Hurricane in the Midwest?

By Michelle

Yesterday I was jumping in my car to head off to my son's soccer practice in my usual mom rush and as I turned onto the street and down the road I was taken back by the sky. It was amazing! In all my years I had never seen a formation of clouds with the kind of pattern I was seeing. It looked like waves in the sky.

I had to stop and ooh and ahh while taking pictures. I wished I had my good camera or better yet, some free time to spend taking more pictures. I pointed it out to my son and he ooh-ed and ahh-ed a bit too and then we got back on track and took off to make it to practice on time.

As I drove I got this funny feeling that the sky I was seeing was connected to the hurricane that was hitting my friends on the east coast and I got this uncomfortable feeling that here I was enjoying something that was causing devastation and hardship to others.

I thought about writing something about this in my blog post that was due to go out the next day and then I thought, "No, I don't really know what I would even say about it."

When we arrived at the practice my son hopped out of the car, leaving me alone for the next hour while I waited for him. I had brought my Tarot of Transformation deck with the intention of pulling a card to get me started on an idea for the next day's blog post.

I'm sure by this time you are getting a feeling that the card I pulled is related and you would be correct. In fact, it was so spot on, I was blown away.

The card I pulled was "Healing the Planet." The first sentence in the description was, "Our earth is in crisis." wow!

It went on to talk about how now is the time that each one of us can adopt the attitudes and actions to heal the planet. That it is time to realize that we can no longer go on living in separation and that realizing that we live in an interconnected web of life with one underlying consciousness is the key.

It asked the question, "What would it look like to recognize the holiness of all life?"

It was an invitation to notice the places in your life where you still see things in terms of separation and to see the ways you participate in the larger problems like the greed of corporations.

It reminded me that no one needs to do this alone and that only together can we heal the planet.

It shifted my thinking and my perspective so now I'm passing it on to you. Ask yourself these questions and if you feel like you can't help, explore the reasons you feel like that and ask yourself why?

Feel your connection with the whole or with the healing energy that is streaming to the earth.

Take a moment to do the following meditation:
Imagine yourself out in space, looking back at earth. Realizing that this is your home and that all the beings here are your family. Let yourself feel the love in your heart. Feel the natural desire of love to help, to reach out to heal the distress that the earth is experiencing right now. You may find yourself joined by dolphins and other beings who are also sending love to the planet. Know that the planet is conscious and responsive and is strengthened by this.

Have You Ever Felt Like This?

Sometimes life just sucks! 

 Yes...I said it.  

 It may not be the NLP way to say it and some would say that it is also not very Spiritual, but I've personally tried to force a smile and come up with the positives of a situation before I was ready to.   

Have you ever done that ~  instead of letting yourself go with how you were really feeling in the moment? 

You may have found that not allowing yourself to acknowledge your feelings and thoughts has led to more issues of dysfunction, resentment and irritation than if you would have just let yourself feel your feelings in the first place and let them pass through. 

If you have known me for awhile you know that I am a pretty optimistic person.  I'm blessed to have deepened my belief system and opened up to my connection with Spirit.  You also know that these past few years have had incredible highs and some pretty low lows.   

The Lows:  You know that my 16 year old daughter has been in and out of the hospital for an eating disorder (I have her permission to share this).  Then began  having Urinary Retention to the point that she had to catheterize herself multiple times a day to empty her bladder.  She had InterStim surgery that was 100 % successful during the trial period only to have it stop working 5 days after her second surgery when they  implanted the battery/programmer between her muscle tissue and subcutaneous tissue in her left hip/buttock area.
 Addendum ~ as of this morning 10-24-2012 she was able to go on her own!!! 

You know that my 18 year old son is legally blind from a genetic eye disorder ( that he got from me) and he can't drive.  He has had bleeding blood vessels in his eyes that when actively bleeding needs painful injections into the eyeball.  That started when he was only in the 3rd grade.



That I have the same eye disorder as my son (My vision is better than his) and it is progressing.   

That my mom died unexpectedly (she was an amazing lady and good friend).  We  were told constantly that she was doing great and they expected her to make a full recovery after a week or so  of touch and go in the ICU.  She was sent to a rehab center after 3 weeks in the hospital to gain her strength back  and days before her discharge she went into shock over several hours due to her heart being squeezed by fluid build up. 

 Then beating myself up because I should have insisted that she be taken to the ER as I knew something was wrong...but I didn't.  

Instead I let the nurse give her some pain medication because the doctor said it was an "arthritis flare up" and I left so she could get some rest.    I saw her several hours later in the ER.  She had died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.   

