This blog is dedicated to my favorite brands that I collaborate with and my promo codes for you to join the movement. Being the muse that I am, conscious collaboration is a key ingredient in my lifestyle. I aim to support sustainability, simplicity and kindness for our body, community and environment as a whole. These are a few of the brands that share similar values to myself, all in which I honor as a sacred way of life. You've seen me express my excitement for the collaborative love... here is the lineup.
Living Prana - Superfood Pancakes & Waffle Mix ⛺? Watch my happy camping flipping pancakes reel here 🙂 My favorite is the prana cake mix (I suggest getting a bag of prana mix and brain mix for your first hit, you will finish it and be ordering more within a week) Use my code "dani22" for 22% off.
Knott Brand - My personal brand which started as a passion project to unite the source of our goods to an ethical and conscious way of life. A happy cause where 10% of profits go towards funding a semester of school for a child in Bali. Read more about how you can support the kids and treat your water as sacred! Water is life & the children are the future, what do you stand for? Shop sustainable accessories online and support a greater movement?
Palo Santo - Sustainably harvested palo santo from Ecuador and delicious altar products. I love the spray mist hydrosol, luna wipes and palo santo bracelet. My code is "knottbrand", that's with 2 T's for 15% off your order?
One Golden Thread - An incredible cozy, ethical lifestyle wear that I live in. You've seen me dancing in my yellow bandana, one size fits all skin-like cozy pants and versa wrap - all the color of golden sunshine. I love being naked and these threads are the closest thing to that. Made from trees and planting a tree with every purchase. If you choose comfort and quality over all else > the investment is worth it. Use "dani11" for 11% off your order. Stay golden?
Ritual Oils - A skincare must have! Moringa oil as the carrier oil infused with blue lotus, the smell is sensational and timeless - you will be hooked! I use mine daily as a night time serum, post clay mask, and with the rose quartz gua sha... it's a RITUAL? Use my code "danielle" for 10% off purchases!
Fun Earth Co - I love my concoctions!! The mocha mushroom blend is my favorite! & I am obsessed with their serving spoon also 🙂 Use "dani30" for 30% off your concoction blend ?? it's a mocha mushroom life - I add ghee and my home made nut milk and FROTH it up!!
Late Sunday Afternoon- The coziest and softest and one of a kind scarves and wraps that will last you a lifetime!! If you are in Venice Beach, CA, I suggest you pass by the shop off Venice Blvd to feel for yourself! A long time brand that is woven into my life. Read my interview with LSA as a proud ambassador http://magazine.latesundayafternoon.com/blog/dani x May The Snuggle Be With You ?
Global Breathing Awareness - My teacher (Katia) is recognized as one of the original rebirthing masters in the world. If you want to learn how breathwork can assist your profession via training certification, I suggest their in-person "Breath and Life Mastery Training" ` in Samothraki. The seminar changed my life in ways I cannot imagine (& I will continue to come back every year to the beautiful island of Samothraki in Greece for advancing my certification and indulging in the islands' magic). Watch my personal video testimonial of the 2021 training here. If you feel the calling to attend their summer training, reach out to me directly for a friends & family discount.
After being in Tokyo for a week, my spirit was craving raw nature. After all, my intetnion to visit Japan and live in the mountains for a month still remains a mystery... but this day adventure to Mount Kurama filled my cup, to say the least. I am still "high" after visiting this potent energetic spot.
I engaged in a traditional kimono book making workshop in Kyoto a few days ago, which I discovered through researching Japanese tea ceremony on Air B&B. (The workshop was so special to me; I highly recommend if you take pride in journaling and simple details.) I asked Yoko, the woman who led the class, alongside her father, if she had recommendations for mountain nature spots.
Apart from a few local temple recommendations, she explained to me that Mount Kurama is a mountain to the north of Kyoto. It is the birthplace of Reiki practice and is said to be the home of Sōjōbō, King of the Tengu. Kurama is also the location of the annual Kurama Fire Festival, which takes place every October. Say no more. I decided to take my day trip the next day, which happened to be Friday, November 11, 2022. 11-11-22. Everything is energy.
Since primordial times, the life-energizing vitality of Mao-son (symbol of Power), the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the Earth, has pervaded Mount Kurama. Imbued with life energy, a wide variety of life forms resides there in serenity, and the rich natural environment continuous to flourish. Since the guardian of heaven, Bishamonten (symbol of Light) and the thousand-armed Senju-kannon bodhisattva, (symbol of Love) became enshrined in the land, people have continued to gather to offer their heartfelt prayers.
At Kurama Temple today, the three venerated deities are worshipped as the trinity of Sonten (symbol of of Cosmic Energy). All those who come into contact with Mount Kurama not only receive the life energy emanating from the mountain but also become conscious of their own "shinge" (pure and innocent spirit), and look forward to the dawn of a world of peace and harmony where the lives of all people will shine with the brightest of lights.
Feel the energy in these photos. See the mountain spirits speak through the captures. Look, question, feel, reflect.
Prayer of Mount Kurama:
To create a world, where all lives shine, Beautiful as the Moon (Love) Warm as the Sun (Light) Powerful as the Earth (Power) We trust in Sonten for all things.
I invite you to take this "advice" (a fragment of my experience and personal beliefs) with a grain of salt and discern for yourself. I am not claiming to have the magic sauce, although, I am onto something...
My fingers are moving across the keys. Open your mind and heart up to pure potential in this breath right now.
