January 28, 2020
So I don't know about you but I love the New Year! There is something about the idea of a whole fresh year ahead of me that is full of potential and opportunity that just totally gets me excited!
It's living in the beautiful tension of who I have been and who I am going to be!
This past holiday season I spent some time looking back over my last decade
and I could not believe some of the changes that had happened!
A decade ago I had just turned 30, my boys, who are now teenagers, were 5
and 3, my husband and I still owned our own brick and mortar business, and
we had never even dreamed about moving our family across the country to
start a whole new life surrounded by the ocean and mountains! I am sure if you look back on your past decade you would have the same type of "take your breath away" moment! So much can change in a decade - in fact so much WILL change in the next decade, whether you want it to or not.
The question really becomes: Will you be the one directing the change? Or
will the change just be something that happens to you?
So many of us live our lives in random reaction to whatever is happening
around us or in the current culture. Our friends all say they want to do Dry January, so we do Dry January. We see everyone on social media going vegan and we think "Hey why not, I need to get healthy, may as well give that a try!" We plan a vacation to Mexico, because, well, everyone goes to Mexico right?
Now don't get me wrong, it's great to be inspired by the people around you but
there is a tipping point where it becomes someone else's life you're living
instead of your own! As I thought about how I would direct the change in my life I realized I want my next 10 years to be lived on purpose! They need to reflect, to the best of my ability and knowledge, what I wanted them to look like. No more just going with the current of whatever was happening around me! So I did something a little different as I went into this New Year!
Instead of just thinking about what I want my year to look like, or what goals I
had, (after all how many years can I say I want to lose the same 10 lbs!) I
went bigger, much bigger!
I looked at what I wanted the rest of my life to be about!
What was the VISION for my life?
Because if your goals and action plans are the what, then your vision is the
who and the why. And unless we have a good grasp on what we want to become and why we want to become that, our goals can often fall flat!
Our vision for our life also serves as a compass, it gives us guidance when we
wonder what we should do next. How many times do you throw up our hands and say "I just don't know!"
When you have a vision for what your life is supposed to be about it will help
clarify for you what the next step could be. Our vision becomes our measuring stick, letting us know if we are on the right track. With so many things available to us, how do we decide which one is right for
us?
Connecting with our vision helps us to know whether what we are doing is
helping us move towards the type of life we want or if it's going to take us
away from that. And it can become our motivation, the thing that keeps us going even when things get tough.
We all have times when we just don't feel like doing something.
Our motivation wanes and we can give into thinking "Will this really matter
anyway?" Our vision can remind us that YES this matters!! Keep going!!
So how about you?
Do you have a VISION for your life?
If you're interested in developing your own vision download my Create Your Vision Guide and let it help you find clarity on what you want your life to be about!
Click here to download your Create Your Vision Guide!
https://bit.ly/2QWqcxj
Meg Heppner
coachmegheppner@gmail.com
https://www.realexcellentliving.com
January 08, 2020
Describe your business/career/what you do in a few sentences.
I guide women to heal so deeply and meaningfully that their life and relationships begin to reflect total wholeness along with inner and outer alignment. I like to call this work, reclaiming the Inner Sun. You’ll work through the dark aspects within, so that you can elevate all areas of your life, receive more of what you desire, and say goodbye to negative mind chatter and subconscious patterns (in a lasting way!) that are holding you where you no longer wish to be.
What sets you apart from other entrepreneurs/companies in your line of work?
It’s been a long journey. I’ve been consciously on this path for 19 years and have been working as a coach for 10 years. In that time, I’ve witnessed and worked through the idea that life has to be a hustle and a grind. Overtime, this idea becomes painful because it is in opposition to who we are. Our beings long to feel aligned, calm and connected. As a culture, we need to shift and re-remember that we are ALREADY whole, worthy, and deserving of love. A lot of the rhetoric out there, however well meaning, further fuels our mind rather than our heart. We constantly hear that we need to be, do and have more. This idea of “more” is often rooted in comparison to others and NOT the truth within our own hearts. We are told we need to push and power through. Yes, we need to face our discomfort in order to evolve into the more that we want, but it doesn’t have to be forced and disconnected from ourselves. This is how my work is different than a lot of what is out there. We look deep within and unpack the stories that have led to disconnection, loneliness, anxiety, worry and so on. We unravel all of that, give it space, honour what it taught you, and then create new beliefs, habits and patterns that support you in thriving in an authentic and aligned way.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur/business?
