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LOVING LIMITATION?!

Submitted by on May 13, 2012 - 9:59 am

 

I know, in spiritual circles it might sound like “limitation” is a bad word. But I am increasingly convinced that embracing it IS the key to lasting success when it comes to making our dreams real in our physical lives.By this I mean if you want money, if you want business or creative success, if you want a real relationship and if you want to feel great in your body– you need to have a respectful relationship with limitiation. Even– and I know this may sound crazy– enjoy it!

I know if you are reading this, you are naturally spiritual or at least know you are more than your body, and you understand on some level that the Universe is unlimited. That’s true, and our work in these bodies is to bring that unlimited potential into a physical, limited form.

So if you want to just feel joy and bliss, go ahead and meditate and focus on limitlessness. If you don’t want any tangible results in your life, that works. I did it for awhile and while I loved my meditations, my life got harder, not easier! 

I’m not saying to never do this, just beware if you always do it.

So what are some signs you are not respecting limits enough?

  • You tend to have fantasy relationships, or you or your partner feel disconnected from one another
  • You visualize and affirm your dreams and still they haven’t come true
  • You don’t feel connected to your body
  • You are chronically late or in debt
  • You push yourself to the point of exhaustion
  • You frequently feel embarrassed
How can you start to respect limitations?
  • Try a grounding meditation. This is the first thing I teach in the first class of the Intuitive Training Program, because in my opinion it lays a foundation for healthy and effective intuitive awakening. Here is a 4-minute sample.
  • Allow yourself big goals and dreams, but then think backwards from your goal to where you are now. How big is the gap? Where will you need to be right before you get your goal? What will you need before that? Keep back-stepping until you get to where you are now. Now, you know where to begin! This can be applied even to simple things, like if you know you have an appointment at 3 pm and you have 6 things to do between now and then, consider how much time you need for the 6 things and be sure you start in time to do them and get to your appointment on time!
  • Listen to your body: rest when you need rest, eat when hungry, drink water when thirsty, exercise when your body groans and starts to squeak (or ideally before :)
  • Check in with your loved ones. You all may be psychic, but don’t assume they know how you feel or what you need. Use words, touch and actions, and everyone will feel more connected and secure.

How can you tell whether you’re in a healthy place of honoring limitation or if you’re just in fear and contraction?

  • When we honor limitation, there is a feeling of enthusiasm and empowerment. You feel centered, in command and “on track” towards your goal.
  • When we are in fear and focusing on limits in an unhealthy way, there is a feeling of contraction and disconnection from Source. We focus on why things cannot happen instead of how they can. 

In the physical world, limitations exist. To not honor that is to be to some degree in fantasy or denial. It can also be disrespectful to other people, but ultimately you are the one who pays for it.

But here is the interesting part, and here is where the joy comes in…

As soon as we embrace limitation, we suddenly become unlimited in our 3-D lives. But the tricky part is we have to fully say OK to limitation first.

It’s like letting go of a relationship to allow it to come back stronger. If we let go with an ulterior motive, we are still hanging on and it won’t work.

So we have to fully say, “Ok, I’ll pay bills, I’ll be on time, I’ll communicate and keep my word, I’ll take care of my body, I’ll be practical about my goals” etc. etc. and to some extent surrender our fantasies.

And then BOOM– suddenly we get so lined up with our desires that they start to come our way and we feel absolutely unlimited.

As long as we resist getting grounded and being practical, we can never be unified because we are always fighting something in our minds. And as long as we are fighting and dividing ourselves– part of us feeling the bliss of limitlessness and part of us hating the fact that we have bodies or bills or human emotions to deal with– we have too much “friction” in the way of our success.

Here is another secret: Limits aren’t really as limited as we might think. Everything in the physical world vibrates and is ultimately made of space. Our bodies, for example, are mostly water and so actually very changeable.

