Whenever you’re about to embark on a new journey, or are facing a challenge (illness, loss of job, ending of marriage, etc) you encounter something called liminal space – this is the period of time when you’re standing on the edge of the unknown, often in a state of fear or anxiety. This is the opposite of your comfort zone, and yet it’s often where some of the yumminess of life takes place.
Think about it – before your first kiss, on your wedding day, being in labor with your baby – all of these times were usually scary as hell and yet the most memorable, formative, and rewarding. In all of these times you experienced a period of liminal space. You had a choice about how to react. You could tolerate it, suppress it, or lean into it. We all know what it feels like to choose all of these paths, so maybe we ought to pay attention to when we’re in a liminal space, so as to be mindful about it, rather than unconscious. This can help us avoid prolonged liminality, aka, more suffering!
Ecological theologian Sallie McFague describes the liminal space as “a space where one is available for deep change from the conventional model of living to another one.”
While this liminal space is uncomfortable, ambiguous, and uncertain, it is also freeing. It is necessary for change and growth.
Anytime you feel anxious or afraid, it’s information. What often makes it worse is the meaning we attach to the fear, and therefore the belief we take on about it, which then creates more fear. So when you notice yourself feeling afraid, greet it, befriend it – ask it what it needs. If you drink a bunch of wine or turn on the TV, you’ve only suppressed it, making the discomfort last longer than necessary.
I know that there have been times when I didn’t want to hear what my fear needed – I was afraid of what it had to tell me. The most difficult experience of this was in my previous marriage when my intuition (the way your higher-self talks to you) was begging me to get out of the relationship but my subconscious (child-self) was too afraid of what was on the other side – too afraid of the liminal space. So I stayed way longer than I should have, and as a result suffered from severe depression, anxiety, and IBS, until it got so bad that I was willing to do anything to feel different. I mustered up the little courage and life I had left and ended the marriage, diving into the unknown.
I have grown since my divorce, more than I can articulate in words. It’s in the way I feel and walk in the world now – with more confidence, power, and trust in myself and this crazy thing we call life. My intuition was guiding me to a more fulfilling path, a healthier partner, and a more joyful human experience, I just had to surrender to my truth and take action.
Everything in your life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you.
If you’re stuck, get help. There are coaches, therapists, doctors, naturopaths, support groups, meetups, books, Ted Talks, and so many other ways to get support. Listen to your gut and it will guide you to the tools that will help you become more of who you know you’re meant to be. Your higher-self is BEGGING you to open yourself to becoming the greatest expression of love that you can be while you’re on this earth so that you can leave it better than when you found it. If not for that, why else are we here?
“According to our research, in less than two decades the exponential rate of increase of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) around the world will soon prevent almost half of newborns worldwide from developing normally and with at least one birth defect.” -Dr Marin Eastman (Tobias Environmental Research Center, 2011)
8 years after this quote and this is our reality. The rates of autism, ADD, allergies, seizures, asthma, and childhood obesity and diabetes has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, and show no signs of slowing. It’s predicted that if current trends continue, 1 in 10 kids could be autistic by 2025.
Western Medicine has been of little help in pointing to the potential cause of this epidemic, focusing only on the treatment of symptoms, often using pharmaceuticals and invasive treatments. This is good news for insurance companies and Big Pharma, who make billions when people remain ill, but is terrible news for the rest of us. It means that we need to break out of the insurance model to find tools that will actually reverse and prevent disease, and not rely on our doctors for all the answers.
In a country where over 40% of adults are obese, over 30% of the population suffers from anxiety or depression, and it’s expected that over 37% of us will have cancer at some point in our lives, I find it interesting when people still swear ONLY by Western Medicine, claiming it has all the answers. If we want to turn these trends around, we have to learn how to think outside the box and not expect that everything can be solved with a pill. I suspect that the reason why most people are resistant to this idea is because getting to the root of imbalances requires a lot more effort than taking a prescription.
