Glastonbury's energy
We've been visiting Glastonbury on a much needed break and an opportunity to check out a retreat centre I am intending to hire next May.
It is a great spot, highly charged and not without its craziness, but a craziness that is fascinating, well to me anyway. I just find this whole energy thing quite amazing. Elijah was absolutely wild in Glastonbury. I spoke to An Angelic Reiki Healer, who explained to me that if people - and especially children - are sensitive to energy then spending time in Glastonbury can make them a little wild, they need to find a way to ground the energy down and that is the reason so many succumb to alcohol and drugs.
Elijah was conceived (albeit via IVF) on a full moon. I gave him Reiki from pure essence, when he was implanted into my uterus as a blastocyst (a day 5 quality embryo) and daily ever since. We both received Reiki, reflexology and massage throughout my pregnancy and we practiced yoga daily (he was in utero at the time, now he just jumps on me!). For a while I have considered that he may be sensitive to energy and his behaviour in Glastonbury brought this home to me.
Ewan and I were a little wired off the energy too, after a day and a half in and out of the town, in and out of crystal shops, in and out of organic and sustainable cafes, we felt we needed some grounding too and we took up the Tor before taking refugee at the retreat centre, 3 miles out of town and by far one of the most incredibly calm, healing, peaceful, grounding and centring places I have ever had the fortune to stay, the energy was just right, we could see the Tor but we were far enough away that we were not overwhelmed by the energy in Glastonbury itself.
Glastonbury lies on St Michael ley line, and at points meets with the St Mary ley line, these are two really powerful energy lines which are said to create a vortex where they meet. As Mano Warren (a healer in the town) says, "What's interesting about Glastonbury, and what I feel makes it so powerful, is that this double line crosses itself in three places in the town, creating an area of ground of the full polarity of energy. If you go and stand on these spots, you get a balanced energy message from the earth, which is often a feeling of peace or balanced harmony."
One of these spots is the Tor, which will explain why we all calmed down when we made it up there (my head was spinning when we started out but I was most definitely must more in body and grounded on the descent). The Tor is also believed by many to be the largest 3D labyrinth in the world - if you look at the Tor, it has terraces on its sides. The belief is if you follow this path to the centre, you go on a journey of re-birth and come out as a new person.
Whether I will return to Guernsey a new person or not is not clear to me right now, but I do know that there has been a shift of sorts, certainly an expanded awareness of the way in which we so easily lose energy with our attachments and trends and frenetic ways of living and our hanging on and our dramas and distractions and all that stuff. All that stuff. All that stuff.
It has reminded me of something I wrote a while ago about conserving energy, which reads a little like this: Invisible, intangible energy is affected by everything in your life: your thoughts, your choice of friends, your colleagues, family members, and how much fun you are having at the time. Having lists of incomplete jobs drains your energy. Worrying and any kind of anxiety rapidly depletes your reserves.
Conversely, some people and places make you feel energised, enthusiastic and positive. The trick is to identify the people who regularly drain your energy and distance yourself from them as much as possible. Choose to spend more time with those whose company you enjoy and who understand and inspire you. There are a number of steps you can take;
Throw out clutter, regularly clear out piles of paperwork and magazines that build up;
Keep your thinking positive;
Vary your routine, doing something different each day;
Move around as much as possible during the day, especially at work;
Make the effort to do something you love, taking time to enjoy yourself;
Set goals, so that you have something to work towards - perhaps make a vision board;
Create time and space for yourself to complete tasks by turning off mobiles and responding to emails or messages only at designated times during the day;
Do not let anger build up – if someone is angering you, express yourself and discuss it with them and forgive, forgive, forgive.
Avoid stimulants such as tea and coffee late at night, get enough sleep, plenty of nutritious food and regular exercise;
If you are Reiki attuned then give yourself Reiki for as little as 15 minutes a day to keep your energy level high;
Spend as much time as you can outdoors enjoying fresh air – natural light makes you feel good, whilst artificial light drains you. If possible, keep plenty of plants in the room where you work, so your environment is oxygen rich.
