Waiting for Spring?
Punxsutawney Phil—the famous weather-forecasting groundhog in Pennsylvania who appears on February second—has been shown to be about forty percent accurate in predicting whether we’ll get clear skies or six more weeks of winter.
4 Reasons to Forgive
Forgiveness is an essential part of healing. When you have suffered a wrong, or even a perceived wrong, the resulting hurt and anger can burrow deep into your heart and energy field and begin to fester. The longer you harbor the resentment and bitterness instead of forgiving the wrong, the higher the chances that those negative feelings will cause discord in your system, creating blocks in your chakras and eventually, physical symptoms and illness. Forgiveness is not easy for anyone. Trust me, I know. It took years of intense personal work through energy healing for me to be able to forgive my father for his abuse, and my mother for her blind eye and cold shoulder. If you have experienced severe betrayal or violence, abandonment or abuse, especially from a trusted family member or caretaker, forgiveness might seem like an impossible feat. It does take courage, but you can do it, and your life will improve a hundred times over once you do.
Here are just a few of the reasons to practice forgiveness:
1. Forgiveness makes you feel better. Forgiveness takes the power away from the hurt or wrong and helps you to let it go. As long as you hold on to resentment or anger it can manifest in your life as depression, self-blame, guilt, loss of motivation, revenge fantasies, anxiety, and other emotional and mental issues, as well as physical health problems, especially those related to the heart chakra, including asthma, pneumonia, breast or lung cancer. When you forgive, you take a large step forward in healing yourself. Studies suggest that forgiveness improves the function of the immune system, and research has shown that pain levels decrease when patients forgive inner hurts. This is because forgiveness releases the clouds of darkness those negative emotions create in your field and body, and allows for light energy to fill those holes, which charges and energizes your whole being.
2. Forgiveness is not excusing. I want to make sure you understand that forgiveness is not excusing what someone did to you. There are likely very real betrayals and traumas in your life that are not excusable, and you should not have to feel like you need to minimize what happened to you. What forgiveness does entail is letting go of the residual emotions like resentment, anger, hurt, and bitterness that stem from what happened. Forgiving means you stop feeling hostile, that you let go of any need or desire for revenge or retribution. This is not a weakness; quite the opposite, in fact. It takes a ton of strength and courage to forgive, and if you can manage it, it will speed up your spiritual progress as well as set you free.
3. Guilt impedes your healing process. Guilt is a parasitic emotion. It eats at you from the inside, churning your stomach and making you tense, and not doing you any good. The only potential it has is spurring you to own up to your mistakes as best you can and to learn from them. Then you must move on, which includes forgiving yourself. Self-forgiveness is possibly more important than forgiving others, as you have to live with yourself every second of every day. If you are constantly beating yourself up over past mistakes, that blame and anger can cause blockages in your personal energy field. If you don’t forgive yourself, you put yourself at risk. If you already have a health problem like cancer or another disease, you must remember that it is not your fault! You were working with what you knew at that time, and you cannot control pollutants or genetics or abusers. There is nothing to be gained from wishing you could change the past, and self-blame only does further harm. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I encourage students to learn from the disease and then move on by forgiving yourself and letting it go. It is the only way to heal.
4. Forgiveness is for you, not them. The only person who suffers from a grudge is you. Holding onto the desire for revenge, or any other hostile emotion regarding someone who wronged you, doesn’t actually harm them the way you might want it to. In fact, it backfires, and causes you tremendous damage.
When you forgive, you lift a weight off your chest that you probably didn’t realize you were carrying, but you will feel so much lighter and freer once it’s been removed. When I finally realized one day that after years of journaling, meditating prayer, and energy medicine techniques, I no longer felt any hatred or bitterness toward my parents, it was like I was reborn. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I felt utterly uplifted.You will, too.
If you have tried to forgive and are having trouble releasing your anger or hostility, try journaling about your feelings, which sets them free from your body and energy field and allows for fresh universal energy to fill that space. I also highly recommend you take one of my energy healing courses, which will give you plenty of techniques for processing and releasing your emotions so you can become healthier and happier. Lastly, be patient with yourself. Forgiveness can be very difficult, and can take time. But it is so worth the effort to be able to be free of the chains of guilt and bitterness, and move forward in creating the life you want.
A Holiday Greeting from Deborah
My Holiday Gift to you!
Sending love and blessings to you as we bid farewell to 2014, and look forward to a light filled 2015.
Supermoon Sunday: Tap into the Power of Lunar Energy
How often do you go outside and look at the moon? You probably spend most of your waking hours enjoying the light of the sun, which is influential in its own right, but did you know that the energy of the moonlight holds its own special power?
What Is a Supermoon?
This Sunday a supermoon will rise into the night sky and bathe the world in its shimmering white light. A “supermoon” is a full moon that occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to the earth, making the moon appear even bigger and brighter than normal. Lucky us!
A full moon is always a powerful time for meditation, energy healing, and recharging your energy field and chakras. That is why so many cultures have rituals and ceremonies that take place during full moons—the full moon shines down so much pure energy that anything it touches can’t help but feel its radiance and love. The supermoon effect amplifies that power and makes it even stronger.
Energy Medicine and the Full Moon
Energy healing during this potent time can yield incredible results. The illumination it provides is not only physical, but on the soul level as well, lighting up corners of your subconscious and giving you access to insights about your emotions, yourself, and your path, so you’ll definitely want to take advantage of this next week’s lunar energy!
