"...and the (leg) lamp blazed forth in unparalleled glory...."

Sunday, December 23, 2012
A few nights ago I had a little meltdown. I lost an expensive battery pack that attaches to my ski boot and warms my foot when I'm on the mountain playing in the white stuff. The timing of the missing hot pack was terrible, as we had received three feet of fresh powder the day before, and I was gearing up to go skiing in the morning. No big deal, you might say, but for my previously frost bitten foot, skiing in the powder with temperatures in the teens wasn't an option. As soon as I noticed the battery missing, I knew when it had happened--my boot had taken a tumble in the parking lot a few days prior as I had hurried from the slopes to work.  I immediately went to self-blame, I should have taken better care and not been in such a mindless hurry. My mood turned sour, self-blame coloring my perception, literally making me deaf to my husband's problem solving consolation attempts.

After about thirty minutes of stomping my cold feet like the baby I was, it hit me to stop the insanity I was creating and shed some light on what was going on inside versus everything wrong on the outside. Why was my self-blame so consuming? I sat down, began to tap and literally envisioned light illuminating the situation. Like Ralphie enthralled with his father's strange but compelling "major award," I got as curious as I was capable of becoming and began exploring the most telling part of the experience--my reaction. It took about five minutes of conscious body work to bring my internal distress down and in turn become more resourceful.

When I woke in the morning and looked out at the blessings still falling from the sky, I was reminded of this season of unparalleled light as the days become longer and sunshine lengthens across the land. I was reminded that I always have the choice to change my perception, consciously stop and turn the light of understanding toward my Inner Constellation, to become curious and enthralled rather than blinded by the outside evidence as I point my finger in blame. May the lamp blaze forth in unparalleled glory....for all to see and be curiously drawn! Merry Christmas.



Volunteers for Connecticut Community

Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Since my last post on the importance of alleviating suffering for those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings, I've received an amazing email. Nick Ortner is a leader in the Meridian Tapping community and lives in Newtown, CT where the shootings occurred. He is organizing a major fund-raising event and has mobilized a team of Meridian Therapy practitioners to provide support to people affected by the tragedy. So far, he has raised over $30,000 to go toward providing Meridian Tapping to ease the grief of those suffering. The team will be lead by Lori Leyden, a woman who used Meridian Tapping with Rwanda genocide survivors and founded Project Light: Rwanda. You might remember my blog article about Lori after I had the pleasure of meeting her.

Here are the details of the fundraiser for Newtown and how you can personally help--a few years ago, Nick produced, The Tapping Solution film, an excellent documentary exploring the effectiveness of Meridian Tapping. He's presently offering the film at half price ($14.97) and one hundred percent of sales will go to The Tapping Solution for Newtown: Stress and Trauma Relief Project. If you want to find out more, please read Nick's blog article. I own a copy of the film and highly recommend it. Please join me in donating to Nick's Newtown trauma relief project. Here is one way to help alleviate the suffering of the Newtown community and further your knowledge and skill of Meridian Tapping--a most important tool in the Inner Constellation toolbox. 

Connecticut Shootings

Monday, December 17, 2012
There is no fitting response to the mass shootings of 28 people last Friday, 20 of them ages six and seven. If you all are like me, after the immediate sorrow and shock, there's an impulse to try to make sense of the senseless so we can prevent reoccurrences in the future. Gun control is the recent hot topic of debate, and it's most curious to me that "restriction" is the go to emotion. It seems audacious to think that killing can be prevented simply by taking away weapons. For me, everything goes back to the Inner Constellation--violence within, becomes violence without.

I firmly believe prevention of violence toward another demands the exact opposite of "restriction"--expansion. Expansion of our abilities to identify the marginalized among us and those who are at risk of striking out. Every time a mass murderer is described, I've noticed a personality theme: isolated, kept to themselves and didn't interact with others. When we notice such a troubled soul, it's an automatic response to pull away or retract. The only exception I've seen to this is the response of children, who seem to respond with curiosity and wanting to know more. What if we took it upon ourselves to reach out to individuals who isolate themselves?

The next argument to reaching out might be, what if I'm not equipped to deal with the troubled person? Today, news channels are reporting this is most certainly the case, therefore more money is needed for mental health services. Ironically, most people who receive mental health services report that family and friends provide more support than professional counselors. The genuine love and care of a community of people is incredibly powerful. Don't doubt for a minute the human potential to alleviate the pain of another--we have a heart and an impetus for life--these are our tools for reaching out rather than pulling away. Now to the all important question--what if someone is a whack job, how can I possibly make a difference? A person who guns down innocent children is most certainly a whack job! However, this is where the IC Truths come in:

1) Everything is Energy - the good, the bad, and the ugly
2) Energy never dies it just changes form - the good the bad and the ugly are all powerful agents of influence
3) Everything, no matter how challenging, can be transformed - the good, the bad, and the ugly can  always be transformed

We have great ability to alleviate suffering, and ultimately another person's suffering becomes our suffering, as is evident in the tragedy of the Connecticut shootings. We have a human responsibility to alleviate the suffering of others around us. Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach understood this as they charged toward the sound of gunfire erupting inside the classroom, as did Victoria Soto and other women who heroically shielded their children from gunfire. For me, alleviating suffering is the lesson of the Connecticut shootings and the key to preventing more tragic expressions of "insanity." May all people affected in any way by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School be comforted and supported by their community during this time of loss.


