Ways to inspire heart centered living - The Karuna Life™

Automatic Writing is an amazing tool to connect with your heart.  We often want outside advice but you know who already has the deeper answers of the heart? You do! This is also a great way to begin to communicate with your spirit guides and helpers! 

Automatic writing helps us become clear about where we want to go or what is most needed.

 It also helps dig deeper to figure out what's bothering us in a situation or relationship and how to proceed. It can open the door to clearer communicate with guides, angels, helpers, and loved ones.  

 Remember that your angelic teams are always supportive and loving. If the advice resonates, then honor it as your truth. Show gratitude and say "Thank you" for any helpful information.  If it didn't work then ask to be shown a different way- a way that is perfect for you. 

Want to learn more?

Check out Events for upcoming Online Automatic Writing Workshops...

Cacao is raw chocolate in its purest form- no sugar or additives.  In ancient times, the Aztecs and Mayans valued cacao and often held cacao ceremonies and used it in rituals. They also traded it as currency and it was worth as much as gold. 

Ceremonial cacao is not what we often find in the grocery store- even if it's labeled "cacao." True ceremonial cacao is  a different grade of  of "chocolate" and  most often in bar form. 

Cacao is often referred to as Plant Medicine but  I consider it an Energetic Plant Medicine.   

 I've taken classes and sought out books on cacao (harder than you'd think).  

What draws me to cacao ceremony is the deep connection and magic that unfolds during that window of time! It is something intangible that many of us are looking for in day to day life. I often pair it with automatic writing or meditation for deeper connection.   I love sharing the heart opening energy and wisdom of cacao with others. 

The Spirit of Cacao reminds us to connect more deeply with our hearts. She offers space to quiet the mind and to listen for the gentle song of the soul.

FAVORITE BRANDS

Temple Goddess Cacao

The Cacao Lab

Embue

Keith's Cacao

Soul Lift Cacao

**There are contraindicators for cacao consumption, so do your homework or talk to your doctor. It's not suitable for everyone.

Shamanism is one of the oldest spiritual practices and it is found in cultures all around the world. The world "Shaman" often means "one who sees in the dark" or" healer." Practices like Shamanic Journey are gradually becoming more mainstream as people look for new spiritual tools.

A Shamanic Journey  is most often used to gain insight, guidance,  and information from the unseen world; the world beyond our physical eyes.  

Shamanism as a lifestyle stresses the importance of being in harmony and balance with oneself and with nature.  One does not need to be a Shaman to participate in a shamanic journey and many people are exploring how this practice can benefit them. 

Sandra Ingerman is one of the most well known Shamanic Teachers.  I've taken several of her courses and highly recommend them, if this topic interests you.  She provides a wonderful abstract on shamanism on her website that summarizes it far better than I can!  You can find it at: 

https://www.sandraingerman.com/abstract-on-shamanism/

Shamanic Journey is similar to a meditation, however, the participant is active in a journey.  Therefore one allows the journey to unfold by the power of imagination.  Imagination is vastly underrated in our culture! When a participant is in a journey, they use all of their senses to have an experience. Therefore, it is unique to the individual and that is what makes it so special. 

"Shamanic journeying is the inner art of traveling to the 'invisible worlds' beyond ordinary reality to retrieve information for change in any area of your life - from spirituality and health to work and relationships." —  Sandra Ingerman

The practice of Qi Gong found it's way into my life in 2020. I buried myself in Qi Gong textbooks and online seminars until I realized I was missing something- the practical knowledge of a practice. Eventually I completed  a weekend training program with Spring Forest Qi Gong before starting the 200 hour certification course by Lee Holden to become an instructor. His program was comprehensive yet approachable. I believe Qi Gong is powerful and can be beneficial to anyone. 

"Qi" means energy and "Gong" means skill or practice. QiGong is  beautiful blend of meditation, flowing movement, and energy work (you can see why I'm hooked). 

Benefits of Qi Gong 

• Physical -bringing vitality to the body and a greater sense of wellness. 
• Emotional - transmuting negative emotions into positive ones.
• Energetic - clears blockages the energetic meridian lines in the body.
• Spiritual - greater sense of calm and clear thinking.

Curious to learn more or see when I'm teaching? 

Check out the QiGong Tab. 

 "When filled with qi, the body is like a tree branch filled with sap; it can bend and flow with the breeze, but it does not snap or lose its connection with the root. On the other hand, a stiff, dead branch is easily broken. Thus the adage of Lao Zi, 'Concentrate the qi and you will achieve the utmost suppleness... Suppleness is the essence of life.'"

― Kenneth S. Cohen,  The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing

My kids love to tease me about chanting and meditation. They'll sit cross legged and touch their thumb and index finger (i.e. Gyan Mudra) and say "Look Mom, Ommmm..." 

However, chanting and meditation are powerful tools that have been used for thousands of years. We are just now catching up with how beneficial these two things are.

Skeptical? There is growing research about trauma and the Vagus Nerve. Stimulating the Vagus nerve and help re-set the nervous system to return to Rest and Digest vs. Fight, Flight or Freeze Response. What can cause our systems to get stuck in Fight or Flight? Trauma or significant stressors can be the cause... you know, stressors like  a worldwide pandemic (I'm looking at you, 'Rona). So we can all benefit from resetting our nervous systems. Chanting, tapping and other energetic modalities  can help stimulate the Vagus nerve and calm the nervous system. Once the nervous system is in balance, we can begin to come into the heart center more easily. 

