Based on a suggestion by my chiropractor, I recently scheduled an appointment for a lymphatic drainage massage. Throughout the treatment, I held the intention that my body would welcome the assistance with this natural biological process and eagerly envisioned the old, stuck lymph being drawn up to my heart for release. I could feel the energy moving and shifting – exactly what I needed to clear inflammation out of my leg and knee.

After discussing self-care steps, the massage therapist’s parting words to me were, “You may experience a few mild, flulike symptoms later today or tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I thought. “I’ll go home and drink lots of water.”

Later that afternoon, I felt a little tired and achy. I made a pot of hot tea and went to bed early.

The next morning, I sat up in bed and fluid immediately began draining out of my eyes and my sinuses. Lots of fluid. My head pounded, my ears ached, and my throat felt like raw hamburger. It continued for the next few days. And to use an entirely accurate, albeit trite phrase, I felt sick as a dog.

I checked back with the massage therapist because I wasn’t completely sure I was detoxing.

“You said I may experience a few mild, flulike symptoms,” I said. “But I wouldn’t describe what I’m feeling as mild.” (Notice the attempt to maintain my sense of humor.) After listening to my woes, she confirmed that I was indeed detoxing.

I continued to visualize the toxins moving up and out of my body. A part of me – and at times it was a very small part – remained grateful for the treatment. My higher, wiser self recognized that even through the physical suffering, it was far better for my body in the long-term to release the stagnant, heavy energy than to hold on to it.

Almost immediately after the massage, my leg and knee felt lighter and looser. And a couple of weeks later, after the detox was a faint memory, I acknowledged another unexpected outcome. In addition to the change I felt in my body, my emotions, my energy and my life had experienced a lightening and revitalization as well.

*  *  *  *  *  *

After a particularly intense bodywork or energy healing appointment, we may experience a detoxification process as our body continues to purge the toxins and heavy energy that were released during the session. Everyone’s process is unique, but the most common symptoms manifest as sore muscles, intestinal upset, and sinus or chest congestion – ranging from mildly annoying to virulent depending on what is being released and the body’s sensitivity to energy.

The timing of the symptoms often help decipher what’s occurring. Sudden onset within 24 hours of an appointment may indicate detox instead of illness, especially if usual precursors such as a sore throat or sneezing are not present.

Here are some suggestions for making your detox process smoother:

·      Drink plenty of water for the 24 hours after an appointment to stay hydrated and help flush the toxins out of the system.

·      Take a bath in either sea salt or epsom salt. Use several cups of salt and soak for 20-30 minutes. This helps leech the toxins out of the aura and cleanse the luminous energy field.

·      Eat healthy, nutritious foods that appeal to your body.

·      Get lots of rest, particularly if your energy feels depleted.

·      Honor and acknowledge whatever emotions arise for release.

·      Continue to work with your body to release the old energy – either through breath, intention, or visualization.

·      Give gratitude for the experience and trust the process. Recognize that it’s better in the long-term for the stagnant energy to come out than be held in.

NOTE: This information does not replace medical care by a doctor. If you have concerns about your physical health, please listen to your intuition and seek medical attention. A blend of conventional care and energy healing combines the benefits of both approaches and addresses the mind-body-spirit connection.

It can be frustrating when Spirit doesn’t bring the answers we’re looking for in a timely fashion. Occasionally with those big questions, we don’t seem to receive meaningful insight no matter how many times we ask.

In all likelihood, Spirit is still interacting with us, bringing us the messages, signs and dreams we’re seeking. But for whatever reason, we’re not in a place to recognize the input.

At times like this, we might consider shifting our perspective and asking a different question. For instance, if we’ve been waiting on divine guidance around our purpose, we might reframe our query to ask instead, “What’s blocking me from stepping forward into my destiny?”

By posing the question from a different vantage point, we can elicit helpful insight and sometimes maneuver past the resistance. In working with the energy that arises, we often open to clarity on our original query.

During a shamanic healing, we experience a shift in energy. By remaining in this energetic space for a day or two after the session or the workshop, we honor the changes that have occurred and integrate more gently than if we immediately returned to our normal hectic schedules.

When we allow the energy to resonate in our lives, the healing continues to unfold in mysterious and unexpected ways, taking us to places we never dreamed could be related to the issue we worked with.

The rational, analytical mind is not our friend after an energy session. If we try too hard to puzzle out what has happened, to wrap our brains around how it is possible, we push the healing away. By staying in our hearts, we embrace the experience for what it is – an energetic encounter which cannot be explained by words.

