2020 June Eclipse

3 Practices to Embrace Hidden Aspects Through June’s Full moon + Lunar Eclipse

This month’s full moon is INTENSE — but there’s hope…

Are you feeling it? Tensions are mounting, personally and collectively — and here in the US we’re seeing this energy play out with strong reactions to deep-seated issues with racial injustice and police brutality, to name just a few of the conflicts that have been erupting.

Full moons in and of themselves are all about illumination — both literally as the moon brightens the night sky — and figuratively as it lights up different aspects of our personal and collective lives…

And this month on June 5 or 6 (depending on where you live), our full moon is also a lunar eclipse. I’ll tell you about the significance of the lunar eclipse shortly, but first I’ll tell you that this week’s full moon is also in a T-square with Mars and Neptune.

In a nutshell, the T in T-square stands for Tension. Some of the manifestations of Mars include energy, action, and drive — and the tenser manifestations include violence and upheaval. Some of the manifestations of Neptune include oneness and deep sensitivity — and the tenser manifestations include deception and emotional turbulence.

In Vedic astrology, eclipses herald change. Combine that with Mars’s energy for making something happen, and Neptune’s energy for oneness, and we have a recipe for people gathering to create necessary change that’s long overdue.

This applies especially in America right now, but you’ll likely be able to see it wherever you live on one scale or another — perhaps with families and educators coming together to change the way we teach our children, or maybe in your personal life with a job or a relationship.

After all, we know that tension and conflict drive action, right?

As I shared in a post about transforming your perspective during the pandemic, there are different levels of perception — and with the God brain, we can see this as the potential to make the necessary changes that need to happen for us to grow, to change, to step ­up in consciousness, and to progress to higher levels of being.

Which is something we ALL need, right? You’re very likely seeking to step up personally, and I bet your intention — like mine — is to help humanity rise up from its current state.

As individuals, and society as a whole, if we make racial bias a moral issue, then no one will want to embrace their bias, because most people don’t want to be a “racist.” However, the truth is, we all exist in a society with inherent bias built into the system, therefore, we all carry bias — consciously or unconsciously.

The path forward is in embracing our bias… which means digging into our inner work and exploring our shadow aspects.

Fortunately, there’s tremendous opportunity for positivity that we can reap from this moon, which has the potential for great transformation — a potential driven by tension and drive, determination, and resolve.

Harnessing the Power of the Strawberry Full Moon Lunar Eclipse for Healing and Transformation — and Embracing Your Shadow

The strawberry full moon lunar eclipse? You read that mouthful right — the June full moon is traditionally called the strawberry moon or the rose moon — because strawberries are abundant and roses bloom in June. (There’s a little opportunity for some vibe-lifting, chakra-clearing gratitude!)

Because emotions are heightened during a full moon, it’s a perfect opportunity to acknowledge and release them.

Try these full moon cleansing strategies to access the full spectrum of healing energy from this cycle’s moon.

Journal to release racial bias and inherited imprints & beliefs
Want to see big benefits during the full moon? Journal to express your inner feelings and observations, write out your intentions for change, make decisions about what to do next, and channel tension into positive action.

Try these journal prompts to help you get started:

  • What does Black Lives Matter mean to me?
  • Do I hold any pain my ancestors experienced through racism? Do I hold any responsibility? (If you feel you do, call on your guides and the Violet Flame to help you release old wounds.)
  • What did I learn about race from my mom, dad, or family in general?
  • What is hidden or eclipsed in me? Are there experiences or beliefs I can release?
  • What are my deepest desires when it comes to racism and humanity?
  • What actionable steps can I take to help heal racism?

Meditate, meditate, meditate
In Vedic astrology, eclipses are caused when the North and South Nodes of the moon, Rahu and Ketu, swallow the sun and the moon. The moon at these times is not actually auspicious to watch with the naked eye, but going inward and meditating is extra beneficial.

I recommend meditating for 20 minutes twice a day with a mantra I give you. If I haven’t taught you yet, here’s a link to learn. Use this contemplative time to receive messages from your inner guidance, spend extra time grounding and connecting to the creative and generative power of the Earth, and open to the wisdom being revealed to you.

Your meditation and prayer time is also vital to helping every other sentient being on the planet. Dedicate your practice time to amplify vibrations of higher consciousness raising the unified field around all of us. Our world needs healing more than ever right now, and by consciously sending healing intentions into the universal field, you’ll help create the healing our planet needs so desperately.

Protest peacefully
If there are protests taking place in your community and you feel called to join, do so, guided by your heart. If you’d prefer to stay at home and drop in to the reflective time that lunar eclipses call for, watch this TedTalk with Damon Davis. Courage is contagious, he says, which could not be more true.

In everything you do this week and always, know that you can navigate turbulence with grace, and your thoughts, prayers, and intentions will help make this a turning point for upleveling consciousness — yours and the people in your life and the planet’s. You are never alone; call upon Spirit and your guides to help you harness this moon’s power for personal and collective upliftment.

Your Life Purpose

Part 2: Tap Into Your Hara Line to Anchor Your Goals, Mission & Intentions

Your Life Purpose

Are you ready to ignite your goals, your aspirations, or an intention you have — so you can THRIVE in sync with your soul’s deepest desires?

In Part 1, we explored the power of the Hara and I shared a quick, powerful practice for connecting with your Hara line. This practice pulls energy from the Earth up into your field and helps you clarify your life’s purpose…

In Part 2, we’ll build off of the foundation we created together, and I’ll guide you to tap into your Hara line to anchor your goals, mission, and intentions…

The Hara line is at the center of your incarnation in this lifetime…

It’s the expression of your Soul’s intention for this life — including fulfilling your unique mission and your Soul’s purpose…

The energy flowing your Hara line is also what brings you ease and supports your flow with ALL of life.

When you cycle energy through your energy system and field, you recharge the Hara which supports this flow state and truly living from a place of joy.

Charging the Hara also empowers you to move through your life from a strong inner authority that is a “truth-telling” or “straight-shooter” type of energy.

With authenticity and integrity and respect, you’re able to see clearly and speak clearly about what is true — this includes your needs, your worth, your self-care.

This clarifying energy also supports you in creating and holding healthy boundaries.

It is in this place — this place of clarity and power, strength and purpose — where the Hara anchors your aspirations, your goals, and your intentions.

What is it that you most want to create for yourself right now?

If you’re on a path of higher consciousness, this time, during the pandemic, has opened up an opportunity for deep reflection… on what is working and not — in our lives and our world.

As we emerge from this time, especially with the momentum of Spring, we are entering a time of new beginnings… of renewal…

The invitation is for us not to go back to the way things were, not to just restart… but to return to our activities and life’s work — stronger, wiser, more resilient.

And for some of you, the invitation is to not return to your former life, or lifestyle, at all.