Saturday night. I opened the long-untouched book "Becoming Supernatural" by Joe Dispenza. My bookmark left on page 23 of 300 pages from a year ago when I purchased the book. I can't be the only one who begins a book and gets excited and moves onto another, thus creating my own personal collection of books that are half way devoured and the other half like a buffet of knowledge waiting to be indulged in. Clearly I was meant to come back to it in the time I did. That time being now.
I jumped right on in to page 23, Living a Past Incarnation in the Present Moment. Dispenza opens with the context of dropping into his morning meditation. He expresses to the reader, "instead of trying to make something happen, I just let go and said to myself, Whatever... Apparently that was the magic word. I know what that means now. I surrendered, got out of the way, let go of any specific outcome, and simply opened up to the possibility." I made a connection after reading that passage.
Life is serving us a "buffet of experiences" at every moment. Each moment we are presented with an array of possibilities. For every encounter you have and every action you take throughout the day, a rainbow of outcomes are serving you, guiding you deeper to your truth, your Higher Self, your authentic self.
Give meaning to each breath and every breath becomes an encounter with the Divine.
SUCCESS - a word with many meanings and many emotions attached to it
What do you feel when I say... "SUCCESS"? Where do you feel it in your body? Note that. You can come back to it later when you're working on your prosperity consciousness.
I was having a conversation with a friend today. We were talking about trauma and birth, when he asked me "how have your past traumas influenced your life now (in relation to someone who can't find their way out of the destructive patterns)?"
Our past traumas can and will MAKE OR BREAK YOU. You can approach a past expereince as a lesson and use that experince as a Divine motivation towards a greater purpose OR you can give that experience all your power to break you down. Once you're down, there's only up (said the optimist ;))
I told him (referencing the vividly unfolding series of traumatic events from my childhood and adolescence), that I choose to use my pain as medicine for my soul. I allow the hardship, trauma and pain (whatever you wanna call it) BUILD me rather than retreat into the "wound pool". That's the difference between people who "make it" and people who "fail". People who MAKE IT learn from the pain. They are already one step ahead because life IS and WILL throw you the ball, so when the ball is in your quart, you are already mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to receive it, digest it and release it.
An example of this, I observed both my parents "check out" through alcoholism. As a child, I was terrified, I felt alone. I told my friend, "I DON'T have an addictive personality today because I witnessed my parents numb themselves and turn into a monster (from the eyes of my 12 year old self) and I told myself that I never want to be like that." I opened the gate for healing and change when I gave my inner child permission to feel the pain, but not identify as the pain. My experiences serve me in the highest of vibrations for motivating me to take inspired action. My pain is a tool for empowerment to live an enriching and fulfilling life. Feeling my emotions (and receiving rebirthing breathwork sessions) liberated me from the potential loop of self-destruction.
The 3 emotions that usually result in action are fear, guilt and hope. Fascinating.
Knowing how and when to RESPOND is the secret (for all my generator types). Sometimes the response can be as simple as an internal response or energetic shift into GRATITUDE. BECOME GRATITUDE. Affirm to yourself "love them and let them go" or "Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe."
Your authentic self is emerging with every breath. The exhale is symbolic of our trust or surrender to life, a "death". The inhale is symbolic of our excitement for life, opening up to new energy and new life, a "birth". The outcome (your life) depends on the meaning you give to that experience. Tony Robbins said it best, "Life has no meaning, except for the meaning that you give it." Imagine that every breath you take, you are given the golden pass of the ride of your life to make it GREAT. Make it what you want to make it.
On the evening of February 21, 20222, I had a pretty mellow night, to say the least. I showered, ate a light meal of a small Japanese sweet potato and sauerkraut, finishing an episode on Gaia TV about Human Design. I was cleaning out my ear wax with hydrogen peroxide. (This is a great way to remove excess wax buildup, just pour a few drops of HP and allow it to bubble away!) After using the bulb to flush my ears out with water, a ton of wax came rushing out of my ears. You could say that the first stage of the opening of a canal was complete, literally.
I crawled into bed around 10:30PM. I read for 30 minutes and then I was over it. Stretched for 5 minutes on my bed. I picked up my vibrator and took some pleasure in it. Over that too. My body was tired but my mind was active, eventually I tried to sleep.
What felt like hours of dream waves, dreams unfolding into more dreams, me tossing and turning in bed, restless as fuck, realistically, the dreams cycled through my psyche in a series of seconds.
Nightmares for Healing
The first dream wave took me on this journey through a push and pull "violation of my body" nightmare running from the villain, a man is out to get me, pursuing an attack on me, violating my vehicle... the same pattern has come up for me over and over in my dreams.
Guidance note: As I'm writing this, I hear a cat meowing. I opened my front door and a cat was sitting there on my doorstep. I've never seen this cat before. It was shy, we made eye contact and it went on it's path. The symbolism.
The dreams of "my vehicle being violated" (the vehicle in my dreams symbolize my body) has been a very relevant pattern for me. Doris E. Cohen shares in her book "Dreaming on Both Sides of the Brain", that when we experience reoccurring dreams, it's like our subconscious is nudging us over and over, to the point where it can become nightmarish, and really get our attention, in order for us to heal and change a subconscious pattern. Our dreams are like a bridge between the masculine analytical and logical conscious self (right side of the brain) and the feminine unconscious, intuitive self (left side of the brain). Remember that the next time you have a reoccurring dream.
