Let Your Life Bloom

Going Grainless...revisited

Back in 2008, I chose to go grainless. Whether whole grain or cracker, tortilla or pasta, flour or bread, if it involved a grain, it was out of my diet. In my first post on the subject, I shared how grains were negatively affecting me physically, mentally, and emotionally. In the second post, I gave a few examples on what to eat in place of those absent grains. It's now been 3 years to the month, and I want to catch you up on my experience and what I've learned since originally making this change.

Here's the truth - I've experimented, even indulged a bit (for my standards), when it comes to grains.

See, our bodies change over time. What once affected you greatly, may not anymore. We need different nutrients during different stages of our lives. What remains the same is whole foods are best. It may be convenient to grab a box of food off the shelf. What's not so convenient is when your body tries to digest and absorb what nutrients are left in it after the processing it goes through.

What I learned:

I trust my body.

If I have a desire for something, and I (intuitively) check in to see if it's a legitimate craving - whether healthy or not - I will partake. We eat not just for nutrients, but for emotional nourishment, mental clarity, physical energy, and spiritual connection. Eating is one of the great gifts of life. Whenever you feel like you're cutting off choices in any area of your life, you'll end up feel deprived and like a victim. I'd rather have the taco, if that's what my body is calling for in the moment, and I sense it's ok for me to eat (meaning = it won't make me feel like crap after).

I am no longer 100% grain free. Maybe 90%. Some weeks 70%. It varies, as does life. Eating grains no longer affects me in the same way it once did. So, I'll have some brown rice occassionally with that stir fry. Or if a small piece of bread comes with the salad, I chew it well and enjoy every bite. Mostly though, I feel better, more energy, and clear when I minimize my intake of grains. Again, it's all about paying attention and seeing what works for you.

I'm grateful for what cutting out grains did do for me - I began to eat in a more balanced way with lots more fruits and veggies. I drank more water. I lost weight. I had more energy. I wanted to (and did) exercise more. Doesn't really matter where you start, once you change one aspect of your life, other pieces fall into place.

What I substituted for grains: 

Almond Flour - The most versatile, tasty way to create a wide variety of grain like meals. The Queen of Almond Flour as far as I'm concerned is Elana of Elana's Pantry. Her book, aptly named, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook, is the most used cookbook in my house. I went through a phase where I made all sorts of almond flour based sweet and savory dishes. I've since slowed down on my almond flour intake, especially after reading this article on how too many nuts and seeds can clog up your system and produce a wide range of symptoms (ones we wouldn't tend to associate with eating nuts).

Chickpea Flour - Not a grain but can be turned into a most savory flatbread or pancake. This is one of my favorites. In fact, I made some pancakes last night. For approximately $1 (yes, one dollar) I made about 35 of these babies. So easy! Mix the flour with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder, fennel, cumin, and coriander. Whisk in the same amount of water as flour. Bake in the oven or fry in a pan. Tasty. Here's a couple of other recipes that look delish too: Chickpea Fries, Chickpea Pizza, and Farinata Genovese. I also enjoyed these articles (from The Perfect Pantry and Fun with Chickpea Flour) that gave more background and recipes for Chickpea Flour.

Buckwheat - Technically a fruit, it works like a grain and can be found in the form of noodles, flour, porridge, sprouted and used like granola. Here's the wiki definition, scroll down to the food section of the entry. My general go to for buckwheat is Kaia granola. I have used the noodles and do like them, though my pocketbook isn't as much of a fan (pricey!).

Kelp noodles - Made of seaweed, but most noodley in nature, these are a great addition to any soup or if you want to make a pasta salad. The brand I usually get is from Sea Tangle.

These have been my main substitutes for grains as they can be made into a number of different types of dishes. Some people love coconut flour too. You might also want to check out sprouted grain products and find that they are more easily digestible. Check out Ezekiel Food For Life and Alvarado St. products. Keep in mind that many gluten free products have tapioca and potato starch in them which may be an issue for some people (it is for me). Experiment and find out what's best for your body. I'm sure there are even more options out there. What have you found?

Then, I got tested for food intolerances.

Working with my Naturopath, and knowing that I have a sensitivity to foods, I decided to go ahead with a blood test that would determine my genetic intolerance to certain foods and food combinations. (If you don't know the distinction between food allergies and intolerances, please see my first article on Going Grainless which will provide links to info on this). The Carroll Food Test was incredibly helpful. Turns out, I'm not allergic to grains, I'm intolerant to potatoes!

