grace Archives - Seren Holistic Lifestyles

Posts Tagged ‘grace’

Workshop After-Care

January 27, 2016 By Kat

Many of us on the self-development & spiritual growth path just love to attend (or host) workshops. These can be very enriching & empowering experiences. A lot can shift in just a few short hours. A day or two in linear time can feel much longer when you’ve been in an energy bubble.

Being cocooned in a safe, nurturing environment is so magical. Especially if you’ve felt alone, unsupported & have no one who shares your passion for all this woo woo stuff. Spending time with like-minded people shows you’re not going bonkers. (Everyone else are the bonkers one’s haha!) You’ve expanded & accelerated in ways that are beyond what the human mind can comprehend.

Leaving such a sacred space & re-entering the ‘real world’ can be a bit of a culture shock. Don’t be sacred! I’m here today to help you with the integration process.

For me personally I find it beneficial to follow some simple steps for a few days after a workshop. This assists to gently ease myself into the new energy. Especially if I have been teaching/facilitating the workshop I can feel very alive & uplifted afterwards but if I’m not careful I can crash quickly. I still receive an upgrade from hosting & need just as much, if not more, after care.

The Healing Hangover.

A few months ago I wrote on my Seren FB page about the term I love to use ‘The Healing Hangover.’ It’s how I describe the ‘detox’ symptoms you may experience after an energy healing or workshop. Okay, it’s uncomfortable but I welcome the experience as its confirmation the work is happening.

Contraction before the expansion.

Just like with an alcohol induced hangover the day after a workshop you may wake up feeling:

Fuzzy
Dehydrated
Headache
Tired
Sore muscles
Nauseous

Some or all may or may not be present. The energy truck has run you down & reversed back over you. (Do trust it’s all good, things are shifting & clearing) You may feel nothing at all, again this is FINE! Everybody is different. If you’re getting an easy ride that’s awesome.

The healing effects of a workshop/healing session carry on for some days afterward. Our Chakras are balanced, old emotions may have been released & all our four bodies have had a good shake up. Just like any detox the physical body can bear the brunt.

What to do:

Take it easy honey – I advise clients to take it easy on themselves over the days following a workshop/session. If you can take the day off (any excuse to skip out of a Monday!) then that is wonderful. If that’s impossible you can still do your best not to push too hard.

Get a good night sleep.
Clear your schedule as much as you can.
Try not to plan any big events or meetings.
Avoid negative environments.
Be outside in natural daylight.
Do gentle exercise – yoga, walking, Qi Gong/Tai Chi or swimming.
Meditate – using amethyst the master healer is perfect.
Read, watch a movie or have a massage.
Breathe – deeply & slowly.

Some gentle yoga is fabulous for shifting & integrating new energy. Photography by Ben Marden Photography

Hydrate – Water is super important, especially if you are feeling lethargic & have a headache. Water is a transmitter that flushes out the physical body by getting rid of toxins. It also moves energy clearing out the old, stale stuff to make room for the new. The more you drink the better you will feel. Sip on good quality filtered water throughout the day.

I personally would recommend avoiding alcohol. Obviously it will dehydrate you but it’s effects are amplified. You may find yourself smashed quicker than usual & having a full on hangover the next day.

Ideally two to three litres. Adding a squeeze of fresh citrus fruit is amazing (& less boring!) or add a few drops doTERRA essential oils – lime, lemon or grapefruit are awesome. My favourite is ice-cold coconut water packed full of replenishing electrolytes.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Salt baths – Taking a relaxing bath in Epsom salts is a great way to unwind & get some minerals into your system. If you live by the ocean even better, go for a swim in the sea!

Eat well – Your body will thank you for some good clean food. High vibrational food straight from the earth will help you literally digest some new energy to keep you topped up. Eat as clean as you can. Vegetables, salad & organic cold pressed juices are brilliant choices. I don’t tend to feel hungry during energy sessions but it hits the next day, I’m starving. Make sure you’ve stocked up on good quality fresh food so you’re not reaching for the easy crap.

