Sunday 31 August 2014

Bach remedies for going back to school

The summer holidays are over and you have bought all the new uniforms for the kids, now you're back to getting the kids out of bed and back into the routine of the school week.  Here are some remedies that might help this go smoother.

The Monday morning feeling - Hornbeam might be one of the most important remedies at this time as it focuses on that feeling of tiredness you get from just thinking about doing something but when you get moving you realise you have all the energy you need.  Both for you and your kids just the thought of that first alarm going off is enough to drag you down.  Taking Hornbeam can help you get the motivation and energy you need to get those kids off to school.

First day nerves - For sensitive children or those that are bullied fear may be a big factor in going back to school.  If the fear isn't too strong Mimulus might help your little one have the courage to go back after weeks of happily playing in a safe environment.  If they are very scared it might be worth looking at Rock Rose.

Bullying - On top of the remedies mentioned in the previous section adding Centaury and Walnut can help protect a sensitive child from bullies and help them stand up for themselves in a non-violent way.

Worrying about your little one - It's quite understandable for you to be sad and a bit worried when your child goes back to school, particularly if it is the first year in a new school.  In this instance Red Chestnut might help you let go and trust that all will be well.  If you are frightened that something bad might happen then Mimulus could be helpful.

A little help through the day - If your child finds school difficult it can be helpful to put a few drops of each remedy in a bottle of drink that they take with them.  This is a great way to give them support while you are not with them.  4 drops of Rescue Remedy can help if they get upset easily or 2 drops of a specific remedy if they are dealing with a particular challenge. There are also Rescue Remedy gummy stars available that your child can chew when he or she is feeling stressed or nervous.

No child wants to go back to school but with Bach Flowers it can be made easier for both parent and child.  If there are any other challenges you face feel free to contact me for further advice.



Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Saturday 30 August 2014

Falling in love with the 9-5 again

Over the last 10 months I have been working to build up my healing practice again after taking some time out.  It has been quite a journey that has recently paid off with some wonderful clients.  In a moment of peace this morning I had quite an unexpected revelation.

Due to mortgages that need paying and all the other expenses that come with being in my 40s I have had to continue to work full time, slotting in building up my healing practice where I can.  So many people have suggested that I should be ditching the job to follow my dreams and I have felt dissatisfied in not being able to do that blaming my circumstances, that are quite normal, for not being able to "follow my dream".  Well, the past 2 weeks have led me to realise that being a full time healer is not my dream.  Not for now anyway.

Over the last few weeks I have had quite a few clients and it has been wonderful to tune into the crystals, flowers and Spirit to work with these people.  I look forward to working with them again but it has made me realise I couldn't do it full time.  As an introvert it would simply be too much interaction, as an HSP it would be too many different energies.  I am pretty sure I would burn out quite quickly even though I am working with universal energies and not my own.

This realisation has let me to see that I have been beautifully given what I can handle.  Rather than being in a situation where I need to charge high prices and churn people through like a conveyor line to be able to make enough money I am able to offer low prices and reduce the amount of interaction I am exposed to.  At the same time I am able to give my whole attention to the person in front of me rather than having the worry in the back of my mind about whether the next pay cheque, I mean, client will turn up.   The focus shifts from making money to helping people, and that is what it is ALL about for me!

I also realise that I was being sucked into following a dream that I thought was mine but proved to be someone else's; something that is expected, quite innocently, from anyone that takes the path of a healer.  Now pressure is taken off me to advertise more, work out how to increase word of mouth and all the things that go with trying to work towards relying on my healing practice for a living.

This is all quite wonderful because it frees me up to appreciate my job and appreciate the one client a week I have been getting up until the last 2 weeks where I have seen 4.  I have loved every minute of it and I don't begrudge any of those clients for one second; they have allowed me to help them whilst at the same time given me the opportunity to see a little more of where my path truly leads.  I am more at peace with the 9-5 because of this.  Win Win!!!

The next step is to decide whether I am in the right 9-5.  Maybe in accepting that it is something I am choosing rather than resenting it I will either find myself happier in the job I have or find a way to a better job that inspires me more.  I am also once again happy with the plan that I will do more healing when the mortgage is paid off and I won't need to earn so much.  Yeah, that might be 30 years away, but I'm cool with that.