Years ago, I experienced a "rape". (Even now I am attempting to make it smaller than it seems by inserting the quotes around rape, hmm fascinating.) At the time, I wasn't saying I was raped because it made me feel powerless. To identify myself as a victim of rape felt very disempowering. My body's natural response to stress, "fight, flight or freeze" kicked in, and my body froze up.
I've created a wall around love to protect myself from this trauma (a memory our body holds onto) and it isn't serving me anymore. Clearly my subconscious is signaling me to heal and shift out of this old story! Isn't that just lovely spirit medicine!?
Enter the the Dreamworld
Still tossing and turning, a sleepless night that felt endless; like I was "falling" down a tunnel in the dream world...
You could say I landed (enter the dream) under the mother tree of all trees. Shady, grassy, supportive and safe, overlooking the complex grid of the Earth, we were higher up, closer to the heavens, kind of like how the Greeks made Mount Olympus, the temple of the Gods, elevated above all of Athens (which I had the pleasure to experience right after my transformational rebirth breathwork experience in Greece last September 2021).
This dream spoke codes of higher consciousness, paradigm death, purpose and soul mission. The tree was like a transformer or AI that was at war in the sky, it got shot down, came plunging through the sky, landed, rooted in its heaviness and density, and began to display a visual transmission. The man who was "attacking me" in my previous nightmare, was invited by the AI Mother Tree to call a conference. We sat in harmony, observing a large array of technological computer codes imbedded in the trees complex, archives that were way beyond my understanding, we sat side by side, heart and heart, while the wise tree projected something very specific... a visual of the sphynx of Egypt aligning exactly to the tip of the pyramid. The sphynx was licking the tip of the pyramid and this meant the ending or "death of the sphynx era".
Because this is my dream, the symbols (sphinx, tree, pyramid) are relevant to me and my life. Based off my personal interpretation, the sphynx represents a feline, guardian protector energy. The pyramid represents light, unlimited energy, and power. And the sphynx "licking" the tip of the pyramid represents an intimacy, coming into contact with and duality that exists. It's also a very playful energy too! ? The lick is symbolic of the bridge between the guardian and the temple, victim consciousness and unity consciousness, the conscious and subconscious. The death of the sphynx paradigm is here.
Individually (this is what it feels like for me) and collectively, that we are transiting through the birth canal, contractions occurring, in the process of being "pushed through" by the mother tree (nature, natural laws, love and compassion). This day opens the portal to a potent rebirth (yet it's important to note that this process takes time and if you feel like you find yourself rushing, forcing things, trying to do things and meeting resistance, it can and probably is related to your actual birth truama (see my last post about how our birth creates a blueprint for our life here). Give yourself some time, you are right where you need to be).
Remember Your Mission
It became very clear that the mother tree was calling us together (to rest under her simply complex branches of peace and connection) to return to our mission here on Earth. The gates of victim/ nightmare consciousness are closing and we are being called to return together as one, and remember our higher mission. Your dreams have the potential to carry you on a golden chariot through your life with ease and joy.
When a dream has many layers and details, which most of my dreams do, I will record it and come back to it for further interpretation. This time, I sketched out some pictures in my dream journal, along with the recording. The voice note ended on minute 17:17.
Angel Guidance
Since this number came up for me, that means it came up for you too. That's how I see it.
Here is the message of angel number 1717:
I repeat: You Have All That You Need Within You.
The number 1 represents creation, new energy and independence. Number 7 represents enlightenment, knowledge and higher learning. Since both numbers appear twice, this energy is AMPLIFIED.
We are being called to raise the vibrational frequency of all listeners. Don't waste your time with people who aren't listening.
Power words I've extracted from this sacred portal are unity, bridge, passion, purpose, teaching, healing, communication, wisdom, expression, creation and love.
What words spoke to you? What is one thing you learned about yourself today? What actions do you feel called to implement? How can you advance your spiritual practice? Journal on this or share in the comments below 🙂
As you transition through your process, don't forget to share your story with someone and send the light of 1000 suns to your heart and to some hearts that are close to yours. You are the creator of your reality. Step up to the dancefloor and let's get wild baby!
For further support, interest in breathwork sessions, or just a simple "hey sister, I see you", connect with me via IG or my contact page.
To join my free Facebook group where I share free trainings on how to heal and connect naturally through breathwork, click here.
Danielle specializes in helping artists and creatives unlock their creative blockages and heal stress and anxiety. If this is resonating with you, you can watch Danielle's free training. In the training she teaches you how to achieve clarity and confidence using a simple, 2 hour per week technique!!
I was inspired to write this article after witnessing a friend experience what you could call "airport trauma". I was witnessing the moment unfold, but I have been in her shoes and could relate to exactly what she was feeling, powerless and small. When we are operating in a victim mentality, anything and anyone can feel like a threat.
Airports provoke a feeling or reenactment of our birth trauma. I've had many similar experiences in the airport: the fear that you aren't on time, you aren't worthy to have a seat of your choice, your bags are too much weight, you are too much, the list can go on and on.
The stress hormones that are released when we are in fight or flight mode are activated in a moment of panic. These same hormones are released, whether we are being "attacked" or not, our body doesn’t know the difference and so we are navigating in a constant state of fear or worry.
