Olympians' North Stars

This summer's Olympics are in full swing and whenever I listen to athletes' interviews, I hear "North Stars" abound, the first step in my Inner Constellation work with people. The idea of North Star is a metaphor I've coined to represent that which is one's fundamental priority or supreme motivator in life above all else. The Olympians give supreme examples of North Stars:

• "I always do my best."
• "No matter how bad it may look, I never give up."
• "I want to have fun in everything I do." (Dana Vollmer, a swimmer who won her first gold metal in the 100 meter Fly and broke a world record!)
• "It's important that I always challenge myself."
• "I appreciate everything I've ever earned or been given."

North Stars help us know where we're going before we push off to sea, keeping us on track, and here's the most important thing--North Stars are immovable, unlike goals, which are often confused with the North Star metaphor. Goals are often set and exceeded, or sometimes, unattainable, such as: I want to win gold in the 100 meter Fly, or, I want to be strong and resilient. If you sink like a brick when you jump in the pool (like me:) or you're suffering from an autoimmune disease, these goals may not be reachable. North Stars, on the other hand, are always attainable, "I do my personal best....I never give up....fun is my top priority....I appreciate and give thanks. The immovable and often universal North Stars, when held in sight, have incredible power to direct and focus our lives, so we always know what's most important during the crazy distractions of life. Goals support our North Stars and are the action steps that make up "Chart Your Course", the second step in my Inner Constellation work with people. If the idea of North Star is appealing to you, consider checking out my Inner Constellation Compendium which gives more detail about this beautiful metaphor. 

In ancient days of star navigation, a person found his or her way in uncharted territory by first locating the North Star. Find your North Star and you will always have an internal compass. From North Star, the course can be mapped and arrival certainly promised--as long as True North is kept in sight. 

Tahoe Bear Break-in--Brownies Nabbed!

Tuesday was quite an auspicious day. I had a very insightful session in the afternoon with a trauma survivor which got me pondering the body's innate ability to beautifully handle extreme stress and sensory overload (don't worry, I'll get to the main headline in a sec:). After the day's work, I decided to take off on a run. As I was sprinting through the woods (I'm getting closer ...), I realized that for me a way of dealing with overload in my body is to put on my running shoes and head out the door. Every since I was old enough to run, I would lace up my shoes and take off. When my energy was spent, I would (and still do) stop, lie down on the ground and simply breathe. The stillness flooding my body after flight is, how can I say it--refuge.

Flight, fight or freeze are typical reactions to sensory overload, and in spite of the pathological way stress reactions are often viewed, they are purposeful, adaptive and in extreme situations, keep one alive--like in the event a bear breaks into your house. When I got home from my run, I kissed my kitty, Yogini, chillin' on the couch and jumped in the shower. After scrubbing up, I walked down the hall and noticed the screen window in the kitchen torn and flapping in the breeze! Heart pounding, my nervous system shot into overdrive--so much for the run. Funny, how in Tahoe one's first thought when seeing such a thing isn't "who" broke in but "what" broke in. The mess in the kitchen told the story--brownie pan scraped clean but still on the counter, lid placed beside it, and a bag of instant potatoes lying on the floor with the cupboard drawer having been neatly closed. As I walked over to the window to assess damage, I heard a sloppy scuffling sound out on the deck--there lay a big cinnamon Black Bear, on her belly, enjoying a bag of brown sugar!

"Crap!" I said aloud, startling the bear into flight as she lumbered off the deck and into the nearby woods. Now, a funny thing happened--I began spontaneously giving thanks: Yogini was safe (she had bolted under the bed in the back room), other than the screen and cleaning out the sweets, damage was minimum, the bear had stayed confined to the kitchen, she hadn't disturbed an open flame boiling a pot of hot water on the stove, the list went on and on. It can always get worse. With all the thanksgiving, my breathing and heart rate calmed down and I began seeing the blessings.

In addition to flight, fight, or freeze, there's another response--flow. I picked up my running shoes left by the front door and put them in the closet.

"Oh, say, can you see..."

Independence Day has come and gone, and my reflection on freedom was more profound than ever. Perhaps it's the state of the world and the fight for freedom in the Middle East and around the world and the fact that social media has brought the Arab Spring into our living rooms. I know for me, I'm no longer insulated from hardships around the world. Here's an example, do you know that only 43% of the world's population is free? This number is recorded by Freedom House, an organization that tallies government and civil freedoms, human rights as well as freedom of the press. Once I heard this number, I was motivated to do something with my freedom and appreciate daily all the blessings of living in a free society. I suppose this personal practice of recognition is reflected in our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner:

"Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Keeping "freedom" in sight is akin to the North Star analogy--recognizing what is dear and valued above all else and keeping it foremost as top priority. May you enjoy and appreciate your freedom not just July 4th but every day. In the spirit of energy--that which we give our attention to increases. May freedom abound.

"One day, Lucy, BANG, ZOOM! Straight to the moon!"

I believe most of us can relate to people who rub us the wrong way, perhaps because they're being difficult or perhaps because we're being difficult! Either way such a rub creates friction. From an energy standpoint (IC Truth #1 Everything is energy), friction or interference stops the flow. A friend of mine has an analogy I like, she says it's like we're all five pointed stars and our star points just don't fit together with some people, they just clank and get stuck. Well said. So what to do when this happens? I've found the practice of Metta or "Loving Kindness" most beneficial. I believe it's Buddhist in tradition, and it's basically well-wishing for yourself and the other. There are a few statements of good wishing that go something like this (I've made some adaptions to fit individual intentions):

May you be happy.
May you be healthy and strong,
safe and protected, free from inner and outer harm.
May you live in your world with ease and grace.

