2024-KamalaBlog-featured

We Are Not Going Back

I’ve been teaching energy medicine and spiritual sustenance for over four decades. Last week, we watched both energy and spirit manifest spectacularly when a high-profile United States Presidential candidate harnessed and highlighted our nation’s most idealistic goals. This is a moment when the “divine feminine” interfaced with the “divine masculine” to create a synergy that simply does not exist outside the “divinity” matrix. I bring this up because the energy/spirit shift has been so swift this past week that it has become a critical moment for us all.

I teach individuals across the political spectrum – what follows is not about politics; my thoughts have nothing to do with party. I’m an independent – I don’t vote along party lines, I vote for the individual who can best do the job. With that said, I’m especially ardent about women’s rights, having walked across coals to protect my own and other women in that regard. So I don’t care where you stand as long as you care about women as much as I do. And today I take up my pen because women’s rights are on the table: we have already lost our right to make decisions about our own body that should be a matter only between ourselves and our doctor, not the government. Now, if we fail to take action, we also stand to lose our rights to no-fault divorce, child-care for women who work, even the concept of women working at all!

Contrast that to Kamala Harris, who is all in for women. She is a phenomenon not only because she’s a woman running for the highest office in the land, but because she telegraphs a distinctive yin/yang vibe. She comes across clearly as both an adept prosecutor (divine masculine energy) and an advocate/protector (divine feminine energy). I relate because (full disclosure) I too am a former prosecutor, and that role prepares you to move mountains when you are confronted, as we are today, with the loss of liberties women and other marginalized groups face.

Women Are Elevated to Powerful Positions to Complete, not to Compete

For the most part, women leaders have been venerated for their compassionate, coherent, and collaborative discourse and actions. The most memorable among them have relied upon a combo of the divine masculine and feminine aspects of their nature to guide them to help their families, their clan, their tribe.

Women are culturally encouraged to serve as nurturers, caregivers, and multitaskers. And because we are the gender from which future generations arise, we are uniquely in touch with the progeny that we and other women produce.

Thus, a good mother is “pregnant forever”— that is, for the rest of her life, her heart beats both inside and outside her body: within her children, whether they are biological children or (contrary to the assertions of a Vice-Presidential nominee that I and Kamala are nothing more than “childless cat ladies”) the kind of children I have raised – books I have painfully birthed, students I have laboriously mothered, causes I have lovingly fostered. Because of this, women are far less likely to put people’s progeny (their own or anyone else’s) in harm’s way for anything less than truly existential threats. They will put themselves in harm’s way to further a cause or to defend others (examples: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, aviatrix Amelia Earhart, women’s rights advocate Malala Yousafzai, astronaut Mae Jemison, and countless others), but rarely has a woman leader sent soldiers into battle for anything less than a truly-existential cause.

There have been countless heroic women across the centuries of recorded history, from the pre-Christian matriarchal societies I’ve taught and written about so much, to Mary Magdalene, to Joan of Arc, to today’s cadre of environmental and social justice advocates.

What sets most activist women apart from activist men is that when women do achieve leadership roles, they most frequently serve; any political power they gain is leveraged to benefit as many citizens as possible, as opposed to simply benefiting themselves and their cronies and chums.

For many women, life—like politics—is the passionate pursuit of the possible.

Men Are Elevated to Powerful Positions to Compete, not to Complete

Contrast that dynamic to the history of most men in political power. Although a number of America’s most venerated leaders have been true statesmen and public servants — George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, and Martin Luther King come readily to mind — male politicians are rarely elevated by their respective followers for purely altruistic purposes (in our parlance, for their divine masculine characteristics).

Compare the male pursuit of power, which is founded in patriarchy and hierarchy (think caste, status, and class, all patriarchal concepts); at its essence, ego- and testosterone-driven. This type of older vision carries a gladiator’s spirit and energy onto the political battlefield. As a result, for far too many men, politics is engaged in as a type of warfare: there must be decisive victories and vanquished losers. This kind of thinking brings to mind the energy of men like Putin in the Ukraine and Netanyahu in Gaza.