A few years ago, I remember having a conversation with a chiropractor, telling him how grains affected me. He suggested that it wasn't a grain issue, but a potato one. He was a big proponent of the Weston A. Price diet as well as the GAPS diet (which is connected to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and has some interesting connections to diet and autism). I mentally bookmarked those resources and forgot about them until I took that blood test.

The test also informed me that I am intolerant to the combination of dairy and grains together. Think pizza, quesadillas, many baked goods, grilled cheese, etc. I had thought I was allergic to dairy and grains, and subsequently, cut them both out of my diet. Turns out, I'm not allergic to either, just intolerant of mixing them together. Oh, the things you learn when you take the time to find out!

✿

I hope this post has given you some food for thought. Lol. I can't help it, I'm a punny woman. Pay attention to and trust the wisdom of your body in regard to food. It will make all the difference in your quality and enjoyment of life. Cheers.

Natural remedies win again (and so do I!)

The last couple of weeks I haven't been feeling quite right. It went beyond low energy. I was fatigued, lethargic, listless, depressed. It was incredibly unpleasant, somewhat familiar, but not like the "me" I tend to think of myself as. Have you ever felt so out of sorts that you almost forget who you are, as in you don't remember what you're like when you are in balance? That was me.

All the passion I normally feel for holistic health, all things eco minded, intuition and spirit, coaching, and your general life inspiring topics - nothing, nada, zilch. Sure, there are things happening on a much bigger scale in the world that I feel affected by as well as changes in my own life. There's always stuff going on. I've weathered those storms.

This was different for whatever reason. Or at least it felt that way going through it. Now that I sit here on the other side of it, I can recall similar circumstances from the past, where natural remedies came to the rescue then too.

During this time, the one place I felt buoyed was spiritually. I have grown such a foundation of interacting with my spiritual support team that when I was able to find the strength to tap into it, it did alleviate some distress. I hope you too can experience that kind of support.

The point in why I'm sharing this with you is because I have to. I made a promise to myself that if and when I got out of this horrid feeling, however I did it I would have to share because maybe, just maybe, it would help you too.

If you've been following this blog for any period of time, you know my flavor. I love being alive. I love helping people. I love learning. I love sharing.

That has not been my experience for the last few weeks. Besides a few sunny spots, I mostly didn't feel connected to anyone or anything. I felt possessed by fear and anxiety in addition to depression. No amount of positive thinking helped. I cried a lot. I felt like I was floating above my life. And incredibly alone. Very lonely, despite all the support I logically knew that I had. It was awful.

In that desperation, I got it. I mean, I really, fully got it. I understood, once again, why people reach for pharmaceuticals despite the pages worth of potential side effects. I understood why people would do drugs, despite the potential of getting addicted to them. I understood why people would do all sorts of wacky, hard to imagine why, types of things just because they DESPERATELY WANT TO FEEL BETTER.

There's a billion different reasons why people get knocked out of balance chemically. Eating food you're allergic to. Eating processed food. Traumatic experiences. Environmental causes. Prolonged stress. An activated genetic predisposition. Whatever the reason, there are ways to regain balance - naturally.

For me, it was Homeopathy to the rescue. Plus a skilled Naturopath and Homeopath to navigate the way to the right remedy.

Within minutes of taking this subtle but powerful natural medicine, my clarity of thought returned, the light in the room seemed brighter, my vision was more sharp, I felt more solid, sturdy, grounded. By the end of the day, I felt alive again. Like how I know myself to be - clear, grounded, brave, independent, interested, interesting, inspired, continued creative flow, at peace, a "Let's do it" attitude.

In case you aren't getting the full contrast, an hour before I took the remedy, I was at my Naturopath's sobbing, heaving, unable to take a deep breath. In short, I was a scared wreck. A few minutes after the remedy, everything came back into focus. Each minute that passed I felt increasingly better. This is today, people! Today! To go from where I was to where I am now and have the clarity to even write this post to you is a miracle.

Long live homeopathy!

(I've officially put my holistic health cheerleader outfit back on).

I don't want anyone to feel how I felt. Yet, I know many do. And they don't know where to turn. At one point, many years ago, I didn't know where to turn either.

Especially in times like these when there are so many changes occurring, so much that can throw us out of whack, taking care of ourselves is essential. But it goes beyond that. It's knowing what to tap into within the resources around you that will work with your body's natural healing abilities to bring you back into balance when you fall off.

There is a way to experience instant relief from suffering - naturally and holistically - when you know the right resources to tap into. Homeopathy happens to work incredibly well for me. It's energy medicine. Did you know that? Just amazing.

