Healing support for lyme Part 2 of 5: Approach Treatment From The Right Angle

One of the most powerful tools every single one of us has on the healing journey is the power to discern and choose from which angle we are treating our illness: physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual.

Each of these aspects of ourselves are entry points into healing, and we are the only ones who can know and decide which aspect (or aspects) are the most important for us at any one time.

Its also important to take all of them seriously, and to have multiple care providers who can help us deeply in each of these areas.

Many years ago, when I was first diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease and after I had tried (and failed) the conventional antibiotic treatment, I was hell bent on “killing” all the”bad bugs” using natural means. I thought this was the only answer, and that these bad bugs were directly to blame for all 200+ of my symptoms.

Neither myself or my practitioners were taking anything else into account other than “killing the bugs”. The equation looked like this: Anja + Lyme = Seriously sick. Anja - Lyme = perfect health.

It’s easy to get into this pattern of thinking, especially when you learn how evasive and advanced the Lyme spirochete actually is, but this way of thinking shows a very poor understanding of chronic Lyme and how to get well.

But humans have been living and evolving with spirochetes for thousands of years, and just because you get rid of, or reduce significantly the pathogenic load of borellia burgdorferi in your body, doesn’t necessarily mean you will be thriving and healthy. As we know, many, many people who show few symtoms have lyme disease, and many more who have the serious diagnosis of ALS, MS, Parkinsons, Fibromialgia and even autism have Lyme disease as a root cause.

Without taking into account my bodies ability to detoxify, genetic factors, allergies, environmental toxin load, immune function and emotional and psychological stress/trauma my treatment at this time wasn’t very successful. I was taking all the right “killing agents” in the form of high dose herbal formulas, but my symptoms kept increasing and eclipsing whatever headway I was making.

After the period of time where I was only trying to kill Lyme naturally, I spent 6 months living in northern Sweden being treated by a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor who treated me with tar like concoctions of herbs to be drunk by the liter daily. “Killing” went out the window.

In the eyes (and poor English) of this Chinese doctor, all I needed to get well was “melt ice, in belly.” He would also occasionally point to my mild acne and say,

“make more beautiful, too.”

Um, Okay. Right.

And yet when I returned to the States after six months there was a subtle stamina and strength in my digestion which had been lacking for years.

Then came a two year phase of working with the energetic, the spiritual and the shamanic aspects of healing. I learned that on a quantum level our bodies are just space, energy and light. I worked with our ability to change the quality of our physical life by starting with this fundamental truth. And I experienced huge strides forward in my health.

I discovered meditation. I learned yogic techniques to work with the physical and subtle anatomy to achieve healing. I studied the science of emotions, happiness and psychology, and how they intersect with the body to create health.

Finally the feeling, the urge, came around again. I knew there was something I needed to address on a medical level, something that needed to be killed, purged and cleaned out. I sought that help and spent 3 years back on the killing regimen, except this time I was integrating the holistic understanding I had gained through the years prior.

Now, it’s a continuous flow. I try to keep all areas of treatment balanced. And I always know when one area is not getting enough attention.

So the healing task and insight for you today is to assess where you are, and then tune into your body and feel what you really need. Ask yourself these questions:

At which stage are you at right now in your treatment: physical, emotional, energetic?

Are you addressing pathogens head on or are you working on building up your immune system, strengthening detoxification or just giving your body a rest?

Which area feels like it is being fully addressed and seen?

Which area feels lacking, unsupported or unseen?

What is preventing you from approaching your healing from this angle right now?

What is the first step, something you can do right now to address this?

I want to hear your insights, and how you are going to shift your perspective or focus on your treatment right now, or how it is going to stay the same.

As always, these words are about empowering YOU to be your own healer.

With Love,

Anja

P.S Want to receive the next installment of the series delivered to your inbox? Sign up below

Part 1 of 5: How To Stay Inspired And Get The Most Out Of Your Healing Protocol

In this five part series, I'm sharing some practices, philosophy and mindset shifts which have been essential to my continued recovery from chronic Lyme disease and related illness. 

The first insight is one which when mastered, fully transforms the way you think about illness and your body: creating inner and outer space around taking supplements, treatments and therapies.

Every aspect of treatment from the smallest supplement to the most invasive IV or procedure is an opportunity to deepen your relationship to your body and move towards true healing- regardless of the outcome of the treatment.

Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian mystic and philosopher who founded  Anthroposophical Medicine, said that every time we engage in a therapy whether its as invasive as surgery or gentle like a homeopathic remedy or supplement, we are asking the body a question.

The wisdom and healing of a therapy or treatment comes in our ability to Listen for the body's response. The power of strengthening the healing force of the body doesn't come response itself- though it can be helpful to know if something makes us feel worse or better- but in the act of listening to the body.

So if you are repetitively or mindlessly taking your pills or going through the drudgery of doing “all the right things” but feeling frustrated with the lack of clarity and forward movement that you desire, you might not be giving your body and mind the space to fully rest and receive the information which is trying to come into your body in the form of treatment.

Like any effective healing practice, this takes time and commitment, but its effects can be the missing link between bridging the external world of should's, and the internal world of what the body truly needs.

The practice

Before you take the supplement, do the castor oil back, coffee enema, or any other treatment, make a habit of sitting silently for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Notice what is happening in your body. Just take stock of the quality of energy in your body and mind- the less you try to change it the better.

Then, take your supplement, or do your therapy.

After the therapy is done. Make a committed, silent space in which to fully integrate and receive the benefits of the treatment. Turn off screens. Don't distract yourself. Even if you can’t consciously “feel” anything, make this space. 10-20 minutes will suffice. 

This allows the nervous system to relax, and when done consistently over time, retrains the body to enter a deeper healing state during times of treatment/therapy/supplements.

We all know that when we are stressed out our body has difficulty in properly digesting our food. Can you imagine how hard it is for medicine to get to where it needs to go, without side effects, when the body is already in a heightened inflammatory/stressful state?

Once you’ve committed to this post- treatment listening stage. Tune in to how your body feels now. What subtle energy has shifted? What remains the same.

The secret to strengthening the body's ability to communicate with you and beneficially receive and assimilate treatments, is to remain open and non reactive to the information you receive.

Like a small child, once the body (and energetic bodies) feel the rhythm and routine of being able to “share” and “be seen” in this continuous safe space regarding treatments, the inner impulse to heal becomes quickened and useful information, along with heightened intuition will begin to rise to the surface quickly.

You will also be training your nervous system to relax and receive nourishment, versus training it to push through and "force" the therapy.

Once you've digested this information and put it into practice, I'd love to hear from you.

How does this practice feel? What messages, sensations and insights are you experiencing as you deepen your ability to listen to the question of your treatment?

Let me know in the comments below, or send me an email at info@anjasofiachurchill.com and and if you want to be notified when part 2 of the 5 part series is published, sign up below.

