to watch how the mind creates our reality. We can see how our intentions, thoughts, feelings, and our actions are responsible for what is showing up in our lives. And to make it different, we need to change the way we relate to ourselves and others.

A regular meditation practice will help us experience mindfulness in everyday situations. And with time, we have less fluctuation in our vibrational frequency when the mind is constantly checking our experience.

4. Remove yourself from lower vibration situations and relationships

Eventually, you’ll have insight about how your relationships with others is affecting you. Especially if you’re meditating, you’ll start feeling the divide between your reality and others. If you’re not able to continue your pursuit of positivity, especially if your friends and family are trying to keep you on their level and are being mean about it, then it’s best you create some distance.

“If you’re not helping me evolve, you’re a distraction.” Ralph Smart, Infinite Waters

https://ralphsmart.com/

This goes for our work, school, and recreational environments. If they’re not supportive of your growth, then why are you supporting them?

We might mistake this for compassion, but if you really take a close look you may be caught up in the vibration of fear. Are you afraid that no one else will love and accept you? I would bet that is absolutely not the case, which brings me to the next step…

5. Hang out with high vibe people who inspire you

Finding friends and mentors who inspire you to develop yourself and grow are the best people to hang around, in my opinion. They’ll support you on your journey, continue to inspire you to greatness, and remind you of what is possible.

It’s not usual for these people to initially trigger us. If we’re caught up in a lower vibrational state where we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others, as I mentioned in the beginning, it may seem like they’re not relatable to us. But as we continue to develop, it’s interesting to see how they become our best teachers and friends.

6. Clear blocked centers with energy medicine

In order to speed up the process of raising your vibration, it’s helpful to work with Acupuncturists, Qigong practitioners, Reiki masters, Light workers, or Shamanic practitioners to clear your energy field and heal trauma. You can find a practitioner in your area to see in person, but much of the energy work can be done through distance healing sessions since energy has no boundaries. I do a combination of all of these modalities in my distance sessions. The process is essentially to unblock trapped energy which shows up as intense emotions & physical pain, tonify weak energy, and regulate to distribute the energy evenly. Energy healing is truly transformational since we’re working with the root of imbalances. I love incorporating into my holistic health coaching work too since it can be a strong foundation for any personal development.

7. Nourish your body with higher frequency foods and plant medicine

Everything we take in with our senses affects our vibrational frequency. One aspect of health that’s easier to control is which foods we choose to consume and the other ways that we nourish the body to heal. Processed foods, conventional produce laced with herbicides & pesticides, low quality animal products, sugar, alcohol, and greasy fried foods are all considered low vibration since they can lower your quality of health. When we eat crap, we generally feel like crap, right? That’s because of the energy we’re consuming that is becoming part of us.

Organic, fresh, local fruits and vegetables vibrate higher, so it’s better for everyone to add more of these foods into our diets. Of course we don’t need to be super strict about this! Just like the emotional state of being that we’re trying to stay in, we can to eat these higher vibration foods most of the time. They should make up the greater part of your diet to achieve the highest degree of wellness.

How foods are prepared is important too. What’s the environment they’re made in? What’s the emotional vibration that meals are cooked in?

This also holds true for how we care for our bodies when we’re ill too. Are we taking medicine that is unrecognizable to the body, far removed from nature, which was made with the intention to help you ignore your body’s natural signals? Or is it natural medicine that’s familiar to your body, that’s made with the intention to heal you on all levels? This is something to ponder.

Essential oils are know for being extremely high vibe (rose & spruce are the highest). This is not only because of plants reverent nature in the world, but also because they’re highly concentrated. A little goes a long way to help you heal, and the aroma uplifts your mood as you’re using them.

8. Spend time in nature

You know I’m always preaching this, because it’s so healing. We must spend more time in nature. Being among the trees and with other animals can lift us up into higher vibrational states. But to stay lifted, we must reflect on our relationship with nature and constantly remind ourselves that it’s symbiotic. We are a microcosm of nature too. When we align with it, we are healthy on all levels.