The Imprinting Process
After prolonged hours of travel and sudden shock from place to place, I am really starting to recognize how our birth imprint creates a blueprint on our physical body. Our first needs as a baby/child impact our experiences and our perception later in life (this is deep shit and when I started to make the connection, I noticed how my birth script played out in every arena of my life).
Transit comes from latin “transire”, which means to cross over. The transition or crossing over we experience during traveling is symbolic of our transition from womb to world. Traveling can be a pleasurable or a dreadful experience, depending on how you are wired (and your willingness to rewire those circuits if you aren’t enjoying yourself). What fun is traveling when we are stressed out? I think of the quote "It’s not about the destination. Life is about the journey (so take your time)."
A realization I had last night: why are people always rushing around trying to get somewhere?
The conclusion I made, most of us are born in hospitals where the main agenda is to get the baby out in a "timely manner". No wonder we feel like we are rushing to survive.
Navigating Reality
A group of us were heading home from the beautiful island of Samothraki in Greece, where we took part in the 3 week Breath and Life Mastery Training https://www.globalbreathingawareness.com/courses/breath-and-life-mastery-training. We were buzzing off the energy of the ferry (a smooth birth canal moment), and headed to the airport.
It is mandatory (the date is September 2021 of a global pandemic) to have a valid PCR or Antigen test (or a vaccine, if that’s the decision you choose to go) to board any flight domestic or international. No exceptions.
When I overheard the young girl say she took a self-test (which is not valid to fly and she knew this), I knew that she was about to reap what she sowed, the prey in a circle of predators.
There was a deep subconscious imprint that was unlocking itself. In the eyes of the girl, the airport check in representative appeared as the "aggressor" of an uncovered past trauma. It was up to her to cultivate acceptance in the moment or retreat into previous submissive patterns.
After an extended argument with the flight representative, it was made obvious she couldn’t board the flight. (I thought to myself, it costs 10 euro to take a rapid test and ride smoothly, why jump through all the loops and even risk it?)
When it came time to navigate towards airport security, she knew she wasn’t joining us. I could see in her eyes she wanted to cry, her body trembling and hands sweaty.
Uncovering Childhood Trauma
Is it possible our school trauma is also brought up while at the airport? The fear that we aren't accepted or valuable (in the eyes of the teacher/ students) or the fear that we aren't on time (for school) then we get punished.
Perhaps we have developed a subconscious mechanism to cope with this feeling as a child. We have created a story that if we are late then we are bad, and therefore we should suffer. You did NOT come here to suffer, play small or feel inferior.
If you remain ignorant of your natural divinity and continue to play the victim, these stress hormones will continue to shower you in any arena of your life. The airport is one context, but it's come to my attention that, if you are playing small, the world will continue to show you that you are small.
How can we feel secure in a whirlwind of chaos?
Stepping Towards Success
When you change the chemistry of your body and signal the happy hormones, the universe will provide. And I mean it, like really provide. Because you are surrendered and you trust, the universe will show that to you. Real life examples of the universe serving me, "you have been upgraded to business class miss" "your flight is delayed, you have an abundance of time to enjoy"; you sit next to someone and you have a, "wow this is the reason I am here" moment.
I've learned over the years and many failed attempts to understand the nature of making peace with the moment. Making peace with the inside will mirror the peace you feel towards the outside. There is no separation.
All moments exist simultaneously. When you change your reaction, the world changes. When you change your breath, your physiology changes.
The same practices it takes to become a master traveler relate to those of a breathwork master, focus, discipline and persistence!!!
There are a few things that we can do to have an effortless, effervescent transit while passing through airports and in navigating life:
Breathe! - Take 20 connected breaths or a few slow deep breaths to ground your body and get back into homeostasis/ into a neutral charge; in this state, you can make an aligned action/ decision.
Affirm yourself in the moment - repeating affirmations in a moment of high stress will signal your mind to change your body chemistry from a state of anxiety to peace
Try this one: "IN THIS MOMENT EVERYTHING IS WORKING OUT FOR MY HIGHEST GOOD, OUT OF THIS SITUATION, ONLY GOOD WILL COME, I AM SAFE."
Trust yourself - Trusting yourself is accepting yourself as you are in this moment (without the need to change anything).
Acceptance - Developing self acceptance and trust that you are guided in all moments; If you don’t board the flight, consider it meant to be. (harsh but to some extent this really works! "If I couldn’t catch that bus, then maybe that was FOR me rather than against me"
Gratitude - "thank you for getting me this far"; when we practice gratitude; we become aligned with the unified intelligence that is serving us at every moment
Play BIG! - Don't take no for an answer, flight for what you believe you deserve!!!
Have fun and laugh at yourself - Essential step to pure pleasure and enjoyment; If we take a step back at look at the big picture, "why are we so serious?"; everything is okay (even the most stress-provoking moments); in this moment, you are breathing, you are safe, you are unharmed; laughing releases happy hormones the opposite of the hormones that are provoked in traumatic experiences - develop a habit to laugh more and bathe in the happy hormones
After all, we love traveling because we can meet new people, expand our hearts and minds and see the world from a new perspective. When we cultivate our happy hormones often and navigate in a state of trust and gratitude - life will get really good!!! You become the master of your life (and the airport/ life becomes your servant rather than the other way around).
Thank you life for all my experiences because I grow and get better through the failures and mistakes. I wouldn’t exchange anything. I love the challenges because it means I am growing!!! JAYY! (Something we say in Greek, jay = victory!)
It's come to my awareness that everything that comes into our field (physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally), are all serving as tools for our personal transformation on this incredibly intricate grid.