In this 10-minute meditation, I’ll guide you in tapping into the Hara line with a focus on what you’re most wanting to manifest for yourself at this time.

This time in inner reflection has opened in you a renewed sense of purpose. Or maybe you were on your path, but just got slightly off track, and you are ready to course correct, to recalibrate…

This is the importance of working with the Hara specifically at this time. Your essence and the imprints of all that this lifetime holds for you, is held here.

So, whether you are reconnecting to your authentic self… or reclaiming the call on your life in this incarnation… or you’re discovering and committing to a path of higher consciousness… the Hara holds the key.

If you want to create a new career, a new relationship, let go of old patterns, heal and release old wounds… this is the momentum of this time and the power of Hara.

Everything is possible when you focus on your intention.

Discover the Change-Making Power of Living Your Life Purpose

If you’re curious to explore more, I invite you to check out LifeForce Energy Healing® IV — my yearlong depth-training (and the only way to work with me 1:1) — where our focus is on supporting you to transform into exactly who you were meant to be in this lifetime. All your Soul’s plan to be embodied and lived out FULLY.

In the yearlong program, you’ll receive training to take this next step on your evolutionary path — and I’ll mentor you on how to become a practitioner, teacher, author, speaker — really, whoever it is you are meant to be.

If this is for you, and you’re ready to take this next step, then I invite you to register during the special enrollment that’s happening right now. (We also have special pricing and payment plans during COVID.)

Get all the details (including a 1:1 with me!) here:

Discover Initiation During LifeForce Energy Healing IV Here

Your Life Purpose

Part 1: Discover Your Life Purpose by Aligning With Your Hara Line

Your Life Purpose

Do you hear the words “life purpose” and wonder what your mission is in this life? What you’re here to do with your life, to experience, to accomplish?

You might not consciously remember this, but before you incarnated into your current physical body, your soul made a plan for your life here on Earth — your life purpose. Your soul decided what lessons you should learn in this lifetime and what you should do with your skills and abilities… with the ultimate goal of keeping you evolving into higher consciousness.

Between lives, your soul creates blueprints outlining the best ways you can learn and benefit from the lessons you encounter in life. The details are not set in stone, though — just as you have a blueprint, you also have free will, so how you choose to respond to everything determines your life course, and how you live your soul’s calling.

The question I have for you today is: Do you feel fulfilled?

Most people do not, feeling that something is missing — and they often feel trapped by limiting life circumstances. In fact, one of the biggest sources of negative emotions and blocked chakras for students who come to my energy healing courses and workshops has to do with feeling a lack of purpose in their lives.

That’s why I’m SO HAPPY to give you a quick, powerful practice for clarifying your life’s purpose — so you can get out there and LIVE it! Imagine how satisfied you’ll feel when you do.

How Aligning Your Hara Line Connects You With Purpose and Fulfillment…

When you’re living in alignment with your soul’s plan, you feel more at peace with yourself and your place in this world. That nagging sense of dissatisfaction falls by the wayside and you feel fulfilled instead of empty or longing for something you can’t identify. Feelings of stuckness, pressure, and being drained fall away, replaced by feeling of purpose, freedom, and flow.

And the key to that is aligning your Hara Line.

When your Hara is aligned, you’ve accepted your life purpose. You’re living it with integrity, and this personal task of yours — the core reason why you’re ALIVE — is in sync with your soul’s deepest desires.

So what exactly is the Hara Line?

Your Hara Line is an invisible (to most people) line that runs one level below your personal energy field. As you’ll discover in the video below, your Hara Line connects three important points that relate to your life purpose.

While your seven main chakras are like a totem pole that runs from the base of your spine to the top of your head, your Hara line goes up your spine at a deeper level, connecting your:

  • Tan tien (also known as your lower dantien). This is your center of balance, intention, and power. It connects you to the core of the Earth and then runs upward to your soul seat. It’s located an inch or two below your belly button.
  • Soul seat. This is where your purpose and sacred goals lie. It connects to your tan tien and then runs upward to your Individuation point. You’ll find your soul seat below your throat, above your heart and over your thymus gland.
  • Individuation point. This point connects you to Source and is located three to five feet above your head.

What happens when you align these points and your Hara Line is incredibly beautiful.

In this 12-minute video, I’m going to guide you to connect them…

In this Part 1 of my 2-part series (Part 2 is here) on your Hara Line — I guide you to connect those three important points, so you can feel more clear, more alive, and more receptive to the beauty and the connection that’s always available to you.

When your Hara line is not in alignment, it reveals inner conflicts that so many struggle with:

  • Feeling like you can’t cope or like this earthly plane is too much
  • Feeling lost or alone or just plain stuck, like you’re not able to move forward in a mean­ingful way
  • Having a hard time fully understanding who you really are or why you’re here
  • Not being empowered to use healing energy for yourself or others

When your Hara Line IS in alignment, you’re clear on the big, fulfilling reason why you’re here, and (!):

  • Your entire chakra system and energy field are energized and enlivened
  • Stuck energies release and problems like depression or anxiety clear up
  • You feel well ­grounded, with no need to defend yourself or prove that you’re right about anything
  • You stand taller and straighter and can see where your life is going

Enjoy the practice and let me know how it helps you. I am so grateful every time I hear from one of you about the synchronicities that start appearing when your Hara is aligned — and the clarity and purpose you tap into.

In Part 2 of this series, I’ll share with you how to anchor your Hara Line with your goals, your mission, your aspirations, or an intention you have. As you’ll see, when you’re in the place where your Hara line is in alignment, there are no problems or obstacles that you cannot overcome with intention.

Discover the Change-Making Power of Living Your Life Purpose

If you’re curious to explore more, I invite you to check out LifeForce Energy Healing® IV — my yearlong depth-training (and the only way to work with me 1:1) — where our focus is on supporting you to transform into exactly who you were meant to be in this lifetime. All your Soul’s plan to be embodied and lived out FULLY.

In the yearlong program, you’ll receive training to take this next step on your evolutionary path — and I’ll mentor you on how to become a practitioner, teacher, author, speaker — really, whoever it is you are meant to be.

If this is for you, and you’re ready to take this next step, then I invite you to register during the special enrollment that’s happening right now. (We also have special pricing and payment plans during COVID.)

Get all the details (including a 1:1 with me!) here:

Discover Initiation During LifeForce Energy Healing IV Here

Higher Initiations

How To Prepare For Your Next Initiation: The Transformative Possibilities of Levels 5, 6, and 7

Higher Initiations

What if you could become filled with light and bliss, more deeply connected to Source and to the Ascended Masters?

What if you could choose which path of higher evolu­tion suits you best?

These are just some of the possibilities you can unlock within the highest levels of initiation.

Recently I shared with you about the transformative power of initiation… and your ability to expand your awareness and progress to higher levels of being.