In Health!

Anja

Thoughts on walking the spiritual path, right now.

paul-jarvis-217.jpg

I am walking the path. And so are you.

Maybe you don't think you are. This is a short note to remind you, as I have been reminded.

After several years and many kinds of devotion and commitment to esoteric practices and philosophical musing, and deep inner explorations of my body mind and heart, I feel like I am only just beginning to step on the spiritual path.

A realization came to me this evening, when I was looking at pictures of Mahatma Gandhi online. I was examining photos of his face, before and after he began his crusade for a free India, non violent action and compassionate living. 

I noticed something unusual.

It was the photos of him in his later years as he peacefully carried the spirit of India to freedom where his face looked the most human.

Before this, his face looked.. less human. More conflicted, as if a shroud covered his face, hiding something.

This realization was like a warm breath of air, filling my lungs and warming my heart. Walking the path is not to become like an angel. It is to make us truly human.

Yogi Bhajan said that every person is born with the birthright to be a Human Being. Hu means light, halo or radiant aura and Man means mind. Presence, with a mind of light. 

The sages and ancient texts say that true realization of our Self comes to us when we surrender to the divine force greater (and within) ourselves. A truly humble experience. There are many, many practices to open up this space in our lives. I've done a few, some for short unsustainable bursts and others for longer, but still unsustainable lengths of time.

This evening as I was looking at Mahatma Gandhi's face, Images of Mother Theresa came up on google images, too. I noticed she had the same expression. Ultimately human. Feeling. Living. Experiencing. Knowing. Trusting. Wow.

After this I wrote a short prayer. Something I've done several times over the years, mostly because writing comes naturally to me and is a way for me to continuously affirm my intentions to the universe, my higher self, God, my guides, or whoever has my highest interest at heart who might be listening. 

I wrote an honest prayer to understand the Origin of my Self and Life while in this human body. (Gently please!). I was moved by my own words as they flowed from the pen and equal parts frightened by them. By their bigness.

Then I sat for a long time, on the dark of my balcony. And felt a slow answer come to my mind. The voice of a calm, logical, patient teacher. The voice (maybe my own) said:

You have everything you need for this awakening right now.
You have the practices of yoga- they are strengthening for you and help to balance your body and mind.
You have the practice of meditation- powerful tools to experience your Self.
You have your connection to nature- beauty which truly nourishes you.
You have a deep, loving and at times challenging relationship- this provides nourishment for you on many levels and also stimulates you to grow.
You have a beautiful home- this supports your growth.
You have a true path of service- let your business be your service, and a lesson to know true abundance and not get distracted by financial loss of success.

As I heard all of this, the gentle voice flowed through my mind taking stock of everything in my life. And I felt it, maybe for the first time, that everything in our life is here to serve us, and it moved me to tears.

We have everything we need.

Humbling.

Keep going. Stay awake. From your heart.

Anja

Can intuition help you heal from complex chronic illness?

I think it's a necessity. No matter how amazing, renowned or informed our practitioners may be, when it comes to healing from complex chronic illness, there is only one person who has the final say in what goes on in, around and for your body, and that is you.

Last week I went to a Doctors appointment at the Sophia Health Institute outside of Seattle, Washington. I've been a patient there for several years, and the clinic itself is quite well known because its head doctor, Dr. Klinghardt is famous the world over for his unique and leading edge thoughts in alternative treatments for Lyme disease, MS, ALS, chronic fatigue syndrome, and autism.

Without going too much in depth about my continuous healing saga, I'll say that I have had great benefit from seeking treatment from Dr. Klinghardt and his trained Naturopaths these past few years. Like many such clinics, many of the expenses are out of pocket and the cost to see Dr. Klinghardt alone is a whopping $800 an hour. This is something which continues to drive patients the world over to tears and frustration: the fact that in order to receive quality care, oftentimes you have to be rich. Fact. No sugar coating. 

This doesn't have to be the case. In fact there are many grass roots practitioners of various modalities across the country (and the world) who are exceptionally skilled and have amazing success stories with many of their treatments.

One of the most powerful (and sometimes disenchanting) lessons I've learned through 12+ years of chronic illness is that at some point, your practitioner, the one into whose hands you've put your life, doesn't have a clue what to do next. Or maybe they do have a clue, or a diagnosis, or a past case that is similar to yours, and yet it doesn't feel right. You know.

Enter intuition. The subtle yet strong force which we get to know more and more as our relationship with our self deepens. 

I remember a Dr. I worked with on the east coast many years ago, who I had put a lot of time and money and faith into working with. He was the best as far as I could see and afford. I put my life in his hands, and he definitely missed the mark. After his efforts to help me get well failed, he decided that what I needed was a strong dose of Levaquin. (If you don't know about this antibiotic, it may be one of the most toxic antibiotics out there with many common, serious and permanent side effects.)

I knew as soon as he suggested this that it was the wrong treatment. No matter how brilliant this doctor was, his diagnostic mind couldn't see what I felt and knew to be true: my body was suffering from a crippling inability to deal with toxins.

I was suffering so badly from toxicity and the inability to cope with it that I was having tremors, hallucinations, nausea and the inability to eat.

Soon after his treatment suggestion I made another move to switch care providers, and six months later was on a very different treatment path which focused on gentle regeneration and detoxification- and I was getting a whole lot healthier.

There have been and continue to be many, many times during my treatment when I couldn't accept a certain Dr.'s point of view or diagnosis, no matter how high ranking or well known. It was those moments when I searched within myself, followed my intuition, and fought for what my gut was telling me, that I broke through to much deeper healing and greater solutions.

Sometimes intuition wont lead us to the direct answer or diagnosis, but it will lead us to the place where we can find the right answer.

Ironically, one of the most powerful things I've learned in the past several years while paying the premium (and watching countless others do the same) for everything from ozonated ultraviolet blood filtration  to stem cell injections from wild boars, is this:

On a very deep level, only we as individuals can truly claim health and vitality for ourselves- no doctor will ever be able to serve us true health whether on a silver platter or otherwise.

The moment we choose to connect with and communicate with the deeper essence of ourselves, the part of us that doesn't get sick, but lovingly supports us through all trials and tribulations, that's the moment we begin to heal.

That moment when we restore faith in some subtle, undying, all pervading aspect of ourselves. That connection is what has seen me and countless others through some really, really dark times.

Of course money, time, emotional support and countless other influences weight heavily on the outcomes of treatment, If I could recommend only one single thing to a somebody who is seeking alternative treatment for a complex illness, it is this:

Whatever treatment, practitioner or environment you choose to place your faith in for your own healing, let it be one which acknowledges your whole being, and not only acknowledges but encourages you to question, inquire, keep learning both in the realm of medicine and  also within yourself.