I was chatting with my girl friend the other day about how watching fear-induced films, or even the trauma we take on via social media (getting cyber bullied), has a detrimental impact on our mental health.
Our body spits out stress hormones in the case of survival. Your body doesn't know the difference between you witnessing someone get chased on a drama film or you actually getting chased by a predator.
Why is this meaningful?
You are signaling your brain that you are getting attacked (weather you are watching a movie or not) and therefore your body is in a constant state of worry or fear.
The stress shower began when I submitted to watching the 1992 Basic Instinct, an erotic thriller film featuring the seductive temptress Sharon Stone and Michael Douglass. My boyfriend turned it on. The title sounded appealing and I am a fan of 90s movies (I am a 90s baby and everything within that era appeals to me), the scene opened with an erotic sex scene, my Scorpio nature was hooked in.
I became the prey in a mind of predators.
I'm looking back at this blog draft, its been 9 months since I initially had this stress-provoking experience. I've had a deeper attention to understanding why I am turned off (or should I say turned on) to these experiences on a subconscious level.
You may be addicted to the stress or pain and you don't even know it. It's taken time for me to take inventory on my experiences and investigate my behaviors with compassion and acceptance.
This may seem extreme to take it this far (it was just a movie), but there is much meaning in my experience. So much that it has me typing this at 1 AM to shift and release this energy (a stress response to old behaviors I'm working through).
We had erotic sex midway through the movie, and a part of me is sure that looking back on it, was a total trauma response to the side of me that was addicted to the stress, eroticisms and the pleasure pain principle.
I sat beneath Father Sky and the Great Mother entwining me from all directions, I lit my tobacco and asked for their attention, most of all, I asked for forgiveness. Sure, there are worse things to be forgiven for than watching a trauma-induced movie, but it triggered something in me for a reason. A reason of recognition. Recognition of myself, my emotions, my behaviors and my response to those behaviors.
After watching and opening discussing with my partner about this agreement we both mutually signed into (another way of me saying turning on a drama that fed both of our pain bodies simultaneously), we decided to watch movies and docs that are educational and empowering, HAHA!
Stress and adversity open the door to change and growth.
This experience has allowed me to look at where I have a tendency to suppress my emotions, and rather than "stuff my feelings" with sex, food, or movies, I can choose to REFLECT and TRUST my process.
You can choose to recognize your relationships, and stress responses' influence on your energetic body and observe the experience with patience. It's not about getting rid of it, but rather integrating and becoming the observer.
"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."―Haruki Murakami
Be gentle on yourself. Sometimes my mind has a tendency to skip ahead a few steps but then I have gratitude for the step that I am standing on right now, this is the most important step of all because I am here right now! How liberating, right!?
Feed the animal in you which brings you joy and pleasure! Anything less is a dis-service to yourself. Take intentional action on things which are serving your greatness... you're a star!!!
I've come from a codependent upbringing. During childhood and teen years, my parents were "abusing" themselves with alcohol and other fixes, and at a very young age, I witnessed this behavior and confused it for love.
Do you ever feel so stuck, you're just praying for the signs to be heard and answered? My prayers were answered, at least for today. Tomorrow is the unknown. Something so simple can spark such great inspiration. And so, in times of chaos and duality, the one thing we can control is ourselves, our focus, and our attitude towards a person, place or thing.
Now that I am an adult, I am experiencing love at first hand and I recognize my tendency to avoid it or "run away" from it, as my little child had done or made the decision to do when she was vulnerable and afraid.
Now that I am an adult, I am my own mother to my inner child. I know that previous illusions of "love" can be dissolved and I don’t need to hide away or run from current relationships (including the relationship with myself) because I know what is safe and supportive for me (and my inner child). I have the opportunity to tell her she is safe and she can be direct about how she feels and when she feels it (and then I give her a long embrace, literally.)
What Our Society Says About Feelings
Our culture splits our feelings into two categories: good and bad. Anger, pain, fear and shame are labeled as bad or negative. Joy, passion and love are considered good or positive. Pia Mellody (Facing Codependence) says that "this sort of black and white categorizing is erroneous and dysfunctional.
We are constantly being labeled and worrying about which emotions are acceptable or not. This puts a lot of pressure on us! For example, if a man is afraid, he's a coward. It's acceptable for a woman to be afraid because she is weak and vulnerable, but if a woman is angry then she is a witch, but a man's anger is him exerting his power…" it’s all a bunch of crap!
Another message society imposes on us is that pain is not acceptable (for men or women). The code I interpret when I hear this is that "I don’t have a right to have pain, or I am not worthy of pain, so I should take what I need to numb it", which leads to higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse/ addictions.
Pia says that, "wisdom and maturity come from facing pain and learning from it... we are a nation of very immature people who don’t have the willingness to experience the pain that leads to authentic wisdom. We haven't learned how to tolerate pain and deal with it as an agent of positive change."
Emotionally Numb
"Emotional damage most profoundly sabotages our lives as adult codependents," says Pia. The moment I decided to understand my emotional numbness (rather than being in denial of it) and slowly open to feel is one great step towards liberation!
A behavior that codependents often have trouble expereincing is setting functional boundries and owning and expressing their own reality. Their needs and wants get mixed up in a storm of what other people need and want (people pleasing) and their personal expression is not being met moderately, nor is it being owned. I've always been very passive aggressive in my words and actions. And up until now, I didn’t realize it was a defect, I took pride in it. (HA!)
