Denah Butts, Author at Deborah King

Worried about the Flu?

Stress can make you more vulnerable.

Tips to keep your immune system hopping!

We are officially entering flu season. And without fail, each season introduces a new reason to panic (such as the recent surge in child pneumonia in China). And while we certainly hope there isn’t going to be another global pandemic, one fact remains inevitable: illness will spread this season.

But there are a few things that you can do to get through this flu season with your health intact.

The number one best preventative measure against the flu is Vitamin D, also called the sunshine vitamin. It protects you from colds and flu and works to boost your immune system. Good quality vitamin D is easily available. I take approximately 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 a day during the cold and flu season (check with your health care practitioner to see what level is appropriate for you). Our bodies produce vitamin D when we are exposed to the sun, so getting out in the sun every day—always a great prescription—also helps. And some foods, like salmon and sardines, naturally contain vitamin D. Maintaining healthy levels of Vitamin D in your body can also protect against cancer!

Another important factor in maintaining your health and keeping your immune system in fighting mode against infection is to get enough sleep. Go to bed in a totally dark room to ensure melatonin production. Melatonin not only helps you sleep better, but is also a powerful antioxidant—more protection against the flu.

And finally, try to stay emotionally balanced. If you are living in fear of getting the flu or worrying excessively about your health (or anything else), the stress leaves you more vulnerable to infection. Do whatever works best for you to maintain balance—exercise, meditate, journal, get out in nature, do creative projects, and find the inner joy and happiness that will sustain you through the winter months ahead.

7 Reasons to Embrace Gratitude

Thanksgiving is, quite literally, a holiday of giving thanks, so most people have some tradition of gratitude. Whether it is making a list of the things you’ve been grateful for this year, or sitting down at the family table piled with turkey and all the fixin’s with each person expressing thanks for one thing in their life, you probably consider gratitude as important a part of the Thanksgiving festivities as the turkey and pumpkin pie. But what about practicing gratitude the rest of the year?

Gratitude Is Not Just for Thanksgiving

Study after study has shown that gratitude is good for your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, so the more often you do it, the better you’ll feel! Gratitude has been shown to have numerous benefits, from increased life satisfaction and happiness to more compassion to better rest. And in energy healing, gratitude goes a long way toward keeping your chakras clear and balanced.

The best way to practice gratitude is to add it to your spiritual routine. Just as you set time aside each day for meditation, set time aside each day for a gratitude session. Journaling right before bed about what you are thankful for is ideal, but any time of the day will work, and if you would prefer to speak your list, that’s fine, too. The most important thing is to keep it up. Here’s why:

Gratitude can help you through tough times

Listing what you are grateful for seems like a small thing, but it carries so much weight. It’s so easy to forget how lucky you are, how much there is to appreciate even when things are rough. Think about how often someone who goes through a trauma comes out the other side with a new zest for life—this is the power of gratitude in action. When you are aware of and thankful for the small joys of being a body on this planet as well as a soul born out of light, you create a reserve of happiness that boosts you through tough times.

Gratitude is a natural sleep aid

If you’re worried and anxious as you drift off—or toss and turn trying to drift off—the level of stress hormones in your body wreak havoc with your sleep quality, which results in you waking up feeling like you need another night of sleep. And a worried mind is restless, making it difficult to drift off. Gratitude improves your sleep quality and duration by keeping you calmer and less stressed, and having a positive attitude when you get into bed helps you fall asleep faster.

It lowers your stress

Stress is responsible for so much damage to your mind, body, and soul that you should do whatever you can to help combat its negative effects. Just as energy healing is a natural stress buster, so is gratitude. When you are being thankful, you are in a positive frame of mind and you are focusing not on your troubles, but on a little piece of happiness. This moment of respite increases your ability to cope with the stressors in your life.

Gratitude deepens your relationships

As part of your nightly gratitude list, try recognizing the qualities and behaviors of the people you are thankful for. Maybe your best friend always sends you birthday flowers or your partner makes you coffee before you get up each morning. Being thankful for the little things your family and friends do makes you appreciate them more, and improves your interactions with them. This shift in focus also helps train you to see the best in people, and the best in yourself, which makes you warmer, kinder, and better liked, because you are a better friend, spouse, sibling, etc.

It speeds up your spiritual progress

In my healing courses I often talk about the importance of service to others. It’s one of the best ways to increase your chances of an initiation by providing a solid base for the new energy. Gratitude makes you more compassionate and empathetic to others, which means you are more likely to engage in random acts of kindness and help others in need. Thinking of others also brings you out of thinking about yourself, which makes you happier and speeds up the process of processing old wounds and traumas, an essential part of energy medicine.

Gratitude helps you live longer

Grateful people are usually more optimistic, and optimism has been linked to longer life spans, greater immune function, and lowered blood pressure. Studies have shown that people who are grateful and optimistic are also more likely to exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight. Being thankful for all the small things makes you feel inspired, which turns into a desire to take better care of yourself, which can add years to your life.

Gratitude begets gratitude

When you begin to notice all the little things there are to be grateful for each day: the unconditional love of a pet, your health, the sun in the sky, a thoughtful email from a friend, the smell of freshly brewed coffee—whatever small and large things make you smile—you begin to feel even more grateful to be alive and experiencing all this world has to offer. Your happiness makes you more appreciative, which makes you happier and kinder to others, which then rubs off and makes them grateful and happier. Gratitude is a win-win, a vital part of increasing the love on this planet.

Do you see how gratitude affects all areas of your life and builds on itself? Thankfulness is an upward spiral. Being grateful makes you happier, which makes you kinder and more compassionate, which means others respond to you with more compassion and kindness, which makes you even more grateful. As an energy healer and spiritual teacher who has seen the power of gratitude, I’d love for Thanksgiving to be a springboard for you to begin your daily routine of giving thanks. Try it for a year, and I guarantee that next Thanksgiving, gratitude is what you’ll be most thankful for.

Right now, we are giving thanks to our community by offering some of the steepest discounts we’ve offered on our bestselling courses, workshops, and seminars during our biggest savings event of the year. Pick the course that’s right for you in your current stage of life, and begin taking the next step towards your personal transformation. See what’s available by clicking here >>

3 Gratitude Tips That Will Change Your Life

Expressing gratitude is one of the easiest ways I’ve found of living in the light. Gratitude is like manna for the soul. It nourishes you in both obvious and untold ways as it reverberates through your energy field and out into the world. Like no other tool so easily within your reach, it can transform and transmute anything that ails you. In my work as an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I’ve come to understand the immense power of gratitude when you make it the cornerstone of your life.

Being in a state of sincere appreciation is also the single most important way to create everything you want in life. Start with your feelings of gratitude for things you already have. Then begin practicing thankfulness as a positive affirmation of things to come. Envision what you want in positive and present words—as though it already exists—and then be grateful for it as though it has already been received. You’ll be connecting to the emotion that you would feel when you realize your desired result. Feeling grateful activates your powerful, unseen ability to manifest from the abundance of the universe.

To truly establish your attitude of gratitude, you’ll need to practice it on a regular basis until it becomes a habit—until it becomes the place where your thoughts naturally go as you move through your day, including when you face adversity.

Each day, take just a few minutes to make a mental list of everything you’re grateful for and, if possible, say your list out loud. For example, “Tonight, I am so grateful for my good health, another successful day at work, and the kind words from the man I met on the elevator. I’m grateful that I was kind back to him, that my favorite TV show is on tonight, that I learned a valuable lesson in my difficult interaction with my boss,” and so on. You want to give thanks for the many things, large and small, that you’re appreciative of—both the good things and those important learning experiences that enabled you to grow. When you make this a habit every day, you’ll soon find yourself constantly thinking this way and quickly see your life change for the better.

How to build your personal gratitude practice:

Keep a gratitude journal. Matthew McConaughey started journaling when he was 14 years old. Every day he writes down the things he is grateful for. He says that he has experienced “it’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.”

Share your attitude of gratitude. Don’t keep the gratitude you feel toward friends, family, colleagues, service providers, or even strangers a secret. Tell those you love and work with and interact with that you are grateful for their presence in your life and their kindness, their attention. Thanking people is a blessing for them, too, because it invites them to feel good about themselves.

Walk about and notice the goodness. Take some time to walk around in the world—in a park, in your neighborhood, or in a natural setting you love. Dedicate the time spent on your walk to really seeing and appreciating the world. Look for things to be grateful for—from the leaves on the trees, the songs of the birds, the colors of the plants around you. Notice the air you are breathing, the sun on your face, and even your feet that carry you through the world. The more you look for blessings, the more you realize how much there is to be grateful for.

