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Alchemical Mists from Sacred Self

August 10, 2017 By Kat

Essential oils have been part of my healing and self-care routine for many years. There is something about oils that resonates deeply with my inner ancient wisdom. I have a strong knowing that I was once a weaver of potions in many a past life. Aromatherapy fascinates me. Being a person who likes to experiment rather than follow recipes, blending oils at ‘random,’ or intuitively to give a better description, has a strong appeal.

Plants and herbs I believe have powerful healing properties for the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. The aroma can be incredibly soothing for the mind, especially during times of stress. When applied to the skin essential oils may bring relief to ailments and even pain.

I weave essential oils into my Reiki and intuitive healing sessions. If a Chakra isn’t shining as bright as the rest, I use an essential oil to raise its vibration. I place the oil on my palms then work them over the Chakra and through the subtle body of my client.

The oil brand I favour for my energetic practice is by Michelle Marie McGrath & her beautiful range of alchemical oils Sacred Self. Each one of the 37 oils in the collection birthed from pure love & intention. All the Sacred Self oils have a unique affirmation that I say in the ritual of application to the Chakra I am working on at the time. The Sacred Self range is blended with top quality carrier oils so they can be safely applied straight to the skin. Don’t waste these babies in the diffuser, get them on your beings!

I was super excited when Michelle introduced two alchemical mists to the collection this year – Magic & Goddess. Mists & sprays are something I have tried to blend myself and haven’t had much success with, that’s a different story. Therefore I jumped at the chance to try out Michelle’s mists. The Goddess mist is sister to one of my favourite oils of the same name. Both mists have been blended just like their oily family members with gem and flower essences, sacred symbols, colour rays, sound and mantras. They even contain the extremely sacred water all the way from the Chalice Well at Glastonbury Tor. You can practically feel Merlin himself in there, and my inner Priestess of Avalon is right back at home.

I’ve been working with these two mists for a few months now to really get to know them. There is no right or wrong way to work with these vibrational sprays. I always say follow your heart and go where you are guided. I find mists less messy to use than oils and a convenient alternative for aura cleansing than smoke. Especially when it’s not ideal to use fire and sage smoke, mists work very well. Each mist has a ritual and affirmation printed on the label to help you along if you are new to this. I like speaking the affirmative words as they spark a connection between myself and the vibration of the mist.

Magic Mist

When I use Magic in personal meditation or healing session for myself, I have found the connection to my heart space is amplified. It is different from when I apply oil straight to my Heart Chakra, spraying the Magic mist over my head is more like having an energy shower as the droplets gently fall over my face, shoulders and down to my heart.

Magic is my go too for lighting my creative fire. Again there is a profound ancient connection for this mist and my Soul. Especially as it contains Frankincense and Sandalwood, my two favourite cleansing and grounding oils. It also has lime, bergamot and lavender, a powerful yet gentle combination for encouraging self-worth, empowerment from within and relaxing anxious thoughts. Depending on what I need for that precise moment Magic addresses it.

Goddess

This beautiful mist is pure radiant feminine energy. It brings out my inner Shakti, or Daenerys Stormborn ;-), fire. With a sweet floral fragrance of Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Gardenia and vanilla it is uplifting and joyful. Ylang Ylang has a powerful healing vibration for releasing deep-rooted emotions, especially from the Heart and Sacral Chakras.

My favourite experience of working with Goddess was right before I taught a busy yoga class. The studio was extremely hectic with over 60 people arriving for class and probably the same amount leaving the class previous. My iPod decided it was the perfect time to have a melt down and not work (every day is Mercury Retrograde in my world). I was finding it very hard to keep my composure with the uncertainty of not having my familiar music at hand. A great lesson in non-attachment right. To the rescue came the Goddess mist. I sprayed myself liberally all over while chanting, “I am the Goddess.” It seemed to work, I calmed down, found my inner peace and strength and everything fell back into place. The oils and fragrance of the spray brought me out of my head and back into my heart.

Sharing the Love

I haven’t been keeping all the Magic & Goddess energy for myself. The mists have been featuring in my Yin Yoga classes, Reiki attunements and in-person healing sessions. The mists have been popular at the end of Yin while the students settle into the final savasana. Each student gets a spray of one of the mists, depending on which I am drawn to that day, just above their Heart Chakra.

