How to Receive

Empaths, Online Classes, Quantum Empowerment, Uncategorized

This past week I’ve been preparing for my “11 Day Emotional Detox“ (which starts on Jan 1st) and came up against residual receiving blocks/old emotional wounds.

These particular past beliefs/programs had been healed but not cleared out of my auric field. Old thoughts/programs show up in weird ways, and rather than tackling them for another go around, it’s imperative to simply release — let them die — and to RECEIVE the upgraded conscious perspective.

To die is to be reborn, but old beliefs operate so efficiently to create and recreate the same story that we must be conscious about which beliefs we allow to take residence in our lives. Clearing an old program is simply to let it die, every time in comes up, until eventually, the neural pathway is undone.

Clearing out old beliefs only becomes hard if we have an emotional attachment to the storyline — the death requires us to trust that the new version of our story is actually better for us — because it is TRUE for us NOW.

Death of old perspectives is a crucial step to receive the fullness of our heart’s restoration (remember, we attract at the frequency we vibrate, and EMOTIONS attract faster and more accurately to our deepest beliefs than any practice or thought).

Sometimes we have to allow aspects of our thoughts/consciousness to die, so we can receive the “upgraded” parts of ourselves we’ve been praying for.

Receiving the upgrade is rapture. Here it all makes sense. Here we come from the heart. Here we forgive. Here we trust. Here we embody the greatest and most powerful form of Love: Self-Love. Here we remember we are all one.
It may sound simple, but if we don’t know how to receive (or confront our blocks to receiving) we can unwittingly sabotage our efforts in lining-up with our heart’s true passions/desires.

It gets wonky when we’re this close — really knowing how to use Universal Energies/Consciousness and feeling deeply into our emotional body — because everything is amplified. We have a tremendous amount of energy we’ve tapped into (Source itself) but if we don’t fully trust ourselves with it (or trust the Source from whence it came) we’re liable to get some serious backlash (namely, our own). Nothing we can’t clean up instantly, of course (it’s all about the NOW, after all), but hidden fears or repressed guilt/shame are the two biggest factors in blocking our progress (and they can be incredibly painful blocks too, because at this point, we’ve built up incredible, conscious momentum).

The heart is key. If we can’t trust love (our ability to receive and give love) we will never be the truly powerful creators/avatars we know to be.

Your kingdom is only as big as your auric field is allowed to grow.

Think of RECEIVING/TRUST as a prerequisite to embodiment of our heart’s true home.

Happy Thursday!

PS. This audio is from my “Empathic Communication” online class — thought it might be helpful.

Go Home, Get Triggered, Write a Poem.

Creative Writing, Empaths, healing

Yes. That’s what happens when I go home, I get triggered.

I think everyone can relate — especially if you’re an empath or highly sensitive. “Home” is like walking into the middle of a landmine. No bueno.

I knew when I planned this trip it was going to be a test. A test of how well I can remember who I am.

Before going I had more than one dream of floating on top of Utah lake, one of the main landmarks of Utah county. Beautiful to behold from a distance, but a cesspool of mercury laden fish and dead bodies — literally.

At the boat dock, warning signs assault any lingering serenity, advising would-be fishers not to eat more than a half a pound of fish from the lake in a YEAR.

Delish.

In my dreams, Utah lake is like the consciousness of the State — sparkling from the outside, full of poison within. And I know I come from here. It is apart of me.

A hard dream to swallow.

I must make friends with this place. Love it, like the shadowy places inside me– for they know not what they do.

Sometimes it works. Glorious moments occur where I shift into a new reality, and all is well. Utah is the home I always wanted — welcoming me with her majestic mountains. Smiling on me with her glorious sun.

But bliss is short lived and I wake to see the inversion settling in, filling my lungs with death.

Maybe it’s meant to always be a reminder of the contrast I come from — the stark memories of the life I don’t prefer, so I can go off into the horizon with renewed desire to create something new.

For some reason this trip home was the hardest one so far, and yet, the most freeing.

This poem emerged as an after thought. I highly recommend creating from melancholy — it leaves quite a ghostly whisper:

Home

At home her tall steeples frown down on me
as I reach for the sky where her finger points.
Her mountains shield fears
behind walls of trapped tears,
her air turns my lungs black.

A barren land – my milk-less mother
too weak to eat the metal fish in her pond.
With naked eyes I remove her blindfold.
Where Nothing Is
Everything is Hidden.

Advice for Empaths

featured, Interviews, Online Courses, Spirituality

For those of you who may have missed it, below is my interview with intuitive and spiritual teacher, Teal Swan. Teal is an experienced empath who has a lot of experience teaching other empaths and highly sensitive people how to not only cope with their sensitivities, but to thrive. Invaluable advice:

To Hell With Self-Improvement!

Bits and Pieces, Empaths, Spirituality

WARNING: Adult language ahead!

I shocked myself this morning. After a walk, some sungazing, yoga in the park, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Being as I started my day off in the “right” way (I was proud), I thought I would attempt to journal.

