Most of the world has been living with the Coronavirus pandemic for over a year now. For those of us who have been fortunate enough not to have gotten sick or to have gotten sick and survived, we’ve experienced partial or total shutdowns, social distancing, fear of getting sick, etc. We have been worried about our families’ health, about our children missing school or the normal social interaction that school provides. Many of us have been stressed by having our children and/or spouses at home most of the time while we try to maintain a career, run a household, and provide meals. And many have lost their jobs or suffered economic hardship. To say that it has been a difficult time for many is a major understatement.

In addition to all the stress and difficulty that the pandemic has brought for many of us, we also are unable to draw upon the usual fun activities that can serve as “distractions” that help us cope with stress, such as dining out, traveling, spending time with friends and family, going to the movies, shopping, participating in certain sports – whatever those things might be that give us added pleasure in our lives, distract us – even if only temporarily – from our problems or bring us joy.
 
Loneliness and isolation are being reported by many, and it is taking a toll that can rival a physical illness.  In order to cope, some people might turn to other ways to “escape,” such as abuse of alcohol and drugs.  To top it off, physical activity has been curtailed for many.

Have you ever wondered about the colors you wear, beyond whether they look good on you or are seasonally appropriate?  I, for one, believe that nothing – well, almost nothing! – happens by chance.  And so it is with the colors we wear. 

Of course it’s true that certain colors look better on us than others because of our own unique coloring – whether we have blond or black hair, brown or blue or green eyes, pink, brown, “olive” or yellow skin, etc.  And not only do certain colors look better on each of us, but we tend to wear those same colors often, while shunning others.  And we all have had the experience of looking into our closets, full of clothes and thinking, “I have nothing to wear!”  But we probably hadn’t realized the reason for this:  unbeknownst to us, we actually are rejecting the color of the clothes in question.

But the colors we wear “go with’ more than just our skin tones.  Colors actually have an effect on us and on our “energy” (see “Hands of Light” by Barbara Ann Brennan).  When we get dressed in the morning, we are also unconsciously choosing a color that reflects our mood and what we might “need” that day, just as much or more than what we think looks good on a conscious level.

For example, red represents passion and strong feelings – as well as our life force energy.  Think about the color red.  What’s one of the things we associate with red more than anything else?  Blood.  What could be more representative of life than blood?  It is bright and vibrant.  It is life.  The red “power ties” that became popular with men in the ‘80s were aptly named.  When you need a little extra energy to get through the day, put on something red! 

Black, on the other hand, helps us to stay with ourselves.  It helps us go inward and reflect.  And with what human activity have we most associated the color black?  With mourning – it is not by chance that we have traditionally worn black when we need to be with ourselves and grieve.  Black helps us to mourn.  In terms of healing properties, black can bring us into a state of grace, silence and peace.

Purple brings a sense of royalty and helps us connect with our spiritual selves.  Think about the colors that kings and queens have worn throughout history, and you’ll almost always find purple.  And a quick study of art history will reveal paintings depicting Christ dressed in purple, while priests and ministers of many faiths still wear purple as part of their official dress today.  If you long to connect with your spiritual self, wear something purple.  Or keep a purple object, such as an amethyst stone, nearby and look at it often. 

Yellow represents intellect and brings us mental clarity.  Think of the cleansing, clearing effect of the juice from a bright yellow lemon.  Think of the clarity that yellow sunlight adds to anything we are trying to view in detail.  The yellow sunlight reveals all, eliminating any shadows and fuzziness.  If you need to complete a complex task that requires a lot of sharp mental energy, or if you just want to clear a foggy head, wear something yellow to get the job done!

Orange increases our immunity and our sexual energy.  Close to red on the color spectrum, it is warm, passionate and increases life energy, too.  When you are ill, cover yourself in an orange blanket.  And since it relates directly to sexual energy, wearing orange underwear every now and then is not a bad idea!  Light your own fire!  Wearing orange can also help with pelvic diseases, such as bladder infections. 