For a beautifully written article and video footage honoring the victims of the Connecticut shootings, please click here.


 

Preciousness of Life

Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Life is precious. Experiencing the loss of Life drives this truth home and presents our mortality in a way that can't be escaped. One of my dad's favorite verses says, "Why, you don't know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are but a vapor, that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." 

Precious Life (consciously capitalized, for it is holy), demands immediacy, requires active participation in this moment, right NOW, for tomorrow is never promised. NOW because this moment is pure creation--this thought, this action, this feeling. How am I expressing my precious Life? Am I adding to or taking away from other precious Lives? I feel a poem coming on, when sentences fail, I go to imagery....


All Hail!
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

Holy Ones, who understand the pull of this life,
stand on the shore, hailing the waves in the sea,
trying so desperately to get our attention,
but we see only our own momentum—
how the tide recedes.

Wake up
to precious Life!

Shout and join the supplication
before rising from fallen knees.
What is your imprint,
on those walking by,
before it’s washed out to sea?


Here's the IC challenge--Precious, Precious Life, smile to at least one person today. Notice their imprint and bring encouragement. Tell me about it, I want to hear how you are spreading the love and joining the Holy Ones. 

A Daughter Gives Thanks

Thursday, November 22, 2012

I lost my father yesterday, November 21, 2012. As I write this, I’m sitting on a plane, flying from West to East to comfort and be comforted by family. I had plans this week, to write a blog article on one of my favorite “Chart Your Course,” practices that always manages to get me moving in the right direction—practicing gratitude. “In any and all situations, give thanks” is my motto. I had imagined such an article timed to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Yesterday  was one of my greatest gratitude tests. As I lay in bed last night, I could not stop crying, tears flowed, non-stop. The closest words to describe the feelings were, “heart-break.” Interestingly, this description was signed to me by a Deaf client only a few days prior as tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He had received a similar blow, having heard of a friend’s passing. Yes, the evening of November 21, my heart physically hurt. I apologized to my husband as it approached 1:00am and still I wept, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”


“Nothing’s wrong with you,” he said, gathering my wet self in his arms. Then he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

My answers were telling: a sense of heavy regret, that perhaps my pop is struggling somehow, and lastly, that I love him. My husband paused then and ever so gently asked, “Not baseball, or bowling?” My mirror, my Love, steered me back to one of my North Stars: be grateful. Within minutes the tears stopped, and I was sound asleep, lulled by what a sucker my pop was for animals and little kids, as evidenced the day we were shooting hoops, and I convinced him to buy me a parakeet if I made some crazy back-bend basket move that I had never before made in my life—until that day. When we arrived home with the bird, he took the heat for me, explaining to my mother that he had promised--and a promise made, is a promise kept. I called the parakeet, “Pretty Boy."

Whenever my heart begins aching on this Thanksgiving Day, I do my very best to think of the blessings of my father’s life. May your Thanksgiving be filled with promises kept and gratitude for family, friends and loved ones.

To Love We Must Swerve Often From Our Path

Saturday, November 17, 2012
My Luvee riding in fall sunshine
Perhaps it's the season of fall and brilliant colors, but I've noticed of late that Life (intentionally capitalized) constantly interacts with me. When I pay attention and actively participate, miracles happen. Enough foo-foo-woo-woo, let me give you a few examples.

You all might remember the Veteran's Day event I had scheduled last Sunday at my office. I wracked my brain on how to increase my exposure to vets and decided to hold an open house. People in the field warned me that veterans don't tend to go to such events, but I felt compelled to do it. A few days before my event, a veteran called from the local hospital. This person was incapacitated and unable to make it on Sunday, but was wondering if I could come to the hospital for a visit. I smiled, having the distinct feeling that Life was placing a great opportunity in my path, requiring a slight detour from "my plan"--no problem, I set up an appointment immediately following my open house. The following evening, I received an email from a father of a vet who committed suicide after coming home from Afghanistan. He commended my efforts and said, if one vet is served, it'll be worth it. He then proceeded to share that he was in the military over twenty years and in addition he had built the building that housed my office. In a small town of 23,000 is this just interesting coincidence? I don't think so--Life is interacting, not just with me but with this devoted father.

Well, Sunday rolled around and unfortunately (or not:), no one attended my open house. However, I left the office and headed to the hospital. Here I found a willing veteran who applied the Meridian Treatment with great success, bringing the distress experienced from a SUD (Subjective Units of Distress) 6 to a 0 in less than five minutes. When I arrived home that night, I looked up into the star-filled sky and heard again the words of the man who had lost his son to suicide--if one vet is served, it'll be worth it. I breathed deep the crisp fall air and committed to take off my blinders and stray more often from my determined path. 