“The key to creating health is figuring out the cause of the problem and then providing the right conditions for the body and soul to thrive. It isn’t taking another medication.” ~ Mark Hyman, M.D.
Here’s the reality: The POPs (persistent organic pollutants) that we are all exposed to simply by being alive in the 21st century accumulate in the fatty tissues (brain, breasts, reproductive organs) and have been shown to pass easily into the placenta and breast milk of pregnant mothers. These POPs remain in the environment, even if the EPA bans their use. This means that with each new generation, a concentrated level of POPs are passed down, making it SO important for parents to detox before conception. This is how we will stop this cycle from continuing.
But aren’t these conditions genetic?
No. You are a result of both genetics and epigenetics (the environment around the gene). A copy of your genes is found inside each of your ten trillion cell nuclei. Gene expression itself is dependent on minerals bound to enzymes, which are specialized peptides made from amino acids. If the inside of your cell is clogged up with rancid oils, heavy metals, estrogenic chemicals, and artificial sweeteners and preservatives, then your cell’s manufacturing assembly line will have the wrong parts from which to build new proteins and peptides. When your cells spit out the wrong product, it is broadcasting the wrong message to the body. This miscommunication then triggers a cascade of other problems, which eventually turn into uncomfortably symptoms and a “diagnoses of disease”. But, if your diet is free of GMO foods and pesticides, and when you eat a diverse, nutrient dense diet, your “epigenetic” environment will tend to write blueprints that tell your genes to make “healthy, disease-free” proteins. However, before this will make a difference, you must first clean out the toxic build-up that has accumulated in your body over the years.
“Our body’s natural detoxification system is designed to support our health by eliminating waste products from our metabolism and from environmental toxins. Like any other hardworking system, it needs periodic rest and support to continue functioning optimally.” -Mark Hyman, MD
So I can run down to Super Supplements to grab a bottle of “liver detox” and call it good, right?
Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to a comprehensive detox than just taking a supplement.
In order to detox safely and effectively you must:
take a medical-grade detox supplement (which you can’t buy over-the-counter so you need to find a medical practitioner who specializes in this)
You need to eliminate ALL of the toxins from your diet and lifestyle (it’s usually way more than people think so you’ll want guidance)
Reduce stress (otherwise your liver and organs won’t be able to heal)
Do all of this for at least 2-3 weeks, 2-4 times a year
The first time I did a 21 day detox I was shocked at how quickly I noticed results. It’s really normal to feel crappy for the first few days (especially if you’re eliminating toxins you consume regularly, like caffeine, sugar, gluten, and alcohol). I knew this would happen because I was working with a Functional Medicine provider who was guiding me through the process. After about 5 days it felt as if the fog was lifting. My digestion improved significantly, my acne started to go away, and I began to feel more mental clarity. But the detox was only one piece of the puzzle.
Because I had been struggling with chronic anxiety, depression, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) for years, I decided that I would finally invest in some testing in addition to doing the detox. I ended up doing a Food sensitivity blood test that revealed 26 foods I was unknowingly reacting to as a result of Leaky Gut, and a Salivary hormone test that showed I was in stage-3 adrenal fatigue. Do you notice bloating/gas after eating certain foods, but have trouble pin-pointing what it is you’re reacting to? So did I. That’s why investing in this test was so worth it for me – no more guessing!
With the data in front of me I felt so much relief, even though the results weren’t great. I had gone from doctor to doctor seeking help and never once did they ask me what I was eating or why I was stressed. They only offered antibiotics and antidepressants, which I refused adamantly because I KNEW something else was wrong and that my body wasn’t deficient in medication – that would only offer a band-aid, not a cure. Thank goodness I trusted my gut, because once I implemented the lifestyle changes and supplements recommended by my coach, everything changed for the better.
