All is Bright

All is Bright

"May you have
the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love."
~Ada V. Hendricks

We are just days away from the Winter Solstice, December 22nd, which is both the shortest day and longest night of the solar year. The 22nd may be the the longest night but it carries the promise of Spring. The Winter Solstice is the day that the Sun’s light begins to grow again. The diminishing of the Sun’s light ends and the days begin to grow brighter and longer again until warmth and fertility return to the Earth.

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’s also the day, if we are attuned to the rhythm of the seasons, that we know we are heading toward more daylight and this manages to lift our spirits and has been a cause for celebration way back into the most ancient of times.

In the Jin Shin Jyutsu philosophy, it is not surprising that the color associated with this Winter-time of darkness is blue/black. The attitude of imbalance is FEAR and the harmonizer for fear is LOVE. (Hold your index finger to balance.)

This moment of transit from the old light to the new provides an opportunity for each of us to reflect on our experiences through the year and to set our intentions for the incoming year. Take this opportunity to embody the light, the love, and the consciousness that is your birthright as a Spiritual Being having this Human Experience. I invite you to embrace the darkness, to welcome the returning light and to share this love with all around you. Merry Christmas.
 

"With mounds of greenery,
the brightest ornaments,
we bring high summer to our rooms,
as if to spite the somberness
of winter come."
~Margaret Starkey

Self-Help Tip:
Finding ways to feel grounded can be a tall order, especially with the hustle and bustle that is such a part of most of our lives. For me, the simple grounding flow of holding my 1's is where I turn daily. Safety Energy Lock 1 is located at the inner knee. Hold one at a time or both at the same time and breathe. In no time at all you will begin to feel a connectedness and calm return to your being.  Use this hold often to feel grounded and balanced. 

Of course, you could also go out into the freshly fallen snow, lay on your back and feel connected to the ground, then have yourself some good winter fun and make a snow angel! 

“Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter.
Who would think that those branches
would turn green again and blossom,
but we hope it, we know it.” 
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Finding Calm

Finding Calm 

     On Saturday, our daughter performed with her Community Chorus at the Mall. In case you did not already know this, the Mall, two weeks before Christmas, is a place to be avoided! We live just two miles from the Mall, but it took us more than a half hour to get there in thick, nearly stand-still traffic. Everyone rushing about and stressed to the max. Even though we allowed plenty of time to get there, we were still late. During this busy time of year it is easy to forget how to find calm amidst the bustle of everyone's stress! But did you know that just the thought of calm, of tranquility and serenity, can begin the process of refreshing the body and soul? 

     A good first step is to become aware of the breath. Awareness of breathing is an excellent, first-aid technique that will help you to make your way through difficult situations and produce many healthful benefits. Lately, I have begun to use a meditative breath exercise when I find myself at Red Traffic Light. I observe my breath rather than observing the delay and allowing stress to get the better of me. 

     In the philosophy of Jin Shin Jyutsu, we are invited observe the exhalation. This is where the breath begins. The exhale is what relaxes us and lets go of stress and tension. It is the key to clearing the body.  Moving out the old stale air and making room for the next new breath. Clear your clutter. Too many of us are hoarders of one kind or another. Many of us hoard our breath by not exhaling fully. We keep the old stuff in and don't make room for the new purified air, the abundant out-pouring of limitless life-power, our birth-right.

     The breath is the simplest and most perfect of all the tools we have for health and balance. It can be used with awareness at any moment to balance the life energy and bring us into a place of harmony and healing flow.  This simple, meditative exercise will bring about calm breathing and inner tranquility. EXHALE long and deep, then you need not TAKE an inhalation but will RECEIVE one naturally, no effort necessary. Being aware of the breath assists us to dwell in the present moment, one breath at a time.

     The Jin Shin Jyutsu breath practice, 36 Conscious Exhalations, is a great way to access this Limitless Life-Power and to establish a practice of mindful breathing. Begin by counting each exhalation. Allow your breath to unfold naturally. If you lose count, just begin again. This exercise can be done all at once, or broken into 4 session of 9 breaths each. In time, your breathing will automatically become deeper and more rhythmic. As you EXHALE, unload all the dust dirt and greasy grime that is held in your body. Exhale from head to toes. Receive each breath with awareness and appreciation. Inhale from toes to head. RECEIVE the Cosmic Energy of Abundance. Connect to the Cosmic Energy Force.

     So, next time you are stuck in traffic, or find yourself caught up in the swirl of stress- think about calm and remember your breath.