So, after giving careful, calculated thought to what is at stake for our nation’s and our world’s future depending on which candidates emerge in charge in 100 days, I’m adding “2024 election activities” to my already insanely jam-packed schedule to help ensure that Kamala Harris becomes our next president of the United States.

And I’m not alone. Women and men are leaping from the sidelines to work their fingers and feet off for the next 100 days for a woman candidate who is seeking the highest office in the land that they can really believe in – finally! An enthusiasm that has been sadly lacking for a long time has arrived on the scene – the excitement is palpable.

Why I’m Endorsing and Supporting Kamala Harris

It has become crystal clear to me that Kamala Harris is exactly who she is and where she needs to be at this crucial juncture in our nation’s history. She is fully conscious and keenly aware of what’s at stake: well-spoken and insightful, she is a compassionately fierce advocate for women’s bodily autonomy and reproductive health care issues including abortion, IVF, and birth control. And as a former prosecutor and Attorney General, she will fiercely defend women’s rights across the board.

During my life, I have never witnessed a time in our nation’s history more in need of our precious attention and activism, not just on Election Day on November 5, but on every day between now and then. The stakes have never been higher for women and for every other marginalized, frequently denigrated demographic. As Kamala so passionately put it, “We are not going back!”

No matter which side of the political spectrum you’re on, you can feel that what just happened has cast a crucial spotlight on what a boost in energy and spirit can do to create the forward momentum necessary to succeed in every area of our lives, and that it behooves us all to join together to preserve the few gains that have been made for the fairer sex before we are forced back to the Handmaid’s Tale way of life.

I encourage you to join me here:

https://www.facebook.com/womenforbidenharris

and here:

https://www.instagram.com/womenforharris/?fbclid=IwY2xjawETsflleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYVnaejEVPFsyGhUyaE5_0ZyTjhFthekpLFbsMrkvxlPvP1HUxZxV2t6nw_aem_a_G1SkXXN3_GUh7yj2ftkQ

PLUS, tonight, Monday, July 29, 2024, at 7:00pm EDT, join me to hear from extraordinary women like model Christie Brinkley, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, and singer Barbra Streisand, all in support of Harris. We will be provided details on how we can get involved with efforts to mobilize women voters ahead of November. Please sign up for the call and share it with anyone you know who might be interested.

https://events.democrats.org/event/653900/?fbclid=IwY2xjawETs61leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZn8jltNxt-5_fPx6p3YGIgIzYwN4iTW77ehXCjrKEwnOFLlfmRDUKzvaQ_aem_L_SXg9RdX9LQGrQuWj8M7A

Whatever you do, don’t be passive; this is the moment where you and I and everyone we know can pool our energies, jump on the Kamala bandwagon, and be part of the change we want to see in the world!

2024-BaseChakraBlog-featured

4 Healing Practices to Ground Your Base Chakra & Thrive in Uncertain Times

Whether it’s the global pandemic, racial injustice, or personal challenges you’re dealing with, fear can seep into your energetic system and wreak havoc.

With all that we’re experiencing, around the world and especially in the US right now, it’s hard to know what’s coming next — and that uncertainty can feel like walking blindfolded toward the edge of a cliff. Many people are struggling financially too.

If you know about your first chakra — also called the base chakra or the root chakra — you know that it’s the power center that deals with security and survival…

What you might not know is that the Earth has a chakra system too, and her base chakra is deeply off balance in all this upheaval.

People are feeling this profound disruption in themselves and the Earth whether they know it or not. Feelings of anxiety and being on edge are easy to blame on the nearest little thing, but in fact you’re absorbing the energy of everyone and everything on the planet, and everyone in every country is deeply anxious right now.

From jobs and health to finances, family, and groups we care about — these are all base chakra survival issues. So are disruptions in the Earth — tropical storms, wildfires, you name it.

The good news — and we REALLY need good news, right? — is that you can release fear and anxiety from your base chakra and replace it with useful energy… and stop fear from taking hold in your power centers and energy field.

You can also send healing energy right into Mother Earth. And when you do this, the positive effects reverberate, which can help ease the tumult that’s running rampant on our planet.