For now I am happy to be an "evenings only" healer where I can offer my services at a low price at a time that can suit other 9-5ers.  It means spaces are limited and I need to set boundaries, but that's all part of the wonderful learning that comes with the path.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Tuesday 26 August 2014

The magnificence that is you - Your Higher Self

In many modern spiritual texts you will find reference to the Higher Self and this is a belief I personally subscribe to, but what is it?

There is a belief that we are all connected to an aspect of ourselves that is part of our direct connection to Spirit.  The image on the right depicts this connection in the form of a metaphor. 

We have our 3D physical body here on earth with its relating energy system.  "Above" us is our higher self, connected to us through our crown chakra and "above" that is Spirit.  The term "above" actually refers to the frequency of the vibration being higher as opposed to them being geographically above us.

The higher self aspect of our selves is not hampered by the negative beliefs we carry down here in 3D and has a much stronger connection to Spirit.  Some call it their intuition as it knows all our thoughts and all our history and it loves us deeply despite what beliefs we hold about ourselves.  Its connection to Spirit means that it can advise us on our problems and guide us to situations that help us learn grow.  Our higher self literally has all the answers we need.  Those who work with forms of divination such as tarot are making contact with their higher selves to obtain the information they give in their readings.


The problem many of us face is actually making contact to our higher selves.  It's all very well can good having this wise being so close but if we can't access them what is the point?  This is where guided visualisation come in.  In quieting the mind and using any number of meditation techniques we can start to make regular contact.  Once we do this we can work towards having constant contact so that when we are in a difficult situation we can tune into our "intuition" and know what is right for us.  When we are sad, scared or confused we can tune into the wise being and receive the love and support that is always there.  If you ever want to experience unconditional love your higher self is the person to go to.

This aspect of yourself can come in many forms, some see people just like them, others have animals, angels or just beautiful bright lights, anything is possible.  The important thing when meeting your higher self is to not judge or question what you see.  It is likely a metaphor that is meaningful to you and should be comforting; not scary or disconcerting at all.

If you are unsure that what you are experiencing is your higher self you can always tell because of the level of love they show for you.  They may be stern or direct with you at times but there should always be an undeniable sense of love.


For my part my higher self changes his form to suit the situation.  He came to me first in the form of the classic "boy next door" so that I was not threatened by him or in awe.  It was very important that I understood that I was to see him as part of me rather than something to be worshipped. In time he showed me his magnificence through a painting by Catherine Andrews.  The love that comes from him when I meet him takes my breath away.  He has been with me through some very difficult times and always supported me.



Meeting and working with your higher self is a truly enlightening and uplifting experience, one I would advise to anyone.  If you are interested in meeting yours I have written a meditation here to help.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Monday 25 August 2014

Meditation - Meeting your higher self

For information on your higher self please see my blog titled The magnificence that is you - Your Higher Self

Find yourself a place where you will not be disturbed for at least 30 minutes.  Tell anyone in your house you are going for some quiet time and ask not to be disturbed.  Turn your phone off and leave it in another room.

Sit in a chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.  Rest your hands in your lap in any way that is comfortable for you.  Make sure you will be warm enough and if necessary use and eye mask to block out any annoying light.  If you find there is noise in the house you can block it out with some calming music through headphones.  You need to be as relaxed and free from distractions as possible.

When you are settled close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

Place all of your attention on your feet to help ground and centre you in this moment.  Feel your socks or shoes or the carpet under your feet.  Feel the strength of gravity pulling your feet onto the floor holding you in the here and now.

Now relax your feet and slowly work your way up your body relaxing every muscle as you go, starting with your legs and moving through your torso, shoulders, neck, face, and all the way up to the top of your head.

Scan your body for any signs of tension and breath relaxation into them.

Now see yourself walking along a path towards a pyramid and as you walk you see there is an entrance with a door.  Open the door and walk into the pyramid.

Inside you are surprised to see it is lit beautifully and the décor is calming and welcoming.  You see a pair of chairs, that look comfortable to sit on.  Walk over to one of the chairs and settle in.  Looking on the floor you see a glowing figure 8 surrounding the chairs, one chair in each loop.

