Healers are human too.

This popped up on my Facebook feed today and I think it passes on a very important message....

I often get the feeling that, as complementary therapists, we are expected to portray a certain image and I want to make a start in changing that.


I understand it totally, we are advertisements for our way of life, if we appear the same as everyone else why should people use our therapies?

Also, we are taught to lead by example, we are the beacons of light to guide others, how can we do that if we are seen doing something others consider less than acceptable such as going out for a beer with our biker friends.

The problem with this expectation is that it can lead us to be less authentic than we would like; hiding away what we fear would be seen as the less enlightened aspects of our personality.  If this isn't counter to what we are trying to teach others then I don't know what is.

So I stand before you today and say "Hi, my name's Heather and I am work in progress"


I work with the therapies I offer to help my soul grow and to heal past wounds, but that doesn't mean I am perfect.  The only difference between us and people who receive these therapies from us is that we believe in them enough to take the step into practicing them.

Healers are human too :)

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

Why Rescue Remedy won't solve all your problems

More often than not if someone has heard of Bach Flower Remedies it will be because they have used Rescue Remedy (RR).  Many swear by it, in fact my old boss "Mr H" would use it for anything, from feeling stressed to a headache.  I would complain of something and he would whip out his trusty bottle of RR and get me to use it.

The thing is, there are others who would say that Bach Remedies aren't effective because RR didn't help them in their situation.  And this is where the very successful marketing of this one remedy has got in the way of Dr Bach's full works.

You see, RR is everywhere, it's for sale in chemists, supermarkets, I wouldn't be surprised to see it for sale in a corner shop or service station.  It comes in numerous different forms; drops, spray, chewing gum, lozenges, alcohol free for pets, chewy sweets for kids.  You name it, you can probably find it.  And, because of this, people think it will be suitable for any situation; but that sadly isn't the case.


Dr Bach's crisis formula consists of 5 remedies:

1. Star of Bethlehem - for shock
2. Clematis - for feeling spacey
3. Impatiens - for being tense and nervous
4. Rock Rose - for terror
5. Cherry Plum - for fear of losing control

Although Dr Bach indicated that his only pre-made combination remedy is more than its constituent parts, you can see from the list that this remedy is what it says on the tin; it's a rescue in a crisis.  It is designed for situations where you may have had a shock, you are very scared and you are not really "here".

As such, if this remedy is taken for a situation it is not suitable for, it will have no effect, possibly leading the person to disregard the whole system.

 
If you find that either RR didn't work, or you are taking it all the time, it might be worth consulting a Registered Bach Flower Practitioner to see which specific remedies may be more appropriate.  Those that are doubtful may find that they are convinced of the efficacy of the system, and those that take RR all the time may finally move forward to a point where it is no longer needed.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

Why use affirmations?

Recently I suggested someone tried using affirmations and I was told they didn't like the idea because it felt contrived.  I wrote this to explain why they were right and why they are supposed to be....

When we are unfit we have to force ourselves to exercise, it is not something we would naturally do, therefore it is contrived.

Healthy eating isn't natural for many people so we contrive to do so for our health.

Positive thinking isn't natural to some people, so we have to contrive to do so.

 

But, why do we need to?

Although I haven't had training in either I am aware that both CBT and NLP back me up on my understanding that the way we think affects our level of happiness, confidence and self worth. The brain is actually fairly stupid and believes what we tell it, so if we constantly tell ourselves we are rubbish, a failure, worthless or stupid we will continue to believe this about ourselves and that limits our ability to enjoy our lives fully.

Thinking in this negative way becomes a habit, just like smoking, laziness or unhealthy eating. It's easy to just pick up that chocolate bar, slump on the sofa and spark up a smoke. It is equally as easy to believe we are worthless.

To break out of any of these cycles we have to make effort to change and when it comes to thought processes one effective way is to change the way we speak about ourselves. We can do this through affirmations;  formulating and repeating out loud positive sentences help us change the way we think about ourselves.

The sentences we use do have to be created in a particular way and we have to listen to our own resistances to ensure we are not making a situation worse. When I started using them I found them quite traumatic and unhelpful to start with but in listening to myself and learning more about them I realised it took work to ensure that the phrase it suitably constructed.  More info on constructing affirmations can be found in my blog "Affirmations; why they don't always work."

So yes, affirmations are contrived, but they have to be to break the cycle of negative thinking.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

The Chakras - Part 1 - An Overview

Crystal healing, amongst many other complementary therapies, works with the energy centres that are often called chakras, but what are they?

You've only got to type "chakras" into google and you will get millions of hits.  It is not my intention to re-invent the wheel or correct any information I believe is wrong; rather this is my spin on it (pardon the pun).  In the end we have to work with whatever system resonates with us so have a read and feel free to disregard it in favour of something that makes more sense.