If the healing brings up any questions, we sit and hold them spaciously in a meditative way. Rather than aggressively pursuing answers, we embrace the mystery and ask Spirit to show us the way forward through signs, dreams, messages and insights. By holding questions such as “What else do I need to know about this experience?” or “Where do I go from here?” loosely in our awareness, the answers come from the higher, wiser part of us.

We might consider doing a simple ceremony if we feel a need to ground the experience further into our daily lives. Working in sacred space through ritual helps anchor the shifts into our physical reality. If we released old pain stories in our healing, we might create a ceremony that works with the same analogies that showed up in our session. For instance, we might walk around our yard and pick up sticks, with each twig representing a piece of our pain story. Then we might go to a nearby river and release them into the stream to be carried away, just as the energy was released in the healing.

As we integrate, we want to remain awake and aware to our usual triggers. By being present in each moment, we allow spontaneous, authentic reactions to old familiar situations instead of falling back into habitual patterns and responses. We hear the guidance of our inner wisdom as it nudges us to act in alignment with our new energy.

Common situations we encounter in childhood can have long-term effects on our intuition.

Being ridiculed by a playmate or scorned by a teacher for believing in things “that aren’t there” can cause us to quit acknowledging our intuitive hunches. Seeing a ghost or a dancing shadow might have frightened us and caused us to turn off our clairvoyance. Being told by a parent that what we’re seeing isn’t real – “it’s just your imagination” – causes us to doubt our natural abilities. Playing a game of Clue and “guessing” the right answer on the first turn may cause us to view using our gifts as cheating.

For much of my adult life, I have been unable to recall my dreams even though I’ve had a sincere desire to work with the rich information they bring. Until recently, I did not connect this to a childhood occurrence. Around age 5, I woke up screaming from nightmares in the wee hours of the morning for about a week. The fear of what I saw led me to close off access to my dreams.

The agreements we make at a young age around our intuitive abilities follow us into adulthood. Even when we set an intention to develop our psychic gifts or hear our inner wisdom, we may be blocked by this old energy. So how do we let these agreements go? The key is held in our third eye, the energy center which works with intuition, clairvoyance and dreams.

Sit in a meditative pose. Close your eyes and breathe deeply to relax. Travel into your third eye, located in the center of your forehead. Allow your attention to be drawn to a memory of how one of these childhood agreements came to be.

See the scene. Who was there with you? What was happening? What decision did you make about shutting down your intuition? As the memory of this scene replays, breathe deeply and consciously and release the heavy energy of it. Be present with any fear, guilt or shame and exhale those feelings.

Then locate the energy of the agreement in your third eye. Visualize a divine white light coming in through the center of your forehead and disintegrating the agreement. As the energy releases, feel your third eye lightening. Notice as colors get brighter and pictures seem sharper. Pull indigo light into your third eye and imagine it opening and blossoming like a flower.

Then affirm your new intention, such as “I remember my dreams” or “I open to my intuition.” Repeat several times like a mantra and pull this energy in to your third eye. Close the meditation by bathing your third eye in gratitude for all it does.

With this old agreement rewritten, many unexpected and delightful encounters with your intuition await. Your intuitive abilities once more become a blessing and a gift.

Destiny is the unique purpose that only we can fill. Given our individual history, gifts, interests and abilities, we are the only person who can share this service with the world in exactly this way.

Dancer Martha Graham says, “There is a vitality, a life-force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost. The world will not have it.”

We sometimes think of destiny just as what we’re meant to do for our livelihood or with our healing gifts. But destiny exists in many forms. Destiny is also:

·      the creative project only we can birth into the world

·      the experience of motherhood or fatherhood only we can have

·      the expression only we can give voice to

·      the healing of ancestral energies only we can bring to our family line

·      the spiritual journey only we can take

·      the wounds from childhood only we can resolve

·      the perspective only we can offer others

·      the lessons only we can learn about caring for our health and physical bodies

Our destiny challenges us. In terms of corporate America, our destiny is a “stretch goal.” When we first hit upon it, there is a sense of rightness, followed by a realization of the growth necessary in order to bring it into being. But Spirit never asks anything of us that we aren’t able to do. If we trust and continue to walk our path, we encounter the additional knowledge, people, experiences and resources needed to bring our purpose into the world. We must only say “yes” to what appears before us.

