Coming Back To Center

It has taken nearly seven years. It was then that we first decided that we wanted to move to Colorado from Connecticut. It took years of visiting this amazing state to find the land that called us home. We are so blessed to have found our Forevermore on a mountaintop in Florissant. We are this lands stewards, caretakers, and guardians. We share these 80 acres with all the creatures of the land, with the mountains and the red rock, with the Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Fir, with the endless sky that is often dancing with Hawk and Raven, with the landscape of Bear, Coyote, Rabbit, Elk, and Mountain Lion.

Moving from a home that we have lived in for twenty years with our five children has been an adventure, a burden, a bore, a bonding experience, a cleanse and so very much more. But it has taken time. LOTS of time. And since there are only 24 hours in any given day, it meant having to put some things down and to push pause.

That meant having to let go of some things, one of which was writing my Spirit Blog. While I did continue to write, to work with clients, to teach programs and hold retreats, this was one of a few of my favorite things that I had to let go of due to a full plate and not enough time.

Finally, I am coming back to center. It feels good to have two new programs ready to launch on August first, (see notes below) and to dive back into my Spirit Blog. Additionally, soon I will begin a new Facebook page called Mountain Medicine Woman. Here I will share some of life on the mountain and some of the wildcrafting that I do and shamanic practice that is part of my day.

So, what do I mean by coming back to center? Think about a time of overwhelm in your life, a time of some chaos, stress, or struggle. We all have been there. And we usually come out the other side, maybe a bit tired, with some new lessons under our belt, and filled with relief that we can put whatever the stress was behind us. But then what? How do you come back to center?

For me, it is a reclaiming of things I had to put aside that are important to me. It is doing self-care to help remind me of how valuable my body temple is. It is pausing and savoring the preciousness of life that I had lost sight of. It is getting back into the arms of Mother Earth and being one with Her. It is re-engaging in my spiritual practice with a new breath. It is remembering what I am passionate about, what brings me joy, what causes me to lose all track of time as I delight in moments of wonder and awe.

What happens when I come back to center? Everything seems to re-align. My energetic vibration glows with positivity. My body shines with strength and health. My thoughts are alive with possibilities. My heart-space grows and the Universe responds.

Yes, we all can get pulled off track. We all can get buried in tasks. We all can be slammed by stress. It is part of life. I don't know how to live life fully and not have this happen once in awhile. But, it is a choice on what we do after the storm. Coming back to center is the best soul medicine I can choose for me. And the better I care for me, the better I can be in soul service.

If you are interested in my newest programs, visit The Shamanic Priestess Path or The Quest of the Shamanic Priestess under programs on my website, www.womenwithinsight.com

In The Arms Of The Mother

Unfortunately, much of my work keeps me indoors. But I make it a point to step outside each day and be embraced by the arms of the Mother. It is good for me on so many levels. I think too many people today rush from home, to work and then back home again without noting the beauty that surrounds them. Our modern lives keeps us so busy that many feel that they have no time to be outside; this has somehow become a luxury or a choice that can’t be made do to the circumstances of our busy lives.

If I were to choose this way, I would become very disconnected from the earth. I committed to making this a “have to” in my day. And, within a very short period of time, I discovered it became a “want to” and then a “need to”. When I step outside I connect with the energies of most of the elements. Earth grounds me, Air breathes new life into me and awakens me, the Fire of the Sun warms me and sparks my passions alive, and if there is rain or even Water nearby, I am reminded to go with the flow. I connect with all the other living beings around me. I listen to the birds, follow the squirrel as she moves about her day and delight in the dragonfly that flits from branch to branch in iridescent wonder. I celebrate that I am a part of this vast universe and all the energies of it.

I believe I am so powerfully drawn to be out in Nature because I am meant to be in it regularly. I find time to pause and remember all these parts of myself. I seek the beauty and the energies held there to heal me, to restore my balance and to delight me. All of my senses engage with the gifts of the Mother and I need Her medicine to be whole, vibrant and awake.

My soul seeks nourishment from my time spent in Nature. It finds its natural rhythm. It revives itself. It taps into creative energies that surround it. When I do this I feel my perspective shifts. When I go outside I find my energy level becomes exactly what I need at the time. Sometimes it helps me to release negativity that is only dragging me down. Sometimes it invigorates me and energizes me on a whole new level. And then there are the times it calms me and grounds me to stillness and presence.