My experience in Glastonbury took me a little beyond this though. To see how our every action has a result - the butterfly effect (when a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world it can cause a hurricane in another part of the world) - so that the attitude or the state of mind that made a decision to take action, has such a significant effect on our energy levels and the energy of those with who we interact and indeed the energy of the world as a whole. It really is so simple. If only we could see the energetic effect of everything, well how different our initial thoughts, or at least the ones that encourage an action, would be.
But it is even more than that. I feel we - or us as society then - would benefit from elevating everything a little more. Seeing life, situations, interactions, from the higher perspective, a more detached state of consciousness perhaps, a cleaner vibration, "interpreting the events in our lives [and the decisions we have to make] as spiritual challenges that are meant to enhance our growth" (Caroline Myss)
It is truly fascinating.
One things is crystal clear to me - there is a LOT to be said about ley lines. They are incredible and we will certainly be embracing them again...
"The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep" Rumi
With gratitude x
Clearing memories
Clearing memories
You got into my head,
my heart, my soul, so
that I did not know where
to go, how to be, except
with you, with
your energy.
And while your touch sent
shivers down my spine, you
laughed when I said I
simply loved your mind, that
you made sense to me.
But it was too much,
so no slow boat to China
for fear took hold and
you ran where I
could not follow, and I
ran too, aimlessly.
So our love lost is love
lost a lifetime
with you.
But still we smile
because we must to
appreciate what was,
and embrace the certainty
of what will never be, so
thank you, my heart, sincerely.
Tuesday 8 May 2008, Ghandruk.
Moon watching
The Moon has received a huge amount of attention this last week and with good reason in my opinion. Not only did we have a Super Moon, but a Blood Moon and a Lunar Eclipse too!
I am quite sure that I am not the only one who felt its powerful effect as it shone light on the shadow side and enlightened us a little of the nature of our relationships - shone a light on these too, so that we may have gained greater awareness of those no longer serving us - the ones that drain us then - and opened the doorway for new relationships instead.
Not only that but there was an acute sense of groundlessness, so that everything was up in the air. I feel it will take a few weeks now for everything to settle back down again and I wouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves moving in new directions, with greater courage and conviction, heart then, than we may have done previously. This truly is a time to embrace the concept that we can create a more harmonious and authentic reality.
Those who know me well, will know that I am very much a fan of the moon and her beautiful Luna Goddess energy. She is a powerful thing, to all of us no doubt, but especially those who embrace the feminine. It amazes me however, how long it took me to gain this connection, to notice how much the rhythms of the moon affect my own rhythms and the rhythms of others too. Now I love to moon watch and like to know its cycles. It is looking pretty stunning at the moment as it wanes down to a new moon.
The waning moon certainly offers us the opportunity to let go of what no longer serves us - clear out wardrobes, social network and real life 'friends', clutter (in our minds as much as in our houses), letting go of anything inauthentic and draining, so that we can create greater space in our lives (and between our thoughts), so that we may more clearly connect with our Divine self. I don't know about you, but I just want to sit and move quietly and gently on my mat.
That aside, for those who have never watched the moon, well it is a wonderful way of knowing and living with the circular movement of nature. Each of the thirteen moons in a year has its own name and is in harmony with the month it appears in bringing with it seasonal energy.
Since the beginning of time people have been influenced by the moon and its phases – everyone is “moon touched” although some more than others. The moon can influence our energies in a powerful way as I am sure many are aware. For our ancestors moon watching was a part of life as it helped to light the skies and guide hunters, warriors and travellers safely through the dark and back to their tribes.
Furthermore as our ancestors looked to the heavens, they saw how the moon waxed and waned, how night turned into day, spring into summer, and summer into winter. They saw the seas ebb and flow; plants bring forth grain and life burst forth from the womb. Everything in nature seemed to move in harmony with the phases of the moon, including women’s menstrual cycles and pregnancy.
In fact for women, governed by monthly cycles, the moon was particularly significant and still is, as women we subconsciously know our connection with the moon through our bodies. The feminine qualities of the moon are highly celebrated with many moon goddesses linked to “her”. In fact the Great Goddess worshipped in old Europe became equated with the moon, in whose divine light she was reflected. As the moon waxed and waned, so did the inherent power of the Goddess.
he mystical moon ‘influences’ that people once used to use to improve their lives are still important to many pagans and natural spiritualists today. For example, many people are turning once again to the principles of lunar gardening, something that was developed over 10,000 years ago and handed down over generations until they became ignored and forgotten with the development of chemical fertilisers in the 20th century.