Gratitude is an expression of love, the essence of who you are, and your connection to Spirit. Practice being delighted with all that you can find to love and appreciate in your world. It won’t be long before you’ll need more pages for your gratitude journal and a new pen, too!

To discover more ways to apply energy healing to all areas of your life, start by joining our flagship LifeForce Energy Healing^® Level I Certification program. It is the ideal first step in beginning your healing journey. A journey you’ll be grateful for taking!

There’s a lovely song running through my head today. Have you heard Art Garfunkel sing “Grateful,” John Bucchino’s beautiful tune about feeling blessed? If so, you’ll recognize the lines—“Grateful, grateful…Truly blessed and duly grateful”—because they take up residence in your heart. The song is short and simple, but it says everything we need to know and feel about our connection to Spirit. We are blessed and the more we give thanks for our blessings, the more deeply we feel them.

The Spiritual Origins of All Hallow’s Eve

Skeletons and creepy spiders dangle in doorways. Jack-o’-lanterns grimace from front porches. Witches, scary monsters (from werewolves to politicians, grim reapers, ghosts, devils, and the walking dead proliferate on All Hallow’s Eve. Telling ghost stories, wearing costumes, and trick-or-treating are all ways to enter into the spirit that lurks in the darkness in a non-threatening way.

Despite its mass consumerism (between the candy, costumes, and decorations, Americans spend around 6 billion dollars a year on Halloween, second only to Christmas as a commercial holiday), All Hallow’s Eve actually has its roots in spiritual traditions. Hallows’ Eve or Hallowe’en literally means “holy evening”—the night preceding Hallows’ Day, or All Saints’ Day.

Trick-or-treating began in England when poor folks would beg door-to-door for food and would receive “soul cakes” after they promised to pray for the dead relatives of that family. It was called “going a-souling” and replaced the old practice of leaving out food for the spirits who roamed about on that night.

Many hundreds of years before the Christian era, the Celts, who lived in Ireland, the UK, and the northern part of France, had their New Year’s celebration, called Samhain (pronounced sow-win), on November 1st. It marked the end of summer and the start of winter (the Celts recognized only two seasons). Winter was a frightening time of food shortages and deadly cold weather, so the Celts honored the Sun god for their harvest and made sacrifices in large bonfires to appease Lord Samhain, whose name means “summer’s end,” as he came into his power and reigned over the long, cold, and dark months of winter. As they say in Games of Thrones, “winter’s coming.”

On the night before Samhain, October 31st, the Celts believed that those who had died during the last circle of the sun would rise up, searching for the passageway that would lead them to the netherworld. On this night, between summer and winter, between one year and the next, the veil over the passageway is at its thinnest. When the veil between the worlds is more transparent, the dead can return to earth and cause trouble. The souls of the dead become the ghosts, witches, elves, and goblins that are out to seek revenge on those who had harmed them when they were alive. On the night of October 31st, Lord Samhain roams the four corners of the earth to capture the souls who had “escaped” through the thin veil, so he can take them back to his dark world.

And because the barrier between the dead and the living can be crossed during Samhain, offerings were left out in the fields or around villages for all the unseen beings, from ghosts to fairies. The Celts would costume themselves as animals and monsters so the fairies or other spirits wouldn’t kidnap them.

The belief in ghosts—the spirits of the dead that were said to roam about and cause problems—is found as far back as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. And it’s still here. A recent HuffPost/YouGov poll revealed that 45 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, although few in the scientific community are on board with non-material beings—their argument is: if they can’t see them or measure them in some way, what’s the chance they exist?

The scientific community has investigated “ghost-busters” who use a meter to measure the electromagnetic field to detect ghosts. There are also experiments with infrasound (sounds that are below the range of hearing for humans), since a “low frequency standing wave” can create a sensory phenomena that seems like a ghost. Scientists also explain away ghosts as being the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, sleep paralysis, toxic mold, schizophrenia, dementia, or just plain old imagination.

Nevertheless, those of us who understand the validity of different planes of consciousness know that those who have died are still available for communication. If you’ve seen or interacted in some way with a non-material being, you haven’t gone off the Halloween deep end. You’re just more open to other planes of awareness than the average guy, and understand that science is limited, as it is grounded in only what can be validated through the physical plane.

But you still have to be careful about a non-material being you may meet on the inner planes or be aware of one that is occupying the space around you. Everyone is on their own level of consciousness during their lifetime, but dying doesn’t necessarily lift them any higher. They may understand more than they did while living on earth, but they can also still have a desire for revenge for the pain they experienced while alive. So please remember to surround yourself in some form of protective light before beginning an inner journey.

After all, it could be a dark and stormy night . . .and winter’s coming!

If you want to connect with guides from other realms – including not only those from your personal past but other guides that are ready and willing to help you on your journey – considering registering for our best selling Astral Wisdom course by clicking here >>

And if you want to really embody the season’s spirit, you can relive a powerful live event that happened in the spiritual vortex of Ojai, California. Our Highlights of Hallowed Retreat video series will put you into the front row to relive a powerful event that is ripe for this time of year. Click here to learn more about it >>

The Perfect Time to Reflect on Your Dark Side

As we enter the “dark” part of the year, with short days and long chilly nights, it’s time to look at the dark forces that we would prefer to ignore. It’s not just the ghosts and goblins of Halloween or the presence of dead relatives on the Day of the Dead that can give us the shivers.

Whether we recognize it or not, everyone has some darkness within. We store our negative feelings—jealousy, anger, bitterness, shame, hatred, insecurity (to name a few)—in our shadow side. When we don’t do the inner work of acknowledging and releasing these disturbing emotions, the shadow side can take charge and cause real problems for someone else.

Take Beth, for example. She was so excited when she got her new job, with a hefty pay increase. Soon, however, she could barely get out of bed, much less drag herself to work. I could see the problem clearly: Beth’s father, although he was outwardly proud of his daughter, was inwardly jealous of her success. He’d been laid off and was having trouble finding a job because he was “too old.” There was a psychic attachment between father and daughter—a negative “cord” that connected them. I taught Beth a powerful shamanic technique that is used to sever negative cords between people while still keeping the positive cords of love and respect. Soon Beth was happy again at work.

The dark side deals with pretty low-level energies. When you are under “attack,” you might find that you feel more tired than usual, have trouble sleeping, come down with one awful cold after another, or just feel blue and miserable. You aren’t functioning in your normal perky and organized way and can’t figure out why. Well, consciously or unconsciously, someone may have formed an intention to harm you.

Does your mother-in-law hate the fact that you stole away her darling son or daughter? That old “evil eye” she gives you is for real. Maybe your ex is still angry at you, even years after you split. Or maybe you have a “frenemy” who can’t stand the fact that you’re in a loving relationship while her marriage has fallen apart.

Most people are unconscious of 90 percent of their thoughts and feelings. Your mother-in-law probably isn’t aware of how she feels about you. Your ex may not realize he’s holding on to such anger. Your frenemy probably thinks you’re her best friend. That’s why I’m forever urging people to meditate and journal—two of the best ways to recognize what you’re really feeling so you can clear those emotions.

You always play a role in whatever happens to you; you aren’t a helpless victim. When you deal with your shadow side and process the negative feelings you have about yourself and about other people, you can transform the negative energy of a psychic attack and stay healthy, happy, and peaceful.

Don’t think psychic attack is too “out there.” It’s real, and happens all the time. However, you can learn to protect yourself from psychic attack and to clear yourself of negative energy.

Don’t be scared of the ghosts and goblins you harbor inside or the dark forces sent your way by others – you can clear them!

It’s all about being able to read your own energy, the energy of others, and gaining the skills and knowledge to heal that which needs healing.

Start your journey by joining our Level I Certification Program (which also grants you access to our private Soul Family community). Click here to take the first step >>

The chakras you didn’t know about (and their locations on Earth)

The Earth Has Multiple Powerful Energetic Vortices. Here Are Seven That Serve As Its Chakras.

You undoubtedly know a lot about your own energy centers, the chakras, but have you ever thought about the Earth as having energetic vortices as well? As we slowly transit out of the Piscean Age and enter the Aquarian Age, we should regard the Earth as a sacred living being instead of as a battleground for the endless wars of humanity. One way to see the planet’s sacredness is to delve into the mystery of its highly-charged chakras.

The first chakra is Mt. Shasta, in northern California at the southern end of the Cascade Mountains. Shasta is the primal chakra of the world’s energy system. It is here that the universal life force is gathered before being formed into you and me and every living thing on earth. Mt. Shasta is like a geyser, spouting a huge uprush of prana into global circulation before it is embodied in various forms, just like the kundalini energy surges upward.