Me, my nephew and my Mom :)


The Highs:  I went to Canada and got certified as a Master Soul Art Guide,   my intuitive  Energy Healing expanded to include  stronger Quantum Level Frequencies,  I paired up with an incredible Intuitive Artist and launched Inner Alignment Mandalas and went to California and got certified as a Dream Builder Coach which has been a dream of mine for the past three years.  I am following my heart's desires where I am being called and aligning with my passions and purpose as my Healing/Coaching practice moves into its next level of expression.

My son graduated High School and got drafted to a Tier 3 Minnesota Junior Hockey Team ,  he did not let his limited vision stop him from pursuing his passion of playing Hockey, and my daughter is now eating healthy and nutritious food, sees a therapist that she loves and gets regular Chiropractic care.  She is excited to have a great Junior year in High School and is loving being part of the Marching Band as a Snare Drum player  in the Drum Line.  She even got her first job.

 Gianna Marie

 Anthony  

Where am I going with this?   

Knowing what I know and believing what I believe has helped me tremendously at times and other times it proved to actually be a hindrance.

I was not allowing myself to feel my feelings and move through the grieving process when needed. 

Even though I know better than to try and do a Spiritual Bypass and not give myself permission to feel overwhelmed, angry, sad or scared ~ I still find myself, at times, trying to do just that!   

I'm not sure all of the reasons why I do that but I do know that it is partly because many Mentors teach that you have to keep your thoughts positive no matter what, your vibration up and so on or else you will keep attracting less than desired situations into your life.  

And while I agree that that is true...you also need to allow yourself to feel those feelings in the first place and not try to jump up the emotional scale too fast,  as Abraham - Hicks say.

That is why I LOVE these 4 Tools to help with the Allowing of feeling how you are feeling without Judging yourself and then moving through it as quickly as possible so you can realign with the Divine  Truth that All Is Well...despite appearances.  

1.  Emotional Freedom Technique  

2.  The Sedona Method

3.  Inner Alignment Mandalas

While going through many challenges with my daughter,  where at times I was only able to see the horrible side of her eating disorder, a disorder  that took her over like an entity of its own and has left physical damage along the way~  I would  often turn to  her Beautiful Mandala knowing that her True Essence is so very beautiful and read the channeled words of wisdom that helped my heart heal.
I first allowed myself to feel the sadness, anger, fear and actual hate of ED (eating disorder, or as we call it FRED -bad word ridiculous eating disorder), and then was able to move into the higher truth, that her experience serves a purpose far beyond what my small self could ever understand.
 Her custom Mandala wasn't only a gift for her...it was one for me and my husband too.  Thank you Michelle for this physical representation of Gianna's True Essence.

4.  Any Book from Abraham - Hicks.  Especially "The Astonishing Power of Emotions"

Clink on the Links and check them out if you aren't already familiar with them and how they can help you feel your feelings fully AND move forward as quickly and easily as possible.

Have you found yourself not allowing yourself to feel your feelings fully?

What tools and techniques do you use in your life?  

We would love to hear from you :)

A related article that I just love is from my friend and fellow Certified Soul Art Guide Leanne Chapman from Claim Your Treasure.

With Heart,

Jill Marie

My Connection Corner

From Michelle

My Connection Corner

I must admit that in the past I've struggled with a daily alignment practice. I would do it for a while and then forget or get busy or...I don't know what.

That is one of the great things about this work. Creating mandalas gives me a reason to connect with my spirit and it has made a big difference in my life. I'm happier, more content and more grateful.

And yet still, I would find myself not meditating or connecting in any way many of the days I was not creating mandalas. I don't do that every day you know. There are many other tasks that have to be done and not making the time to align with my higher self never seemed to make it on the list.

I was inspired by Jill's altar she shared and decided I would make something for myself. I am not a big fan of the word altar so I decided to call it my connection corner.

I went around the house and pulled together some of my favorite items:

• That bowl was made by my son Cody and it holds shells, rocks, gems and crystals.
• There is of course my personal Inner Alignment Mandala.
• I have a bottle of Young Living Abundance essential oil. I just love the way it smells!
• I have a large glass diamond that reminds me of the work I did in The Journey Practitioner Program. It represents the diamond within each of us.
• There is a wonderful wood wick candle that was a gift from one of my former students at IIN. I'm not a big fan of candles but this candle I love. The wood wick burns and it sounds like a crackling fire and it smells divine!
• There is a little moo card from Lori Portka that says, "Abundance is all around us"
• I have my favorite card deck, Tarot of Transformation
• I even went out to get a plant because I knew this spot needed one.

My daily practice is simple. I light my candle, close my eyes and focus on gratitude. I go through a long list of everything I have to be grateful for in my life. I look around the table and see what I'm drawn to. Sometimes I pick up something from the bowl and hold it or breathe in my essential oil. I always spend time with my mandala gazing at it or tracing it with my fingers. Then I pull a card for the day.