Be proactive about going within yourself, trusting your gut, and truly meeting yourself. After all, if you don't now, when will you? It just might save your life.

The ultimate question: getting rid of social media or change the way we use it?

Over the coming weeks I will be removing my personal FB account, and transitioning my Instagram account solely for business purposes.

The reasons behind this are many. As a young person who has literally grown up with social media, I find it addictive, and distracting.

My social life has been connected to social media since I was 13 years old, and I would say my brain has been wired in all the ways which the creators of this platform have engineered. (Yes, they are created to specifically diffuse our ability to focus and enhance addictive behaviors, for more about this check out this video.) 

In the video, the speaker shares how one of the psychological side effects behind regular use is heightened levels of resting anxiety. When our brains are wired to receive small hits of dopamine throughout the day, we become restless and in a sympathetic nervous system mode consistently. 

I like many, many people, experience this. I pretend that I don't but I do. 

One of the other psychological effects of consistent time spent on social media is lowered self-esteem related to the comparison of self vs. others. Thankfully, I don't experience this very much, but I AM as addicted to mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds when my brain wont shut off as the next person.

Ultimately, I see us evolving with technology, and the current trends in social media lean towards even greater fusions of reality and virtual reality. As the information age expands, our awareness, sovereignty, and emotional intelligence has to evolve with it, so this is simply my way of trying to work things out for myself.

The internet as a whole is rewiring our brains, and I think it is false thinking to assume that social media is the only culprit in decreasing attention span, etc. But for me, removing or reducing social media is the first logical step in changing how I relate to the internet and ultimately use it for it's amazing, information sharing potential. 

Anyhow, I'll still be sharing my writings (my blog/website is where I share my more focused and heart felt thoughts) and info about upcoming classes, events, and other exciting offerings on my professional FB page Anja Sofia Churchill. The goal is to still be reachable, but for me to focus more on what matters, both personally, creatively and in service!

If you need to get in touch for any reason, send me an email, a text, or call me! (Yay! Real voices!) 

Love, Love and Love!

Anja

 

The Four Stages of Healing and How I apply them to my yoga practice

One of the reasons I continuously come back to a yoga and meditation practice as the touchstone of keeping myself well and living beyond chronic Lyme disease is that it forces me to return to my body and whats real in my life. 

In my quest for tangible ways to share the wordless experiences of becoming well, I've outlined what I call the four stages of healing. On any path of true healing or spiritual practice we cycle through these four phases and continuously begin again.  

The truth is that knowledge only becomes useful when applied and directly experienced, and thankfully each one of us has a body to begin experiencing these results.

Beyond this post you can carry the 4 stages of healing with you and work with them as you do your own I mind/body practice like yoga or qi gong, so that you can amplify its healing potential.

 

First stage of healing: become present & open up the channels

Though the most straightforward, the first phase can often be the most challenging, especially if we are habitual "fixers" always trying to find a solution or a band aid for what is going on. During the first stage, we create the inner space where we can sit with the discomfort of our present situation and just notice how we feel without judgement. Any reactions or emotions in response to physical pain also get included in this awareness.

We may have a task we are physically doing, (in this case a yoga exercise) but we create the neutral space to allow our symptoms, energy and thoughts to run their course. I like to compare this to flushing out the fluids in an engine (car metaphors anybody?) This stage can often feel like a purging, or a worsening, but don't label it as such. Just be with it, and you will see that the sensations, symptoms and thoughts are transitory.

Long Deep Breathing

Relax your diaphragm and muscles of your pelvis, ribs and chest completely. Begin a slow inhale as you feel and visualize this entire space filling and expanding. When your breath reaches the fullest expansion of your upper chest, begin a slow exhale, "deflating" the abdomen and chest like a balloon. Inhale 4-6 counts, exhale 4-6 counts

*For those that find this emotionally difficult, it is important to remember that we will never experience more than we are capable and ready to handle by being present.*

 

Second stage of healing: Keeping the channels open & being receptive to the healing flow

Once the channels have been opened, the energy in the body begins to flow and we may even notice positive feeling sensations which we label as "improvement." At this stage, we are faced with a choice: we can either become distracted and unconscious to the energy in our body again, OR we can begin to forge new neural pathways in our brain geared towards consistent mindfulness, consistent awareness of what is happening regardless of good or bad. It is in this phase that the "engine" begins to turn on.

We start to glimpse and experience moments of our own healing grace. The paradox is that we begin to experience the healing grace by being open and unattached to the sensations. 

Alternate Nostril Breath

Block your right nostril with your right thumb, inhale 4 counts through the left nostril, then block the left nostril and exhale through the right. Next reverse the sequence inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left. To finish, inhale and suspend the breath, then relax.

 

 

Third stage of healing: actively working with the channels 

This is where things really begin to heat up. Just when we have surrendered to the natural flow of our body and abstaining from labeling experiences as "good" or "bad", we come into a clarity of awareness where we are now capable of directing the energy in our body towards regeneration; specifically towards meridians, organs, or body systems of our choosing.

By now we have been able to feel and identify which parts of our physical and energetic anatomy need more support, and we direct the energy to these places using breath, movement, visualization and sensory experience.

Breath of fire

Fill your lungs 2/3 full with breath, then exhale powerfully bringing your navel in towards your spine. Gently allow the belly to expand outward on the inhale, and begin the sequence again by drawing the navel in. Speed up the breath as you are comfortable to 3 in and out breaths per second. To finish, inhale and suspend your breath, circulating and directing the energy you have generated with the breath to areas of the body which need healing.

 

Fourth stage of healing: surrender to the process

In this phase we must give up our expectations and time frames of achieved results or "perfect health." It asks us to take a step back, and give our expectations over to something larger than ourselves. I choose to surrender to my Self, or soul, that part of me which is deathless and far more wise than my conscious mind. You might choose God, or a higher power of your own choosing. 

We accept that though healing is non linear, when we continuously begin again with stage #1, we trust that we will be guided and protected on the journey.

Tenth gate meditation

Sitting with a straight spine, close your eyes and roll them in and up, focusing your gaze and/or your energy at the crown of your head. Imagine that you are looking up through the head into infinitely. Breathe long and deep while connecting to the infinite force which is greater than you. 

The four stages of healing can also be applied more in depth as they relate to nutrition, physiological detoxification, lifestyle balance and living in harmony with natural cycles. For the purpose of this post I have outlined them as they specifically relate the practice of yoga, to illustrate how quickly we can have an experience in our body of these concepts. If you are interested in incorporating the stages of healing into our complete health plan, send me an email at info@anjasofiachurchill.com, or stay tuned for upcoming online courses.

In health,

Anja

Why I sometimes tell people not to practice yoga

Even though my life was literally saved through practicing yoga, (it was the key factor in my recovery from a debilitating disease; more on that in a minute), I am not an evangelist.