Veterans Day Event

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Please spread the word to any veterans you know that this Sunday, November 11, 2012 from 4:00-5:30 pm there will be the following event at The Studio Lake Tahoe to honor our service men and women:


Monster Storm Sandy

Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Watching the news and touching base with family on the East coast over the last few days, I'm reminded of the innate difficulty in watching the suffering of others and the natural human impulse to help. I recalled a poem I wrote the night before the huge earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. I woke the following morning after writing this poem with the lines echoing in my mind, gently challenging the surreal scenes unfolding across the TV screen:

Reality
-
state of things as they are or appear to be,
rather than how one might wish them to be
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com
March 10, 2011
Creation--pervasive,
omnipresent
and boundless.
Encompassing everything—
everything?
Creation interacts, there is no exception.

Nothing is exempt:
birthing, strengthening, celebrating,
decomposing, taking away, mourning.

Even sickness, catastrophe, tragedy….
honestly?
How might I respond if I lived Creator’s* reality?


*I have always felt that names such as God, etc, attempt to contain what is uncontainable. "Creator" is the closest I've come to finding an awkward fit.

Recovery After Paralysis--120%!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012
My job as a translator often gives me the opportunity to meet incredible people--one such person is speaker and author, Grant Korgan. My first introduction to him was comical. I sat on stage, off to the side, in a spotlight so the Deaf folks present could view my interpretation with ease. On the front half of the stage sat a lone stool, and within minutes of starting a kindly gentleman came over to me and explained that this section of the stage was about to be lowered below ground level. "Don't fall in," he playfully warned. Little did he know, I was about to do just that.

From my bird's eye view, I was able to see everything happening down in "the hole." A man strode out, using canes on either side of him. He deliberately sat down on the stool and arranged his suit and microphone.  Then, as if on cue, he looks up at me, sitting there curiously watching him. He beams an adoring smile, crosses his arms over his chest and mouths, "I love you," unabashedly! I, of course, grin back and throw him a kiss off my fingertips, but I must be honest, I'm thinking, "who is this guy?" He returns a few more air-kisses and then prepares himself to launch. The man's introduction proceeds as my hands lift and begin conveying the dialogue.

Grant Korgan was indeed launched that night--into the hearts and minds of all who had the great honor to hear him speak. Grant shared his story and spoke poignantly of a snowmobiling accident that resulted in an L1 burst fracture in his back. He had no feeling from his waist down and knew he was facing the most challenging journey of his young life thus far. Amazingly he knew, "there was no way, no way at all, I was gonna live in fear." Grant developed what he called, 3 Points of Possibility, the keys to meeting adversity head-on and overcoming it joyfully:


  1. Decide What You Want in life (Sounds like the Inner Constellation "North Star" concept, huh?)
  2. Focus on What IS Working
  3. at all points, Choose Positivity Through Adversity

Grant introduced his team, the people who support him on his journey, and the monumental partner in his success--his wife, Shawna. All of them radiated a quality that helped me answer my initial question, "who is this guy?" Grant Korgan, his wife and his team are expressions of the Eternal, the celebration of this blog and everything Inner Constellation represents--they are all sparks of the Divine. As I study Grant's website, I see a little line written at the bottom of a webpage, an expression many of us desperately need to hear and take to heart:

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Mad Luv. --Korg

In my heart's work with survivors of trauma, I'm continually faced with the balance of acknowledging tragic events but ultimately finding ways to transform the challenge (Inner Constellation Truth #3). Unwavering gratitude is key; recognizing the gifts is a life practice. At the end of Grant's talk, he reminded the crowd of something dear to my heart--"we are all survivors." Thank you, Grant Korgan and team for a most excellent tribute to what is  lasting and true, and unbreakable



Malala Yusafzai: "There is this quality in me – I’m ready for all situations."

Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Malala Yusafzai, Pakistani Activist
I cannot get out of my mind (and heart) the 14 year old Pakistani girl shot in the head for speaking out against the Taliban. I've watched a 2009 documentary which profiled Malala and her family's struggle to educate young women in their village of Swat (warning, there are a few brief but disturbing images). This young woman is incredible, and her strength, bravery and courage is providing fuel for her recovery. I learned she's been a blogger for the BBC since the age of 11, writing under a pen name to avoid being targeted. A young Malala chronicled the two weeks of her life before the Taliban education ban was enforced in a diary which can be read online. In the years following, she gained momentum as she gave speeches in support of education for girls.

Her North Stars are clearly education for women and freedom for her people. There's an Urdi saying, "kis mitti kay banee ho?"--"from what clay were you fashioned?" What makes a child coming from the same soil as the Taliban, decide she will stand up for ideals precious to her: education and freedom, even though surrounding her is the constant expression of their opposites--degradation and oppression? These are my persistent ponderings when I hear Malala Yusafzai's story. What drives the girls in Malala's school to full attendance in the days following her murder attempt? These girls know an eternal truth--each human life is holy, precious and deserving, and this knowledge overshadows self-preservation. As the world responds with a wave of outcry to the brutal attempt to silence Malala Yusafzai, we lend voice to her recorded struggle:

"Sometimes I imagine I'm going along and the Taliban stop me. I take my sandal and hit them on the face and say what you're doing is wrong. Education is our right, don't take it from us. There is this quality in me--I'm ready for all situations. So even if (God let this not happen) they kill me, I'll first say to them, what you're doing is wrong."