When we consider “getting in our bodies,” many of us feel like we have to stuff our big, wild selves into a container and we understandably rebel! But instead we can imagine we are just coming in for a landing, that our spiritual being starts to vibrate in the cells of our body which begin to radiate with our joy.

Then we can imagine that our physical body and actions start to resonate naturally with who we really are. I feel this a lot in my yoga practice or when I’m in nature, but you can also just imagine it. Try it and see!

Meanwhile if you’d like to read more on this topic and how to cultivate your energy in your body and empower your life, check out this article I published a couple years ago, “Do You Leak Energy?”

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it: Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.

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copyright 2012 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

SPRING HEALTH TIPS

Submitted by on March 31, 2011 - 7:57 am

As spring approaches, we look forward to new beginnings and are reminded that before a birth happens, we need to cleanse and make space.

We may have a week of warmth and sun followed by another snowstorm, so along with our enthusiasm this is also a time to be gentle and patient!

In Ayurveda, a mind-body health system from India, this time of year is considered to be “kapha” season. Kapha, one of the 3 primary mind-body types is associated with sweet, cool, moist energy. Kapha people tend to be solid and loving and they hold on to things– mentally, emotionally, & physically.

Some of us are naturally more kapha-like than others, but to some degree for each of us we can balance the kapha-dominance in our environment using foods and lifestyle choices. As this is often a wet, cool time of year where we feel the stagnation before the blooms of spring, we can support ourselves with foods and activities that are dry, warm, light, and energizing.

Some of the best foods at this time are bitter greens, and this is also a great time to undergo a cleanse. Greens (in food or supplement form) particularly support the liver, one of our primary organs of detoxification. See the “Ann Recommends” section below for supplement suggestions.

Let the warmer weather inspire you to get out and exercise to burn off the toxins and sluggishness of winter! Active, vigorous exercise is great for most of us at this time!

Along with physical cleansing, detox your emotions by searching your heart of any unforgiveness and let it go. Support your mind by writing down your fears and toxic beliefs, and turn each one into a positive affirmation which you can say, read &/ or listen to regularly!

Just as the deeper we exhale, the more room we have to fill ourselves with breath, the deeper we let go now the greater the payoff! Emptiness and fullness are one dancing as two. Blessings on your release and rebirth!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it: Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfil your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com

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copyright 2011 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

SPECIAL HEALING FOODS and EMOTIONAL REMEDIES

Submitted by on January 27, 2011 - 7:41 pm

I’m fascinated with the special healing properties of various foods and with the connection between health conditions and emotions, so I thought I’d write up some quick tips to assist you or your loved ones with any of these conditions.

Please trust your own intuition as you consider these suggestions, and know there are no one-size-fits all answers. I don’t diagnose or claim to cure anything and suggest consulting a professional for customized advice. To your radiance!!

Thyroid conditions- I see these so often in women and the #1 reason I see is that it’s time for women to speak up!! Not in some aggressive, trying-to-be-like-men way, but as our authentic, vulnerable and powerful selves. Create and express your feelings!

Special healing foods: sea vegetables (good to eat daily), seafood, eggs, coconut. And for many these foods disrupt the thyroid: all soy foods and cruciferous vegetables (especially raw).

Other notes: Often thyroid problems stem from adrenal exhaustion. You can balance your adrenals with good quality sea salt like celtic or himalayan, and by managing your stress!

Heavy metal toxicity- Many of us have or have had this, especially if you’ve had mercury dental fillings, or  been exposed to cigarette smoke or lots of car exhaust (both contain lead).

Special healing foods: Sea vegetables, cilantro, chlorella, spirulina, greens powder supplements, purple cabbage (lead), green beans.

Other notes: Heavy metals seem to go hand-in-hand with “heavy” emotions. For example, I personally noticed that as I was clearing out mercury I was also facing fear, and while releasing lead I also released judgement. Who knows what causes what, but it’s helpful to see and shift things from multiple angles!

