Banishing Demons (Negative Energy Pulling You Down)

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I recently launched a podcast series about integrating holistic health practices into everyday living. 

Drawing on my tendancy to use stories to give context.

While the initial episodes focus more on the body and mind part of the equation I do sprinkle in the spirit piece.  

I’ll be including more of the third part of the holistic pie in future episodes.

Wanted to share a recent experience that illustrates I walk the talk.

The Universe Steps In

Kismet in Action.

I was reading through the Apple News feed

Insert whistling and carefree skip down the morning routine trail.

An article appeared that intrigued me with its title.

A piece suggested based on something that caught the algorithms’ eye.

Not even halfway through I knew this was the perfect information at the perfect time.  Even though we hadn’t renovated we had areas in our home that had stagnant energy.

Including some that felt almost ominous.

Energetic Case Study

Bedroom Closet

For whatever reason that closet has long bothered me, to the degree I insisted the door always be shut.

In hindsight this probably added insult to injury since it meant no air circulating.

Aaron and I share the closet and he was baffled why I was so insistent the door always be closed.

I knew something off with the energy in there.

 Excited I might have a fix I put a bowl of lemon water in and yep – it lifted the energy. 

I also sprinkled a mix of baking soda and salt on the carpet with the intent it be vacuumed up in a day or two.

I knew putting a bowl of salt in a room or space where an argument had taken place would remove negative energy but hadn’t heard of the mix before.

Weirdly enough after the space was vacuumed the energy came down again.

I did a repeat lemon water treatment.

When I came to the realization I was going to have to do at least one more lemon water – maybe every couple of days indefinitely – I decided to get to the root cause.

Keep Digging

The root’s there somewhere.

I’m sharing because – as I mention in my podcasts – conditions are likely to return if you only deal with symptoms.

Holistic healing deals with root cause.

But First…

It isn’t as if I hadn’t tried dealing with the issue.  

For the past several years.

  • Switched my side with Aaron’s
  • Switched front to back
  • Organized by clothing item
  • Organized by color/season
  • Got rid of anything that no longer served

Nothing worked.

I ended up switching the two sides back to how they were.

Out of Sight But Not Out of Mind

Or Spirit

Just so happens I had a small inexpensive box I’d purchased at Michael’s Craft Store containing items that – though they used to hold joy – now held disappointment.

To the degree even thinking of what was in the box made me sad.

The fix wasn’t something I could tackle with a plan.

I’d held onto the items in the hopes maybe the individual who did have the fix might … 

I know. When we leave our happiness up to someone else’s behavior or actions we set ourselves up for failure but I felt getting rid of what was in there was admitting defeat – that the situation was hopeless.

Stubborn Celt that I am I refused to give up hope.

After awhile I shoved the box where I wouldn’t have to look at it.

And be reminded of what I’d lost.

I was determined to get to the root cause of the negative energy in that space.

The box and its contents as they were now energetically entwined.

Timing is Everything

When I opened the box I saw another smaller one inside.  I got the biggest smile!  

I thought I’d gotten rid of it during a before or after move sort/organize.

Not only did I still have this box which brings memories of a wonderful time in my life but upon opening it found things I thought lost in a move!

I was so happy!

After securing the box and the items it contained I turned to the other box.

And items representing disappointment and sadness.

I wasn’t sad!  Finding those items I thought gone lifted my spirits to the degree I could look at the remaining items dispassionately.

I could also let them go without feeling all hope was lost.

I just didn’t care anymore.  Waiting for something that might never happen was no longer worth my time or effort.

This morning I noticed that for the past few days I’ve been leaving the closet door open.

The monsters hiding inside have been banished.

More adventures coming soon.

Be well!

Synchronicity Leads to Anxiety Help

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 In my article Manifesting with a Twist I write part of the overall manifesting ethos is the idea of like attracting like.  Today that guy’s vibrational harmony was such that I left for my walk at the perfect time to come upon him

Yesterday I decided to walk to a local place for lunch.  I was working when I felt the urge to leave earlier than I would have.  Startled I wondered why.

I decided it must be that the sun was shining – that I was telling myself to get a bit of extra Vitamin D.

I was walking the route I decided would provide maximum sun when I got the urge to turn back and go a different way.  

Still sun though not as much thanks to trees.