Flipping the Switch from Pity to Power

Thursday, October 11, 2012
This weekend I had the honor to work a convention for APRIL, a grass roots association dedicated to independent living for rural people with disabilities. I started my weekend at the youth convention. I left there with much to ponder but probably the biggest take-away was the human desire to be accepted for who one is, including one's quirks and disabilities. The kids spoke honestly of their greatest difficulties. Surprisingly I never heard a physical complaint all weekend (although many of them were physically challenged), nor was their focus lack of adaptive equipment or accommodations. Their unified hardship was a great desire to be accepted by their communities and loved ones. While the seasoned older folks with disabilities seemed busy lobbying congress and changing laws at the state and local level, the kids were asking for something that monetarily costs nothing to give, acceptance--the very foundation for achieving equal access. APRIL youth are wise beyond their years!

The APRIL youth steering committee suggested that inclusion takes a change in attitude, not just from society but from those seeking acceptance. The APRIL conference focused on empowering youth to take action steps towards what they wanted, thus their motto, "Flipping the Switch from Pity to Power." I met a beautiful young woman who used her Cerebral Palsy as a platform to educate youth in her former Middle School and High School about the history of people with disabilities. Another young man with Asperger Syndrome spoke eloquently of the body as simply being an illusion and the essence of people being good and worthy of recognition. Simply put, APRIL youth blew me away! I was challenged to look at what I can do in my influence as a teacher, educator and therapist to encourage acceptance and tolerance. The weekend was fuel for my personal North Star--Establish compassion as the #1 condition. Compassion = love in action. Go APRIL youth!!!!

"T ain't no sin to take off your skin and dance around in your bones." Sanctuary Part 3

Sunday, September 30, 2012
Part three of consciously finding refuge or safety when things get a little crazy, looks something like this: what are the THINGS that give you pleasure and put you back on solid ground? Part 1 was all about place, Part 2 about people, now, lastly, Part 3--things. What THINGS get your equilibrium back? Is it Music?

"...When you hear sweet syncopation, and the music softly moans...."

Is it food?

"...When it gets too hot for comfort, and you can't get an ice cream cone...."

Is it activities?

"T ain't no sin to take off your skin and dance around in your bones!"

What massages your nervous system back into proper working order? You know my list: Meridian Tapping, running, biking, tennis, eMwave 2, writing (one of the top refuge activities for me), the great outdoors, reading, hugs, my kitty (although I consider "Yogini" beyond a "thing":). I could fill the page! Connect this week to THINGS that boost your sanctuary, your sense of safety. I would love to hear top refuges. Gotta go, do you hear that sweet syncopation?



"We go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong..." Sanctuary Part 2

Sunday, September 23, 2012
"...remembered for ever like
shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom...."

Have you ever met someone and found a strangely familiar, yet perfect fit? My Tahoe mom describes it something like this: if we were all 5 pointed stars, it would be like your points line up just right, rather than jangle and tangle in an awful mess. Our star points lining up is a perfect Inner Constellation metaphor for sanctuary of person. When you're stressed and feeling depleted who are the people in whom you seek refuge? It's especially important in times of stress to have clear discernment between those who offer comfort versus those who add to your distress. 


A good friend of mine refers to her refuge people as "the committee," wise folks to whom she turns in times of need. Cultivating such a "committee" is vital. I even go so far as to draw from folks in history who have inspired me (IC Truth #2 Energy never dies, it just changes form). Perhaps refuge is found through a departed grandparent, a heroine or a historical figure. Heck, another friend of mine when faced with indecision asks, "What would Frazier do?" 
Finding shelter through connection with heartening people lessens isolation and adds to our resourcefulness. Who are your sanctuary people from the past and/or the present?
"....When we go out at night
shoo-bop
That's the way it should be
Wha oooh yeah!"



And stars are shinin' bright.......Chang chang chang-it-ty chang 

Inside the Absence of Fear - Sanctuary Part 1

Monday, September 17, 2012
In my work with trauma recovery, I'm constantly exploring the importance of sanctuary. Other words for it might be safety or refuge. When I ask folks what provides a sense of sanctuary, often their replies fall into three distinct groupings: places, people or things.

I love the idea that we can self-regulate our well-being and turn around discouraging situations by consciously becoming aware of what brings comfort. Today, I'm remembering my first recollection of establishing sanctuary....

Fireplace
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

Little one sits inside the hearth,
inside the dark alcove.
It holds her body and limbs like kindling,
igniting a warm central fire 
in spite of the home and its residents.

She doesn’t yet speak
but discerns most acutely
sharp and unforgiving words
shooting out in every jagged direction.
Tiny body knows—
cold becomes warm near fire,
and so she sits inside the hearth,
wills her bright flame to hot intensity
until she is far up and away,
a wisp escaping through the chimney.

She is not the first bright flame to crawl inside that fireplace.
A tender smile crosses the face of one whose heart is also kindled,
remembering true sanctuary.

May you find comfort today in remembering places that inspire and care for you. 