I hope this concept of raising your vibration is more clear now! And I hope it’s inspired you to make some positive changes in your life. Please comment below if you’d like to share your experience of energy vibration. And feel free to reach out to me if you’d like my personal help!

Well wishes…

I came across a thread in an Acupuncture Community forum a few weeks ago that inspired this week’s blog post. The author was complaining that Massage Therapists who practice Reiki are making their profession seem “like a joke”. The author asked that we Acupuncturists stop talking about or doing energy work. He said we seem less professional when we include energy-work.

Eeek.

This was confronting & confusing, because the practice of Acupuncture is based on vital energy!

It took a lot of strength to not argue with the author (as many in the community were doing). I chose instead to write this article to educate about energy-based medicine in general. These energetic modalities can help people in ways that physical-based biomedicine cannot. I feel that it’s important people know enough to avoid making sweeping judgements against them.

Energy is the Basis of Eastern Medicine

Vital energy is called “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). With Yoga, it’s “Prana”, which is linked with the breath. In Reiki, it’s called “Ki”. In Star Wars they refer to it as “The Force”!

All of these modalities have Shamanic roots that address healing on physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual levels. The energy is one in the same. It’s what animates us and everything around us. Practitioners harness the energy differently, depending on the modality.

Energy Work With Yoga

Mobilizing Prana with the breath is central to a Hatha Yoga practice. With Pranayama , Prana and breath are controlled directly. It’s a more advanced practice. Pranayama extends one’s life as you slow down the breath and expand the capacity for Prana within ourselves.

TCM, Qigong & Reiki Energy Healing

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we balance Qi with tangible methodologies like acupuncture, herbs, massage, and/or nutrition. But Qigong can be used as well, which is an invisible art. Practitioners are able to build up their own Qi with a personal practice. They can also channel energy from the Earth and Heavens and project to a patient to adjust their Qi too. Reiki is very similar to Qigong, with origins in Japan.

Shamanic Roots Of Energy Work

Shamanism is the first healing practice in existence, > 30,000 years old! Though Shamanism is performed in numerous cultures, each with their own unique rituals, journey-work is present in all of them. Journeys are done to gain information about one’s health & life path. They’re also the place where we practitioners do deep healing in the world and with people’s souls. Shamanic practices seem very different from the modalities mentioned above. However, the common aspect is that we can also extract unhelpful energy while infusing healing light for people and communities in need.

There are many more energy modalities, but these are the ones I practice and teach. I’m relying on them more and more to really get to the root of issues. Energetic disturbances are linked with physical, emotional, or spiritual trauma – or unhelpful habitual patterns. 

What Beliefs Make People Skeptical Of Energy Medicine And How Does One Overcome Them?

Here in the West, there is a great deal of skepticism when it comes to alternative medicine. But this is especially true when it comes to energy healing. Just like the person I mentioned at the beginning of the article here, many people don’t take energy seriously. Or they may claim it doesn’t exist. This is really too bad, since I believe energy medicine is the only way to resolve many of the issues we’re dealing with today. And this is why I believe it’s the medicine of the future.

You’ll appreciate reading on if you’re intrigued about energy medicine, but need to know more before trying it. If you find yourself holding one of these beliefs, try the suggestions I make to move beyond them. I did it and you can too!

These are the common reasons why people don’t understand and appreciate energy medicine…

1. If They Don’t See Energy, They Don’t Believe In It

Energy is hard for people to conceptualize because it’s not tangible. Some of us have trained eyes that can see where there’s energy in one’s body and where there is not. But the majority of people can’t see bodies this way.

So it’s perfectly natural for people to be skeptical of this invisible substance if they can’t tell if it’s working. They don’t want to be taken advantage of.