White represents truth and helps bring us peace and comfort.  It is also good for taking away pain.  In this context, it’s interesting that hospitals, where there are many people in pain, have traditionally had white walls, bedding and clothing for their patients.  And in religion and other areas of life, white has been worn as a sign of purity. 

Blue, a “cool” color, is cool and calming.  When do you usually put on something blue?  Start to notice the colors you wear, and then try to remember what kind of day you were facing.  Did you notice any associations?  Did you instinctively reach for something black when you felt that you needed to be left alone?  Did you put on a red shirt or scarf on a day when you needed a boost?  What makes you feel good when you’re ill?  White sheets?  The warmth of an orange blanket?

Want to open your heart?  You guessed it!  Put on something rose-colored!

For more information the power of color, see “Hands of Light” by Barbara Ann Brennan.

“How do you know if you’re alive?”  That was the simple-sounding question posed by the workshop leader.  His simple answer:  “You move.”  The presenter was Dr. Bruce Lipton, author of “The Biology of Belief.”

Those few words, despite their brevity and their simplicity, had a strong impact on me.  I thought about them Could it be that simple?  Realizing the almost certain truth of the converse statement, that if we are not alive we are definitely not moving, the truth and the implications of Dr. Lipton’s words began to sink in.

Our bodies are repositories of motion.  Our heart contracts rhythmically several times per minute, blood courses through our veins, our chest expands and contracts as we breathe in and out, our eyelids blink regularly.  Even when we sleep, our hearts and lungs and blood continue their motion.  So even without any conscious input or effort on our part, we are always moving.  We are never still if we are alive.  And if we are motionless, well, we are not alive. 

Dr. Lipton was speaking specifically about the cellular level, as he was explaining his research connecting our thoughts and beliefs to our biology and health (or disease).  At the most basic level, our bodies are made up of millions of cells.    Indeed, each one of us originates from one cell (a fertilized egg), that subsequently divided into millions of others to make us.  In this way, what happens to us on a cellular level will be reflected in what happens to us on the whole, outwardly, in the form of sickness or health.  And what happens on a cellular level is like a metaphor for what happens on the individual level. 

Even after we stop growing, our cells keep reproducing, regenerating and dying only to reproduce again in an endless cycle that keeps us alive and well.  Changes or dysfunction in this process are connected with disease and indeed aging and eventually dying.  Dr. Lipton was speaking on the chemically molecular level, explaining that, at the cellular level, the chemical processes that cause our cells to reproduce is the movement of one molecular chain toward another.  His implication was, and indeed his research shows, that the sources of the movement were many:  physical, emotional, and mental.

As I mentioned, the truth of Dr. Lipton’s simple statement really sunk in.  I thought about it a lot afterward and his statement and his supporting research helped me to piece together a lot of things that I already knew and things that I have experienced in my study and practice of energy medicine.

For one thing, it helps provide a deeper basis for understanding how exercise helps create health.  For a long time now, we have heard that exercise is good for our health.  We have heard that it enhances longevity and improves quality of life.  Support for this is touted in study after study.  And one factor always highlighted in studies of people who live long and at the same time maintaining a high quality of life is the ability to move (to walk on one’s own, to do certain motions, to be flexible).  To me, Dr. Lipton’s cellular research supporting the need for motion at the cellular level to support life is like a metaphor for the need for motion (exercise) at the whole organism level to support a long and healthy, high quality life.

But not only physical bodies move.  Energy flows and moves, too.  According to many ancient traditions, energy flows around and within us.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), balance in qi (chi) or what has been translated as “intrinsic life energy,” is considered essential to optimum health.  In my study of Brennan Healing Science, restoring balance and flow to the energy field associated with the human body supports health and healing.  But how does this work?