But there's also acupuncture, flower essences, herbs (Western, Chinese, and Indian), food and superfoods as medicine, Ayurveda, chiropractic, bodywork, energywork. The list goes on and on.

Let this post be the seed planted in you to explore more, to expand your holistic toolkit, now while you're in balance. Or to help you find the most helpful natural remedy if you're out of balance. Do share what you find. The more we all know, the better prepared we are, and the better off we'll all be.

(To find a Naturopath in your area, click here.)

In health!

You 2.0

Can you upgrade your system just like you do with a computer? Is there a switch to flip where things make sense all of sudden? Is it possible for things to be so...simple?

Yes...and no.

Bringing a different level of presence and joy to your life can happen instantaneously. But most of us struggle with this. We long for it, yet doubt that it can be real or if we can keep it up consistently. 

What if you were able to expand your capacity to hold this level of light on a daily basis? Sound good? Read on.

Does the following describe you:

♥ You know something is going on - cosmically speaking - though you can't quite put your finger on what it is, and would like some understanding as to how you fit in to the whole scheme of things.

♥ You take care of yourself and would like to enhance what you're already doing so you actually feel like you're thriving, vibrant, and strong enough to be calm in the eye of any storm.

♥ You use your intuition, follow it a good portion of the time, but find it much harder to do so when faced with your fears. You want to make the connection easier.

♥ You feel like you have a calling, that there's a reason for you being here, and you're doing your best to walk toward that. Yet you keep bumping up against "old stuff," recycling "the same old air." You are looking for a way out, around, under, behind, or above this stuff. You believe it's possible.

♥ You know you play a role in all you experience. You are learning to shape, direct, and responsibly manage your energy. You are hungry to open up more to this.

♥ You are looking to integrate spirituality into your daily living where you can feel the partnership in a tangible way.

♥ You like having fun, joy is your preferred experience, and you'd like an extra helping of both please! Laughing and love are of utmost importance in your life!

 

Did you see yourself in the list above?

After writing the series for How to tune in to your spiritual channel, I was guided to call in those of you who are ready to level up, flip the switch, and upgrade the system. It's in the form of a *specific to you* program called You 2.0 that lasts from the moment you sign up to the end of the year 2011.

Here's some of what we'll do in You 2.0:

★ Meet your light family and spiritual support system, know their names and functions.

★ Become a masterful shapeshifter at redirecting the energy so quickly you'll forget you fell off center in the first place.

★ Learn how to pull the wisdom forth from parallel lives and multidimensional timelines.

★ Get channeled downloads - exactly right for you - that help you gain perspective on what's going on in your life.

★ Experience wholeness, relaxation, timelessness, and ease by being able to integrate the light and dark within you.

★ HAVE FUN!  (I would triple underline this if I could)

 

As you read through this post, you are most likely thinking one of three thoughts:

1) "Yes, this sounds awesome. Sign me up. I feel better just thinking about the possibility of this!"

Fantastic! The next step is to fill out the application below and email it to info@coachvanessa.com with the subject "Me 2.0" and I'll be in touch within 3 business days.

2) "Sounds interesting. I do want to feel better, be clear and healthy, but I think I need something more for beginners."

Lovely! I have two other options that are more foundational, good places to start. They are the Get Healthy program and the Get Clear series. Check them out.

3) "I have no idea what you're talking about. These are new, big words and I'm thinking this isn't my thing."

It's all good! Better to know what you are and aren't into so you can choose to invest your time accordingly. Go forth and find something else that floats your boat.

 

You 2.0 - Application

✿ What are you passionate about? What's your lightwork (as in your calling, what you feel compelled to share, what's in your blood to do)? Not sure yet? No problem. Just tell me what you like best about yourself and your life.

✿ What would you like to change about your life? What have you done so far to change it?

✿ What draws you to want to do You 2.0? What are your expectations, in what ways do you expect your life to be different as a result?

✿ What would you like to see happen in the world? What issues are you passionate about?

✿ Share 1 experience where you followed your intuition and 1 experience when you didn't.

✿ Give me a snapshot of a typical day for you, include what you eat.

✿ If you'd like to be considered for the donation, trade, or FREE spots (see below), tell me why. What would you donate or trade for it? Be creative!

 

Details to know

* You 2.0 is $1000 for the entire year until the end of 2011 of 1 on 1 sessions with me and your spiritual family. This is a lot less than what it would normally cost to do this good work for an extended period of time.

There are lots of additional benefits and blessed responsibilities to being part of this which is why there is an application process. Please do not make any payments until you hear from me that you are confirmed for this program.

There are 2 spots open for donation and/or trade. There is 1 spot is open for FREE.