The second chakra of the Earth is centered on the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, high in the Andes Mountains. Here positive life forms are “birthed”—evolutionary advancements that will take us into the future. The raw material of Mt. Shasta is structured in new ways by the Lake Titicaca chakra. The great circle of the second Earth chakra also includes Cusco and Machu Picchu. How does the undifferentiated life force get from Mt. Shasta to Lake Titicaca? It travels an energetic current, called the Plumed Serpent (found in many myths from South America), which is one of the two great ley lines on the planet. (ley lines are mystical alignments of landforms)

For the third chakra we go to Uluru and Kata Tjuta—twin sites in Australia’s Northern Territory. You may know Uluru as Ayers Rock, the former name used to describe the huge red monolith. Kata Tjuta has many large red stones rather than just one. Here, the solar plexus of the globe functions to keep up the Earth’s vitality and that of all the species on the planet. The Rainbow Serpent, that great ley artery, comes up from beneath the Earth to emerge at Uluru, which then “sings” a special songline that moves on to Kata Tjuta. In Dreamtime legends of the Aborigines, it is said that this umbilical cord of the planet will one day unite heaven and earth.

Making the leap to the fourth chakra, the “heart” of the Earth is at Glastonbury, Somerset, and Shaftesbury, Dorset. The Rainbow Serpent sweeps through the sacred sites there, such as the Tor at Glastonbury and the Avebury Stone Circle. Glastonbury is famed as the center of the Holy Grail, while Shaftesbury holds the Sacred Spear of Purpose. When these two massive earth energies merge, the Rainbow Serpent will be able to carry the Holy Grail frequency around the world. Interestingly, this is where there are so many sightings of crop circles that have magnetic abnormalities. Here is where we can open our hearts and help to heal the earth.

The fifth chakra, in the Middle East, is the throat’s energy center, where the voice of the Earth is coming forth. It is the only chakra that is not along a ley line, but it is in the exact center of the Earth’s land mass. The turmoil in the Middle East is trying to tell us something, but it seems like no one is listening to the “cries of the mother” as the planet calls for help. Mt. Sinai is the center of the three sites that define the Earth’s throat chakra in between the Great Pyramid of Egypt and the Mount of Olives. Here is where a planetary “New Jerusalem” can be the eternal home of all faiths and cultures living in peace.

What about the planet’s “third eye?” The sixth chakra of Earth moves west, a twelfth of the way around the world, at the dawn of each new aeon. These days, the sixth chakra is located in western Europe, conjunct with the heart chakra. This Aeon Activation Center will next be in Brazil. In the same way as your pineal gland opens portals that let higher dimension energies enter you, so does this chakra of the earth.

Mt. Kailash, the “roof of the world,” is the most sacred of the Himalayan mountains and represents the seventh chakra, the crown of creation. Mt. Kailash connects the earth with its spiritual destiny just the way your crown chakra connects you with Divine Will.

It is said that there is a Lost Chord of Creation. In terms of the earth chakras, Mt. Kailash sounds the note of praise of the sacred; the heart center of the world sounds the note of love, and Uluru and Kata Tjuta sing of thanksgiving. When these three notes are combined into one force, the world will be regenerated!

Now that you’ve learned about the energy vortexes that represent the Earth’s chakras, you may be interested in reading, clearing, balancing, and charging your own personal chakras for healing. You could start by exploring our Chakra Wisdom course. And if you’d like to begin your journey toward energy healing (including the higher chakras), consider beginning with our Level I LifeForce Energy Healing Certification course. If you think you’re ready for more advanced and individual training and healing, check out our Level IV LifeForce Energy Healing Certification course. Either way, we’d love to see you here!

Three Universal Life-Enhancing Insights

In one form or another, I’ve been asked to share my accumulated insights time after time. Usually, I’ll be asked in a setting that focuses on a single topic or theme, but following are three pieces of wisdom I would gladly offer you, independent of topic or theme, because they are universal in nature and valuable to all. I know that you can benefit by incorporating them into your lives.

My first piece of wisdom is “Love what you do.” Loving what you do gives life its greatest meaning. Although I may not feel like breaking into a song and dance routine every time I write a blog, empty my inbox, or travel to a speaking engagement, by focusing on the love that prompted those activities, they become consciously proactive expressions of my concern and compassion.

And for more noteworthy tasks — your profession, longer-term goals, and the like — staying in touch with your “loving why” can help propel you past the problems and challenges that will inevitably arise as you pursue loftier goals.

Are you hiring?

One way to find out who to hire is to ask, “Why are you interested in this position?” and then listen for love, passion, and compassion.

Here’s an example.

One time I was invited to speak before a business networking group in the real estate field. After I was introduced and before I began speaking, I asked each of the members to identify their “whys” – why they had chosen to enter the field they were in, since they were all real estate entrepreneurs and had self-selected their professional endeavor.

One guy stood up and declared, in a monotonous tone, without a stitch of satire, “I sell real estate because I can make a ton of money.” It took concerted effort not to laugh!

Now, everyone chooses a career with an eye toward making a decent living. There’s no shame in that. But if income is someone’s sole motivating factor, something significant is missing, and the people they do business with will sense that. But from this introduction and the corroborating information which he provided later during the meeting, many of his more enlightened fellow networkers and I sensed that, should we retain him, we’d be getting myopic, self-serving “guidance” from this individual.

In sharp contrast, another real estate agent in the same group defined her “why” this ebullient way: “I just love helping people find the perfect property and shepherding them through the process of paperwork and prudent practices to be sure they end up with a definite happy ending!”

Guess which one got the most business? Most property seekers are looking for safety and transparency as much as they are for property. The one sallied forth every day to make money; the woman to spend her love, passion, and care helping her clients achieve cherished dreams.

So, loving what you do matters — especially to your bottom line!

My second piece of wisdom is this: “You are not your thoughts, but what you do as a result of sifting and sorting through them will determine your trajectory and success in life.”

A famous Henry Ford quote pretty much says it all: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” I’m referring here to your vibrational level. Higher-vibration emotions, feelings, and self-concepts — love, joy, enthusiasm, self-esteem, and the like — cause your personal energy field to vibrate at faster and higher frequencies, which significantly boosts your ability to proactively believe in and make manifest your most cherished goals. With a high energy level, you feel ready to take on the world.

At the opposite extreme, I’m sure you’ve met people who are utterly convinced that life has dealt them a lousy hand and it’s just no use trying for anything better. These unfortunate folks are saddled with debilitating vibrational frequencies, so they don’t have the power-pack working for them that higher vibration individuals do. As a sad result, their prophecies about their future will manifest in the unfortunate ways they believe they will.

Among the best ways to boost your vibrational frequencies is to focus intentionally on what you want your future to look like, and to invest your time imagining every positivity-boosting thing about it.

To realize your most cherished future, you might use affirmations, journaling, meditation, exercises, music, or some other energy/vibration-boosting technique to enhance and uplift your spirits toward your goal.

It’s crucial to remember that you are not your thoughts. Thoughts are like clouds. They can enchant you or ruin your day. Choose wisely which ones to linger on and entertain. The best ones will take you in the direction of your goals! Let the others simply and harmlessly drift on by. (If they’re invasive, say “NO!” verbally and shake your head from left to right to evict them.)

My third piece of wisdom is this: Gather around you people who are heading the same direction you are. The people you surround yourself with are crucial when it comes to “leveling up” step by step on the way to your goals.

Since you’re a member of my tribe, you’re already doing some of this virtually and occasionally in person. (Perhaps at our next gathering in Malibu!) You will know you’ve found the right sojourners when their presence supports, celebrates, and uplifts you as you engage in your pursuits.

Even if you’re an introvert who needs your space on a regular basis, you have a tribe; please do reach out and join mine! We can help make your journey so much more enjoyable, and we can offer additional insights to help you thrive.

And if you are looking for personal hand-holding in figuring out your life’s path and purpose – figuring out which path to take that will resonate with you and allow you to live up to the person you were placed on this Earth to be – consider booking a private session with one of Deborah King Center’s graduate practitioners. All are incredibly well versed and experienced in the field of LifeForce Energy Healing, and can be an incredible support for you to lean on. Learn more and choose a practitioner here >>

Sleep Deprivation: The Cure for This Hidden Epidemic

Feeling sleep-deprived … or chronically tired?

You aren’t the only one. It is a hidden epidemic greatly impacting countless people across society. And if you are one of the many who suffer from this issue, you should make an effort to resolve it (because it’s hugely important to your mental, physical, and spiritual health).

