Stop the Emotional Downward Spiral

Ever feel depressed?  I don't mean that dark night of the soul kind.  Just one of those days where motivation escapes you and life feels a bit like you are putting one foot in front of the other.

We know that we attract to us whatever is in our vibration.  So who wants to attract more downer experiences?

But what do you do instead?  How do you stop the downward spiral?

Here's something that works for me.  It's simple and very effective.

As soon as you notice that you are feeling down, stop.  Evaluate what is happening.  Say to yourself, "I choose Love!" Now, you may not feel like choosing Love in that moment, but honestly turning away from that victim downer energy and turning toward Love, you change your vibration.

Then, say, " I open my heart to receive Love."  Imagine the back of your heart is opening and Love is coming in.  Or, open your mind to receive Love.  Use whatever works for you.  Give yourself a few more minutes to soak in all that Love that is coming in.  Remember, Love is always present.  If you don't feel it, you have closed yourself off from it.

Let me know how this works for you!

Here are some other books that may help.

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs
Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression, 2nd Edition, Completely Revised and Updated

Preparing for a New Age

What can you do to be ready for the New World that is upon us?  My answer to myself and others I counsel is to pay attention.  What are I feeling?  Who (what part of me) is feeling that?  How can I meet the needs of that part of me so it will release any limiting thoughts and emotions?

Recently, I found myself responding with hurt as if the other person didn't want to acknowledge me.  "Wait a minute", I thought.  "This isn't about them.  This is about me.  Some part of me doesn't feel acknowledged."

As I felt who that was inside of me, I found it was a young girl.  I let that part of me know that she is very important to me.  Through a series of "tools" I have learned to use, I was able to fill her need, shift her energy, and integrate her into who I am here and now.

At first it seems that there is something wrong with how another person acted or spoke to us.  In fact, it's how we perceived what happened!  As we take care of the part of us that is hurt, we can simply observe what is happening without any attachment to it.  We have also just released the part of us that was attached to an event or series of events.

All of that raises our vibration.  Attachments create stuck energy. Freeing the attachments lets the energy flow.

This prepares us for the new life that we are beginning to live.  This is a life of unconditional acceptance of ourselves and others.

Please join me for a presentation by Jana Beeman and me on this very subject Wednesday, September 29, 7pm at Crystal Heart Books in Beaverton, OR.  Check other events as well.

Earth Day Video

The oil spill has turned our attention to how we have treated this beautiful Earth!  Here is a video that helps us make a compassionate connection to Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzmQlIP5Wjw

Inner Sunshine on a Rainy Day

Living in the Northwest, I'm used to the rain.  Usually it doesn't bother me, but we've had way too much rain!  We joke that we get webbed feet.  My concern is that it breeds depression because we need light and sun to maintain a high energetic level.

So how can we create that light through imagination?  Here's what I do.  I find a comfortable place to sit or lie down, breathe deeply, and remember the warmth and brightness of a sunny day when I soaked it all in.

Some of my most memorable days were last summer when I would sit in my tiny back yard gently rocking in my covered swing.  Pink fragrant roses from my neighbor's yard come over the fence and over the swing creating a cozy place where I can look at my flowers, listen to the birds and take in the light shining brightly over it all.

The pink from the roses allows that vulnerable part of me to feel safe.  The bright yellow sunlight dissolves any mental cobwebs bringing new clarity to the next steps in my life.

Experiments with athlete's have shown that visualizing themselves running down the track or swimming laps fires up the same muscles and body responses as if they were actually competing on the track or in the pool.  The same thing happens to us when we take time to visualize sunlight.  It feeds the body's need for sun just as if the sun were out.

So next time you are sick and tired of the rain, give yourself a mini day of sunshine through your memory or by creating a sunny day in your mind.  The more details you create or remember, the better.

And, by the way, turning your mind to a color actually draws in that vibration as if your eyes were seeing it.  That's one of the secrets to Complementary Color Therapy--and now you can experience our basic course online. http://transformationaltools.com/online_color_course

Nurturing Aspects of Brown

During this month's Energy of Color Radio Show I pointed out that Brown can show you what's up with your self esteem.  It occurred to me after the show how much a healthy sense of self depends on our connection with the earth (symbolized by Brown).

When you feel nurtured, you feel safe.  Just as a plant is nurtured by the Brown earth it's planted in, so you too are nurtured by the earth.  When you are not grounded (your Spirit is not fully in your body or you are not paying attention to the body) it is impossible for Earth to nurture you.

Without that energetic sustenance nothing seems to flow.  Everything is out of sync.  Your timing is off--you try to do things or say things at the wrong time.  Everything seems harder to accomplish.