As you sit there you become aware that the walls of the pyramid have become translucent and through them you can see above you another pyramid, this time made of a golden white light.  As you watch it lowers down and merges with your own pyramid.  As it does a door opens in the side opposite where you entered.

Looking across to the door you see a being enter the room.  This is your higher self.  It can come in the form of a person, an animal or any number of other forms.  Try not to analyse its form at this point but you should not feel scared or uneasy in any way.  If you are unsure whether it is your higher self see the figure 8 on the floor burning with a violet flame, this will not harm your higher self but will banish anything that could be harmful.

When you are happy that you are in the presence of your higher self ask if it has any messages for you.  Anything it says should be infused with love for you. Spend some time talking with your higher self asking any questions you may have or asking for healing.

When you are ready to return thank your higher self for meeting you and ask if it could make itself more accessible to you so that you can make contact more often.

Get up from your seat and leave the pyramid through the door you came in by and walk back up the path knowing that you can visit any time you like.

And now bring yourself back to the room you are in, here in the mundane world.  Start to use your senses to bring your awareness back to your body, particularly focussing on your feet and the effect gravity has on them, pulling them onto the floor.

When you are ready open your eyes and have a good stretch.  It might be helpful for you to have a drink and something small to eat to ground you.  You may want to write down your experiences for reference later.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  


Thursday 21 August 2014

Psychic Protection - what is it and why should I use it?

When you start learning metaphysical concepts you may hear about the idea of psychic protection but wonder what it is and why you need it.  In this blog I hope to explain my philosophy regarding it and help you learn how to use some simple tools to set up your own protection.

But first of all, let's talk about what psychic protection is and when it is helpful.

Highly sensitive people and empaths
There are an increasing number of people learning that they are empathic or highly sensitive and they are starting to realise that they are often deeply affected by other people's emotions.  In this instance psychic protection can be used to protect you from their energies.  These techniques are also useful if you work as a healer as they protect you from the energies of the client.

Psychics and when meditating
These tools are also useful if you are interested in enhancing your psychic abilities or using guided visualisation to meet guides and obtain messages.  The reason we do this in this situation is that we are purposely opening ourselves up to energies that are not our own.  When we are new to this it can be hard to tell whether those energies are benevolent or not.  Using psychic protection ensures that you are not adversely affected by your journeys.

Now we can look at the basics of psychic protection.

Grounding, connecting and centring
The most fundamental and simplest way to protect yourself is to ensure that you are grounded.  In my blog The importance of grounding I explain that having a strong connection to the earth is the first step in ensuring that you are not swayed by other people's emotions.

Imagine a pole stuck in the ground.  If the base is only in the ground a few inches it can easily be pushed over and even pulled out.  If that pole reaches deep down into the earth, no matter how hard it is pushed, it will always come straight back to it's centre.  Our column of chakras is just like that pole as it has a column of light that runs through from above our head to deep below our feet.  If we are strongly connected to the earth we cannot be moved.  In the blog mentioned above I give some quick and simple directions on how to ground quickly if you feel you are being swayed.

Once we have connected to the earth we can go on to connect to our higher power if we wish.  This is most easily done by imagining that same cord of light reaching up out of the top of our heads to our higher power.  In doing this we are not only supported by our pole being buried in the earth but the top of it is also supported.  Now we may be pushed and although we may bend, we cannot be moved.

To finish the process, simply put your concentration to the centre of your sternum where your heart chakra resides.  By doing this you are connected to the energies of love and cannot be affected by negativity.

This method is something that can be incorporated into your daily routine and can be very beneficial in its own right.  Once we are confident with these connections it can also be called upon at any time when we are feeling that we are being swayed by other people's energies.

Working with our aura
Along with our chakras we also have a second part to our energy system and this is know as the aura.  This is an energy field that surrounds us and is connected to our body through the chakras.  When our aura is not neatly tucked below our feet and at arm's distance from us all round we can find ourselves vulnerable to other people's energies.