Significant moon times are:-
The new moon – this can be a great time for starting new projects, planting seeds, setting out intentions for the moon cycle. Sit outside, burn candles and incense and connect with flowers and plants and seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Waxing half moon – the energy is building so this is a good time to take steps towards realising plans and intentions, a good time to try new and challenging ventures. Get out there and walk in wild places, connect with the birds, animals and signs that nature puts in your path.
Full moon – the day and the night of the full moon is a time when the energy is most powerful. This is a time of great fertility and increased psychic awareness. It is a wonderful time to celebrate the moon and its seasonal gifts by outdoor evening meditation and enjoying drumming, fires, gazing at the moon and singing and dancing with friends.
Waning full moon – as the energies of the moon become less, so it becomes a good time to think of letting go, banishing those things from our life that we no longer need, those things that hold us back. This is the time to do less and reflect more, contemplation, meditate, listen to music and tend to the seeds that you have planted.
Dark moon – this is often a time to take the pressure off, give into the low energy that you may experience, it is a great time to reflect on where you want to go next in preparation for the new moon. So give yourself a break and enjoy sitting outdoors and allow quiet into your life.
Enjoy the moon and her Goddess energy, cleanse your crystals when she is full, and star gaze when she is new.
xxx
The choice for Love (versus fear and anxiety)
I was listening to a talk given by Marianne Williamson (a spiritual teacher) last week, in which she said:
"What is happening in the world today is people are seeking in yoga and in spiritual practice, a place to get out of the insanity. I don't know how people are making it today if they don't have a spiritual practice. But of course we know the answer - the huge success of the pharmaceutical companies who would like to place pharmaceuticals in the hand of every man, woman and child."
This is both interesting and concerning. I agree with her as it happens. I don't know how people are making it today either, and the trouble is, people aren't making it today, at least not without the use of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety tablets
I remember a friend of mine in the UK who worked as a beautician saying that two thirds of the clients using her clinic were on anti-depressants. That's insane. Quite literally!
But the world is insane. It is frenetic and busy and full of distraction and just too fast. People are plugged in and on 24/7, accessible, no down-time with immediate turn-around time. That is a lot of mental movement, let alone sensory movement in a short space of time.
Rather coincidentally, this week alone, a number of ladies have shared how anxious their children have been in recent weeks, from the age of 3 upwards. And students too, suffering with bouts of anxiety. Let alone adults of all ages and all walks of life. Anxiety seems to get the better of many of us at times.
I mean we all get some anxiety right? But for some the anxiety becomes a prevalent and indeed restricting factor in many people's lives, so that it truly stops people living life to the full, in fact it is a constant companion, or indeed enemy of sorts.
It is funny because one day last week I was feeling a little out of sorts and so I took to my mat and sat with it. I could feel this slightly uncomfortable feeling deep in my tummy, this slightly unnerving, butterfly like, empty feeling. Like something wasn't quite right. It dawned on me that it was anxiety showing up. So I sat with that and dropped deeper into the feeling (rather than running away from it as I may have initially preferred) and I guess I wasn't so surprised to find that beneath the anxiety was fear.
FEAR - False Evidence Appearing Real. So I started to sit with it, I knew why it was there, but I quickly realised that I needed to shift my awareness up out of it and into my heart instead. And that is when it all eased. Because in my heart, feeling its beat and texture and the reassuring depth of its nature, well it was a bit like one of those "ah ha" moments, when I realised that where there is love and faith, well there is no space for fear...and certainly no place for anxiety.
There is a lot of strength to come from faith. Marianne Williamson knows this. And I do feel it is incredible that people are making it through life without a faith. And I am not talking religion here, for me religion seems grounded in fear. I am talking about the kind of faith, both in yourself and in the greater scheme of all life, that you actually feel, like deep withinyou, in your heart and soul.
It was this that saved me when I was lost in a bout of intense anxiety a few years now. It surprised me actually as my hi-story has always been depression, so to be diagnosed with anxiety was new on me. It was a horrible, horrible feeling. The depression found me tearful and floundering but the anxiety left me feeling unable to sit still or interact or get out the house or function like a normal human being (whatever that is!).