Again, email info@coachvanessa.com with your answers to the application and the subject "Me 2.0," and I look forward to hearing from you!

Tune in to your spiritual channel (Part 6)

Are you writing down volumes yet? Getting clearer guidance? I hope so!

We live in a time when information is coming at us from all directions. Finding your truth is essential if you want a life filled with more peace, ease, and joy. That's what your spiritual channel is designed to help you do. Plus, it's especially great to tap into when you're in a pickle.

While your intuition is like eating your favorite ice cream, tuning in to your spiritual channel is equivalent to a double decker triple flavor banana split. Why? Because you are accessing a whole support team! Your intuition + your soul, your light family, ancestors, earth wisdom, spirit guides, angels, and a variety of other helpers with your best interest at heart.

To sum up this series, this is what your spiritual channel can give you:

• Tips on how to let go of the past and experience peace of mind
• Guidance on how to integrate what you've learned into your life
• Clarity on the future, your specific calling/path/purpose, including what small action steps to take
• Help with decision making about anything or anyone, any situation you can think of
• Bigger picture perspective and consideration of other truths, thus helping you feel less "stuck" in current circumstances
• Literally, what direction to turn in, what to eat, how to thrive, and various other miracle making ideas that will help you delightfully surprise yourself
• A deep sense of reverence and connection to humanity, earth, spirit world, all those who came before and all who will come after you

Sounds good, yes? Yes!

I've found that tuning in to my spiritual channel has been invaluable. Especially as I was going about changing my life and moving in a new direction. It's like strength training for the soul. It makes you realize that there is this undercurrent of synchronicity running through your life. All of a sudden, you find that you exist on multiple gameboards, which is uber helpful to remember when you feel like you keep losing at the one you've been playing on.

I have countless examples of how tuning in to my spiritual channel has helped my life. Here's just a few:

When my husband was wanting a career change, he had no (conscious) idea what he would do instead. There was no obvious, "I have a passion for ______, and I'm going to follow that now." I kept getting the hit that a big clue to what was next for him would be found in Utne magazine and had to do with the colors on the wall of the restaurant we were at while having this conversation, green and orange.

It was up to him whether he decided to believe my "hit" and take action on it.

He did. Soon after, he found Utne magazine, flipped through it, and saw an ad in primarily green and orange colors, for Presidio Graduate School. He went to an introduction night for the school and loved it. And get this, before he went in, he said to me jokingly "Ok, if they serve cookies, I'm in." They served cookies. We laughed that he's more psychic than I am.

He has gone from being a Massage Therapist to a highly regarded sustainable business consultant with a niche in social media marketing green products via his well built blog network along with ghostwriting. He even had clients before he got a website up! He did the work, but tuning in to the spiritual channel helped light the way to initially making the switch.

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Then there was the time that I was looking for a place to live, in a new state, on a limited amount of time, and the traditional ways of searching were not producing the results I wanted. The whole story can be found here. Talk about an intuitive roadmap!

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I'm sure you have many examples in your own life - how you've used your intuition, tapped in to your spiritual channel, followed a synchronicity, felt the sense of an invisible roadmap guiding you. It's my hope that the Tune In series will help to increase your experience of seeing how much spiritual support you have, and then utilizing it so your life will bloom!

Tune in to your spiritual channel (Part 5)

This post is dedicated to being a question answering (FAQs), fear addressing, vocabulary defining extravaganza.

Ready? Let's jump in...

This tuning in to my spiritual channel is a new game for me. What if I don't understand what's being conveyed? An image will come to me but I'm not sure how it's related to what I wanted to know about.

The truth is, you are channeling information all the time. It may appear to be a new game, but in reality, it's only a new way to think about the guidance you are always unconsciously tapping into. Just like life,  there can be a certain level of metaphor and teasing out of what something means. One way to go about this process is by asking yourself - What does this mean to me? What else do I associate with this? If you're still stumped, ask for a clearer and more obvious explanation as to the nature of what's coming through.

What if I don't like what I hear? Does that mean it's inaccurate? Should I ignore it?

Just because you have resistance to what you hear, doesn't mean it's false. The opposite is true too. Just because you love what you hear, doesn't mean it's 100% accurate.

There's truth in everything. What's most important to consider is if it's your truth. Generally, if you have a strong emotional reaction, yay or nay, there's some truth in it for you. It's up to you to discern what that truth is and how to move forward with integrating it into your life. Guidance is just that - there to guide you. It's ultimately up to you to make sense of it and then follow through by taking action.

What if something freaky shows up? Or I get a not so nice ghosty kind of vibe?

