Movement And Sound Help To Open Up Your Expression

You can imagine that you’re chopping through the obstacles in your life as you practice working through the different layers of physical and subtle blocks. Feel the groundedness of the Earth through your legs and raise your arms up to the heavens. Celebrate the liveliness and vitality of your being. Dance and move in gratitude for this day. It gets things moving and is great for loosening up yet also strengthens and activates your core. I came across this practice in October 2020, when I attended my first group class in New York City after the beginning of the pandemic. It was chilly that weekend, but we prepared with lots of layers, so it was quite manageable. It did get colder the longer we sat, so getting up and practicing movement designed to open and balance energy was very welcome. If you are feeling stuck or sluggish or depressed, this really gets you moving. Keep a slight bend in the knees. Interlace the fingers and raise the hands overhead as you inhale. This movement and sound help to open up your expression, your Fire, and your creativity.

That's The Way It Goes

Do this three times and work up to whatever number feels right. You can modify this by simply completing the movement in a seated position instead of standing. This practice is great in the morning and gets your heart pumping and circulation moving. It is a great way to open the heart space and balance the Fire element through your personal expression. Time to get chopping! We had been managing her disease in the last several years with homeopathy through the care of our holistic vet. On Easter, the vet came for a house call and started her on fluids. I never imagined that I would be able to give Booboo fluids until I actually had to. Initially, fear and anxiety gripped me each time because I was afraid of hurting her or of doing something wrong, even though I was mostly getting the job done. I had to get the job done because I knew her life depended on the procedure. That’s not to say there wasn’t frustration on both our parts and precious fluid leaking out when I would get it wrong and accidentally stick the needle through the other side of her skin. But then we reached a point at which she needed fluid daily. As I got used to sticking Booboo with the needle, it got a little easier, but she was always feisty and annoyed, and I would get exasperated and frustrated if the needle fell out or she wouldn’t sit still.

When The Lights Go Out

I did this practice each time before having to stick Booboo with the needle because I wanted to be calm and precise. I would put on a mantra and then prepare with this ritual. These tools helped me feel brave in doing what I needed to do. They helped me face the fact that my beloved companion of seventeen years was dying. Booboo received fluids for five more months until it was clear that she was ready to leave this Earth plane. When we finally stopped the fluids, it was the fall equinox. We gave her a homeopathic remedy to unwind her energy and support her in leaving on her own time with grace and calm a home. A few days later, at 4:45 a.m. In spiritual traditions, this time of day is best for prayer and meditation because it is when the veils between the worlds are the thinnest. I recognize that many of you who have never had companion animals may not understand this kind of loss. I have experienced much death, but this was truly the most intense. I am ever so grateful for all the tools that allowed me to be as conscious as possible through one of the hardest and most beautiful times in my life.

Everybody Loves a Winner

These tools helped my beloved Booboo transition on her timeline. Energy medicine gave us the gift of being present during death in order to fully honor life. Use this practice first thing in the morning or whenever you find yourself in a stressful or challenging situation. When we practice Switching On, our goal is to ensure that our energy circuits are flowing and running in the proper direction. Throughout the day, stress can easily switch our system off, like a circuit breaker. Our energy can get scrambled. If you’ve ever walked into furniture that you’ve always known was there, you might be switched off. Or perhaps you find yourself mixing up words or names, in which case your electrical system might need a reboot. Confusion is also a sign that our energy needs a reset. Help yourself switch on to kick off the day. It’s also important to make sure you are well hydrated so that the energy can flow more efficiently. Place one hand on your navel. You will keep this hand on the navel throughout the next three steps. With the other hand, place your index finger above the lips and your middle finger below the lips. Rub the fingers across back and forth as though you were brushing your teeth. Do this for fifteen seconds or so, breathing long and deep. Next, locate the two points right under the two knobby ends of the collarbone and massage both points at the same time. Again, do this for fifteen seconds or so, breathing long and deep. Lastly, move on to massaging the tailbone. Do this for fifteen seconds or so, breathing long and deep. Now switch hands and repeat. Keep one hand on the navel while the other hand completes the three steps above. Once you are finished, release your hands. Take a deep breath in and out, knowing that you are now reset. Use this ritual anytime you feel off. It’s called the Zip Up because you are zipping up your energy. Balancing and grounding your central energy channel is a necessity in these interesting times. It also describes the dynamic flow of energy.