I did some cognitive behavioural therapy, which was incredibly helpful, but what really made a difference was getting back in touch with the earth and connecting, connecting, connecting. My head was so hectic, the thinking was relentless so that I could not sleep at night, my adrenals were shot and my nervous system was far too wired, and I had to keep moving, my legs were constantly jittering and I couldn't focus on any one thing. These were frenetic times indeed.
What really helped, however, was working with the soil, getting my hands dirty and my heart connected, somehow to the earth, and spending time out in nature so thatswam in the sea and felt the sensation of he cold water on my skin, I sat on rocks and felt their strength and stability beneath me, I watched the stars and the moon and I sat in awe at their magnificence, I walked in nature delighting at the beauty around me, I slowed down, I started to notice the natural flow of all life, the changing seasons, the birds in flight and the trees moving in the wind, and I started to feel a connection again...
I sat in churches and on the fairy ring and I prayed. I moved on my yoga mat and I breathed and I embraced yoga nidra and the benefits it offered in helping me to connect to my body as I felt the earth beneath me. There were crystals too and Bach's Rescue Remedy (these potions are amazing) and some Reiki and reflexology and homeopathy, all helping me to connect, connect, connect.
So that over time my faith was restored again and with that a healing...strengthening, anxiety easing. And a whole new perspective on living. You see things had to shift. That was the point. I had outgrown the life I was living, but I was not listening. My heart was trying to tell me, but I bought into the fear rather than having faith in the process of everything. So I resisted life, tried to control things, and with that lost my faith and connection to the earth beneath me. I was seriously ungrounded, as you would expect!
And I guess that is the reason I am always so keen to share yoga and nature and a spiritual practice because I know much it can help to keep us not only grounded to the earth, but grounded within ourselves, so that when life does get very hectic and frenetic, we can literally keep our grounding.
Interestingly it is worth noting, for me at least, that during this whole anxiety and anxiety recovery time, meditating was even more ungrounding for me, my thoughts were too hectic to sit still and actually it would have ben counterproductive to force myself to sit there with my energy too much in my head, which is the reason a grounded yoga asana practice was so helpful to me, that an conscious breathing and guided relaxation.
I worked quite a lot with Reiki and people suffering with anxiety and depression and I noticed that their energy was never very balanced. There was a lack of connection to source above and a lack of connection to source below and a huge amount of mental activity so that they often didn't seem to be in their bodies at all. And I wonder sometimes if this is the reason people cut themselves, not least to harm themselves, I get that, but also to try to feel a presence, a connection then, pain or no pain, in their physical bodies, a way of trying to ground down.
Of course it is different for everyone, I know that. And we each have to find our own ways, because we are each on our own journey, albeit part of the collective so that our journey will impact on others, and theirs on ours too.
So again we come back to this idea of a spiritual practice. Faith. Love. It is all there. I just wish there was a way I could share this with the anxious children starting school for the first time and the anxious parents dropping them off for the first time. The greater our faith in the process of everything, the more grounded we are, the more we live from the whisperings of the heart rather than the voice of fear, the less anxious our lives will be. Oh and switch off the news and any programmes which stress the nervous system and give you bad memories!
All of this reminds me of a beautiful poem from Emmanuelle's Book II - The Choice For Love:
"What does the voice of fear whisper to you?
Fear speaks to you in logic and reason. It assumes the logic of life itself.
Fear tells you, "I want to make you safe". Love says, "you are safe".
Fear says, "Give me symbols, give me frozen images, give me something I can rely on".
Loving truth says, "only give me this moment".
Fear would walk you on a narrow path promising to take you where you want to go.
Love says, "open your arms and fly with me".
Every moment of your life you are offered the opportunity to choose - love or fear, to tread the earth or to soar to the heavens.
Faith and love.
x
"Remember to Sing" by Sue Pendlebury
For those of you who love signing Bhajans (as we do on the Herm retreat for example) then I can highly recommend this beautiful CD called "Remember to Sing" from the wonderful Sue Pendlebury, who taught a yoga workshop on Guernsey a few years ago and sadly passed away last year at the age of 48. This CD is a collection of her singing Bhajans, making it incredibly easy for you to sign along. All profits go to the Sue Pendlebury Foundation http://www.suependleburyfoundation.org/