Dr. Lipton believes that the “thing” that sets the molecules in our cells in motion – the motion that sparks the healthy function and reproduction of each cell – is a form of “energy,” like our thoughts (which in Brennan Healing are considered to have an actual energetic form, properties and power).  If this is true, then it is possible to see how exercise and practices such as Yoga and Chi Gong can have a positive effect on our health.  It also offers a basis for how breathing exercises can do the same.

Out of the goal to cultivate the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods, various yoga postures useful for restoring and maintaining well-being and improving the body's flexibility and vitality were developed.  In many places, yoga is commonly practiced as physical exercise or alternative medicine.

Chi gong is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation.  With roots in Chinese medicine, martial arts, and philosophy, chi gong is traditionally viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance chi.

Any of you who have practiced either yoga or chi gong will know the feeling of “buzzing” energy you feel running through and around you after even just a few minutes of exercise. 

In my practice as an energy healer, one of the things I must do before conducting healing sessions is to release as much tension from my body as possible.  This opens up the channels in my body for more energy to flow through me, so that I can be more effective in my work with the client.  In my training we learned various techniques for doing this, including stretches that stimulate the flow of energy along the body’s meridians according to TCM.  But it can also be more simple than that – we also learned to just move or dance around or jog in place for a few minutes – any kind of movement to get the body and its energy going.

In any case, when prepping for a healing I always concentrate on stretching the particular muscles that I feel are tight or in tension.  (Interestingly, tension always tends to lie along a meridian.)  And I started to notice that whenever I stretch a muscle/meridian that is particularly tense, the resulting flow of energy that is then released and allowed to flow in and out is so strong that my the muscles start shaking or vibrating from the strong flow of energy. 

After experiencing this phenomenon quite often, I began to see, in a practice other than the particular energy work that I do, just how techniques like acupuncture, yoga and chi gong work.  When the energy block in the meridian is removed, the energy literally rushes in, ultimately reaching a more balanced flow.  I also noticed that after even as little as 10-20 minutes of chi gong or even just stretching, I feel completely different – more relaxed, balanced, energized and present.  If I am feeling particularly tired, simply stretching for 10 minutes can lift my fatigue and make me feel rejuvenated.  Likewise, in the energy work I do, clients report feeling relaxed yet often energized after a healing session. 

Coming back to Bruce Lipton and his work, I began to sense a connection between the energized, balanced, healthy feeling I get after stretching – and the very real vibration of energy flowing through my body’s meridians – and his statement that you’re alive if you move.  We are live if our energy moves.  Indeed, this “universal energy” as Dr. Brennan calls it, or “life force” (chi in TCM) or prana (“vital force”), is likely the force that moves our molecules in our cells to carry out their vital regeneration and rejuvenation.  When balanced and sufficient, this movement of molecules and cell growth is healthy and balanced, resulting in health and balance on the organism level.

So keep moving!  Do whatever it is that helps you to keep the tension levels in your body to a minimum.  Stop and breathe deeply every now and then, or do regular deep breathing and yoga exercises.  Try qigong, or just stretch.  Or have an energy healing session!  Whenever you feel tired, dance a little or just try stretching for a few minutes.  You’d be surprised at what a difference it makes.  And perhaps you’ll be enhancing your longevity and health, too!

It’s that time of year again.  When the warmer, brighter air of spring arrives, we often get the urge to do spring cleaning.

And we’ve heard all the anecdotes on how clutter can affect us negatively.  The popular practice of Feng Shui holds that areas of our homes reflect areas of our lives.  Modern psychology holds that the state of our environment reflects the state of our psyches. 

Regardless, we can all “feel” that clutter in our environment can hold us back.  It just feels “heavy,” taking up our space – and our energy.  But how does this actually happen?  Clutter affects you through your energy field.   

DOES A LAMPSHADE HAVE AN AURA?

In my studies at the Barbara Brennan School®, I learned a lot about the “universal energy” (like “chi”) that, when associated with a particular person, forms their “aura.”  According to Dr. Brennan’s work, inanimate objects also have an aura, and “most personal objects become imbued with [and radiate] the energy of the owner.”1 If true, this has vast implications for our lives. 