Within 4 weeks of beginning this detoxification protocol I lost 15 lbs (we retain water when inflamed), felt more energy, had less gas/bloating, my acne and eczema was nearly gone, I was starting to wake with energy, and was quickly learning how to feed myself correctly. The foods I was reacting to were eliminated for 5 months and then I retested, revealing a significant reduction in the sensitivities. Many of the foods that I was previously reacting to were now in the clear, since that 5 months gave my body time to reduce the immune response my body had created as a result of food proteins leaking into the bloodstream through the small intestine. Every American has Leaky Gut unless they’ve actively worked on healing it, meaning parents pass it down to their children unless they’ve done the repair before conception.
In addition to physical symptoms improving, my mental health was also changing. I began doing hypnotherapy around this time and was able to release trauma and other suppressed emotions that were contributing to my imbalances. Much like comprehensive lab testing gets to the root of many physical symptoms, hypnotherapy gets to the root (which is in the subconscious) of emotional imbalances like anxiety, depression, OCD, phobias, and addiction, and more. It’s been shown to be 94.9% effective in as few as 6 sessions for treating chronic imbalances. You can read more about it here.
“Half the trouble in life is caused by pretending there isn’t any.” -Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth
So let me ask you – when was the last time you did a comprehensive medical-grade detox? If the answer is never, then it’s safe to say that all of the toxins you’ve absorbed in your life are still in your system, contributing to that pain, congestion, heartburn, and bloating. And if it hasn’t already, you can guarantee that these symptoms will eventually get louder (and potentially turn into disease) and that inflammation will pass down to your future-children.
This doesn’t have to be your future. The tools are out there, you just have to use them.
If you’d like to work 1:1 to learn the tools that have brought me and my clients into balance, schedule a consultation here. All of my programs are individualized and meant to get straight to the root of your imbalances.
No matter which route you go, I wish you all the best in your wellness journey and hope you find the tools you need to live your best life. I truly believe that we are the microcosm of the macrocosm and that in order to change the world for the better we must first start with ourselves.
My step-father recently said I was like, “a gleeful elf lady.” Without context this could come off as a weird compliment, and even with context it’s still a little weird, but it still warmed my heart. My family used to refer to me as “Grinchy K”. This didn’t feel quite as good, but it’s mostly because I really felt like a grinch and didn’t like them calling me out for it. I’m not very good at hiding my bad moods and up until a few years ago they were more frequent than good moods.
Since about age 11 I’ve struggled with chronic anxiety, depression, and IBS. I didn’t know this until I was about 18 and was able to identify what anxiety and depression actually were, since up until then I never thought twice about the way I was feeling all the time. I assumed I was a typical hormonal teenager who liked to stay in bed as many hours as possible and would nearly vomit from nerves before getting asked to Homecoming – you know, normal teen stuff….right?
Once I got into college things really came to a head. My emotional and physical health tanked and I was desperate to find tools that would help me feel better. I went through extensive Functional Medicine lab testing for hormones, food sensitivities, GI health, and mineral/nutrient analysis and found that I had candida overgrowth, parasites, leaky gut, adrenal fatigue, heavy metals and super imbalanced minerals.
After several years of physical repair combined with hypnotherapy and meditation, I’m 95% better. I still get bouts of fatigue, anxiety, depression and bloating if I’m super stressed and not eating right, but at least I have the tools to bring me back to balance when I need. And that feels like a blessing.
The days of grinchy K are over – the gleeful elf lady has emerged and is sticking around!
So let me ask you? What needs to happen for your inner world to feel less grinchy so that you can make space for more glee?
If you want to learn more about individualized wellness programs that will empower you to transcend your imbalances, click here.
Fall has officially arrived and is distinctly marked by all of the “PSL” advertising, deliciously fragrant pumpkin candles lining store checkouts, and abundance of Uggs warming cold toesies.