Parasites- My personal belief is that these are also much more common than we realize. Especially possible if you’ve traveled to 3rd world countries, eaten raw fish, or had diarrhea or digestive issues.

Special healing foods: Pumpkin seeds, figs, coconut, food-grade lemongrass oil, raw garlic, apple cider vinegar.

Other notes: Physical parasites can be indicators that your psychic boundaries are weak. Clearing them may provoke you to take a look at who may be “feeding off” your energy in ways that don’t serve you.

Candida/ fungus/ mold- Mass addiction to sugar is culturally condoned and can lead to many problems including fungal infections. Other causes include environmental exposure to mold, for instance if you’ve ever had water leaks in your home. Some say stored grains are an epidemic source of fungus, so for prevention it’s best to store them in the fridge if you do eat them!

Special healing foods, herbs and oils: Grapefruit seed extract, coconut, raw garlic, fermented foods/ probiotics, chamomile, frankincense (rub on belly!) Avoid sugar of all types (read labels), most or all fruits especially dried fruits, bread and all refined flours. Eat food as fresh as possible, minimizing or eliminating leftovers (best to freeze them if eating them at all).

Other notes: Fungus wants to stay alive and so will cause you to crave sugar and foods that feed it! Killing it off requires fortitude and willingness to go through the discomfort of something “dying” inside you. Something is dying, but YOU are becoming stronger.

Bonus tip for every kitchen: Pre-soak whole grains overnight before cooking (or sprouting) in an acidic medium such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, presoak beans overnight in kombu (seaweed), and presoak nuts 6-8 hours in filtered water with salt. This will increase the nutrients available in your foods and make them more digestible!

Wondering what emotions might be keeping you from radiant health, or what foods would most support you?  Go here for a special deal on a customized health and nutrition reading– just until 1/31/11!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.
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copyright 2011 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

WHY YOUR HEALTH & RELATIONSHIPS ARE ONE

Submitted by on January 23, 2011 - 10:49 am

There’s a reason why my friend, raw foodist Chef BeLive calls his e-book “Orgasm of the Taste Buds”. When the food we eat is filled with light or life force, so are we! And our life force is the same as our sexual energy, or the creative energy we use to manifest anything in our lives!

Not that you have to eat all raw food (I don’t!) But there is something about living raw, which transcends diet to living fully and authentically and passionately, that really appeals to me.

And I see that most dis-ease in the body happens when our life force gets stopped. This, as I see, has to happen before something “happens to us” (i.e. before we catch a cold or get a disease.

Even scientists will say that there are bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc. all over the place, but they only thrive in certain conditions. And besides these usual suspects which “cause” health issues, today most people are also exposed to tons of chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, and other toxins– most of which are due to living a very un-natural life!

While most of us can’t live in today’s world without at least some exposure to these things, we absolutely CAN live with more vitality and authenticity. We can’t control external influences, or even our bodies, but we CAN control our relationship to them.

And as you may have noticed in your personal relationships or those of your loved ones, trying to control things never works, but changing yourself and your attitude can bring miracles! Ignoring those we’re in relationship to doesn’t work either.

But we can learn to dance. Beginning with listening to our feelings moment-by-moment and moving with them (whether literally dancing or not), we end up in a great place to dance with another, or simply to live peacefully in our bodies.

When I observe people’s relationships, I see so many half-in half-out. There’s another body nearby but each person is in their own little world.

And the sad part to me is that our society accepts this. People think, “This is as good as it gets.”

All it would take for a couple, for instance, is to lie together and breathe for 5 minutes and BOOM- deep connection- but instead people rush around in preoccupation and complain later about the other.

When I read people’s bodies and health, I see something similar…

The liver is manic because it’s overloaded and no one is listening so it gets more manic. The brain is operating off old programs that lead nowhere and aren’t true, but the person confuses these patterns with real feelings and chases them attempting to survive. A woman’s hormones take over her entire being and she can’t make wise decisions about relationships.