I can relate a lot to this… in fact, I am slowly recovering from this dysfunctional, less-than nurturing "parenting" style. As a child, it was all that I knew, the intensity was normal and if I didn’t feel this intensity in myself, in my relationships, sex life, family, food… then I thought something is wrong with me! And worse, I tried to numb myself (and my emotions) for many years in thinking that my behavior was valid and sane when in fact, the more I come to think of it, my life had become unmanageable!
A Willingness to Heal
In Pia Mellody's, Facing Codependence, she explains that feeling healthy emotions is a positive experience. And that as long as each emotion is expressed in a healthy and functional way (not bypassing or numbing), each of our emotions has a specific purpose and can serve as a teacher for us! Below are core emotions and perspective on each:
Joy gives us hope and a sense of abundance or "I have enough."
Passion gives us an energy that motivates us to create and to survive.
Love is a sense of warmth for self or another that motivates us to treat ourselves and others well. It gives us a sense of inherent worth.
Anger gives us the strength we need to do what is necessary to take care of ourselves. We can use anger in a healthy way to our own best interest by facing it and expressing it in non-abusive ways (to ourselves or to other support).
Fear helps us protect ourselves. We become alert to the possibility of danger when we feel fear, that way we can safely protect ourselves. Healthy fear keeps us from getting into relationships that would not be in our own best interest. (A question I asked myself during meditation... "Would... be of my best interest? "Would it be of my best interest to...?" and so on... listening to my body's reaction/ and considering your heart).
Pain motivates us to grow towards increasing maturity. Life is full of pain-producing "problems", that is normal and healthy. Feeling the pain produces growth, ability to heal from past events, and a maturity to learn and move on. Repressing the pain and not facing it (or medicating/ abusing substance in some way) keeps us injured and immature.
Guilt is a healthy warning system telling us we have transgressed a value we considered to be important. Meaning, what you thought was important and was previously damaged/ hurt by it, is serving as a gentle sign for you to recognize your behavior and evolve. By feeling our guilt, we can shift our behavior and decide to live up to our values.
Shame tells us that we are imperfect and that we are not God. Although, according to our culture, we may feel shame but "we're not supposed to talk about it... our lives are filled with experiences of shame." Pia says, "codependency is a shame-based illness and it's hard to recover when the one thing we need to talk about is not supposed to be revealed or discussed." Our own healthy shame serves as a reminder to self that we are perfectly imperfect (as I like to say), and we can learn to be accountable and responsible for our own actions and the world around us.
Walking Through the Door
These times bring up so much uncertainty. In a world with so much chaos echoing all around us, it is most important that we listen to our greatest M.V.P... our heart!! As well as trust ourselves and ask ourselves, "What is most important for me right now?" or "What is good for my soul right now?".
I've been the "love avoidant" all my life, because I witnessed a distorted version of love as a child and decided back then to turn away or "avoid" love. Now that I am an adult, I can walk through the shadows, pain and sorrow (all those "black" emotions") and allow them to come up and out without judgement or shame. This is so liberating! I can now see and feel with a new pair of spectacles (and an ever evolving skin suit)! But of course, I had to experience all that I did to come to this realization, how magical!
These days bring so much distortion and it is hard to tell what is true and what is false. Asking ourselves, "What is true?" or "Is it true for me?" is a good place to start when making decisions about your future!! Let's not forget to always invite JOY and PLAY into our relationships, intents, words, and actions!!
It is okay to ask for clarity and take as much time as we need to process our daily experiences. Imagine you get in a car accident and the little child is in the back seat... post accident, everyone is safe, but the little child is traumatized by such an extreme experience. We have to hold our inner child and tell him/ her that we are okay, we are going to be safe, and allow as much time as you need to walk through the door. I always say "take baby steps" or as my mentor says "micro-commitments". And remember, saying "no" is a sentence. When you say "no" to someone else, you say "yes" to yourself.
“Even when I detach, I care. You can be separate from a thing and still care about it.” ― David Levithan
I saw these two little girls doing cartwheels and it reminded me of my nature... I hope it brings you to yoursEven when we fall... we can get back upA message written in the sand at Waialua Beach, Kauai
Featured Photo @rosa.scipion
Other photos taken by me on my most recent adventure to Kauai
Highly recommend books "Love Addiction" and "Facing Codependency" by Pia Mellody
For further help/ recovery, reach out to me for support and/or healing breathwork sessions; also visit Al-Anon.org for further support.
I have always been a passionate advocate for water... consistently sharing my insights and new research on water as the ultimate "elixir of life". It is about time that I take advantage of our resourceful platforms and share the sacred knowledge that water presents for us, as a tool for transformation, as we weave the tapestry of creative consciousness in our lives. To understand yourself, you need to understand water. It is that simple.
Primordial Intelligence
The human brain can hold up to 1000 terabytes of information (There are 1000 gigabytes in 1 terabyte, you do the math.) That is a whole lot of space, it makes you wonder. To simplify, 75% of the mass of our brain is water. A single drop of water holds an excessive amount of information which serves as the ultimate vehicle for transportation within our body. Our brain, blood, heart, muscles, lungs, kidney's, liver, skin... are all major organs which function, due to the sacred presence of water. The most sacred intelligence surges within the cells of your body, the water within you.