Next time you are going to be going into a stressful situation sit quietly for a moment and imagine drawing your aura in so that it creates a safe egg around you in all directions, including below your feet.  Then see it coated with a coloured shell.  Silver is a good pure colour, violet can transmute negative energy and pink is very loving.  Pick a colour that makes sense to you.  Now you are ready to go.

You will find a visualisation here that can be used to create a safe and sacred space around you using the breath.  This can be good for meditation and spiritual work or as a good general practice to do every day.

The infinity of light
If we are going into a situation where we will be making contact with a person that we know will be difficult we can use a quick and simple visualisation tool to keep their energies where they belong an away from us.

Once you have done the simple grounding and connecting you can simply imagine an infinity symbol that looks like a 8 made of white light.  Put this symbol around you and the person you are talking to so that each of you is in one of the loops.  Visualise the white light energy flowing vibrantly between you keeping your energies neatly within the loops.  Once this is set up you can forget about it.  If you feel yourself being affected, connect back to the 8 and run the energy through it again.

This can be used both when you are physically with a person or if you are meeting a guide or spirit in meditation.  In doing this you can make contact and communicate without being affected by them.

Mirrors and walls
If you are in a situation where you know you are likely to be attacked energetically you can employ mirrors or walls.  These can be both imaginary and real.  As with the aura visualisation above you can include adding metaphorical mirrors into your aura.  These reflect back any harmful energy that is sent to you.

If you wish to use more physical representation of a mirror hematite roses can be worn to help reflect back negative energy.

Walls can be used in static situations.  If you work with someone that you find difficult you can imagine a wall of violet flame between your desks or work areas.  This will effectively create a barrier between you that can transmute any negative energy.

The paradox that is psychic protection
When you get used to working with energies and psychic protection you will come to understand that it is a paradox.  When we fear negative energy we attract it through the Law of Attraction that states that what we put our attention to we attract.  In fearing harmful energies we draw them to us and this is when we need psychic protection.

As we learn to not fear the energies of others we find we are no longer at their mercy.  If we work on raising our vibration and filling our energy system with light darkness cannot harm us.  This means that we are less likely to need to use psychic protection unless we are going into a particularly stressful situation.  However, if you do find you are overwhelmed you may want to check out my blog To shield or not to shield?

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Chicory - it's all about love


The remedy chicory is all about love and how we go about showing it and getting it from others.

Chicory people are very loving and caring when they are in the positive state.  However, this can turn into over care for other people, wanting to help them with their problems when it is not needed.  When their help is rejected they become upset believing that the person does not love them.

Often chicory people hold onto the people they love very tightly and become hurt when they feel their love is not returned.  This, in the end pushes people away.

Chicory helps us to give love unconditionally; without expectation.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Meditation - Psychic protection using the bubble of light.

In this meditation you will create a safe and sacred space using the breath to direct spiritual energy.

Find yourself a place where you will not be disturbed for half an hour at least.  Turn your phone off and leave it in another room.

Make yourself comfortable in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight.  Imagine you have a string of pearls running from the top of your head to the base of your spine.  Sit so that these pearls are straight, one above the other.

Take a few deep breaths in and out and bring your awareness away from the day and focus only on the sensation of the breath moving in and out of your lungs.  Don't take breaths that are deeper than you are comfortable with and don't hold the breath for any longer than you feel is right.  This is not a test, you should be relaxed.

With the next breath out imagine you are pushing a cord of energy down, out of the base of your spine and reaching down into the centre of the earth.  Take as many breaths as you need until you feel it has reached that point.

When you are ready, using the in breath pull the energy from the centre of the earth up through the same cord up into your heart and feel it filling up the area of your body behind your sternum.

When you are happy with this, again with the out breath, push that energy out of your heart area and imagine it is creating a shield like "half bubble" in front of you.  Spend some time working with this, breathing in and drawing the energy up from the centre of the earth and then pushing it out in front of you as you breath out.

Next we are going to repeat the process but reach up to the central sun in the middle of the galaxy.  So, when you are ready take a deep breath and as you breath out send another cord up out of the top of your head and reach right up into space. Take as many slow and gentle breaths as you need to get there but imagine it connecting to an infinite source of golden white light energy.