I gave you an overview of initiations and shared a little about the first four levels of initiation. If you haven’t seen that video yet, I recommend checking it out — it lays the foundation for what we’ll be exploring now…

Today I’m going to share the next three levels of initiation with you — levels 5, 6, and 7 — and share a practice with an energy tool to help you prepare for your next initiation.

First, though, let’s get reoriented…

Initiation is a process that expands your consciousness, so there’s more of the real you available in this body, in this incarnation — with all of its higher spiritual values.

This process takes place over many lifetimes — and you’ve likely already had your first initiation or two. During this lifetime, you might experience the first two, three, or may even four (that’s very high!) levels.

In this 14-minute video, we’ll explore levels 5, 6, and 7 — because although these higher levels are rare, I want you to become aware of the possibilities that come along with them. At a deep unconscious level, you can begin striving for these levels… and that’s how you’ll truly transform.

Follow along with the video as I guide you through:

  • The fifth initiation, the energy that comes from the light-­filled heart of your soul star is downloaded into your heart
  • The sixth initiation is the initiation with your Monad, your God Self, where you actually connect to ascension energy and enter the fifth dimension
  • In the Seventh Initiation, the highest one you can reach while here on earth…

We’ll also move through a brief guided meditation that focuses your attention inward, calms your mind, and has a wide range of powers to transform and heal you — emotionally, physically, and mentally.

As you’ll discover, each new level brings more power, love, and wisdom into your energy healing practice.

Discover the Power of Initiation

During LifeForce Energy Healing IV® — my yearlong depth-training (and the only way to work with me 1:1 to experience initiation) — our focus is on supporting you to transform into exactly who you were meant to be in this lifetime. Your Soul’s plan embodied and lived out FULLY.

In the yearlong program, you’ll receive training to take this next step on your evolutionary path too — you’ll be mentored on how to become a practitioner, teacher, author, and more.

If this is for you, and you’re ready to take this next step, then I invite you to register during our open enrollment that is happening right now. (We also have special pricing and payment plans during COVID.)

Get all the details (including a 1:1 with me!) here:

Discover Initiation During LifeForce Energy Healing IV Here

Higher Initiations

Discover How to Unlock Higher Levels of Initiation

Higher Initiations

I want to share with you about the transformative power of initiation… and your ability to expand your awareness into higher levels of being.

Initiation is a process that expands your consciousness so that there is more of the real you — with full access to the higher spiritual values that are available to you in this incarnation.

This depth-process can take place over many lifetimes… and you’re likely to experience a few new levels during this lifetime. (In fact, you may have likely already had your first initiation or two!)

That’s actually likely why you’re here, reading this… and if you’re sensing an uptick in your vibration while you’re reading this, you’re in the right place.

Initiation encompasses step-­ups in consciousness on the path to mastery.

Mastery at healing yourself and others with energy…

Mastery at more open, compassionate, and balanced life…

Mastery at living in receptive and flowing energy…

Mastery at shifting your perception of yourself and the world around you — toward possibility and your highest potential.

It’s incredible what happens when you begin to move away from fear, anxiety, “me me me,” “worry worry worry,” and separation. You start to see everything more broadly, more deeply, and more highly. More clearly. Your vantage point RISES.

In this 14 minute video, I am going to guide you through the first few levels of initiation…

There are actually 352 levels of initiation (!!) when following the journey back to Source. (Christ, a man and a Master Healer, made it there — and that’s our goal too, a lofty one, no doubt, but definitely one to have!)

In Part 1 of this 2-part series on the Power of Initiation (Part 2 is here)— I tell you about only the first seven levels of initiation, since they make up the first round of the ascension process.

In my book, Heal Yourself, Heal The World, I refer to the first level as “Physical Self — Birth,” because this is at the core of this level.

This first level represents your physical self and what can happen at any powerful moment in your life — when you’re being intimate with a partner, giving birth, having a moment in nature, perhaps while running or watching the waves roll in… and in the moments you feel connected to everyone and everything.

After this initiation, you’ll feel more connected to Source and have the desire to do good for others rather than being focused so much on yourself. You may start to seek out new spiritual books, companions, or teachers.

Following this first journey to the first level of initiation, we’ll continue onto the upper levels and unlock the transformative power of initiation so you can truly master each level (initiatory levels 2, 3, and 4 are discussed in the video above) .

Discover the Power of Initiation

During LifeForce Energy Healing® IV — my yearlong depth-training (and the only way to work with me 1:1 to experience initiation) — our focus is on supporting you to transform into exactly who you were meant to be in this lifetime. Your Soul’s plan embodied and lived out FULLY. 

In the yearlong program, you’ll receive training to take this next step on your evolutionary path too — you’ll be mentored on how to become a practitioner, teacher, author, and more.

If this is for you, and you’re ready to take this next step, then I invite you to register during our open enrollment that is happening right now. (We also have special pricing and payment plans during COVID.)

Get all the details (including a 1:1 with me!) here:

Discover Initiation During LifeForce Energy Healing IV Here

Attached by an energy vampire

Do you have an ‘Energy Vampire’ in your life?

You are born pure light…

In childhood, your light is vulnerable to the energy of those around you. If you experienced trauma as a child or were raised in a dysfunctional family or with an unhealthy parent, this changes your energy, and can even “darken” your light.

This sensitivity likely developed as a way to stay safe and get your needs met — scanning the energy of the room or the energy of your caregivers, and calibrating your energy and presence to match what was appropriate.

Over time, this way of being in the world can diminish your essence — diluting what makes you “you,” and negatively influencing your emotions, your health, and your ability to authentically live the life you were meant to live.

And now, likely a caregiver yourself, you’ve been conditioned to bond with others by taking on their energy, so loved ones can perpetuate this pattern even if they’re not an “energy vampire.”

Today, you can begin to clear out other people’s energy from your ENTIRE system, and call your energy back to yourself. The first step is to understand the types of “energy vampires” and how to establish boundaries to protect yourself.

And actually, the step before the first step is always meditation. If you feel like you are “under attack” from other people’s energy, spending time in prayer and meditation is the fastest way to reconnect to yourself and strengthen your grounding — the first line of defense against other people’s invasive energy. I recommend meditating twice a day, using a mantra, that I provide.

Energy follows thought. As you bring your attention back to yourself (with loving kindness!), your energy will follow.

Imagine that you are a big magnet, effortlessly drawing your energy back to yourself and then running that energy down through your grounding, expanding your base and strengthening your energy field around you.

Here are a few insights on energy vampires…

In general, energy vampires drain your energy. They are often creating or contributing to “drama” and often take a negative, “glass-half-empty” approach to life. They can be very critical and judgmental — of you and others.

They also tend to be filled with worry and anxiety, and look to you to fix them or solve their problems. And, of course, you’re quite good at calming them down and finding solutions!