Here are some easy steps to diagnose the cause and deliver the cure.

Depending on your age and lifestyle, the causes of sleep disruption, insomnia, and other sleep disturbances can differ enormously.

Complicating matters, the amount of sleep you need to feel alert and refreshed changes across time because your circadian rhythm changes as you age.

Bedrooms should be strictly designated as intimacy spaces, relaxation stations, altars and meditation spaces, and sleep. Entering the room at least a half hour before bedtime allows time to wind down and relax. Engage in something soothing during these precious 30 minutes: knitting, drawing, reading. And lay off the caffeine entirely after 12p.m. (noon). It can take up to ten hours for caffeine to leave the bloodstream. If you need a quick jolt mid-afternoon, open your freezer door, and get a quick hit of cold air in your face. Seriously! It works!

If you have insomnia and none of the above (or anything I suggest at the end of this piece) helps, talk to your primary care doctor, as there may be a physical cause that can be addressed.

As an adult, you should be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep at night. How much of that seven to nine hours you’ll need is dictated by your lifestyle. A good way to determine your ideal sleep number is to wake up naturally three days in a row without setting any kind of alarm while in a completely dark room or while wearing a sleep mask. Choosing a three-day weekend to do this is ideal. Go to bed at the same time all three nights and awaken naturally every morning. Take an average of the three days to find your ideal number of sleeping hours. Then pay attention to how you feel the following week while you adhere to the total average number of sleep hours that you determined were right for you. If you’re feeling more refreshed and robust, you’ve found your magic number for the stage of life you’re in right now.

According to sleep experts, what usually keeps adults in this age range from sleeping well is that they have one sleep schedule during work days which they disregard during their days off. Doing so disrupts their internal clock.

When you’re fully rested, an alarm becomes unnecessary. You automatically wake up when you’ve had the right amount of sleep. If you find yourself waking up two hours later on your days off than you do on work days, you are chronically sleep-deprived and should make changes to rectify your sleep deficit. Do this by adjusting your bedtime so you’re going to bed and getting up at about the same time every day. On your days off, reward yourself by spending the earliest waking hours doing something you massively enjoy, whether that’s taking a walk, meeting a friend for breakfast, or something else relaxing and fun.

If you’re an adult experiencing chronic insomnia and none of the suggestions in this piece help, it’s time to let your energy medicine practitioner know, so she can help you out.

Additional detriments to getting a good night’s sleep for people this age may be alcohol, caffeine or work, a health or relationship challenge, or other stresses.

Although alcohol may help you fall asleep fast, the sleep you’ll get may well become fragmented and you will probably find yourself traipsing to the bathroom multiple times during the night, adding to your sleep deficit. And the older you get, the more pronounced are the effects of consuming alcohol. So, not a good solution (for much of anything)!

If worries are the culprit, carve out time to address your stress. Set a timer for a few minutes and write about what’s worrying you. That is usually all it takes to signal to your brain that you’re working proactively on the issue, so it won’t feel compelled to do so when you get quiet at night and want to fall asleep.

And my earlier suggestion about disengaging from all devices and manmade light sources a half hour before bed is helpful.

Another sleep disruptor is that your working life gets in the way. Some work night shifts; others have work schedules that can vary widely from week to week. And even with consistent work schedules, you can find yourself working right up until bedtime, or in the middle of the night if you go to bed early, exhausted, and then wake up refreshed at 2 a.m. and ready to roar!

Here are a few solutions to try:

For those working nights, wear sunglasses home from work to minimize the amount of bright sunshine you receive on the way home. Why? Because sunshine shuts down the release of melatonin, which you need to be able to get to sleep more easily and naturally.

If your shift changes all the time, shift your sleep time backward about three days before your new start time and then inch it forward or back by an hour or two every night. And schedule ten to thirty minutes between work and retiring for the night. Engage in a soothing activity during this time (without screens): relaxing instrumental music, light reading.

During early midlife — between the age of 35 and 40 — you will still need seven or more hours of shut-eye. And it becomes harder, at this stage of life, to bounce back from experiencing inadequate sleep, so you might find yourself becoming more irritated or apathetic after a bout of insomnia or tossing and turning. Lack of sleep will also prevent you from focusing as adeptly as you would after a well-rested night.

For early midlife adults, the causes mirror earlier (and subsequent) descriptions, and the cures are the same or very similar:

Too stressed to sleep. (Write down what’s bothering you during the day.)

Alcohol consumption. (Avoid it.)

After-NOON caffeine consumption. (If you must drink caffeine, do it before noon.)

Work-related stress. (night shifts, changing schedules, see above suggestions)

Insomnia. (May be genetic. Consult with your team of caregivers, from your primary care physician who can refer you to a psychologist or sleep specialist, to your energy medicine specialist, who can help you with buried trauma that may be making you sleepless.)

When midlife happens (ages 41 to 50) your sleep schedule can get disrupted by family obligations (half-grown and grown children, elderly parents’ needs, and more) so it’s crucial to prioritize the amount and quality of the sleep you do get in order to avoid becoming a casualty of catastrophic sleep deprivation. No one can get used to sleep deprivation. Our bodies need adequate sleep and rest to remain robust. There is no cure for lack of sleep except adequate sleep.

For many women, this is the period of time when menopause begins (and sometimes ends). Menopause can cause hot flashes that drench you in sweat several times a night, waking you up, and it can cause depression or anxiety, both drivers of sleep deprivation. Wearing cooler bedclothes (or none at all) and getting breathable bed sheets can help address the night time disturbances. Those who experience depression and anxiety can benefit from journaling, meditation, enjoyable daily exercise, and/or counseling (cognitive behavioral therapy).

And middle age is the period of life when sleep apnea develops in those who are predisposed to the condition, including those who drink alcohol, people who are obese, and folks with a family history of the condition. Sleep apnea means “sleep without breath.” If you know someone — or if you are someone — who snores, chokes, or gasps for air during the night, or someone who wakes up with headaches and feeling drained and depleted despite having clocked eight or more hours of sleep, you should find out more about sleep apnea because, unaddressed, it can be deadly. In some people, their head and neck muscles relax so much during sleep that their airways become blocked; in others, their brain doesn’t deliver the message that they need to keep breathing. Either way, it’s a dicey condition and should be investigated. There are devices to help sleep apnea patients get safe, restful sleep.

This is also the age group that begins to find itself getting up several times during most nights to use the bathroom. If you’re raising your hand now, try limiting how much water you drink an hour before you retire for the night and do a brief meditation, in bed, until you fall back asleep.

This age group experiences the same causes and cures as those mentioned previously:

Too stressed to sleep. (Write down what’s bothering you during the day.)

Alcohol consumption. (Avoid it.)

After-NOON caffeine consumption. (If you must drink caffeine, do it before noon.)

Work-related stress. (night shifts, changing schedules, see above suggestions)

Insomnia. (see above)

Next on our list are those who are from 51 to 60 years old, the period of life designated Late Midlife. These folks mirror the same conditions and challenges as Early Midlife individuals: sleep apnea, menopause, frequent bathroom visits during the night, alcohol, caffeine, work schedules, etc.

And then comes the retirement years, what many people refer to as the Golden Years, from age 61 to 75.

This intense period of adjustment can throw a massive monkey wrench into those who have always considered that what they do for a living is the main reason they’re alive and valuable to others.

Retirement takes away the structures that so many people have hung their existences on, value-wise. Many people who lose that life-long structure develop insomnia, unable to settle into a new routine that is more about being than doing. Take away their daily routines, and their nighttime routines disappear, too. They begin to flail as they struggle to develop a new way of existing in the world. It can be quite unnerving unless they have practiced it a bit beforehand.

For those who want to remain active (and I hope that’s you), part-time jobs fill the bill. For others, volunteering is an avenue that resonates.

Sleep experts recommend creating a new schedule and listing how you want to spend the day ahead, whether that’s a walk in the park or around the neighborhood first thing in the morning, followed by joining a bridge club, or golfing, playing pickleball or tennis, or whatever else will give you smiles, a sense of belonging, and a reason to want to remain physically and mentally robust. Physical activity helps you fall asleep more readily and to sleep more restfully. But do limit physical exercise (except for sex!) at least one hour before you expect to go to sleep every night.

The other sleep-stealers for this group and some of their remedies can be found in the previous age groups: alcohol, caffeine, stress, pre-sleep stimulation via mobile devices and entertainment centers, insomnia, sleep apnea, frequent bathroom visits at night.