Be aware of heightened sensitivity – Again don’t freak out but just be prepared that you could be a little extra sensitive. That is why I suggest you don’t have a huge day planned. Situations or people that usually don’t bother you suddenly might. Deep conscious breathing works a treat. When challenged or the emotions arise, just breathe.

Do take the time following a workshop to just be. Honour your Soul by gently easing yourself back into the world.

Sit quietly & just be x

It doesn’t have to stop there. Keep on being kind to yourself everyday. This will maintain the bubble of love feeling you felt during the workshop, and then it will become the norm. Everyday will feel like you’re on retreat.

Enjoy!

Loads of love,

signature

Receiving External Guidance

January 23, 2014 By Kat

New Year, new start is always a popular theme for January. For me I’ve been setting intentions for what I’d like to achieve this year. Of course I am (as we all are) at the mercy of the Universe so you never quite know how the result of your manifesting will present. However the ball needs to be set rolling.

At the start of the year I had so many ideas flying around as to where I wish to take my business this year I came to the point I called out for some extra help. I needed to get out of my own way in order to clearly hear what I was being guided to do next from within myself. It sometimes takes the guidance of another to gently bring you back to the present moment. This is just what I needed.

Through a number of synchronicities the external guidance I was requiring presented. If a pattern suddenly starts to develop around a subject I start to pay attention.

The synchronicities that day lead me to have an Intuitive Guidance & Distance Energy Reading session from Michelle of Sacred Self. I use Sacred Self Alchemical oils in my healing sessions & for my own personal self-cleansing routine. They are truly divine. At a time when I felt I needed someone on the outside to look in & assist me gain some clarity this was my opportunity. It felt so natural & a healing session with Michelle was just what I needed.

It didn’t disappoint. My personally made mandala is stunning. (There are examples on Michelle’s site & FB) It’s full of crystals, oils, cards & mantras. I’ve printed it out & have it right in front of me now. The written report that accompanied it was so accurate & spot on. Every single thing mentioned was confirmation for me to jump & take action. There were ideas I’d thought of months ago but tucked away as insignificant or I let fear or other people’s views stop me following through.

As I was reading I kept saying ‘wow’ Michelle’s good. It might seem strange to hear this but all the information I received wasn’t new or a surprise. “What’s the point then if you were told what you already knew?” I hear you shout. As I said above I was in my own way, too wrapped up to take a step back & listen to the voice within me. That’s when we turn to others for guidance. It sometimes takes an outsider to clearly spell things out to you. Even the most conscious & intuitive beings are always learning.

My intention with the session was to find out the exact area in my life I need to be focusing on this year. I found out just that, not by it being told to me directly “you must do this” but with the ‘clues’ Michelle provided for me to figure it out for myself. It was up to me to then take what was in front of me & apply to my life. be responsible. The greatest gift anyone can receive.

The best part was Michelle provided practical tools to work with for the next few months. Questions to ask myself, meditations to listen too & of course which Alchemical oils would best serve me to move forward.

Grace was perfect for me as the words on the bottle are ‘get out of your own way.’ A really relaxing blend of geranium, sweet orange & lime.

Surrender was my second oil with the strong message to allow myself to feel all feelings. This is a common theme for me right now too to really ‘feel’ what is going on. This is a blend of my two favourite scents Frankincense & Myrrh as well as the very clearing eucalyptus.

I also chose too more oils for myself Clarity & Abundance. Staying clear & open to receive is something I am working on also.

I meditated as suggested with my mandala for an hour each day for three days. It was a very powerful & opening experience. It was just what I needed to assist me onto the next level of progression.

If you’re looking for some clarity or extra guidance I highly recommend Michelle’s sessions. Even if you’re not sure what you are looking for I’m sure some very good answers will present.

Thanks to Amy at True Shining Self for putting the final piece to my jigsaw together that day. Here’s Amy’s experience of her session with Michelle.