Trial and error. Be willing to try new things all the time. Failure is just feedback and an opportunity to learn and pivot until you find the groove that truly works for you.
Be willing to be controversial. Know who you are, what you value and what you stand for. People are drawn to this. We can’t possibly be everyone’s favourite flavour, but when we let our unique selves be known the people that do resonate with you will be magnetized by the clarity of who you are and your willingness to back yourself.
Know your numbers. Be willing to understand the inflow and outflow of cash in your business. Focus on the things that will generate revenue and help you feel grounded so that you are tapped into abundance rather than fear.
What book has inspired you the most? (OR What is your favorite book?)
Sacred Contract by Caroline Myss
You Are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza
Mary Magdalene Revealed by Meggan Watterson
What accomplishment are you most proud of? (either for you as an entrepreneur, or your company)
I am most proud of my openness and willingness to listen to my inner knowing. This IS and continues to be my most important accomplishment and focus. This inner knowing has led to many pivots and intuitively guided decisions. I can say with total integrity that the steps I’ve taken in my life and business from this place of self-trust have been the ones that have led to the most success and serendipitous opportunities.
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Nira is a Coach for Women. She uses deeply healing methodologies, leading edge coaching tools and the wisdom of ancient mysteries to help women overcome abandonment and self-worth issues so that they can thrive.
Learn more about Nira and her business here: niralall.com
December 13, 2019
It's all connected.
No part of you is separate from itself. "Fixing" things outside of you only offers a band aid solution. We repeat what we don't repair.
We are quite familiar with our physical bodies and their functions but less so with our bodies subtle energy systems. Modern-day demands, trauma, stressful events and emotional pain can reside within the body and create blockages that prevent the flow of vital "Ki" essential for our well-being.
Lower vibrating energy, entities and things that don’t serve us or contribute to our vitality can manifest as energetic blockages.
Who wants to live life on replay?
Have you always felt that there is something bigger than yourself? RECONNECT WITH YOUR TRUTH. You may be on the path to experiencing your higher consciousness. Self-mastery is often uncomfortable. It comes with many, many challenges. Ultimately, it’s a journey towards a deeper understanding of yourself and the cosmos.
What exactly IS "higher consciousness"? It's hard to put anything so limitless into a "box". The simplest way to describe “higher consciousness” is to refer to an elevated sense of body, mind and soul. Your consciousness is a POWERFUL thing. Yet, oftentimes we don't fully tap into it.
Your perceptions, beliefs, and everything in between influences your reality AND it also creates it! Your higher self is essential to fulfill your purpose and attain true happiness to live a meaningful life. Without it, you will never discover the true nature of being. The REAL YOU.
There will come a time in your life where you have no choice but to finally show up for yourself. This will be your soul awakening. You are always presented with two choices: evolve or repeat. This is your invitation to follow your soul's true calling.
Take a step back and look at your life.
Did you realize you are the author, the director and the main character of your life?
There are things for you to learn, do and achieve in this life.
AND there is far more to you and your potential than you could possibly imagine!
When you resonate with authenticity and genuine awareness of your power and value in the world, you will find the magic and mystery unfolding before you. Your past and future are meeting in the nexus of this very moment. You're always free to reinvent yourself, and write a different story.
Align your choices with a higher consciousness of thought and emotion and you will change the very essence and quality of your life. Energy work isn't airy fairy stuff; Reiki makes the intangible VERY tangible. Reiki can be used to heal any form of illness be it physical, emotional, or mental.
You can be a contender or remain a pretender.
We are far greater than we can imagine; but we doubt.
Life has thrown suffering your way and propelled you on a truth-seeking path. There's no turning back. You've healed your past-life traumas and embraced your shadows.
Self-mastery is about returning to the place of original innocence and connection.
Simply put, it is moving out of the energy of fear and back to love.
We ALL have life lessons we are here to learn for the evolution of our consciousness.
When you release experiences, emotions, judgments, thoughts, behaviors and old patterns that have been based in fear, you literally change the electromagnetic vibration of your body.