You see, I’ve been trying to tap into my creativity for awhile (not only with writing, but with my career as well) and I’ve felt blocked. Majorly blocked. This has been going on for years. I always feel as if I’m operating at about 5% of what I’m actually capable of. But for some reason every time I try to force myself to do better, I shut down. I feel even worse. What’s resulted from this inner struggle is a constant and ever-present feeling of failure. I never feel good enough.

As one who prides myself on my ability to face my own shadow (and embrace my negative emotions), I thought I would go into this feeling and see if I could coax my inner self out — to let her know I love her and it’s okay for her to shine — to heal the negative emotional imprint so I can finally do what I’m “meant” to do.

I decided to write my inner self a letter (my “human” self). I wanted to talk to the part of me that wasn’t allowing success. The part holding me back from my full potential.

But she wasn’t having it.

I couldn’t type the first sentence before I realized it was my human-self who wanted a word with me. And she wasn’t happy:

“Why do you insist I prove my worth to you? Fuck you and your self-Improvement! I don’t want to be improved upon. Fuck you for treating me like I’m your problem to fix — a fundamental flaw in your system. You’ve adopted your dad’s way about you – the critical way. Unaccepting. Unattainable perfection. You chose the path of ‘improvement’ because you hate me.

Fuck your belittling ways; you’re trying to coax me out to do your bidding – to make you look good for others – to earn their love and approval. I’m not interested in improvement. I’m interested in doing nothing but existing in peace without your fucking judgments. I don’t want a war. But a war is what you will get if you try to force my hand.

You always want to prove, prove, prove. Fuck you. I don’t have anything to prove. Your validation is just not that important to me.

I want to be loved simply because I exist. I’m not good. I’m not bad. I just am. Fuck your ‘enlightenment’ bullshit. Perfection doesn’t interest me.

I REFUSE to prove myself to you. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can go in peace. You cannot force me to do what you want by withholding your love from me. Fuck that. I am not your slave. I am not your constellation prize. I am not your whore. Fuck you!”

It poured out of me like a volcano eruption. I couldn’t hold it back. I was literally shaking. I realize I wasn’t only talking to “me” — I was talking to everything (and everyone) in my life that reflected that judgment — including my false perception of God.

Like whoa.

#shadowwork #shitjustgotreal

Join the Empowering Empaths Online Community

Empaths, Spirituality, Starseed Corner

For empaths seeking a community of support and encouragement, I have created a free, private online Facebook group.

Much like the online classes I’ve taught in the past, this group will be a place where I share videos about healing and understanding empathic abilities, as well as excerpts from my upcoming book, Empathic Healing.

Members can join for free, invite others to the group, share experiences, ask any questions, and even post their own videos too! All are welcome, but only members can see what’s posted.

My intention is for empaths to have a safe place where they feel empowered and supported. All videos/info I post will only be available through this private group, so as to attract only those who are interested in the topic of empathic abilities and want to connect with like minds.

To join, simply request to be added on the Facebook forum.

I look forward to connecting with you!

Laurel Whole Plant Organics Review

Aromatherapy, Christy’s Choicest Choices, Features, Health Products

I’ve been using Laurel Whole Plant Organic body oil, lavender lip treatment, and eye balm for about three weeks now. One word: POTENT!

As someone who loves to give my body only the best, most natural and eco-friendly products, I have to say Laurel is a high-end line for lovers of natural, essential oil infused magic.

Here’s the low down:

The body oil has 13 whole organic plant ingredients, including avocado oil, rosehip seed oil, rosemary extract, cedar, pine, and other flower and gem essences. The experience of the earthy aromatics leave your skin feeling nourished and smelling hypnotic. No greasy mess.

Aside from experiencing a noteworthy lift in my mood from the plant extracts, I’ve been diligently applying the body oil to some unwanted stretch marks on my thighs, which after only 3 weeks appear noticeably lighter. Score!

The lavender lip treatment smells amazing. While I love the beautiful glossy glow it lends to my lips, it does absorb quite quickly and I find I have to reapply often. As someone who struggles with dry lips, I usually prefer something that requires less application. I have noticed, however, that throughout the weeks my lips have been less dry than usual. Definitely worth a try.

Laurel’s eye balm is perhaps my favorite product of all! I absolutely LOVE the texture, smell, feel on my skin, and most importantly, the results. I have tried different ‘natural’ eye creams with little success in reducing morning puffiness, but Laurel’s whole plant treatment is PURE MAGIC.

List of ingredients include a whole plant blend of Bilberry, Fennel, Licorice and Nettle to reduce puffiness, inflammation, fluid retention and dark circles. The blend is high in vitamins and minerals as well as carotenes. An indulgent, exotic floral, blend of organic and therapeutic grade essential oils: Lavender, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Myrrh and Helichrysum are included to tighten, plump and brighten eyes.