Here are my top 7 ways to do just that:
1. Get in touch with your emotions.
Emotions are magnified during the full moon. Have you ever heard people say, “It must be a full moon,” when things start to go crazy? Since emotions are so easily accessible during this time, it’s a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and release them. This will help clear your chakras, and allow for the healing energy of the full moon to work its magic. Journaling is especially beneficial right now, and in addition to expressing your inner truths and feelings, it’s a good time to write out your intentions, make decisions about what you really want, and fully embrace your truest self.
2. Take a moon bath.
The moonlight is cleansing to your mind, body, and spirit, so spending time under its vibrant white glow is like a soothing bath without the water. Take a walk under the moon, preferably with some of your skin bared to the light. Gaze up at the brilliance of the moon for as long as you can, basking in its energy and love. What do you feel in your body and in your chakras? What messages is the moon lighting up inside of you? A moon bath steeps your body and spirit in purifying light, washing away negativity and leaving you fresh and renewed.
3. Manifest your desires.
Harness the positive energy of the moon by envisioning your goals and dreams. Spend some time picturing your life as you wish it to be. What are your intentions? The full moon will magnify any energy you send out, and help guide it into the welcoming embrace of the universe. Be clear and specific about what you wish to manifest and don’t be surprised when your intentions come true.
4. Release negativity.
The moon’s light is so strong, it’s hard for darkness to stand up in the face of its glory. The moon can reach the deepest parts of your soul and pull out the things you’ve been hiding or trying to ignore. The moon illuminates any negative emotions stored in your chakras or your body and reflects that knowledge back to you so that you can begin the process of clearing those blockages through meditation, healing courses, or other means.
5. Be creative.
What is your special talent or hobby? Do you paint or cook or act or sing? Maybe you enjoy decorating or gardening or a sport. The full moon is the time to do whatever creative activity makes you feel joyful! Any creations you make this next week will be imbued with the light and energy of the full moon, and can even act as special tokens or talismans that will allow you to recall the moon’s energy whenever you need it in the future.
6. Sleep outside.
I try to sleep outside all summer, and especially during the full moons. So this warm August night, why not give it a try? Grab a sleeping bag or blanket and head out under the canopy of sparkling stars and the glowing full moon and just bask in the light. Meditate or even say a little prayer, and let the peace and beauty of the moon soak into your body and soul while you sleep. You’ll wake up refreshed and rejuvenated.
7. Boost your feminine energy.
Women, take note: you in particular need the feminine lunar energy of the moon in order to keep your energy field vibrant and strong. This is not to discount the guys, because they need feminine energy as well—remember everything is about balance—but the female energy of the moon is absolutely essential for women to maintain the health of their field. Of course, all energy healing efforts are boosted by a full moon, but gals may find this time especially fruitful during.
I hope that you’ll try some or all of these techniques during this coming supermoon weekend. At the very least, make an effort to get outside this next weekend and enjoy the benefits of spending time lovingly enveloped in the soft white glow of the moon!
Is Less the New More When It Comes To Happiness?
If you’re like most, your calendar rules your day—the beep of the alarm sets off a series of start and end times to your activities: work, gym, meetings, dinners, classes, appointments, etc., until you’re so booked up that you almost have to check your schedule to see when you have time to eat!
The Weight of Busy-ness It can be exhausting to feel like you never have any “free time.” Maybe you feel trapped between “pick up dry cleaning at 7 am” and “plan tomorrow’s meals before bed” and are beginning to feel like you are a robot programmed by your day planner. If so, the weight of your busy-ness may be affecting your ability to enjoy your time, and therefore your life. Not to mention the damage this type of go-go-go living can inflict on your chakras and your energy field.
No Watch, No Problem Not all cultures are as time-obsessed as we are, and those that aren’t, also tend to be happier. Coincidence? Hardly! People who live in places where kindness and selflessness are valued and acceptance is encouraged—where people don’t even own watches and would have no need for a calendar—experience an entirely different reality. They live each day fully in the present moment, appreciating what they have, and are consequently full of joy. During my years of studying with seers and holy men and women in order to become a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I was able to witness this sweeping joy in many non-western cultures. One experience that really stands out to me is my time with the Nepalese. My experience there was life-altering, and opened my eyes to the happiness that comes from letting go of time and just being present.
Heading up the Mountain My husband and I were experienced mountain climbers when we went to Nepal, and I’d done a considerable amount of third-world traveling, but Kathmandu seemed like a different world altogether when we arrived. Brightly colored prayer flags waved in the breeze above us, car horns blared, and food stands grilled food right there on the side of the road at the airport. From there, we hired a Sherpa (a mountain guide) and took the scariest plane ride of my life up to Lukla—with a pilot who took a big gulp of rum right before we took off and a terrifying landing in what I later learned was the airport rated the most dangerous in the world—and started our climb up the mountain.
Sleeping in Huts Full of Joy (and Yaks) We trekked during the day for seven or eight hours at a time and at night, we’d build camp to sleep a few hours before getting up to do it all again in the morning. If we stopped near a village, which was really usually just a three-hut settlement, we would ask the locals for a place to sleep. The people were warm, welcoming, and generous, often giving us their last two eggs or the potatoes they’d dug up that very day so that we could eat.
