Fireflies and Sunflowers

Self-Help Tip:

"Live in each season as it passes:


breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit."


~Henry David Thoreau

         Just as the first firefly heralds the coming of Summer, the Summer Solstice officially marks the start of Summer. The word Solstice literally means the sun stands still. It is the extreme positions of the sun at midsummer and midwinter, that makes the rising and setting of the sun appear to take place in the same position on the horizon for three or four days in succession. The Sun's path north or south appears to come to a magical stop before reversing direction.  It offers us the perfect opportunity to reflect on our path, to turn towards the light like the sunflower blooms and to see everything in a new light with a new awareness.
 
         Summer is a time of growth, creative intensity, and great potential. In the Jin Shin Jyutsu philosophy, is is a time ruled by the 5th Depth. The message of the 5th Depth is to experience our world through the heart and to above all things, be true to ourselves.
 
         It is not at all surprising that the color associated with  the 5th Depth and Summertime is Red and  the element is Fire. Fire is symbolic of passion, creativity, creation, rebirth, renewal, action and clarity. The attitude of imbalance is EFFORT and PRETENSE and the harmonious aspect is EASE or BE-ing.
 
         Heart and Small Intestine Function Energies are the Fifth Depth organ functions associated with Summer. Like the acorn contains the mighty oak, the Heart is considered to contain the entire body. It takes the fire and distributes it to all of the organ energies in the body. When the heart function energy is in balance, it helps us to speak our truth and express our feelings.

          The Small Intestine is associated with discernment and assimilation. When the Small Intestine Function Energy is in balance, it helps us to deal with over-stimulation,  brings emotional warmth and aids us in recognizing the essential elements for our lives.
 
          The attitude of PRETENSE/EFFORT is destabilizing to our skeletal structure, heart and small intestine functions. Pretense includes feelings of insecurity, effort, selfishness, overdoing it, and cover-up (crying on the inside while laughing on the outside). This attitude speaks to our effort, our "trying to" do whatever. The effort that it takes just to get through the day. This attitude tells us that there is a conflict of desire that is incompatible with who we really are.

         Pretense can manifest in a work addiction. The opposite of Pretense is BEING. It means being true to who you really are, not who you think others need you to be. It means speaking your own truth, speaking out. To balance PRETENSE, HOLD the LITTLE FINGER for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing. Even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.

         As you hold the LITTLE FINGER, nerves are settled and the need for pretense is diminished. Stress is eased, bloating reduced, and sore throats are relieved. Remind yourself that we are Human BEINGS not Human TRYINGS. Let go of effort. Allow the universe to unfold spontaneously before you. Revel in the effortless reality that is your life.

"To live in truth is to be aligned 
with your inner knowingness 
and is the simplest, least complex way to live."


~Unknown

Recharge and Rejuvenate

 “When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing, 

just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs,

or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle

or children playing in the park?”

~Ralph Marston 

     Wholeness or "health" is our natural state of being, our birthright. But many of us spend our lives burning the candle at both ends. We allow ourselves to get worn out and run down, and then we wonder WHY nothing is working with ease. We give, give, give without a recharge and then wonder why we struggle with burnout. Just like our cell phones and other devices, we need to pause and recharge to ensure that we maintain a healthy balance for personal well-being and harmony.
    Jennifer Louden, a life coach,  is quoted as saying, “Self-care is not selfish or self-indulgent. We cannot nurture others from a dry well. We need to take care of our own needs first, then we can give from our surplus, our abundance.” My regular clients find that their sessions are an important part of recharging and maintaining their well-being. The treatment calms the body and helps relax the mind which in turn helps to reduce stress, recharge energy stores and return to harmony and balance.
     How do you get back to your best self? What is it that recharges your battery? How do you restore and regenerate? It is important that we take the time to know what recharges/refuels us and that we find ways to enhance our well-being by supporting ourselves during times of stress. It will make everything you do so much easier.
     For me, it is all of the good things that I do for myself regularly that recharge my batteries-yoga, daily meditation, eating good healthy food, fresh air, mindful breathing, loving my family, reading uplifting and inspiring books, daily self-help, etc. And to really recharge my batteries, regular Jin Shin Jyutsu gives me a jump start back to harmony and balance. I love that I have so many ways at my fingertips to bring balance to my BE-ing.
  A Jin Shin Jyutsu session is likened to a pair of jumper cables applied to a dead battery. To restore the natural flow of energy and release the safety energy locks, our hands are used as jumper cables. The battery comes to life when the “jumper cables” are attached, and our engine can run once again.
    There are many ways to recharge your battery.
    •    Take time for you.
    •    Take time to relax, to enjoy life, to interact with your community.
    •    Take time to take care of yourself with self-help and with regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions.
    •    Take time to get outside, to get some exercise and to smell the flowers.
If you don't take the time to take care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else? This is always the question I ask myself. I know that when we are working with a "full charge", we receive what we need from the universe with ease and we can achieve our own true potential.

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another-and ourselves.”

~Jack Kornfield