I am absolutely SOLD on this eye balm. If your eyes need a vacation from stress, this concoction is the perfect way to allow them to luxuriate.

All of Laurel’s products are a bit pricey, but completely worth the high-end quality you pay for. Besides, I always feel our bodies are priceless and worth treating like the royalty they are (and by using natural products, you’re doing a friendly favor to the environment as well).

Overall, I would recommend Laurel’s Whole Plant Organics to anyone looking for a top quality facial/body care line. I can’t wait to try their other products.

For more information on Laurel (including their sustainability and eco practices), visit their website.

How to Open and Clear the Chakras

Body Work, Chakra Centers, EmBody Bliss, Empaths, Features, Spirituality, The Crown Chakra, The Heart Chakra, The Root Chakra, The Sacral Chakra, The Solar Plexus Chakra, The Third Eye Chakra, The Throat Chakra, Websites

As many of my blog followers know, I also write content for the amazingly brilliant, conscious fashion company, Lotus Effect.

Today’s article is all about understanding, opening, and clearing the chakras, and since this is Chakra Center after all, I felt it would be an appropriate blog share for today!

Enjoy!

Believed to be the centers for spiritual energy, the 7 Chakras are a crucial system for understanding the flow of personal life force. Not only do these center points hold specific energy in the body, they also flow back and forth between each other and represent a vital aspect of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Each individual chakra has a specific purpose in the body, and can be blocked by unhealed emotions and trauma. When one of these energy centers is blocked, it messes with the balance of our entire system. Blocked chakras can lead to illness, as well as spiritual and emotional unrest. Understanding how to clear and balance the chakras is crucial for our overall health.

Knowing where these energy center points are located in the body, as well as their emotional components, is an important step in learning how to be in-tune with the body’s life force.

Here is a basic overview:

Root Chakra – Located at the base of the spine, the root chakra is where the body carries its survival energy. Issues of money, food, and stability are associated with this chakra. When opened and clear one feels grounded and at peace. The emotion that blocks this chakra is fear.

If you carry fear for your basic survival (this can include financial stress or eating disorders), it is important to work on healing your root chakra. The key to healing this chakra is surrendering to your fears and allowing them to flow through you (rather than resisting and suppressing them).

Color associated with the root chakra: Red

Sacral Chakra – Located about 2 inches below the navel and 2 inches in, is the sacral chakra. Related to the ability to give and receive, as well as sexual and creative energy, this chakra deals with pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Because of social and religious programming, most people have blocks in their sacral chakra.

Feeling guilt related to receiving pleasure (of any form), creativity, or sexuality – or carrying emotional trauma related to sexuality, is an indication the sacral chakra needs to be healed and cleared.

Look at the things you feel guilty about in your life. Accept the reality of the events, and learn to forgive yourself. It is impossible for this chakra to be opened and balanced without self-forgiveness and acceptance.

Color associated with the sacral chakra: Orange

Solar Plexus Chakra – Located in the abdomen/stomach area, the solar plexus chakra deals with one’s sense of personal power and self-control, and is blocked by shame. Feelings of self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem are tied to this chakra.

In order to open and clear the solar plexus, it is essential to love and accept all aspects of yourself, including your mistakes.

Color associated with the solar plexus chakra: Yellow

Heart Chakra – Located in the center of the chest, just above the heart, the heart chakra deals with our joy, inner peace, and ability to love. This chakra is blocked by grief.

To clear and release the heart chakra, it is important to acknowledge, validate, and release all loss. Allow yourself to feel the pain of grief. Do not hold and suppress the sadness — let your emotions flow.

Color associated with the heart chakra: Green

Throat Chakra – Located in the throat, the throat chakra deals with the ability to communicate truth, and is blocked by lies – especially the lies we tell ourselves.

To heal and open the throat chakra, it is important to release all self-denial and lies – even when those lies are functioning as a coping mechanism. We cannot lie about our own nature. It is impossible to be able to communicate in a powerful way when one holds onto self-deluded lies.

Color associated with the throat chakra: Blue

Third Eye Chakra – Located on the forehead between the eyes, the third eye deals with the ability to focus on and see the big picture (as well as psychic vision and insight). This chakra is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation.

In order to heal and clear this chakra, it is crucial to release all illusion within ourselves and understand we are connected to all things. There is no separation. Things we think are separate and different, are actually one and the same.

Color associated with the thrid eye chakra: Indigo

Crown Chakra – Located at the very top of the head, this highest chakra represents the ability to be fully connected spiritually. It deals with pure, cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachment.

Healing and opening the crown chakra requires us to let go of the things we hold on to most desperately, trusting the love and flow of the Universe/Source within us to be our ultimate fulfillment and bliss.

Opening the crown chakra is not about denying our desires or connection to the earth, it is simply about letting go of our grasp and surrendering to Universal cosmic energy (or God).