But there is a way to know that it’s happening. When you become more sensitive, you can feel energy moving through the body. And when you stick to regular treatments, you’ll also see that your symptoms lesson or get completely better.

If you have this belief too, you may want to do self-cultivation practices and work on self-healing before working with a practitioner who projects energy to you. You can do Qigong exercises, Tai chi, or practicing yoga while mindful of feeling energy moving through the body.  If you don’t have someone local in your area to practice with, consider my Yoga & Self Healing Practices course. I teach about Qigong and Yogic energy practices in depth for healing on every level.

A lot of this sensitivity work uses your imagination to move energy and as you open up the mind,  you open up the whole body to feel.  I have a very simple exercise you can try in this video to develop greater sensitivity.

2. They Don’t Believe Energy Medicine Is Powerful Enough (Too Gentle)

Sometimes people believe in energy medicine, but they don’t think Qigong & Reiki are as powerful as more tangible forms, like acupuncture & massage.  I used to believe this too! 

When I first started doing massage in 2000, I did exchanges with a friend who would give me Reiki.  I didn’t think it was an equal trade. While the Reiki was relaxing, it wasn’t as sensually pleasing as massage.

One time when I was receiving a Reiki session, I felt a tickling sensation down at the base of my tailbone. But when I opened my eyes, my friend wasn’t even in the room! I asked her about this when she came back in. She said she kept working on me as she tended to her dog who was needing attention.

I left shortly after since I felt my intestines moving. I completely evacuated my bowels when I got home. (I was obviously constipated. I was very out-of-touch with my body back then and didn’t pay attention to regularity.) Anyway, it had a very powerful affect on my physical body! I realized in that moment that my friend was truly a Master. And I’ve never doubted the power of energy medicine since.

3. Thinking Only In-Person Energy Medicine Will Work

Another misconception is that only in-person energy sessions will work, just like other in-person modalities. So people dismiss distance energy work since they can’t imagine how it’s possible. However, there are no solid boundaries with energy. It can regulated with intention alone, like I mentioned when my friend was doing it on me from the next room. 

Again, it may be helpful to work on your own personal sensitivity to Qi through self-cultivation practices first. Or, you can experience group healings first which are usually less expensive, or sometimes free. It doesn’t matter how you get there! Just to find a way to open up your mind to greater possibilities and become more trusting. Then you can experience powerful distance healing from whichever practitioner you want around the world!

4. They Believe Energy Medicine Is “Magic” And “Evil”

Fear is the biggest reason people reject energy medicine. They’re afraid of it’s formless nature.  Or their scared because it’s like magic. They’re afraid it can harm them.

These beliefs usually stem from negative programming, usually with religion. And therefore there’s nothing I can say that will help you accept it more. I will mention – my life has only improved since I’ve been receiving and giving energy medicine to others.

Perhaps one day you’ll change your mind! Just make sure that you find a practitioner who you feel completely safe with. That’s all you need – a loving practitioner and an open, receptive mind, body, and spirit. Energy healing can only help move you toward balance, so it’s worth a try.

I hope this has been great food for thought! I’m curious to know if you’ve had energy work before, and how it worked for you. Please leave a comment below! And if you’re wanting my personal help with energy work, feel free to contact me. Well wishes!

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Do you love to spend time on long hikes in the forest, sitting by a gentle stream among trees, or having picnics in beautiful meadows? Like me, you may enjoy the sounds of nature, the company of the fauna, and the clean air that you exchange with the flora. There is a huge positive impact on our physical, mental, and emotional health when we spend time in nature. This is true, especially with forest bathing. However, it’s not always possible to retreat to nature when we need it in our everyday stress-filled lives. There are many things you can do to bring forest bathing indoors, to replicate it at home.

Forest Bathing Benefits

Forest Bathing, or Shinrin Yoko as it’s called in Japan, is a very popular lifestyle practice in Asia and Europe. Many peer reviewed studies show the benefits of forest bathing. The results are so positive, that it’s actually prescribed to people who are overworked and dealing with stress and anxiety.