I officially made “the switch” from a standard American diet to a 90% paleo diet in 2014 in an effort to get to the root of my anxiety, IBS and depression (I still eat rice and corn here and there on special occasions, but the bulk of what I eat is veggies and clean animal proteins…and chocolate). Eliminating these foods is one of the main reasons why I feel so much more balanced, all without prescription drugs. Western doctors told me my imbalances were genetic and that my food had no influence, but that medication would help with my chronic symptoms. Well, I proved them wrong, just like so many of you who are taking your health into your own hands. Within weeks of eliminating gluten, dairy, sugar and coffee (in conjunction with hypnotherapy), I felt better than I had in years.
However, I still grieved the foods I had grown accustomed to eating. I remember the first Fall when I realized I couldn’t order a pumpkin scone or pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. This was a tragic moment in my life – what is Fall without PSL?! I even prepared by wearing my Uggs and Lululemon!
To re-convince myself about why I was eliminating this stuff, I decided to look up what was in the pumpkin syrup used in the infamous PSL. In an effort to make the transition easier, I had started recreating some of my favorite comfort foods (like chocolate chip cookies) and found seeing the ingredients was a helpful place to start. In my blissful ignorance, I was shocked when I read the nutritional labels for the scone and latte. At the time, they were using high fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring in their recipes – both of which are carcinogenic and cause developmental delays. They’ve since omitted caramel color but still use high-fructose corn syrup in most of their popular recipes. You can read more about the dangers of caramel coloring here, because even though Starbucks has taken it out of recipes, it’s still hidden in all kinds of products, from cough drops to condiments, as shown below.
The more you learn about the food industry, the more you realize you have to take your health into your own hands. Companies are getting away with putting toxic chemicals in foods that children eat, all for the sake of aesthetic. So please, read your labels and be a responsible consumer, for the sake of your health and the health of future generations.
This pumpkin bread recipe is obviously free of anything inflammatory or toxic, and instead is loaded with nutrient-dense ingredients that will not only fuel you, but will also satiate the craving you have for something fall-y! I always double the recipe and freeze some pre-sliced pieces to pop in the toaster at any time. I found an organic maple butter that is to die for and it goes perfectly on a piece of toasted pumpkin bread. And guess what? It has one ingredient: maple syrup. Guess how many ingredients Starbucks pumpkin scones have? 39. Yep. And those ingredients include soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, wheat, dairy, and a truckload of preservatives, all of which contribute to chronic inflammation and disease. There’s a reason why people feel SO much better when they eliminate these foods. You are what you eat, so choose wisely 🙂
Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper so that the paper drapes over the sides like handles, then lightly coat with spray again.
In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, protein powder, arrowroot, collagen, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin spice. In a separate bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla.
Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Fold in any desired mix-ins.
Scrape into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes. Gently lift out the bread with the parchment overhang and place on the rack to finish cooling completely. Slice and enjoy with ghee, grass-fed butter or my personal favorite, maple butter.
Notes: double and freeze pre-sliced pieces that you can toast whenever you want. Will keep well in freezer for 3 months.
When was the last time you paused to consciously appreciate your body? Think about how much this vessel has done for you. In its infinite wisdom and synchronicity, it has healed your wounds, digested your food, created life, given you the ability to think and move, and does everything in its power to adapt to your environment.
Our bodies deserve a trophy – or even better, your love and care.
And yet, in our ever-distracting and over-stimulating lives we rarely give our bodies this kind of attention until they start screaming at us. You throw out your back, develop infertility, autoimmunity, cancer, or maybe your digestion starts to struggle. It seems rare that we treat out bodies with care until they beg us for it in the form of ailment, uncomfortable symptom or disease. And then the Western solution is pharmaceuticals, surgery or other invasive treatment. It really requires looking outside of the allopathic model to get to the root of why our bodies are out of balance, and for most of us to do this we usually have to be pretty miserable.
We used to live off the land. We were in tune with the cycles of nature, and as a result, much more in tune with ourselves.