It amazes me that our society thinks things like headaches, constipation, and PMS are normal. I am shocked to witness how many people are on prescription drugs– often many and at a young age.

While these symptoms are common in today’s world, they are not “normal” but are our bodies way of communicating a disharmony. While drugs have their place, I feel the mass reliance on them would not be necessary if we simply communicated with our bodies and chose a healthy diet, lifestyle and relationship with ourselves and others.

People say they don’t know how to do that but I believe we do know.

If we’ve only been exposed to processed food, of course, there may be some education needed to realize the benefits of other options. But in terms of what feels good and bad to our bodies and relationships, if we only pause and listen it’s pretty obvious what works and what doesn’t.

You don’t have to have the final answer to start a conversation. Your answer may not match up with anyone else’s, nor with anything you’ve been taught or shown, and there are no tests and no grades.

But you do know. Ask yourself…
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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

copyright 2011 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

DARE TO SHINE!

Submitted by on December 1, 2010 - 11:21 pm

A few weeks ago, I went to the DMV here in Santa Fe to get my new license plate and drivers license. It’s amazing the feelings that can come with commitment!

While I waited, I glanced occasionally at the TV (which I normally never watch) that was on in the lobby. I managed to ignore the “news” (read my book instead), but when the commercials came on, I was mesmerized.

Thoughts ran through my head like, “That looks like it was shot in LA. Ahhh, familiar streets and cafes. Everyone looks so good!” I even made a game of guessing what neighborhood each commercial was shot in.

Then I volunteered for the local farmers market, and at the meeting I was giving all the women makeovers in my mind. I thought about it and realized it’s not that the women in LA are all naturally more attractive; they just seem to put more attention on their appearance.

I remember living in Boulder before living in LA, and Boulder was more like here. When I got to LA I felt like I needed all new clothes. I drove 45 minutes to take some of my old ones (all in good condition) to Buffalo Exchange, where the woman working made a face and refused it all saying, “Sorry, nothing here is in style.”

Back in my singer/ songwriter days, I had a photo shoot for my CD. When the photographer asked me to wear my own makeup I said proudly, “I don’t own any makeup.” I remember being embarrassed when I saw someone I knew at the mall.

I was into my “natural” look but what I didn’t realize was there are ways to use “natural” products to enhance one’s “natural” appearance– native people were doing it long before L’Oreal came along!

I had no concept of beauty being a gift to the world that would allow my soul’s light to be seen more easily. I wore baggy clothes which hid my body, and even felt irritated at times when I was noticed.

So in many ways I have come full circle, because now I so wish everyone I see would shine! I’m excited when I find a great boutique. I get so sad when someone seems to be hiding their beauty, because I used to do that.

I am forever and deeply grateful for what LA showed me. Yes, it is a very materialistic culture, and yes, materialism has at times gone hand-in-hand with greed, control, and cruelty.

Yet the earth is material. Our bodies are material. Are they “bad”?

Our physical selves are the form through which we express ourselves. So, besides the obvious benefits of physical health, when we cherish our bodies we support ourselves in being more fully all we are in the world.

Imagine the sweetness of a bright-colored rose in full bloom on a gray day– what a gift it is to see and smell! Many people would stop and notice the rest of the garden or even the whole day, just because of that rose.

I have never known a rose to hide, or apologize because it’s so beautiful, or that it stands out on the street. Yet I meet people with these attitudes.

The advertising industry, however, gets it. Put a beautiful woman on any ad and people will look, listen, and likely buy the product.

Santa Fe is known as being a “spiritual” place. Ironically, since I’ve been here, I am less interested in “spirituality”. Maybe it’s the altitude, but I feel more drawn to living a grounded life.

Again, I feel like I’m coming full circle because I have been into spirituality since I was 14 and am in most people’s eyes a very spiritual person. And, with the recent experience of living in a very materialistic city, I see all this in a new light.