SYNERGY, HARMONY AND RESONANCE

It gets more fascinating.  Research1 shows that this “universal energy”: 

·   Permeates all animate and inanimate objects;
·   Connects all objects to each other and flows from one object to another; and,
·    Is basically synergistic.

It also follows the laws of harmonic induction and sympathetic resonance – the phenomenon that occurs when you strike a tuning fork and another located near it begins to vibrate at the same frequency, giving off the same sound.  Just imagine the implications of this!  So: 

·   All the objects in your home have energy, an aura and their own characteristic vibration.
·   All of your possessions are sending energy to you (and you to them). 
·   And all of these objects are constantly taking on more energy from the atmosphere – becoming “bigger” and “stronger” energetically. 

HEAVY VIBES

The last point is important because inanimate objects are very dense, and the denser the object, the lower its vibration.  And the synergistic nature of this energy means that clutter in your home is not only dense or “heavy” energetically, but it’s becoming heavier all the time.  You’ve probably sensed that areas piled with old and unused stuff feel “dead.”  Or note the feeling you get when you walk into a junk shop filled with old objects. 

Harmonic induction is also important.  Dr. Brennan writes that when we come into contact with a slower vibration rate, if stronger than the energy in our own field, it will slow our vibration rate down.  The more objects you have, the stronger their collective energy, and the greater their energetic pull. 

As this collective energy increases through synergy, it will eventually start to “weigh” on you.  You will feel “heavy” and “stuck.”  When surrounded by clutter on my desk or in the kitchen, it’s that much harder to work, start a creative project or enjoy cooking a meal.

So, in addition to the connection between our energy and our health, it seems there is an energetic connection between our feeling “heavy” or “stuck” in an area of life and any clutter we have.  Heavy or “dead” energy from the objects around us slows down our vibration rate, making us feel tired and stuck.  This makes it hard to make moves or start something new in life.

OUTGROWING YOUR SPACE

Even if our homes are not “cluttered,” we can from time to time feel the “urge to purge.”  As we change and grow through life experiences, our energetic vibrations change.  When this happens, our vibrations might no longer “fit” the vibrations of the things we once loved.  As one woman put it, “I felt weighed down by what once uplifted me.”  Though she had acquired items she loved, after some years she found that “my precious collectibles were becoming dead to me as I was transforming on the inside.” 

Start to notice how the objects in your home “feel” to you.  If you have clutter, notice how you feel when you come into contact with it.  How does it affect you?  And does your home still resonate with where you are in your life?  Imagine what kind of space might “feel” right to you now.  Good luck purging!


MY WORK
In my practice, I help many clients clear the underlying issues that prevent them from clearing their physical space.  By clearing the blocks in your energy field and the related fears and emotions, you can then let go of your stuff, both metaphorically and literally!

Healing and Mentoring sessions take place in person or long distance via Skype or phone.

For more on clearing your space, these great titles offer some help:

“It is better to give than to Receive.” Most of us were taught this as part of our upbringing. As children, we might have taken this admonition as just that: an admonition, something that one must learn to do because it is somehow “good” or “right” to do so. But when thoughts of Santa Claus were in our heads, we might have thought that we really like the receiving more!

As we matured, however, most likely we began to see and then to actually feel the wisdom and deeper truths in these words, that somehow we felt good when we gave. Sometimes we gave too much – we gave in order to receive; we gave in order to feel good about ourselves; or we went into sacrifice. But when we give someone something from our hearts, when we truly give, we notice a good feeling that comes over us.

GIVING IS RECEIVING

Consider the possibility that giving actually is receiving, and that might be why it feels so good. As Chuck Spezzano, creater of “Psychology of Vision,” writes, “Giving is one of the best feelings in the world. … When we are giving, we are truly feeling our greatness. … This is why so many of the early native tribes were so generous. Giving allowed them to feel their greatness of Spirit.”

