The thing about life is, well… it’s life. It’s organic, shifting, breathing, moving, ever-changing, and so, so beautiful. We each of us have our ups and downs, triumphs and challenges, an eternal roller-coaster journey. We may go days, weeks, or even months feeling “up” and then have “down” periods; sometimes the ups and downs happen in the same day! While the purpose of challenges (those moments we tend to classify as “down”) is to encourage personal growth, sometimes rising up to that challenge, and doing it with joy, can be difficult, seemingly impossible.
While there is no substitute for doing the hard work of deep healing, there are simple ways we can help ourselves get through the day and avoid allowing the challenges to overwhelm us.
Here, in no particular order, are some tools you can use whenever needed:
- Spritz yourself with rose water; simple yet effective. Rose oil vibrates at a frequency of 320 MHz (our brains vibrate at around 75 MHz); raising your vibration puts you above your surroundings, causes your Self to be attuned to higher things, creates harmony. If you can afford it, purchase a high-quality oil, otherwise, whatever your local health food store carries will do; get a small spray bottle, fill it with distilled water, add 5-8 drops of the rose oil, shake to mix. Spritz around your head and body as needed. I keep a bottle in my vanity and one in my healer bag so I almost always have one available to me.
- Wear angel aura quartz. Angel aura is produced when vaporized platinum and silver are bonded onto quartz. The combination creates a powerful stone which is calming, enhances connection with our own higher Selves as well as the metaphysical realms, and brings an overall sense of peace. There are many sources on the internet (few rock shops carry them regularly); wear it either as a pendant or in a pocket (my personal preference is that the quartz be in its’ original, point shape, and not tumbled).
- Introspection. This is the one we tend to avoid like the plague (the reasons for this is a whole other conversation, which we’ll do some other day). Turning within and seeking out the reasons behind why we are reacting to the situation as we are, or why it causes us stress, is very rewarding and highly effective. Once you have figured out the root cause of why, moving on follows naturally. “Oh, my boss yelling at me reminds me of my mom being angry with me when I was a child. I get it. [sigh] Ok, my boss is not my mom, and I don’t have to let it stress me out.” Obviously, there are degrees of healing, and while this may not clear the issue entirely, having the perspective makes it easier to manage, at least until you can do deeper work.
- Mankind has been doing this one since he first drew breath. Prayer puts us directly in contact with Source, and, whether we “hear” the response or not, just the simple act of prayer is enough to raise our vibration. The length of the prayer is not important; the way to make it work for you is to really feel the prayer, have the intention of connection, of being part of the fabric of the Universe, of allowing, of embracing the “let go and let God” adage.
- Sternum tapping – yes, sternum tapping; and no, I don’t mean be all crazy-acting like King Kong. Using the three center fingers, vertically-aligned, of either hand, tap on the sternum lightly, but with enough force to feel the vibration. Speed should be about three to four taps per second; 20 seconds is long enough. This energizes the lymph nodes behind there, waking up the immune system, and invigorating the body. Note: not to be confused with sternum thumping, or precordial thumping, a much more violent thump used to restart the heart of a cardiac arrest victim.
- Here’s a nice old-fashioned one: write & burn a letter. You’ll have to hunt for those quaint tools of communication known as pen and paper, but it will be worth it. Put the pen to the paper and just let it flow; no need to make sense, no need to concern yourself over grammar or punctuation, whatever comes out will be perfect. Next is the burn part – this is where you are handing your frustrations over to Source and letting them go. Please do this safely, outside in a fire pit is ideal; inside in your kitchen sink fairly safe as well.
- 3 exhalations, done rapidly and forcefully, in quick succession. Sounds silly, I know, but it is similar to the well-known “count to ten” exercise. It releases the negativity that has built up and gives you a chance to calm yourself before moving on.
- You may or may not be familiar with the science behind it, but we are actually vibrational, energetic Beings. There are energy centers throughout the body and near proximity that interact and drive the physical body. The most well-known are the seven centers identified as: root (pubic area), sacral (~ 2” below the belly button), solar plexus (just below the ribs), heart, throat, 3rd eye (just above and between the eyebrows), and crown (top of head). If these centers get clogged up, so to speak, it has an adverse effect on our state of well-being. Some make it a daily practice to clear the chakras, but it can also be done on an as-needed basis. Starting with the root chakra, simply rotate your hand in a clock-wise movement (with your body as the clock-face) over each chakra on the front side of your body for a few moments. Some folks can actually feel the energy; whether one does or not does not affect the outcome. If you have someone with you willing to do so, they can do the back side for you.
There you go: your very own emergency tool kit. Not by any means a complete list, but a good start. It would make me so happy if even one of them helps you through your day.
If you have any comments or questions, I’d love to hear them.
Peace be with you.