Today, it’s so easy to ignore and numb discomfort. Take a pill, smoke a joint, have a drink, turn on the TV, eat some sugar – take your pick, we all know the ways in which we ignore the messages our bodies give us. That headache, cold, rash, infection, bloating, gas, constipation, joint pain, puffy eyes, congestion, weight gain, anxiety and depression are all signs of something deeper that needs to be balanced. With the rapid advancement of technology we’ve forgotten how to listen to our bodies and properly nourish them. We eat convenience ‘foods’ lacking entirely of nutrition, overwork ourselves, and coast through life until we get that slap in the face to wake up.
I am SO grateful for the slaps I got. Yes, slaps- it took me a while to finally wake up. I numbed with Netflix, pot, sugar, social media, and alcohol for years before I fully honored what my body was trying to tell me in the form of chronic anxiety, fatigue and depression, IBS, acne, and insomnia – something was out of alignment. My mind convinced me that the marriage I was in was what I wanted, that the food I ate was okay because everyone else seems to tolerate it! But once I hit the brink of being suicidal, I decided that I would start listening to my heart – the only messenger we should listen to.
Our feelings are our truth. Your mind can tell you something else, but if your body doesn’t agree, it doesn’t matter how many series your binge or how much pot you smoke – your truth will only get louder.
In an effort to honor my body, I finally took responsibility and changed my diet from junk-filled ‘Franken-foods’ that are void of nutrition, to a 80% plant based, gluten-free and organic one. Within weeks my IBS calmed down, my digestion improved, and I started to feel more energy. What a shocker, right? What you eat DOES affect how you feel! I started detoxing my liver every quarter, using nutraceutical-grade supplements and after each detox felt more and more in tune with myself and my purpose on this planet. I became more self-aware and began paying attention to my emotions, realizing that the marriage I was in was creating anxiety and wasn’t in my highest good, so I left. And it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
This shit isn’t easy. It isn’t convenient. It isn’t always fun.
But is living with chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression easy, convenient or fun? Is bloating after every meal and feeling cramping and pain in my gut and joints easy, convenient or fun? Of course not. Giving up crappy food and substances was hard at first, but looking back, I would do it over and over again, because now I feel more alive and energetic than I ever have. I know how to feed my body properly and how to honor the feelings that it gives me to alert me if something I’m thinking or doing isn’t in alignment with my highest good.
What a gift my imbalances were. I thank them every day for forcing me to wake up. For teaching me how to love and respect my body with healthy food, thoughts and lifestyle. If I hadn’t felt really bad, I wouldn’t have learned the tools that will help me stay balanced and prevent disease for the rest of my life; that will help optimize the health of my future-children and hopefully not add to the ADD, diabetes, seizure and autism statistics that continue to skyrocket every year because of the toxic load parents pass down. Studies have found that over 250 neurotoxins and chemicals that cause cancer and brain-development issues are being passed down to children in utero. Heavy metals are being passed down through breast milk. The research is horrifying and yet we continue to feed our bodies these toxins through our food, household cleaning products, cosmetics and environment- because it’s ‘convenient’.
The only way to combat the toxic load of the 21stcentury is to detox and be responsible about the food and products you expose to your body.Chronic disease is no longer optional, it’s inevitable unless you make serious changes. This requires hard work and investment. It requires guidance and support to be done properly. There is so much conflicting information out there and unfortunately the medical community who should be guiding us to well-being is owned by the pharmaceutical industry who makes money when you are ill. They have no vested interest in you eating healthy or detoxing because then they lose a reliable customer. Think about it- the US is one of the only countries where it’s even LEGAL for pharmaceuticals to advertise. Why should YOU be the one to ask your doctor about this new drug (that has tons of negative side-effects but will magically make your ulcerative colitis symptoms go away and allow you to continue feeding your body garbage)? If your doctor cared about your health, wouldn’t they be the one to recommend this magical drug that covers up your symptoms?
It’s come down to a simple but difficult choice: you can either join the revolution of people taking their health and vitality into their own hands, or become a disease statistic because you don’t want to invest in something your insurance doesn’t pay for. This starts with education – start reading free resources online, watch free documentaries, ask more questions of your medical professionals. You don’t have to break the bank to empower and advocate yourself.