Some feedback I received from the Magic mist was a student saw a warm orange light spreading around their head and the third eye. Perfect for the creative connection I feel when using Magic and also I see Frankincense as holding an orange coloured vibration. Nearly every class someone comes out and asks what I sprayed at the end. The mists are perfect to seal the class and invite in space for relaxation at the end. Adding an extra touch of healing and magick for those who wish to receive.

One class, I felt a strong pull to spray the inside of my crystal-singing bowl with Magic. Oh my goodness, the sound amplified to an incredible level. I was hardly touching the bowl with the striker yet the sound was incredibly powerful, smooth and precise.

These two unique mists will certainly be part of my energy tool kit for a long time to come.

For more information & to order Goddess & Magic mists, please click right here. Explore creator Michelle’s coaching and mentoring offerings as well as alchemical oil range at http://www.michellemariemcgrath.com

Until next time, sending you all lots of magical love,

Energy Buffet – 8th/8th, Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse

August 8, 2017 By Kat

Don’t you just love it when everything lands on the same day? It’s like an energetic buffet today on the 8th of the 8th month of 2017. (I’m already looking forward to next year, 8/8/18!) Today at 2:10 am the Moon turned Full in Aquarius with a lunar eclipse to add to the mix. We are also in the pre-shadow of Mercury Retrograde.

How have you all been sleeping the past few nights? For once I have slept pretty well. My dreams have been quite vivid though, but my creativity has been off the scale.

Is it all change again. Nothing changes there right? We are always moving, shifting, evolving and expanding. If you always wish things to stay the same all of the time you are in for a rough ride I’m afraid. If a lot of questions have come up for to you over July, your answers may well present during this Eclipse season. Between today and New Moon & Solar Eclipse on Tuesday 22nd August, we receive assistance in carving out our new path.

In my Full Moon reflections, I have been delving deep into why things in my life have panned out the way they have. There have been some significant shifts for me. Staying open to change and working knowingly with the Universe keeps me open to all possibilities. What I may have thought would be a good fit back in February isn’t quite feeling right six months later. Not being too specific with details helps too. Many ideas have come to fruition, and they have been awesome, now it is time to grow them even wider.

For example, one intention this year for me was to focus on facilitating more Reiki training courses than last year. It is something I love doing and hosting. This intention has been fulfilled but maybe not in a way I would have first might have imagined. Firstly I was not too honed in on numbers or exact details. Somewhere in my mind I just thought that I would be hosting the first level of Reiki more often as that seemed logical. When in fact my focus has been on Level 3 this year with more Reiki Masters in training than Level 1 & 2 students. It just hasn’t aligned to teach the first two levels or felt right for me. The third level has just effortlessly fallen into place four times this year.

How brilliant! I can see now my job this year has been to bring more Masters into the world so they can then spread the Reiki love by training students themselves. Therefore my intention of ‘the year of Reiki training’ has exceeded my expectations! It certainly is the year of Reiki training, but I’m not the one doing it all by myself, I have a whole tribe now who are capable and knowledgeable to do so as well. That’s what I get for staying open to the bigger picture.

Another area of my life that has come into the spotlight is my long held desire to hold yoga and meditation retreats. I have hosted three half-day retreats this year with three more to come before the end of the year. The details of my September retreat can be found here. I can see my professional life in the yoga realm evolving substantially into something more than just weekly public classes.

To allow for the new to fit in there has to change and release to make room. I simply can’t do everything. With Reiki training, if I am not available to hold a course when I receive a training request I can now refer clients to the Masters I have trained. Others schedule changes need implementing now too, and it is time to let go of some things that aren’t quite floating my boat. Maybe not giving up entirely just reducing or paring back.

All these changes may seem like a major restructure, but I fully trust it is time and it feels good. I’m getting very excited about where I am heading now and taking leaps that could be risky. No more staying small, time to ramp it up and have a go at the bigger things.