First, I'd say, set up some "rules" about what you're willing to allow in. This is a valuable exercise to do in both the physical and spiritual realm. How many times have you met someone that you didn't get the best feel around? What did you do about it? Hopefully, leave the scene. It's good to have clear boundaries, no matter what area of your life. You have every right to draw that line.

As far as my own rules go (this also used to be a fear of mine, and I also used to have a few yuck people in my life, so I had to get clear and make rules), this sums it up: I only connect with loving, light filled beings that are there in service of me realizing my potential. If something different shows up, I take a deep breath, remind myself that I'm safe, all is well, and anything less than benevolent leaves NOW or I exit stage left.

Sometimes, though, there may be an energy you sense that isn't warm and fuzzy, but does serve in helping you gain insight, wake up, and transform how you're thinking about something. Check in with yourself as to whether there is gold there for you or not. You'll know whether to stay and pay attention, or to go focus on something else.

What if the truth is I just feel scared as to what I'm opening up to? It's the unknown. Even if nothing freaky shows up, I'm still freaked out about this idea of tuning in to a spiritual channel or channeling. Thoughts?

Understandable. Sometimes the new and the unknown feels scary. I'd say that the majority of any fear stems from environmental conditioning. We pick up these "templates of belief" from the specific culture we are in and our family's ideology, which has been passed down just like other traditions, from generation to generation. Often, we don't even realize how much this programming influences who we are, what we believe, how we act in the world, and how we react to life. Not that it's bad. It is what it is. Something to be aware of, so we can learn how to discern our own truth again, and trust our natural instincts.

Words and phrases to know: Read, hit, directive, download, channel, energy, light family.

Read = A way to understand, assess, and evaluate energy/information via your intuitive channel. When I give Intuitive Readings, I am literally reading the energy around you and translating it so it makes sense to you.

Hit = Similar to a flash of insight. It has an instantaneous feel to it. Like, you may get a hit to go back to school, travel somewhere you've never been, or get in contact with someone.

Directive = It's an intuitive hit with a specific "take action on this" direction attached to it. It usually pops up when there is an important timing aspect coming in to play. For example, a friend of mine got a hit to put her house back on the market after she had taken it off because nothing had happened for months. The first day it was back on the market, it sold. Directives can relate to your own life or someone else's. Just like mentioned in Part 3, there will never ever be a directive to do harm.

Download = Chances are you've downloaded a pdf, mp3, word document, or other such bundled piece of information on your computer. This is a very similar experience except that the information you are downloading is coming from the spiritual world, through your intuitive channel, and onto paper or recording or image. Art can be downloaded. Books can be downloaded. Basically, it's a lot of information coming in at one time. Instead of a short hit of a word or phrase, we're talking about paragraphs and pages, concepts and theories. You get my drift.

Channel = This is referring to three things,

1. Your intuitive pipeline (where the information comes through)
2. What "station" or energy/being your are tuning into
3. The actual information coming through you

It's pretty easy to discern which of the three meanings applies once you see this word in the context of a sentence.

Energy = The currency of what we are on a very basic, fundamental level. Everything has a certain kind of energy and frequency/vibration to it. We all have the sense of when we "vibe" with someone or not. We all know what "good vibes" and "bad juju" feel like. That's energy. Your intuition is always working to read the energy to further help you clarify how to respond to whatever is in front of you. If you'd like to learn more about energy, check out the Get Clear Series.

Light family = As defined in Part 2 of this series, your light family is your spiritual posse. It could be made up of your spirit guides, your ancestors, your brothers from another mother (spiritually speaking), your angels. They are there specifically for you - as truth tellers, way showers, guidance clarifiers, energetic cheerleaders. Each one has a theme or function that will help you on your path. For example, you may have one that is your fitness guru. Or another that pours on love when you feel lonely. Whatever you need or want, it exists for you. Which leads to the last question...

This whole "Light family" concept sounds like a nice idea and all, but come on, is it really real?

My personal experience is that they are real. My professional experience with helping clients connect with their light families, based on their reaction and feedback, also indicate that they're real. But, I'm not here to convince. My intention with this whole series, and with anything I do, really, is to share my experience and my passions. If any part of it, resonates with you as truth or helps you in some way, that is wonderful!

I say, suspend disbelief, be open to the possibility that they are real, and see what happens. Even the placebo effect can produce amazing results!

♥

If you've enjoyed this series (one more post to go!), do check out the Get Clear energy & intuition program. It's work at your own pace with 9 recordings, summaries, activities, & more. There's also a FAQs section of it that addresses more energy & intuition related questions too. Plus a section on why I felt so compelled to put that program together. Good reads!