They need you and suck your time, attention, and focus away from your priorities. Even when you’re not with them, you are thinking about them or their needs.

These exchanges can leave you feeling tired, melancholy, even depressed — even if you think you are being of service and helping at the time.

When your energy is depleted by others, your sleep can be disrupted, you feel sluggish, and lack mental focus. You become vulnerable to illness, poor eating habits, and even addictive behaviors.

Recognize anyone on this list?:

  • “Betrayed” energy vampireThis energy type, along with many of the energy vampire types, can feel like an “old” relationship or like there is more history to the relationship than this lifetime. Karmic ties likely keep you tethered to this person, and the dynamic is one of “winning the fight.” Their energy field can be highly charged and they can feel aggressive or like an invasive weed in your garden.It’s essential to reinforce your energy field and grounding when interacting with this type. Imagining a waterfall between the two of you will help protect you and neutralize their energy coming at you. Take slow deep breaths, lower your voice and slow your cadence.Dealing with this type involves an Aikido-style approach where you step out of the way of their incoming energy bombs.
  • Fear-based energy vampireThis type is full of fear and insecurity. They are unable to fully inhabit their bodies and connect to their own grounding. They are disconnected from their emotions and are difficult to have linear conversations with, they are “all over the place.” Being kind and helpful, you want to reassure them, troubleshoot their problems, or calm their anger. You become ensnared in their energy field.To care for yourself in this dynamic, will require you to have very firm and clear boundaries. You will need to maintain conscious awareness that their needs and feelings are never ending and you cannot fix or help them. If you cannot maintain your own energy and grounding separate from them, you may need to avoid this type.
  • Insecure energy vampireThis type holds the worldview of scarcity. There is not enough for them and they’re in fear that their needs won’t be met and they’re driven by a fear of abandonment. It is sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, because they are afraid you will abandon them, yet they are so needy, you have to remove yourself to replenish your energy.The intensity of their “lack” is projected onto you with the expectation you’ll fill their bottomless cup. They are often compulsive, jumping at any chance to fix their problem (which is generally other people) or chase after the “next best thing” that is “going to change everything” and solve all their problems. Between managing their expectations and their irrational schemes, you become lost and massively drained.Similar to the fear-based type, to care for yourself in this dynamic, will require you to have very firm and clear boundaries. You will also need to increase your self-care routine to ensure that you are mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually fit to be around them without losing yourself. Again, if you cannot maintain your own energy and grounding separate from them, you may need to avoid this type.
  • Passive-aggressive energy vampireThis type brings lifetimes of victimization into this lifetime. Their worldview is one of victimhood and everything happens “to” them. They are unable to take care of themselves and they rely on others to do for them. They don’t communicate their needs or wants and then project that others are not caring for them or helping them. They blame everyone but themselves, however most of this is unspoken so it is through their energy and nonverbal communication. They are very manipulative and use a dynamic of switching between appreciation and validating how much they need you, with guilt and scorn. You are either helping or hurting, and everything is about them — from their perspective.Recognizing that this is not about you, that you have done nothing wrong, and that this is their storyline that they are living out, will help you stay sane and keep from merging with their energy trying to “prove” yourself and your intentions. Remembering that there is nothing you can say or do or explain, can shift this dynamic within them. Amplifying your own energy within yourself and deepening your grounding will turn up your vibration and keep you immersed in your own essence and anchored in the center of your energy field.

Understanding your role in these relationships will also help you to shift the dynamic from your end. Energy vampires will always “suck” so it’s up to you to put a stop to it and protect yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about how to protect yourself from other people’s energy, and turn your sensitivity into a healing tool, check out my signature LifeForce Energy Healing IV® training here.

Work one-on-one with Deborah
4 different perspectives COVID-19

4 Levels of Perception to Transform Your Perspective During the Pandemic

There’s no doubt that covid-19 has taken up all the air in the room these days, but know that there are different ways of viewing the situation . . . and new perspectives that will let you breathe more easily.

Let’s take a look at what’s happening from the four different directions of the medicine wheel. In Native American symbology, the four cardinal points (plus Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the Spirit Tree) embody all the dimensions, everything from your health to the cycles of life. Think of how many things you know that are comprised of fours: the four seasons, the four directions, the four stages of life (birth, youth, adult, and death), and the four basic aspects of life: physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual.

Add to that the four brains, and their corresponding levels of perception. Here’s how you can shift your perspective on the pandemic:

At the lowest level, you perceive the world through the reptilian brain, comprised of the cerebellum and the brain stem on the physical level. In the energy world, this brain is connected to the first chakra. At a deep instinctual level, survival is uppermost. You need food and water and shelter from the storm. You’re on the lookout to avoid danger, ever ready for fight or flight. That’s the basic level of the evening newscast, the literal and physical level of what’s happening. What parts of the body is the virus affecting? Do any treatments work? What about your underlying condition? How many deaths have been reported in your local area? Is it safe to eat take-out?

The reptilian brain works through action-reaction. The governor says stay at home. You immediately react. Of course, I want to avoid danger; I’ll socially distance and wear a mask when I have to go out. Or hell no, you can’t restrict my freedom and tell me what to do while my business is collapsing. Danger to the left, danger to the right. You’re not looking for causes, for underlying meaning, for spiritual connection; you’re just wanting things to get back a.s.a.p. to “normal.” Meaning, safe.

As you rise a bit in consciousness, you enter your mammalian brain and the second level of perception. Physically, this is the limbic system, the structures in the brain involved in emotions and memory. Energetically, it is connected to the second chakra and to your mind and emotions. Here you’re going from the purely physical level to words and their meaning, and to your feelings. “Shelter in place,” for example, can evoke a feeling of protection and security, or a stifling feeling of imprisonment, depending on your perspective.

You seek solutions at this level; you’re not just running from fear but looking for possibilities. Maybe you are helping get surplus food to those in need. Or you’re a formerly retired health care worker who has returned to the front lines. Or you’re making masks for your local hospital.

You seek solutions to keeping yourself healthy, beyond simply social distancing. You combat your concerns about the virus by boosting your immune system—eating foods rich in antioxidants, taking supplements that support your health. If your livelihood has been compromised, you are busily working to secure PPP and other disaster loans to cover the gap.

Rising higher in awareness, you come into the human brain, which is the neocortex, the layers involved in the functions of the higher brain, such as perceiving with your senses, thinking, reasoning and language. This third level of perception is connected to your sixth chakra. You have the vision to frame your time at home as an opportunity to uplevel your care for yourself. You enjoy offerings online, from art to yoga to music. You are grateful for having the time to stop, to take stock, to clean out what is no longer wanted or needed in your life and embark on personal projects you simply never had time for before. And you continually find ways to serve others, reaching out on Facetime to an elder who is home alone, or helping home school a child online so his parents can get some work done.