As you let go of expectations and your attachments to them, you literally become lighter. You allow more light to enter. When we approach life from an elevated perspective that everything is really happening FOR us as part of our spiritual curriculum, we no longer see our disappointment as a form of punishment, misfortune or failure. You can manifest anything- IF you’re in alignment with it.
Hello 2020, let's manifest those dreams! Ditch the hustle, and get aligned.
I'll show you how.
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Dorothy Knight is a Speaker, Reiki Master, Yogi for life and a wholehearted writer. She currently practices Reiki in Mississauga and is a sought-after teacher and speaker for the healing arts. Dorothy’s passion is to empower people to embrace self-mastery using energy healing methods.
November 27, 2019
Holidays are a time when we are socializing more frequently with food and beverages that don’t always make for an easy new year getting back into routine. I hear every year from well meaning women that once the new year comes around they are feeling like everything went out the window and their back to square one.
Getting back into the swing of things doesn’t have to be daunting and if you follow these simple clean eating tips throughout the holidays so you’re new years will have you feeling fantastic!!
Step 1- Stay hydrated throughout the day so you aren’t craving at your social gatherings. When you’re dehydrated you crave more sugar and carbs. When you’re hydrated you’ll also eat less food than you typically would.
Step 2 - Load up on your veggies because they contain nutrition and fibre that trigger fullness within your stomach to avoid overeating. Before you leave the house eat half an avocado full of essential fats that make you fuller longer. When you get to the social gathering load your plate with all the veggies before you dip into the other appies available. Your body will love you for it, you’ll have more energy and your digestion will thank-you.
Step 3 - Avoid starving the day of the party to avoid extra calories so you can eat more at the party. This will create an issue around wanting to eat more than you can digest.
Step 4 - Mindset around food and holiday eating is extremely important. Your mindset creates your success. If you know a food makes you feel horrible then let’s create a new mindset around that food. For example, after I did my first cleanse 20 years ago I have not drank dairy since. I made a decision that I just don’t drink milk. And guess what happened? I don’t have an issue, I don’t crave it (where I used to), it’s no longer an issue because “I just don’t drink milk”. Try it and see how your mind can change your choices.
This is the time of year to enjoy yourself and not worry or feel horrible about your food choices. It certainly is a shift and we have to do something different than we’re used to or choose a different mindset, when we do we can feel more empowered and energized.
I’d love to offer you my highly requested Holiday Survival Reset Bundle that can be used between parties, after parties or after the entire season is complete. Click here to grab your free bundle. It’s my holiday gift to you!!
Kristen Owens
Holistic Nutritionist, Natural Health Educator & Essential Oil Educator
Kristen is a mom of 3 and has been privileged to work in the wellness industry for the last 25 years. She has a passion for working with women with busy lives to guide them into becoming their own health advocates. They are free’d from excess weight, fatigue, cravings, imbalanced hormones and feeling 10-15 years older. Kristen puts the ease and fun back into making her health a priority as she becomes the CEO of her wellness.
FB @Supernaturalkris
IG @Supernaturalkris
Youtube @Kristen Owens
November 22, 2019
We live in curious times… more and more in the past 5-10 years people are thinking about starting their own business, instead of following the traditional corporate job path. Lots of perks with both options – and if you’re in this quandary yourself, I’m curious, are you thinking to start a business to avoid the job searching process? If you are, keep reading.
For many, the job search process is a daunting one. You must put yourself out there, talk to a lot of people, and face being rejected over and over again in the hopes of someone saying “Yes, join our team!”.
In the face of this, starting a business could seem like the simpler choice. No job to search for, just create your own!
Except, have you stopped to think about how you are going to get clients?
… you put yourself out there… talk to a lot of people… face rejection…
Kinda of similar to the job search process. Except, instead of landing one job, you repeat the process over and over again – you need multiple clients. Huh.
There are many wonderful reasons to start your own business, let’s just make sure the fear of the job search isn’t one of them, or else you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Quick Tip – instead, ask yourself which one will get you closer to your goals, fastest!
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From inner bondage to becoming a trailblazer in your own life, Shannon guides you through a compassionate process to become the Queen of Your World. Release the bonds holding your back and use the energy to accelerate you forward along the path you crave.
Contact Shannon now to connect with a tribe of empowered women, ruling their Queen-dom’s with grace and heart.
Shannon is also honoured to be the Branch Director for HHW Central Toronto, Ontario – join us Thursday mornings for Authentically Connecting – as all of who you are!