For older adults — those 76+ — seven to eight hours of sleep per 24 hours works well. They usually will fall asleep early in the evening, sleep well, and then rise at about 4 or 5 or 6 a.m., feeling fully rested. Of course, those with the aforementioned sleeping challenges may not adhere to this pattern, but a great many do.

The older we get, the earlier we tend to wake up. But those in this age bracket with sleeping challenges should be very careful when taking drugs or supplements for sleep because a great many of them have deleterious side effects that can grievously impact, in addition to increasing the likelihood of a fall.

For most of the above life stages, what follows is my professional advice as an energy healer as it relates to tackling sleep challenges:

Spend some time early in the morning, outside, exposing your eyes to the dawn’s early light, so your circadian rhythm gets its marching orders for the day.
Limit your contact with EMFs.
Exercise before noon.
Keep fresh air in your bedroom.
Take magnesium at night.
Meditate no more than ten minutes after 6:00pm.
Focus on the peaceful and positive in the evening hours.

A night of good, restful sleep is essential for our wellbeing. It’s necessary to keep mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy. It also provides an incredible opportunity to gain insights and wisdom from beyond this realm.

You see, beyond getting the rest your body needs to be in balance, sleep also offers you the opportunity to tap into the power of lucid dreaming.

And it is one of the skills taught in our bestselling Astral Wisdom course.

Learn to design the life of your dreams by mastering the out-of-body experience by accessing this course here >>

Don’t Miss the 2023 Perseid Meteor Shower Extravaganza!

Heads up, sky watchers! The 2023 Perseid Meteor Shower will be one for the records. Since there will be an almost New Moon, the view from a dark viewing spot on clear, cloudless night promises to be a crowd pleaser.

This year, the Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its best during the coming weekend, Saturday night, August 12th and Sunday night, August 13th. The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the brighter annual meteor showers, but this year, with the Moon shrinking to an invisible Micro New Moon, the sky will be about as black as it can get, so spectators can expect to see as many as 100 shooting stars (and some fireballs, too) every hour.

The Perseid showers began in mid-July and will persist until the end of August, so avid sky watchers have already witnessed sporadic shooting stars and will do so for a few more weeks. But if you want to join me in enjoying the most shooting stars per hour, mark your calendar now for this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 12 and 13, and make plans to locate the best vantage point in your area for witnessing one of the universe’s most impressive shows.

If the weather forecast for your area is clear and cloudless, and you live in a well-lit city (or near one), it’s best to “get outta Dodge” and into the hinterlands, as high up and away from artificial lighting as possible. If you live on or near a mountain range, you will have the best view of the Perseids.

Dress according to the night-time weather in your location on these nights. Take something along to lie down on — a yoga mat, sleeping bag, air mattress, or antigravity recliner — so you can easily look up into the night sky for hours. Remember that you will need up to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the level of darkness that will surround you on a light-pollution-free night. Take a blanket or two, something warm to drink, and get comfortable. Refrain from using backlit mobile devices, to help preserve keener night vision. Be prepared to drift into/out of sleep, and just enjoy the experience like our ancestors did.

Hint: To find the correct “stage” for the Perseid meteor extravaganza, gaze toward the radiant in the Perseus constellation (from whence this meteor shower gets its name). If you can’t readily spot Perseus, look for Cassiopeia, which looks like a W or an M — because it may be easier to locate in the night sky.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant rises into the sky during the night, reaching its highest point at dawn. So, you can expect to see more “shooting stars” (meteors) after midnight than before.

Another hint: even though meteors emanate from the radiant, they can show up anywhere, so you’ll be seeing some of them out of the corner of your eyes at times.

A bonus: during these nights, you will also be able to see Jupiter and Saturn without a telescope in the eastern and southern sky. They will appear as larger, bright stars, but they won’t twinkle the way distant stars do.

But Wait! There’s Even MORE to See Overhead in August!

On August 31st you will be able to experience a double delight: a Super Blue Moon!
The last time a Super Blue Moon occurred was in December 2009, and the next time it will happen is August 2032, so catch it this year, if you can! (The next Blue Moon will occur in August 2024, but it won’t be a Supermoon.)

Check for Your best time to see the Perseids here.

All of these phenomenal celestial events are not only breathtaking to watch, but also have a profound energetic impact on our everyday lives. And if you learn to analyze exactly what impact the planets are having, you can completely alter the course of your decision making, and thus your life. Want to figure out how to do this based on a proven, ancient science? Join our Vedic Astrology course today by clicking here >>

What Vedic Astrology Can Tell You about THE MOON’s Influence on Your Mind, Emotions, Health, and Destiny

“When the moon is in the 7th House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars…”

Above is the opening line of AQUARIUS, a scintillating song from the iconic stage play and motion picture HAIR. Oddly enough, it’s a Vedic-lunar-astrology based tune, not the usual (and less accurate) western sun-based astrological perspective.

Modern western astrology is tremendously simplified, often focusing solely on the position of the sun at your time of birth.

But here’s the truth: the sun is the wrong celestial body entirely!

According to eastern Vedic astrology, it is the position of the moon, not the sun, that matters most, from an energy perspective. The moon influences Earth’s tides, our reproductive cycles, and more. So, in this respect, the moon is mightier than the sun because of its proximity to us and its ability to influence our lives.

Discover the connection between the moon, its energy, and your health and destiny.

In Vedic astrology, the moon represents mind (your emotions and your subconscious) and mother

For those blessed with attentive, loving mothers, the words mind and mother conjure up fond memories of the countless times she delivered empathy, sensitivity, responsiveness, and sustenance.

In your birth chart, in which phase was the moon? That is the phase which reveals how keenly and naturally you are capable of experiencing the divine mother inside yourself and how clearly you can nurture and empathize with others. It is also that phase which determines your sensitivity and ability to grasp all that is available to you as a human being.

In Vedic Astrology, the Moon is the second planet (after the Sun) in the order of nine planets. It is a factor of mind, mother, mental state, morale, material things, happiness, peace, wealth, etc.

The Moon is considered by Vedic astrologers to be the most influential planet because it governs our mind and emotions, temperaments, behaviors, moods, instincts, emotional makeup, and feelings.

The moon is considered our most important planet (although scientists don’t call it a planet) because of its “next-door neighbor”-like proximity in our solar system. Because it is so close, it influences our tides, our reproductive cycles, our fertility phases, and other aspects of our emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, not to mention our ultimate destiny!

The Moon represents our capacity for profound emotional healing

When the Moon is robust and well-positioned in an individual’s birth chart, they are well-connected to their emotions and insights, and they can express their feelings openly and honestly.

But when an individual’s Moon is weak or less well positioned, they can have trouble processing their emotions, they can feel disconnected from their feelings, and have difficulty expressing their emotions.

So, the condition of the Moon in your birth chart offers crucial insights into your inherent capacity for intimacy, self-awareness, and mental and emotional growth.

The Moon is the single most important planet in Vedic Astrology (Jyotish) because your state of mind determines your emotional responses to everything that life presents to you. The Moon is especially important in determining your ability to attach, love, nurture, and mother (offer care). It also influences your habits, emotional reactions, and instinctive behavior.

The Moon represents your instinctive response to your environment, and how you use your imagination. The Moon can become a crucial guide to understanding yourself and others by helping you tap into your inner resources to create positive change.

In Vedic Astrology, the Moon is also believed to represent your unconscious mind, which can be accessed to gain greater insight into your hidden emotions and desires. In each birth chart, the Moon can reveal how an individual responded to their early childhood experiences and how those experiences continue to influence them.

The Moon is also believed to represent the powerful people who play major roles in our lives: our parents, caregivers, and others who provide emotional support.

Vedic Astrology Lunar Insights

Individuals born under a New Moon are frequently restless, impulsive, and constant change seekers, while those born under a Full Moon appear and present themselves as more stable and temperate personalities because they can tap into their fundamental emotional needs and stabilize themselves during times of trauma and ambiguity.

The Moon also represents the systems within our bodies that nurture and feed us: our blood, which distributes nutrition and oxygen to all parts of our body: our womb, which nurtures growing fetuses; and our brain.

In Vedic astrology, the compatibility of prospective marriage partners is determined by the placement of the moon in each person’s chart. The closer the prospective marriage partners’ moons are, the better the relationship is likely to be.

Your health and physiology are influenced by many factors, including diet, exercise, and genetics. But perhaps among the most crucial influences on your physical well-being is the moon. According to traditional Vedic texts, the moon governs your blood and buoyancy (your water retention, or lack thereof), plus a number of mental health issues.