Stop the Swirl of Holiday Stress

Stop the Swirl of Holiday Stress

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."
~Sydney J. Harris

     We forget sometimes that the time to take time for ourselves is when we seem to have no time at all! I love this quote and was reminded of it last week when I offered a session to a stressed-out friend. Her response was, "Oh, that sounds so nice. Maybe when things calm down, I will be able to take you up on your offer." I know that a session would have helped her to find some balance in her life, to calm things down for her.
     In my experience, when we come at things from a place of balance, everything calms down. We need to find ways to replenish our energy, so that we can continue to take care of our kids, spouse, job, family and friends. We know that we need to take time when we feel that we have nothing left to give to the things/people that we care about!
     So, when you find yourself caught up in the swirl of holiday stress, just stop. Hit the Pause Button. Remember your Breath. Take a moment in the peaceful center of the storm. And then Go with the Flow. 
    I encourage you to remember that peace and calm are indeed possible in the midst of the holiday season.

"Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace."
~Joan Borysenko

Be Kind

Be Kind 

"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret,
how to acquire without meanness."
~George Sand

    Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing. This is the next Reiki Precept that we will examine. When I wrote the article, Principles to Live By, I tied each precept to the Jin Shin Jyutsu practice of holding fingers to harmonize limiting beliefs and bring balance to BE-ing. Read more about each of the previous Precepts,  "I will let go of Worry" , "I will let go of Anger" ,  "I will do my work honestly"  and "I will give Thanks for my many blessings".

   Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing. Kindness creates connections in a way that nothing else can. The Buddhist practice of Lovingkindness has been called the "healer of fear." According to Wikipedia, "Loving-kindness is a very specific feeling – a caring for the well-being of another living being, independent of approving or disapproving of them, or expecting anything in return.  A few recent psychological studies suggest that loving-kindness meditation may impact health and well-being. One study done at Stanford University suggests that a short 7 minute practice of loving-kindness meditation can increase social connectedness. Loving-kindness meditation has also been shown to reduce pain and anger in people with chronic lower back pain. Researcher Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that loving-kindness meditation can help boost positive emotions and well-being in life, fostering the personal resources that come from experiencing positive emotion."


In the initial article I said that holding your Index Finger would support this precept. To my way of thinking, this precept relates to the attitude of Fear.  Kindness builds community and ends loneliness and isolation. When we feel that connection to others, the negative aspects of fear have no place to hook in to our BE-ing.  It is easy to see that adopting kindness as a practice will counteract the effects of Fear and Isolation.  Fear is a paralizing force that hinders the body's natural-motion principles. Fear includes feelings of mental confusion, frustration, depression, timidity, perfectionism, and criticism. Fear is also associated with drug addiction. Fear brings disharmony to the muscular system and affects both bladder and kidney function energy which together are responsible for the regulation of the movement of water throughout the body. Fear is limits the body's ability to move freely and translates into back discomfort and stress, and affects the functions that revitalize bones and bone marrow.

The INDEX finger is the key to FLOW. When you are in the FLOW, you are in HARMONY. There are no obstacles, no limitations, no feelings of lack, no judgement. There is perfect circulation and balance. To balance Fear, HOLD your INDEX finger for 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 index finger, you ease back tension/stress and facilitate the flow of life energy throughout the body. All fears begin to melt away. Assimilation and elimination functions begin to improve. Toothaches and teething issues are eased and healthy circulation is restored. Exhale. Smile. Relax.

"When you operate from the Higher Self, you feel centered and abundant—in fact, overflowing. When you experience this abundance, your fears automatically disappear."
~ Susan Jeffers 

Give Thanks

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
~G.K. Chesterton

    Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings. This is the next Reiki Precept that we will examine. When I wrote the article, Principles to Live By, I tied each precept to the Jin Shin Jyutsu practice of holding fingers to harmonize limiting beliefs and bring balance to BE-ing. Read more about each of the previous Precepts,  "I will let go of Worry" , "I will let go of Anger"  and "I will do my work honestly".

   Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings. I have always known that cultivating an attitude of gratitude would bring good things into my life but in doing research for this article I found that while many emotions and personality traits are important to well-being, there is evidence that gratitude may be uniquely important.

    According to Wikipedia, "A large body of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher levels of well-being. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships. Grateful people also have higher levels of control of their environments, personal growth, purpose in life and self acceptance. Grateful people have more positive ways of coping with the difficulties they experience in life, being more likely to seek support from other people, reinterpret and grow from the experience, and spend more time planning how to deal with the problem. Grateful people also have less negative coping strategies, being less likely to try to avoid the problem, deny there is a problem, blame themselves, or cope through substance use. Grateful people sleep better, and this seems to be because they think more positive thoughts just before going to sleep."