Healthy self esteem is partially dependent on that experience of nurturance that comes from Earth.  Being in sync feels like you are home and you are safe.  Feeling good about you is easier when that feeling of home and safety feels grounded in the cells.

Too often our feet fail to connect with the dirt of the earth.  We walk around on concrete, carpet, metal, and so much that is less than natural.  That's why this time of year is so good for us.  Perhaps like me you have been planting flowers or admiring the tulips peeking up through the ground.  Close to where I live there is a sacred walk through the woods that connects me to the earth.  I always feel so nurtured and fully present after one of those walks.  I sometimes have to talk myself out the door to take a walk, but I'm always glad when I do.

I wonder too if this is why so many people like coffee, tea, and chocolate.  These natural Brown substances can connect you to the earth.  The more pure they are, the better they can nurture you. 

Pay attention to ways you can stay connected to the earth.  You are here in this body for a reason.  Floating outside of it disrupts that connection and can affect how you feel about yourself.

Stay connected; stay grounded!  And all is well.

The Fog of Dis-creation

In order to create something new in your life, you usually have to let go of something you already have in place.  This could be called dis-creation.

Lately I have felt foggy.  When I “look” at my energy field, it seems unclear.  

I had a dream that showed me fields of brown grass that seemed dead.  My immediate reaction was to gather up the lifeless grass and transform it into life-giving green.  In my dream, this just wasn’t working.

When I awoke, I asked a friend to help me interpret the dream.  The seemingly lifeless grass reminded me that, like the seasons, we too sometimes go into hibernation while we let go of the specifics of what we have created.  As we spring back to life, the roots of what went before emerge with new life and vibrant color.

Dis-creating is just as important as creating.  Biblically you might say it doesn’t work to put new wine in old wine skins.  The old wine skin will tend to pollute the new.

I also found myself going through my closet, bagging up clothes that no longer felt right for me.  Spring cleaning you might say.  But it seemed to symbolize something more.

I am finished with certain patterns that have kept my work limited to its own special box.  It was necessary to keep it in that box while I came up to the energy vibration that could match where the work could go.  I think I have been ambivalent about what would be involved in taking this work to the next level.  That has shifted.  I can joyously see life in that vibration.  It doesn’t take anything away from me; rather, its flow is easy and fun.

I shout, “Hallelujah!” as the fog clears.  My once concern is now anticipation.

This process reminds me of the Luminary called “Dawning”*   In part it says:  “Life renews itself from moment to moment.  Accept your new growth with faith, even as you push through the fog of uncertainty.  Passionately throw open your windows to the dawn!  Live fully!  Every moment counts!”

Blessings,

Arlene

* “Luminaries” is a book and cards oracle co-created by artist Lahrinda Eileen and me.

Worry Replaced by Faith

Recently I had a yucky dream that stayed with me long after I awakened. Worms were crawling over the edge of my cereal bowl consuming the breakfast that would give me energy to start my day. When I wrote about this dream, I discovered that the worms were worry. If I started my day with worry, I would deplete my energy. This would lower the vibration in my energy field. If that happened, I would be vulnerable to the collective consciousness of fear which stoked the worry. What started as a mild concern would then be blown way out of proportion.

This is one way we stay stuck in an old energy pattern. This process lets you know that your mind is stuck in fear. A key to releasing this fear is to consciously observe how you are stuck.

Once you are aware of the old pattern of worry, there are a number of ways to release that pattern. Complementary Color Therapy is an easy way to shift this energy pattern.

Here’s another way to change the pattern:

• You could also talk to the part of you that worries, showing it how this keeps you stuck.
• Remember a time when you didn’t go into worry. You simply felt that everything would be okay. At that moment you were tapped into your intuitive deeper self. Go to the feeling you had at that time.
• Let your body remember how that felt.
• Remember how things turned out when you felt so sure that everything would work out well.
• See if you can bring that same feeling into the moment of worry.

This can often shift your experience. That sense of being so sure is often called “faith.” It is an inner knowing that all is in Divine Order, everything will work out, or God is in charge.

Remember how powerful your thoughts are. If you think all is in Divine Order, you are making that your truth and your experience!

The challenge in this process is when a part of the mind doesn’t believe everything will be okay. That is why it is necessary to feel that certainty. If you have never felt that way before, use your imagination. What would if feel like if you were certain? How would things turn out? Focus on that!

This is like any other new pattern. If you want strong muscles, you need to exercise. If you want certainty that becomes faith, change your experience every time worry comes up. You are then creating a new energy pathway in your energy field. Eventually that will become your preferred pattern.

What I have described will work. However, the difference between this and Complementary Color Therapy is that CCT breaks up the old energy pattern and reintegrates that energy into your field. When this is finished, there is no old pattern to go back to.