Regular forest bathing results in:

• reduced blood pressure
• elevated mood
• reduced stress hormones
• increased focus and concentration
• increased natural killer cells which boost immune health
• and much more…

As I’ve mentioned before, spending time in nature can deepen your spiritual connection and is even more potent in ancient forests!

Unfortunately, many of us are not able to go walk in a forest at the end of each workday. And for some, it’s hard to go at all because they don’t have access; are sick, disabled, or injured; or are afraid (seriously, this is the case with some people, and that’s okay). And for this reason, it’s a good idea to try to reproduce forest bathing at home, bringing nature indoors to promote holistic health.

How To Forest Bathe At Home

There are many aspects of forest bathing that you can do at home if you’re not able to engage in the real thing.

Whenever you’re feeling stressed out, or as often as you like to prevent anxious feelings, try one or more of the following:

Diffuse Essential Oils

The visual beauty of a forest is a major reason why so many people experience a greater relaxed state. However the aroma of the forest may be even more powerful in affecting one’s mood. That’s because when we smell, we’re stimulating the limbic area of the brain which processes emotions and holds memories. Inhaling the natural essential oils in the woods or the essential oils extracted from plant parts, are equally effective in enhancing your mood!

To experience the benefits of forest bathing, simply diffuse the essential oils of trees that are present there. Try using:

• Cypress
• Fir trees (Siberian, White, Douglas, Balsam)
• Juniper Berry
• Spruce
• Frankincense
• Cedarwood
• Eucalyptus
• Tea Tree
• Myrrh
• Sandalwood
• Copaiba
• Arborvitae

DoTERRA is my favorite brand of essential oils because of their commitment to quality and purity, their sustainability efforts, and their close relationship with indigenous farmers around the world. Learn more here.

Listen to Forest Sounds

Close your eyes and imagine you’re in the forest as you listen to tracks of birds, wind through trees, a bubbling stream, and other woodland sounds.

Watch Calming Nature Videos

Viewing scenes of nature is better than nothing! Soothing scenes can definitely relax you. Research shows however, that these effects are more temporary than real-life experiences. You’re also dealing with the effects of an electronic device, so I recommend this option the least.

Do Guided Meditations Set In A Forest

The mind is a powerful force! You can use guided meditations set in the forest to create a space for very deep healing. This is whatI often do with coaching clients to support their mental, emotional, and spiritual health. If you do an online search, you’re sure to find a few helpful audio or video tracks. Feel free to reach out to me if you’d like my personal help.

Communicate With Trees Near Your Home

You don’t need to explore a whole forest just to experience the benefits of this nature therapy. Opening up your senses and connecting to the trees around your home may be more convenient as is still very effective. I like to combine grounding with a meditation:

1. Find a comfortable space outside near a tree.
2. Take off your shoes & socks and allow your feet to sink into the earth.
3. Consciously relax your body, letting it sink further with gravity.
4. Imagine that you’re sending roots down through the center of each foot.
5. See these roots connecting with the tree(s) around you, like you’re holding hands/roots with them.
6. As you breathe fully & deeply recognize how you’re exchanging life energy with the tree and how you have a symbiotic relationship with it.

Bring More Plants Into Your Home

Adding lovely ferns, orchids, and other forest plants to your home can create the visual appeal of time in the woods. If you’re serious about stress management, it’s a good idea to surround yourself with plants, especially if you work from home.

In Conclusion

Of course it’s best to experience the forest in real life! I’ve had so many amazing downloads, breakthrough, and moments of deep peace among the trees. But the home lifestyle practices I mention here can still be transformational if you don’t have access to nature on a regular basis.

I’m curious, do you forest bathe? What do you think of these at-home substitutes? Let us know in the comments how these nature therapies support your holistic health!