I resisted because the sun felt nice on the chilly winter day.

The urge to take the other route got stronger.

Listen to Instinct.

I’ve been making an effort recently to listen to my instincts.

Things don’t turn out too well for me when I don’t.

About halfway along the changed route I saw a familiar face.

A gentleman I occasionally see while walking. 

We hadn’t seen each other in awhile.

We knew each other’s names but not much else.  

When he asked what I’d been up to I explained I’m a holistic health doctor and told him of an upcoming project.  We chatted a bit and he asked what I would recommend to someone experiencing anxiety.  I immediately rattled off a number of options but seeing he didn’t have anything to write with handed him my business card and suggested he email me so I could give him my suggestions.

Wait!

Before he started walking again I told him instead of an email, check out my blog because I was going to post my recommendations for a larger audience.

A Blog Instead

It was an easy decision, one guided by the fact that in the past four months I’ve had numerous people mention they’re having a hard time with anxiety.

A Common Theme

For some it was the political tension in the country.  For others they were still grappling with fallout from the Covid Lockdown.  

There were other reasons as well but the above are the ones I heard most often.

Those telling me of their challenges with anxiety are different ages and come from different walks of life.  

And live throughout the country and the world.

I intended to post this yesterday but got buried with a different project.  Turns out the wait was serendipitous as this morning I came across an article by a Harvard Trained Expert on strategies for handling anxiety.

Another in a series of “coincidences” that let me know this is the right topic at the right time.

Suggestions

Without further ado here are my suggestions for coping with anxiety.

This does not replace consulting with your personal health care provider and you should not stop any medications you take.

And consult with your health care provider to see if there is any reason not to utilize them.

These are remedies I’ve used at various points in my life with great success.

Walking

I’ve written about suffering severe burnout, fallout from the Covid Lockdown.

It was heartbreaking to watch the toll it took on family,  friends, community.

I originally began walking to help a student fulfill their remote learning gym requirement but soon found being outdoors regardless of the weather was restoring my health.

It was keeping me sane during a crappy time.

I continued walking long after Lockdown was lifted and soon began hearing people in my community say “Hey, don’t I see you walking?” 

I got up to between 2 and 10 miles/day depending.

Walking is an excellent option for dealing with anxiety.

The second it started up I got my tennis shoes on and head out.

I continue to walk rain snow or shine.

Meditation

There are a number of forms of meditation.  

As someone whose mind wouldn’t slow down I was unable to meditate until I came upon the Silva Method.

I’ve been successfully utilizing the Silva Method to solve problems since 2000.

Rescue Remedy!

Bach Flower Remedies are an excellent option for dealing with anxiety.  Developed by Dr. Edward Bach while treating WWI veterans suffering PTSD and what was known as hysterical paralysis or shell-shock syndrome  they are well suited to address a variety of symptoms associated with anxiety, including fright shock and depression.

For details visit this site.

Homeopathy

Another excellent option for dealing with anxiety and conditions associated with it including PTSD is homeopathy.  Developed by Samuel Hahnemann in Germany in the late 19th Century they have been shown to be effective for a variety of symptoms assiciated with anxiety.

Dr. Bach used his principles as a foundation for developing his flower remedies.

For information on which remedies are ideal visit this site.

Homeopathy is considered safe and not contraindicated with medication.  It’s still a good idea to check with your health care provider before incorporating them.

Warning!

Homeopathic remedies, also known as cell salts, are formulations and while the names are unique it’s important to differentiate them from other therapies with similar names.  An example is the fact the homeopathic remedy arnica montana is not the same as the herb arnica, which can be poisonous.  Here is a government site with additional information.

Alcohol

As a research scientist I’ve been very concerned about headlines regarding alcohol and various studies associated with alcohol consumption.

The headlines and the interpretations/conclusions of the data are misleading and in some cases out and out flawed.

I spoke with the gentleman about this when I suggested a glass of wine could be helpful and he mentioned the headlines and not knowing what to think.  I gave him my thoughts on the matter then pulled up my phone and showed him an email I’d sent that morning that contained a link to an article validating my thoughts about the flawed interpretations and conclusions.

I clicked the link – showed him the article.

Click here to read the transcript of the interview with Dr. Emily Oster wherein she sheds light on these studies.