My dream showed me that I have not fully dissolved the old pattern so I have work to do. Fortunately, I have “tools” such as CCT in my toolbox.

Let me know what works for you.

Maintaining the Inner Connection

James Ray was just indicted on three counts of manslaughter.  As the story unfolds, it seems that he stood by while people were throwing up, calling for help, and losing consciousness.  According to news stories neither he nor his staff went to the hospital to see how participants were or to name those who had no identification so family members could be with them.  It seems that he continued to hold introductory sessions to bring more people to his retreats and workshops without first dealing with the tragedy of what had just happened. How could that be with a man who teaches self responsibility and spiritual growth?  As I pondered his situation, I felt his disconnection with his heart, which is a disconnection with Inner Spirit. 

Isn’t that a wake up call for all of us?  If the principles we speak are words without heart, they become lifeless.

I often remind people to become observers of life, stepping back long enough to see the full picture.  That kind of observation brings you closer to the heart, not more distant.  As you see with detached involvement, you know clearly when you and others are lost in the human perspective and you also feel when you are aligned to the deeper part of yourself.  So from this observation point you may see that people who were part of Ray’s retreat chose to be there for their own spiritual growth, even to the point of dying.  Yet, you feel the fear from them and others in that tent.  You acknowledge the grief of family members who must deal with the fall-out from this experience.  You pay attention to the human reality while still knowing there is a bigger picture.

For me, the Dali Lama embodies that kind of detached involvement.  He radiates love in the midst of cruelty to his people.  He recognizes the human potential for greatness and the potential for cruelty.  He observes, he cares, and when he acts, it comes from that inner space of connection.

What strikes me is how vigilant we must be, paying attention as the observer so we notice when we become disconnected.  It is not enough to hold certain “truths.”  These “truths” must be lived from the heart.  We are always both human and divine, that’s why we call ourselves human beings.  Perhaps we could write human-beings with a hyphen to remind ourselves of the connection.  Either human or being by itself is a disconnection.  The wholeness is ever present.  The connection is never lost.  Yet, our human filters can often lead us to see just part of the picture causing us to act from that limited human perspective.  This opens the door to cruelty, power trips, and so much more.

As you reflect on this story, notice how James Ray vividly shows us what disconnection can look like.  Step back from your life and see it for what it is.  Where are the places of disconnection—even seemingly insignificant places in your life?  Use your intention and attention to bring alignment into those places. 

Complementary Color Therapy is a simple way to facilitate that connection between the human and the being.  http://www.TransformationalTools.com/training

Patience Takes on New Meaning

Patience is not my favorite word.  To me, it has always meant waiting.  I’ve been a person of action so waiting hasn’t been my style.

I could blame it on my Mom who would always pack in too many errands before she picked me up so she wouldn’t have to wait for me.  Invariably she was late! My impatience would grow by the minute.

But, I won't blame her because I know this pattern was there so I could learn a new kind of patience.  My old definition would have had something to do with gritting my teeth as I lectured myself on being patient.  Then, I would be critical of anyone who was too slow--that is, too slow by my definition. 

As we move into a New Way of Being in this unfolding world, I look at my impatience as an example of an old pattern that I have dissolved so that new ones can emerge.

For me patience still has a sense of expectation, but the angst has disappeared.   Instead there is a fine tuned listening and feeling, staying present to the inner prodding that says, “Now!”  Then, and only then, do I proceed with a project, make a phone call, read a certain book, or attend a group I have learned about.  

I trust that the timing will be right even though my mind may want to push ahead sooner.  My mind still thinks it has to be in charge, but I know that would be the old way and I am determined to live from a different set of values. 

I practice being so present I can feel my breath as it goes in and out.  In those moments of breathing I feel the flow of my life rhythms.  Am I in sync or am I ahead or behind my natural flow?  That tells me if I am part of a New Way of Being because alignment with our inner flow is essential in this New World.

How does patience feel to you?  Are you in your natural flow?

Come explore with me what it means to Become a New Human.  Check out my in-person and online classes. 

A New Year, A New Way of Being

2010 is the numerical number 3, the feminine (mother) plus masculine (father) = what you have birthed (child).  We have been preparing for this "birth" of a new way of being.  You may have noticed how many old patterns have come up this year!  That was so you could let them go.  Most of them didn't even need to be dissected.  They were just old energy you are finished with.

Now it is time to pay attention to what is new.  Notice if old ideas don't seem to resonate any more.  See how you respond differently.  Feel your next step without holding back.

This new way of being is closer to your essence--your soul acting through your human self.  Do you feel taller, more capable without the human need to flaunt it?  You can be comfortable with this.  It is you.  More you than ever before!

Happy New Year!  Happy New Way of Being!
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