Historically, most spiritual traditions have been masculine and they have emphasized transcending the body. Women weren’t allowed (too distracting :) )

In my early studies of Buddhism, yoga and psychic development I received many beneficial things, but very little help with my feelings. I certainly didn’t learn to shine love through my body and bring every cell up to bliss (I figured that out later!)

I realize that for someone new to spirituality, who sees life as black-and-white and completely physical, spirituality might seem “better”. I know in my early days of meditation, I accessed such bliss states that seemed to have no place in my daily life.

But we can only polarize spirit and body, love and money, masculine and feminine for so long before they want to come together. In fact, I think some of the greatest wisdom comes from honoring each unique piece while celebrating all of it!

So, let me ask you, if you imagine a gauge for how much (0-100%) you are “OK” with shining fully in your body right now, what do you get?

If you get less than 100%, perhaps turn it up in your mind’s eye, and see how high you can go. Perhaps ask yourself what you might do today to shine more?

No one ever asked me this, so I am asking you. Shiny people, I hope to see you sparkling, and I bless you in gifting the world with ALL your light!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.

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copyright 2010 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

Boost Your Psychic Immunity

Submitted by on November 10, 2010 - 10:16 pm

Do you feel weak, easily swayed by others, or run down for no apparent reason? Or do you feel too stiff, so reactive to every little annoyance so that you push people and love away?

Truthfully, many of us could say “yes” to all of the above. In either case, these are signs of an un-balanced psychic immune system.

Our physical and psychic immune systems are connected, so if you’re wanting better health, especially now as the seasons change and the holidays make us take stock of relationships, consider these suggestions:

1). When we’re happy or in love, we’re usually healthy! Have you noticed that on days like this you can stay up all night, or be around people you normally can’t stand, and none of it bothers you? Do what you can to be happy, share love with others and follow your own heart, and you’ll strengthen your tolerance for potential “energy bugs.”

2). If we’re hyper-vigilant, we fight love off without realizing it. Conditions like allergies or auto-immune conditions are signs that the immune system is hyper-active. Like a dog that barks just as loudly at your best friend, a squirrel or an actual threat, we can wear ourselves out this way, not to mention scare away true love.

3). In order to set a boundary, instead be the boundary. Fill your life so full of what you love, share your true self as all that you are… and then all that you aren’t will simply have no room to be around you! It’s like filling your gut so full of probiotics (good bacteria) so that the bad bacteria just gets crowded out!

4). What you resist, persists. Have you ever had an illness or injury and gotten mad at it, mad at your body, or mad at life because this “happened to you?” Have you ever wished you could just will a health condition, person or situation away? And then noticed it got worse?

Resistance is like glue; it will bind us to whatever we keep thinking about. So instead think “Love, ecstacy, bliss” or whatever words or images help you feel what you’d love to feel instead!

5). Forgive. From an emotional/ energetic standpoint, the key to all health is forgiveness. Your health reflects your relationships with self and other. Any time there is disharmony, your immune system has to work harder to figure out what to do about it.

When we forgive we are in a state of peace and unity, and from this space of self-love we of course would never let anything harmful in! From here “protection” becomes easy because, in general, the immune system has little to do and can easily and harmoniously recognize and handle a true “intruder”.

6). Move energy through your spine. From a physical & energetic standpoint, the spine is the key to health. When the nervous system is balanced, energy flows up and down the spine and out from there into all our organs, glands and entire body.

When there is a physical or energetic trauma (sounds dramatic, but most of us have them!) along the spine, our energy can’t flow as freely in our own bodies and so they don’t function as well. So, yoga, chiropractic, massage, or any exercise or treatment that helps the spine will help your overall health and immune system!

Given what I know about the physical nervous system’s role in immunity, I find it fascinating that many of the systems of energy clearing that I practice and teach involve visualizing energy flowing up and down the spine. As we imagine energy flowing through the chakras (energy centers), I believe we’re also subtly yet powerfully affecting our physical spine and nervous system, which in turn reaches our entire physical body!

