Crystal Healing – Amethyst

Welcome to the first in a series of Crystal Healing posts. I’ve only recently become interested in the metaphysical properties crystals possess. I now incorporate crystals into my daily life.

Little did I know crystals have been around me a lot longer than I first thought? Isn’t that always the case? Something is right there under your nose but you don’t notice it until you’re ready?

My first crystals appeared in my life about eleven years ago. I’d been living in London and working hard in my first real job so I decided I wished to treat myself to something nice. A friend of mine had this gorgeous ring from a silversmith based in the Portobello Road. I went along and loved her work.

However I wanted something really special, not off the rack so I commissioned her to custom make a ring for me. I like chunky, solid rings. Silver, never gold which made that part of the design easy to figure out.  At the time, and still is now, my favourite colour is purple. I wanted a purple stone ring. The silversmith tipped a tiny bag of purple gems onto her workbench and asked me to select two that I liked the most. That was my first encounter with Amethyst crystals.

Crystal selection is a deeply personal, individual process. I believe crystals have the power to select their owner. It’s a partnership. Even when I give crystals as gifts I can go into the shop with the intention of one stone and come out with totally another. They have a way of communicating so you just know which is the right one.

Mary Kunus perfectly describes how crystals are living things.

Gems and crystals come from within Mother earth.  They are alive and intelligent, having the intelligence of nature within every cell of their beings. (1)

Crystals are conductors of energy, both positive & negative. That is why they widely used in healing work.

There I was, eleven years ago, selecting, or being selected, by my first Amethyst crystals. The final ring is amazing. I still have it today and I’m wearing it now as I write. It has travelled round the world with me, it moved to Australia with me, it’s been dirty, scratched and tucked away in a drawer. It even stayed in tacked when a twelve-year-old girl asked for a closer look then proceeded to put it in her mouth & try to get one of the stones that had come lose out with her teeth. (WTF I know!) Reminder – never let anyone touch your special crystals, their energy can pollute them!! It’s still here, in one piece, for me when I need it.

Amethyst is a great protection stone. I had no idea when I took it travelling with me that is was there to look over me & keep me safe, repelling more energy than it attracts. Now whenever I travel I make sure it is on my finger.

Here’s more about Amethyst:

  • Chakra: Crown
  • Vibration: 3
  • Colour: Purple/violet
  • Family: Crystal Quartz
  • Birthstone: February & June
  • Archangel: Zadkiel, Angel of forgiveness, mercy, tolerance and transmutation of negative energy.
  • Metaphysical: Brings calmness and clarity to the mind especially in times of confusion and anxiety. Making it is very good for stress. Amethyst increases intuition helping one with spiritual, mystic and psychic work. It can help with addictive behaviour, especially alcohol abuse.
  • Physical healing: Calms the nervous system, digestive tracts and the heart. Used for insomnia, headaches, hearing disorders, stomach, skin and teeth. Cleanses and purifies.

Love & Light,

Seren xx

Click on image to enlarge©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013 (please share the love with full credit thanks)

Click on image to enlarge
©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013
(please share the love with full credit thanks)

 

Reference:

(1) Kurus, M. 2002, Cleansing Negative Energies from you Gems, Crystals, Jewlery and Pendulums.  http://www.mkprojects.com/fa_Cleansing_Gems_Jewelry_Pendulums.htm

Natural Electrolyte Drink

It’s coming to the end of a really hot summer here in Australia. Staying hydrated is super important any time of the year but even more so in summer or if you are participating in sports that make you sweat. (or if you were on the same train as me last night with broken air conditioning, woo steamy!)

Water is vital for survival. We can last a lot longer without food than we can without water. Roughly three to five days before the body and internal organs start to shut down. Our brains alone are composed of 70% water. Every part of our bodies relies on water to make it work.

It is well documented that the ideal recommended amount of water a human should consume per day is about two litres. This is very negotiable. Everyone is different and depending on your lifestyle you may need more or less. If your hauling butt outside on a 40-degree day, then yeah you’re going to need more. Common sense stuff really.

Here’s an interesting fact for you. Vegetarians need less water than meat eaters to stay at optimal hydration. Why? When we consume animal based products extra water is required to break down the nitrogen atoms they contain. Nitrogen can only be processed by the body to make urea with the aid of water. (1) I can personally back up for this statement. Since returning to being vegetarian I am requiring less daily water than I did during my meat eating days.

Hydration is not solely about water either. Nutrients called electrolytes play a large part in our hydration balance. What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are positively or negatively charged ions that conduct electrical activity. In the human body electrolytes must be present in proper concentrations to maintain fluid balance, muscle contraction and neural activity. (2)

Electrolytes are a combination of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. These are all lost through sweating. That is why in hotter months or following vigorous workouts it is important to replace these minerals.