November 08, 2019 1 Comment
As a Reiki Master, I work with the world of spirit through the healing arts and spiritual practices on a daily basis. This opens me up to the higher energies and often exposes me to energies that are not of the highest vibration as well. I am in constant communication with the spirit world and my guides – they are more than happy to be a part of my journey. They work through me and with me in everything that I do. When treating clients, I often sense when a client’s guides are assisting with healing.
I have however; experienced some encounters with lower entities in my life that sometimes have evoked fear in me even despite my knowledge and psychic abilities since childhood. This article is not to scare you but I feel it’s very important to explain that which we cannot always define as best as I can so that it doesn’t get in the way of your own spiritual journey and awareness.
So let’s dive into the world of spirit.
As I progress through my spiritual path, I draw upon the highest light when doing any healing work. I admit to say, that sometimes I was naïve enough to think that my vibration alone was strong enough to ward off any of the “bad stuff”.
There was one particular week, day after, day, the clients that came to see me had recently experienced a loved one passing away. It felt like “death week”; it was a heavy week energetically to say the least, as grief is not an easy energy to release, it takes time. If the person that passed was really close to the client, I could certainly feel them in my presence while the Reiki session was taking place. Usually, a loved one will show up because they want to pass on a message so that the client can heal and move on. With one particular client, it didn’t seem this was the case. But it was a week after the session that I realized something was up.
I would tire easily and felt a cold “tingly” sensation in my left leg. Of course, like anyone, I first went to Google to look up what this could mean. While the physical causes of this didn’t seem to apply to me, I realized this was going to be the next level. Through meditation, I was prompted to remove this lower vibrating entity. It needed to move on but was afraid and attached itself to me instead. I went through various clearing “protocols” which I will touch upon shortly, which helped clear my field.
This situation can happen to spiritual healers, or empaths. Sometimes, there are some lower entities and energies that can get through, like the odd leaf that found its way through a teabag. This reminds us to pay attention to the spirit world.
You don’t have to be a reiki master to bring energy healing into your everyday life. Whenever you feel misaligned, you can use these techniques to ground, heal, and balance your energy levels — just the way a professional energy healer would restore and balance you.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ENERGY
1. Be in Nature
Spending time amongst the trees and flowers that are rooted deeply within Mother Earth is a great way to reconnect your energy and to establish your center to yourself and the environment.
2. Grounding Meditation
Sit on the ground in a comfortable position so you feel your body connected to the earth. Close your eyes and imagine your body sinking into the ground below you.
Feel the support of the earth and then start to visualize roots coming out of your body and reaching into the ground. See your roots being nourished by the earth and as you breathe deeply, allow yourself to feel a deeper sense of connection.
3. Root Chakra Balancing
The root or red chakra is responsible for grounding your energy and establishing your connection with the earth. In order to harmonize your root chakra you can do a rebalancing mediation, eat root vegetables, wear red or orange, practice standing yoga poses and listen to music in a 256 or 396 Hz frequency. Taking the time to ground your energy can definitely harmonize your soul and help you to reconnect with your essence.
Use Grounding Crystals:
Best Crystals: Black Tourmaline, Hematite, Red Jasper, Smoky Quartz, Tiger’s Eye, Shungite.
If you are doing this type of spiritual work it is best to make sure that you ground yourself often, and quickly. There are a number of ways that you can do this including using crystals.
While this will happen naturally, I personally find that by having specific crystals within my aura, it naturally happens fairly rapidly and the spaciness is quickly relieved.
4. Smudging
Smudging with smoke composed of a variety of plants, herbs, resins, and minerals can be an exceptional energy purifier for getting rid of negative energy from your home, office, or body. Smoke captures negative energy particles in our illuminated body or habitat spaces and in hard-to-reach places, then removes and transports them to the heavens to be dispersed.
5. Baths
Take a handful of sea salt and pour it into your bathtub and lie in it for twenty minutes. You can also add a spoonful of baking soda. If you feel strong negative energies around you, take a bath with sulfur.
6. Sweat Equity
Spending time in a sweat lodge, steam room, or a sauna or hot yoga class can remove toxicity and purify your body, emotions, and soul. Sweating clears the negative energies on the surface of the skin and in the deeper tissues pour out of the body.