I’m 25 and have been eating organic and detoxing quarterly since I was 19, while waiting tables and driving for Uber. So don’t tell me you can’t afford it. It comes down to priorities. I don’t want my future kids and grandkids to struggle with gut and emotional imbalances because I didn’t want to do the work. Because it was “too expensive” and “too inconvenient”. If there’s a will, there’s a way, but first it starts with education. Knowledge is power, so start learnin’!
Netflix docs I highly recommend are Heal, What the Health, The Magic Pill, Forks Over Knives, and Cowspiracy – now you can Netflix and Learn!
Lean into suffering. I know this sounds counterintuitive but hear me out. We will live an average of 78.69 years on earth and most of us will spend those years in a futile attempt to numb and distract from pain and suffering. We’ll go on stimulating vacations, pay for doctors and prescriptions, drink/smoke/vape/Juul/whatever new addictive trend is in, eat food and consume media that triggers as many dopamine/pleasure responses as possible—and all the while our deepest fears and pains still reside in our bodies and subconscious minds, ready to knock you off your center at any moment.
Avoidance is a recipe for bigger pain and louder suffering.
In the span of a few years I went from having mild anxiety to having chronic nausea, gut issues and depression, regular anxiety attacks and insomnia, and was quickly losing my will to live. It wasn’t until I faced my fear and suffering head on that I was able to get to the root of the unhealthy pattens and beliefs that were controlling my life.
Looking at my fear face to face was what eventually gave me emotional (and physical) freedom.
This is why I meditate. It isn’t easy. In fact it really sucks sometimes to sit for 30 minutes observing the noise in my head when all I want to do is sleep in a bit longer. But what this practice allows me to do is to understand the insanity of my human mind so that the ridiculous voices of my ego don’t control me anymore. The judgmental, self-doubty, scared little kid that lives inside all of us and does everything to feel powerful and in control. The one that really drives the car.
She felt disempowered many times as a little one. She didn’t have much of a choice about how to perceive the world as a kid. But that little one will not drive my adult life anymore. I have a choice in that.
That is why I continue to do my own hypnotherapy sessions with my therapist so that I can regress to impactful memories that solidified these unhealthy beliefs into my psyche- The traumatic but also sometimes first world situations that programmed my subconscious wiring.
Mom forgot to pick me up from school when I was 5 so sitting on the steps of primary school that little one decided that she wasn’t important. She decided to act small – now that a new neural pathway was formed with that belief she will continue to look for situations that confirm her lack of importance. Rather than see 5 of her close friends invite her to their birthday parties, she focuses on the fact that her best friend didn’t invite her to her party. See? I know I’m not important.
What happens in hypnotherapy is that I can scoop that little one up and remind her that she is important and loved. I can create a new belief with an adult mind that empowers me and helps to bring awareness to the numbing behaviors I partake in to avoid these negative self-perceptions. I have the power to create new, more productive neural pathways in my subconscious. I can literally rewire my mind.
That is real power. And it doesn’t come from avoiding fear and suffering. It comes from walking up to it and placing a graceful hand to its face and saying, “I see you. I hear you. I love you.”
Hypnotherapy is a tool that can guide you to those places in your subconscious mind that have control over your life. It provides a flashlight into your very programming. What do you think, is your mind ready for a software update?
If so, come see me for some hypnotherapy in Kirkland. A couple of 75 minute sessions just might offer you more insight than you’ll get from years of talk therapy.
Underneath this smile used to be more fear than I could name.
The weight of it was like a prison from which I couldn’t escape.
I made every effort to numb and suppress it with inflammatory
“comfort” food and drink, social media and my phone, Netflix/Hulu/HBO NOW/Starz
(I’m no amateur streamer), and pot. I was in a constant state of survival,
grasping for anything that would make the fear go away, even if only
temporarily.
Waking up each day was a battle. I would wake with panic and
nausea, and then the wave of judgement and shame would immobilize me even more.