Spezzano further explains that “Giving is really a form of receiving. … In giving we recognize what has been in us all the time. We get to receive the very gift or feeling that we are giving. We give, experience and receive our greatness of spirit.”

GIVING YOUR GIFTS

How might giving be felt as receiving by us? How do we recognize our “greatness of spirit.” In her book, “Light Emerging,” Dr. Barbara Brennan explains that giving our “gifts to the world” through the creative process also allows us to see ourselves reflected in the mirror of our creations. The creative pulse rises out of our core, our “essence,” or who we are, up through our energy field, or the “aura” surrounding our bodies. “The creative pulse then manifests fully in our lives as our life creations. … We paint a painting, write a book, build a house…. When we are finished, … we have great feelings of accomplishment….” With our work, we hold up a mirror to ourselves so that we might recognize our individual essence – our “greatness of spirit.”

Furthermore, Dr. Brennan explains that in creating “we enjoy a tremendous amount of outward-going energy, and we feel great about ourselves. … We feel high as we look into the creative mirror that reflects ourselves.”

GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF YOUR SPIRIT

Whenever you give gifts - at the holidays or at other times - remember to pause and see and feel “the greatness of your spirit” reflected in the joy and recognition of those to whom you've given.  And don’t forget to give to yourself, as well! 

We hear a lot of talk about prosperity these days.  Bookshop shelves are full of works that focus on this topic.  Especially in the United States, prosperity is something that is part of the “American Dream.”  It does feel good to prosper, and, rightly or wrongly, we believe that prosperity will make us happy.  But as many world economies have been stagnating or even spiraling downward, many of us are feeling the pinch and the negative emotional effects in our lives.  Those who have lost jobs and livelihoods are feeling this in an especially acute way.

While I do have a financial background, my aim here is not to suggest a fix for such a complex economic situation.  Rather, I will offer some thoughts on how the current situation might be affecting us emotionally and how we might respond to it.

PROSPERITY’S MANY FACES

Usually, when we think of prosperity, we think of money.  But money is only one part of prosperity.  As Catherine Ponder points out in her book, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity, to be prosperous is to thrive in all areas of our lives.  Prosperity includes being healthy, having friends who enhance who you are, feeling a part of the whole of life and being connected in a healthy way to yourself. 

It also means being able to meet our financial obligations and having enough to reward ourselves.  When we are experiencing lack in any of these areas, many of our deepest fears arise.  This is especially true when it comes to money. 

MONEY AND POWER

That’s because, energetically speaking, money truly relates to our power.  It is interesting to note that money, sex and power are all connected to the same chakra (second) – the chakra that is located just above your pelvic bone.  (And notice where we have historically worn our weapons and carried our money – on our hips, the area where our reproductive organs are located.)  And as with anything, they can be used and related to in a healthy or an unhealthy way. 

DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT

Metaphorically speaking, the second chakra also represents your relationship to yourself (which is why we call prostitution “selling yourself”). So when we fall on hard financial times, we feel our powerlessness, which is one of the most uncomfortable feelings we can experience.  No one likes to feel powerless.  It leads to our feeling like victims, creating a downward spiral that is hard to reverse.

Try thinking of money as an energetic representation of value.  Your financial situation, then, in part could be viewed as the value you put on yourself.  Begin to examine the relationship you have with yourself, and then look at your relationship with money.  How do you feel about money?  Do you feel you deserve it?  Do you handle it with care or with disrespect?  With fear or with confidence?  When you pay your bills, do you do so willingly and with gratitude, or with resentment or fear?  Are you prosperous in other areas of your life?  You might be surprised at what this exercise uncovers.

In healing terms, closely examining your relationship to money and doing energetic work on the second chakra can help shift your relationship to yourself, to your power and to money.  In this way, you can begin to feel more prosperity in your life, even when outer factors are bringing up your worst fears!