7. Plants
Plants absorb and clear negative energy and produce negative ions for air purification. Place various plants with large green leaves—such as aloe vera, banana, arrowhead, evergreen, dumb cane (Dieffenbachia), geranium, and dragon plant (Dracaena)—around the house and on windowsills for spiritual and psychic protection.
8. Keep your vibration high
Remember, like attracts like. A heart filled with love is the strongest protection against psychic attack. Send love to attachment and lower entities; it is hard to do but necessary to give them gratitude for their teachings and not hold anger and resentment in your heart.
I hope this article serves you well and encourages you to work with your intuition to connect with your spirit guides. Enjoy exploring your spiritual path and find comfort and peace in knowing that you are not alone. You have many helpers with you on this journey; allow them to guide you and work with you towards your highest good and the highest good of all.
Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, and experiences.
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Dorothy Knight is a Reiki Master Practitioner &Teacher, a Yoga Instructor and wholehearted writer.
She currently practices Reiki in Mississauga. She is a certified Reiki Master in the Usui Method of Natural Healing. Her passion is to empower people to reach their greatest potential of health and wellness through Reiki healing methods.
dorothyknightreiki.ca
October 30, 2019
Last month we spoke about supporting our immune system. This month we’re speaking about how sugar wreaks havoc on our immunity and is slowly killing us. It sounds harsh but I am committed to sharing the truth about why you experience fatigue, extra weight, cravings, hormone imbalance, common symptoms in the body that most people believe is “part of aging”.
Our body has the ability to regenerate by what we eat and how we live our life through our thoughts, movement, food choices, stress management and the natural tools available to support cellular health and prevent disease.
Sugar is just one of those substances that damages and causes disastrous things inside our body, and affects almost every organ not just your immune system. Crazy, right?!
One fact that is worth sharing is that 1 tsp of sugar shuts the immune system down for up to 6 hours. If you think about all the forms that sugar comes in this could be hours and hours at a time.
So how can we make this shift with ease and grace? I’m glad you asked….
1. Recognize that sugar comes in many forms and is not always labelled “sugar” but hidden under other names that end in “ose” (like Fructose). They also come in the form of carbohydrates. White foods like flour, pasta, bread, crackers, it all digests into sugar.
2. Ensure proper mineral supplementation. When you are deficient in minerals you are more likely to crave because your body is missing nutrients (especially minerals which our soil is depleted).
3. Swap refined sugars for natural sugars like coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, honey, Lakanto or Monk fruit (very low glycemic). These are the sweeteners I have in my house.
4. Women should not exceed more than 6 teaspoons of sugar daily (25 grams). Even if you don’t add sugar to your day or you’re not eating donuts, cookies, etc keep in mind the foods that metabolize into sugar and have the same effect.
Use cinnamon to balance blood sugar.
5. Cinnamon is great to use daily and can even curb cravings.
Please grab your Free Immune Guide for a stronger healthier season here.
Kristen Owens
Holistic Nutritionist, Natural Health Educator & Essential Oil Educator
Kristen is a mom of 3 and has been privileged to work in the wellness industry for the last 25 years. She has a passion for working with women with busy lives to guide them into becoming their own health advocates. They are free’d from excess weight, fatigue, cravings, imbalanced hormones and feeling 10-15 years older. Kristen puts the ease and fun back into making her health a priority as she becomes the CEO of her wellness.
FB @Supernaturalkris
IG @Supernaturalkris
Youtube @Kristen Owens
October 16, 2019
When sh** hits the fan, your go to is either to blame whatever’s happening at work or complain about your partner… which is just being human.
But why does this happen? Simple, the paradigm many of us are using is one where we see ourselves as something supported by our work and home… instead of life a cookie! Where our self is the cookie, with home, work and more as the chocolate chips!
Okay, backing up a bit – the problem paradigm.
When we use a diagram where everything is separated out, we create boxes in our lives, separating out parts of ourselves. You know this, because every time you say “Well, part of me feels like doing x, and part of me wants to do y…” we’re quite literally talking about different aspects of us. Even if we use a Venn diagram structure, there are still times when we try to be just one thing… just a worker be, just a wife / mother / daughter… and only a few times when we show up as all of who we are.