Color associated with the crown chakra: Violet

Opening and healing the chakras is about walking the spiritual path of self-awareness. It is not something that is done in one mediation, but rather a daily practice on the inward journey. By tuning into our emotional blockages and needs, we allow ourselves to expand, trust, and ultimately be set free.

Review: Balanced Guru Body Mists

Aromatherapy, Body Work, Christy’s Choicest Choices, Features, Health Products

Since I’ve started using essential oils, I’ve become incredibly sensitive to synthetic perfume. Because I love to smell good (what woman doesn’t?!), I’ve been experimenting with different essential oil body mists. And I love finding good ones.

One of my new favorites is from Balanced Guru. Using all organic, cruelty free, recyclable material, this company makes a different body mist to work with each of the seven chakras.

I started with their Intuition and Fearless scents (working with the root and third eye chakras). Both mists not only utilize essential oils that assist with the subtle energies of these chakras, but I notice a gentle lightening of my energy body when using them (especially the Intuition, which I’ve been using before doing intuitive readings with clients).

If you’re sensitive to energy at all (especially for those who are empathic) the Fearless mist is an excellent companion for crowded/dense energy spaces. It was on me almost non-stop as I traveled for over a week doing a lot of energy work — definitely a constant source of grounding and comfort — perfect for airports.

The only thing I don’t like about these mists is how small their container is (only 0.27 fl.). As someone who uses essential oils constantly, I went through them a lot quicker than I’d like. I wish they offered them in larger volume.

Essential oil body mists are great for clearing stagnate energy around your body and helping you connect to your feelings/emotions. There are also hundreds of health benefits associated with essential oils.

It’s worth a quick google search if you’re interested in exploring the topic (or you can also check-out the interview I did with aromatherapist, Athena Ziegler last year, which provides a lot of information and history on the magic of essential oils).

Balanced Guru is currently offering a free gift for first time buyers (no minimum purchase). Simple add in the “notes” section of your order which product of theirs you want to try, and they will send you a free trial size.

My bonus was the No Frizz hair oil. It works just as well as the argan tree oil I typically use, but I like the smell of it even better (and the scent seems to linger longer, as well).

If you only do one thing to make a difference in the world, choose to support small companies like Balanced Guru (or any of the many, blooming others). It’s important not only for your health and the environment, but for the overall consciousness and vibration of the planet.

Namaste.

For more information on Balanced Guru, visit their website.

Monday’s Magic Spell: Deleting Damaging Programs

Body Work, EmBody Bliss, Empaths, Magic Mondays, Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Sacral Chakra

Vibrational awareness is the key to change. But one of the oldest (and thickest) programs we’ve been told as a human race is that things cannot change. We’ve believed for so long the external world is in control of us, that we’re victims, and what we think/feel/experience is inconsequential at best, evil at worst.

Of course, we all know now that it couldn’t be further from the truth. Yet, we’ve lived with these programs for so long that we’ve somehow come to believe the residue left behind is WHO WE ARE (rather than simply effects of the system).

The old paradigm of aggressor/victim/savior can only survive if we continue playing those roles. The great news is, we don’t have to agree to that game anymore. We can play a new game. We can have new roles. What would the game look like if we were ALL self-empowered?!

One of the keys to activating the new paradigm in your own life is by healing and balancing your lower chakas. The lower chakras have been so demonized by culture and religion (and even some New Age teachers), that we’ve become confused as to why we even have them. They are associated with our “human nature” — an aspect we’re told we need to destroy. If we can keep the “human” enslaved and controlled, we can have order.

The old paradigm wants to keep you a slave to your feelings/emotions because that’s the only way you can be controlled. As long as you stay out of the power of your lower chakras, you will not be a threat.

How convenient for the old system that one of the programs put in place in our Sacral Chakras is a sort of built-in guilt about our innate power, about receiving, and about pleasure.We’re not allowed to enjoy the world, feel pleasure, or receive without some sort of repercussion, and even attempting to change things sets off triggers of guilt, shame, and fear. We even go so far as to “slay” it, and by exiling the “shade” aspects of ourselves we’ve created our own monsters that we continue to fear.

The fear is just a program. The only truth it holds is the truth we give it. The only power it has is fueled by the emotional convictions we put behind it. And the program itself is one of duality, one that causes the energies of our lower charkas to get out of balance.It’s a game we’re all tired of, yet we continue to victimize ourselves and each other by agreeing with the rules of that paradigm. And the vicious cycle of aggressor/victim/savior continues.

In order for this program to survive, the aggressor needs a victim to terrorize, the victim needs a savior, and the savior who jumps in to rescue needs both (otherwise its role would be void).

What role have you been playing? We all typically slide into one of these roles quite comfortably, or vacillate between all three. And ironically, none of them are empowering.

Ultimately, when you embrace the power of your inner Shade, you are released from the program. It is impossible to be in your power and in the program of aggressor/victim/savior at the same time.

Healing (especially from trauma) takes time, and we need to allow ourselves the freedom to take as long as we need to soothe and comfort wounds caused from the program. But we DO NOT need to keep the program.