That is the simple practice. It takes about 10-15 minutes. If I'm in a hurry I can spend just 5 minutes. If I have extra time I can meditate, connect deeper with my mandala, or do some journaling. It's totally flexible and yet it has become a bright spot in my day.

I feel calmer, happier, more centered. I feel a deep spiritual connection that had been inconsistent in my life previously. I didn't realize I was missing it until I started doing it every day.

One of the things Jill and I have been repeatedly getting messages about from our guides and in the records is to help our community create some kind of daily alignment practice for themselves.

I'm curious, do you have a practice and if so, tell me, what does it look like for you? If you don't currently have a practice, is it something you think would make a difference in your life?

What is one thing you can do today to move you in the direction of creating a daily alignment practice for yourself?

Follow Your Inner Wisdom

From: Jill

One of the things I love the most about life and know that it is key to living joyfully and empowered , is deepening my Intuition.  Just knowing there is a Wiser part of me, a part that is guiding and directing me,  is such a comforting feeling.

 

The truth is…this Guidance I get isn't  always something I am actually comfortable with,  and honestly it doesn't always make sense in the moment...

 

Developing a deep sense of Trust and having an Open Mind, with the right amount of Discernment is Key to living in the flow.

 

That flow is the balance between the rational mind and the intuitive mind.  The right and left brain, the masculine and feminine aspects of our  being.

When I embarked on my journey to become a Certified Soul  Art Guide my rational mind was telling me it just didn't make sense, but my Intuition was ever so gently whispering in my ear “Go this way, trust me."

 

But I was afraid.  My rational mind said I didn't have the money in my bank account to get another certification, or the time with two kids in High School and  each very involved in their sports, but I knew in my heart something was calling me to Trust the Intuitive Guidance I was receiving. 

 

So I did it!  I felt the fear and did it anyways.  

 

It was in that program where I virtually met Michelle.  We connected during one of the class assignments.  The deeper meaning of this connection was still unknown to us but we followed our initial Intuitive nudge.

During my Intensive one-on one with Laura Hollick,  while I was at Soul  Art studio in Canada, and again in a follow up mentor call,  Laura said she intuitively felt that Michelle and I would be working together on some level.

I had no idea what she meant.  It wasn't until  after those comments by Laura that Michelle and I discovered that not only did we live in the same state but that we lived only 40 minutes away from each other.

 

Over the next several months Inner Alignment Mandalas unfolded.  

 

We know the work coming through us is bigger than our small selves.  It is something only this amazing Universe could have orchestrated and weaved together.

And because the Universe has a great sense of humor and loves to give us signs that we are on the right track..here are two pictures that showcase this concept perfectly.

 

Below is a painting Michelle had done in her FEARLESS painting class with Connie Hozvicka  of Dirty Footprints Studio that I knew nothing about.  

 

Months later I painted a picture for the Artist ~ Healer Circle series on LilyWheel Slide with Hali Lynn Karla.

 

You be the judge...coincidence?

 

 

                                                             Michelle's painting from BIG

 

                                                    My Painting for the Artist ~ Healer Circle

And now it comes full circle.  

Michelle and I are thrilled  to be featured as nu Icons,  along with many other wonderful individuals,  in Laura Hollick's  Global Vision Quest!

We were Intuitively Guided to create a Mandala for the Global Vision Quest.

You can read more about that here on our Guest Blog Post for Laura Hollick’s Blog:

http://www.soulartstudio.com/wordpress/2012/10/global-vision-quest-mandala/

 

People all over the world are participating in this inspirational online event. We hope you join in the fun!

Be sure to take the Quiz to see what kind of Icon you are!  

http://www.soulartstudio.com/quiz.php?n=6

We invite you to share the insight you received :)

 

With Heart,

Jill Marie 

Altered Brush

From Michelle

 

 

I have been working on my contribution to Donna Downey's Altered Brush project. I love the concept she came up with. In case you haven't heard about it, she has asked people to take part in decorating her new studio by decorating these brushes. So cute! You can learn more about the project here.

 

My contribution is a colorful mandala that extends onto the bristles of the brush. I actually decided to go with an inversion in the bristles. There the mandala becomes white and the bristles are dripping with bright color because I love color!!!

 

 

I added some Swarofski crystals for a little bling. I so wish the photo did it justice. The white is actually an interference paint that flashes violet depending on your angle. So fun.

 

I asked Jill to check in energetically to see if there was any kind of message and she was felt called to do a full energy session where the frequency of Inner Light Guidance showed up.

 

The phrases that came up were:

• Validate Your Dreams
• Explore the Possibilities
• Listen to Your Heart

May this paintbrush paint magical moments in each of your lives!