The answer to our question of destiny lies in our life experience, wisdom and perspective. The seeds of this already exist in our awareness, waiting to be drawn together into a unifying purpose. When we become inspired by our mission, the fire of passion burns away the fear and doubt, and we move forward, pulled by the luminous threads of our destiny.

The Universe is asking us to go back and work with unfinished business from our past so we can move forward freely through the gateway of opportunity on 11/11/11. We’re being given another chance to heal old, core issues.

As a result, deep-seated emotions have recently been coming to the surface. They appear as a combination of old grief, anger, resentment and pain released in a short, intense burst of emotion. By moving out this stored energy, we make room for more of our True Selves to manifest.

When this strong emotion arises, pause and inquire of yourself, “What part of me is feeling this?” Is it the wounded 5-year-old who wasn’t allowed to cry? Is it the rebellious teenager who was forced to conform? Is it the adult who is fearful of the future in an uncertain world?

Once you determine who is experiencing these feelings, then nurture and comfort that part of yourself. If necessary, seek out a trusted friend, energy worker or counselor to witness and support you. Hold your inner child and rock her while she cries. Allow the rebellious teen to express his anger and frustration. Help the fearful adult ground into Mother Earth and reassure her she is safe. By allowing the emotion to flow, we honor and heal ourselves.

In the aftermath of the emotional release comes a clarity and purity of vision. We see the path that led us here and the threads of purpose winding through our life. We envision a future of service. We choose to live with more compassion toward ourselves and others. We cross the threshold of 11/11/11 with our hearts open.

It can be unnerving when we access our usual intuitive channels and find silence. We may panic and worry that our spirit guides have abandoned us just when we need them the most.

This is natural and happens for everyone from time to time. Our intuitive abilities vary based on our energy levels, the time of day, our health, and even what we ate for our last meal. If we remain calm and connected to our higher self, we remember that Spirit is always there for us.

Any glitches with being able to receive are usually on our end – often we’ve slipped out of our True Self and moved into a perspective of ego, doubt or lack. We may feel resistance to receiving because we fear what we might be asked to do, or we may have an energetic block to moving forward.

Sometimes Spirit has already communicated, and we haven’t recognized the message because it came in a way we weren’t expecting. Spirit performs triage by clearing out everything else so the most important messages make it through.

Or we may be trying too hard, seeking intuitive guidance from a place of desperation. We may have a strong attachment to the outcome and try to control what’s going to happen. We want so badly to see into the future, when we’re simply meant to allow the process to unfold.

Over time, as we grow and evolve, our spirit guides evolve as well. We may be working with a new team of guides and not realize we’re in an adjustment period yet. Almost always, once we’ve worked through whatever transition we’re making, our intuition returns as strong as ever.

So what do we do when we hit a psychic dry spell?

·      Remain open. Continue asking the question, but from a place of curiosity and spaciousness. Wait patiently for the answer. Hold space for it to come to you.

·      Review the quiet whispers of intuition you’ve recently received, even if they haven’t been full blown messages. One of these nudges may be the wisdom you’ve been looking for.

·      Be open to working with a new spiritual support team. Introduce yourself and let any new guides know that you desire to build a relationship and hear their wisdom.

·      Consider that your intuitive channels may be developing. Play with new ways to receive. If you’ve never been clairsentient, bring your attention to your body and notice what new information you might sense through your skin. Or if you’ve received your intuition mostly through Upper World guides, make an effort to connect with Mother Earth, nature spirits and elementals.

·      Eat healthy, exercise and get rest. Taking care of our bodies boosts our intuitive connections. Staying hydrated is also necessary for the conduction of electrical impulses (i.e. intuition).

·      Focus on the present moment and let go of any thoughts about what comes next. Spirit is showing you there’s something more to learn here.

When we ride the natural peaks and valleys of our intuition without blame or judgment, the dry spells get shorter. As our intuition returns, we find unexpected gifts in heightened abilities, new spirit guides, and a deeper connection to our inner wisdom. 

Our throat chakra gives us noticeable cues when it’s functioning at less than its normal vibrancy.

When we hold back from speaking our truth in a heated discussion, we might start to cough. If we feel on the verge of expressing an unpopular opinion, we might choke up before the words leave our mouth. Or we may be talking when our voice suddenly cracks, and in that moment, we realize we feel emotional.

One of my empathic friends helpfully mirrors me by pointing out changes in the tonal quality of my voice. She can hear when I step out of my power. At those times, she describes my voice as having an absence of its usual energy.

As you go about your day, bring your awareness to your throat chakra and observe the feedback it sends you.