You can envision this “time out of time” as a spiritual retreat, and do ceremony, meditation, soul-searching, diving deeper into your spiritual lineage or exploring new ones. You combat loneliness and isolation by connecting to others via WhatsApp or FaceTime or Zoom. You attend spiritual teachings you wouldn’t have had time for before. (Come to my teaching on The Spiritual Gifts today at 1:00 pm PDT or watch the replay later) You participate in online group meditations. (Join mine every Thursday at 1:00 pm PDT) In the Native American tradition, and most indigenous traditions, the importance of community is a bedrock of belief.

Here is where your beliefs are, as well as your ability to go beyond your ingrained beliefs, beyond your behavioral patterns, and redirect your efforts to walking the path.

And then you reach the fourth level of perception, the fourth brain, called the “God brain” by neuroscientists. Known more commonly as the prefrontal cortex, this is the part of the cerebral cortex that covers the front of the frontal lobe. Complex cognition, social behavior, and how you express your Self are all here, and are connected to the seventh chakra. It is the perspective of total wholeness. All is well at this level. Spirit is unfolding in the play of maya. You are living through your heart and know the truth of the heart. The virus is a small pinprick in your awareness, not a tidal wave of fear.

The God brain knows we are all One, and all is in Divine order. All those ads on TV blaring “we are all in this together” are more right than they know. At the energetic level, you trust the Universe, trust Spirit, to provide whatever you need to grow in awareness, to open your heart further, and to see the whole picture.

Remember, the more peaceful you are, the calmer you are, the more you can live with the silence within, the better prepared you are for whatever happens next. And the easier it will be for you to handle what is happening now, in your home, in your mind, and in your heart. You are never alone; Spirit is always with you.

What's Your Role As A Starseed

What’s Your Role as a Starseed?

What's Your Role As A Starseed

Are you aware that the Universe holds an estimated 200 billion galaxies (and counting!)? There are 500 solar systems alone in our own Milky Way!

Surely, there are “non-human” souls out there…

Some of these souls may have come HERE from another star system or galaxy… maybe even your soul.

The idea of Starseeds is not all THAT wild, when you consider that scientists and astronauts like Edgar Mitchell have gone public about the likelihood or evidence of intelligent beings and advanced civilizations, elsewhere.

And if you ARE a Starseed, you’re probably wondering, what brought you to this crazy planet?

There are 6 main reasons why Starseeds are here on Earth.

Yet, ultimately… there is one main reason…

You are here to create significant change in the world.

You’re here to serve, heal, or transform the world in some way. That healing and transformation almost always — certainly in my experience, and probably in yours too — begins with our own lives first, and then we can bring it to others.

As Starseeds, we’re here to raise the frequency of Earth too…

We’re being called to step up and access higher levels of consciousness to bring the harmony and healing that really is possible on this planet. The Vedic sages, the Egyptian texts, shamans and saints and masters in every corner of the world from every culture have been telling us for thousands of years: it really is possible to live in divine harmony.

In this 12-minute video, I’ll share the 6 essential roles Starseeds play in our world today — plus a guided meditation to help you uncover your unique role as a Starseed.

WATCH as I lead you to connect with your fourth energy center… the seat of your being…

And take you through these key roles Starseeds play here on Earth:

  1. Your role in helping to heal others
  2. Your role in healing the Earth
  3. Your role as an activist
  4. Your role is as a creative
  5. Your role in embodying higher consciousness
  6. Your role as a teacher

In exploring the essential roles Starseeds play, you’ll find answers to some of life’s biggest questions… including why your soul has chosen to incarnate as a human being — and your role in “ramping up the frequency” on Earth.

If you’re curious to learn more about the Role of a Starseed, I want to invite you to check out my free mini-workshop on Gaia: Starseeds: Your Cosmic DNA — if you haven’t done so already. I also have an exclusive gift for Gaia members here.

Are you a starseed

Are You a Starseed?

Have you ever felt like there’s a specific reason why you’re alive? That there’s purpose to your life, that you’re here to do more than eat, sleep, work, and repeat?

For thousands of years, we humans have looked to the sky for answers about our origins. The great solstice monuments around the world tell us that our ancestors used the sky as their calendar.

And in pretty much every religion and every mythology, God or the gods reside in the heavens — those unfathomably vast and mysterious realms that influence us more greatly than most people today realize.

I had never really considered much about cosmology until my 20s, when I sought many modalities to heal myself from cancer, and began working with the Akashic records.

After my remission, a more minor condition led me back to the Akasha, and there I met a bizarre-looking guide — definitely not of this Earth — who floored me as I felt an amazing visceral connection, as if he was a deeply loved relative I had never even known how much I missed.

I shared lots of details about this in a recent Starseeds presentation I want to invite you to check out, but first I want to tell you a little more…

My Akashik guide actually told me that I was a starseed, and gave me details about specifically where my soul is from.

Because that’s what a starseed is — someone like you or me… in a human body… here in our 3D reality… whose soul is from another dimension, planet, parallel universe, or star system.

This sounds insane to some, except those who dig into the deeper science of the universe, or the mystical experiences of many astronauts. Since you’re reading this, you’ve likely not only done some of that, you’re probably thinking you might be a starseed too.

So how do you know if you’re a starseed? Here are some classic signs. I saved the best for last, as it’s actually the most telling.

 

9 Signs You’re a Starseed

  1. You’re sensitive and empathic

    You might often know what people are thinking, or you can easily tune into their moods. Maybe you feel what people are feeling or absorb their feelings, or you’re sensitive to things like light, noise, or BS.
  2. You have recurring dreams or mystical experiences

    You’ve dreamt for long periods or throughout your life about a particular thing, place, or person. You’ve seen spirits, tapped into other worlds, or sensed tremendous energies.
  3. You remember the future

    Do you have psychic dreams or visions? Sense events before they happen? Get strong feelings of déjà vu — the “already seen”?
  4. You dream of flying, or you have out-of-body experiences

    Earth is a VERY dense planet, so you might feel immense elation when dreaming of being free from gravity or soaring with a sense of lightness and wonder. Or maybe you sleepwalk, astral travel, or just find it hard to feel grounded in your body.
  5. Time seems flexible

    Sometimes three hours flies like 10 minutes, and sometimes time drags.
  6. Synchronicities abound

    You see or hear recurring signs and patterns — in symbols, in music, or on the clock when it says 11:11 or 4:44.
  7. Changing sleep patterns

    You wake every morning at a certain time (3 a.m. is all too common) and can’t get back to sleep. Or you sleep all day, unable to get enough.
  8. You feel out of place

    You’ve been different since you were a child, never knowing how to do things the way “normal people” do them, always longing to feel a sense of unity and belonging that you rarely feel with other people.
  9. You have a strong desire to make change in the world

    This is the most powerful sign of being a starseed because it’s also your mission as a starseed. You really want things to heal and transform, and you feel a restless soul-urge to accomplish something. You may or may not know what that something is right now, but you definitely know you’re here to do it.