"Water creates the structure of our DNA and proteins. A seed or embryo, which acts as the carrier of the biological intelligence that is the determiner and means of change, begins in water." A mother, by nature, provides a safe space for her baby and its development in a watery sack, also known as "the womb". The womb is a sacred passageway between "life and death".
Water has Memory
New revelations suggest that water is the medium of consciousness. Water receives and makes an imprint of any outside influence, remembering anything that occurs in the space around it. Any substance that comes into contact with water leaves a trace on it. The malleable structure of water is far more significant than the chemical composition (which we were taught in school). Professor Roy Rustum compared the molecular structure of water to the letters of the alphabet. With this knowledge, we can arrange word, create word, or change word, in which "word" acts as memory within the water.
Evidence suggests, "the geometric clustering of water molecules are altered by the subtlest of influences. Hundreds of thousands of information panels constitute these geometric structures. They register energetic imprints from substances, activities, and the frequency of thought to which water has been exposed." Our connection to Source exists in the same way a water molecule shape-shifts within its environment: transparent and reflective.
Water picks up our creative manifestations (blindly or not) and carries it into physical existence. We are literally embodied as creative codes transmuting infinitely forever. And we wonder why the collective is experiencing a state of disharmony, why our bodies are sick, our human connections distant, our own body as a foreign entity... ya'll are fucking thirsty.
Emotions and Water
Like a stone thrown into water, (I love this metaphor), every thought, feeling, sensation, and emotion is a wave in the collective pool of consciousness.
Newton claimed, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Energy in motion, our "e-motions", reflect back to us our greatest discoveries, serving as a teacher for our relations. Because of the prevailing role our emotions play in our virtual reality, water is strongly influenced by our emotions.
The frequency of "prayer" or "intent", communicates to the water inside our bodies to either change, carry, and/or reflect the vibration in which it was charged with. We are simply giant water containers conducting currents, bouncing off one another, within the universal matrix or Mother Earth (who is also a giant water container or"womb").
Breath master, Leonard Orr, taught that thought is creative. If thought is creative, and water is capable of physically taking on the form of our thoughts, therefore, water is creative, and as "water beings", our "dharma", is to be like water, or come home to "water consciousness" as the source of our existence.
Bruce Lee said it best, "I said empty your mind, be formless, shapeless. Now if you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put it in a bottle it becomes the bottle, you put it in a tea pot it becomes the tea pot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water my friend."
Tap Water Kills
Commonly used waters propose some serious health effects.
Tap water is a healthier option than other beverages, but according to the Environmental Working Group, there have been 315 pollutants found in America's tap water since 2004, and over half of these pollutants are completely unregulated and can legally exist and absorb in any amount when you wash your hands or veggies under running tap water. You don't see the alchemy taking place, but a whopping six times more chlorine gets absorbed into our bodies through our lungs and skin tissue while taking a warm shower than if we were to drink tap water. (You probably haven't even thought about the water from your shower or when you or your kids take a bath until now!)
With the current status of contamination in our communities, the public has grown more curious, and health conscious about the truth within their water and are taking steps in facilitating healthier alternatives.
Bottle Water Kills
Bottled water is not necessarily healthier than tap water and yet it costs much more! Although associated with healthy water, bottled water is not guaranteed to be any healthier than tap water.
The commonly used misleading claims about "alkaline" serve as a cover up to the unregulated safety standards of bottled water. "Alkaline" can only be marketed if the water is above a 7.0 pH (7.0 being the pH of our blood; our body's neutral state). This means that corporations add synthetic minerals such as calcium, sodium, and magnesium, to inorganically raise the water's pH, to claim water as "alkaline". These claims which suggest that alkaline water gives your body “superior hydration” is completely false, and has no sound supporting evidence; those of which are scientifically proven to have no greater benefit than drinking other bottled water or tap water.
The excessive amount of toxic chemicals that leak into the bottled water from the plastic it is contained in, has major health hazards to our body and overall health. It takes, on average, 3-6 months for your ordinary water bottle to hit the shelves your local store, allowing any potential "active minerals" to loose its charge (true alkaline ionized water can only last up to 24 hours before it begins to loose its pH properties of holding a highly "alkaline state" within its mass). So how can any bottle water have health benefits (proper hydration/ detoxification) if it's been on the shelf for weeks, if not months?
On the environmental impacts, "According to IBISWorld analyst Nate Gelman, out of the 6 billion pounds of plastic bottles thrown away every year, only about 30% of them are recycled, leaving a mountainous 86% in the landfill. Most manufacturers package their bottles with toxic contaminants that often contain carcinogenic compounds. The only benefit of bottled water is the convenience aspect, as something you can take on-the-go. But is the convenience worth all the environmental consequences?"
Canteens and glass bottles are a sustainable alternative to incorporate into your lifestyle (if you haven't already) to ensure a safe environment for your water, your body, and the environment you live. Shop your superior glass bottle and string holder here https://knottbrand.com/.
The Healthy Solution
How can you be assured access to healthy, clean, and sustainable drinking (and showering) water? Allow me to introduce to you ENAGIC. ENAGIC is a 40+ year old Japanese water technology company that has been the #1 leader in manufacturing water ionization systems all over the globe! With their advanced technology, Enagic's "Kangen machines" sit counter-top and dispense a total of 6 different antioxidant-rich, hydrogen-rich, mineral-rich water types for your health and household.