So for today’s magic spell, take a long, luxurious look at what the empowered version of you would feel like. See the you that has integrated both light and darkness (in balance) and is free from the aggressor/victim/savior paradigm.

What does the empowered YOU look like/feel like?

How does he/she create?

How does he/she luxuriate?

How does he/she look at people?

How does he/she walk?

How does he/she dress?

How does he/she interact with the energy around her/within her?

Simply spend some time playing around with the energy. If it’s too hard to put yourself in that role (due to the program still having too much persuasion on your thoughts) imagine you are writing a character that DOES own her power. One who is graceful and powerful and knows how to give and receive in abundance and with true, unconditional love.

Write that character. Indulge in the emotions of what she would FEEL like. Emotions are what drive the creations we bring forth into the world, and transforming/healing your sacral chakra will ultimately be fueled by how you feel.

The intensity of the pain/trauma you’ve experienced in the past does not have to rule you for the rest of your life. Start experimenting with what it would FEEL like to experience something different. You might be amazed at what you find.

Intuitive Traveling: An Interview with Megan Abbott

Interviews, Spirituality, The Throat Chakra, Uncategorized

As many of us are consciously unplugging from the Matrix, we’re learning new ways of being and manifesting in this world. We, as a human race, are collectively moving toward instant manifestation.

What use to take years to come into our experience is now only taking weeks, sometimes just days. And it’s only getting quicker.

I’ve found in my own journey that one of the most effective ways to practice the art of manifesting is through intuitive traveling. It’s a way of traveling that removes “plans” and agendas (and even budgets) and allows you to simply follow your intuition, allowing the Universe to provide the “how.”

Although I’ve done this in small doses while living in Italy and other places on the planet (and I currently just began a new intuitive travel journey — which I will share about at a later date on Chakra Center), I’ve asked seasoned traveler, Megan Abbott, to stop by and share her experiences with intuitive traveling and offer any tips/advice about how to get started.

Megan has been to many countries around the world, with very little money, planning, or agenda. The experiences and miracles she has encountered on her trips have been nothing short of epic.

*What exactly is “intuitive traveling” and how long have you been doing it?

I was guided to begin my practice of intuitive traveling three years ago when I found myself spontaneously buying a one-way ticket to Alaska. At the time, the idea of travel was altogether foreign to me, as well as exhilarating and terrifying.

All I knew at the time was that I was hungry for adventure, for the opportunity to experience liberation, to explore and connect with unknown places and new people, and to develop my connection with myself and my source. I also intended on facing and understanding all of my shadows along the way with the hopes of creating the best possible version of myself which is still in the process of becoming.

I had no idea what I had signed myself up for at the time, but going with the flow of my intuitive feeling to “just go” was the best decision I’ve ever made.

I wasn’t planning on getting so hooked on travel, but my experience in Alaska was so mind-blowingly expansive and positive that I proceeded to continue my journey through Hawaii, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Puerto Rico. In May 2014 I will continue my journey through South America.

All of these travels were done on EXTREMELY minimal money, connections or planning. They were made solely possible through playing with the energies of creation, manifestation, love, visualization, joy and through trusting that the universe has my back every step of the way.

*How does traveling make your life more magical and add to soul expansion?

Intuitive traveling presents us with the opportunity to take leaps of faith, to liberate ourselves, to practice mindfulness, to live in the present moment, and to reconstruct and reprogram ourselves to become more aligned with our true purposes.

*What is your favorite thing about traveling?

My favorite thing about traveling is the way that it has opened me up and connected me to Source energy and to my vital life force. From traveling alone I have learned to become my own best friend and to create an incredibly strong friendship with the universe. This connection has allowed me to see myself in everyone I’ve met along my journey and to feel at home no matter how unfamiliar the element.

From being away, I’ve also developed my overall sense of appreciation and gratitude for my family, loved ones, humanity, and the process of life.

*How would you recommend someone getting started with an intuitive traveling journey?

To anyone that would like to start an intuitive traveling journey– you must own your power and believe that it is completely in your own hands to create and manifest the journey of your dreams. Believing that it is possible, it is in your power and creating the space in your life for a life-changing journey are huge factors in manifesting an epic trip.

I would like to note to remember to have fun and to play around with this process as much as possible, for instance, look at a map, choose the place of your dreams, announce to the universe when you will be going and then create the space in your life for it to manifest, then watch the way things magically unfold. I have watched the most beautiful manifestations materialized by using this exact method.

*What are some of the magical ways the Universe has provided for you/surprised you on your travels?

I have encountered many magical people and experienced many miracles throughout my journeys. The one that stands out to me the most actually occurred early on in my travels, it was my third day in Homer, Alaska.

I met a super kindred spirit, a man in his 70’s named Chris at a little restaurant called the Cosmic Cafe (ha! the beautiful irony of that name in retrospect…) and I began speaking to him excitedly about my new adventure. After connecting over the beauty of the universe for some time he told me that the universe had been incredibly generous to him throughout his years and that he had been waiting for the opportunity to give back in some way.