Infectious Smiles The huts were filled with thick black smoke from the cooking fire, and animals shared the space—yaks, goats and other creatures were treated as part of the family as their milk and wool were necessary for survival. Just as we would settle in to rest, the priest of the settlement would begin his vigil, praying and spinning a prayer wheel throughout the night. As you can guess, we didn’t sleep much, but were buoyed by the overwhelming sense of joy radiating from the people around us. I was in awe of the utter delight each person seemed to have in everything—the smiles on their faces were radiant and infectious.
Like Going Back in Time Water is so scarce in these villages that the people do not bathe or ever wash their hands, so you can imagine the risk. Water boiled at that high an altitude is not potable, and as Eric and I ate the generous offerings of the people, we also worried we would be infected with hepatitis. We did suffer from horrible dysentery, that went with the territory, and remember, there are no bathrooms. There were also no beds or chairs to sit on, no showers or soap; it was like going back in time. And yet, after just the first ten days in Nepal in these conditions, my sense of time expanded. I didn’t know or care what time or day it was and I suddenly felt freer than I’d ever felt. In my new state of being, I no longer worried about sanitation or comfort or lack of sleep—I was one hundred percent present in each moment as it passed. Then, I understood the joy of the Nepalese.
Fully Present and Altered While being fully present, I was attuned to the beauty of the sunrise and sunset, the feel of the wind on my cheeks, the mountain vistas that stretched for miles, the way the clouds tumbled below our peak, the thin air in my lungs, the warmth in my blood—everything was alive and shining and I felt the same joy I saw reflected in the faces of these mountain people. Despite the fear and discomfort during this trip, I knew even as I left that I had been blessed with profound lessons about simplicity, resilience, acceptance, surrender, and gratitude.
Less is More—Lack Turned into Gain The Nepalese seemingly had so much less than what I was used to in terms of food, water, shelter, and modern conveniences, but they had so much more freedom, appreciation, love, and yes, happiness. Despite the perceived lack, I actually found the Nepalese way of life more satisfying than life back home, and brought much of that attitude back with me. Namaste! In the US I was a true Westerner—“more, better, faster” was my mantra—but when I returned from Nepal, I had elevated my consciousness to a new level of understanding about being present, and how presence leads to gratitude, which leads to happiness. With this new perspective, I was able to become an energy healer and practice energy medicine with more purpose, clarity, and joy, and pass those same gains onto my students in my energy healing courses.
Deepening Gratitude So, if you want more happiness in your life, the answer is not to do more, but less, and to be thankful for the gifts you’ve been given. Spend a few minutes each day practicing just being—stare in awe at a beautiful sunset, sit with your eyes closed and listen to tree branches sway in the breeze, pay attention to the complex flavors of your meal, play a silly game with a friend or a child. Begin a daily routine of meditation quiet your mind and body, and deepen your gratitude. When you take the time to slow down, be in the moment, and appreciate what’s around you, no matter what it is, you can cultivate the joyfulness I witnessed in Nepal, and your smile, too, can become infectious. If you’re attracted to this kind of learning, Join Deborah for her new online video course, The Secrets of Chakra Wisdom. Click here to discover more about the
3 Important Tips for Talking About Your Gifts with Others
Imagine this scenario: you’re at a family gathering or a party with friends, and people are talking about their jobs and hobbies, as people do. When the conversation steers your way, you begin to tell them about your passion for energy healing, or your ability to connect with angels, or about meeting your higher self during meditation…but you stop just before the words leave your mouth. Why? Because you’re afraid of revealing a piece of yourself that may not be accepted by your family and friends.
Family, Meet Energy Healing
As a spiritual teacher and master energy healer, I have gotten many questions about how to broach the subject of energy healing with loved ones who are not studying it themselves. Depending on where your family and friends are on their personal spiritual journeys, you may find it difficult to tell them about your esoteric abilities all together! But as energy healing becomes a bigger part of your identity, it’s smart to consider how you will introduce them to this practice and its role in your life.
Growing the Light Inside of You
You are clearly on a spiritual journey—you wouldn’t be interested in energy medicine or reading this blog if you weren’t also interested in raising your consciousness and increasing your connection to Spirit. Perhaps you are working hard at your spiritual evolution like I did—taking in healing courses and workshops, maintaining a practice of daily meditation, studying with master healers and other spiritual teachers, processing old traumas, releasing negative energy, and clearing your chakras—all behaviors I encourage in order to make room for the light in you to grow.
It’s likely that as you’ve progressed through the levels of energy healing and reached higher levels of awareness, your spiritual gifts have appeared or strengthened. Maybe you’ve developed telepathy or the ability to astral travel, maybe your intuition has multiplied, or maybe you can speak with animals.
Great News is Meant to Be Spread
However energy medicine has helped you, whether through a physical, energetic, or emotional healing, or through the deepened connection to your guides, your higher self, and Source, I bet you want to share all the amazing benefits you’ve experienced! The positive outcomes of energy healing, healing courses, and meditation, and the incredible shifts you’ve already felt in your mind, body, and soul, are definitely worth talking about! You’ve experienced how energy medicine changes lives, yet you may still feel hesitant when discussing your esoteric gifts and interests with others.
You Can Only Walk Your Own Path
And not without reason. Our personal challenge as spiritual teachers, leaders, and healing practitioners is that energy medicine has some skeptics out there that we may have to face, and one of those skeptics may be someone you care about. Of course, it’s important to understand that there is nothing wrong with your friend or family member having an opinion that differs from yours. As you raise your consciousness, it becomes easier to accept that each person must walk their own path, even if it’s not the path you would choose.