And the moon affects your physical health, too, including unusual/abnormal sleepiness, various afflictions, abscesses, and other maladies. And the moon may cause indigestion, female health issues, jaundice, mental aberrations, blood impurities, and death from water-related illnesses.

The Moon (Thumbnail Aspects and Assets)

Powerful feminine energy

Your crown chakra (emotions, instinct, mind) is ruled by the moon

The stronger your connection to the full moon, the more your heart chakra is aligned. Your heart chakra is home to kindness and forgiveness. This means that a full moon is the perfect time to let go of negativity.

Meditation and healing take place at their fullest during a full moon. This period represents transformation, fertility, and completion.

Many people find moon-gazing peaceful and therapeutic. Watching the moon regularly can boost your awareness of the natural world and add a level of wonder and peace that surpasses what you may be achieving with more typical meditation.

Right now, you can register for our brand-new, live, 7-week course on Vedic Astrology with one of the world’s premier experts on the topic. Learn all about Vedic Astrology – the more accurate astrological science – has to say about your life path. Register now >>

Protecting Your Energy: 5 Actionable Steps

One of the topics I insist on covering when I’m teaching energy healing to students is the crucial necessity of protecting your personal energy field. This is because during your time on this planet, you will encounter toxic people, psychic attack, energy vampires, and global catastrophes. There is simply no way to sidestep all of it.

But there are ways to mitigate.

“What Drains Your Energy?”

Not everyone is drained of their energy by the same forces.

Introverts’ energy gets drained whenever and wherever human interaction with others occurs. No matter how intimate the connection or how fond the bond, introverts require space and distance to recoup their energy level.

Extroverts, on the other hand, are invigorated by social interactions and feel drained when they’re deprived of them for very long.

Example: The COVID social distancing protocols were embraced, by and large, by introverts because it became socially acceptable to isolate, giving them opportunities in abundance to “disappear” for the better part of two years, and recharge themselves.

But for extroverts, the exact same isolation protocols, for many, felt like an existential threat. Even with Zoom, FaceTime, and outdoor social-distanced communal activities, many extroverts’ energy levels became severely compromised, prompting them to fall into despair and depression. “Check on your friends’ and family’s mental health” became a constant theme because any change in customary routines could create tsunami-level emotional, psychological, and hormonal waves.

So, it’s important to positively identify whatever it is that is draining your energy. There are so many possibilities: certain family members (you know them – they’re experts at pushing your buttons); toxic associates (naysayers, dream stealers, curmudgeons, coworkers, bosses, Negative Neals and Nellies); psychic attack from a negative source (intentional or not); energy vampires (people who suck the energy right out of you for various reasons: codependence, neediness, fearfulness, narcissism, or some other energy-draining quality); social media (with its 24/7/365 ability to wear you out and down); mass shootings; and any of the other global crises that threaten our wellbeing (armed conflicts, climate change, regime challenges, what next)?

If you’re like me, there is more than a single source of your energy depletion, so you will need to employ several methods to restore your baseline energy level.

To be clear, most energy deficits come as a result of external negative-energy influences or internal medical or psychological/emotional challenges, not by way of direct psychic attack. Although your energy field helps to ward off external negative influences, it is not impervious; some negative energies can enter through a hole in your field. What causes a hole? Well, I’ve written entire books on that, but, the short answer is: unprocessed emotions. When your baseline energy level is restored, your personal energy field and chakra centers return to serve as illustrious defenders of your organic functions.

Among the best ways to protect yourself from negative energies is to develop habits and practices that bolster and restore your energy field on a regular basis.

You can do this in multiple ways. Here are a few of my go-to, standby favorites:

Abide by the Golden Rule. Don’t expect to be protected if you engage in attacking anyone else’s energy field. The universe richly rewards those who treat others as they would like to be treated! Best Practice: Learn to keep your energy field in “neutral,” as opposed to on “push” or in “retreat.”

Set boundaries for yourself and others. When you’re forced into close proximity with toxic individuals, (some interactions simply can’t be avoided), limit your exposure by setting boundaries: “We will not discuss politics.” “We will not discuss religion.” We will not bash or criticize each other’s significant other or children.” Best Practice: Set boundaries that align with your higher self.

Start each day with the intention to act from the highest guidance. Begin the day by connecting to your guides, your angels, your ancestors. Best Practice: Build an altar on which to place those objects that help you focus on higher guidance and start each day with a prayer to those guides.

Make a habit of clearing your energy field; employing white light to do so is often helpful. Best Practice: Spent one minute each morning after your mantra-based meditation clearing, charging, and balancing each of your seven main chakras.

Get educated. If you are new to the world of energy and energy healing, join a program that will ramp up your energy healing abilities and connect you to a community of like-minded folks that will support you on your quest. Best Practice: Spend even 10 minutes a day reading/watch/listening about energy healing techniques and how they can help you protect your personal energy field.

Consider joining our LifeForce Energy Healing Level I Certification Course. It is the first step on the way towards energy healing mastery and will be the perfect first step towards beginning that momentum. Or check out our Energy Shop to see which course is the right one to solve the specific issue you’re looking to remedy.

It’s important to take steps to protect (and enhance) your energy at all times. It is what drives your quality of life in all areas.

Our Enlightened Friends: How and Why Animals Communicate with Us

If you’re an animal lover like I am, you’ll have no problem embracing the notion that all animals – tame, domesticated, captive, and wild — think, react, and communicate among themselves and, more importantly, with us. Our experiences with them have confirmed this fact.

And if you know that humans are essentially spiritual beings, as I do, then it’s likely you believe, as do I, that animals are spiritual beings too. In fact, my life experiences with animals have convinced me that they are far more enlightened than we are.

More than one animal lover has declared animals far better at offering unconditional loving-kindness and forgiveness than any human! I have often said that animals can teach us a thing or two (or two hundred) about how to live life as gracefully as possible.

ANIMALS TRULY CARE

Have you heard about Koko, the sign language-adept gorilla, meeting her favorite and most-watched TV celebrity, Mister Rogers, and taking off his shoes because she had seen him do that on every episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

Or how about the documented cases of wild dolphins rescuing humans who have fallen overboard.

At one point, we had a dozen llamas living together with a gelded horse named Brio. One morning early, before the sun was up, Mama Llama, who had been pregnant for close to a year, gave birth. (llamas and alpacas, or camelids, have a pregnancy that averages a whopping 11.5 months) Eric and I were sleeping outside in a tent, near the blessed event, and Brio galloped over and whinnied excitedly that he had just had a baby! I guess the fact that Brio had been gelded young hadn’t daunted his desire to be a father nor was he troubled that the infant was of another species – he couldn’t have been prouder as he pranced around the field!

And if you’ve ever had a cat, dog, horse, or some other kindred spirit in animal guise approach you because you’re in pain, to be with you to lend their support and comfort, you have all the proof you’ll ever need that our animals are proactively ministerial and compassionate guardian angels.

One of my students, Kris, told me she had a Siamese cat named Charisma who she swore was psychic. Whenever Kris would have a truly distressing thought, the cat would run to her from outside with a loud “meow,” as if he had been summoned by her, although Kris hadn’t said a word! Kris told me she even tried faking the sensation of distress, but doing so elicited no response from Charisma. Only the real emotion worked, and it worked every time, no matter where the cat was. It was as though he had whisker-like appendages attached to his favorite person that notified him of her emotional status.

I love the song in Doctor Doolittle called Talk to the Animals. Sadly, though, a lot of people who haven’t experienced close contact with animals consider interactive communication with them whimsical, wishful thinking, or — in skeptical scientific terms —largely speculative and anthropomorphic projection.

Like many other animal lovers, I respect my pets and don’t consider myself their owner. We animal lovers realize we share the earth with all these other remarkably aware beings – beings that are so much more evolved than we are.

“Baby Cries, Caregiver Comes!”

Are you aware that cats don’t meow to each other? Meowing is an adaptation they came up with; researchers postulate that their meows are their best impression of a human baby crying. “Baby cries; caregiver comes! I will try that! Voila! Success!!!” (Two exceptions: young, still-nursing kittens will squeak out a meow-like vocalization to call their mothers back to them, and nursing mother cats will meow to notify their offspring that they’re returning or looking for them.)

Among themselves, cats chirp, tweet, hiss, spit, purr, groom each other, and tussle. Their meows, after weaning, are for us alone. So, cats learned to speak literally eons before our scientists in the West decided to try to figure out what the rest of their vocal repertoire was all about!

Ears, Hackles, Tails & Vocalizations – How Animals Communicate

I had so many conversations with my Dutch warmblood horse, Influence, across the years — some uproariously funny, others profound. In fact, he spoke better English than I spoke Horse!