Before we look at them individually let's begin with an overview of what I believe they are and what they are for.

The Human Energy Field
We are much more than can be seen or touched; many healers believe that we are each surrounded by a field of energy that is often called the aura.  Some teach that this aura has layers or dimensions but there doesn't appear to be full agreement on what they are, however there is agreement that it exists.  This bubble of energy is affected by the energy of the people we are with, the place we are in, our thought processes, the food we eat and our physical health causing it to weaken, shrink, expand or show signs of dis-ease.  Quite often signs of illness can be found in the aura long before it reaches the body.

I will probably write more about the aura another time but we are here to talk about chakras, so onwards.

The aura is connected to the physical body by the chakras that run along a column of energy that reaches above the top of our head to below our feet and is sometimes known as the Antahkarana.  Energy passes between the aura and the physical body via the chakras.  When we are in distress, either physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually the chakras show this and we can work with to them to understand and heal this distress. 

The 7 main chakras and more

Classically you will find the energy system is described as having 7 chakras.  The picture on the right shows that these run along the central column and all bar the crown and the base point out front and back. Personally I believe these are what we start with but as we evolve more are activated.  When working with clients I am currently finding 2 more above the head and two or three below their feet.

In reality the body has many energy centres, they can be found in the palms of the hands, the knees and at other points in the whole system.  I intend on focusing purely on the 11 that I work with regularly.

You will note that the chakras are marked with the colours of the rainbow.  It is believed that each of the chakras resonate to this colour range.  This can be helpful to know when working with colour to balance the chakras.

You will also see that the diagram shows arrows pointing into the spinning cones.  When our chakras are healthy they spin in a clockwise direction drawing in universal energy.  It is believed by some that when we evolve fully we will be able to draw in all the energy we need through our chakras and there would be no need to eat.  I'll leave you to make your own mind up about that one.


When our chakras are unhealthy or out of balance we push out negative energy which can make us tired and depressed.  It can also lead us to see the world with a pessimistic view as we tend to project those negative feelings onto those around us.  We see the world as a dark and dangerous or sad place and we are angry and intolerant.

When our chakras are balanced we see the world as a safe and good place and we want to be around people who make us happy and make open hearted choices.

We also find that when our energy system is not running as it could we make poor food choices, exercise less, suffer from low self-esteem and have negative beliefs.  Paradoxically those life choices and beliefs negatively affect our energy system and so the downward spiral begins.  This is where healing comes in.  By having a crystal healing and bringing our chakras back into balance we start to make better choices and hold more positive beliefs, this continues the spiral upwards towards a better quality of life.  If we regularly have healings we keep our chakras clear and balanced and can start to make substantial changes to our lives that allow us to stay balanced on our own.

In Part 2 I talk about each of the chakras individually.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

Superstitions - what are we creating?

Through my life I have met so many people who are superstitious and I have to confess I don't understand the attraction.

In the past I have been told not to put a new calendar up before the new year because it will bring bad luck.  Putting 2 teaspoons on a cup and saucer will cause an argument.  Don't write in green as it will bring about money troubles.  Don't put new shoes on the table, don't cross on the stairs, if you come in the front door you must go out the back, avoid the number 13 at all costs... so many little rules to live by just to make sure nothing bad happens.  It must be exhausting.

As a Pagan people might wonder why I am not the same, surely I believe in touching wood don't I?  Well, actually I do but that is the only one... oh and when I am annoyed with stuff going on Sod's Law catches my attention.  But beyond that I don't allow them into my life.

You see, I believe that we manifest our reality, what we fear and what we believe is what we create.  Fear of Friday the 13th is a prime example of how a superstition can affect our lives.  How many bad things are we going to manifest when we wake up in the morning full of dread and fear?  All because a certain date falls on a certain day.

In holding onto these superstitions we are giving them power.

But wait, I said I believe in touching wood.... you are right.
Spot the difference.

Touching wood is expecting good to happen because of my actions.  This is something we benefit from giving energy to.  Ok, the act of touching wood is no different in reality to tapping your right foot or rubbing a lucky paperclip, so long as you are believing something good will happen it will work.

So, next time you see a black cat, rather than recoil in fear, bend down and tickle it behind the ear.  It'll lower your blood pressure and make the cat happy... win/win!

Visit my website to learn more about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

The Chakras - Part 2 - Chakra descriptions

As mentioned in Part 1 the body has many energy centres but this blog will cover the 11 I work with on a regular basis with clients.  Each of these chakras connects to a specific aspect of the mind/body/soul system and when they go out of balance it can be seen in how the person changes.

What you will read here is my personal beliefs about the chakras, other pages will give different information, particularly about the sacral as there seems to be 2 schools of thought.  I am not here to argue or convince the reader, simply provide information that may or may not resonate.  As before, please feel free to disregard what makes no sense to you.


