My Epiphany through Crow Pose

So, you know what Crow Pose is?
If not, this (images, crow pose yoga) should help you out.

Well, a year or so ago, I *had* it!
I could do Crow Pose like I can do Mountain (basically just standing erect).

...but then...

Then I lost it.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I couldn't get into Crow anymore.

I decided I thought I was gonna face-plant... or something.

I just... sort of... had a little freak-out-moment and decided I was now scared to do Crow.

So for about a year, I've attempted Crow pose when my instructors offered it, but decided I didn't want to fall, so I didn't "fully" try doing it.

Well!
Last week, I had a REVELATION!
An Epiphany, if you will.

The instructor, Tammy, was being very gentle with us in her attempt to get us to try Crow.  She was teaching to the beginners in the room, and saying, "Maybe just *try* it.  If you don't get it, that's alright.  If you only get one big toe off the floor, then you can congratulate yourself!"  
So I went into it with an open mind.  
Then I began thinking about how and why I'd been having "trouble" with Crow for the past year or so...

Just as I was attempting to "attempt Crow" (yet again), I began to realize that I wasn't really scared of doing a face-plant...

And suddenly I drew in a gasp of breath because I realized
"I'm not scared!  I've just been comparing myself to others!"

About a year ago, I started looking at pictures of others in Crow pose, and realized that the majority of them kept their butts down a lot more than I did...
So I started trying to do Crow with my butt down more...
And this is about the time I "lost" my Crow!

I realized the other day with Tammy that I'd been comparing my Crow to others' Crow, and decided that my Crow was "inferior" or "wrong".

But I had been doing Crow!
How can MY pose be "inferior" to someone else's pose?!?!
My knees were on my upper arms, and my feet were off the floor.  Isn't THAT what Crow is supposed to be about?!?!  Balancing on your hands IS Crow!

So now, with this revelation, I have found a new Peace.
A Peace where I STOP comparing my pose to the poses on the covers of magazines.
A Peace where I stay out of my head and fully in my body.
A Peace where I stop worrying about what I look like, and continue to realize how I feel.

...
I didn't get Crow pose last week, but I did get it for a fraction of a second.  
So that's progress!  =-)

I'll continue to try it, 
and I'll continue to be soft with myself, 
and I'll continue to remember to FEEL how Crow pose feels in MY body as I attempt "flying" in it.  
Because as Tammy said, "Just because you can get into Crow, doesn't make you a better person."

So I'd better go get my yoga clothes on and head to class.   =-)

I hope you're having a Beautiful day, and remember:
Stop comparing yourself to others!  
Because there is no one like you!!!
=-)

<>< <>< <><   ><> ><> ><>

Spiritual Gifts and Money

So...
With this Energy I've been feeling "coming on me" for the past eight or nine months, of course I started wondering what I'm "supposed to do" with it...

Well, after the "I'm here to Love Others" statement, naturally I feel I'm supposed to help others with this Gift of Energy Healing I feel is coming to me.

So when I talked with Boyfriend about this, he assumed I will do this as a job and charge people for my services, so that's the direction I began to take.  We began talking about fees for services; worth vs value; a website; the value of time; how much reading and studying I've been doing; the cost of all my books, not to mention the new massage table Boyfriend bought me for Christmas; etc, etc, etc...

But as I travel this path, I truly get the Feeling... the Message, that I'm really NOT supposed to charge when giving this Gift to others...

This feeling has been moving through me for a couple of months now.

Well, I *finally* got up the nerve to talk with Boyfriend about it.
He shocked me!
His attitude?
"Whatever, Babe.  I don't care what you do.  But if I get laid off (his company was very recently purchased by another company), you'll have to go get a full-time job.  Other than that, you can do whatever you want."

I could not believe the Relief that rolled through me.
I was surprised at the weight that left my shoulders as soon as he said that.   =-)

So now I need to back up and re-group.
To "re-adjust" my thought processes.  
To stop being "shy", and start offering my "services" to anybody and everybody.
To start handing out my "business" card.
To get the word out.

But that's not gonna happen today because it's snowing its butt off out there!   =-)

This picture is from last year.

There's a LOT more snow out there right now.

(Well... a lot for our area!)   =-)

So this gives me time to sit and ponder.

