Nourishing Yin Energy

For me (& possibly you?), the end of the year could not come soon enough! After months of action - endless doing, constant creation, perpetual motion – my body and soul are calling for deep rest and replenishment.

January is the month for stillness and reflection, ruled by Water and Winter. The Water Rhythm is the first rhythm of life. Infants emerge from the watery womb and remain in the Water Rhythm for the first years of life (regardless of the season they were born!). In both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Tibetan medicine, a balanced Water Rhythm allows you to “go with the flow”, feel a general sense of well-being AND easily connect into childlike joy. 

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Revel in the deep nourishment of the season. Do not deny Winter’s gift of renewal, trust and hope.

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Most years, Minnesota offers full opportunity to layer-up, make snow people, fly angel wings, and play snow mountain. And yet, rarely do adults engage in these joyful activities. With winter blues effecting many in the northern region and seasonal affective disorder impacting ~5% of the population, taking a slightly varied strategy may offer significant value. 

The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, a treatise on health/disease written ~300 BC, reminds us that seasons affect all living things and suggests in the winter we should

“retire early and get up with the sunrise. ... desires and mental activity should be kept quiet and subdued, as if keeping a happy secret.”

One of the simplest energy exercises you can practice is a rhythm wisdom meditation. Say what!? Yes, you read that correctly! Being still is an exercise. And one that does not come naturally in our current culture! In Tibet, ‘taking the 3 precious pills’ is a meditative practice using silence, stillness and spaciousness. You can practice for as little as 7 minutes a day and all you need is a quiet place to comfortably lay, sit or stand. 

In this exercise, you will be sinking into the 3 precious pills to more deeply connect with the rhythm/season wisdom. Begin by taking several deep breaths, allow your shoulders to settle and your chest to open. Now, add a gentle smile on your lips and call in the feeling of gratitude. Recall positive elements of your life. It can be as simple as “I am thankful for a warm house.” or “I am grateful for my ability to read.” The important component is feeling the gratitude in your body. If at first you aren’t ‘feeling it’, don’t fret – trust and practice. 

Next, invite your body to be still and your mind to be silent. If your body twitches, gently call it back to stillness. If your mind wanders, welcome it back to silence. Again, no stress, no straining – just go with the flow. As your mind and body settle into the present moment, allow a sense spaciousness and expansiveness to push away any last tension. Now, recall the Winter season / Water rhythm. You can envision snow falling from the sky or a large body of water, like the majestic Lake Superior. Remembering the wisdom of this season is a state of calm, peace and comfort with the ability to flow around obstacles and easily respond to changing situations. With each inhale, allow this energy to enter your body. As you exhale, release any discomfort and invite blockages to dissolve. Continue for 7 minutes or as long as feels right. As your meditation ends, return to your statements of gratitude. Offer an additional expression of appreciation - to yourself - for taking a few minutes to connect to the healing energy of the season.

Every season holds divine wisdom! By practicing this meditation regularly, you will open to this natural wisdom provided by the five rhythms. In doing so, your spirit will be lifted, your heart will be lighter and your cheeks will certainly be rosier!

Toward Wellness

Recovery from a significant health event using holistic health practices motivated me to redefine me journey toward wellness. 

I was raised in the woods.

Quite literally, my childhood home was located in the middle of 180 acres of pasture and woodland. As a child, I spent endless hours outdoors - running barefoot through the woods, caring for the plants and animals that resided near our home. The closest neighbor was miles away. In lieu, Mother Nature became my full-time playmate, fostering my deep respect for the natural world.

Nursing school was a natural fit.

My first nursing job was in Oncology/Hospice. During this time. I was introduced to Healing Touch. A colleague and I began partnering when patients came in to receive chemotherapy. I was fascinated by her ability to sense the sensations experienced by patients – the heaviness, stinging, burning that occurred during infusion. I returned to the University of Minnesota and completed my Master of Science, with a heavy focus on complementary therapies.

A health event inspired me to return to energy-based healing.

What started as a need to heal my body, has become my passion! Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) combines techniques from multiple modalities, including acupuncture, yoga, kinesiology and qi gong. Using EEM, balance and harmony can be non-invasively restored to the body and mind. And, EEM readily complements both western medicine and other healing modalities.

Balancing Yin & Yang

In every moment, of every day, life is comprised of movement and stillness. 

My father was the 13th child in a farm family, who was taught early on to “earn his keep”. As his daughter, I too was raised with a strong work ethic. And of course, current culture is one in which “laziness” is frowned upon and “productivity” rewarded. 

I’ve always pushed myself hard – first managing work alongside school/college/grad school; then jumping into a demanding career in healthcare leadership. When it came to generating results, I was convinced if I just “worked hard enough” I would achieve the outcomes I desired. Sometimes this strategy worked; other times it didn’t. Regardless, this “strong work ethic” often resulted in me feeling overextended, depleted and emotionally exhausted. 