In this post, I want to expand on our topic last week where we talked about up-leveling our spiritual connection in order to experience holistic health.  Connecting with nature is one of the ways you can experience the beauty, the mystery, and the essence of life that is linked with our spiritual nature.

This is the place that most people need help though.  They are living so far removed from nature, that they’ve lost all sense of belonging to the earth.   It’s our attitude and relationship toward nature that needs to be fixed in order to feel a spiritual connection.  Conservation efforts are not enough!

Read on to learn how to develop a stronger relationship with nature and the Earth.  The video below goes into deeper details as I share examples of the list below.

5 Ways To Develop A Spiritual Relationship With Nature And The Earth

So how exactly do you go about changing your attitude and relationship to nature? These are some examples that have helped me. I hope that at least one of these is attractive for you to explore and help deepen your spiritual experience as a human being on this planet.

1) Realize You’re Part Of Nature

Human beings are a part of nature, within and without. In fact, with Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we believe that humans are microcosms of nature. When we’re sick and diseased, it’s usually because this connection has been lost.

• We have internal “weather” that reflects what can be happening in the environment.
• We find inner harmony when we eat seasonal foods and follow the natural rhythms of nature.
• This medicine points to places in the body that give us maps for how to take care of ourselves when we are ill (like Foot & Hand Reflexology, Auriculotherapy, and Hara diagnosis).
• We’re guided to eat certain healing foods depending on their color, shape, and similar function to aspects of the natural world. For example, walnuts that look like a brain support brain health.

These concepts may be interesting for you to explore to gain a greater appreciation for how miraculous the human body is and how it’s modeled off of nature itself.

2) Create A More Healthy Relationship To Animals Where You Live

Do you know which animals live in your area? How is your relationship with them? Are you having a battle with the local deer eating your plants or the ants wanting to invade your home?

It’s worthwhile looking at how to still have safe boundaries around your space and yet empathize with these beings who are wanting to thrive too. Can you see yourself as being equals and co-existing in your space instead of wanting to exterminate anything that “doesn’t belong”?

3) Discover How You’re Influenced By “The Heavens”

Paying more attention to the celestial nature can help you feel more supported spiritually. Try doing one of the following to help:

• Honor the Sun each morning. Say goodbye to it at night, realizing that you could not live without it!
• Learn about Astronomy, Astrology, and Human Design (what I’m currently geeking out on!) to help you see how we’re influenced by the sun, moon, and stars.
• Follow the phases of the Moon and see if they’re affecting your mood & emotions. Join us in our monthly Full Moon Lunar Yoga Classes to learn rituals to honor this special time!

4) Embrace Your Role As A Creator, But Not Play God

All of us have the potential to create awesome things in our lives! This is part of what makes life so enjoyable. However, I feel like it’s important to recognize that we’re not God, even though some of our medical advancements can make us feel this way. There is still Divine Timing around all that happens to us and for us. We can respect this instead of always forcing things happen, which can breed frustration and further harm your spiritual connection to nature & Source.

5) Notice When You’re Afraid Of Nature

Wild animals, the Sun, microorganisms, certain foods (sugar, wheat, etc.) – these are all neutral aspects of life that we can and should have a respectful relationship with. And yet many people are terrified of them. Sure, they can seriously harm you if you’re weak or not living aligned with nature. But realizing this should help you seek how to have a healthy relationship with them and learn how to co-exist.

I hope this information is helpful to improve your spiritual connection to nature! Please let me know in the comments below. I’m curious to hear which aspect you feel you’re already connected to and where you would like to grow more. Blessings to you!

There’s an epidemic happening right now that I feel needs to be talked about since it’s continuing to grow: Spiritual poverty.  Why is lack of spirituality bad? How do you rise up out of it? Here’s my thoughts about why you need to take care of your spiritual health right now.  I really believe everyone will benefit from this, especially if the words spirituality and religion leave a bad taste in your mouth.  