When people find out I’m a kundalini yoga instructor, they always ask the the inevitable question: “why kundalini yoga?” I often hesitate a minute before answering. The truth is there are many answers, and I’m often trying to gauge which response will make the most sense.

The first answer is usually an anecdotal one: my story. I tell them that kundalini yoga was the first thing which began to heal my body from a debilitating case of chronic Lyme disease.

The second answer might be something like “I think Kundalini yoga resembles how yoga might have been practiced 1,000 years ago; lots of chanting, meditation, breath work, unusual asanas we don’t normally see in regular hatha yoga classes.”

But I don’t know this to be %100 true, and it makes me uneasy. It rings of a kind of elitism that is so prevalent in modern yoga culture: ‘‘this is the first yoga, the best yoga, the only yoga’’.

The third answer is the one I always want to share the most, because it’s not an answer, it’s a question.

I want to ask,

“Have you ever had the experience of bringing all of yourself into something and not leaving anything out?

“Have you ever felt the feeling of accepting everything you have ever been, are and will be in one place? Have you ever- during any activity- felt your body, mind and everything in between just fall into place, into its natural order?”

That’s what yoga does for me, and you should do whatever allows you to have that experience.

When I was sixteen and in the depths of some of my darkest Lyme days, I had a yoga teacher friend who came to my house once a week while I was bedridden.  I would climb out of bed in my pajamas and sit on the floor long enough to do gentle kundalini yoga exercises with her. Every so often she would open her eyes during a meditative practice and say,

“Just let me know if this is boring you”, and then close her eyes again.

The truth was that though the exercises were subtle and seemingly strange looking on the outside, I was beginning to have some of the deepest inner experiences of myself and my body during those short sessions.

Then, my friend gave me my first kriya, (a series of exercises to target a specific result which have been passed down for generations.) I was to practice this kriya every day for 40 days. It was called, “kriya for disease resistance.”

I practiced it, imperfectly but earnestly, for the prescribed 40 days. After those first 40 days it was a like a little flame inside of me which had been out for a very long time was rekindled. I remember being stopped on the street by people I knew and have them tell me that I looked like myself for the very first time in years.

Eventually this led me deeper and deeper into my own practice, kundalini yoga teacher training, and the pursued study of yogic and mind/body practices for deep healing.

But yoga is not a panacea. It’s not a substitute for necessary medication, though it can have effects which reduce ones need to take certain medications. It’s not a substitute for psychotherapy, even though its benefits can be life altering and psychologically therapeutic. And it is most definitely not a place which to escape or bypass one’s problems on the road to becoming “more spiritual” or “better”.

Like everything, yoga is a form which is animated by what we bring to it: ourselves.

When we show up with everything- all our baggage, joys, expectations, fears, insecurities and mundane thoughts- and hold them with neutral acceptance within the forms of a practice- whether it be yoga, meditation, martial arts or creative arts- we experience a taste of what it means to feel whole within ourselves.

The beautiful thing about a form is that though it may be fixed, it can hold our own inner growth and change.

When we first enter into a marriage, we have certain expectations and a certain kind of love. Overtime, those expectations and the love deepens with change. The form of marriage is still the same, but it has in essence become richer by that which it contains and its ability to grow.

So when people ask “why kundalini yoga?”, that’s why I hesitate. I don’t want to project a specific doctrine or set of rules. I don’t want people to begin practicing kundalini yoga because of my story, I want to encourage them to find what is worth exploring in themselves, and the form which makes them feel the most supported while doing it.

For now I can share with you these questions, and what first brought me to the altar of my being. If I can support you to do the same, I have done my job; whether it’s through a form of yoga or not is irrelevant.

 

What To Ask Yourself Before Beginning A New Health Regimen

In a culture that is literally obsessed with consumption and self improvement, it's a good idea to check our motives and what is influencing us before we begin any sort of health regimen. 

The internet is over saturated with diet advice, weight loss plans, (and scams) and everyone and their sister is sharing their latest detox, beach body, and summer ready tips.

This post is none of those things.

What it is: an invitation to get to the root and reason of your tendency to get little to no results, (or if you get results, to still not feel happy about it) when you commit to a new health regime.

Even the most well intended health practices will miss their mark if we engage in them for the wrong reasons, or with unrealistic expectations.

You see healing comes from within, and the questioning space from which the need for healing arises is also the answer. The bulls eye mark which we are so desperately trying to aim at with all the perfect healthy ways of living, can only be reached if we sit with the question, that need for change that brought us to the path in the first place, and just listen.

Sit down and be really honest with yourself. 

Why am I really drawn to this new way of eating/living/exercising/being?

Part of my job is to support people in making the changes that are going to be ultimately the most healing and the most long lasting for their unique bodies. We can save a lot of time, energy and money if we get clear on the following questions before we begin anything new.

Questions to ask yourself:

Do you want to begin this new diet/exercise plan/self improvement course because..

You feel deep down that you are not enough, and you need to do more, be more, have more or contribute more?

You compare yourself who do this same health practice and want to to be/feel accepted by the health culture that this person or group mentality holds?

And of course the tried and true question:

Do you feel motivated by fear or self hatred, or by encouragement and self love?

And finally, 

When you think of this new health practice, how does your body feel? Does it viscerally relax, or do you notice anxiety, tension and stress in your body?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, it may be a good moment to save you the time, energy and money by putting that health practice aside (for now) until you come to feel some positive answers.

Recondition yourself to feel good before you even begin the health practice:

By asking some pretty basic questions that will yield answers which are completely unique to you, and following through on the guidance that your body and mind gives you, you'll be much better off when and if you finally decide to begin that new yoga class, certification or diet.

What made me feel healthy and alive as a child, before I had any notions of lack?

What sustains me and makes me feel truly nourished, even if I haven't experienced it for along while? (Think playing in the woods as a child, heart to heart chats with friends and family, dancing in the rain, baking pies just for the fun of it.)

If I knew I would live for 100 years with no fear of sickness, death or any other fears which keep me feeling small,  how would I live differently? What would I naturally stop doing and let go of without this fear?

After you've answered these questions, filter them into a few small but powerful actionable steps.

After you've followed your own guidance in the form of these actionable steps for a week or so,  then check in with yourself about if you still need to embark on a new regime, (which I often recommend, after all, sugar is nobody's friend). Then if you do, you will be doing it less from a place of filling an unfillable need, to actually supporting your body to heal. 

As always, with love, and in Health.

Want to share any thoughts or insights you had in relation to this post? Leave a comment and contribute to the conversation. 

Anja

 

Ready for change: the shift before the storm.

yoann-boyer-185507.jpg

Sometimes the biggest shifts are the ones which can't be seen. At least not at first.