 

Why Knowing You’re a Starseed is so Important…

Recognizing your role as a starseed is crucial not only to your fulfillment, but to the health of the people around you and our planet.

Ultimately you’re here to move the people around you up to their next level of consciousness in some way. You’re here to help lead others to a transformation on Earth that ushers in peace, communion, and the goodness your soul remembers.

If you’re curious to explore more, I invite you to check out my mini-workshop, Starseeds: Your Cosmic DNA, which I presented at the Conscious Life Expo 2020.

Join me for this experiential journey into the cosmos to discover your true origins. Other suns and planets in our own Milky Way galaxy, or in galaxies far, far away, may have been your original home, giving you the deeper understanding and advanced starseed abilities that go along with those realms of higher consciousness.

Learn the mission you were sent to accomplish and why you volunteered for it. Prepare yourself to be rocketed into space in this one-of-a-kind experience as you locate your home planet and lock in to your cosmic DNA!

It’s a full hour of me going in- depth into the places we come from, how to tap into their wisdom, what you’re doing here, and how you can step into your role as a change agent.

Several of my students joined me, and you can see us do healings at the end. I hope you’ll check it out — it was an honor to present, and it gave us all a sense of connection that I’m really missing right now.

You can watch the full episode Starseeds: Your Cosmic DNA for FREE — until Midnight Pacific, Monday, April 13.

PLUS! Your FREE BONUS GIFT!

When you register for a Gaia membership — granting you unlimited access to thousands of video trainings, classes, interviews, and teachings — return to our website here with your order details and you’ll receive instant access to a FREE BONUS GIFT!

The Power of Lucid Dreaming

Increase your capacity to access higher levels of consciousness at will… when you apply the lucid dreaming teaching AND guided practice I share in this brand-new video, created just for you.

Like meditation, lucid dreaming is a way to cultivate expanded consciousness and connect you with an unlimited field of guidance and information!

The Power of Lucid Dreaming
Akashic Record

Your Akashic Records: The Keys to Your Soul’s Purpose

Akashic Record

I first learned about the Akashic records when I was in my twenties. Through my initiation into energy healing — when I was healed from cancer — I was first introduced to, and began to work with, the Akashic Records.

The Akashic Records, also known as “The Book of Life,” hold the plans and lessons you have chosen to experience for the growth of your soul, and show how those plans are part of everything that’s happening in your life.

Your Akashic records are a metaphorical “library” that hold all the life experiences of every soul since time began.

And these records not only hold YOUR information… they capture all human events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intentions of every event in the past, present, and future.

In other words, it’s the entire memory of the planet!

In this 9-minute video, I’ll share with you, five simple — yet powerful — ways you can access the wisdom of your Akashic Records:


5 ways to Access Your Akashic Records & How this Wisdom Can Help Guide You

To help you access your Akashic Records, you have your own personal guide. I refer to this guide as your Compassionate Witness, they’re like your personal librarian who can help you find and access your records, information, and lessons contained in the pages of your book.

You can call on your Compassionate Witness to help you retrieve any information you are seeking. Some people see their guide as an image, some a ball of light, and some have a sense, or knowing, that their guide is with them.

Here’s just a peek at what you can discover with your guide — your Compassionate Witness — when you begin to access your “Book of Life”:

1) Dissolve Limiting Beliefs & “Old Stories”

You can access your Akashic Records to locate information and insights on blocks you might be experiencing in different areas of your life. This could be in your relationships, or your work life, or even with specific health challenges.

You can call on your guide to point you to areas where these blocks formed or energy is stagnant. You can also learn where trauma or negative imprints are held, so you can begin to release them.

Through accessing this spiritual information in your records, you can begin to heal and release the stories, beliefs, and patterns that no longer serve you and replace these energies with love and restorative power of the Divine.

2) Uncover Your Soul’s Purpose

Especially in these times, you might be asking yourself more deeply, why am I here now? What role do I have to play in what is happening now? What is my Soul’s Purpose?

Your Akashic Records hold information on your Soul’s contract and why you incarnated here in this body, in this life, at this time. To access higher levels of consciousness to access this information — as well as to integrate it into your daily life, you can work with your Akashic Records.

You will gain insights into your Dharma for this lifetime and how to course-correct when life’s challenges throw you off track. You can always return to your baseline by returning to your Akashic Records.

3) Discover Your Divine Potential

Your Akashic Records contain all of the possibilities and potential for you in this lifetime. They also contain the wisdom of your past and present lives, as well as all that is open to you in the future.

You can access this knowledge through your Akashic Records, heal what’s blocking you from embodying your purpose and potential, and then initiate a daily integration practice so you can begin to receive this potential from a position of higher consciousness — and to make choices with this knowledge.

4) Connect with the Divine

When you access your records, you are reconnecting with the Divine Source within you. Your Soul’s imprint is on every page of every book. Reconnecting with Source amplifies your inner guidance, inner knowing, and builds confidence and trust in the guidance of your intuition.

You will also feel a sense of peace and calm as you begin to connect regularly with this inner resource.

5) Identify The Lessons From Your Past Lives

As I’ve mentioned, your Akashic Records, your “Book of Life,” hold the memories, experiences, emotions, happenings of your previous incarnations, as well as the lessons from those lifetimes — and the lessons you are here to discover in this lifetime.

You can also find information on “contracts,” or agreements you have made in other lifetimes or for relationship agreements you also made in other lifetimes. These insights will shed light on current situations or dynamics in your life.

You can also bless and release out-of-date contracts in this lifetime — allowing you to tap into greater creativity, more life force energy, and more of your true essence.

By releasing old contracts, you also open yourself to embody your full potential for this lifetime.

These are just a few highlights from working with your Akashic Records. Once you begin to access your records on a regular basis, you’ll find a wealth of wisdom and support for your daily life.

2020-Access5thDimensionBlog

Access the Healing Power of the 5th Dimension

Have you ever found yourself suddenly “traveling” to another realm? 

Maybe in meditation, right before sleep, or in a dream… or perhaps as the result of a near-death experience…

In this “other world,” you may have felt the absence of fear, a presence of unconditional love, or a peaceful, spacious sense of calm.  

There are many dimensions of consciousness that can evoke these healing vibrations… 

In fact, science now tells us that there are as many as 11 dimensions beyond 3-D reality, and what we can see, hear, touch, and smell. (I’ve experienced many beyond those 11, but that’s a story for another day) The universe is actually a multiverse

And, in many spiritual traditions, it’s believed that each cosmic dimension vibrates at a higher frequency than the dimension below it — offering limitless possibilities for spiritual expansion.  