He asked me to please accept a gift from him, I agreed to be open to receiving. It turned out that the gift was a car (he happened to have a few extra that sat unused in his garage) he excitedly insisted that he didn’t want anything in return. The next day we met at the DMV and he signed the title over, it was an absolute miracle!

Up until that point I had planned on hitchhiking as my main mode of transportation but the car changed everything and opened up many doors for more magic down the road

*How can people hear more about your travels?

I intend on starting a blog (or possibly a youtube vlog) for my upcoming trip to Peru. I will be working with Ayahuasca in the Amazon jungle, so I’m excited to share my experiences. I will most likely use facebook as my main mode for updates regarding the status of my blog, as well as to regularly post photos and status updates on my trip.

*What is your number one tip for living an enchanted life?

Live through the heart, align with your purpose, follow your bliss, and trust in the Universe.

For more information about Megan and her travels, visit her Facebook page.

Rebbl Tonic Elixir: A Powerful Adaptogenic experience!

Christy’s Choicest Choices, Features, Health Products

It’s one of my new favorite drinks. Rebbl’s Forest Berry organic tonic elixir is deliciously complex in flavor, potent in synergy, and provides just the right amount of energy boost for your day, without the crash of most caffeine enriched drinks.

Tonic elixirs are one of my favorite types of drinks to experiment with. Their adaptogenic properties provide a powerful experience for the body, mind, and soul. And I must say, if you live in a state (like Washington or Colorado) where other expansion herbs are legal (like cannabis), the two combined make the most exquisitely sacred spiritual experience – highly beneficial for higher meditative states of consciousness (in my personal experience).

Here are some fun facts about Rebbl (taken from their website):

ADAPTOGENS : Higher Herbal Intelligence

Every REBBL tonic is formulated as a celebration of the finest, world-class adaptogenic herbs.

Adaptogens, a very special class of herbal compounds, are among the most prized health promoting substances known to man. Famed for normalizing the body, gently bringing it back to homeostasis, adaptogens appear to target and correct what’s out of balance. Only a handful of these unique supertonic herbs exist and we are dedicated to bringing you the best.

Some of the benefits attributed to adaptogens:

Strengthen the immune system
Improve focus & attention span
Balance appetite and mood
Accelerate physical recovery
Decrease anxiety and tension
Increase long-term endurance
Increase protection to the vital organs

Adaptogens promote general wellness through complex biological processes. Sometime referred to as dual-directional herbs, adaptogens can promote homeostasis when important body systems (like the immune system) are out of balance. These special herbs can be taken daily as they have both an immediate and cumulative long-term effect. It’s the oldest and newest wellness science – a higher herbal intelligence.

Rebbl offers two other tonic elixirs besides the Forest Berry — they’re next on my list to try:

To find out more about this powerful drink (as well as where you can find it), visit the Rebbl website.

Enchantment Through Art: An Interview with Akiane Kramarik

Book Reviews, Empaths, Interviews, Spirituality, The Heart Chakra, Uncategorized, Websites

The first time I came across Akiane’s work I was in a “New Age” book store in Portland, Oregon. The fact that I was there in the first place was ironic, because I had grown-up Christian and built a pretty strong resistance around myself to ideas outside my faith.

But it was time to explore what was out there. I was in the middle of my own existential crisis and found no relief within the box of my upbringing.

As a child I often heard voices. I couldn’t see the world they whispered from, but I sensed and felt their dimension around me. At times it felt dark and scary, but mostly it held an enchantment of comfort and magic that gave me a sense of being “home.” Curious, I thought, the way the adults move and slipped through this unseen world with no mention of its existence.

Eventually I found a way to curve my way through this invisible realm too. The 3rd dimension has a way of forcing our attention to see only what it wants us to see. We forget we have a choice. Magic is lost to us.

Lost. That’s the overwhelming feeling I had as I timidly flipped through books in this store that, though I had been warned was “dangerous,” I felt as if the pages here contained the sense of mystery and wonder I had lost as I child — if there was any magic left in the world all.

That’s when I looked-up and saw the face of Jesus looking at me from the cover of Akiana’s book. It was a painting she had done herself at the age of 8, and it captivated me.

Before I knew what happened I was devouring every page — her poetry brought back the rhythm of the world I felt and heard as a child. Her paintings were a photo album of a home I had forgotten. Even her face looked familiar — like a distant cousin I hadn’t seen since childhood games.

Like me, Akiane had experienced the magic that weaves in-and-out of our world since a very young age. Her gift was painting — a powerful medium for revealing the beauty through her ability to portray the visible and invisible realms with emotion and dream-like realism.

I’ve been a fan of Akiana’s work ever since that day. The worlds she paints were an activation for me. There is a beauty she brings to life to remind us there is MORE — so much more magic than we allow ourselves to experience. It’s right here — waiting for us to see.