Recorded Live in my Falcon Healing Arts Holistic Lifestyle Community on Facebook.

What Does Spirituality Have To Do With Health?

We tend to forget in the natural health field, the word “holistic” means whole. It refers to the different layers of being: body, breath/energy, emotions, mind, and spirit/soul. It means that you’re acknowledging every aspect of life, the obvious and the mystical, the tangible and intangible, with equal importance.

With this larger experience of life comes an appreciation of death as well, where one can regard it without fear. There is comfort knowing that your spirit lives on to some degree (details depending on your belief system). And this constant reminder of how precious and temporary our physical life is here on this planet reinforces how passionately we live.

Does it feel like people are living passionately these days?

No, it doesn’t look like it to me. On the contrary, many people seem to be terrified of both dying and living.

The Coronavirus pandemic has been a big test of people’s faith and belief systems. While we’re seeing a lack in spiritual faith, there’s an increased faith in human ingenuity. People are looking to intellectuals, scientists, politicians, and doctors to help them make life decisions instead of trusting in themselves and their connection with nature and spirit. And as a result, they’re ruled by anxiety and self-doubt. This, of course, is very damaging to one’s emotional, mental, and physical health (it’s all related!).

Why is lack of spirituality in our communities a problem?

I first started pondering this last week, when I realized I hadn’t been doing one of my favorite spiritual practices. It was sad to me that I had let go of this mantra meditation with my mala beads. Was I just too busy to do it? Or, is it because I’m uncomfortable bringing it into my teaching practice? I know that not many of my students are interested in spiritual health – maybe fear of offering them more is holding me back to a degree.

This was very concerning since I actually find chanting and mantra repetition very valuable! And yet I was unconsciously letting it go and in doing so, losing an important aspect of myself.

The biggest consequence of spiritual disconnection is the loss of self guidance and security.

When you’re not connected to your inner knowing, guided by your soul & spirit, then you are vulnerable to being taken advantage of. The divisive techniques (by politicians, the media, and certain educational institutions) are only working on those who don’t really know themselves. They let these agencies bribe, coerce, and threaten them because they’re so dependent. But this seems to be more comfortable than spiritual and personal development.

Connection to spirit can help you see the problem and move beyond it to continue to evolve. Enlightenment is worth the effort find it! There’s no way I would have been able to see the little snag I’m in right now with my spiritual practice if I didn’t already have a strong connected root to it.

How Do You Reconnect With Your Soul And Develop Spiritual Health?

The sticky history of many religions forcing their beliefs on people has brewed a sense of distrust in spirituality. It requires a lot of maturity to look beyond that to the essence of religions and the bigger message they’re trying to teach. Still, you don’t need to go to church and adopt the practices of a certain religion to reconnect with your soul!

I have a very deep spiritual life even though I don’t have a particular religion. I chant Hindu mantras, practice Buddhist meditation, talk to Jesus in my Shamanic journeys, appreciate channeled messages from the spiritual community, and celebrate Pagan seasonal ceremonies.

Whatever way we make sense of the world through our spirit body should be developed. What you do and how you do it is completely up to you!

Here’s some ideas you can explore:

• go deeper with the essence of your religion
• explore other religious practices
• read ancient spiritual texts
• engage in spiritual practices like chanting, prayer, and meditation
• being open to spiritual guidance with mindfulness practices like Yoga & Qigong
• sitting with your “higher self” or evolved consciousness
• heal your “inner child” with meditation and journaling
• spend more time in nature, which is a wonderful way to see what your place is in the world
• write down your dreams and explore their meanings
• listen to and develop your intuition

Let me know if you have questions about anything from this list. I could go deeper with future posts and videos. If you love the idea of personal and spiritual development, then check out my course Yoga and Self-Healing Practices for Holistic Health.

I personally believe that we are all eternal spirits having a physical experience. So, I really hope that this post helps you to connect with your authentic, soulful self. Many blessings to you friend…