9-11 Tribute Beyond NYC

Tuesday, September 11, 2012
As I watch the remembrance ceremonies, I think of the two "North Stars" or truths of my Inner Constellation work:

1) Energy never dies it just changes form
2) Everything, no matter how challenging, has the ability to be transformed

It's been eleven years since 9-11, yet the energy of the tragedy is still very much part of the lives and memories of people gathered at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field in Shanksville, Pa. It's also a global day of remembrance for the citizens from over 90 countries who lost their lives. Loved ones speak of still hearing the voices and seeing the hands and faces of those who passed. Living reminders are apparent in the children present and the features or traits very much expressed. In the traditional reading of the names, I find myself recognizing transformation. Every single thing is in a constant state of flux--what does 9-11 have to teach us eleven years later?

There's mention of "Patriot Day" established as a reminder to help those struggling with loss and to take care of one another. I know this state of goodness is inherent in the majority of people when a tragedy strikes--it's the driving force for transformation. 

I'm determined today to remember those who passed by seeking every opportunity to be kind--energy never dies, it just changes form. This evening I will end my day of remembrance in my backyard garden. I will turn on my waterfall, clean my birdbath, groom my garden and all the while be awake to the change of season, the interplay of lengthening light before my eyes, on my skin and occupying the attention of my senses. I will give praise and pray peace for all those remembering, and by their very act, transforming 9-11. Everything, no matter how challenging, has the ability to be transformed. 

Free Talk Friday, September 14, 2012

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Tapfests Starting in September!!!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I was recently invited to join The Studio Lake Tahoe in Meyers, California, and I'm now offering private and group sessions as well as talks and workshops in the beautiful space at 1089 Magua Street. So, as a promotion and celebration, I had the idea to begin "Tapfests" starting in September, 2012. Every Sunday from 2:00-3:30pm you are cordially invited to attend a group tapping session with other dedicated tappers who will use the power of more-than-one to usher in relief for physical and emotional ailments. Group tapping is my absolute favorite forum for the self-applied meridian therapy techniques. I've found combined intention to be one of the most powerful ways to move the body into a state of receptivity. It doesn't matter if you are new to meridian tapping or have been using it for awhile, every Sunday promises a mini-retreat of pointers, support and community.

Each hour and a half session is a reasonable $10.00, or if you buy a 10 session card, the price is lowered to $8.00 a session. As is Inner Constellation's gratitude policy--Veterans are always free! Give yourself and those you love the gift of a weekly group Tapfest and see the difference in not only your Inner Constellation, but in your outer constellation of family, friends and community.

Inner Constellation Tapfest
Every Sunday starting September 2
at The Studio Lake Tahoe
1089 Magua Street
Meyers, CA 96150
(10 minutes from the "Y" in South Lake Tahoe, CA)

For more information, feel free to contact me. Come join the party!

Downwind from Flowers

Monday, August 13, 2012

Downwind from Flowers:
Dedicated to the Healing of Chris Alper

Written: July 31, 2012
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

A remarkable hospice nurse, Lee Paton, told a story—
a Tibetan refugee named Tenzin was diagnosed with lymphoma.
While receiving his first dose of chemotherapy,
Tenzin’s gentle disposition turned angry and upset.
Pulling out the IV, he refused to cooperate.
The patient’s wife explained:
Tenzin had been a political prisoner for 17 years at the hand of the Chinese,
who had killed his first wife and brutalized him throughout imprisonment.
“I know you mean to help him,” she consoled, “but he feels tortured by your treatments.
They are causing him to feel hatred inside, just like he felt toward the Chinese.
He would rather die than live with the hatred he is now feeling.
According to our belief, it is very bad to have hatred in your heart at the time of death.
He needs to be able to pray and cleanse his heart.”

A hospice nurse was assigned to Tenzin’s care,
who encouraged him to talk through his horrible memories.
Tenzin held up his hand, stopping the well-meaning professional,
“I must learn to love again if I am to heal my soul.
Your job is not to ask me questions. Your job is to teach me to love again.”
The nurse took a deep breath and asked how she was to do this,
to which Tenzin replied, “Sit down, drink my tea and eat my cookies.”
Tea with the married couple commenced:
strong black liquid laced with yak butter and salt was endured for several weeks.
Throughout the winter months, Doctors treated Tenzin’s physical pain
as the patient tended his spirit, routinely sitting cross legged and praying.
The Tibetan couple hung more and more colorful “thankas,” or Tibetan religious art,
transforming Tenzin’s room into a beautiful shrine.

Spring arrived.
Hospice nurse asked Tenzin what Tibetans do when they fall ill in the spring.
Smiling brightly, he answered,
 “We sit downwind from flowers.”
Poetic, but not simply metaphorical.
He explained that to sit downwind
is to be dusted with new blossom’s pollen,
carried on spring breeze.
How to achieve such remedy?
Local nurseries were called
and when the unusual request
to sit downwind from flowers
was explained, one manager agreed.