As with the earth energy, using the in breath, draw the energy from the sun down into your heart and again see it filling the area behind your sternum.  Spend some time focusing on this and connecting to the energy.

With the out breath, push this energy out of the area between your shoulder blades again imagining it forming a "half bubble".  Take as many breaths as you need to do this and imagine it meeting the half bubble you created in front of you so that now you are sitting in a complete bubble of light.

With the in breath draw the energy up from the centre of the earth and down from the sun and as you breath out direct it out of the front and back of your body filling the bubble.  Spend time sending your awareness around the bubble.  Make sure it reaches below your feet and at least 12" above your head.  It should be evenly spaced all around you with no areas nearer or further away from you.  Pay close attention to it behind you as it is easy for it to be very close to you. 

Now you have created a safe and sacred space you can take anywhere with you.  Imagine it is flexible so that when you stand up it becomes like a capsule that travels with you wherever you go.

If you want to add a layer of protection to this imagine a pot of colour being poured over it so it leaves a glistening shell of colour with no gaps, just like a smartie.  Violet is a nice gentle transmuting colour, pink is for love and silver white is for purity.

When you have practiced this a few time you should be able to do it wherever you are, just spending a few moments to tune in and draw the energy to you.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Saturday 16 August 2014

Bach remedies and sleep

Quite often I am asked if Bach Remedies can help with poor sleep. Unfortunately it isn't a simple question but there is hope.

The problem we face is that sleep is disturbed for so many different reasons but because the outcome is the same it is believed that there should be one answer.  With this in mind when looking at Bach Remedies we have to ask the first all important question: what is stopping you sleep?

Here in this blog I am going to cover a number of reasons and the possible remedies that might help.  This isn't a complete list and a remedy would have to be chosen based on an understanding of the situation in hand.


When your brain won't stop

This is often the simplest cause of sleeplessness; you lay there in bed and you have shopping lists, to do lists, ideas and pure random stuff going through your mind keeping you awake or waking you up through the night.  While these thoughts are annoying they are generally not deep fears or worries.  When this happens White Chestnut is the first remedy to reach for, and one I keep beside the bed at all times.  This remedy helps calm a busy mind and often you will find yourself asleep in moments.


Worrying 

Worrying is often the next most common reason for not sleeping.  These thoughts are stronger than those that White Chestnut combats, these are often worries about money, people we love, or situations we are faced with.  Some of remedies that might help in these situations are Mimulus, Clematis or Red Chestnut.
Mimulus combats fear of known things; fear of losing our job, fear of not having enough money, nerves about a situation we may face in coming days.
Clematis is good for thoughts of the future; when we find ourselves thinking about things that are going to happen tomorrow.  In taking Clematis we are brought back into this moment where we are supposed to be sleeping.
Red Chestnut concerns fears we have about other people, when we are not able to care for ourselves because we are worried about others this remedy allows us to let go of those worries and meet our own needs first.

Over tired

Sometimes we have simply got too tired, we're exhausted but we lay there waiting for sleep to come.  When this happens Olive can be helpful, allowing us to give in to the tiredness.

Just can't sleep!

Sometimes we don't know why we can't sleep, we just lay there and it doesn't happen.  In this situation the first remedy I would suggest would be Oak. This remedy is for people who continue to work even when they are too tired.  In this instance it is possible that there is part of the brain that believes it needs to keep awake and working even though we are exhausted.  Taking this remedy might not solve the problem but it is possible it will reveal the true cause of the insomnia.

These are just a few of the remedies that might help you when you can't sleep.  If you want to talk more about sleep problems feel free to get in touch.


For information on how to take the remedies please visit my website

Sunday 10 August 2014

So many lessons, the trick is to choose the right one

When you start along a path of self development it is common to come across the belief that there is a lesson for us in every situation.  This is designed to help us make the most of anything that we go through, helping us to grow and flourish.  The problem is, the concept is incomplete.

Quite often when we are faced with a difficult situation there is more than one lesson we can learn and this is where choice comes in.   None of the options are wrong however some of them will take us on a detour away from our personal growth and lead us to manifest other situations where we are shown the same choices.