How could I feel this way when I had so much to be grateful for? I had a family
and husband who loved me, a job I was passionate about, a beautiful home – how could
I be so entitled?
Eventually this bombardment of emotion was too much for my
body to take. It got to the point where I didn’t want to wake up anymore. I
would pray that I wouldn’t – if it would just free me from the constant pain
and anxiety that controlled my body, mind and spirit.
Once I reached rock bottom I realized that I had nothing to
lose. I was at a choice point: life or fear. So I summoned what little strength
I had left to connect to Universal Consciousness/God/Spirit/Divine/whatever you
want to call it- I was ready to do anything that would free me from the
constant struggle. Even though I hated it in the past, I felt guided to start meditating
and spend more time in nature.
Once I opened up the space for my Higher Self to guide me I
couldn’t ignore the messages about what needed to happen for me to come back to
life. And ultimately it meant ending a marriage with my best friend. I was ignoring
this truth for too long because it was too painful to face, so my body got
louder- the nausea and anxiety got worse.
I don’t regret that relationship, nor do I harbor any ill
feelings towards my ex. Neither of us did anything wrong, but our paths had to
go different ways for our highest good. And that was a terrifying truth to
face, but one that ultimately changed my life for the better.
Hiking the Isle of Skye, Scotland this past summer. One of the many magical experiences I had after releasing pent up fear.
This experience taught me how to listen to my body; a skill
that many of us lack, especially in such a distracting society. I now know how
to discern what is in my best interest and what is not, whether that be
relationships, food, experiences, or thoughts. As I continue to practice this
skill I realize how lost most of us really are because we don’t know how to
listen to our inner knowing. Each of us has a higher self (that gut instinct
you get? Yeah, that’s her) that is doing everything in her power to lead you
toward your highest good and life purpose. The more we ignore her, the louder
she gets. Trust me, don’t try to shut her up because she can out-scream you any
day of the week.
Are you suppressing emotions because they’re uncomfortable to
deal with? If you aren’t then you likely don’t have a pulse…
90% of our mind is subconscious. So every time you have a
stressful situation or emotion and choose to numb out with The Bachelor (Game
of Thrones is my poison of choice) or that Pumpkin Spice Latte and chocolate
muffin- all you’re really doing is shoving it down into your subconscious. That
shame or fear is having a party with all the other misfit emotions you weren’t
equipped to deal with and have suppressed, and eventually that casual party is
going to turn into a rager and the cops are going to come and your neighbors are
going to freak out and… you get the point. Shit is going to hit the fan
eventually. Your suppressed emotions are a ticking time bomb, patiently waiting
to turn into chronic anxiety or acne or cancer or autoimmunity or *fill in the
blank with any disease or symptom you’re not getting to the root of*, if they
haven’t already.
Playing in a river near Glen Coe, Scotland last July – chronic anxiety free!
But here’s what’s exciting! There are tools to heal these
traumas and suppressed emotions. You don’t have to keep living like this. Hypnotherapy
was one of the most powerful tools for releasing years and years of suppressed
emotions that were causing IBS, acne, depression, anxiety and ADD. I also had
to detox and change my diet to fully heal, but getting to the emotional root
was the biggest piece of the puzzle.
When I see pictures of myself now I can’t believe how light and bright I feel compared to a year ago. And love, you can have that, too. You just need to invest in yourself and your healing. Every moment of every day you have a choice. Life or fear?
I’m 13 days into my mum’s (@drkeesha) 40-day Abundance Practice and am experiencing the results already. The practice consists of doing a specific meditation for ten consecutive days and then repeating that 4 times until you reach 40 days, otherwise you start back on day 1. It’s a great way to stay consistent with your daily spiritual practice. Trust me, I have those mornings where I want to sleep in, thinking, “I’m sooo grounded right now, I don’t need to meditate today.” And then 5 hours later I wonder why normal things are overwhelming me more than usual. Some of us are slow learners…. cough, cough.