To the florist were escorted, Tenzin, wife and all provisions:
black tea, butter, salt, cookies, cups and tea pot, prayer beads and prayer books.
Each week, Tenzin and his wife visited another nursery
until the hospice nurse began to get calls of invitation—
“New shipments of Nicotiana, Fuschias, and oh, yes! Daphne!
And new lawn furniture the couple might enjoy.”
A different nursery called—
colorful windsocks had arrived
that would help Tenzin predict where the wind was blowing.
Nurseries and their patrons began tending and caring for the couple:
refreshing hot water for tea,
monitoring the direction of the wind,
leaving wagons of budding flowers close by.

Summer ended.
Tenzin returned to the doctor for a CT scan to determine the spread of cancer.
Dumbfounded, Doctor found no trace, reporting it was unexplainable. 
Tenzin lifted his finger, saying, “I know why….
When I began to feel all the compassion
from all those people who wanted to know about me,
I started to change inside.
Now, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to heal in this way.
Doctor, please don’t think that your medicine is the only cure.”

Cures come in a myriad of forms and combinations,
affecting many layers of disease—
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Perhaps when faced with circumstances repressing heart’s capacity to love,
sit downwind from flowers,
receive strong medicine of prayer, beauty, appreciation, compassion
from those who hold the vision of healing.


Poem adapted from Lee Paton's story
Listen to an inspirational talk incorporating Lee Paton’s story


"I am McLovin!"

Friday, August 10, 2012
Does this picture jog any memories from the movie, "Superbad?" The character Fogell gets a fake ID and out of any name he could choose he decides on simply, McLovin. Out of any state to call home, he opts for Hawaii, whose advertising slogan is, "the islands of Aloha," meaning, "affection, peace, compassion, mercy." Before the (fake) ID shift, he was a total dork; however, after becoming, "McLovin," he becomes an endearing social magnet. He's utterly transformed through identification with all things McLovin. Now if I might stretch a bit from here, the Buddha spoke a discourse that beautifully articulates shifting one's identity to that of love:

"This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding...."

Metta Sutta
Gautama Buddha 

Although getting a fake ID is far easier than embodying the Metta Sutta, we can be inspired by Buddha's words and use the practice of Loving-Kindness, or Metta to soften our hearts and foster more love, in a sense--become McLovin!

Olympians' North Stars

Monday, July 30, 2012
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!

Thursday, July 19, 2012
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..."

Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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!"

Saturday, June 30, 2012
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)

Friday, June 22, 2012
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

Thursday, June 7, 2012
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

Saturday, May 26, 2012
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.  

Large Intestine Constellation

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Active Time:  5-7 am
Element: metal
Fundamental Principle: yang
Season: late summer

Our guts are a freak of nature! The small intestine is about 20 feet and large intestine is about 5 feet—“large” referring to width versus length. So, the Braveheart movie did not over exaggerate Mel Gibson's innards! As far as meridians go, the Large Intestine (LI) meridian is actually short by comparison to the other energy channels. It begins at the inside nail bed of each index finger (closest to thumb) and travels directly up the arm to the hinge of the elbow, over the bicep to reach the outside of the shoulder. Here it diverges into two branches, one that goes into the lungs, diaphragm and large intestine, and the other continuing up the neck, across the upper lip to end at the flare on the opposite side of the nose. LI rules elimination, deciding what is needed for nutrition and letting the rest go. Emotional indicators of a LI out of balance might include controlling qualities or difficulty letting go of something that no longer serves a purpose, even to the extreme of retaining what is known to be toxic. In its balanced state, LI rises to the occasion in challenging situations and helps us notice, digest and process the take-away lessons.  Physical disharmony is indicated by illnesses of the head, face and throat area, often showing up as toothaches, runny noses, yellow eyes, excessive thirst and sore throats. Pain in the shoulders, arms and index fingers as well as intestinal problems can be indicators of LI out of balance.

Large Intestine is a yang meridian, most active during the hours of 5-7am. It’s associated with the element of metal. When I include LI meridian in the tapping sequence, I like to access it at LI-1 or the inside nail bed of the index finger. It can also be easily found at the flare of the nose, or LI-20. These beginning and end points are practical points for targeting a sore throat, runny nose, or flu like symptoms like diarrhea or intestinal upset. Fall is the season tied to the element of metal, and it’s this time of year when the associated meridians are most vulnerable. It makes sense that autumn is often when cold and flu season kicks off.  May your next flu season be avoided with a preventative tapping boost to your Large Intestine meridian!

Lung Constellation

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Lung Meridan
Anterior (Front)
Active Time:  3-5am
Element: metal
Fundamental Principle: yin
Season: autumn

Next up is Lung meridian. Lung meridian is extremely easy to access at the endpoint located at the base of the inside thumbnail (LU-11). In fact, you can tap or pressure this point as you’re reading this article to give your breathing a quick boost. The primary functions of Lung (LU) meridian is regulating and moving breath throughout the entire body. We can find ourselves unintentionally holding our breaths for a number of reasons, the causes I primarily see are due to pain, stress or trauma. A good way to work with LU meridian is to take a full breath and then rate it using a 0-10 scale, 0 being shallow to flat-lining (yikes) and 10 being full and uncompromised. From here, take full and easy breaths while tapping or pressuring the LU-11 point. If your breath catches, that’s OK, just keep breathing and tapping. After about six breaths, reassess the number. If it hasn’t improved significantly, proceed through the entire basic recipe of the meridian sequence or consider doing the Collarbone Breathing Technique (stay tuned for a future article on this treatment or contact me to learn more). Often when I’m working on a client, full breathing is the first thing I notice naturally return to the body. I like to call breath, “nature’s self-correcting mechanism.” Symptoms of imbalanced LU meridian can present as distension or a full sensation in the chest, asthma, allergies, coughing, restlessness, skin issues and fatigue. From an emotional perspective, LU upset can often show up as excessive grieving or extreme rigidity. When LU meridian is balanced a person is organized yet flexible, with heart-felt sensitivity toward others.