When somebody loses weight they've been trying to shed for years, gets a much needed divorce, leaves their job or embarks on a new avenue of study and learning, it's not the action itself but the unseen shift which happens before the act which determines what the result of those actions might be.

Think about it, have you ever made a change in your life based off of a whim and had to deal with intense "restablization" of your life afterwards?

Action taking is good. Its great. In fact its the only way to solidify change, but the change must first happen inside of us. 

Or how many times in your life have you tried to shift a pattern, energy or situation in your life by taking an external action to force it to change? How many times has this yielded the true result you were seeking?

We know that in order to make true lasting change willpower alone is not enough. Sometimes we embark on a "new way of being" by trying a new way of doing. This can sometimes work, but its difficult, and slow going. 

If change begins with an internal shift, then the beginning of that shift could begin by something so soft and subtle you might not even realize that it will catalize the profound healing change you are seeking in your life.

In a way, there is grace in that; there is grace in following soft inner shift after soft inner shift without knowing the end result.

Sometimes when we don't know the outcome, and are able to just focus on the feeling, the healing of this moment, what unfolds in the future is more incredible than anything we could ever imagine. 

That is my intention in my life right now. To follow the feeling, the softness of intuition. To let go of the idea for the future that belongs to my mind and open myself up to a greater, more present reality.

I'd love nothing more than for you, all of you, to join me in this exploration of how present we can be with  our bodies, our intuition, and the present moment to catalize the real change, the real healing, the real work we are here to do in our time left on this planet.

Beginning this Wednesday I'm offering a 4 week class called Shuniya: 4 weeks to heal + Strengthen the neutral mind to create  paradigm of peace.

Its my answer to the call of the times: providing a path for greater inner peace and healing which can be reflected back into our communities. It takes place online, so you can participate anywhere in the world, as long as you have high speed internet, and is designed to be accessible to all, regardless of skill or financial freedom. If you are interested but unsure about the online class aspect, or finances, send me an email. 

Please join me in exploring the shift before the storm.

All my love,

Anja

 

Restoring Power: My Story

Sat Nam, Friends.

For the sake of transparancy, I want to share a personal story with you, and the reason behind why I created Restoring Power in the first place. 

Even as I sit down to type this I am filled with uncomfortable emotions, squirming in my chair, wondering where to begin. How much to tell? How can I sugar coat this story?

As many of you know I have spent over half my life healing from chronic lyme disease, and I certainly experienced a certain kind of despair that comes when you are losing your life as you know it to chronic illness. But beyond that I also experienced those common (they shouldn't be) experiences of disempowerment as a young girl growing up in a culture that likes to hyper sexualize and distort a womans true nature.

A few years ago along my healing journey I began working with an ND/shaman who began to help me uncover body memories of being sexually asaulted. The physical and emotional pain of lying on her table and having these old traumas resurface was agony, and I couldn't- and still don't- remember the situation with perfect clarity.  This was the beginning of healing a part of myself I had neglected- the sacred, divine feminine within myself.

Since that time I've been on a deep exploration of what true Power looks like: how do we "lose" it? Is it really possible for somebody to "take it away"?

The truth that I've found is that we are infinite beings whose essence can never be truly taken away from us, but we can be made to feel like it has.

One on three women experiences sexual assault. One in three. I've met so many women who have some version of my story- and many whose stories are worse.

And many more women still, who have not experienced this physical violation but feel the energetic burden passed down from their mothers generations and a world where for a very long time, the ability for a woman to truly, freely express herself has been denied on many levels.

For a while I thought about joining various types of support groups and womens circles, but apart from spending time with my closest female friends, nothing felt right. 

I decided to do what I've been doing for half my life, be my own healer. I began writing, and my cathartic writing turned into a book. (The book was incidentally lost when my computer was recently stolen, and I took it as a sign that there was another way I could share the insights and teachings I had been learning to heal myself.)

And so Restoring Power was born. Grounded in the tradition of kundalini yoga, an advanced system of body mind techniques to connect us with our physical body, its wisdom, and the subtle energy bodies which are equally as important. I decided to use the shamanic visualizations and journeying techniques that my ND had taught me, and then utilize my own gifts, of sharing these teachings, holding space, and intuitively seeing what, where and how things need healing. 

Even though I have blocked out clear memories of my assault, my body remembers. And when we listen to our bodies, they heal. Being seen and loved is the highest form of healing.

We restore power by the grace of our infinite self. We restore power by remembering our true nature when we have forgotten. We restore power when we refuse to carry shame, guilt and fear. We restore our power when we choose to embrace the dark within us with compassion as well as the beauty and light. We restore power when we acknowledge we are already whole. We restore our power when we choose to love ourselves beyond measure. We restore our power when we choose to love ourselves beyond measure.

We restore our power when we share and then let go of our stories. When we let our stories shape and birth us into the magnificent people we are, now.

What stories are ready to be seen, released and let go in your when you read my words? I'd love to hear them.  

Love Anja

Registration closes for Restoring Power: A 40 Day Healing Kundalini Transformation tonight March 30th at midnight PST. Learn more or sign up for the course.

Going inwards in five (sometimes) easy steps

The most profound piece of information given to us from countless spiritual traditions is that we have everything inside of us already. It is also the most dense, complicated yet simple piece of advice to unpack.  

I don't have all the answers, but I do know whats worked for me.

Below are the five stages of going inward that I am continuously moving through. They work for me on my journey and may they support you too!

Start by spending time alone in nature

Being alone in a natural and comfortable setting like nature lets our minds wander comfortably and our bodies move. Just the simple act of going for a walk in the woods or a park for an hour and connecting with the natural world makes us more calm, open and receptive. All of my best ideas and inspirations come to me when my attention is focused inwards on my body, my breathing, or while relaxing my mind and being present with my surroundings.

Be mindful of your mind

Your mind shapes your life. It doesn't matter if you don't believe the universe is inside you or not. The truth is that your mind directs your life. Focus on your phone all day, your life is in your phone. Focus on your partner or child all day, your life is there. At some point in order to feel balanced, healthy and "you" you are going to have to put time into focusing on the different aspects of you: your body, your mind and emotions. The more you "live" places other than your body and the present moment, the less strength and vitality your body and ability to be present becomes.

Use a technique that resonates with you

There are many, many systems that have been developed over thousands of years which help us go inward and remember who we really are. Find one that resonates with you. It could be prayer, zazen meditation, kundalini yoga, tai chi, mindfulness practice, etc. Choose one, and deepen your relationship with that practice, but don't become attached to it. At the end of the day, it is not the technique which is the answer, but what is already inside of you.

Glimpses of your inner vastness will come. You may be sitting in meditation or out walking in the rain focusing on your breath when suddenly you will have a profound experience that cannot be put into words. Nothing gave you that experience but you.