The 2 aspects of each chakra
Before I go into each chakra individually it is important to understand the difference between the front and back aspects of each one.  As you will see from the picture on the right all of the main chakras, apart from the crown and base, have projections out the front and the back of the body, connecting at the central core.

The front of the aspect of the chakra relates to people and situations that are close to us; family, close friends, our home life and things we hold dear to us.  The back relates to society, work, acquaintances and where we feel we stand in the bigger picture of the world.


The 7 personal chakras

A brief description of each of the 7 personal chakras follows.  This is by no means exhaustive and should only be considered a basic introduction.  There are many web pages and books dedicated to the chakras and I encourage you to research further if you find it interesting.
 

Base
Pointing downwards from our perineum the base chakra is all about survival, about our security and basic needs; our home, our income, our ability to survive in the world.  If any of these basic needs are threatened this chakra can go out of balance, when this happens we can become clumsy, fearful or feel tired.  If we were not safe and well provided for as a child this chakra can show signs of long term imbalance.

This chakra works in unison with the crown chakra and is important in keeping the energy flowing through the whole system.


Sacral
Situated between the pubic bone and the navel the sacral chakra is our emotional centre.  This is where we connect to people on an emotional level.  With the front aspect it is also connected to our sexuality.

Deep emotional wounds that occurred as a child can lead to long standing problems with this chakra and working with the inner child can lead to great healing. 

When this chakra is out of balance we may find it hard to connect to people on an emotional or sexual level.


Solar Plexus
This chakra is found between the navel and the base of the ribs and is connected both to our metal body and our personal power.


When people are feeling powerless they tend to cross their arms over their solar plexus as a form of protection.  Animals show their bellies as a sign of trust.  It can also be noted that when people are stressed, a sign of loss of personal power, issues with the digestion such as IBS and ulcers can be seen.



Heart
As expected, the heart chakra is connected to love, both for the self and those close to us, in the case of the front aspect, and the world in general in the back aspect.

When this chakra is closed it affects all other chakras, as if there is not love the rest of the mind/body/soul system cannot function fully.

Whilst the heart chakra is connected to love, it is also the bridge between the lower and higher chakras.  The throat, brow and crown chakras can be seen as more evolved versions of the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras.

Throat

The throat chakra is connected to our ability to speak our needs.  In the base chakra we become aware of our basic needs, here we are able to turn that around and begin to ensure that those needs are met.  It is also connected to all other higher forms of expression such as sharing our beliefs and understandings with others.

When this chakra is out of balance we may be holding back something we wish to say for fear of recrimination.

Brow
Situated between and slightly above the eyes this chakra is often called the 3rd eye.  This is where we connect to our intuition or what is often called our 6th sense.  In focusing on this point during meditation we can calm the mind and listen to the little voice of our wise self.

When this chakra is out of balance our understanding of the world around us is skewed, we may see negativity and darkness where it is not there or we may not understand a situation on all levels.

Crown
This chakra can be shown as resonating to either violet or white.  Personally, considering the transpersonals we will mention later, I see this as violet.

Pointing out of the very top of our head this chakra relates to our personal connection with a higher power.  Universal energy comes in through this centre and it is the top of the central core or antahkarana.  If this chakra is closed we can feel very alone as we have lost our connection to our higher self, the collective consciousness and whatever higher power we believe in.




The transpersonal chakras

These chakras are not situated on the body and have become activated as humanity as evolved.  The column of light that runs from our crown to our base actually connects to Spirit at the top and Gaia (or Mother Earth) at the bottom.  As we work on opening ourselves to these energy more and more chakras will evolve.

Many only work with the transpersonals that are found above the head; believing that in the aim to become enlightened we only need to reach higher and closer to Spirit.  Personally I feel this is unbalanced and as we gain a new chakra above we need an equal and balancing one below.  Without this we are not remaining in the here and now and can become disconnected to the mundane world that we are born into.

The Soul Star is situated 6" above the head and the Stellar Gateway a further 6" above again.  These act transducers, reducing the vibration of Spirit energy as we become aware of it.  As more are activated we will be able to connect to Spirit in a clearer and more direct way.

The Earth Star is found 6" below the feet and the Earth Gateway a further 6" below that.  These act as an anchor for our energies and keep us in the here and now. 

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

Doing what you love ~ Part 2

The above piece of text is from Law of Attraction guru Abraham Hicks.  It sounds like a wonderful theory but in my opinion it is deeply flawed.  Firstly it does not take the state of humanity into consideration but secondly it panders to the modern idea that we should all have what we want no matter who it hurts.

The state of humanity
Please don't misunderstand me when I say I don't believe that humanity is ready to be able to do what it wants at any time. I am what I consider a "realistic optimist"; I believe the future holds wonderful changes, however I currently think we have a fair amount of work to do before we get there.