LU is a yin meridian associated with the element of metal and is most active during the hours of 3-5am. Tracing LU meridian is very easy and you can follow the diagram above, starting at the front of the shoulder and tracing down the medial side of the arm and off the outer thumb (LU-11).

Well, that’s it for today, IC peeps. Are you still tapping LU-11? How’s your breathing? May it flow with ease today J

Liver Constellation

Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Active Time:  1-3am
Element: wood
Fundamental Principle: yin
Season: spring

The liver is the largest organ in the body and has many functions. The major role of liver is to remove toxins and assure the flow of blood throughout the body. It also controls immune response as well as the sinews and is associated with the eyes. Where Gallbladder meridian is associated with looking outward, Liver Meridian is associated with looking inward. Deficiencies in LR meridian flow can lead to moodiness, depression and guilt, whereas an excess of liver energy can lead to excessive drama and anger, especially against oneself. Physical Liver (LR) meridian issues often appear as problems in the liver and genital systems. Symptoms may include dizziness, high blood pressure, hernias, distended lower abdomens in woman, nausea, allergies, incontinence and eye problems. This is also an effective meridian to treat if you have poor blood circulation, exacerbated by damp conditions.

Liver is a yin meridian, most active between the hours of 1-3am. It’s associated with the wood element. To trace the LR meridian start at the inside of your big toes and travel straight up the insides of the legs, flaring out at the hips, then back underneath the ribcage in line with the breasts.  In the tapping algorithms, I like to access the ends of this meridian at LR-14 which are directly below the nipples, typically where a women’s bra line might be (men, use your imagination:).  Often this point is avoided by practitioners of meridian tapping because of the sensitive location (close to the breasts), however, it’s a vital point, especially tied to women issues, and I include it in the basic recipe of tapping that I use with clients.  

Beware Lycanthropes--Fullest Moon in 15 Years!

Saturday, May 5, 2012
I just got a call from a dear friend informing me the moon is 14% bigger and 30% brighter tonight! It hasn't been so full since 1997 and won't happen again until 2016. The best viewing is supposedly at 8:35pm PST as it's rising for the night. Waves will be more intense as will dreams. Before fading off to the otherworld, get out there and enjoy the illumination. Here's a poem to get your moon juices flowing....

Silent Remedy
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

In moon’s fullness,
Silhouette wades along water’s edge,

Fills vial with water,
Adds powder to liquid.

Swirl, swirl, swirl.

Night reflections mingle inside, 
Illuminating a wizened face.

Threads of melody,
Escape toothless smile

Voice high, then low.

Ancient water song accompanies waves,
Lapping shore.

Gallbladder Constellation

Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Active Time:  11pm-1am
Element: wood
Fundamental Principle: yang
Season: spring

The Gall Bladder is in charge of making and storing bile required to digest and metabolize fats and oils. It works closely with the lymphatic system to clear toxins, thereby eliminating muscular aches and fatigue.
 On rare occasion, when I break down and eat McDonald French fries (I hear you groaning, but what can I say), I’ll activate the GB meridian as my saving grace! From an emotional angle, gall bladder governs decision making, judgment and courage (think of the saying, “a lot of gall”). Gall Bladder (GB) meridian is rather lengthy, and if you’re interested in tracing it, is probably best understood by watching this brief youtube video at 6:46. The prime time of GB meridian is between the hours of 11p-1a. If GB is deficient, a person may wake very early in the morning and be unable to fall back to sleep. Other symptoms of imbalance in GB meridian is frequent sighing, headaches, jaw pain, swelling in glands, fever and nausea. Emotionally, GB out of balance might present as indecisiveness, mental instability and being outwardly focused to the point of rage and judgment toward others. 

GB is a yang meridian associated with the wood element. I most easily access the GB meridian by holding or tapping the GB-1 point, referred to as the side of eye point, in the flat area right in front of the temple. Interestingly, people intuitively go to GB-1 and massage at the onset of stress or when experiencing a headache--which is indicative of GB meridian imbalance. At the onset of a tension head-ache, give GB-1 some attention and see if relief follows.


Da-Dum...Da-Dum....Da-Dum Da-Dum Da-Dum!

Thursday, April 19, 2012
In my new adventure of living by the motto: everything is energy and the body is the interface, I learned something unexpected today while visiting a Microbiology lab--sharks have a sixth sense. They have small (is anything small on a shark?), pore-shaped canals that pepper their snouts and heads enabling them to detect electricity. All living creatures create their own electric fields, and fish are no exception (Inner Constellation Truth No. 1--Everything is energy....). When fish swim or slightly move, for instance, breathing through their gills, a change is created in the surrounding electric field. Sharks, by virtue of the hundreds of electrically sensitive, gel filled canals in their heads, detect this shift. How cool is that?