An excerpt from Akiane’s website defines the power of her vision beautifully:

“Most of her priceless masterpieces carry a mysterious result: she often uses an unidentified golden dust substance that once ‘materialized’ in front of her eyes. Her painting “Innocence” is a hologram: from the front the lady appearing young and serene, but from the side she is all in tears and wrinkles.

Akiane believes that people in the future will be able to study her originals with special microscopes revealing quantum relationships of the deepest colors and stories in her works. She has even been able to document her own masterpieces from beginning to end on film for educational purposes, and remains always open for many scientific and artistic collaborations.”

As Chakra Center continues to grow and encompass more magic, I thought it only fitting that I ask one of the most enchanting artist I know to stop by and share some of her quantum vision with us.

Enjoy!

Through your work you lend a sense of magic and mystery to the world – a feeling that everything has a purpose and is divinely inspired. How do you experience magic in your own life?

It’s not something you can teach, it’s something that you learn through experience.

Every day I see ordinary things in this extraordinary world, and I see extraordinary things in this ordinary world. To be able to create cinematic-like experience from a simple sound, object, color, emotion or a scenery takes patience and confidence.

Your newer paintings have a deep sense of wisdom, dimensions, and other worlds. What is your perspective on the relevance of other worlds/dimensions to our own?

What we all share is “awareness”. We are in a invisible intertwined web, the more we move there, the more we get to experience a wider range of relationships .

I hope my art would be part of that web. When people get the chance to see other worlds, I hope, they trust their own compass to navigate through true reality…

You’re a big advocate of using creativity as a means to tap into our true essence and see the world through a more magical, divine perspective. What are your tips on how people can tap into that creative world inside of them?

Experiment with various art forms. Try doing what people don’t expect. Going against the tide is one of the many hurdles a creative person must take. Mix things, put them upside down, hang them, combine them. If for the first week after all your energy is put in a project you do not feel any accomplishment, then it is a sign to start again something more innovative.

Some of your paintings have a very “extra-terrestrial” feel to them. What are your thoughts on ETs/life on other planets and their role in the co-creation of the multi-verses and our own universe?

I believe in my early experiences I came across multiple encounters. Throughout our history MANY other beings have lived on this earth side-by-side with the human race. There is definitely a purpose for so many trillions of beings to co-exist. Just look within our own bodies: there is a discovery every week about another living organism that has lived inside us without our knowledge.

Describe what inspiration feels like to you…

Inspiration and epiphanies are experienced when mind and heart meet.

What would you tell someone who wants to follow their joy path, but has no idea where to begin?

Get immersed in an environment that matters to you. If it’s in teaching, then volunteer at a school and get a first hand experience. If it’s in sculpting, research nearby local sculptors’s guild and visit their studios. If it’s in film-making, find a group on the internet like a weekly meet-up, invest in a camera and start with small projects with your family and friends and etc…

You’ve said in interviews that you believe, eventually, the human race will become vegan and that eating a plant based diet lends to a higher frequency of love on the planet. Could you share a bit about your experience going vegan and how it has changed your life/perspective?

Yes, in the future we will find a loophole in our biological system that will allow us to change our molecular programming. A few years ago I did experiment with veganism. As I matured and researched more, I understood that all living things have emotions and capacity to experience fear and pain. In the future, I believe we will naturally find a better treasure for our energy resources, so no flora or fauna would suffer because of our existence.

We do not contribute to the nature’s system, we intervene like parasites. I am still 60% vegan, I am an advocate for preserving lives. And I thank everything that sustains me. Praying before eating is a thanksgiving time: someone has died so I could live.

What’s your number one tip for living an enchanted life?

Spend time with your friends and family , watch comedy , make comedy, and once in a while do something unexpected…

Flash Questions:

Private concert, who’s playing? Tony Bennett, Chris Botti or Joe Hisaishi.

Your stranded on a deserted island with only one book. What would it be? Ilia’s, my little brother’s book “The Future Never Gives Up”.

Favorite color? Manganese blue.

Living or dead, who would you like to have dinner with?

My grandparents.

Ocean or mountains? Oceans, without a doubt!

For more information on Akiane and her work, visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook.

Check-out this in-person interview with Akiane for more about her childhood experiences, stunning vision, and dream for the world:

Signs That You’re An Empath

Bits and Pieces, Empaths, Features, Spirituality, The Third Eye Chakra, Uncategorized

Ever since I posted my experience with understanding my own empathic abilities, I’ve received dozens of emails and questions from people who realize they are deeply sensitive but unsure if they are “empathic” or what do about it. Understanding what’s going on with your emotions is the first step to living a balanced, healthy life as an empath, and in my experience, beyond that it is learning how you uniquely read other people’s emotions so you can develop the skills to control that gift, rather than allowing it to control you.