Are you feeling the same right now? Revved up for a new challenge or life direction change. Or everything is just getting too much right now, and you just want to curl up in a ball in a dark room for a while. Either way, there is no right or wrong. When the time comes, you just have to trust your energy will return once you have rested and you will plough forward. If you are riding the creative wave roll with it. Do as much ground work as you can to get things started.

Not only is the Moon having a party today we are one week off from Mercury Retrograde, my favourite planetary cycle. We are currently in the pre-shadow period leading up to the 14th August. It’s all about clear communications this month. Above all getting honest with yourself first about how you wish your life to be over the next few months.

This all links in with everything I have mentioned above. Is it time to sit down and give yourself a pep talk? What needs to shift and be cleared to allow what is best for you to fill the gap? Are you happy with how your life is unfolding? If not dig deep and look inside of yourself to uncover the cause of what you have created. Also look right in front of you, there maybe some gold you have over looked.

There is such a magnificent energy today with numbers too. It’s the 8th of the 8th month, my favourite number. Eight is the number of abundances & the entrepreneur. Again what hot new ideas or reinventing some old ones can you action today? Use today’s energy to your best advantage. If that does mean taking it easy and resting up, please honour this.

Crystal Cleansing

Don’t forget to put your crystals out for a cleanse tonight or maybe you already had them out last night too. More moon the better!

Enjoy today’s energy upgrades and please feel free to share any experiences in the comments below.

Until next time, stay shiny, love,

Adventures in Europe

June 14, 2017 By Kat

I’m one week into my three-week European adventure, and I felt the pull to share what I have been up too. It’s all very well and good me always talking about ‘self-love’, but I realised I hadn’t shared my experiences of it for a while. Don’t just talk, walk!

This year has been hectic in the most magnificent and mind-blowing way. I’m in such immense gratitude for the abundance that has flowed in for 2017. When you love what you do, it does not even feel like you are working. However, it is still super important to still take regular time off. It’s easy to keep going with a full diary (and working weekends) when my work brings me a lot of joy. There is only so much one person can give before the fuel starts to run out. When my schedule is full on I, appreciate my down time even more.

Taking time off is when I can refuel and top up my Soul cup. Then I am in a better position to assist others. Just because I live a very holistic and spiritually lead life and my work is in the same realm does not make me immune to burn out. Light bodies are even more susceptible to crashing more quickly. Especially when we are constantly giving to others, holding space and transmuting the density, this can get draining quickly. When I work for myself, there is no one else to share the load. If I don’t do the job, no one else is there to do it.

I’ve written before that the amount of giving time should equal the amount of downtime. Sometimes I don’t even need to match it I can recharge quickly by just recognising I am flopping. Then I park up on the couch or my healing table to rest. It’s all in the intention. Knowing it’s time to give back to yourself and stopping plugs me into the fast charge setting.

Here I am doing just that, recharging in the UK to visit and reconnect with my roots & the sacred land. Already I feel light and spacious. When I’m busy, I can get quite forgetful with so much going on at once. This past week has wiped the fog from my mirror. My thoughts are clear, and I can remember the most insane small details about my past when catching up with friends. It’s so good to switch off the over-thinking side of my brain. Now I can see how scrabbled I get when the pressure is on, and a reassessment of scheduling is in order.

The Derbyshire countryside in June

With such a manic year so far I hadn’t had time to plan anything for this trip. Apart from a quick long weekend in Norway for an Energy Mastery Retreat with Lee Harris. I did kind of ‘just turn up & see what happens.’ This theory has worked quite well, and I’m managing to see a lot of people at short notice.

In between catching up’s, it’s been all about yoga this past week! I know my whole life in Australia is all about yoga, but this time it’s different. I have the space to be super leisurely about when or where I practice. Not just trying to squeeze in a class just because it’s the only time slot I can, then being so exhausted it turned out to be counter-productive. Sheffield yoga has taken off. I have a yoga buffet to choose from and no real time restrictions.

I was so blessed to be asked to teach my Soul Serenity Yin Yoga & Meditation Retreat at Amy’s Ashram in Dore. The Ashram has the most amazing community and vibe. I love teaching in small studios as they are so personal and intimate. It was such a treat to bring my love of yoga back to my hometown. The whole morning and the guests were sensational. Gosh, we could easily do a retreat every Sunday!