If you’re looking for a chiropractor, yoga teacher or studio, check out the resources on my website. And if you’d like help on the energy side of things, pick up some audio mp3s!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.

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copyright 2010 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

10 WAYS TO STAY GROUNDED THIS FALL

Submitted by on October 11, 2010 - 10:08 pm

Feeling the rush of fall or just busy managing your life? Try these 10 Tips to stay grounded this season:

1). Consider your priorities. Write them down, or draw a picture of them, and choose consciously what to focus on first each day.

2). Reduce stimulation. Do you eat breakfast while texting, emailing, talking on the phone and feeding your dog all at the same time? Try even a short period every day of doing just one thing at a time, and see how you feel.

3). Dive in to whatever you ARE doing. If you’re eating, become the taste. If you’re walking or driving, look at the sights around you as if you’ve never seen them before. If you’re talking to someone, feel their heart and your own.

4). Align with the earth. Many people deeply relax when in nature. If it’s an option, get out on the earth regularly. Walk places and get plenty of sun. If you’re in a city, at least surround yourself with plants, rocks, or a fountain to remind yourself of the elements.

5). Tell the truth. The more we tell the truth the simpler things become; this includes telling the truth to yourself about your feelings. An added bonus is that the more we tell the truth, the more our words become true!

6). Get plenty of rest. Have you ever taken a power nap, or stopped to have some fun, and found yourself more productive and inspired later? Pushing yourself around is the surest way to un-ground yourself, and it’s a downward spiral, so just rest!

7). Ground for you only. Do you feel like your survival is dependent on someone else? You may be grounding through them and limiting your ability to get grounded for yourself. Do you sense that someone, or perhaps many people, want YOUR help in grounding? It can be a complement, but it doesn’t make for healthy relationships and fundamentally doesn’t serve each individual. We can love each other in many ways, but ground for you and let others do the same.

8). Eat healthy, grounding foods. Donuts may comfort you if you ate them as a kid, but consider what foods make you feel healthy AND comfortable today. It may change from day to day, so ask your body and be willing to feel the truth in the moment.

9). Maintain your life and belongings. Do you feel un-grounded if your car needs repairs, the kitchen’s a mess and you have 10 voicemails to return? Give yourself space to manage your daily life and free up your time and energy.

10). Love. You may have experienced that when you’re in love, or feeling close with friends and family, nothing can get to you. Or, after a breakup, arguement or loss of a loved one, how the whole world feels upside down. So prioritize love, whether that’s with others or simply by following your heart and living a life you love– and your increased sense of calm may just feel like icing on the cake!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

copyright 2010 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Submitted by on August 13, 2010 - 6:27 pm

At the retreat I attended recently at the Tree of Life I heard Gabriel Cousens talk many times about moving from the Culture of Death (where much of society is) to the Culture of Life (his vision for a healthier possibility). This seemed to so clearly describe something I’ve seen throughout my life, and especially as I’ve traveled this summer.

For almost 20 years I’ve chosen to live in places like Santa Cruz, Boulder, and Topanga (LA) where organic food and spiritual seekers are commonplace. So whenever I leave these spots I admit I have some culture shock!

Since leaving LA 2 1/2 months ago, the thing I miss most are all the bright and shiny, radiant people. I know LA gets criticized for being superficial and materialistic but since living there I am convinced that being beautiful and radiant is the NORMAL way to be.

I’m not talking about fake boobs and plastic surgery.

I have also heard the term “spiritual materialism,” usually used as a criticism, but I am coming to feel like a proponent of spiritual materialism… perhaps in a new way!

I think those who use that phrase critically are talking about those who pretend to be spiritual out of greed, or who are all talk and no action, as an ego-boost rather than a deep soul calling. I’m not a fan of that.

But as I’ve been traveling, I am so yearning to see more light shining through people’s bodies! We are light and so often I’ve wanted to scream, “Let it out!” I love to see people with their lights turned on who are also grounded in their bodies.