Imagine experiencing a shark's sensory world. Brandon Brown from University of San Francisco wished to do just that and extracted gel from sharks' snouts (died naturally, of course). He found that the gel behaves similar to a thermostat, detecting the slightest temperature changes given off by prey and translating them into electrical signals. Perhaps shark should be the IC mascot--they are a supreme example of, "Everything is energy, and the body is the interface."

Did you feel that? Da-Dum...Da-Dum...Da-Dum Da-Dum Da-Dum!

Rub Buddha's Belly

Friday, April 13, 2012
I haven't written a Freedom Series article since end of January, and when I read this quote from Gautama Buddha, I knew he needed to be our celebrated Inner Constellation hero for the month of April:

"Do not believe a thing simply because it has been said.
Do not put your faith in traditions only because they have been honored by many generations.
Do not believe a thing because the general opinion believes it to be true or because it has been said repeatedly.
Do not believe a thing because of the single witness of one of the sages of antiquity.
Do not believe a thing because the probabilities are in its favor, or because you are in the habit of believing it to be true.
Do not believe in that which comes to your imagination, thinking that it must be the revelation of a superior Being.
Believe nothing that binds you to the sole authority of your masters or priests.
That which you have tried yourself, which you have experienced, which you have recognized as true, and which will be beneficial to you and to others; believe that, and shape your conduct to it."

Buddha knew that experiential understanding is far superior to outside authority. I received my fair share of outside authority first thing this morning--emails, factoids, media all accessed at the click of a mouse or touchpad. And then, I stumbled across Gautama Buddha's words and remembered my motto: Everything is Energy; the body is the interface. All this information streaming in 24/7, what do I wish to give energy to and multiply? What's my Inner Constellation saying right now if I stop and go inside and reconnect to my North Stars...."that which you have recognized as true, and which will be beneficial to you and to others; believe that, and shape your conduct to it." Laughing Buddha wears a smile because he has identified his North Stars, charted his course and has arrived. May his jolly happiness rub off on you today.

Triple Energizer Constellation: Resurrection!

Sunday, April 8, 2012
Active Time:  9-11pm
Element: fire
Fundamental Principle: yang
Season: summer

Happy Easter! It seems the perfect day to highlight Triple Energizer (TE) meridian, also known as Triple Warmer. TE is best known for circulating energy flow throughout the following three warmers inside our cores: 1) heart and lungs to aid respiration (from diaphragm upward) 2) stomach to aid digestion (between diaphragm and navel) 3) intestines to aid elimination (from the navel and below). Triple Energizer also regulates our immune system and flight-fight-freeze response; its job is to keep you alive at all cost. In today's fast paced world, I find many people's Triple Energizer in perpetual overwhelm, often stuck in survival response. When this happens, extreme emotions ranging from hyper-arousal and angst to extreme fatigue can be experienced.

TE is a yang meridian associated with the element of fire and is most active between the hours of 9-11pm. It's very easy to trace, starting at the ring finger and tracing directly over the back of your hand, up the arm, across the shoulder and straight up the neck to the base of the ear. Go around the outside of ear to end near the temple at the hairline. I find that if one is tired, tracing this meridian in the direction just indicated is energizing. If you find that you're stressed or overstimulated, TE can be sedated by reversing the direction of the trace, starting at the hairline temple area, going down and around your ear and ending at your ring finger. Another balancing tip is tapping on TE-3 (commonly referred to as the Gamut Point in meridian tapping). TE-3 is located on the top of the hand between the ring finger and pinky in the valley between the bones of the 4th and 5th metacarpals. This point is commonly called the bodies "reset button." I include TE-3 in algorithms for insomnia, trauma, thyroid imbalances, menopause, stress and PTSD just to name a few.

When Triple Energizer is flowing in a balanced state one feels safe, protected and capable. When its flow is disturbed, defense is elevated above any other purpose. TE is a great meridian to target if you wish to transform a perceived threat into a transformative experience. I've developed the following practice to employ when one feels the body go into a reactive state unnecessarily: while resting one hand over the heart and tapping the TE-3 gamut point affirm, "Even though in the past, I've reacted with fight, flight or freeze, I now open to the practice of flow."

Spring has Sprung!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012
A storm hit my mountain town this weekend and inspired a contemplative piece on resiliency. Hope you all are healthy, strong and feeling like spring chicks :) 

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb
©Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

It is spring.
I am 2,695 miles from my childhood place,
my family of origin:
ebbs, flows, impressions, memories of that land.
I sit inside my warm home,
watching snow fall:
swirl, lift, rise before it settles.
I am peace.
Unsuspecting storm reminds--
peace wasn't always so.

Gratitude remembers freedom's blossoming:
bared feet, sink toes in deep,
curl around a sun-warmed sandy shore.
Breath I did not realize I held, releases.
Awestruck at the depths,
I look across watery layers: turquoise, cobalt, royal blue
and only after receiving my fill
take further in
surrounding spring drenched mountains.

I am peace.