The yoga didn’t stop there. I’ve practised yoga every single day since I arrived. What a treat! (This might sound bonkers, but full-time yoga teachers will get me.) The classes I’ve taken have ranged from gentle stretches in the local sports centre (peak posture was three leg dog), beautifully nourishing hot yoga at a boutique Ashram which was divine and a crazy fast paced hot vinyasa where I thought my head would explode.

Visiting new studios is always an adventure. It’s nice to see how unique each one is with all their small touches and finishes. From the modern, cosy loft full of natural daylight at Amy’s. The vast fairy lit red walls with Chakra symbols at Hot Yoga Sheffield with many treatment rooms, cafe and corridors it was like a day spa. Quite the contrast to the windowless group fitness room at the local sports centre that is underneath the swimming pool (Smells of chlorine but has an ambience about it). Each venue has it’s own charm and vibration. You don’t even need a fancy studio with all the bells and whistles. The gentle stretch yoga was held in a community centre hall which has loads of space & windows overlooking a garden.

Trying different styles of yoga is always fascinating and humbling. The hot vinyasa here is very different to the class I practice in Perth. We were thrown straight into single leg Chaturanga Dandasana from the go get. No options for modifying or beginners. When I asked if I needed a block I was told ‘the class moves too quick to use blocks but feel free to have one.’ Wow, she wasn’t kidding, the class moved fast and at 35˚C was super challenging.

It is, what it is and I did as much as I could. I sat out a lot after the first 20 minutes of the 60-minute class as I was done (or cooked). It takes strength to sit out as the ego can push you to keep going. Probably didn’t help I’d had a few cheeky G & T’s the night before. (It’s okay to love yoga/healing & still drink gin!) The gin sweat was burning my eyes #burningboozesweat. If the heat wasn’t up, I could have faired better as just used my inner fire. (Or gin fumes!) Note to self. Gin and hot yoga are not friends.

Gin Club and Hot Yoga are not friends!

The Hot Hatha class at the same studio was a dream, and I smiled my way through the whole 75 minutes. There were options for different abilities, and the class flowed with deep long breaths. I vibed with the teacher’s energy, and she was encouraging without being pushy or in your face. We even rounded off the class with a bit of arm balancing.

Next, I tried a ‘Hot Yin.’

Okay, I will admit I was sceptical about the whole Hot Yin thing as it goes against the philosophy I learned in my teacher training. To feel the fascia reforming yin yoga is best done when the body is cold and before a yang practice. (The studio did have yin before Yang, which is great) I went along with an open mind and heart. No expectations. I attentively listened to the thorough briefing the teacher gave me when I told him I hadn’t taken a hot Yin before.

Turns out that as we are in England ‘hot yin’ was room temperature by Australian standards, so there wasn’t any sweating. It was just nicely warm as it was freezing outside (yes it’s June, but England sucks for summer warmth till August). I’d remarket it as straight up Yin Yoga.

The class was deeply meditative & a bit different from the yin I teach. It is always nice to experience various teaching styles. The teacher had a lovely, calm voice. I felt very chilled by the final savasana I fell asleep and caught myself snoring. If it weren’t for the next class coming in, I’d have been there all night. Good job I woke up or else I’d have accidentally ended up in the brain exploding hot vinyasa again.

So far so good!

Overall it has been a great first week back in the UK. It is always lovely to catch up with my family and friends. I’ve successfully remembered how to drive a manual car and not get lost yet. Next challenge will be getting myself around London for the day and a driving adventure into the Peak District for more cakes and catch up’s. (Maybe some more gin, it’s quite the big thing here Gin Clubs. I may be holistic but all in moderation.) Then there is my Norwegian Adventure!

A day spa in a listed building with Buddha.

Current stress level zero, brain function 100%, rested, relaxed, yoga every damn day and full of joy. Who can not like annual leave? I’m happy I made the call to travel for pleasure this year and set myself some proper boundaries for work-life balance.