Love K xx

Click on image to enlarge ©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2014 (please share the love with full credit thanks)

Slowing Down or Burning Out

December 17, 2013 By Kat

There are messages & lessons to be learned every day. Paying attention & recognising these messages does take skill. Slowing down & listening within, keeping your eyes open & mind present is what is required.

Life has got very busy for me these past few weeks. It’s nearly three months since I went out on my own to start building my Reiki & intuitive healing business. I’m loving it. Every day is different & I’m enjoying the variety. However now my marketing efforts are paying off & my manifestations are becoming a reality my days are filling up fast.

It’s an amazing feeling to actually see my hard work coming alive. The most spiritual path you take is one of action. Successful people didn’t get where they are by sitting around wishing & wanting. They put in the hours & did the work to achieve results. Utilising my background in design to produce my own marketing is awesome. Finally I can use my creativity for my own projects & I am getting results.

The excitement of new client inquiries really fired up my Soul. Especially with first timers I was keen to fit them in ASAP. I love my healing work so much I want to do it at every opportunity. What happened next was a great lesson in sticking to my boundaries, staying slow & not sacrificing my self-love time.

I completely over booked myself. My yoga-teaching schedule was at full capacity & I took on an extra cover. Fitting in healings, tarot reading & Skype sessions took up every spare hour I had. My busyness didn’t affect my energy levels or my sessions. Both were still strong. I was pushing through & enjoying the ride of spending so much time connected to spirit. To ease the pressure I decided to use my day off from yoga for healing too. This day off is supposed to be a ‘day off from everything.’

Big mistake. I needed this day off in the middle of two busy weeks to regroup. Working with energy can be demanding & if you don’t take a break between you can burn out just like any other activity. At the time you don’t realise as your very zen & chilled out from it all. We live a dualistic life, both human & spiritual. There needs to be an even balance. I was so busy letting the spiritual side take over & was neglecting my human side & was risking becoming ungrounded. Just like with weight training it’s a good idea to take time off between sessions to allow the muscles relax & grow.

After ten days straight without a day off I was whacked. I can’t even really remember the afternoon I finally realised I had to stop, it’s a bit fuzzy. My message came to me it was time to slow down in a rather painful way. I got sunburnt.

Having lived in Australia for eight years I am no stranger to the danger of UV rays. My hectic week left me a bit scattered & careless one afternoon. I was attending a teacher’s workshop in an outdoor location. I packed my sunhat and toxic free sunscreen, however I didn’t use the latter. My morning started early & I really was hanging for a coffee. A fellow teacher was also at the studio & she was going to follow me up to the park, as she wasn’t sure where we were meeting. The day was overcast & breezy so I totally dismissed the need for sunscreen. I was also aware I had someone waiting for me. There was just enough time to get coffee & be on time. Busy, busy, rush, rush off I went sans screen big mistake. My saving grace was at least I wore my sun hat!

Needless to say my fair European skin got fried. The breeze of the sea kept things chilly so I didn’t even notice I was burning. Such a rookie mistake. A few hours later I was glowing. I can’t describe how annoyed I was with myself, stupid, stupid mistake.

Of course I needed to look up the metaphysical reasons for a burn. No surprise it is all linked with over committing & pushing too hard. Not knowing when to stop & difficulty saying no. Feeling burned out & tired. Point acknowledged thank you universe for pulling me up. Time to slow down.

It took another two days to honour my appointments then I stopped. Well actually I physically had nothing left so I kind of dropped. My skin was so sore & inflamed it was hard to sleep making it an extra tiring week.

Reflecting back I achieved a lot & grew a great deal in those busy two weeks. However with more stringent planning & time management I could have saved myself hitting exhaustion point. I should never give up my day off either.

Bookings are still rolling in thick & fast but now I just have to tell people they can’t get appointments in the same week. If they value my services they will wait & they are. No more giving away my ‘me’ time. That’s my time to let all my muscles relax & repair.

Love K xx