Ill health became my wake-up call. As I worked to regain my health, I began to realize how out of balance my energies were – I was trapped in perpetual motion! Always on the go, juggling kids, career and home and being far too heavily influenced by the Yang (doing) realm. I had lost sight of the value and balancing effect of Yin (being/still) energies – no longer taking time for self-care, journaling or even daydreaming! 

Regardless of gender, all beings have two defined energies - Yin (often associated with feminine) and Yang (often associated with masculine). In the current “just do it” culture, where results are so highly valued, many men AND women are out of balance, over-extending Yang energy. 

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For optimal wellness – physical, emotional & spiritual – maintaining balance between masculine and feminine energies is essential!

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Balancing Yin and Yang energies applies directly to optimal wellness and also extends to our way of being in this world. I could never have launched The Centre of Wellness without tapping into both energies. First, engaging Yin energy – receptivity and intuition – to realize my true purpose, as well as process-oriented, relational strategies to ensure my business model was optimally aligned. Second, tapping Yang strengths, I was able to act with the take charge, fire in the belly energy needed to execute my work plan and overcome any real or perceived barriers. 

This experience has been potent! As a nurse, colleagues and I often practiced by the motto – learn it, do it, teach it. By integrating energy balancing into both my self-care and business model, I am better able to appreciate the real power of the Yin/Yang Model comes when we learn how – and when – to simultaneously call forth these powerful energies. I’ve learned it — I’ve practiced it — and now it’s time that I teach it!

Yin/Yang Attributes:

Yin: Feminine, being, intuitive, inward facing, receptive, process-oriented, collaborative.. 

Yang: Masculine, doing, outward facing, goal-oriented, determined, commanding, assertive

As we move deeper into Autumn then Winter (both Yin seasons) and simultaneously charge into the busy holiday season, I encourage you to assess your energetic balance. Are you giving to your SELF as much as you are giving to others? Are you finding time to play, experience joy, rest in quietude (Yin actions)? Do you know what stressors/triggers push your energies out of balance? Be curious! And, as always, be compassionate toward your process and self. 

Reconnect with Breath

What if your life experience as a girl was one that provided an absolute sense of safety, respect, value? What if we were born into a culture where autonomy was encouraged; where a girl was taught to trust and honor her blossoming body and the unique stages of womanhood; where a relationship with the Divine Feminine was nurtured and there was balance between the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine?

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Imagine the freedom and ease you would feel in all parts of your womanly body, the extraordinary courage you would have to speak your mind and the divine intelligence to follow your soul purpose!

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If this statement has you thinking ‘imaging this scenario is futile in our current social/political climate!’ – think again! From a simple biophysical standpoint, guided imagery has been widely investigated for its impact on emotions and biochemistry. Research supports use of guided imagery to not only increase physical performance, but also to decrease symptoms related to stress and anxiety such as headaches, digestive and breathing difficulties, high blood pressure, etc. In addition, significant evidence supports the effectiveness of guided imagery in relieving mental health challenges including depression, as well as impacting neuroendocrine measures (cortisol and hormone levels) and physiological biomarkers (blood pressure, breathing and oxygen rates, heart rate variability (HRV)).

From a consciousness perspective, the subconscious mind is rich with raw creative energy! This energy can be harnessed, directed toward healing, self-improvement and spiritual growth. Your subconscious mind operates on belief. It is always tuned in to your moods, thoughts, feelings, words and attitudes. AND it will respond accordingly — whatever you feel, think, sense, your subconscious mind will spread this message across your cells and nervous system like a wildfire blazing through the dry grass.

With this new information in hand, step back to the ‘Imagine’ statement. Read it again. This time breathe deeply – fully expanding your lungs, relaxing your stomach. Breath all the way down to the seat of your femininity, to your womb. As you continue to bring breath down into your womb, hold the image of freedom of body, courage of mind, divine intelligence. Place your right hand over your heart (4th) chakra and left hand over your womb (2nd) chakra. This connection is so appropriately named ‘coming home to yourself’. Allow yourself a moment to sense the love pouring out of the strongest energy center of your body – the heart – to nourish your womb, your creative powerhouse. Shift your awareness to shoulders, have they relaxed a bit? Has your abdomen continued to expand with full breath? Are you feeling a bit more grounded and centered?

A simple practice to help you powerfully reconnect with yourself, in a very heart-centric fashion. When working to change habit-fields, consistency is key! If you continue to work with this practice on a regular basis, you can readily tap into the power of guided imagery + energy medicine to release old wounds, reprogram obsolete patterns and more easily access the spark of vitality, power and wisdom that burns in the womb of every woman!

Interested in more deeply awakening the Burning Woman within you? Join me in the upcoming women’s only class to fan the flame, burn away the restrictions and limitations you have created in your life, within your body and set your Burning Woman ablaze!