Be neutral

Once you get a taste of that vast mystery, its easy to become addicted to the many types of blissful and transformative experiences that going within can bring us. As our ability to sense, see and feel the different multidimensional aspects of ourselves and the world around us increases, it becomes essential that we return to some basic awareness practice that keeps us neutral and focused on what is really important: that we stay present with ourselves and aligned with a force greater than ourselves. That force can be God, Shiva, Ultimate Truth, or an aspect of your own Highest Self.

Conversely, being present with our experiences can bring up difficult emotions, memories, pain and sensations. Remember to be present for all of it, your experiences can be gifts if you open and enjoy all of them with a neutral acceptance.

Its all a cycle

When you forget and spin out of your presence, begin again with step #1. It's an upward spiral of growth and healing, and it never ends. Fall in love with the experience of living and discovering your Self.

Why do you choose to turn inwards, and what shifts in your life when you do?

Share this article with those who are embarking on the inward journey, at any stage.

Want to chat and gain greater clarity on how you can be going inwards in a way that feels good to you? Send me a message.

Love,

Anja

Discovering The Moon Centers: Balance, Sexuality & Power.

freestocks-org-104616.jpg

I want to share a powerful yogic practice for women that I have known about for a long time, but am only now beginning to dive into- the experience of our Moon Centers.

According to yogic philosophy, both men and women are highly effected by the moon and have "moon centers", parts of their bodies which are greatly influenced by the shifting phases of the moon. 

Men have just one moon center: the chin. It is recommended for men to allow the hair on their chin to grow to its natural length in order to create stability in the psyche; men are highly sensitive to the moons energy, and their nervous systems may have a difficult time handling it. The hair on the chin softens this lunar effect and will make a man feel more stable and grounded.

Women on the other hand, have eleven moon centers. Every 2 1/2 days the moons energy stimulates a different part of her body. This links powerfully to her sexual energy, and if she learns to trace and come into relationship with the cycle of this energy, she can tap into a reservoir of energy to use for healing, growth, creativity- and well, sex! Additionally, each moon center holds a specific attribute, and embracing these attributes can lead to a deeper sense of wholeness in the female psyche.

Below is an explanation of the woman's moon centers, taken from A Woman's Book of Yoga: Embracing Our Natural Life Cycles by Hari Kaur Khalsa and Machelle Seibel, MD. (Which I really recommend reading. Besides the rather out- of-date references to soy as being super nutritious for women, this book has some great wisdom for women of all stages of life.)

The Eleven Moon Centers and the Qualities They Represent:

Hairline: the arc line-- steadiness, stability, divine clarity, reality

Cheeks: unpredictability, emotional stability

Lips: Verbal, interactive, communicative

Ear Lobes: intelligence, concern with values and ethics

Back of the neck: sensitivity, romance

Breasts: divine compassion, giving (can be to the point of foolishness)

Belly button/Back: insecure, exposed, vulnerable

Inner thighs: confirmative, verifying, affirming

Eyebrows: illusionary, imaginative, visionary

Clitoris: external, talkative in social situations

Vagina: depth, sharing in personal or cultural cycle

Each woman has her own "map" or sequence as she moves through the moon centers, and it ultimately takes 28 days to cycle through all of them, thus corresponding with the blueprint of the 28 day menstrual cycle.

The teachings of kundalini yoga have several different meditations to help a woman locate her moon centers. Oftentimes a few of the centers of their inherent qualities will feel numb or missing from a woman's life due to societal expectations and past traumas.

The practice:

Sit for a few minutes every day, sensing, and ask yourself "In which of these eleven places to I feel the most energy or activity?" Ask yourself this question for 28 days and see if you can begin to map out your own cycle. It may take more than one phase of the moon to connect with all your moon centers, but starting with one, right now, will yield insight into understanding your self.

As you hone in on your moon centers, I'd love to hear from you. 

What feelings, talents or ideas do you see being unearthed as a result of living in closer rhythm with your moon centers? Is there a shift in your sexual energy or libido?

I am going through this process myself for the next 28 days, because yogic philosophy only becomes truth through the wisdom of personal experience. 

Love,

Anja

P.S Want to continue the exploration of yogic teachings for women's health, sexuality and freedom? Check out the next round of Restoring Power, A 40 Day Kundalini Transformation. Signup to be notified for the beginning of our next session in April!

 

Nourishing Chicken Soup: Low GI, Paleo, & Mineral Balancing.

Sat Nam Friends. 

People often ask me about my diet, the foods I eat, and the supplements I take. I've spent literally half my life devoting myself to eating clean(er) and I figure its time to share some of my recipes and supplement reviews for you all. (Don't worry, my first love is yoga, spiritual practice, and the work of the spirit, so I'll keep sharing that, too.)

Below is the recipe for nourishing chicken soup I ate recently. It has a low glycemic index, loaded with protein, minerals and collagen, (bone broth). Soups like these are a staple in my diet to support the healing of my gut and the nourishing of my spirit.

Fresh picked Rosemary

Fresh picked Rosemary

Ingredients

  • 1 whole organic chicken
  • 2 medium sized turnips
  • 2 medium sized rutabegas
  • 4 stalks celery
  • 2 onions
  • 4 shallots
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 handfuls arugula
  • 3 inch piece of ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • dried basil & rosemary
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In your largest soup pot, bring 2 quarts to 1 gallon of filtered water and the apple cider vinegar to a boil. Before the water reaches a simmer, add one onion chopped in half, two sticks of celery, entire piece of ginger roughly chopped and the entire chicken. Keep on a medium boil for one hour.

In a separate saucepan, place diced turnips, rutabegas, remaining celery, garlic and shallots and herbs to lightly saute. 

After 5 minutes add 1/2 to 1 cup of the boiling broth, cover with a lid and cook on low until turnips are tender.

After one hour, remove the chicken, let cool, and remove all edible meat while the stock continues to cook. 

Add meat back into the stock, add vegetables from saucepan, salt and pepper to taste

Place a handful of fresh arugula in each bowl before serving.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite, healthy comfort food? Let me know! And if you try this soup or a variation of it, take a photo and share it with me.

All Love

Anja

 

Photo Journal January 2017- Beginning The Year With Openness

This is the first in a series of posts I plan to do capturing the months of the year in quiet, subtle images. I spent January planning for, doing, and recovering from a two week drive adventure across the country with my husband, Filip, and our dog, Au. We were heading back west.

The theme of January was Openness; a kind of innocent, moving forward that is half lifted heart, half blindness. I listened to Donald trumps first speech as president as I drove through a thick, cold fog across Kansas, in utter disbelief. Some things are real, and not real.

Its always from these moments of openness with a light and integrity-filled expectation for the future that dreams are born.

Enjoy these images and may the seeds of a new year continue to grow for all of us.

 

Like brick, like diamond, like invincible spirit.

 
Signs.

Signs.

 

AU boy.