    Gratitude enhances our sense of satisfaction while balancing the attitudes of greed and entitlement. Practicing gratitude is a workout for the soul: repeated awareness of the blessings in our lives helps us to dwell on the positive and wonderful in our lives. Our positive attitude helps us to master the change instead of being controlled by it.  When we choose to focus our attitudes on the good stuff we find that we indeed have more.

    In the initial article I said that holding your Ring Finger would support this precept. To my way of thinking, this precept relates to the attitude of Sadness and Grief. It is easy to see that adopting an attitude of gratitude will counteract Sadness which corresponds with attitudes of negativity, fear of rejection and grief. These limiting attitudes disrupt the flow of life energy to lung and large intestine functions. It is mucous producing and causes us respiratory distress. When the lungs are overcome by sadness and grief, they are weakened, and this leads to tiredness, breathlessness, depression and dry skin. When we grieve, our ability to release and let go is significantly restricted. Sadness often manifests a smoking addiction which further depletes the lungs.

    The opposite of sadness is the all encompassing feeling of joy and laughter.  When we are in balance, we experience deep trust and the ability to let go of emotions and experiences that are holding us back. It is indeed up to you how you choose to look at life. My hero, Joseph Campbell, reminds us to "Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."  Yes, the choice is up to you. Happiness isn't something that just happens to you, but rather, something you can choose at any time, in any situation. Our happiness is dependent on our ability to feel gratitude for our many blessings.

    To balance sadness, HOLD the RING 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 RING FINGER, sadness begins to melt away, mucous conditions are eased, breathing distress is reduced and you facilitate the vital flow of life energy and joy throughout the body. With the restoration of harmony, it becomes easier to trust, to let go and to appreciate. Smile. Breath easy and revel in your many blessings.

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts
are conscious of our treasures."
~Thornton Wilder

I Will Work Honestly

"Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret of success."
~Swami Sivananda

    Just for today, I will do my work honestly. This is the next Reiki Precept that we will examine. As I was thinking about the precepts as Principles to Live By, I wanted to tie each precept in to the Jin Shin Jyutsu practice of holding fingers to harmonize limiting beliefs and bring balance to BE-ing. The Precepts of  "I will let go of Worry" and "I will let go of Anger" were easy to connect to the corresponding finger. Work Honestly, does not on the surface, talk about a limiting attitude, but with a little thought it was easy!

    Just for today, I will do my work honestly. Look at the definition of Honesty:  1. uprightness and fairness. 2. truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness. 3. freedom from deceit or fraud. TO my way of thinking this precept is about what Mary Burmeister refers to as Pretense, Laughing on the outside while crying on the inside, Try-to's. This attitude was a hard one for me until I realized that its positive attribute is "Speak your truth, be honest with yourself and all others". So it becomes easy to see how this precept relates to the attitude of Pretense!  Honesty is to face the truth in all things starting with your self and the things that you choose to do with your time and energy. It about our potenial to live an effortless reality, to do our work with honesty and  integrity, to speak our truth in all things.

    The attitude of PRETENSE 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

Take up Yoga!

  "Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are."
~Jason Crandell

     I love my yoga classes! Practicing yoga along with Jin Shin Jyutsu is a perfect combination for keeping a sense of balance in my life. In many of the restorative poses, I can do some simple self-help holds or mudras at the same time clearing blockages and restoring balance and well-being. I often suggest yoga to my clients as a support for the healing work that we do together. The practice of yoga brings with it a blissful peace in body, mind and spirit.

"Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity.  This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization.  Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul.  Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions."  ~B.K.S. Iyengar

     In his writing, 'The Meaning and Purpose of Yoga', Bhole Prabhu says that "Yoga defines itself as a science--that is, as a practical, methodical, and systematic discipline or set of techniques that have the lofty goal of helping human beings to become aware of their deepest nature. The goal of seeking to experience this deepest potential is not part of a religious process, but an experiential science of self-study. Religions seek to define what we should believe, while a practical science such as meditation is based on the concrete experience of those teachers and yogis who have previously used these techniques to experience the deepest Self. Yoga does not contradict or interfere with any religion, and may be practiced by everyone, whether they regard themselves as agnostics or members of a particular faith."

     There are many forms of yoga, so I suggest trying several until you find one that works for you. Many yoga studios have special deals for new students to try out different classes and instructors. Add yoga to your daily self-care routine and you will be surprised by a new peace of mind, sense of graceful movement and ease of breath!

"Blessed are the flexible,
for they shall not be bent out of shape."
~Author Unknown