Most of us are aware of the symptoms of dehydration. Headaches, muscles cramps, fatigue/dizziness, nausea and sometimes-impaired mental clarity. A raging thirst usually means you are already dehydrated.

There are loads of electrolyte replacements on the market. It is a personal choice, which you chose. I personally steer clear of the high sugar sports drinks. Any drinks that are coloured are a good indication there are some not so good ingredients in there. Coconut water is awesome, very natural. Even better if you can get it fresh from the ‘nut.’

This recipe is a favourite, tried & tested one. It’s been around the block in Bikram Yoga circles for a long while. Bikram’s wife Rajashree is credited for its invention. Its’ simple, cheap and all the ingredients are easily found in your local super market or health food store. Happy hydrating!

Love & Light

Seren xx

Seren Blog Natural Electrolytes Image

Click on image to enlarge
©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013
(please share the love with full credit thanks)

References:

2 –Dolan. S.H.  2012, http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/715/electrolytes-understanding-replacement-options/

1 – Virtue. D.  2003, Eating in Light: Making the Switch to Vegetarianism on Your Spiritual Path. Loc 579

Image credits:

Honey –  http://www.foodiesorganic.com.au/order-online/honey-jams-spreads/honey-raw-1kg-ambrosia/

An Introduction

Where do I start with a new blog? How about the reason I came to create this new blogging paradise. I started blogging about two years ago on a different site. It was a wonderful outlet for another passion of mine Bikram Yoga. Over time it ran it’s course. I was kind of blogged out about Bikram & didn’t feel the love of sharing any more. I wanted to reclaim my privacy on the subject.

After a blogging sabbatical I realised I missed writing. A lot has moved and shifted in my life over the past year. I found myself drawn to different blogs from what I used to read which are based around holistic living. This is when I decided I was ready to share again but in a different setting.

Healthful living is something I have always been aware of & strived to live by. Like everything I’ve jumped on the bandwagon both feet first, then tumbled straight off the back again! I spent most of my twenties in that ‘experimental’ stage, as I’d like to call it. Any new diet or exercise fad I tried it. Embracing it fully then getting bored & ditching it.

Now I’m in my thirties, I’m very settled and content with my primary factors of life. Everything else is falling into place because of this. The most important thing I have learned is to stop, slow down & listen to my body. Really listen. It has a voice. The human body has amazing ways of communicating with us. We just don’t hear it, as we are too busy racing around doing things. We are human ‘beings’ not human ‘doings.’ Stop doing and just ‘be’ for a while. It really works!

The body can heal itself naturally in so many ways. It can also self-destruct just as fast if we neglect what it really needs. Food, our environment, our jobs, friends, family, emotions can be our best friends and also our quickest death sentence.

Over the past few years I have really become aware just how big a part our emotions play in our lives. We really can manifest our dreams. Make what we desire a reality. Just as easily we can manifest our own self-destruction.

I started this blog to give back to who ever would like to read and be shared with. I will cover topics based around what I do to live a healthful lifestyle. I will let you into how I achieved the ‘slow way of living.’ It is achievable to ANYONE! I won’t push products or faddy diets on you. I will talk about subjects I truly believe in.  Things I do in my life that make a difference to me in a positive way.  I will say now. There is no one size fits all answer. What works for me might not work for you. If what I say guides you on the path to discover what is right for you then that’s a job well done.

Enjoy! I hope you all get as much out of this as I will creating it.

Love & light,

Seren xx

And now it begins…

Seren welcome sign #2

I hope this post finds you all well?

Firstly I’d like to express my deepest thanks to who ever has dropped by to read this blog. I have created this space primarily to post about subjects I am passionate about & can write about with love, from within. The main theme to start with is how my life has transitioned to follow a more holistic way of living. I’d like to share with you what I do to create a balanced, healthful lifestyle amongst the challenges of 21st century living. Secondly I decided to put my thoughts out there in the public realm in hope that something in here will inspire, encourage, inform or simply entertain. I’m giving back to keep the flow of the universe ticking over nicely and making room to receive back.

Everything you will read or see has come from what I have experienced in my own life. I’m not into stealing ideas or copying. That said there might be similarities you find from other blogs or places. We all draw inspiration from different sources & that may be the same arena. Some of you may not agree with what you read, that is fine, we are all individual’s on our own path. What works for me might not relate to you & your life at all. That’s what makes us all so unique and magical.

There will be some fantastic guest writers dropping by too to impart their wisdom to you all. If you are interested in a guest spot please let me know, everyone from anywhere is always welcome.

The artwork on this page I have created myself to add my own personal stamp and decorate these pages with a small piece of me. Full credit will be given if I use other people’s art/resources. (It would be super nice too if you share any of my work to link it back to here too)

I’d love to hear from you all as well. If there is anything you’d like to say just drop me a line in the comments below.

Onwards and outwards dear readers, enjoy, the journey begins here…

Love & light,

Seren xx

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