Notice when your throat tightens. What was happening at the moment to cause a constriction? Pay attention also to the nuances of the sound of your voice. Can you tell when you are embodying your fearful inner child versus your wise, grounded adult? And also notice when you cough or clear your throat. Are you holding back from expressing yourself? Do you feel safe speaking your truth?

As we work with our throat chakra, we begin to observe old, outdated agreements around speaking our truth, such as, “I must sing quietly – my voice is ugly,” or, “If I speak my truth they won’t like me.” Releasing these limiting beliefs brings a freedom of self-expression, the purpose of the throat chakra.

Here are some suggestions to help clear stagnant energy from the throat chakra and support us in moving forward:

·      Sing to yourself in the shower or car. It doesn’t matter what you sound like, just sing to get the energy moving. You might also tone or chant.

·      Read aloud to a young one, or better yet, tell a story from your past.

·      Practice speaking your truth when responding to questions like, “How are you today?”

·      Go somewhere you won’t be interrupted and make noise to express how you feel – yell, scream, groan, moan. Give yourself permission to make whatever sound wants to be heard.

When we begin speaking our truth, we may feel awkward and hesitant. If we withhold judgment and allow ourselves to practice, we become adept at a new skill. As with any new skill, it becomes more comfortable over time – just like learning to knit or play guitar. It’s less about the quality of the expression, and more about the act of expression.

Wildlife biologists believe that birds know when it’s time to migrate for the winter by the position of the sun in the sky. As fall approaches, they instinctively recognize the shortening days and the changing angle of light and feel unease as the time for their great journey approaches.

Animals also prepare for winter. Squirrels forage for nuts and acorns. Bears eat more than normal to store up fat reserves for hibernation. Wolves grow thicker fur coats.

Although we might try to pretend otherwise, underneath our intellect and our reasoning, we are animals too. We feel many of the same instinctual reactions to the change of seasons as the four-leggeds.

Late autumn can be an unsettling time of year, particularly if we’ve lost our connection to the earth and to the seasons. We may wonder where the urge to nest or the push to complete a flurry of activity is coming from. We may be curious (and mildly concerned) why our sleeping patterns have changed or why our bodies are more tired and move slower than usual.

It's interesting to consider our ancestors and how they would be preparing for the rapidly approaching winter. Our ancestor mothers would preserve extra food and sew or mend winter clothes. Our ancestor fathers would chop firewood and repair the shelter.

They would go to bed earlier and sleep longer due to the lengthening days, and they would ready themselves for a quiet winter at home – many of the same things we feel an urge to do. It’s not that surprising. We share DNA with our ancestors. Their survival instincts live on in our bones and in our cellular memory.

By acknowledging seasonal changes, we honor our animal instincts and our ancestors. We nurture ourselves and welcome the coming winter instead of fearing it.

What changes in your body, energy field, and attitude do you notice this time of year? 

It’s late fall here in Wisconsin. The leaves have mostly fallen off the trees, and my lawn is now a kaleidoscope of color. Due to a busy schedule over the last month, I haven’t had time to do the usual autumn outdoor chores. The last week or so, I’ve been aware of heavy energy creeping up in the form of two thoughts: “You should have raked by now” and “You really ought to take better care of your yard.” From there it was a short slide to feeling like I was lazy or being a bad homeowner.

This morning, I noticed a home in my neighborhood with leaves still in the yard. I thought, “Oh, look! Somebody else hasn’t raked their leaves yet.” Then I took a closer look around me. On every block, at least one or two houses still had leaves down. And I thought, “Wow! Lots of people who haven’t raked yet.”

I paused and pulled this more fully into my awareness. What surprised me was the distinct lack of judgment I felt toward these other homeowners. Instead of thinking that they were lazy or bad people, I just noted that they hadn’t gotten to it yet – a much kinder and gentler way to view the situation than the heavy energy I had been sending myself.

And in that moment, I made a decision to extend the same kindness to myself that I automatically give to strangers. A few deep, conscious breaths helped release the lingering judgment toward myself, and I went about my day feeling much lighter and brighter.

Most of us can probably find multiple examples in our lives of where we hold ourselves to much higher standards than we hold other people. The old programming runs, we slip into our habitual patterns, and it takes being mirrored by the Universe to realize what’s happening. In those moments, we experience grace and make the decision to let go of the self-judgment. We make a conscious choice to more fully embody our True Self.  

Where in your life right now can you extend the consideration you give to strangers to yourself?