Kangen means "return to origin" in Japanese. It is no doubt they've connected the source of longevity, success, and happiness to their very own "fountain of youth" dispenser. Fortunately, I recently invested in my very own machine (and Anespa shower filter!) to fully experience the energetic benefits of the electrified Kangen water... along with my family, whom also love the versatility it shares in our home at the touch of a screen.
Flow Like Water
I will dive deeper into the science behind the Kangen machine in another post. For now, I encourage you to challenge the things you hear and see. True health comes from within. Your sacred codes are within you and only you have the power to tap into those authentic codes. Speak to your water as you would speak to your inner child, with gratitude and patience. Offer your service to others as the abundant flow of prosperity manifests within loving acts of kindness and compassion.
Weave your creations into the tapestry of the universe. After all, you are the creator and the water within you is surging with the ebb and flow of universal consciousness. Flow baby flow.... and come home to water consciousness.
Featured Photo by Timmy Verheul (@timmyvcreative) of Dani for Billabong Women's Australia
Do you ever wonder why you cannot fully meditate? Put it this way, meditation without the heart is like thinking without the mind. Mediation is feeling, while thinking is using your cognitive brain. Do you get where I am going with this? Rather than using your head in practicing a meditative state, practice scanning your feelings and body awareness, such as breathing. Being a volunteer for the world is the "work" of the soul, and one who takes the courageous leap, walks the path of the warrior. Just as a child graduates from crawling to walking, our human experience is celebrated every time we take a breath.
So what brought you here? Something greater than the very existence of life itself created this moment now; in fact, you created this moment right now for something else to unfold and so on in the spiral of time.
I will be up front with you now. I have been releasing a lot of emotion, some days it comes out of no where, I'll be driving and then "Whoosh", waves of emotion, feelings of loneliness, crash into my core. Other days, I am "triggered" by my mamma; whom is simply extending her unconditional love and service to me at every moment. I used to fail to realize the pure awareness and lucidity within the situation at hand. The biggest revelation I've had (and keep coming back to) is simply that we are all reflections of one another. Why for some people we can feel so fluid and free in expression, while others bring out the angry little child? Perhaps it's the little child whom we have not given the attention to in the first place and we need to comfort them most right now. These moments of "trigger" are created by your higher-self to bring you face to face with the facet that you are invited to uncover and clean the dust away. It's like a spiritual service; when you receive the invitation, you are invited to the "shadow work" at play; and therefore, initiate what you need to do (breathe; cry; scream; share; dance) to surrender to the little gremlin within.
Relationships are a service which allow us to grow and evolve. The "shadow" moments are simply dark spaces being illuminated by the light to help you shift out of an old way of being, or out of your head, and into your heart.
In a world where we all are fueled by heart, there would be no "low frequency emotions" (anger, fear, jealously, resentment) because everyone reflects one another, the great mirror. All people recognize love and compassion in the heart of a stranger and within the heart of a loved one. This is ultimate oneness. This is who we are.
The concept of separation is worth bringing up. Separation is a head thing (yep, same system that we discussed in the first sentence about meditation). Our (ego) mind created separation. It's a game our mind likes to play for the sake of its own entertainment purposes. The "imbalance" of our nature is that we were conditioned to believe the "duality" is our truth. We lived a majority of our lives practicing it in action, and therefore, if we dissolve the illusion of separation, we dissolve our physical existence and we see the world through spiritual eyes, as one whole body pulsating together.
According to Heart Math, "The human body has a magnetic field, with the heart being the strongest source in the body for electromagnetic activity. The heart generates the largest electromagnetic field in the body, about 60 times greater in amplitude than the brain waves."
Leonard Orr says, "When the mind is at peace, the body is enjoying what it's doing." Take a deep breath right now. Your breath is connected to the plants outside, the breath of your partner in the other room, the breaths of all whom once did breathe in this atmosphere. The connection with our breath awakens the connection to our heart. Your heart is your true north, the graduation from mind to heart, creativity thrives here.
Breath is like an alchemy; just like our creativity is to the heart. If you transform one, you transform the other.
In truth, not everyone will be there when you need them. We cannot rely on outside forces to lead us home. The path home is simply the walk, hand in hand, with your breath. That's who will guide you... never underestimate the power of the breath. I encourage you to study each other, practice and experiment. You will gracefully feel the oneness dancing within you, and you will fully experience the unlocking of your heart in full synchronicity, full power, guiding you home.
If "returning home" (returning to your breath vs. your mind) is the ultimate ecstasy; a time for celebration, and the graduation within our soul, then how can we create more heart coherence?
Dan Brule teaches Focus, Consistency, and Commitment, in his best seller "Just Breathe", as the big three to direct your spiritual practice in achieving conscious breath awareness. He says, "Breathwork is like a spiritual discipline." The more we focus and create unlimited compatibility with our heart, the more time dissolves, our intuition increases, psychic senses are activated, and our creativity rises like the reborn phoenix.
No one said it would be easy, though, a meaningful challenge is essential for the celebration of our souls. Breathing is the dance of your soul, so let us support each other in the union of our ever-expanding hearts; create our wildest dreams, and open portals to universes through the transmission of our beating drum within.
As above so below, as within so without.
In Lak'ech Ala K'in
(Pronounced "in-la-kesh-a-la-kin". Mayan for "I am you and you are me.")
Thank you for receiving my humble truth. Visuals are by Rosa Scipion at Villa P.O.E.M., in Bali. Enjoy the rest 🙂