A lot of people converse with their pets. Part whimsy, sure, but true communication, soul to soul, is occurring. You can call a beloved pet a derogatory term just for fun (one person I know calls her dog “turd butt”) but it will feel how much love you have for them. That’s because it isn’t the language you’re using that’s communicating; it’s your soul, your undamaged, loving essence.

Animals respond to what you’re actually feeling. They’re not fooled by your Oscar-worthy acting ability.

Pretending to be patient when trying to get a puppy to return to you goes over like a lead balloon. The puppy knows you’re feeling frustrated and maybe even angry, and that’s what it will respond to. It will decide whether it’s going to feel safe and ready to comply with your request.
Animals communicate verbally and non-verbally. Some of their nonverbal communications include flickering ears, wagging (or sagging or unmoving and level) tails, and a physical reaction called piloerection, which is when some of the hair on their bodies stands upright. (For humans, goosebumps are our body’s honest effort to raise our hackles.)

Being able to communicate back can have a profound impact on your life – making you a better person, allowing you to tap more fully into the healing power of your animal friends, and allowing you to return the favor of providing the healing energy they also need as living beings.

If your pets remain a mystery to you, here’s a suggestion. Put on your Keen Observer/Researcher hat. Emulate Jane Goodall as closely as possible.

With patience and persistence, your pets — and the crows in your backyard, and the woodland and barnyard creatures that they communicate with — will become an open book to you.

This kind of sleuthing will become so much fun that you’ll find ways to do it every chance you get. And your pets and the environment will be just that much better off because of your new adventure in talking to, and with, the animals in your life.

If you are looking for a bit more guidance on how you can become a better communicator for your animal friend, how you can connect with the more deeply, and how you can better exchange healing energies to improve each others’ lives – consider accessing our Communicating with Pets and Animals course here >>

3 Things to Add to Your Summertime Bucket List

It’s summertime! Here are a few items that I encourage you to add to your Summertime Bucket List:

Take a sabbatical from Netflix. I know just how addictive binge-watching Netflix can be. In fact, I just “rediscovered” Suits, that awesome 9-season TV series that has me hooked, so I speak from experience when I suggest we all fight off that “urge to binge” and head outdoors right now. Summer only comes once a year, so we need to jump on it! You can hang with your pets, drive through a wildlife park, visit a beach at the ocean, or a lake. Give yourself permission to just BE. You are a human BEING not a human DOING. Your body and spirit will thank you!

Choose a summertime wilderness trail to explore. Put on your hiking boots, shorts, and shirt, apply sunscreen, fill your backpack with survival essentials (drinking water, matches, food bars, thermal, a small/foldable emergency blanket in case you end up having to spend the night outdoors due to a missed turn, your phone, a Swiss Army knife, insect spray, first aid essentials) and take a hike. As long as you prepare for the unexpected, a hike to an alpine lake or across some other breathtakingly beautiful nature spot will rejuvenate you like nothing else can.

Visit your favorite environment and do something fun while you’re there.

Love the water (lake, ocean, pond, river, beach)? If so, consider building a sandcastle (if there is the right kind of sand or mud where you are), renting a kayak or canoe, going swimming, doing yoga, meditating, painting or drawing what you see (or doing your best to express in words what you see and feel when you’re in your perfect place), going whitewater rafting (or its less intense counterpart, peaceful river rafting), surfing, scuba diving or snorkeling, paddleboarding, or inner-tubing down a placid river. Go whale watching. Whatever “floats your boat!”

Love the Outdoors? Attend an outdoor concert in your region and/or play an outdoor game. Admire the wildflowers. Plant a butterfly garden. Take a road trip. Go camping. Visit a farmer’s market. Ride a roller coaster or ferris wheel. Walk or Run 5K for a good cause. Visit a zoo, wildlife park or animal sanctuary. Go birdwatching. Make a bonfire and cook s’mores, baked beans, and vegan hot dogs. Play tennis, pickleball, volleyball, badminton or any other game that offers laughter and exercise. Rent a log cabin for a weekend or mid-week or longer and meditate or do yoga outside it every morning and evening. (Be sure to step outside to greet sunrises and bid adieu to sunsets!) Visit a regional parade. Take an archery class. Catch a ride in a hot air balloon. Make a birdhouse.

Confined to a City? Create chalk art. Volunteer. Put on a puppet show for your neighborhood. Visit a museum and/or an art gallery. Get an adult coloring book. Have a picnic in the park. Record your fondest memories and adventures in a journal or scrapbook. Start a summer gratitude journal. Visit venues that feature animals (zoos, aquariums, the ocean.) Foster a pet or adopt a pet. Write a poem or a song.

There is a poem that I just love, and it’s appropriate here. It speaks volumes about mindset, perspective, and intention, three things that can make or break the human spirit:

Two men looked out through prison bars.
One man saw dirt … the other, stars.

I know you will make this summer memorable in your own inimitable way. Let me know on Facebook if there are other things on your bucket list that I missed.

Enjoy Summer 2023. It will never come again, and you’ll never be this young again, so don’t put off enjoying it in every way you can!

And if finally taking steps towards personal transformation, achieving your goals, and becoming the person you were meant to be is on your bucket list, this Summer is the perfect time to take that step. Registration is currently open for our Master-in-Training program. A year-long program that offers you transformative teachings, a close-knit support group, and an opportunity to work directly with me. It’s nothing short of life-changing.

You can learn about the changes people experience in our free Open House. You can watch the replay here >>

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How to Celebrate (and Make the Most of) The Summer Solstice

Ancient civilizations were keenly attuned to celestial events. They had to be. Agricultural or hunter-gatherer in nature, these people relied on their ancestors’ knowledge of the predictable changes that seasons bring to the land. Each season compelled precise “marching orders” that needed to be completed to help ensure their survival!

Among the longest-observed and celebrated astronomical anomalies were two solstices (two dates during the year when the sun appears to stand still) and two equinoxes (“equal-night” events).

Today, we call these four days the first day of summer, autumn/fall, winter, and spring) and today’s farmers and subsistence hunters and gatherers continue to regard them as crucial dates because nature’s relationship with the sun changes ever-so-slightly (but crucially) during these times.

Those who live in rural and suburban areas can easily witness the changes that the four seasons bring, especially if we live in the northern part of the northern hemisphere: Seattle, Boise, Kalispell, the Great Lakes region, and the like.

In the spring, buds erupt from the ground, leaves erupt from branches, and robins return to pull juicy earthworms from newly warmed soils. Before too long, baby rabbits, birds, mice, rats, moles, and shrews begin to make their appearances. The environment comes alive with vibrant colors, sounds and activities.

As spring progresses toward summer, plants begin to ripen and living beings begin to mature. The land and air get warmer and natural water sources become scarcer. Field irrigation becomes necessary.

By the time summer solstice rolls around, the sun is beating down on the planet as many as 16 hours a day in the northern hemisphere (as opposed to the scant eight hours or so that it receives during the winter solstice). Abundant fresh produce floods farmers markets. Life is good. In fact, life is great! “If only this could be the status quo year-‘round,” I’m sure many of our now-long-dead ancestors wished!

But they knew better. They knew that summer was the last gasp as far as abundance went. They knew they needed to continue preparing for the cold, barren, bleak winter months ahead; they couldn’t rely on international commerce, as we do, to deliver what they would be needing to sustain their lives during the exceedingly lean months that stood between them and mid-spring the following year.

So, it should come as no surprise to learn that they acknowledged, with enormous reverence, the value of Sol. Stonehenge and other solstice-specific monuments dot the globe, bearing mute testimony to the reverence our ancestors paid to their life-sustaining environment and to its chief benefactor and influence, the sun.

Ancient Greeks

In Greece, the people celebrated the agricultural god Cronus during the Summer Solstice. During this festival, the social policy was reversed and enslaved people were served by their masters or treated and addressed as absolute equals.

Ancient Romans

For days before the summer solstice, ancient Romans attended a festival honoring Vesta, goddess of the hearth. This was the sole annual opportunity for married women to enter the temple to submit offerings to the goddess in that sacred space.

Ancient Chinese

The ancient Chinese honored the earth, femininity, and yin during the summer solstice.

Other Ancient Cultures

In Northern and Central Europe Germanic, Slavic and Celtic tribes greeted summer by building immense bonfires. The tradition continues to this day in several countries.

Vikings

Nordic mariners met to discuss legal matters and resolve disputes during the summer solstice. They also visited wells that they believed possessed healing powers and built bonfires around them.