Meditation is also a good way to connect to our heart center.  People often say,  "I can't meditate" or "I can't clear my mind." Guess what, no one can!  That's an unrealistic expectation for anyone except for maybe a Zen Master (which I am not).  We will always have thoughts and that's OK!  Meditation teaches us to pay attention and simply observe them. The mind will wander off - the goal is to simply return to the present when it does. 

I'm a huge fan of the new meditation apps. Insight Timer is my favorite right now for guided meditations and relaxing music but I like several of them (10% Happier or Headspace). I find that guided meditations and music provide something to focus on. I've come to appreciate silence but that developed over time. 

 If you really feel like trying something new, I'd suggest  a 40 day practice (Sadhana) of Kirtan Kriya, which is a Kundalini Yoga Meditation to  bring the psyche into balance and master the mind. https://youtu.be/t0viONOQUcY is a good video to guide you through the practice. Use your voice and the hand gestures- this is what makes it so powerful!  Kirtan Kriya has scientific research demonstrating the benefits of this practice AND it is even recommended for Alzheimer patients! (There's your fun fact for the day). The mantra represents the cycle of life. Here is what it means:

SAA: Infinity, beginning  TAA: Life, existence  NAA: Death, change, transformation  MAA: Rebirth

Crystals are amazing helpers and can bring balance to the subtle energy body. There are so many resources on crystals that it can be overwhelming to beginners. 

Start by finding a crystal store that feels light and welcoming. You can browse and a crystal or stone that appeals to you. Don't overthink it! You'll naturally be drawn to what is needed. The stone or crystal can worn as jewelry, placed in your home/office office or kept in your pocket much like a worry-stone or talisman. 

 Not sure where to begin? Two stones I often recommend: Citrine for self esteem issues (solar plexus chakra) and Blue Lapis for speaking your truth  (the throat chakra). 

It is best practice to clear stones and crystals before you use them. They can pick up less than ideal energies so you may want to set them out in the sun for a few hours, place in water with a pinch of salt (only for select crystals/rocks), or smudge with sage. Once they are clear, hold them in your hand and set your intention. They will need to be cleared periodically as an energy reset and to keep their vibration high. I often request to clear client's crystal jewelry in sessions if I sense the energy has dulled. In today's busy world, it does not need to be done every week but it should be done periodically. If you can't remember the last time you cleared your stones (or if ever)- then now would be a good time to do so! 

Ideally, stones and crystals should be ethically sourced. The demand for these items has soared in the past years and this has lead to issues with over mining, child labor,  fair wage, etc. Personally, I do notice a difference in ethically sourced stones- the vibrations are simply higher. I can't say I get all my stones from ethically sourced shops, but I am selective. I pay attention to where I am purchasing crystals and who I am supporting.  Need an ethically sourced shop? Check out Moonrise Crystals in Hawaii at www.moonrisecrystals.com.  And if you need me to go personally to pick them up in Hawaii for you, I'm happy to do so... just kidding. 

Side Note:  I typically try to use good stores (with honest, kind, high vibration owners) except for, well,  this one time. I found a  beautiful Jasper heart  in a sketchy crystal store in CA... and I had to purchase the stone.  But I considered it more of a "crystal rescue"  just like a pet rescue :) so  I adopted the stone, brought it home and it still holds a special place in my heart. 

 “The crystal is a universal symbol of balance, harmony, and unity.” 

 —Masaru Emoto 

Sound healing has become a passion of mine ever since I had  my first "sound bath" in Mount Shasta, CA. My cells and molecules felt like they were tingling afterwards and I was hooked.  Remember, our bodies are mostly water so sending vibrations into the field shifts things on many levels.  My aura felt crystal clear and I wanted to experience it again. I came home and immediately started researching! 

Singing bowls are typically made of quartz crystal but they can also be made out of other crystals and minerals. The set that I own is focused on the subtle bodies vs the main chakras. These include: High Heart (Thymus), Soul Star Chakra,  Om (Source), High Sacral, Zeal Chakra and Root Chakra (for grounding).  I play bowls regularly in retreats but also in the quiet of my home. They help me feel grounded and clearer.  

 “Healing of the physical without the change in the mental and spiritual ... Sound will be the medicine of the future."  —  Edgar Cayce 

Haven't touched your yoga mat in years? No problem.  

This isn't about athletic yoga or the acrobatic yoga pictures we see on Instagram!  Who actually looks like that??  Not me!   I'm a very real and inflexible yogi.  My twin brother and I like to blame our inflexibility on bad genes :)  But I have learned the power of movement- on both the physical body and also to the energetic body. 

Our bodies are constantly changing which is a good thing - we have the privilege of aging. Yet it's easy to get in our heads about not looking like we did 5 or 10 years ago or harshly judging ourselves. Sometimes we just have to roll out our mat or pick a spot and start. 

Do my knees crack? Yep. Do I lose my balance? All the time. Yet I still do it - not because I make an attractive yogi - but because I'm giving my body what it needs. Breath + Movement.  And I love that I can do it from the comfort of my own home. They have great yoga apps now - so many to choose from! My favorite is Yoga Anytime. I find their programs more accessible than others I've tried. And bonus, they also have Kundalini classes. 

 If you have been sitting or largely immobile (and who isn't in today's lifestyle?) your energy slows and becomes stagnant. The result? We become tired, low energy, dull  and fatigued. That's when we often reach for caffeine or sugar to try to get us over the dip in energy. What we actually need almost feels counter-intuitive,  we need stretching and movement.