Here is an example:  You have been seeing a guy (or gal) for a while now and you find they have cheated on you.  Here you are faced with a number of choices:

  1. Stay with him and try and ignore it
  2. Stay with him and try and change him
  3. Stay with him and accept that he is likely to do it again and that you are ok with it.
  4. Break up with him.
None of these choices are wrong but many of them will lead you away from personal growth.

So how do we work out which is the right lesson?  When faced with a difficult situation a good rule of thumb is "where does the love flow and where is my power?"

This can be hard to see at times because we have been taught to put others first. With the first set of choices initially it would appear that option 1 is where the love flows, but this denies love for yourself and that is what must come first.  Here the love is in option 4, in walking away you are showing that you love yourself enough to choose to not be treated that way.  You are taking your power back and standing up for your happiness in the long term.

If you choose options 1 and 2 you will be faced with other lessons along the way and each time there will be a chance for you to follow the love, so all is not lost.

If you decide to walk away you are again faced with a number of choices on how you move forward in your life

  1. Believe all men are rats and never trust them again
  2. Believe that you make bad choices so decide to stay away from men 
  3. Understand that maybe this time you got it wrong and chalk it up to experience
  4. Try to understand why you chose a man who cheated on you so you can work out how to make better choices next time.
Again, all of these choices are reasonable but there is no love in the first two.  It is often so much easier to take the closed hearted route, to turn anger, hate and blame outwards or to yourself rather than looking within to find the changes that you can make to yourself to allow you to open your heart again.

Here option 3 could be a good place to start if it is the first time this has happened. However if you repeatedly pick cheaters then option 4 is where the love is.  In both options you are allowing the love to flow.  You are not closing your heart to the possibility of finding healthy love but you are working to ensure that you do not give your power away again.

The questions "where is the love and where is my power?" can be applied to any situation in life but they must be used together.  We cannot ensure we are empowered without balancing it with love or we risk becoming egotistical or fearful.

Visit my website to learn about my healing practice  

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Bach remedy survival kit for the summer holidays

The summer holidays are here and for many parents this is a time for stress as well as fun with the kids.  Of course when the stressful moments come Bach Remedies can be here to help you through.

For the parents 

Beech - If you are finding yourself annoyed by the noise and disruption to your normal routine Beech can help to calm irritations.



Olive - When you are utter exhausted from ferrying kids around, entertaining them and still squeezing all your normal tasks into the day Olive can help you to keep going when you need to and rest when you are able.

Elm - When all your normal routines are thrown out of kilter by the extra burden of having to organise childcare or activities this remedy can help you deal with each job as it comes up.

Pine - It is possible you may feel guilty because you have to work while your kids are in childcare at a time when you could be enjoying the summer.  Pine will help you accept the situation and that you are doing the best you can.

Pine can also help if you feel you are neglecting other tasks or responsibilities because you are caring for your children.

Impatiens - This remedy helps us when we get frustrated with things taking too long.  Maybe you have to walk slower because you have a toddler with you, or just the simple fact that you can't fit enough into the day is causing frustration. Impatiens will help you accept that things take as long as they take.

Hornbeam - If you wake up in the morning exhausted just thinking about what you have to do that day Hornbeam can help you find the motivation to get up and face the day.

Holly - Holly can help if we start to resent our children for stopping us from having a quiet 10  minutes or doing other things we would normal do.

Vine - This remedy can help us use encouragement and team work to get through the day rather than arguing and shouting.

For the kids

Of course it is possible that the remedies can help the children themselves.  Due to the alcoholic content of the remedies ensure that you keep them out of the reach of children and only add the required dose to a drink rather than administering directly onto their tongue.

Wild Rose - This can help with those moments where they are bored but don't want to do anything you suggest by restoring their motivation.

Holly - Can help calm sibling rivalry and arguments.

Olive - Try this remedy when the child is tired and irritable as it may help them give in to sleep.

Willow - If a child is sulking and feeling sorry for itself this remedy can help bring them out of it.

Vervain - If you have a child that just wants to sit around this remedy can help them get up and move around.

There may be other remedies that can help with other situations, feel free to contact me if you would like some advice on which would be right for your situation.

Have a happy summer holiday and have a great time with your children.

For information on how to take the remedies please visit my website