First, when friction arises and I feel the charge, I begin well-wishing the above statements for myself, then I extend it to the other. I use Metta also as a daily practice for myself, my cherished ones and lastly (once I'm feeling more kind-hearted) to those whom I find difficult. To me, Metta draws out the good in myself and others, literally recognizing, acknowledging and increasing it. Try it peeps, it sounds simple but it's most effective. I believe Metta addresses IC Truth #2, Energy never dies it just changes form. Metta notices friction and transforms it with well-wishing. If you find this practice intriguing, I would highly recommend Sharon Salzberg's book, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness.  Well, that's all for today. Next time you start to feel the BANG, ZOOM!...don't knock anyone to the moon, instead try the practice of Lovingkindness.

The Call to Right Relationship (Pun Intended)

Happy Summer Solstice, IC Peeps! Hopefully you took advantage of every summery minute of the longest day of the year yesterday. I did, I went fishin'! Well, I was actually supporting from the shore while my beloved did a bit of catching and releasing.

While out there on the river banks, I got to thinking of relationships. Relationship seems to be the number one North Star a client brings into session: how to acquire the perfect one, how to get rid of a pesky one, how to be a better companion, spouse, parent, etc. Interestingly, as I began pondering this North Star, I had two wise counsels pop up, one was a story in the newspaper about five-time Olympic medalist, Bode Miller. The article sums up Bode's no-holds-barred skiing style applied to fatherhood and his desire to learn how to be the best parent possible. He's ga-ga over his little girl, Dacey. She's his North Star, beyond skiing, beyond metals, beyond anything. I believe Bode understands one of life's most important keys: prioritizing. In the age of twitter, facebook and over 40 texts a day on average (100+ for teens), a person is, um, let's say a bit distracted. This brings us to wise counsel number two...a graduation ceremony I just returned from, where retired Senator, Dean Florez, gave an address entitled, "Power Down and Power Up," expounding on the rapid rise in mobile phone use while engaged in face to face time with others. The numbers were astounding. I drove home pondering a second relationship key, building off priority: attentiveness. When I analyzed my own relationships, I recommitted to making my interactions with people my #1 priority and the sole focus of my undivided attention. This already includes volume off and fasting from my cell phone, affectionately named, "Smarty Pants," when I'm with others. I also take once a week, all day Saturday fasts, it's heavenly. So much so, that if I just happen to drop Smarty Pants in the toilet while texting, I might just go ahead and flush her down the drain! 

But, back to the call to right relationship (pun intended), my keys are: prioritizing and attentiveness. Let's hear yours. It's been a while since an IC challenge. I want to hear your keys, and in so doing, you'll be entered to win a free, gifted Skype session. Read the details of the IC challenge and let me know your secrets to right relations with loved ones (non-cellular please:).  

Resiliency of the Human Spirit

Sorry for the long silence, I just returned from an ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology) conference and am officially back in full swing again. I learned gobs of information from top psychologists in the field of Energy Psychology from most recent research to the latest quantum energy techniques, but you know which talk had the greatest impact on me? Project Light: Rwanda. A woman by the name of Lori Leyden has taken meridian tapping into the trenches and is working with genocide survivors in Rwanda with incredible success. She shared the transformations she's witnessed, and we skyped with a young Rwandan Project Light ambassador who shared his experience with regaining hope and happiness and becoming a leader for resolution in his country. The most powerful part of the talk was when Lori described first arriving at the orphanage and upon hearing the young people's stories, realizing her own resources were terribly limited and an infusion of grace was needed. She introduced an acronym that was part of a formula that served her and the genocide survivors well: GLJW

Gratitude
Love
Joy
Wonder

What are you grateful for? We were asked this question and given 1 minute to generate a list. "How many of you have 36 items listed?" Lori asked. No one in our group of about fifty people raised their hands, the closest was 34. "The reason I chose this number," Lori explained, "Is because that's how many items one genocide survivor listed the first time I did this exercise."

What makes you feel loved? Or, what is it you love? Think on these things every single day and generate the feeling inside. What brings you joy? Do these things, acknowledge them and increase their existence. What are you in wonder about? Really contemplate this question, for me it brought awareness of everyday miracles I take for granted. What am I in wonder about? The resiliency of the human spirit. Most of us, perhaps due to good fortune, are barely scratching the surface of our capabilities. I give a big thank you to Lori Leyden, Project Light: Rwanda, the Project Light Ambassadors and all the good people that gently remind us of our incredible human potential.

Stomach Constellation

Active Time:  7-9am
Element: earth
Fundamental Principle: yang
Season: late summer

Stomach meridian is the last of the meridian series articles, with each of the twelve accessible through the "Meridian Pathways" link at the top of the blog. Stomach (ST) meridian is responsible for digestion and absorption. When ST meridian is balanced, trust in provision is the end result; when it's upset, excessive worry, gloom and fear may become obsessive in addition to antisocial tendencies. The physical disturbance of Stomach meridian may show up as gastric disturbances, toothaches, edema or sore throats.

The active time of ST meridian is between 7-9am. It's a yang meridian associated with the earth element. My favorite way to access ST meridian is by tapping ST-2 directly below the eye on the bony orbit. Stomach meridian is a long sucker, so if you wish to trace it in more detail, check out his You Tube video at time 7:58. Watching this video the entire way through is a great way to wrap up tracing the 12 major meridians. I hope you've enjoyed the meridian articles, and if you'd like a special meridian algorithm (recipe) constructed for your particular needs, please consider contacting me for a consultation.