So if your loved one is traveling a path that looks like an alien landscape to you, how can you open up about your spiritual talents and the transformations you’ve experienced?
Here are a few tips I’ve found to be helpful:
Be authentically you.
If you act out of love and are guided by a developed intuition and your higher self, you will become a beacon of light, a shining example of how life can be lived, and people will notice. Through meditation and energy healing you may have acquired a calmer, more patient demeanor, or a broader, more compassionate perspective, or a lightness in your body and your soul that you will demonstrate simply by living your truth. People will be attracted to your new positive energy, and will begin to ask you what you’re doing that is making you look and feel so great.
Share by example.
The best way to lead is not by force, but by example. When your best friend asks you how you seem to have so much more energy lately or your coworkers comment that you are handling stress so much better these days, this gives you the in you need to mention energy healing or your other spiritual practice or abilities without offending or pushing it. When you allow someone to approach you first, they will be excited to learn your secrets and more receptive to any concepts or practices you’d like to share. Just like you can’t force someone to heal if they don’t truly want to, your loved ones need to be in a space to welcome the information or it will fall on deaf ears.
Internal validation trumps external responses.
It is wonderful when your friends and family accept your spiritual gifts without blinking an eye, and sharing your discovery of energy healing, its benefits, and any other abilities you’ve developed is part of being a light worker. But don’t forget where the real validation comes from: within you, from your higher self and from Spirit.
No matter how your family and friends react to your esoteric skill set and interests, their feelings do not in any way diminish or devalue your gifts or the personal transformations you’ve made and will continue to make. Regardless of who recognizes it, you are part of a spiritual revolution that is helping to raise the consciousness of this planet, so keep your head held high. Know that your higher self and Source are proud of you for being who you are and walking this path of light.
Top 3 Reasons to Try Energy Healing
What is energy healing? It is the practice of tapping into the universal energy field for information and then making small shifts in the individual’s personal energy field in order to help someone heal of mental, emotional, or physical distress. Because all three of the key aspects of humanity: mind, body, and spirit, are inextricably linked, when one part gets sick, the other two sides of that triangle also become unbalanced. Energy healing heals the whole person, acting through the personal energy field to get at problems under the surface of the body and the psyche.
Energy medicine saves lives. It saved mine, eradicating the cancer in my body when I was twenty five. As a master energy healer, I have worked with thousands of students who can attest to the fact that they were healed and/or saved with energy medicine. If you let it, energy healing can save your life, too, whether you need physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual healing.
If that isn’t reason enough to give energy healing a try, here are three more:
1. Energy healing can heal almost anything.
I have been an energy healer and spiritual teacher for decades now, and I know from experience that there are no limits to what energy healing can accomplish, provided it is in line with the soul’s life plan. Physical injuries and diseases, crippling emotional pain, completely closed-down chakras, all of these ailments and more have been healed with energy medicine. I have seen energy healing face some of the darkest sources of pain a human body can withstand and win, lifting the weight of that pain and providing relief for the patient.
I even had a remission from cancer at the hands of an energy healer, which is what motivated me to begin learning about energy medicine. I became so amazed and enthralled by what I saw and learned that I ultimately left a thriving career as an attorney to devote my life to energy healing, helping people become the best versions of themselves and fulfilling their true life purpose.
Now this is not to say that if you have a serious illness, like cancer, that you should ignore modern medicine. Quite the opposite! When you need healing, use all the resources you can, and that means energy medicine in concert with traditional medicine. Meditation and journaling are other helpful ways to reach your innermost desires and get in touch with your higher self to assist in making any decisions you have about your health.
2. You are already a healer.
Our ancestors were able to heal themselves and others without any special training because back then, humans were more regularly in touch with their higher selves and the unified field. Capabilities such as reading or sending thoughts between loved ones, being fully grounded in Mother Nature, and yes, energy healing, were not considered “supernatural” the way they are today. These skills and abilities were common and widespread in ancient humans, but have since been overshadowed and ignored in favor of technology and our fast-paced intellectual culture
Don’t worry—the capacity for energy healing still resides within you! Though the memories of how to access these “powers” have been buried, the information is still stored our collective unconscious. With practice and training, you can reawaken these innate abilities.
Healing courses or workshops can provide you with the training and instruction you need to get started in energy medicine, or improve your practice if you’ve already begun. An experienced energy healer can also double check that your own energy field is in proper shape to treat others.
3. Energy healing boosts your spiritual development.
Whether you are healed by an energy healer or heal yourself in the process of becoming an energy healer, your spiritual progress gets a lift. One of the most common stumbling blocks for seekers of the light is imbalances in their chakras caused by emotional trauma or unresolved emotions. These imbalances are called distortions, and a distorted chakra can wreak havoc on your energy field by blocking the flow of energy like a clogged pipe, even shutting it down completely. Both scenarios can result in physical pain and suffering that is a direct reflection of your emotional pain.
Energy healing helps to clear those blocks from your chakras and restores your energy field to its optimal state of unrestricted flow. With your energy field in good shape, you can begin to expand your consciousness and reach higher states of awareness.
One of the best things about a practice of energy healing is that it forces you to stay centered and grounded. You cannot heal others without a clear energy field, and a clear consciousness free from ego and fear, which means you must vigilantly maintain your own spiritual health. Meditation, expressing and releasing your emotions, and staying in tune with Mother Earth are all helpful in keeping yourself clear of negative energy.