What makes it serendipitous is that I only saw the article that morning!

Timing Like Perspective Is Everything!

Talk To Someone

When anxiety becomes so bad it’s interfering with your ability to function it’s a good idea to seek professional help.  When it isn’t that severe, it’s still helpful to talk to someone.

During the worst of my burnout I began texting with a buddy in California who was also going through sudden life changes.

Even though things calmed for us both we continue to keep in touch.

Sharing joys as well as frustrations.

You are not alone!

And finally?  Know that there are a lot of people feeling anxious these days.

Perhaps some of the suggestions here can help them find peace.

Be Well.

Manifesting 101: Time to Travel

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In his book I’m Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams I am I am I am Thomas Pauley suggests adding the line (paraphrasing here) It is seeking me as I am seeking it when writing your goals.

The idea being what you want is attracting you as you are attracting it.  

I recently saw this in action.

As a novelist one of the first decisions I make after deciding on a plot and the characters is setting.  As part of my selection process I take into consideration whether or not I’ve been to the area I’m considering.

If not then I consisder whether I’ve been to a place close or in some other way similar location.

In the case of my Dragon Core series it wasn’t just deciding between Seattle and New Orleans it was deciding on the setting within the setting.

I lived in New Orleans but so long ago I didn’t feel I could do it justice.

When it came to Aesop’s Cove I had the perfect location in mind as a “stand-in.”

I planned on having it as a place I could go work at so I could really soak up the vibe for the story.

Excited to have this ironed out I went with hubby for a celebratory lunch only to learn we’d shown up on the last day.

I remember staring at the waitress in shock as she told me they were going out of business.

Timing

What are the chances?

She brought the boss over after I explained why we were there.  He was polite but strained.

No wonder.

Though I was ready to go forward with the story I knew I had to find a suitable place as a stand-in for Aesop’s.

To serve as a place to go when I needed an energy tune-up during times of writing fatigue.

Weeks turned to months and I could not find a suitable location.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Waterfront

For a variety of reasons including serious career burnout I took time off from writing.

A lot of time.

During this time I focused on self-care.

A lot of walking.

As I walked I sorted through challenges, mysteries, and solutions to those mysteries.

Many of those mysteries related to manifesting goals.

What I didn’t do was focus on the challenge of finding a suitable location to be a stand-in for such an important plot element.

I just kept walking and “not” thinking.

One day I decided to try to get a bit of work done.  At the time I was more thrilled with the idea I’d be able to do a bit of writing than where. As a result I gave little thought before slipping into a local haunt and sitting down to work.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

It had been some time since I’d been there.

Thank you Covid lockdown.

On some of these occasions I struck up conversations with visitors either local or not.  While I occasionally mentioned what I was doing more often than not I just enjoyed listening to their stories.

I love hearing people’s stories.

I continued this trend and came to see the location was becoming key in my recovery from burnout.

Likely because while I was working there I didn’t associate it with work.

I associated it with relaxing and the opportunity for spontaneous conversation.

I tuned into the music playing, the conversations.

Conversations that took my mind off my troubles.

And then it hit me.  I’d found my Aesop’s.

It only took about a year of not looking for it.

On a recent walk I pondered the mystery of how this happened.  I’d been in that place before burnout and never considered it a suitable stand-in for the Cove.  No sooner had that thought surfaced then Pauley’s words came to mind.

It is seeking me as I am seeking it.

During the time away from writing due to events beyond anyone’s control the place underwent a shift.

Thank you Covid shutdown.

I came to understand that as I was changing through my focus on self-care and health and wellness the location and its employees were also changing.  By the time I circled back around it had become what I needed.

The Lesson  

If only I had changed or only that location had changed it’s doubtful I would have found it to be a suitable stand-in.  It’s because we were both pulling mutual energy for the same or similar goal that I was able to manifest what I needed.

One of the bigger changes was that they wanted to be more than just a place to hangout.  They wanted to serve their diverse customers’ needs in ways I feel is friendlier.

Warmer, more inviting.

More like how I pictured Aesop’s Cove.

In coming to understand this need for transformtive change not just in myself but in some other aspect of the goal I found myself relaxing about a key element in the manifestation game.

Time

I’m more relaxed about how long the goal may take to manifest because I now truly understand it won’t til things are in place.

And that may take time.