The fifth dimension is the level of consciousness in which you are living totally from the heart. 

Here, you are aware of your True Self, the core of your authentic being. There is no fear, no judgment, no polarity — and no sense of separation or limitation. 

Sounds pretty amazing…

Additionally, there’s also healing wisdom for you in this dimension of consciousness, as well as the guidance of your “Core Star” to help you manifest your higher calling here on Earth.  

You can actually experience aspects of the 5th dimension in nature. Walking barefoot in the grass, lying on a sunlit beach, or listening to beautiful music.  

In this revelatory, 9-minute video, Deborah King shares about different dimensions of consciousness — plus a powerful activation practice to take you much deeper into 5th dimension-consciousness — to your Core Star. 


Watch as Deborah guides you to your Core Star, located in the center of your body about an inch or inch and a half above your navel.  

During this activation, you may be able to see the brilliance of your core star, but if not, you’ll know when you are there — when you are in a state of calm and relaxation, yet filled with power and light. 

As Deborah shares, in the 5th dimension, your core strength is magnified, and you experience inner harmony as you inquire how to best fulfill the karmic tasks — as well as the contracts your soul incarnated to complete.  

You can access healing in the 5th dimension of consciousness anytime, with the Core Star 5-minute practice in the video. 

Sending out light energy from your Core Star helps bring your dreams to fruition.

Battling Depression

One Key Ingredient for Battling Depression and Mental Illness

It’s only the 3rd week of January in Southern California, but we are already welcoming the sun back into our daily lives. We missed her and our time outside under her sunny rays. 

Once the sun comes back into your life, go outside and make some vitamin D and you will feel a whole lot better, because, chances are, you are battling low-level depression.

Today, we understand better the role of vitamin D and its protection against depression. This little vitamin, best obtained from sunlight, not only plays a role in bone health, but also in the health of your brain. A plethora of neurological disorders have been linked to insufficient vitamin D, including depression and Alzheimer’s. 

Even more recent studies connect the ever-increasing problem of childhood mental health issues like bi-polar and schizophrenia, showing up in younger and younger children, to the lack of vitamin D; kids just don’t play outside like they used to.

But what about all the advice you hear to slather up/cover up at the first blush of the sun? It turns out that 20+ years of advice was dead wrong, and, as is often the case, your mother was right, when she urged you to get outside and get some sun.

Nearly three quarters of people living in the Northern Hemisphere have less than the required amount of vitamin D and nearly one quarter in the Southern Hemisphere are below par. People live indoors and when they are outside, they are covered with sunscreen. Not like our early days when we ran around all day under the sun, buck-naked and free. That all changed around 75,000 years ago, when we moved out from East Africa to points around the world, many of which required the wearing of skins and living under a roof of some sort. But even those folks were outside a lot, up until about 100 years ago, when we started living indoors, and more so every single year.

It’s no wonder that depression is becoming one of our biggest problems world-wide. 

You get 90% of your vitamin D from the sun; chances are, your bank of vitamin D (stored in your liver) is close to empty at the moment. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, your bank is even more depleted, as meat and fish eaters have higher levels of D. 

Dietary sources of Vitamin D

The problem intensifies once you are over 60, as your skin requires 4 times as much sun exposure to make the same amount of vitamin D as it does for someone younger.

What to do?

  1. Every day you see the sun in the sky, run out and get 10 to 20 minutes, on as much bare skin as is legal, and as the temperature allows. No sunscreen. Preferably before 9:00am and, in the summer, after 5:00pm. 
  2. Worried about skin cancer? Up your ingestion of foods rich in carotenoids, like carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, kale, and spinach. These foods significantly lower your risk of skin cancer. 
  3. Add a little butter to those carotenoids as they are fat-soluble. Yum. 
  4. In the dark days of winter, supplement with vitamin D3, (make sure it is 3, not 2); supplementation is now known to be an effective treatment for depression.
  5. Finally, don’t laugh, but your mother was right about this too: take fish oil, specifically cod-liver oil, daily. 

The tried-and-true advice from days past is often still very viable today, but we tend to forget these simple pieces of sage wisdom. 

Ensuring you’re getting your proper dose of Vitamin D can not only help you be healthier and feel better in the present, but it can prevent serious issues in the future. 

So, make sure you make vitamin D a priority and part of your daily routine!

Get better sleep

8 Natural Herbal Remedies for a Better Night’s Sleep

Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? This may be due to a short-term issue or it can stem from longer-term sleep habits that are incorrect. Beyond a week, sleeping pills are not the solution. Prescription meds don’t address the underlying cause, and they have some serious side effects. 

In addition to the suggestions in last week’s blog, what about diet, can it help with sleep? It may be surprising, but what you eat at dinner or in nighttime snacks can affect your sleep. Certain foods, like cheese and turkey, are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin, which will help you feel sleepy. Almonds also have tryptophan as well as calcium and magnesium, minerals that calm the body and the mind. However, you will want to avoid carbs at dinner (especially potatoes), as they convert to sugar and six hours later, you could very well wake up. You would avoid sweets after lunch for the same reason.

One study revealed that tart cherries help people with insomnia; they are the only food source of melatonin, that necessary hormone for sleep. Tart cherry juice works as well, but stay away from caffeinated drinks, alcohol, and spicy and fatty foods, all which can lead to sleeplessness. 

There are natural herbal remedies that make it easier to go to sleep and stay asleep. Here are 8 of them:

  1. Chamomile tea: it’s been used for hundreds of years as a sleep aid because it acts like a mild sedative. Brew for 10 minutes using two or three tea bags to calm your nerves and get a full night’s sleep.
  2. St. John’s wort: this flower can be brewed as a tea to ease anxiety and insomnia or taken as a supplement. Make sure you stay out of direct sunlight when you take it because it can make you more sensitive to UV rays.
  3. Valerian root: over 16 studies have shown this flowering plant helps you fall asleep faster and have a more sound night’s sleep. It’s the most commonly used herbal supplement to promote sleep in the U.S. and Europe. Taken together, valerian and hops are well-studied herbal supplements for sleep; they boost production of GABA, a brain chemical that reduces anxiety and has sedative properties. You will want to restrict your use to a week or two, so as not to overly burden the liver.
  4. Kava: Pacific Islanders have long used this root for relaxation. Like valerian, don’t use over a long period of time. Use a high quality supplement.
  5. Passion flower (also called maypop): is not only a delicious tea, but is also a mild sedative. Steep for 10 minutes in boiling water.
  6. California poppy: the bright orange leaves of the poppy should be steeped in hot water for 10 minutes to make a tea that gets you ready for a good night’s sleep.
  7. Lavender: the soothing fragrance of lavender’s purple flowers enhances sleep. Lavender aromatherapy is often as effective as pharmaceutical medications, with no side effects. Don’t take lavender orally. Use a good quality lavender oil in a diffuser around 30 minutes before bed.