The benefits of energy medicine are more than I can express with words, but I can say that a happier, healthier life, expanded consciousness, and being able to heal friends and loved ones are just the tip of the iceberg.
If you would like to learn more about the life-changing and life-saving field of energy medicine, check out my Hay House LifeForce Energy Healing Online Course, which is a twelve week program designed to teach you how to heal yourself and others, and will certify you to be an official energy healer!
Get Out of Fear and Into the Light
Fear is a necessary component to life on the physical plane. Some common fears are heights, snakes, and water. These real fears serve an important purpose: to keep you safe. Your ancestors relied on the warning system of fright to protect them from falling off a cliff, getting bitten by a poisonous reptile, or drowning in a river. Your brain continues to use thousands of years of programmed fear to shield your body from harm.
But what happens when fear becomes psychological? Fear of inadequacy, of loneliness, of failure—these fears burrow into your psyche and can affect you a on a daily basis, sometimes even preventing you from living a meaningful life full of positive relationships and experiences. These psychological fears are unnecessary. The only purpose they serve is to damage your chances of living in light and love. It’s time to get those fears under control!
Psychological fear wears many masks you need to watch for, including anxiety, worry, depression, and embarrassment. Even fate can camouflage fear, as in, “I’ve had three bad dates, so it must be a sign I’m not meant to find love,” when really you’re afraid of vulnerability. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I often see the trickster of fear masquerade as logic. For example, my student Molly wanted to join a choir. The choir required an audition that Molly had prepared for and felt good about. But when the day arrived, she came up with a dozen logical reasons why it was impractical for her to join the group: the commute was too far, the choir would cost money, she was particularly busy at work, who would feed her kids those nights, etc., etc. But the real, honest reason was that she was scared of failing. The audition was emotionally risky, so fear donned the mask of common sense and convinced Molly it was a bad idea.
Fears and their guises take years to become buried in your mind and heart so you can’t expect them to disappear overnight. But here are five ways you can begin to slowly move out from under those dark clouds of fear and walk into the light.
1. Acknowledge Your Fears
As a former addict, I know that the first step to any recovery is awareness. Ignoring your fears will only make them worse and give them more power over your life. Admit to yourself what you are truly afraid of, whether it is being wrong, or being alone, or losing a loved one. Open up and identify the truth of your fear so you can start the healing process.
2. Uncover the Cause
Psychological fears always have a root source. In working with Molly, I discovered the foundation of her fear of auditioning was a childhood in which she was expected to always be the best and was met with disappointment and even disapproval from her parents when she received less than an A+ or didn’t make the team. This had created in Molly an intense fear of failure, which also manifested as anxiety over trying new things or taking risks. Ask yourself, “What is the underlying cause of my fear? What is its origin?”
3. Express Yourself
Expressing your fears helps to release the grip they have on your psyche and helps you regain the power and energy they take from you. In my workshops and healing courses, I recommend journaling as a way to release negativity and liberate those pent-up emotions. Writing allows the scared pieces of you to be exposed to the light so they can start to mend. Talking through your fears can be incredibly beneficial as well. Whether it is a trusted friend or a professional listener like a religious counselor or trained therapist, speaking your fears aloud frees them from your mind and leaves room for peace.
4. Manage Stress
When you’re stressed, you become vulnerable to attack. Fear walks right through those open doors of exhaustion and strain and settles in your mind and body. Your chakras are especially susceptible to fear’s draining energy and can become blocked. Meditation is one of the best ways to manage your stress levels so you can keep those doors closed to fear and your chakras clear and unencumbered. Meditate every day, and I promise that your fears—along with some of those pesky fear-in-disguise feelings like anxiety and depression—will begin to decrease. Exercise, including walks and yoga, can also go a long way in lowering your stress levels and keeping you protected from the constant fight-or-flight response produced by psychological fears.
5. Practice Love
Love is the greatest power in the universe, and the best weapon against fear. Work on bringing more love into your life by spending more time with friends and family, volunteering for those less fortunate than yourself, and basking in the unconditional adoration of your pets. Connection to other living beings can alleviate feelings of isolation and improve the frequency and quality of love in your life. Don’t forget to practice self-love, too! Whatever form your fear takes, love is the one thing that will truly conquer it.
Calling All Angels
Angels surround you every day whether you realize it or not. Think of all the times a voice in your head has suggested you proceed with caution before an accident reveals itself. For example, you slow down while driving and suddenly a car in the next lane swerves into your lane or a tire blows out in the car right in front of you. Without your guardian angels watching over you and encouraging you to take your foot off the gas pedal, you may have been hit or unable to react quickly enough to avoid the chunks of rubber flying off a vehicle at seventy miles an hour. These voices are more than just intuition—they are your angels keeping you safe from harm.
Angels exist outside our human perceptions of time and space and live beyond all cultural limitations. Angels are made of light and love, and it is their job to spread that light and love to us, to help us through the trials and tribulations of being a physical being with all our bodily functions, emotional turmoil, and spiritual distress. They are here for you when you need them. Whether you are looking for healing for a physical ailment, an emotional upheaval, or a spiritual black hole, angels carry the tools to ease you out of your hardship.
Angels will never interfere with your life without your permission, unless your life is at risk, so it is important to let them know when you would like them to whisper in your ear or send much-needed love and support. Calling upon your angelic guides is easier than you might think. You can create your own prayers, invocations, or simple requests. It can be as straightforward as saying, “Please help me,” or, “Please help my loved one.” You don’t even need to say it aloud—your angels will hear your thoughts if you want them to. As an energy healer, I often observe this when a loved one is ill. The healthy individual calls out for help to heal their sick family member or partner, and if the intention is strong, help will come. Prayers never go unheard by the heavens, and healing can begin to take place.