To meditate on things.

To take time to consider things.

I hope you are having a WONDERFUL day!   =-)

Love the ones you're with!

<>< <>< <><   ><> ><> ><> ><>

Love and Energy Healing and Love

So, last year I began feeling led to do "Energy Healing".

If you'd have told me 2 years ago that I was going to be doing this, I would have looked you straight in the eye and said, "BULLshit!"

'Cause 2 years ago, I totally didn't believe in this type of thing.

But I've been on a slow journey.  (Slow 'cause, apparently, I'm resistant to change.)

Yoga opened up my mind to a lot of "unexplainable" things.
Breathing helped me to stand aside from my ego, and listen to mysteries and ask questions for a bit.
Meditation answered curiosities and whispered epiphanies to me.

And now, here I stand on the other side.

Feeling it's my Duty to Love Others.

To Love EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING on this Planet.


That's a VERY tall and almost-impossible feat.
I know this.

I know this from the very heart of my Heart.

But it's my Directive.

This past Summer, those words escaped from my mouth without my even knowing I was going to say them, and AS SOON as I said them, I knew them to be the Truth of Truths.

Sitting here now, I can only assume an Angel made me say them...

So I decided "I Choose Love."
And the Gift of Energy began to come to me...  Unasked for.  "Un-thought-about."  "Un-decided" about.

So, after I began "feeling something", I began to read.
Read a lot!

"Healing with Crystals and Chakra Energies" by Sue & Simon Lilly
"Energy Healing for Beginners" by Ruth White
"Healing Visualizations: Creating Health through Imagery" by Gerald Epstein
"The Healing Energy of Your Hands" by Michael Bradford
"Wheels of Life" by Anodea Judith
"Energy Medicine" by Donna Eden
"Energy Healing" by Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
... and I think there's more, but I can't think of them right this minute.
And I have more to read!
I'm currently in the middle of reading:
"Energy Medicine for Women" by Donna Eden
and I still have waiting for me:
"Energy Medicine" by C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD
"Energy Tapping" by Gallo & Vincenzi
Plus (!) I still wanna read:
"The Seven-fold Journey" by Anodea Judith
and a BUNCH of stuff by Caroline Myss!

(!)
That's a LOT of reading!
Plus, I've done lots of reading on the internet, and I've watched plenty of YouTube videos about this subject.
Sure, some people are pretty far out there, where this Energy thing is concerned.
But there's a lot of "credible" stuff out there too.

...
So, what am I talking about?
Well, perhaps you've heard of "Reiki"?
That's Energy Healing.

Or, better yet, perhaps you've heard of Acupuncture?
That's Energy Healing!

I know. Right?  I had no idea *that* had anything to do with Energy, but it *totally* does!  It's all about Meridians, and Meridians are "simply" Rivers of Energy, if you will, that run over, around and through your body, governing/helping your organs and your whole body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Energy, as well.  Again, it's based on the Meridians.
Acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese Foot Reflexology, Traditional Chinese Medicine; ALL work on the premise that your body is full of, covered with, and protected by Energy.  

Chi.  (Chinese)
Qi.  (Chinese)
Ki.  (Japanese)
Lom.  (Thai)
Prana.  (Indian)
The Great Mystery or The Great Unknown.  (Native American)
Universal Life Energy.  (American)

Throughout history, all indigenous tribes around the World had a "medicine man" (or woman), many times called a Shaman, who not only took care of the tribe's health and well-being, but also of its Spirituality.  Energy was a part of both.  A part of all.


According to *every* book I read, EACH of us is capable of feeling this Energy, and of helping each other by using this Energy.
Most of us, though, tend to let this "feeling" or "knowing" die down until we don't really even notice it anymore.

And now, most of us are so far from Nature, and we have so much technology, that we don't even want to believe such a thing exists...

...
And with that, I must go for now.
I have a floor to vacuum,
and a bathroom to clean,
and supper to cook, 
and soon, a husband to greet at the door.

I'm still Me, even if I am "a bit loony"-er than I was yesterday.   =-)

Hoping you have a Beautiful Day today and tomorrow.

Love,
Wendy
=-)

The new massage table Boyfriend got me for Xmas...