Seeing so many people and places, I’ve realized unfortunately how uncommon that is. I’ve witnessed what a mass agreement there is to, to use Gabriel’s words, “the Culture of Death.”

For example, visiting beautiful places like Yellowstone I was saddened to see the cafeterias serving Cokes, chips and sandwiches (white bread and processed meat and cheese), and how grumpy lots of the tourists were. I’d be grumpy too if I ate that! And I’ve seen how having money and opportunity does not always mean enjoying or really HAVING what one has.

We are what we eat and when we eat foods filled with light (living, raw foods) we shine more radiantly. When we eat grounding foods (which may include proteins, root vegetables or whole grains), we tend to be more grounded.

For the record, I have also seen many raw foodists and spiritually-oriented people who seem so far “out there”, in denial or rejection of the body and I’m not a fan of that either!

Every food has energetic qualities which, when ingested, enhance that same energy within you and your body. For example, this is why root vegetables help us root, or why bee pollen and seeds are said to increase fertility.

When one eats mostly processed food with little life force, one has little life force and a feeling of numbness. There is no blame in this. Most of our culture agrees to do this, and so in addition to the vulnerability that comes with feeling, there is also a fear of being alone and disconnected if we don’t go along with everyone else.

The truth is though that once we feel, we connect so fully with ourselves that the world begins to mirror this connection. We may need to make new friends, but those friends are out there!

I’ve realized that most people haven’t even experienced other options. Never mind Yellowstone, go into the typical grocery store across the country and there is very little organic, chemical-free, unprocessed food!

Go into a typical gathering and people are bonding over suffering, complaining together as a means of connecting (if the TV is off and they’re even talking)! When I notice this happening, with my clients or in my life, I tend to redirect the energy because I see so many more life-enhancing ways of connecting and expressing our precious energy.

So perhaps today, ask yourself what type of feeling would make you feel good (for instance: grounding, cleansing, or stimulating?) and then ask what foods seem to match that feeling. Try them and see how you feel.

Ask yourself what patterns you feel stuck in and see if you can cut back on foods you’ve been choosing that seem to match those patterns. For instance, the term “couch potato” is quite telling!

Food or otherwise, are there choices you’ve been making that have been bringing you down? Perhaps today, ask yourself what new choices you could make to enhance your life?

If you don’t know, or need support, I love this stuff and I can help.

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.

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copyright 2010 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

ARE YOU TRYING TO LET GO?

Submitted by on - 6:10 pm

Is there something you’re trying to let go of? A relationship? Condition in your body? Mental pattern? All of the above?

Recently, I helped a woman who told me how hard she was trying to let go of old patterns, yet she still struggled. One challenge in being so self-aware and motivated to grow is that we sometimes give ourselves a hard time here!

What I saw for this woman is what I see for the many of you who ask: Stop trying! I know– you are a good person, you may pride yourself on your spiritual path, but (so) STOP TRYING!

The reason is that trying doesn’t really work. Here’s why:

1). “Trying” and “letting go” are opposites. Letting go is an un-doing. So the more we can let things be and not try, the more we actually let go.

2). The most powerful catalyst for breakthrough is love. You have probably noticed that when you are in a loving state, so much seems possible and easy. By contrast, when we’re angry, afraid, resentful, punishing, you name it… everything seems difficult. So when we give up trying we begin to love and accept ourselves, which makes change possible.

3). Sometimes we don’t let go for very good reasons. Even when our aware selves have already changed, our bodies and emotions take their sweet time. An example may be the addiction our bodies and hearts have to a past lover even once we realize the relationship doesn’t serve us anymore. Or, someone trying to lose weight may actually be wise in holding weight because toxins are held in fat. Until the person is strong and self-loving enough to safely release those toxins (and the related energy patterns), no diet will work!