In the book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the wise old wizard Dumbledore tells Harry, “Help will always be given at Hogwart’s to those who ask for it.” Later, when Harry is fighting the Basilisk, a giant poisonous snake, he becomes injured and is in real danger of losing his life. But instead of giving up, Harry asks for help, and the sword of Gryffindor presents itself to him, and Dumbledore’s Phoenix, a miraculous immortal bird, swoops in and blinds the evil serpent. Harry uses the sword to defeat the wounded beast and saves his friends, himself, and the school. At the moment all hope seemed lost, Harry opened himself up to the magic outside himself and was rewarded with the assistance he needed to defeat the monster. All he had to do was ask. The magical realm is no less available to you.
As a spiritual teacher, I encourage meditation as an even deeper way to open yourself up to the angelic kingdom and receive unconditional light from above. After your mediation, focus on releasing your pain and giving it to the angels. Trust me, they can handle it. You never have to worry about burdening your angels or taking them away from other souls. Angels have an unlimited supply of love, and since they are not bound by the physical world, they can be everywhere they need to be at any time. Give your angels your stress and fear and pain—it is what they are there for—and exchange that negativity for pure, celestial joy. As you practice this openness, reaching out to your angels will become almost effortless, and you will be able to unlock that joy more and more frequently.
Students who take my healing courses and workshops learn to feel the presence of their angels. The presence of an angel can feel like a warmth around the fourth or heart chakra, a feeling of loving tenderness that spreads out from the chest to rest of the body. Some students say they know their angels are near when they feel a sense of calm wash over them, bringing peace. With the continued practice of meditation and chakra clearing, you may even be able to see signs of your angels when they are close—a flash of white or golden light or a quick glimpse of shimmering wings.
Rest assured that even if you do not see your angels, they are waiting to guide, heal, and love you, without conditions. And they are always within calling distance. The lines are never closed and you are never out of range. You don’t even have to pick up the phone. All you need to do is ask.
The Ultimate Mystery
During the weeks I spent helping my 89-year-old mother recover from a bout of pneumonia, I found myself thinking about the way many Americans feel about death. Unlike medical doctors, who see the death of their patients as a personal defeat, I am an energy healer. I know that healing is not the same as curing. We can heal old traumas, rewire our misperceptions and ill-founded beliefs, untie our psychological knots, steep ourselves in gratitude and forgiveness, and yet not recover from diseases that have a firm grip on our physical bodies.
Death is inevitable, so why are most people afraid of it?
Because they can’t imagine what’s on the other side. All fear basically comes down to a fear of the unknown. And death is the ultimate mystery: uncharted territory, the unrevealed secret, the uncertain future. Personally, as someone who can hear the dead, I am certain that death is not the end. I also know that we are here—in bodies on Earth—to get over our issues, whatever they may be. It was always difficult between my mother and me, so I am working on healing our relationship while we are both still here.
To read more, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-king/facing-the-great-unknown_b_4616521.html
Are You a Hero?
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Monday, January 20th, we honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.—the inspiring leader and real hero in the fight for civil rights.
In 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. graduated from the seminary with a doctorate in theology prepared to lead a church, but the racial segregation and prejudice that existed in the South at that time compelled him to take action on a much larger scale. He studied and adapted Gandhi’s technique of nonviolent resistance to overcome the problems faced by his people. He spent his life giving speeches, leading protest marches and boycotts, sacrificing his own safety, comfort, and freedom in the pursuit of racial equality.
King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 to a quarter of a million people on the Mall in Washington, DC, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. Five years later, he was gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was about to lead a protest march.
Who can be a hero? Anyone who sees an injustice and propels themself into action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of a cause. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., heroes often risk their comfort, financial security, and/or personal safety for the good of others. But you don’t have to risk life and limb to be an everyday hero. For example:
- Danielle Gletow posts the wishes of foster kids online so they can be granted. She said, “I’m here to be the mom to all these kids who might not feel like they have one.” Her group has helped make more than 6,500 wishes comes true in 42 states.
- Estella Pyfrom created “Estella’s Brilliant Bus, using her life savings to fund a mobile computer lab that helps tutor thousands of low-income students in Palm Beach County, FL. As she says, “It’s not just a bus, it’s a movement. And we’re going to keep making a difference.”
- Duncan, Dylan, and Isabella Frost, three siblings who live in Denver, collect turkeys, canned goods, and money each fall by holding a Frost Family Turkey Bowl before Thanksgiving. This year, the flag football game scored 60 turkeys and $700 for the Denver Rescue Mission, which serves 100 different agencies during the holidays.
- How about all those teachers who use their own funds to buy school supplies for their students? They are also heroes, going above and beyond to inspire the up-and-coming generations.
Each and every day, there are dozens of opportunities to step in and get involved. The next hero could be you! You know you would help if you witnessed:
- a child being bullied at school, or an adult discriminated against at work
- a victim of domestic abuse
- someone who has had too much to drink and is about to drive
- an animal that is being neglected or abused
- an inappropriate or offensive comment is spoken
- someone who is hungry, homeless, or in need of medical attention.