 

Tune in to your spiritual channel (Part 4)

We've covered the why, who, when and what of tuning into your spiritual channel. Now, let's rock the "How to." How exactly do you channel? Do you have to OM prior to tuning in?

Um, no.

While I'm proud of the new age license I hold, I don't chant. Though I heard that's what my neighbor thought I was doing when I was running my blender the other day.

But hey, if chanting gets you feeling all good, go for it. Some like to set the stage for tuning in, like having a treasured guest over for dinner. Light candles, play relaxing music, put on some sexy lingerie...wait, wrong post. Seriously though, just have fun with it. The less serious you are, the better.

Ok, back to some helpful how to tips...

This is where paying attention to how your intuition works comes in handy. If you want a refresher on some of the ways it does, do check out Connect to your intuition in 5 easy steps. Do you tend to hear information? See it? Sense it? Feel it physically? The same way you acces your intuition is the same way you tune in to your spiritual channel. In fact, it's your intuition that is the channel, or rather the pipeline, that enables you to tune in to different spiritual radio stations, so to speak.

The simplest way to summarize the how to is you ask a question (see part 3) and expect an answer. Different methods work for different people. Play around with it and see what works best for you. Below, you'll find a few ways to help you get started, give structure to this experience, and elicit the information that will serve you best:

Write down a dialogue

Similar to the Conversations with God books. Write your question. Write the answer. If the responses you hear are based in judgment, then you're talking with your ego/inner critic, not your spiritual family. Take a deep breath, trust that if this process works for others, it can work for you too. Then ask again.

Draw a comic strip

Start with stick figures with talking bubbles above their heads. Put Angel wings on the person that's responding to you. Or have the talking response to your question bubble coming out of a cloud you drew. Or the sun, moon, earth. You get my drift. Whatever can help you tap into the creative juice instead of the intellectual linear train of thought.

Make a picture video

Hop on over to Creative Commons and find some pics you like. You can pick a theme that you're working on or wanting to know more about. Or start by requesting, "Spirit, guide me in picking images that will demonstrate to me what I need to know right now." Throw them together in a video and watch how it magically conveys a theme. Ask your friends what they got out of it. Spirit speaks through their interpretations as well.

Create a collage, tell its story

Similar to above, but with magazines or postcards and the like, let the collage tell you its story. Art uses intuition to bypass the intellect. Your mind is important when used for its intended purpose. Instead of over-relying on it, tune in to your spiritual channel via art and image.

Speak it, record your voice

Imagine standing on a platform, delivering an impassioned speech. Know that whoever is in the audience not only loves you, but something in their soul longs to hear what you have to say. The message that is coming through you is filled with gems from your spiritual guidance team that is working on behalf of all of you. Let it flow out.

Do an interpretive dance

Fun, freeing, and fulfilling. Our bodies get bogged down by unresolved stuff. Ask your body to show you in movement what question it wants asked in order to facilitate healing. Interpret it's response. You'd be amazed at what comes, when you allow Spirit to literally, consciously, move through you.

Have someone interview you with your own questions or theirs

Just the act of brainstorming questions and having someone reflect them back to you is enough to cause a volcano of insights to erupt. Pretend you are Spirit answering those questions. Make up a name for this Spirit self that is coming through you with this blessed information.

♥

Let me know how it works out. What inspired you? Moved you emotionally? Surprised you? The process should be just as liberating as the outcome of receiving guidance and answers around what you've been curious about. Have at it!

Tune in to your spiritual channel (Part 3)

We've covered why it's important to tune in to your spiritual channel and who to listen to when you do. Let's go over the when and the what of this fun process. When do you do it? What do you ask? What can you expect?

When to ask

Short answer: Anytime.

Sometimes I feel more receptive when I wake up, or right before sleeping, in the shower, and while meditating. But it can happen in the grocery store, in the middle of a conversation, when brushing your teeth, at the beginning of a work meeting.

The most important thing to remember about the timing of a "download" is that it has its own timing.

Information shows up when you most need to hear it or share it. Sometimes that coincides with you asking questions and seeking out information. Sometimes not. Remember, this guidance is in partnership with a bigger spiritual aspect of yourself, in cahoots to lead you down the most supportive path.

What to ask

Short answer: Anything.

In playing around with asking different types of questions, I noticed that I get more sophisticated, higher level responses when I ask from a clear, empowered place. When I pull the victim card, "When is it ever going to get better?" "When is so and so going to change their attitude?" the responses I get goes something like this "It and they will change when you see it in a new way," or "Beloved, there is no answer to that question. Reframe and ask again."