Take some time today to bring your body outdoors. Try to be mindful of what you are experiencing. Breathe in the energies. Awaken your senses. Allow your soul to delight. You won’t be disappointed, but instead you will be brought to a beautiful place of wonder and recharge.

Blessings, Lisa

Sacred Kitchen Alchemy

How do you honor your body temple? How do you listen to your body's messages? In what ways do you bring your spirituality into your kitchen? Do you prepare your foods thinking about the energies that they will bring to your body, mind and soul? Perhaps it is time to bring sacred kitchen alchemy into your home.

What is sacred kitchen alchemy? It is a way of recognizing that every item of food we eat contains essential energies. Understanding these energies and how they can serve us is the everyday magic we have access to. Understanding that eating mindfully is about far more than counting calories. It is about choosing foods that serve our body well. It is about intention setting. It is about recognizing that eating seasonally insures we are getting the most nutrition that food item can offer us. As we learn to listen to our body and soul's needs, we then can respond accordingly.

Sacred kitchen alchemy is also about bringing some of your spiritual practices into your kitchen. Ritual is a part of our day already. We celebrate with food during holidays and on special occasions. But making the "ordinary" days special with ritual brings a mindfulness to our meals. We can honor ancestors, celebrate the season, invoke certain energies, awaken our senses with different plant spirit energies through spices and vibrant produce and more.

Color magic is an important aspect of sacred kitchen alchemy as well. Every color offers us its own unique energies. Knowing what these are, we can make food choices to generate these energies within and we can decorate our tables in specific colors to create that energy as well. There are so many possibilities.

The season and the phases of the moon can be celebrated and explored  in sacred kitchen alchemy. Recognizing these and incorporating their celebrations brings a new awareness to our food preparation and meal choices. Each moon honors a new cycle, each season an new phase and our bodies respond in harmony.

We often find ourselves in a rut when it comes to mealtime. Or in our busy lives we find we make poor choices when it come to honoring our body through food. Bringing an awareness to our meals, our food preparation and our body, mind and soul's needs creates a relationship with the sacred and cooking. Delight, honor, intention and wonder can be a part of what is often looked at as ordinary and mundane.

To learn more about Sacred Kitchen Alchemy and to join in an upcoming 4 week program, beginning March 8th, visit http://www.womenwithinsight.com/sacred-kitchen-alchemy/

Blessings, Lisa

The Power of a Talisman

Throughout time people have turned to symbols and tools, body adornment and decoration to help them embody power and energies. We have learned that by placing significance and intention into these objects and symbols we are reminded of our own power within. Over time and with practice and experience we incorporated crystals and stones, natural artifacts, colors, and more to these items to bring even more energies to them.

So what turns a pocket treasure or a pretty piece of jewelry into a powerful talisman? What sets it apart from a much loved piece to a spiritual reminder? Once again it comes down to the intention and the ritual or practice that we apply it to. By definition a talisman is any item that is imbued with specific power by its owner to serve a specific intention. They help ground that intention in our physical realm and on a soul level as well.

A talisman can intend protection, empowerment, attract abundance and more. The more one works with the talisman the more personal it becomes. Whether it be gems, wood, metal, plant, animal or even written word, a talisman can be tremendously powerful to the owner. More often than not the size of the talisman makes it easy to tuck away in a pocket, to be worn or to be carried throughout the day.

Markings that is often inscribed somewhere on the talisman can be in the forms of actual words or in symbols that are universal or specific to the owner. There is no one way for someone to create their talisman. Not only can it then serve in attracting what it is you intend, but it also serves as a reminder of your soul's calling and work.

When you want to create your own personal talisman there are many aspects of it to think about. The intention and planning of its creation is a big part of the power it is bringing. What element is it going to be made from? What energies does that element have? What color would you choose? If there is a symbol or some words that you want to include what will they be?

Once the talisman is created it needs to be cleansed and then charged with your personal energies. Some ways the cleansing can happen are by either smudging or placing the item in the sun or moonlight. The charging can happen by placing it on a personal altar and holding it during your spiritual time or by sitting with it and focusing deeply on what your specific intention is for it to represent. See in your mind's eye the outcome of using this talisman.

Nearly any item that you own can be used as a talisman whether it is a family heirloom or a newly purchased item or something hand crafted. It can be worn as "jewelry" or carried with you throughout the day. What is most important is the cleansing of it to remove any unwanted energies and then the charging of it with the bearer's intentions and energies. Many have found that using a talisman becomes a beautiful affirming representation of their goals and intentions and serves as a personal reminder of their connection to source.

Blessings, Lisa