So, forget counting sheep and brew a cup of herbal tea to catch some Z’s. 

And if you’d like to hear more about this and other topics, come join our live show on January 22nd at 3PM Pacific. We’ll be talking to expert herbalist and Deborah King Center Graduate Practitioner, Lisa Vander Kaay.

Join the conversation!

Click here to reserve your seat for the show >>

Getting best sleep

The Best Sleep Ever: Why You Need It and How to Get It

This is the time of year when everyone focuses on diet and exercise, but it’s sleep that needs our attention – the importance of sleep is vastly under-rated. When you get enough sleep, you rebuild your body and your mind: sleep releases human growth hormone, essential for staying young; it balances your appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), keeping you slender; repairs your DNA; speeds up muscle recovery; preserves your memory; and improves your ability to learn. What’s not to like about sleep! (Meditation does all these things too, so be sure to meditate once you do wake up.)

Even one night of poor sleep can throw you out of whack, making you over-do carbs and sugar the next day. Plus, staying up late causes your immune system to plummet, your blood pressure to rise, and inflammation to increase. Not a pretty picture.

To this day, every animal on the planet sleeps, so clearly sleep is not optional. Here are five steps to good sleep:

Step One: Spend a little time early in the morning, outside, letting your eyes be exposed to the morning light, so your all-important circadian rhythm gets set for the day.

Step Two:  Spend a minimum of 15 minutes outside during the day, getting more natural light on your eyeballs, which will reinforce your body’s regular wake/sleep rhythm.

Step Three:  Minimize the amount of blue light you are exposed to both during the day and the evening from devices like computer screens, TVs, iPads, and smart phones; blue light blocks the critical melatonin production that you need to sleep properly. Melatonin is generated in your pineal gland when it’s really dark. To prepare for that production, turn off the TV an hour before bedtime and make sure your devices are on “night shift” settings that warm the color of the screens. Check out an app like iristech.co for ways to minimize the amount of blue light you are exposed to from your screens. Or grab a pair of blue light blocking glasses from raoptics.com and be healthy and hip looking all at the same time.

Step Four: Go to bed at about the same time every evening, ideally within 15 minutes of your routine time. I spent many years on the farm, watching all the animals, and saw how well animals do this – always bedding down at the same time every night. Or sleeping standing up, as horses often do.

Step Five:  Make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible. If you need your phone (on airplane mode, of course) to see the time, choose a red screen for that purpose. Wear an eye mask just in case light is leaking in under the door or around the drapes. Even your skin takes in light, so the darker the room, the better.

Step Six: Enjoy all the benefits of your prep during the day with a blissful night of sleep in a room that is between 60- 65 degrees Fahrenheit/15 – 19 degrees Celsius – your body needs to be in that temperature range in order to continue to produce melatonin and to stay asleep. And, if you wake up too early, simply meditate and chances are, you’ll drop back off to sleep before long. Happy ZZZs!

Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

7 Tips to Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

by Cathy Gabrielsen

Why are you so SAD? Maybe it’s because it’s that time of year—the transition from fall to winter, the death of the leaves and grass, and the onset of bitterly cold weather. Are you becoming more withdrawn, feeling depressed, anxious, or hopeless? Do you have unusual physical aches and pains or find yourself craving comfort foods, like heaping servings of pasta or popcorn? If so, Seasonal Affective Disorder may be the reason. 

Over three million people suffer through the change of seasons. There is not only the wintertime SAD, which is well-known and accepted as a serious condition, but also a summertime SAD, when the end of summer leaves you anxious and sad, with changes in appetite and insomnia. This is known as reverse SAD, when high temperatures and high humidity make you uncomfortable, and daylight is subtly shortening. Summer SAD can lead to major depressive disorder, which affects over 16 million people in the U.S.

Cathy Gabrielsen

Cathy Gabrielsen is a speaker, writer and Graduate teacher of LifeForce Energy Healing® at the Deborah King Center and founder of The Gabrielsen Healing Center.

Wintertime SAD can also be exacerbated by turning the clock back at the end of October. Winter hours can reduce your level of serotonin, the chemical produced by nerve cells that regulates your mood, and also melatonin, the hormone made by the pineal gland in your body that regulates sleep. With less of these mood enhancers in your system, you can wind up feeling depressed or anxious as winter comes roaring. It is natural to think that you should join the bears in withdrawing and hibernating for the winter, or that alcohol or recreational drugs will sufficiently numb the pain. But these are not optimum pathways for managing your inner pain. There are ways to ease the discomfort, depression, and overall negative feelings associated with this yearly time of darkness

Deborah King’s LifeForce Energy Healing® Program cured me of SAD, along with alleviating my anxiety. I took the time to explore and discover why I was feeling seasonal affective disorder and found that journaling provided me with an incredible way to release and heal my negative emotions. I also realized that self-care is vital in healing all types of conditions. Self-care involves taking the time you need to find ways that work for you. I found the best solutions for me were to take a clearing bath or walk in nature, find time for massage or acupuncture, and spend time writing in my journal. Find out what brings you joy, and try the following helpful tips to ease the emotional and mental suffering of the winter blues.

  1. Get outside in the fresh air and move even though it may be cold and dreary out there. Take a brisk “stroll” mid-day or evening and bathe yourself in the peaceful ambience of sunlight or moonlight on snow. Or walk for a few minutes at dawn, intending that you will have a glorious light-filled day. 
  2. Light therapy, also called phototherapy, works wonders! Lightboxes simulate sunlight and are an inexpensive and effective way to naturally stimulate serotonin and melatonin. Spend an hour each day under the lamp, working at your desk or doing the dishes or watching TV.
  3. Create positive new traditions in the winter. Instead of taking your vacation in the summer months, opt to get out of Dodge in mid-winter. It will give you something to look forward to, and if you head to a warm climate, you can soak up the sun.
  4. Stay in the Light. Stay connected with positive people, places, and things. If someone continuously brings you down, then stay away from that person. Watch an uplifting and light-hearted series. Stay in touch with your feelings and do what makes you feel good.
  5. Clear your chakras. Keep your energy field in balance and your chakras cleansed through meditative practices or energy healing. You will feel more energized and open to seeing things in a brighter light. 
  6. Create joy. Listen to music and dance. Use aromatherapy to surround yourself with uplifting scents. Splurge on a mani-pedi or facial and know you deserve to be pampered.
  7. Meditate. Next to using a light box, bringing more spiritual light into your life through meditation is a sure fire way to beat the winter blahs. Ramp up your meditation program, fitting in 20 minutes each, morning and evening. 

If you’ve been feeling out of sorts due to SAD, you’re not alone. There are literally millions of people struggling just like you this time of year. But now you know that there is something you can do to be happy.