I’ve done the full 40 day abundance practice 6 times, and each time I do, I always feel more motivated and inspired than if I’m missing a day of meditation here and there. It’s amazing how powerful not speaking- just sitting in silence and focusing on your breath can be in making magic happen in your life.
In the abundance practice, you basically focus your awareness on abundance and divine energy and how it’s all around you (this could be physical abundance in your health, mental/emotional abundance, monetary abundance, career abundance, you name it) and change your mindset to really believe and feel this truth. Simple, right? Not really. That’s why having a guide to help rewire the automatic self-sabotaging thoughts is extremely effective, and that’s what the abundance practice does. All you do is read a short meditation -I like to write it in my journal as well- and then meditate for 5-30 minutes with this in the back of your mind and receive whatever guidance comes. It’s like tapping into the flow of the universe and attracting whatever energy you desire toward you. What you focus on you create more of. Trust me. This shit works.
These pictures are some of the abundance I’ve experienced recently. I manifested 2.5 months in Scotland and made it happen using the abundance practice. Better yet? I got to spend 2 of those weeks traveling around to the many sacred sites and stone circles in Scotland with my mom and bonus dad.
This is the Ring of Brogdar on Isle of Orkney, one of the amazing isles north of mainland Scotland. It’s an ancient structure, dating back to 3000BC that originally consisted of 60 standing stones (36 remain) and is believed to be a gathering site that forms a ring of stones around one of the many powerful energetic locations on the planet. Tapping into the energetic flow of universal intelligence/consciousness/god- whatever you want to call it- was easy there. It was like plugging in- I could literally feel a visceral change in energy when I walked inside the circle- a recharge of the soul- full of love, gratitude, nourishment, joy- it felt like all of the yumminess of the world converging in one place and it was all pouring into my being.
Mesa ceremony with mum in the center of the Ring was one of the most powerful mother/daughter bonding experiences I’ve ever had. Someone before us had left tobacco during their own ceremony. We didn’t move it, just added our own contributions. So lucky to call this mum mine.
And what this experience made me remember is that this yumminess is all around us, not just at sacred sites like Brogdar. Every time I sit down and meditate, or take a walk in nature, sink my feet in the sand, laugh with friends, eat delicious food, hear a beautiful song, see a devoted elderly couple holding hands- all of this is that catalytic energy that we can tap into to manifest whatever we desire in this life. But we forget because we’re too distracted and numbed out by our stress, electronics, media, dead/nutrient-lacking food, chemicals, and the rest of the 21st century that we lose focus of the beauty surrounding us. And then we feel sick, depressed, alone, anxious, and/or inflamed.
But the medicine for these imbalances is right there for your taking. All you have to do is focus your awareness on it. The laughter of a toddler, the vibrant colors of the forest, the way it feels to be held by someone you love, the stillness from sitting in meditation- that vibration, that feeling- you can harness it. Bring it close. You can soothe the worry of daily life with this medicine. Recharge your entire being with it.
And when you do, you’ll be amazed at how powerful you are. And you won’t be able to look back. You’ll see and experience abundance all around you. The goals that you’ve set your mind to- that promotion, the new clients, the vitality you used to have, the man of your dreams- all of those will start becoming your reality. It’s unreal how quickly it starts to unfold. It’s like we all have this superpower that we’re ignoring. Imagine what a wonderful world we would live in if each one of us took a few moments each day to tap into the life force of the universe.
Each one of us makes up a light in the constellation of the universe- like a grid of stars. When you tap into the energy of universal consciousness you’ll realize that if you don’t shine your light fully, you’re robbing the rest of us from experiencing it, and that my friend, is a damned shame. Don’t keep your light dim anymore. Ask for help. Sit in silence and receive the medicine from the world around you. You are the microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe. Let’s shift the tide of this planet for the better. We have to do it together.
In vibrant health,
Kendyl
If you’re interested in trying the 40 Day Abundance Practice you can get it here. Let me know what unfolds for you in the comments below!