Native Americans

Here in the Americas (North, Central and South) ancient Indigenous tribes took part in centuries-old midsummer rituals, some of which their ancestors continue to this day. Some scholars believe that Wyoming’s Bighorn medicine wheel aligns with the summer solstice sunrise and sunset and served as the site of their annual sun dance.

Maya and Aztecs

Although not a lot is settled about the ways ancient Central Americans celebrated midsummer, the impressive ruins they left behind point to the significance of the summer solstice to them. Many of the temples, public buildings, and other structures that remain today are precisely aligned with the shadows cast by summer and winter solstices.

Druids

Celtic high priests (today called Druids) very likely led ritual celebrations during midsummer, but it’s unlikely they took place at England’s famous Stonehenge site. This conjecture hasn’t kept modern Druids from gathering at the monument during the summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes, though.

Solstice Facts

The term solstice comes from two Latin words, “Sol” (sun) and “Sistere“ (“to stand still”). During both annual solstices, ancient astronomers noted that only during two widely separated days each year (in June and December) did the sun appear to be stationary in the sky.

A solstice marks one of the two times each year when the sun is farthest away from the equator.

This year in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice will take place on Wednesday, June 21st at exactly 10:58am Eastern Time / 7:58am Pacific Time.

Summer and winter solstices happen at precise times; they are not day-long events, although these moments have been celebrated throughout the same day for thousands of years.

This year’s winter solstice in the northern hemisphere will occur at exactly 7:27p.m. Pacific Time/10:27PM Eastern Time on Thursday, December 21.

Here are ways to celebrate the Summer Solstice Where You Live

In addition to bonfires, fairs and festivals, some people use the occasion to restart their lives, let go of what no longer serves them, and/or open up to meaningful change. Following are examples.

If you’re into yoga, start the day with a sun salutation to calm and center yourself.

Set new goals/intentions. Cast off whatever no longer serves you so you can open space in your life to laser focus on new goals and intentions. Perhaps start with what’s in your closet and/or bonus room, even if your goals aren’t physical items. Doing so will reset your mind to realize that you’re completely capable of creating the life you want.

Create a summer bucket list. Make concrete arrangements to do whatever you feel you must do to feed your spirit before summer’s expiration date.

Make A Flower Crown: In a folk tale from Finland, a young woman collected seven flowers under her pillow on Midsummer night (aka the Summer Solstice) and lo and behold, her future fiancé appeared in her dreams! Whether you’re looking for a mate or just for some creative fun, making a flower crown is a delightful idea!

Start A Summer Garden (Or Add To Your Existing One) But only if you love gardening. Many people feel renewed and/or meditative when working the soil.

Throw a Summer Solstice Party. Get outside with great friends or family members. Build a bonfire, sing songs, play instruments or your favorite music, and eat your favorite foods.

If you can’t be at Stonehenge, watch the livestream to witness the sunrise through the center stone during this year’s summer solstice.

If you’re in the far north (Alaska or Iceland), play a midnight sport (baseball in Alaska, golf in Iceland).

Take a hike. Climb with a friend to an alpine meadow, waterfall, or some other natural wonder.

Play some lawn games. Lawn darts, bocce ball, horseshoes and other lawn games are great fun.

Stargaze. Get outside of big cities and into sparsely populated areas to rediscover a night sky filled with an uncountable number of stars.

Go berry picking. Harvesting wild, edible berries is a favorite pastime of a lot of outdoorsy types.

Catch the wave! Go surfing (board, body, or wind) or waterskiing. It’s exhilarating. (Remember the sunscreen!)

Go camping. Whether you employ a tent or a camper, camping is where it’s at for those who want to surround themselves with nature.

Take an evening swim. If you can swing it, swim naked in the dark with a romantic partner. Love is in the air!

For many reasons that are now clear, the Summer Solstice has been an all-important day throughout history. It is also a day of equilibrium and powerful celestial energy. It’s an ideal to pause and think about where you have come in life, and where you want to go. And if you feel as though you have much to accomplish, like you are ready to step into the person you were put on this Earth to be, then you should consider our year-long Master-in-Training program. It’s our most intimate, powerful, and exclusive program. A program that drives the time of life transformational in a year that most people couldn’t imagine in a decade. And the doors for registration are now open.

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Develop Habits that Help You & Ditch the Ones that Don’t

It’s impossible, I think, to live for very long without developing a series of habits that appear to have worked quite well for a very long time. We’ve all developed habits for assorted reasons: to pass the time, to shift blame, or to pass muster in some way. Some have become workaholics, others shopaholics, others alcoholics, others marathon TV series-aholics, still others video game-aholics. In a crazy, mixed-up, and heavily politicized world, sometimes dropping out simply to stay sane seems the sensible thing to do.

Mea culpa

Early on, I developed self-protective habits in abundance: among them, staying out of my mother’s way (she detested me in utero) and pleasing my incestuous father (and later other powerful men, working my way up the ladder back when women attorneys were almost as rare as hens teeth), none of which was good for me. As a result of these unhealthy habits and others (including drinking like a fish and an unhealthy daily dose of Valium), I ended up with a cancer diagnosis in my 20’s. Talk about a wake-up call!

It was just so easy to develop unhelpful habits! When it worked, even temporarily, to give me some sense of control, ease, or release, I did it again. And again. And again. Until they became habits. (As it turned out, nearly fatal habits!)

I can guarantee you that no one ever expected (or intended, or desired) to become addicted to a substance, a beverage, or a way of “doing life” that ended up harming them and/or their loved ones and future. But millions of people have ended up hooked on habits that no longer serve them (and perhaps, in hindsight, never did).

With that cancer diagnosis, I went on a health kick and on a quest that extinguished the older, unhelpful habits along the way. With only so many hours in each given day, and what I considered, at the time, to be a temporary reprieve from undergoing surgery while I researched other healing modalities, a whole new world opened up to me. A world in which I was no longer a victim or a victimizer (both learned at my parents’ knees) but a victor. With each new sage, guru, shaman, and teacher I met, I developed new habits to support my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. My body literally healed itself, as all bodies are designed to do when we stop bombarding them with unhelpful habits and harmful thoughts. And as a result, I discovered my true calling (Spirit never wastes a wound): sharing ways to overcome unhelpful mindsets that deliver the exact opposite of what everyone wants to happen to them and their loved ones! Healing is an inside job and developing helpful habits is a crucial step in the process.

My Recipe for Developing Better Habits

This month, replace one unhelpful habit with a helpful one.

If you’re spending more than 30 minutes a day on social media or playing Solitaire or another relaxing-but-irrelevant video game, choose another helpful habit and divert and dedicate the excess time to developing it. Example: If you’re sedentary, devote the excess time to taking a mindful walk. Ideally, choose a nature trail, a city park, or some other place where you can see and hear birds and animals. Or, if children are a special delight, visit a playground in a city park. This new activity should have no responsibilities attached to it. Make this your time to simply walk, sit, and appreciate the value of creating a healthier, but equally enjoyable (“addictive”-worthy!) habit.

Next month, replace another unhelpful habit with a more helpful one.

If you feel you’re addicted to watching too much TV, divert and dedicate at least half of the time you spend doing that listening to a soothing music station (ideally instrumental). Doing so will give your brain a chance to recalibrate and relax. Although our brains are designed to think and to seek pleasurable activities, they don’t benefit from a too-constant drumbeat of pursuit. Too much action/adventure or adrenaline-pumping entertainment can create an imbalance. Give your brain a break!

The following month, replace another unhelpful habit with a creative new hobby or undertaking.

Learn to knit, read a book, play pickleball, speak a new language, or go swimming during the time you would otherwise spend on the unhelpful habit. Write that memoir. Send that letter. Do something you feel really great about.

Repeat, as above, as many times as necessary, each time replacing an unhelpful habit with one that feeds your spirit or advances you in the direction you want to go.

You do have the time; it’s just a matter of incorporating a more helpful pursuit, using the same hours. Simply establish focused intent and then Make It So!

When you’ve conquered your small handful of time-consuming unhelpful habits, you’ll find you’ve freed up ample time (and energy!) to seek and attain the goals that you’re more interested in achieving.

Yard by yard, life is hard.
Inch by inch, life’s a cinch.

It is sometimes the smallest of things that are the hardest to change. And we all need a helping hand sometimes. And that is exactly what our community here at the Deborah King Center provides. And at the highest echelons of our programs, the changes people make in their lives are nothing short of life-changing. Want to learn more about it? Click here to attend our free annual Open House to learn about the transformations that can be in store for you >>

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