A quick word about fear: To some degree, fear is necessary to life on this physical plane. Fear can keep you safe from threats — whether it’s heights, snakes, water, or any kind of injury. Your ancestors relied on fright as a warning system to protect them from falling off a cliff, getting bitten by a poisonous reptile, drowning in a river, or being hurt by someone or something. Your brain continues to use thousands of years of programmed fear to shield your body from harm.

But what happens when you live in fear every day? All day? Fear of a world seeming to fall apart, fear of loneliness, fear of failure — these fears can burrow into your psyche and prevent you from helping to advance humanity or live a meaningful life full of positive relationships and experiences. These fears can damage your chances — and humanity’s chances, and the planet’s chances — of living in light and love, so let’s get some relief! It’s long past due.

The power of your base chakra for releasing unproductive fear.

Fear’s primal place to live is in your first chakra. This base chakra is located at the base of your spine and it’s connected to your security and survival. It’s your foundation, and it has the power to ground and connect you to the physical world. But when it’s unbalanced, you might not feel safe in your body or your place in the world. You might not feel grounded or present. You might find yourself stressed, to say the least.

Childhood traumas can stay stuck in your base chakra until you discover strategies to release them. Fear of illness, global calamity, brutality — the things we’re seeing in our world today — combined with personal fears about safety, security, and stability can disrupt or distort the free flow of energy in your base chakra.

Here are 4 Healing Practices to Help You Clear Blocks in Your Base Chakra — and the Earth’s Base Chakra:

  1. Do a Grounding Meditation

    When you’re ungrounded, you’re vulnerable to fear’s draining energy and you can get blocked. Fear walks right through those open doors of stress and strain and settles in your mind and body. Meditation is one of the best ways to ground yourself so you can keep those doors closed to fear and open to love.Meditate every day, and your fears — along with those fear-in-disguise feelings like anxiety and hopelessness — will start to subside.

    Start by sitting with your eyes closed — either in the traditional lotus position on the floor, or with your feet planted on the ground as you recline in a chair. Keep your hands on your knees — this in itself is very grounding.

    Focus on your base chakra, right at the base of your spine, and see a red cord from it planting itself firmly in the ground.

    As your cord drops down, visualize the energy of the Earth’s base chakra radiating in every direction and spinning rhythmically as it glows with ruby-red light. This base chakra of the Earth is usually thought to be located at Mount Shasta in Northern California, which Native American tribes considered to be a geyser of upward energy.

Watch its radiating energy spread up through your grounding cord and into your physical body. Breathe deeply as you absorb the strength that the Earth always holds for you. Like the most resourced mother, the Earth always has the capacity to hold and nourish you — as she replenishes herself with infinite love and a profound connection to the whole of the universe.

It’s now time to visualize this energy saturating the entire planet and flooding your own base chakra with life. As you visualize this vibrant red energy,, observe how its healing flow flushes away fear, old systems and ways of life that need to be released, negative thoughts and patterns, and stale energy. Watch stuckness release from your body and the Earth’s body — into a vacuum of light, where it’s being transmuted into golden love.

Now visualize the Earth’s base chakra as a red flower. Watch that flower bloom. Visualize its radiant energy travelling up your grounding cord until your own red flower blossoms at the base of your spine. Try to spend about 5 minutes visualizing the flowers spinning and radiating stability, comfort, and safety. Watch fear, negativity, and everything you and we don’t need fall away.

After a few minutes, rest your hands on your heart chakra and feel the corners of your mouth raise as you smile with a sense of security that you and the Earth are well.

  1. Work with affirmations

    Affirmations are powerful chakra-balancing tools. Consciously repeating positive declarations while focusing on your base chakra helps you cement its natural power to ground you and make you safe..Affirmations also have the added benefit of rewiring your brain. Chronic negative thoughts (“This world is insane — we’ll never have equality,” “The virus is still rampant — it’ll never go away,” etc.) are not only symptoms of an unbalanced base chakra, they can also add to stress and blockages. Productive affirmations help you more easily replace fear-focused thoughts with love-focused thoughts.To use the following affirmation, meditate on your base chakra, and either out loud or in your mind, repeat the words:

    I am safe, secure, and deeply rooted to the world. I belong here.