 

Grace in Kansas City.

 

Driving across the plains covered in snow.

 

High elevation blizzard, Utah.

 

Awake.

 

Alone in the canyon.

 

Grateful for the tree spirits.

 

Unconditional spring.

 
 

In the half light, beginning again. And again. 

Someone asked me 'what can I do, now?'

p3pj7joyvnm-veri-ivanova.jpg

Yesterday, while I was getting a routine intravenous vitamin/mineral treatment, the nurse turned to me, clear eyed and asked "can you tell me why everything is crazy right now? can you help me figure out whats going on? What do I do?"

I looked at her for a moment, realized she was genuinely searching for an answer, and waited for to reply. I didn't know her political or religious affiliations, but I suspected they differed greatly from my own. So I replied accordingly.

"Everything is changing, and everything is speeding up. Those are the new laws of reality. You have to base your life off of how you want things to change. Now more than ever you are the pivot, the catalyst and the lens through which your reality is going to transform. Use your power carefully and wisely."

 No political anger, no reasons why thing are the way they are, simply a choice. 

I couldn't tell her what to do, only give her the clarity about the space we are living in right now. It was her choice how to use this information, just as it is mine and yours.

What can you do, how can you change, how can you support the healing of yourself, those you love, and those you don't even know by working with these two realities: time is speeding up, and everything is changing?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Where and how are you going to use your Power for the greatest good?

In Love,

Anja

Three ways to claim your power, now.

It's been heartening to witness the thousands of individuals who are standing up in the name of women's rights, equality, diversity and love. As always, my work is about helping people integrate the inner changes so that outer change can be more authentic and powerful.

Below are three (sometimes) easy ways to restore your personal power so that you can be a powerful contributing force to the movement of love.

Be relentlessly kind to yourself. 

In the grand scheme of things, you owe it to yourself to be relentless with your kindness.This means finding the crack of light between your own self down, shame, hatred and illusion (we all have it, in some form,) and acknowledging the sobering truth that you are f**king brilliant. You are a light. And you deserve your own kindness in every moment. All those knots inside? Let them go. You are bigger, brighter and better than any self shame.

Forgive anyone and anything that you can.

People misinterpret what forgiveness means. Forgiveness does not mean to let somebody off the hook for something they did, it means that you let go of the emotional, mental and spiritual burden of the wrong that was caused. You embrace the lesson, and make the choice to be kind to yourself by releasing the pain. When you do this, you automatically send any residual weight back to the “sender” or perpetrator. They can deal with this energy now, and you can pray for their highest resolution of this energy with love.

Commit to using your unique gifts for the greater good.

The time has come for you to take inspired action. With so many pressing causes and changes needing to be made in the world, it can be easy to think “I don’t have time to pursue _______ because I should be doing something more meaningful.” This is your ego’s way out of your greatest service to humanity. Its time for you to start embracing, sharing and using your greatest gifts, and pursuing those hobbies and passions which light you up like nothing else, even if you don’t see a “point” to them. The secret is, once you begin to follow your highest joy and share your inner gifts, you will begin to create much more impactful and lasting change than doing something you think you “should” do for the greater good.

Want to continue to solidify the restoration of personal power in your own life to help the collective? Click below to learn more about my upcoming kundalini yoga & meditation challenge beginning January 25th.

In Love,

Anja

The Goddess Emerges & An Invitation to Restore Your Power

What is "The Goddess"? 

The Goddess as an archetype is as old as time itself. She emerges from the ashes when civilizations have been burnt down, she whispers to us in dreams in the form of animal, plant and strange symbology, she changes form, paints her face, and washes away the portrait that history painted of her, only to take fresh clay and mark her own face anew. 

She is the divine feminine principle, but in essence she is genderless. She is born from darkness- not "evil" darkness- but rich, warm, fertile darkness; the kind of darkness that seeds need to grow.

She cares deeply, and yet has no hesitation destroying that which is not in alignment with the Way, with a swift conscious thought. 

If you read my writings, I don't often use the word "Goddess." I feel that all too often the word is used to conjure up superficial and static images of a two- at best three- dimensional idea, often portrayed as a human female. 

When I refer to the Goddess, I refer to the deepest impulse of creativity which lives inside of us, and the need to integrate this impulse into the fabric of our lives so completely that radical outward shift takes place. Working with the Goddess implies re-weaving our psyche into a wholeness which embraces our deepest instinctual nature. 

The ritual of working with the Goddess and restoring my personal Power has become a foundation of my practice every single day. It is the most intimate, and seldom shared, yet profound part of my practice.

(And as somebody who identifies as 50% male and 50% female, working with the energy of the Goddess is not just for people who identify as female. In fact, the energy of the Goddess, though often depicted as a woman, is beyond shape form and gender.)

My Journey with the Goddess:

I have been working with the Goddess nature, and the different facets of this energy which manifest as deities and ascended masters like Kuan Yin goddess of compassion, Kali goddess of death, destruction and transformation, and Mother Mary, goddess of justice, harmony and power of sacred birth, for several years.

A few years ago I began to see where in my life I had been disempowered, where I had consciously given away my power in the name of "safety", and where and how I had been sexually assaulted, from the subtle, to the obvious. So much pain was unearthed- and still is- as I continue to untangle the knots that the denial, misuse, and mistrust of my own Power created.

Now, I've realized that it is time to share these practices, and the wisdom I have experienced through my healing with the Goddess. I am still learning, and in order to take my healing to the next level, it is time to share, connect, and create spaces where all women are seen and have sisters to support them in their relationship to the Goddess.

Looking outward at the world stage it is easy to see the effects of cultures, leaders and people unknowingly starved for their wild self. The seeds of our souls are calling desperately for the warm nourishing relationship which is the resurrection and intimate knowing of the Goddess.

That is why I am inviting you, and the women in your life to join me on a 40 day journey to discover the Goddess within ourselves, and restore our Power. Using the tools and ancient teachings of kundalini yoga and meditation, combined with guided shamanic journeys into our bodies & cells, we will transform, heal, and contribute to the rise of the collective feminine consciousness. 

Want to learn more?

Click on the link below, share with a friend, and if you have any questions or trepidations, send me a message and I'll help you decide if this course is a good fit- we should only participate in things which serve our highest good.

All Blessings, as always,

Anja

Kirtan Kriya- A Meditation To Heal The Brain

I've had several people come to me recently asking for advice about meditation, how to still the mind, and bring themselves to calm. The phrase that seems to be the most common is something like

"I just feel so scattered," or "sometimes I feel like I'm going a little crazy."

Enter Kirtan Kriya, a medically researched kundalini meditation which is a favorite in the yoga community for promoting balance, improved cognitive function, and a healing, neutral state of mind.