There are a number of famous people through the ages that did just what they liked and it caused great misery for many people, Hitler being a prime example but on a smaller scale Fred West, Ted Bundy and Harold Shipman all "followed their bliss".

Is this what Abraham Hicks had in mind?  Probably not, but when we give a message to the masses we have to be sure that everyone is on the same page, and this is where we come to my second point..

We all should have what we want
It seems fashionable for people to get exactly what they want in life, no matter what harm it causes to

others.  I personally believe this dates back to the generation that was born after World War II.  These families grew up with rationing and vowed that their children would not go without, this taught those children to expect better than their parents had.  Of course when they themselves had families they believed that their children should have better than them.  This set up a rolling process that has led to 8 year olds having the latest i-phone and obese babies that are fed everything they want.

I truly believe that we should only ever have what we need. "Want" shouldn't come into it as we will always want more and more.  We will end up with a population that doesn't want to work but wants everything they think they deserve and that leads to a dark place deep in selfishness.

Getting what we want doesn't really make us happy
It also feeds the idea that what we want makes us happy, and this simply isn't true.  In my blog Doing what you love, or loving what you do I explain how getting what we want doesn't guarantee lasting happiness because we rely on external things and situations for our happiness.  If we can learn to be happy whether we can go about doing just what we like or not then our happiness comes from within and that can never be taken away.



I truly believe the only way forward is to turn the focus around, away from the selfish idea of everything being ok so long as we get what we want into ensuring that we are happy with what we have and looking to see what we can do for others.  We are not there yet, but we could be "work in progress".

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

White Chestnut for a peaceful mind.

Do you spend your nights tossing and turning with random thoughts running through your mind; shopping lists or maybe tasks that must be done. 

Maybe you find yourself easily distracted from mindless tasks?

It is possible that the Bach Flower Remedy White Chestnut may help.  Dr Bach said about this remedy "For those who cannot prevent thoughts, ideas, arguments which they do not desire from entering their minds. Usually at such times when the interest of the moment is not strong enough to keep the mind full.....The presence of such unpleasant thoughts drives out peace and interferes with being able to think only of the work or pleasure of the day."

Keeping a bottle by the bed can mean all the difference in getting a good night's sleep.  If you find yourself waking up, take a couple of drops straight from the bottle and you could be asleep in moments.

Other remedies may be more appropriate for deeper concerns but there is no harm in trying this one as taking the wrong remedy has no negative side effects.

Bach remedies are safe to take alongside classical medication and can be taken with food or drink.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/

What is a lightworker?

In my opinion Lightworkers are old souls that have lived many lifetimes and carry with them a storehouse of wisdom and compassion.  They are often drawn to helping others, healing and charity work.  They often have a belief in a higher power that transcends the recognised religions and will have a direct connection to that higher power.  Often drawn to energy work they use healing methods such as reiki, crystals or flower remedies.  Lightworkers are differentiated from other types healers in that their source of energy is universal; sourced from outside our planet, as opposed to earth energy or personal energy.  Of course many don't recognise that they are healers at all, and yet people seek them out and always feel better having been with them.

Lightworkers are often drawn to angels, ascended masters, channels such as Kryon through Lee Carroll , or dolphin and whale energy.   Being of a higher vibration than those around them they are often highly sensitive to dense energy, sometimes becoming ungrounded when around violence or anger.

Unfortunately Lightworkers and old souls carry an akashic inheritance that often leaves them with low self-esteem, damaging beliefs about themselves and a desire to put others before themselves to their own detriment.  Because of this they often have traumatic experiences in their lives that can leave them with emotional scars, physical illness and more.

It is important for Lightworkers to seek ways of healing these damaging beliefs, scars and illnesses so that they can move forward in their passion; helping others.  They find that their experiences can help them understand others as they have experienced pain and sadness at deep levels.  Like a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis when a Lightworker heals their pain they are transformed into wise teachers and carers.

Lightworkers don't always stand out from the crowd, they are not always trailblazers.  Many are working quietly in the background, loving, caring, trusting, holding a gentle light in the darkness.  To be a Lightworker is to be brave to face fears, heal wounds and become whole again.

Impatiens - for when things aren't happening fast enough

In my last article I spoke about Wild Oat for when we want to do something meaningful but don't know what.  Often when we have found our goal and start working towards it we can find ourselves impatient for progress.  Often we need to wait for other people or for things to happen and it just isn't happening fast enough!

This is when we reach for the aptly name remedy of Impatiens.

Dr Bach wrote about people who need this remedy "Those who are quick in thought and action and who wish all things to be done without hesitation or delay."

Sometimes we need to wait for everything to happen in perfect timelessness and Impatiens will help us do this.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

http://www.crystaloak.moonfruit.co.uk/