    Repeating this affirmation throughout the day will help you feel protected and secure. Write it down and post it on your mirror, refrigerator, or dashboard. Another idea is to set reminders on your phone to repeat the affirmation every couple hours. You can even write it down on a slip of paper you tuck under your pillow at night. Let its power seep into your sleep and dreams. After all, your sleep connects you to Spirit, which, like the Earth, is always there to nourish you.
  1. Play With Color

    A simple way to restore your base chakra’s balance is to use color. Red is the color of your first chakra, so wear more red. Incorporate ruby hues into your home environment — get a red lampshade, pull out that red blanket for a cozy nap, or paint your living room a warm, deep red. Wear a garnet ring, a coral necklace, write with a burgundy pen. Sprinkle rose petals in your bath water, paint your nails the color of red wine, try a bright red lipstick, trade in your yellow tea kettle for a red one. The important thing is to consciously work with the red items you choose, linking them with your base chakra. To do this, just repeat the affirmation to seal the connection.
  1. Eat Healing Base-Chakra Foods

    Since your base chakra is all about grounding you to the Earth, adding root vegetables to your diet can help strengthen your connection to the physical world. For an easy, delicious grounding meal, try roasting any of the following with salt and olive oil: beets, rutabagas, potatoes, garlic, ginger, turnips, onions, parsnips. If you eat meat, earthy stews and bone broths can be very nourishing for your base chakra. Don’t forget about grains like oats, mineral drops from the Great Salt Lake or elsewhere, red fruits like berries, or spices like paprika for extra flavor and rich, red goodness.Again, think of sending nourishment to your base chakra as you eat the healing foods. Perhaps include the affirmation in your prayers, thanking Mother Earth for sustenance. This will infuse the foods even more with nurturance for your base, filling you with a greater ability to thrive even in these times of tremendous transformation.

Feeling Rooted, Firm, and Secure in the World Is Your Birthright.

Always remember that it’s natural for your base chakra and ALL your chakras to be in a state of balance. It can take a short time or a while to restore that natural balance — depending on a lot of factors. No matter what, you deserve to experience the safety, security, vitality, and JOY that comes from practicing these exercises. As you spend more time grounding yourself in your base chakra and that of the Earth, you’ll begin to develop a deeper feeling of security on this beautiful planet that’s been troubled for a long time, but is rife with potential.

Your root base chakra is only the beginning of your journey. And these practices are only a tiny taste of the actions you can take in order to change the course of your life. As you go on your healing journey, you can find yourself uncovering your life’s true purpose. But it takes work. And that work is best done in a community of like-minded healers and seekers.

If you want to take your healing journey seriously, consider our Master-in-Training program. It is a year-long program that fast-tracks your transformation. Shed past traumas. Discover your true purpose. Step into the person you were meant to be. All while joining a powerful community led by Deborah herself.

Doors are now open. Click here to learn more about the program >>

2024-AreYourGenesWhoYouAreBlog-featured

Are Your Genes Who You Are?

Or are you much more than just a biological entity?

Everywhere you look these days, there is a new study coming out on how your inherited genes affect your health (and everything else). Ever since the human genome was sequenced (the human genomic project was completed in April 2003), there has been a huge surge in research based on the information carried by genes, from how you look in your jeans to your propensity for becoming an alcoholic or coming down with a rare disease. These little packages of DNA have been given a god-like place in our understanding of who we are.

Just a few short years ago, a diagnosis of cancer took you straight to Western medicine’s tool bag, which held only three major tools: surgery, chemo, and radiation. If cut-poison-burn didn’t work, you were left with alternative approaches that weren’t covered by insurance. (I’m not knocking Western medicine, just the limited technologies and the limitations of our present health care system.)

But things are changing. Today there is personalized medicine available in cancer treatment, based on your genetic makeup and the composition of the tumor. It’s a giant leap beyond the standard “one size fits all.”

There are other emerging scientific fields that are looking at your genes for other reasons, like nutrigenomics, which is aiming to reveal the connections between specific nutrients and diets, genetic expression, and your health. Soon you may be able to find out why you can’t tolerate bread or cheese while your sibling practically lives on pizza. Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, autism, longevity, digestive disease, cardiovascular disease, all sorts of cancers, obesity, even tooth decay are all being examined in light of an individual’s DNA.