Instead, integrate all of the boxes to create your life cookie! In this model, you are the cookie dough - ever-present, encircling all of the bits that make you unique and delicious! Add as many ingredients you want, to make the perfect You Cookie – chocolate / raisins / nuts / etc.
As you move through life, yourself has access to all of the skills you have ever learned, able to draw on what you need moment to moment, easily and effortlessly.
The choice is your, keep up the strain of a life od boxes, or become a chocolate chip cookie and have access to all of your loves/skills/amazing all the time!
Want to make the switch seamlessly? Curious about how to do actually integrate your parts? Reach out!
From inner bondage to becoming a trailblazer in your own life, Shannon guides you through a compassionate process to become the Queen of Your World. Release the bonds holding your back and use the energy to accelerate you forward along the path you crave.
Contact Shannon now to connect with a tribe of empowered women, ruling their Queen-dom’s with grace and heart.
Shannon is also honoured to be the Branch Director for HHW Central Toronto, Ontario – join us Thursday mornings for Authentically Connecting – as all of who you are!
October 04, 2019
As the fall rolls around it sometimes feels like the colder days approach us faster than we’d like. This is the season we typically see more colds and flus than any other time of year.
There is so much that we can do to support our immunity so that we stay strong, especially as the holiday season approaches us. Stress in our lives is a real thing and it impacts our immune system negatively, so using these tips below will assist you with the strongest immune system that will fight any issue.
Here are some simple ideas that you can implement so that you can fight any giant.
Sleep - this is the #1 thing that is necessary for a strong immune system. You could be eating the best, taking your antioxidants, managing stress, exercising and more. If you don’t sleep well or are tired when you wake it will throw all the good things off. These other things are important however, sleep wraps it up into a nice bow.
Drink more water -I know you’ve heard it before and I will likely share it again. Water is our most important nutrient and its what most don’t focus on even when they know they should. We use 2.5 litres of water a day just to function. If we’re not replenishing and even giving our organs and body systems the water it needs then our immune system won’t work at its best. Add lemon, cucumber, mint or even chlorophyll to your water for that extra yumminess and nutrition.
Eat more colour - The typically SAD (Standard American Diet) offers few deep coloured vegetables and more potatoes in the form of fries. Phytonutrients are essential for a strong immune system. The more colour you can get into your body throughout each day the better. The deep colour represents antioxidant power which helps your immune system fight off disease. It also helps to alkalize your body and when your body is more alkaline disease cannot live.
Get Fresh Air - we are a society that is indoors more than outdoors. Getting yourself outside in the fresh air will increase your energy, get you moving (which is important for lymphatic flow), improve mental health and is so important for your immune health. Sunshine and fresh air does a body good!!
You can grab your Free Immune Guide here, if you’d like to learn more about how you can improve your energy, sleep deeper, and age gracefully as you bullet-proof your body from disease. >>Your Free Immune Guide<<
Kristen Owens
Holistic Nutritionist, Natural Health Educator & Essential Oil Educator
Kristen is a mom of 3 and has been privileged to work in the wellness industry for the last 25 years. She has a passion for working with women with busy lives to guide them into becoming their own health advocates. They are free’d from excess weight, fatigue, cravings, imbalanced hormones and feeling 10-15 years older. Kristen puts the ease and fun back into making her health a priority as she becomes the CEO of her wellness.
FB @Supernaturalkris
IG @Supernaturalkris
Youtube @Kristen Owens
www.KristenLOwens.com
September 06, 2019 1 Comment
You can’t explain it but you feel different. You even have the sensation to have become a new person, which has nothing to do with the one you were before. The reason you're seeking is because your soul instinctively knows that it's ready to grow and shift into a new, higher vibration. As I understand it, this growth can result in aches and pains, as the lower densities inside you move through and are transformed.
The journey to become “woke” is unlike any other and there are certainly no shortcuts or set time frames to get us there. The clearest way in which spiritual awakening manifests itself is in terms of the wakeful person’s different perception and experience of the world around them. It can at times, honestly feel like you’re going crazy! In the first stages it can also feel lonely and overwhelming. But bit by bit we start to see the beauty of life unfolding as we seek the magic that each day brings.
When the filters of social conditioning begin to dissolve, more impressions come into our minds and affect us more powerfully.
Most Common Signs of Spiritual Awakening:
1. Intensified Perception
This intensity of perception is sometimes experienced as openness to experience or, in slightly different terms, an increased sensitivity. We become acutely aware of our environment, those around us and whatever is happening in each given moment.