So what to do instead of try? Besides self-love and relaxation (both easier said than done, I know!), here’s what I recommend:

Look honestly at the condition you’d like to change, then simply move TOWARDS something you prefer, that feels healthier. Don’t make yourself stop anything, just do something else (instead or in addition).

For example, how loved can you imagine feeling?! Open up to more loving relationships, choose love and then notice how the old, unrewarding ones start to lose appeal.

If you drink a pot of coffee a day, ask yourself what you are really wanting from the coffee. Then add in something that will give you that. You might realize you need more protein, exercise, or a nap, or that you actually prefer not to work at the frenetic pace that coffee encourages!

If your mind is repeating fearful thoughts, one of my favorite exercises is to write them all down in one column, then next to each one write a positive affirmation to replace it. I recorded mine and listen to them all the time on my iPod. They work!

Enjoy and happy un-doing!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts at www.FloweringSol.com.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

copyright 2010 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

GROUND YOUR DREAMS NOW!

Submitted by on - 5:48 pm

You’ve said your affirmations, made vision boards, and gone to healers and cleared up your childhood and old pain. You feel guided and worthy and you think you do all the “right things” but still your dreams still may not have manifested. Hmmm…

Sound familiar? I have been there and it can be so frustrating!

What I have learned is that we need to not only do our visioning, praying and healing, but that we also need to get into our bodies if we really want to enjoy life. As I see it the Universe is always delivering everything we ask for, but if we are not home (in our bodies) to receive it, it will seem to get delivered elsewhere.

Where would we be but in our bodies? Well, most of us (especially we sensitive types… I know from experience!) daydream a lot. When life pales in comparison to our dreams we plod through the day feeling “spaced out” and in those moments (or hours, or years… hee hee hee) our energy is “out of our body” and even though we have the grandest dream, as long as we are out of our bodies in the dream, it never has to land in our lives. There is no need!

As I shared with the Sweet Surrender class last week, I used to date on the astral (in both my dreams at night and my imagination during the day) because it was easier than dating in real life. Because I am so aware of my psychic experiences, I have felt them to be real and then wondered why my life was the way it was.

For you, it may be your finances, your health and body image, your career or something else. What do you most dream of and where does your life not match?

Now, being naturally sensitive with a big imagination is not all bad and can actually help you bring your dreams into being, if you know how to bridge the two. We are going to address that on the call next Thursday.

Besides getting grounded, if we want to in manifest our dreams I find it hugely and increasingly important to connect with others and open to support. It’s not only easier and more fun, but in these accelerated times creating alone is just too slow, not to mention out of alignment with the community-minded world we are fast becoming!

When I work with clients every week it’s like night and day watching their shifts in just a few months time! For others, months or years may go by before they ask for help.

I don’t think we have months or years anymore to step onto our paths and start living our dreams. That doesn’t mean we need to be perfect, but it does mean start now. Start whatever your heart longs to start and see what happens.

I understand this because I’ve been the one suffering for years before I asked for help, usually because I didn’t even know I needed help or that something else was possible! And then some of us think it’s noble to suffer, or we don’t want to bother anyone by asking for help.

We bother people more by not asking. We bother people by suffering in their presence and we bother people by not living our greatness and not serving in these times of great need.

So if you’re feeling a pull like more is possible in your life or that you could be more fulfilled in ANY way, consider reaching out for support. You don’t need to be suffering first; in fact, if you give yourself regular support you may never suffer again! Can you handle that?

There are many sources of support, of course, but if you’ve read this far I imagine you’ll like the “Ground Your Dreams Into Reality” Meditation mp3. The sooner you commit the quicker your dreams can find you!

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Want to use this article in your E-Zine or Web Site? You can, as long as you use this complete tag with it:

Intuitive Healer Ann O’Brien publishes the “Flowering Sol” email newsletter to help you blossom into your light. If you’re ready to open up your intuition and creative power to fulfill your dream life, get your free gifts when you sign up now.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________copyright

2010 Ann O’Brien- All Rights Reserved.

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