It’s an exciting time to be checking up on the latest scientific research.

Even spirituality has gotten into the gene pool, with the idea that one particular gene, called MVAT2 (vesicular monoamine transporter 2, the “god gene”) is what turns a person inward towards mystical experiences.

And more and more, science is finding what deep meditators have known all along: it’s all one. The hip bone isn’t just connected to the thigh bone; everything in your body is connected to everything else. The way genes express themselves can affect myriad pathways in the body.

The genes you inherited from your biological mother and father, the life factors that have turned some genes on and turned others off, the interlocking connections between how gene expression affects different bodily systems—all this is being looked at through the lens of science, which is beginning to understand the reality and importance of a holistic approach to health.

But before we begin to think that genes are the be-all and end-all of who we are, remember that genes don’t explain the mystery of life itself, and who we really are. Your genetic makeup is the blueprint for your biology, but sages, shamans, and healers who work with energy medicine know that who we are isn’t based on physical matter, like genes, but on spirit.

This is the truth taught by the Vedas, and by all the ancient spiritual traditions—the body you inhabit in the three-dimensional physical world is not the whole of you, but merely a vehicle used by your Higher Self in order to experience the lessons that are to be learned in this lifetime.

Spirit, consciousness, or whatever term you want to use, is what permeates all life. You can’t smell it or taste it, you can’t use your physical senses to capture it, but you know when you are connecting to it. It may be when you’re out in nature and the quiet and peacefulness or the grand vistas and raw beauty elevate your consciousness, relax your rampant thoughts, and you touch that place of expansiveness and peace within yourself.

t may happen when you’re having sex or in nature or having an out-of-body experience. You may be sitting quietly at home, staring off into space, your mind a million miles away, when you are suddenly engulfed in light and you enter a state of inexplicable love. That’s not genetics; that’s grace.

So learn all you can about new genetic research in the areas that affect your life, but remember, whether your genetics turn on or off does not determine who you are at heart, in your soul, and at the very deepest level of your being.

{This article originally appeared on Psychology Today}

If you want to take control of your life, your being, and your time on this Earthly plane, a great step would be to join a community of like-minded seekers and healers that are on the path towards truth, healing, and uncovering their true purpose. Right now, the doors are open to our most transformational program: the year-long Master-in-Training program. You can learn more and register for it by clicking here >>

2024-CasteBlog-featured

See the movie, read the book!

I read Pulitzer Prize-winning Isabel Wilkerson’s amazing book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, when it first came out in 2020. I was so blown away by it that I urged you to read it, and even had a discussion group on it, recognizing I was reading an instant American classic.

You may recall it dissects all of our misperceptions about race (and we have quite a few), and argues that it’s really “caste,” not race, that is the underlying structure. Whether or not you agree with the author, you will find her argument fascinating and compelling.

Isabel described a caste system as a constructed hierarchy based on ancestry (not race) that pits presumed superiority (like German gentiles) against presumed inferiority (think German Jews). According to Wilkerson, caste is the silent usher, guiding us to our proper seat in the culture. She compares India’s treatment of the Dalits, the “untouchables,” to Nazi Germany’s stigma attached to the Jews, to American oppression of African-Americans. Each country uses dehumanization to justify keeping certain groups of people at the bottom. The author explores why, even today, white working-class Americans vote against their economic interests: they are voting to preserve the caste system, implicitly needing a group of people they themselves can still “look down on.

Isabel Wilkerson

Ava DuVernay

Now Ava DuVernay’s film, “Origin” is a powerful and fascinating interpretation of the book, Caste, and you will be glued to your seat watching it. Knowing DuVernay’s history (she made documentaries like “13th”, connecting slavery to the mass incarceration of Black men), it’s not surprising that she was interested in this topic. What is amazing, however, is how she creates an investigative, fictionalized drama in which we follow Isabel’s character as she puts the pieces of the book together (from the South of the US to Germany to India), all the while her entire personal life crumbles around her. It will definitely jolt you out of your comfort zone and make you want to take action to remedy these injustices immediately.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor does a beautiful job of playing Wilkerson; she’s able to be searching and yet confident at the same time. She’s totally portraying a mentor to all, especially women, who yearn to make a difference.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

So grab the popcorn, watch this important film, and then drop your comments on my Facebook page, here.