This is a meditation from the lineage of kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. It has been been the subject of medical research and has been found to reduce and reverse the effects of Alzheimers, learning disabilities, increase gray matter in the brain and balance neuro-endocrine secretions.

According to the  Alzheimers Research and Prevention Foundation, It has been clinically proven to increase gray matter in the brain, balance endocrine secretions and even prevent and sometimes reverse symptoms of Alzheimers.

If this meditation doesn't resonate with you right now, please share it with somebody who will benefit from it- we all have a mother, father, sister, friend or colleague who would experience greater calm and quality of life by practicing it.

Bless You All,

Anja

Finding strength within the flames: 3 ways to transform your health and spiritual practice in 2017

A new years self portrait.

A new years self portrait.

I was recently assisting the facilitation of a retreat at Kripalu school of yoga in Massachusetts, and was  struck by three end of year lessons which provided me with powerful medicine to leap into the new year with integrity and alignment with my spirit. Here they are:

1. Be Humble.

Whatever it is you think you know, there is always room for more growth. This is as it should be. There is a great quote which can be applied to business and life which reads, "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room." If you are the smartest person in the room, you have no one to look up to, and no room to grow. When we release our need for intellectual mastery and understanding we begin to let our soul, and its messages through the body, take over. 

In the lineage of kundalini yoga, as our practice deepens and we begin to experience intense or supernatural abilities, we are asked to "bow" before a higher and greater power. This act of surrendering our ego, finite, and limited self before the greater Self is what allows our gifts to blossom for the greater good and healing of the planet. Try this physical or metaphorical "bowing" before and after your daily meditation.

2. Your body loves rhythm. 

One of the pillars of my philosophy on healing is to treat the body as if it were a child. The body loves to have a routine, a nourishing schedule based on the flow of the seasons, the cycle of the sun and moon, and its own unique needs. The more you give yourself consistent, daily space, to eat, to meditate, to rest, to exercise, the more the body learns, the nervous system becomes entrained, and those acts become assimilated into your being with greater and greater Power.

If you want to truly feel nourished, eat at least two nourishing, home cooked, distraction free meals a day for a week, at roughly the same times. After that week check in with your body and notice how balanced and at peace your digestion feels.

3. Share the space of your heart.

When we sit in compassionate listening with friends, family, or strangers, one of the blessings we receive is the sensation of connection to all life, and all suffering. 

"compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded, it's a relationship between equals." - Pema Chodron

There is great strength in sharing the space of the heart with each other, whatever it may contain. This brings us into direct relationship with the needs of the world and the universality of human struggles, which then gives us a clear idea of how we can help to serve and uplift ourselves and humanity.

We often hear that to make positive lasting change in the world we need to start with ourselves, and we can see this in action when we share the space of the heart with somebody else. My suffering becomes transformed by the shared experience of your suffering. My victory and healing becomes the guiding light to your victory and healing. 

Sometimes we may not connect on this deep level with other people because we are afraid of the pain inside us, and the pain in other people. This is okay, be gentle with yourself. Practice connecting with somebody who you genuinely feel safe opening up to. Sit with their emotions, and yours, without trying to change them.

as Yogi Bhajan says,

"If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."

That means God in all situations, experiences and emotions, not just people.

Now I want to hear from and connect with you. What insights do you have about moving into the year head? How do you feel inspired to apply these practices in your own life? Leave me a comment and share your thoughts. 

Love, 

Anja

Mugwort, a power plant + kundalini exercise for enhanced creativity

About a year ago some guidance came to me through an intuitive drawing. When we allow ourselves to sit down with paper and art supplies with the intention of allowing any image that needs to come through us,  we get surprising and powerful insights into the subconscious, and are able to tap into an inner wisdom which has much to teach us. 

I created this particular drawing (shared below) during a time when I was intensely researching education to be a home birth midwife. When I came out of my doodling trance and noticed the image, I understood that it had a powerful message for me but was unsure of what it meant. I folded it up and put it in my pocket, and proceeded to pack up my life, travel halfway across the globe and back before unfolding it again this past week.

A few days ago I visited a prominent midwifery school in Maine, and left with the unsettled feeling that my original dream had shifted; something was off and I felt both equally drawn and pushed away from pursuing midwifery.

Around this same time I stumbled across a photograph of the plant mugwort. I have been working with plant spirit medicine for some time, and had, for some strange reason, never seen, touched or worked with mugwort. Ever. 

Upon seeing the photograph I was immediately flooded with the memory of my picture; I knew that the plant in my picture was mugwort and that this image was mugworts way of coming to me now, asking for me to work with her.

Mugwort is a powerful plant often associated with spiritual quests, astral travel, visions and lucid dreaming. Physically it has powerful sedative and nervine qualities and is a part of the Artimisia family, of which Wormwood, (a powerful anti parasitic and anti Lyme herb) is a part.

In the image I drew, its almost as if mugwort is saying "get back down to earth" or "Get your head out of the stars and change your vision." 

Mugworts message.

Mugworts message.

I'm excited to see what her medicine brings me in the form of my dreams and aspirations for my life and future. I will share an update with you when the time comes.

I share this story with you because it is helpful for others when we share our individual experiences of synchronicity and guidance on our individual paths, and because creative expression can be such a powerful tool to allow us to uncover messages from our body and psyche: parts of ourselves we oftentimes don't even know have something to express.

Below is a Kundalini Yoga and art exercise for connecting with your creativity and waking up the body. My teacher Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa also has a beautiful book dedicated to these practices called .

Kundalini Exercise for generating creative energy

Sit in a comfortable seated position. Tune in by chanting the mantra Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo 3 times

  • Sit in frog pose: come into a squatting position balanced on the balls of your feet with your knees out to the side and your finger tips tented on the floor in between your knees. Straighten your spine to the best of your ability and tuck your chin in so that the back of your neck is flush with the rest of your spine. Inhale, and then exhale into the following movement.
  • Exhale as you lift your buttocks up, straighten your knees, and bring your head down towards the floor in a forward bend, while keeping your heels lifted and your fingers touching the floor.
  • Alternate between these two positions as you inhale and exhale. 
  • To End, inhale into the squatting position and suspend your breath for as long is comfortable, while squeezing the muscles of your pelvis and imagining you are lifting nutrients up from the earth through your root chakra. Exhale, and relax.
  • Now, tune into your drawing again. With a relaxed and playful mind, begin drawing any sensations, thoughts or feelings you have as they might translate into images. Don't judge your work, just let it flow.
  • When you feel a sense of completion take a step back and take in what your body/inner guidance has shared with you. Accept whatever answers have come onto the page with love, and keep this image handy for later reflection. You can practice this daily for several days and notice the story which begins to unfold through your images.

Once you do this exercise, I'd love to hear from you, what came up for you? Take a photograph of your image and share it in the comments below- we all benefit from witnessing each others creativity.

Blessings,

Anja