I personally happen to like funny, sort of smarmy, blunt but kind responses so they (specifically, my light family) do tailor to that preference sometimes, like "You've got to be kidding, we are so not going to answer that, but we love you. NEXT."

Here are some questions to get you started:

♥ What is the most expansive way to see what's happening right now?

♥ How can I make peace with what I'm experiencing?

♥ As far as what's happening regarding ________, what do I need to know/understand/do that would create the most benevolent outcome for all?

♥ What are different ways, specific to me, that I can use to transform my fear about ________?

♥ Why am I choosing to feel this way, and what is a better use of my time?

♥ In what ways can I take responsibility for what I'm experiencing even though I feel like I want to blame this other person?

♥ What do I need to know right now?

These are similar questions that you may ask of yourself when you're looking to shift your perspective or start the process of change in your life. The difference is you precede the asking by making a request for the responses to come from your guides, your spiritual support team, your lightworking posse. This way, they know they are being called upon.

Of course, you can also ask about world events, the future, food, politics, environment, health, your body. Whatever floats your boat and is in service to the whole.

Hint: If it serves your potential, it's in service to the whole. If you're asking about celebrity gossip or feeling vengeful - sure, a way to spend your energy, but not serving your potential - you may not get a channeled response. And, there is NO WAY that you will ever be guided to hurt yourself or someone else. EVER. Just so that's clear.

Channeled information is always available to you. It's there to enhance and expand your understanding of what's happening in your reality. Your reality is different than someone else's. The more real you can get with this process, the easier it is to utilize this information as a catalyst to help your life be filled with ease, flow, love, and service. It's a helpful way to tap into the bigger picture without getting caught in the analysis paralysis processing trap that we can tend to do with our "stuff."

I hope that answers some of your questions and helps to demystify the process for you!

Stayed tuned for upcoming parts on the "how to" of tuning into your spiritual channel, and much more...

Tune in to your spiritual channel (Part 2)

Ok, so now you know why it's important to tune in to your spiritual channel. I'm guessing what you want to know next is - Who the heck is giving me the information? What exactly am I tuning into? Are you sure it's all good? No weird spiritual juju going on?

Here's what I can tell you - whether you're dealing with the physical world or the spiritual one, trust your gut. Just because it looks good, doesn't mean it's good for you. And just because you can't "see" it, doesn't mean it's bad for you. Feel it out. To question the source of information is valid and worthwhile, but most importantly, check in on the information itself to see if it's relevant for you to know. Use your intuition to discern (of upmost importance) whether you need to switch stations or not.

This was initially a question I really wanted to know the answer to myself.

For now, I have satisfied that desire by sticking to general guidelines of what I allow myself to have access to and tap into. Basically, information that I can trust, and know in my heart, has my best interest and highest service in mind.

Who to start chatting with and channeling from:

Your spiritual self

There is a place within you, around you, and beyond you (that still is you) where wisdom lies. You have access to it, first and foremost, because it is you. It's here to help you remember your specific path in this life.

Your light family and spirit guides

These are your homies on the other side. They have their own unique "personality" and function when it comes to being of support to you. Once you get to know them, and what they're there for, it becomes easier to know when to call on them for your specific needs. They help to remind you of who you are.

Angels and Archangels

Great beings of light, full of love, here to serve and uplift us, to remind us of home. They each have special functions as well, in service to all of humanity (whereas your light family have special functions related to you).

♥

That's who I conversate with and where I get my information from. I make sure that no matter what, I only listen and open up to those of the light. If you have any concerns or questions about that, just ask - Are you of the light? Nope. Close the door. No worries. You're safe. It's all good. Moving on.

There are also many guides out there (in physical form), that frequently channel a particular energy/being or a type of energy (Angels, for example). As the energy has gotten more intense, and the changes in the world much more swift, I have my "go to's" that immediately help me drop fear and get centered again.

Seriously, these things have saved my butt:

The teachings of Abraham

Doreen Virtue's work with Angels

Lightworkers

Akiane's Art

The Sedona Journal

Licia Berry (love how Spirit guides her in making sense out of wholeness and integration of the sacred feminine & masculine).

Orin & DaBen books

* My list is much longer. Consider this short one a good place to start. *

So, that's my spiritual cup of tea. For awhile, I would secretly go to new age bookstores, and discretely grab the latest Sedona Journal. I'd hint here and there within my posts about the importance of spirituality. But I had yet to come out of the closet to state how much this information anchors me. It does. And I'm grateful for it.