2. Increased Timelessness
As our sense of ego becomes weaker, the more linear time seems to fade away. Our perception of time slows and expands — and eventually disappears into now-ness.
3. Awareness of Spiritual Energy
Every moment offers the sense of being both magnificent and also very ordinary. We come to understand that this life force is the “source,” of something underlying and fundamental that doesn’t just pervade all things but gives rise to them, too. This is the space where we become master manifestors.
4. Aliveness & Harmony
We see and recognize that all things shine with the radiant aliveness of spirit. All things in existence have a quality of bliss or joy so when we perceive their presence in the world, there’s a sense of harmony, a feeling of “oneness”.
5. Inner Quietness
Say goodbye to the endless inner noise of our thought-chatter! We align with the things that connect us to the essence of our being, beyond our ego-identity, and strengthen our sense of inter-connectedness.
6. Transcendence of Separation
Separation dissolves into connection. We no longer feel that we’re “in here” looking out at a world that seems to be “out there.” This sense of connection manifests itself in different ways; at the most basic level, we may feel strongly connected to other human beings, other living beings in general, or to the whole natural world. This shifts to the realization that not only are we one with the world but that we actually are the world.
7. Empathy and Compassion
My fellow empaths, you know this all too well; this ability to “feel with” other beings gives rise to compassion and love. Love stems from a sense of connection and oneness, a sense that you are another person — or other people — and so you belong to them and share their experience.
8. Well-Being
Spiritually awakened people are more likely to feel a sense of gratitude for their health and are much less prone to negative states such as boredom, loneliness, and dissatisfaction. We know we are and always have enough.
9. No longer Fear Death
The ego feels especially fragile in the face of death. When our own ego isn’t the epicenter of our universe anymore, its demise no longer seems so devastating. We know that our own death isn’t the end of all things; the world that is part of our identity and the essence of our being will continue to exist after the dissolution of our bodies.
10. Enjoyment of Inactivity: The Ability to “Be”
If you love doing nothing, you’re on the right track! Solitude, quietness, and inactivity; we can rest contentedly within our own being because there’s no turbulence or discord inside us. Instead, we enjoy them deeply because they allow us to touch into the radiance of our own well-being.
11. Autonomy: Living More Authentically
We finally realize that that all this time we weren’t living our own lives but largely just following social conventions or trying to please other people. We become more autonomous and inner-directed. We step into our power with greater confidence in our choices and preferences and we hold ourselves accountable to stand by them, even in the face of ridicule or rejection.
Each day, many people are becoming more conscious and aware to want to take their lives back into their own hands and escape the model imposed by society in order to really know happiness and live the life they truly want to live. As our consciousness grows, the meaning of life changes for us, and we have new aspirations and inspirations, coupled with the desire to change ourselves in order to change the world.
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Dorothy Knight is a Reiki Master Practitioner &Teacher, a Yoga Instructor and wholehearted writer. She currently practices Reiki in Mississauga. She is a certified Reiki Master in the Usui Method of Natural Healing. Her passion is to empower people to reach their greatest potential of health and wellness through Reiki healing methods dorothyknightreiki.ca. Dorothy is also one of our featured speakers and energy expansion expert at our upcoming HHW “Pure Expansion” summit! Find out more and get your tickets here
September 04, 2019
Oh, the ever elusive happiness.
Is it just a fleeting emotion? Is it something that we can reach and actually sustain?
Researchers have been studying happiness and wellbeing for a few decades now. And they have discovered some pretty fascinating things.
And although some of it has caught on in the mainstream media, (gratitude, yes, start a gratitude practice, gratitude boosts our well being and level of happiness) a lot of it hasn’t yet.
And a lot of what hasn’t really caught on yet is actually pretty transformative.
Here is an interesting fact that can shift your perspective a little bit and nudge you in a good direction, if you’re wondering why it’s so hard to just be happy.
Today’s Happiness Fact:
We’re not wired to be happy. We’re wired for survival
What does that mean? Well, it means that the “bad” is stronger and more attention-getting than the good. This is called the negativity bias. And we all have it.