See you at the movies!

2024-SedonaRetreatBlog-featured

Discover the Spiritual Haven of Sedona:
A Journey into Healing and Transformation

Nestled in the heart of Arizona, Sedona is a place where the earth seems to hum with a mystical energy. It’s a destination that beckons those seeking spiritual growth, healing, and a deeper connection with the self. Whether you’re drawn by its breathtaking landscapes or the promise of inner transformation, Sedona offers an unparalleled retreat for the soul.

The Magic of Sedona’s Landscape

Sedona’s iconic red rock formations are not just visually stunning; they are ancient sentinels of wisdom and power. These towering structures, carved by millennia of natural forces, create a landscape that feels both timeless and sacred. Each rock and canyon is imbued with a unique energy that supports and amplifies spiritual practices. Whether you’re meditating at Cathedral Rock, hiking through Boynton Canyon, or simply sitting in silent reverence, the land itself seems to speak, offering guidance and clarity.

Energy Vortexes: Nature’s Power Spots

One of Sedona’s most compelling attractions is its energy vortexes. These swirling centers of energy are believed to facilitate healing, meditation, and self-exploration. There are four primary vortex sites in Sedona: Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Boynton Canyon. Each vortex has its distinct energy pattern – some are said to be masculine, providing strength and resilience, while others are feminine, offering nurturing and compassion.

Visitors often report profound spiritual experiences at these sites, from heightened states of awareness to deep emotional release. The vortexes are natural amplifiers, enhancing the spiritual work you do and helping to clear away the energetic debris that can cloud your vision and dampen your spirit.

Meditation

The Deborah King Center provides traditional and modern methods to quiet and focus your mind. Whether you are a seasoned meditator or a beginner, the serene environment and expert guidance make it easy to deepen your practice.

Mindfulness

Learn Deborah’s techniques to live with intentionality and presence. Mindfulness practices help you stay grounded in the moment, fostering a sense of peace and clarity that extends beyond your retreat experience.

Self-Discovery

Peel back the layers of your life to uncover your True Self. The Deborah King Center’s programs are designed to help you explore your inner landscape, revealing the core of who you are and what you are meant to be.

Detoxification

Improve your relationship with food and enhance your quality of life through mindful eating and detoxification practices. Cleanse your body and mind, paving the way for a more vibrant and healthy existence.

Self-Mastery

Develop techniques to continue your personal growth in everyday life. Learn to harness your inner power and maintain the progress you’ve made during your retreat.

QiGong

Identify and address dis-harmony in your body with the Deborah King Center QiGong practices. Unblock your Qi and restore balance to your energy system, promoting overall well-being.

Chakra Empowerment

Activate and strengthen the spiritual centers of your soul. Learn to balance and energize your chakras, enhancing your spiritual and physical health.

Health and Wellness

Discover simple, self-administered techniques to alleviate emotional, mental, and physical pain. The holistic approach of Deborah King Center supports comprehensive healing and wellness.

Why Sedona is the Perfect Retreat Destination

Sedona’s combination of natural beauty, spiritual energy, and dedicated healing spaces makes it an ideal destination for anyone seeking transformation. The land itself seems to invite introspection, offering a quiet space where you can listen to your inner voice and reconnect with your true essence.

The Deborah King Center amplifies this experience with its comprehensive programs and nurturing environment. It’s a place where you can step away from the distractions of everyday life and immerse yourself in the work of healing and growth.

Experience the Transformation

If you’re ready to explore the profound spiritual energies of Sedona and unlock new levels of healing and self-awareness, consider joining us this October for a transformative retreat. You’ll have the opportunity to experience all that Sedona has to offer while engaging deeply with your own spiritual journey.

Join us and discover the magic of Sedona for yourself

In October, our community will be gathering in Sedona to share, learn, heal and make the most of this magical place. Come ready to transform and connect with the deepest parts of your soul in the heart of Sedona’s sacred landscape. Learn More Here >>>