As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I talk about how you can spread our light by “becoming the change we want to see in the world.” I urge you to take your inspiration from Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as from those who have made a difference in their own communities. You can be a hero, too!
A New Year and a New You!
If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am. ~Cyril Cusack
It’s that time again! Time to box up the decorations, put away your party clothes and get serious. New Years Day signaled an end to the excess of the holidays and a fresh start to a brand new year. Before you break out your journal and start setting goals and writing lists, think for a moment – what’s the secret to making your New Year’s resolutions stick?
Take your time, and set goals based on who you are, not the person your mother or father or significant other think you should be. Don’t take other people’s standards as a mandate that you need to change. Does a picture in a magazine or a critical comment from a friend make you feel like you have to whip yourself, home, or career, into shape? Before you start jotting down “to-dos”, spend some time contemplating what you really want, and get in touch with your own feelings. You make the rules, and there’s no rule that says New Year’s resolutions have to be nailed down in the first week of January. The best way to make sure your resolutions will stick around is to set goals that are appealing and meaningful for you.
Think out of the box when it comes to health and fitness. Getting in shape, eating healthy and losing weight are popular resolutions that tend to show up on the same lists year after year. If your healthy intentions routinely go awry, shake things up a little this year. Instead of counting calories, set a goal to eat more veggies and swap out coffee and soft drinks for herbal tea and cool water. If the gym doesn’t inspire you, go for walks or snow-shoeing. Take baby steps, and have fun along the way!
Schedule time for fun. New Years resolutions don’t have to be hard work. Here’s an easy one – resolve to spend more time doing things that bring you happiness and fulfillment. Exactly what that means is different for everyone. For me it’s spending time in nature, meditating, going to movies with my husband, and swimming. For you it might be discussing a good book with a friend, taking your dog to the park, or taking a long walk on the beach. Think about what activities bring you joy and make it a priority to schedule them into your day.
Get help if you need it. While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, smoking or engaging in other addictive behavior, many are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change on their own. If you plan to kick a destructive habit, know that there is a world of help and support available. If you’re ready to make a change, enlist the help of a friend, counselor, and/or support group, and take time to heal the unprocessed emotions that might be contributing to your addiction.
Can’t think of a resolution? Try my old standbys. As a spiritual teacher, I encourage journaling and meditating – they can absolutely change your life. Choking down and suppressing your emotions is all too common in our society, but to be truly healthy and happy you have to acknowledge your feelings and live in truth. Journal writing can help you to do that. If that sounds appealing to you, it’s simple to start. Resolve to write in your journal every day, use a notebook or computer – whatever you like, but most important, be honest! It’s time to honor your feelings and your journal is the place to do it. Don’t hold anything back! Meditation is another way to tap into your feelings – a daily practice of 20 minutes can be an amazing gift you give yourself. Meditation will help you manage stress, heal your body and your psyche, and find your true path in life. In every one of my healing courses, I teach my students about the power of journaling and meditation – I urge you to try them!
As you look forward to starting the New Year and progressing along on your journey of spiritual growth, I urge you to start from a place of unconditional love, and be sure to include yourself. Shine your light on you and the people around you, and give yourself the gift of self-love and acceptance!
Anticipating the Light
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned
that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
~ Albert Camus
As the seasons continue their relentless cycle, once again we find ourselves nearly at year-end, facing the darkest day of the year. December 21, 2013 marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, when we’ll experience the shortest day and longest night and see the sun peak at its lowest point in the sky. The term solstice means “sun stands still,” and for a fleeting moment the sun actually seems to pause in the sky – a signal to the world that the long night is over and we can look forward to the weeks to come when the days lengthen and the sun once again begins to work it’s magic here on earth!
For most of us today, the challenges of winter don’t go much beyond travel delays, ice on our windshields and the need to bundle up in warm coats, scarves and gloves. To others, the grey, gloomy days of winter can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) a mood change that’s associated with the change of the seasons. To ancient cultures, the winter solstice had much greater significance as each year citizens calculated their odds of living through the winter, dreading the approach of cold and darkness as they longed for spring to return.
The longest night of the year marks the return of the light in many cultures and has long been held as a sacred time of year. We can see evidence of these ancient tributes in places that were built to acknowledge this astronomical event, and in many of today’s winter holidays and rituals.
At Newgrange, a Stone Age passage tomb in Ireland, the sun shines down its long passageway into the central chamber at the first crack of light on the winter solstice. Each year, people gather at Newgrange on winter solstice to wait for the dawning of the light, and just as it did over 5,000 years ago, for seventeen minutes as the sun rises the whole chamber is illuminated. It’s an extraordinary experience to wait in the darkness for the longest night of the year to come to an end, as the old sun dies and the new sun is born. In 2007, for the first time, the illumination at the passage tomb was broadcast live so that people around the world could experience this magical moment in their own living rooms.
Gods have a way of appearing just as things are at their darkest! The infant Jesus, whose birth is celebrated right around the time of winter solstice, brought light back into the world. In the days of the Roman Empire, many of their gods were born near the time of the solstice: Apollo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus. In the third century, their festivals were combined into one “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” on December 25th. In Japan, the sun goddess Amateratsu emerges from her cave at this time of year.
Simple rituals, ancient and modern, help us to shed our own light on the darkness. All over the world people gather together with loved ones, light candles, decorate their homes, share meals and/or exchange gifts. All these winter holidays—Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Saint Lucia Day, Dong Zhi (which literally means “the extreme of winter”), Diwali, Koleduvane (a festival in Belgium for the birth of the sun), Gody (in Poland), Shabe-Yalda (rebirth of the sun as celebrated in Iran) – are celebrating the return of the light during the darkest time of the year.