Until next time, love,

Micro Full Moon in Sagittarius

June 9, 2017 By Kat

Welcome to the halfway point of the year and the Micro Full Moon in Sagittarius, 9:11 pm WA time (11:11 pm AEST, what an excellent number!). The moon is micro today as it is the furthest point away from the earth. Therefore it may not look like it is as ‘big’ as usual in the sky tonight. The knock on effect of this is the energy may not feel as intense and unsettling as usual. If you usually get a bit whacked out on the moon vibes, tonight may be a little easier to be in the flow.

I am excited as I get to spend Full Moon in the northern hemisphere. Last time this happened I was in Sedona, Arizona in 2015. The Moon is full at 2:11 pm for me in the UK.

Speaking of the UK, it has been under the spotlight for some not so pleasant reasons of late. It is so sad & yes a bit scary what has been going down. However, I had no qualms sticking to my plans to visit by not subscribing to fear. Say no to terror or else they win. England is my country of birth and was my home for twenty-five years before I immigrated to Australia. All my family and life long friends are here, and there was no way I was missing out on seeing them.

If anything I fully trust I am to be here at this time. There is work to be done. I’m not sure what that is yet but I received the intuitive pull I should be here right now. Also, I’d like to see for myself how the country is thriving and rising under the current challenges. The day after I arrived the General Election was on, as a British citizen I am entitled to have my vote. Again, another opportunity that presented.

With the full moon energy being softer this month and right in the middle of the year it’s similar to half time in a sports game. An opportunity to take a break and a breather. The central point of balance. Not too high or too low, just right. This middle ground is soothing. Minus the usual foggy brain effects and ungrounded wobbles full moon often hands me it is easier to focus on what is next. I am quite grateful for not feeling ‘moony’ as I have jetlag to contend with instead!

The quiet centre place of balance.

Just before I left, I attended an excellent sound healing session where a lot of big, exciting ideas came through. These are something that I can put some thought into planning for the tail end of the year and even into 2018. Having a change of space and hemisphere is just what I need right now to plan my next moves.

This year is a foundation year. It’s all about paving the way from now till 2026. (Wow, we should be driving flying cars by then hey?) We have let go of what is not working for us over the last nine-year cycle. Naturally, we have all evolved and vibe to a different frequency. Therefore it’s okay to change our opinions. What brought us joy in 2014 may make us retract with a repulse in 2017. Trust this is a good thing. You are allowed to change your mind.

What foundations have you laid down this year? Have you started new projects, tried new things or even had a total lifestyle makeover? This year might be your big year for change and break free. I’ve certainly shifted my outlook on life. Letting go of control and surrendering to a more free-flowing approach. Turning up and seeing what happens has worked out quite well instead of planning right down to the tiniest detail.

For some, it may feel like you haven’t even started to build yet, the ground is still being turned over. You may have been busy tying up last year’s loose ends & finishing clearing out the old stuff. All of this work is still part of the process of starting a fresh. Take time now to stop and reflect. This is a good thing for everyone to do.

Look back over the past five months and note down everything you have achieved. When we are pushing on to get things done, it’s easy to overlook how far we have come. Especially when dealing with big and well-established situations, these do take more time. Take a breath and celebrate your wins. Even take a few days off and put your feet up. This will give you time to review all your great work this year.

You are doing more than enough, go easy on yourself. I feel this is a strong message right now. Make sure you are moving and getting outside. The best way to recharge and shift stagnant energy is to move your body. It doesn’t even have to be in an organised way like going for a run or taking a yoga class. Fling yourself around your lounge room or jump on the bed! Just get your body doing something that is not static. I always say breathing is underrated. Breathe, great big, deep long breaths to feel your lungs expand fully. Then let it go through the mouth with any sound you like. Notice how much clearer and energised you feel afterwards.

Crystal Cleansing

Don’t forget to put your crystals out for a cleanse tonight and even the next few nights. Just like our bodies can store stagnant energy (especially when we don’t move), our crystals can build up energy that needs releasing. It’s all in the intention so even of they are not directly in the moonlight, or it’s cloudy they will still get a charge up.

Enjoy the softer, quieter and gentle energy of tonight’s micro-moon. I hope you all have restful and peaceful nights sleep.

Until next time, love,

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