Anna Sayce wrote an excellent article outlining signs of empathic abilities a couple years ago, and in light of recent questions I’ve received, I thought I’d share it with my readers here at Chakra Center. Be sure to check-out her site for related articles on empathic abilities and how to control them. You can also check-out my own video on understanding empathic abilities below.

Signs That You’re An Empath

“What’s an empath?

In short, an empath is someone who feels what other people are feeling. This doesn’t mean you can get an idea for how other people feel just some of the time. Being an empath means you were born with the ability to enter someone’s aura and explore their feelings and experience of life on an intimate level. Much of the time this is done unconsciously. On the upside, you know what it feels like to be another person, so you’re often great at relating to others (empathy is, after all, a psychic gift and you can use it to read other people).

On the downside you are like a sponge who is often wet and full of other peoples’ emotions – the conscious one and the unconscious ones. This can be a heavy burden of energy to carry around.

It gets tiring. That’s why I wrote this article.

Signs that you’re an ‘unskilled’ empath include:

Feeling the world’s suffering on a large scale and wishing you could do something to help. Ironically, this makes you less equipped to help, because you feel overwhelmed.
Finding it difficult to watch the news or distressing images because you feel the pain of the person/people you’re watching – as if you’re them
Finding it difficult to fully be present to yourself and your own feelings when conversing with other people. This is because you’re busy exploring their aura and responses to life – not your own.
Shyness – empathy can make you somewhat self-conscious as you’re very aware of the effect your words have on another person and what they’re thinking and feeling in response.
A tendency to say yes to the requests and demands of other people – almost as a reflex; without thinking about whether you actually want to. When you’re so immersed in another person’s experience of life and what they need – how can you say no? It’s only afterwards that you realize you forgot yourself and your own needs.
A general tendency to put your needs last, or serve others at your own expense.
A liking for distance in relationships, and for solitude. This occurs because as an empath, intimacy and closeness is your default. But when you don’t know how to stop yourself from exploring other peoples’ auras, you need some space on your own, where you aren’t around other people.
Feeling an affinity with the animal kingdom. When you’re an animal empath, you can get a feel for how other species experience life and you are able to relate to animals on a deep level. Some people are plant empaths, so the same is possible for plants.
Feeling responsible for how other people feel – and going out of your way to help them to feel better (even when it doesn’t serve you.) After all – you feel their emotions so keenly.
A tendency to let relationships and friendships get too heavy (and too close) – too fast.
A strange tendency to feel aches and pains, but only around certain people.
Finding yourself often in a counseling role, where people dump their emotions on you, and being very drained by it.
An emotional over-identification with characters in novels, films and plays. It doesn’t matter that they’re not real – you can still feel how they felt.
A tendency to forget to have fun and lighten up.

If you related to many of the above signs it is important for you to understand that you can control these feelings. Instead of automatically exploring the aura of most of the people you meet, you can turn your empathy on only when you need it. That makes life a lot lighter.”

For more details on how I’ve learned to control my own empathic abilities, you can check out the video I posted below:

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Perseverance

Columns, Wednesday’s Wondrous World

Perseverance is the difference between a fleeting notion and the pursuit of an idea. Our ability to persevere is another self-made wonder of the wondrous world.

Perseverance is not simply having an idea, it is moving forward in making the intangible idea into a tangible thing. It is a part of the means to the ends.

Dictionary.com defines perseverance thus:

noun

1.steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Perseverance is the course of action, the purpose – for example, choosing your own way. Making your own decisions and choices in regards to pursuing the destiny you most want to find.

I do not want to sit back and let my life just happen…I want to make it happen. I do not want others choosing for me…I want to make the choices. I do not want my emotions to be a result of the influences of the world around me…I want to choose how I will feel. I want, ultimately, to be content with my life, and happy with the choices I am making for it.

Yes, there will be bad days. You get doubtful, and frustrated when progress is not what you might desire it to be. But this is just a part of human nature. Even the happiest, most satisfied people in the world are not in that state absolutely all the time.

That is why you persevere. That is why you make the efforts you make, you strive for the journey and the ultimate goal. Ultimately, you want to be happy and satisfied, and that is worth striving for.

I look at the world in the way I have always wanted to. It is not a nightmare place filled with terrible people, tragedies and horrors…it is a world of endless possibilities, of good people, of possibilities and beauty and wonders. Yes, it is imperfect, yes there ARE all the bad things out there as well as the good, but I can see the world for all its positives more than its negatives.

Turning a blind eye to the adversities of the world? Wearing rose-colored glasses? NO. I see that there are horrid people and awful things in the world perfectly clearly. But I am not giving them my focus, not giving them my energies, not giving them my attentions and intentions. I am persevering instead to look at the good people and wonderful things in the world. And frankly, without those negatives, we would be incapable of seeing the positives.

I am persevering still. Are you?

(Note to the reader: If you also visit my blog, you will see that this week’s Pathwalking is a variation of this same post. I believe the topic of the self is so important, I wanted to spread it to a wider audience.)

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” author and photographer (these shots are the progression of the hike up Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona). Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!