You know how you can do a presentation or a project and you can receive a whole bunch of compliments and they feel, well, pretty good. But then you get that one little criticism and …OUCH!! Exactly. The bad is more attention-getting than the good. You feel the “bad” with a lot more intensity than you feel the “good.” Or you know how having something stuck in your teeth, or a tiny pebble in your shoe can practically ruin an otherwise perfectly good day?
Our minds are wired to notice and pay attention to what’s wrong around us. We evolved this way because it helped us to survive. Our ancient ancestors that noticed and tended to the potential dangers in our surroundings (what was wrong or what might be wrong) instead of just noticing what was good, were more likely to survive the tigers, the poison berries, and whatever else posed a risk in their environments.
But what does that mean for us now? Getting some negative feedback isn’t likely to affect our survival, but it definitely can affect our mood. And focusing our attention on every little thing that is wrong in our lives can leave us feeling pretty down. No wonder it’s so hard to feel happy, even when things are going well!
So what can we do about it?
A powerful thing we can do is to amp up the positive. This fits in with one of the other amazing things that scientists have learned about our brains pretty recently. Our brains are constantly changing. And we can wire and rewire our brains with our thoughts and behaviours. This is called neuroplasticity.
So focusing on what’s good around us, deliberately, and creating a habit out of it, actually changes our brain to see more of what’s good. You see, what we practice we get better at. And that includes where we put our attention. That’s a big reason why gratitude is so important and valuable for boosting our happiness and wellbeing. It counters the negativity bias and changes our brain to see more of what’s good.
What else? Savouring and mindfulness are also powerful tools you can use and actions you can take. And there are also strategies to challenge your negative thoughts head on. Learn about them on my future posts, or sign up to one of my online Flourishing Skills Groups where we do a deep dive into all of this cool stuff. And we do it while building a heart-centred community and connection, which is another key component of wellbeing and happiness.
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Lina Maria is a certified life coach and well-being educator with a background in Positive Psychology. Her drive has always been to find the most effective way to bring meaningful, positive social change to societies and the world. She combines her knowledge of the science of optimal human functioning and wellbeing with her experience in education and coaching to bring powerful and effective change to people’s lives through coaching, Flourishing Skills Groups, and workshops.
Through personal coaching, Lina Maria provides a safe and supportive space combined with powerful solution-focused questioning and reflection to support you to find clarity and direction for moving forward in the direction you want to go in your life. Schedule a free life goals assessment and coaching session. And stay up to date on my events and other cool wellbeing science-related stuff by Following me on Facebook.
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August 28, 2019
As we begin thinking about the fall… I know, hold on to the last week of summer! And still, it is time to look to the next month. And 7 years ago, the fall saw me entering the second half of my Master’s work on Gender Equity and the Engineering Workplace. Beyond feeling ‘wow, it’s been that long?!?’ I remember hearing myself present my research, and watching the faces in the audience as they heard the information for the first time.
One of the key concepts that stood out for me, and them, was the notion that the % of a behaviour that the people within the engineering profession accept, is the % that will never change. For example, if you accept 37% of a situation as undesirable, than 37% of that situation will remain undesirable. Therefore, changing the dynamics or structure of a given situation becomes impossible. Thinking back, no wonder I was hitting glass ceilings!
Reflecting on how 2019 has gone so far, I can recognize situations where I simply accepted what was in front of me, instead of expecting a better, more desired outcome. And yes, the situations where I expected more stand out like the shining beacon of light, that they are.
However, it’s those moments of just accepting that become our growth points for greatness. In those moment, by essentially letting others, and myself, off the hook and just accepting the situation, we said no to stretching into bigger and better versions of ourselves. By only accepting, we stay within our comfort zone, and as my mentor Dr. Kim Redman is always reminding us – Comfort and Growth don’t hang out at the bar together… And every time you accept something as “the way things are done” you down the possibility for change.
For myself, I had accepted that evolving STEM fields into inclusive, equitable professions would be hard, difficult, impossible. No longer. I now know that change is possible, and that we can even quantify the process of change. We know HOW to guarantee that it happens.
Now I’m curious – what have you been accepting, when you should be expecting, instead? And how can you flip that around and expect more from the rest of your 2019???
“Expect, Don’t Accept.” ~ An Uncomplicated Life, Paul Daugherty
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Shannon is also honoured to be the Branch Director for HHW Central Toronto, Ontario (where she runs the Secrets of Stress Success event 😊)