As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I encourage you to remember that without darkness, there can be no light. To celebrate the seasonal cycle, why not develop your own personal rituals to mark the passing of darkness and the ascension into the light! Take a hike to a high outdoor peak, attend a meditation retreat or energy healing workshop, create a special journal entry to process any darkness that you have accumulated this season, or find a way to spread some light to others who are experiencing hardships or depression. Enjoy this mystical and hopeful time of year!
Meet a Few of My Favorite Archangels
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
~Michelangelo
Can you imagine having a powerful team of benevolent, all knowing beings whose mission is to watch over and protect you, and who are poised to provide divine guidance and answers in all areas of your life? You can – it’s the archangels! I call upon them every day— I encourage you to get to know them too! Archangels are with you all the time: they’re just waiting for you to invoke them with a prayer or plea for help.
Archangels are higher-level angels who supervise all guardian angels and angels upon the earth. You can call upon an archangel whenever you need them – they have no time or space limitations, so they’re never too busy to help. Like all spiritual guides, they don’t interfere unless they’re asked, except in rare cases when your life is in danger. It’s up to you to figure out which Archangel to call upon and to make it a habit to connect with them regularly. I urge you to pick a personal Archangel or two, you’ll feel happy, safe and guided, as you go through the day in their company!
Which Archangel should you connect with? Let me introduce you to a few of my favorites:
Are you a healer, or do you need healing of the mind, body or spirit? You’ll want to connect with Archangel Raphael and keep him close. I know I couldn’t get through a day without him!
Archangel Raphael is the angel of healing – his name means “God Heals, or God has Healed.” Raphael provides support and guidance to all healers, so call upon him and access his power to help others. He heals us from sickness and injury, as well as providing divine energy to our mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. He also is gifted in the areas of physical and spiritual eyesight, clairvoyance, and finding lost pets. If you or someone you love is sick, lost or struggling, connect with him by invoking his emerald green energy, while picturing the ailment or area where you need his healing support.
If you are a student, or if you feel like you’re at a crossroads and don’t know which direction to go, you can call on Archangel Uriel:
Uriel means “God is Light or God’s Light” and he’s the angel you need if you’re looking for clarity, information or help making a decision – large or small. Students and seekers commonly invoke this Archangel for everything from selecting the right answer on a multiple-choice test, to charting their life’s course! Uriel specializes in illuminating situations, providing prophetic information and offering transmutation. You can tap into his guidance by taking a deep breath, picturing yourself completely enveloped in the color red, and thinking of your dilemma – ask him to guide you, and he will apply his divine wisdom to your question or dilemma!
If you’re a writer, teacher or speaker, you’ll find Archangel Gabriel an invaluable source of support in the area of communication:
Archangel Gabriel, whose name means “God is my strength” is the Archangel of communication and is also known as “The Messenger.” I call upon him whenever I am blocked in my writing or speaking, need a flash of inspiration during my radio show, or need help getting through to anyone. I picture his clear, white light and call upon his energy of communication and strength.
We all need protection from negative energy, along with strength to pursue our life’s calling. Archangel Michael is always there to protect us and provide the energy of unconditional love just when we need it!
Archangel Michael: means “he who is like God.” Michael is the Archangel of protection, guidance and strength. In my healing and teaching work, I call upon Archangel Michael to surround me and protect me from any negative energy or darkness that is around me. To counteract the darkness, I ask him to channel divine love and healing to everyone around me. I also connect with him when I need a little extra strength, faith and determination to continue my work as an energy healer and spiritual teacher. To connect with Archangel Michael, I meditate upon my path as a healer and teacher, and visualize his bright blue energy as I ask him for strength and protection.
There are other archangels that I connect with as well – Ariel, whose name means “Lioness of God,” is a feminine presence with a beautiful pale pink energy. I speak to her when I need to tap into my own Divine Feminine energy. Archangel Metatron is the “Angel of Life” and tracks our good deeds on Earth and in Heaven. He supports me in my own spiritual growth and enlightenment, and gives me the strength to spread my light to others!
I urge you to call upon the Archangels. They have been an invaluable blessing and source of strength and guidance in my life. Take the time to connect with them, and let them guide you on your journey to higher consciousness!
Connect to the Light with Prayer!
“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness.
It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
When you think about prayer, what comes to mind? Does your mind flash back to your childhood, when you dropped to your knees every night at bedtime and asked God to bless your friends, family and pets? Do you picture yourself chanting out prayers at church, harmoniously in sync with the rest of the congregation? Or do you remember hasty deals made with your God, praying for the safety of a traveling loved one, that your biopsy will turn out to be benign, or that you’ll ace that job interview?
Prayer can be all of those things, and more! As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I encourage you to explore a new dimension of prayer – as a conduit to the light. Regardless of your faith, prayer is a beautiful way to connect with your own spirituality. Through meditation and prayer, you can open up your heart to the power of unconditional love, and flood your spirit with the light of higher consciousness!
My new blog at HealYourLife.com explains how you can use prayer in this enlightening way! Try this technique in your daily life, and open yourself up to the forces of light and love in the universe.
Interested in exploring other ways to expand your consciousness and live in the light? Check out my brand new book, Entangled in Darkness: Seeking the Light, and join me on the path to enlightenment!