It may not be your choice of beverage. I'm cool with that. But if it is, and you've been looking for something to help you feel more grounded in these great and challenging times, and this works for you...then AWESOME!

To us all living our truths and inspiring each other in the process!

Tune in to your spiritual channel (Part 1)

Your intuition serves many purposes. It acts as a channel to access pertinent information about yourself, others, the world around you, the future, clarity on the past, (consciously) connects you to your spiritual family, and toasts your grain free bread.

The more I use mine in the daily moments of my life, the easier it is to tap into it when I'm up against any fear. But you know this, I wrote about it in many intuition posts, like "Your Intuition + Food = Happy Belly,"and  "Connect to your intuition in 5 easy steps." Plus it's the basis of the Get Clear series.

What I've discovered in the past year, through my own practice, is that you can use your intuition to channel much more than a yes or no, this way or that way. You can actually access multitudes of information - paragraphs and pages worth. Trust me! I have gone through notebooks upon notebooks quickly writing down all that is coming through, and it's just about time to share them with you.

Channeling isn't a new phenomenon. People have done it for eons. We all have spiritual license to do so, and you don't have to pay extra cable charges in order to tune in.

Essentially, channeling is a much more empowering way to gain understanding of your experience, and of life in general, than to take on the fear based "reality" that mass media perpetuates. In this day and age, we are realizing, and celebrating, that we are all wisdom holders, way showers, and truth tellers. Bless the Internet for being a venue to share, leveling out the playing field of how information gets distributed!

So much of what we all struggle with is when we give in to fear, to old limiting patterns passed down generationally, or when we strive to maintain the status quo. One size does not fit all! The time we are living in is one of profound individuality where we get to recognize our unique gifts WHILE simultaneously experiencing a deep connection with all of humanity.

Why not use your precious time and energy to focus on the larger picture of how we are connected, creative, and inherently cooperative beings? I guarantee if you did, your actions, thoughts, and feelings on a day to day basis would be different. And you'd feel more magical and alive in the process of it.

I have to admit, it wasn't until recently that I embraced the word channeling, or what I thought it entailed. We've been trained to freak out over the unknown spirit world. Would it be like Poltergeist? Or Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost? I was not fond at all of the idea of someone of something else coming into my body and taking over. Turns out, it's not like that at all. At least my experience isn't.

When I channel, it feels more like taking notes from a very eloquent teacher. I still feel like me. I don't feel like there's anything other than me, in me. It's just like tuning into a radio station when one of your favorite speakers is presenting. Dictation. Translation. And, always, always, specifically helpful to where I'm at in my life, at that moment. Helloooo! Very helpful.

What prompted me to write this post is:

1) The frequency in which these downloads keep coming is increasing. At first, I thought it was just for me. Then I began sharing them with a few close friends who also found them really helpful. It made me realize that I bet there's gems in there for you too. So, stay tuned, and I will present them in addition to the posts I write on coaching, holistic health, and intuition in general.

2) I firmly believe we all have this ability. I also believe that if you choose to tap into this, not only will it help bring light, love, and healing to you, but also to your circle of influence and the collective as a whole. The more we can be pioneers of a new way of being and birth the kind of world we do want to live in, the better off we all are. It's already happening anyway.

Jump on in, the waters are warm, your friends are here, and we're all playing Marco Polo, searching for the heart in each other, and doing our best to have a good time along the way!

Someone who believes in you

Think back to times in your life when someone came along and saw something in you that you've always wanted to be seen and celebrated. Or, they found your blindspot of brilliance, something in you that you didn't even realize you were gifted at. And at that moment in time, you have this feeling, this bigness, like you just got kissed by God. Or crowned queen.

We have such great impact and influence over one another. When we use that power to lift each other up, it creates a domino effect of good stuff, where we start to see possibilities for ourselves that we previously hadn't.

The two videos below reminded me of how an act of graciousness and integrity can be so inspiring. Whether you like Lady Gaga's music or not, you've got to give her an A+ for being true to herself. By her following her own heart, she set an example for others do the same. A 10 year old in Canada, Maria Aragon, did a cover of her recently released "Born This Way." Powerful rendition. Fast forward to Gaga finding out and encouraging this girl to follow her dreams, genuinely saying "Thank you for believing in me, I will always believe in you." What a way to pay it forward!

"I'm beautiful in my way, cuz God makes no mistakes, I'm on the right track baby, I was born this way."

Lady Gaga supports Maria Aragon

 

 

Maria Aragon doing her version of "Born This Way."

 

 

Go acknowledge someone today, for no reason except you feel called to. Then watch what happens!