Beginners Qi Gong Classes

Move your Body.  Deepen your Breath.  Clear your Mind.

Join us for an amazing journey of body awareness and self-discovery. Qi Gong is a method of gentle, mindful movement that makes the body strong and supple. It improves balance, stamina and flexibility. It has positive effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, immune and central nervous systems. Much like doing Yoga or going to the gym, Qi Gong is a long term practice, not a quick fix. It takes time and discipline to learn the moves. You will know within a few classes whether Qi Gong is right for you. If it is, get ready to enjoy a happier and healthier future!

Fee:  $50 per session, payable at the first class
Each session has 4 classes
Next class dates: January 16, 23, 30 and Feb 6  6:45 pm to 7:45 pm
Note: classes have moved to Thursday evenings

Location:  Beyond Healing Pathways,  2 – 307 East 27th St., Hamilton ON

To register: Please email us at earthdragonhealing@gmail.com

Little Steps

Our bodies are AMAZING!  

How to restore balance?

Two little steps to get you started:

Try something different!

 We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.  Max Depree

Are you ready to change how you feel?  A holistic wellness session is a great first step!

 

Make your energy balancing appointment here.

 

 

Kindness & Compassion

Whether one believes in a religion or not, 

and whether one believes in rebirth or not,

there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate 

kindness and compassion.

Dalai Lama

Pathways to Health

Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Healing

According to The World Health Organization, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease."  In keeping with this idea of health, working to create a sense of well-being on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels is what Reiki is all about.

Many people use the terms "healing" and "curing" interchangeably but it's important to understand they do not mean the same thing.  Curing means to completely eradicate an illness or disease in the physical body while healing can occur on many different levels and isn't  even necessarily linked to a physical condition.

click here to learn more about healing vs. curing 

 

 
What does it mean to heal on these different levels?

1. Physical - healing on this level might mean eliminating an illness completely, or could simply mean alleviating the symptoms for a while , allowing time to address any underlying root causes that might be found on the emotional, mental or spiritual levels. 
   
2. Emotional - emotional healing might result in calming fears or coming to acceptance of the effects of life-events such as illness, bereavement, job loss, etc.
   
3. Mental - the deep state of relaxation assists with the mental release of negative thought patterns or attitudes that might be interfering with relationships or achieving life goals.
   
4. Spiritual - healing from a spiritual level could result in a more compassionate attitude towards self, others and the natural world.  Or it might assist in releasing restrictive belief systems to support greater self-expression and creativity. 

The Body Heals with Play

The Mind Heals with Laughter

The Spirit heals with Joy

 

Weaving the Web

Humankind has not woven the web of life

We are but one thread within it

Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves

All things are bound together

All things connect

This beautiful quote is usually attributed to Chief Seattle, pictured above in the only known photo of him, taken in 1864.  However the folks over at  snopes tell us it was really written by Ted Perry, a screen writer, in 1971.  Regardless of the author or era, these profound words remain true today, and always will.  

"Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves"

I believe the opposite is also true:

 Whatever we do to ourselves we do to the web

So be compassionate with yourself.  Make compassion your connecting thread to the web.  Weave it over, around and through everything you do for yourself.

Take time for yourself.  Do the things that feed your soul.   Yes, you can.  In fact, you have to.  It's like the flight attendant says before take off - you have to put your own oxygen mask on first, before you can help anyone else.

Good Intentions

I've been busy lately, reading my way through a very interesting pile of books:

The Energy Healing Experiments by Gary Schwartz 
Dr. Schwartz's website

The Intention Experiment by Lynne McTaggart
The Intention Experiment website

Entangled Minds by Dean Radin
Website, Dean Radin PHD

The ESP Enigma by Diane Hennacy Powell
Dr. Hennacy Powell's website

These books explain the scientific research and the myriad experiments being done around the globe by some intrepid scientists.  Experiments that show how our focused intention can physically alter matter.   These scientists use the latest medical technology and some very sophisticated equipment (like a tool that can measure light so subtle it can pick up the flicker of a single burning candle a mile away) to conduct their research.   Though their subject of investigation - energy - is very difficult to quantify, many of the experiments meet the gold standard of scientific research: the double-blind study with replication of results.   These results lead to some very interesting questions.  The answers to which challenge our current understanding of physics.    If you're ready to meet that challenge, I encourage you to read these books and visit the authors' websites.   They don't pretend to have all the answers, but they sure are asking interesting questions. 

When one tugs at a single thing in Nature, he finds it hitched to the rest of the Universe.

John Muir

The Future is Now

"F" is for Future
 

“How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment 

to improve the world." 

Anne Frank (1929-1945)

With so much buzz about 2012 and the Mayan calendar, I can't help but think about our future and what it might look like.   I must admit, some days it's hard to be optimistic.  Political revolutions, austerity measures, oil wars, corporate bail outs, climate change, famine, peak oil, genetically modified food - so many things seem to be reaching their tipping point.   So what can one person do about any of this?  Lots!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for 

good men to do nothing.”

Edmund Burke (1729-1797); Statesman, Author, Philosopher

5 things you can do to make a difference 

(from http://marinebio.org/oceans/conservation/local.asp) 

Try to keep things in perspective. Be mindful of the big problems, but focus on solving them through the things we can all do everyday to help reduce them.  Develop a positive outlook:

1. First, accept that you are only able to control your actions and responses to changing conditions around you.
   
2. Take responsibility for your actions in all things. It sounds simple but being accountable to yourself will help you make the necessary changes.
   
3. Stop to consider the consequences of your actions (if I choose to do this, what will be the result?).
   
4.  Lead by example! If you can change, then it just might inspire others.
   
5. Remember that one person can make a difference. Small accomplishments add up quicker then you might think. Remember, no matter what your economic standing, you can help save the environment and money at the same time. You the consumer drive the market; products are made because you buy them. If you buy products that are better for the environment it will become profitable for companies to respond to the demand for environmentally-friendly products. It really is that simple.
   
   If you choose only one product on which to flex your consumer muscle, please make it bottled water.  Watch the movie "Tapped" - it will boggle your mind!  At least spend a bit of time on the movie's website found here.   Thank you!
   

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, 

but still I can do something; 

and because I cannot do everything, 

I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

Edward Everett Hale

What one man is doing to prove small, individual actions have earthshaking potential: http://www.rd.com/true-stories/inspiring/paul-stamets-and-the-healing-power-of-mushrooms/

“...if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will be the same again.”      William P. Young, The Shack

First, love

If you can love, you can heal.

The more I practice healing others, the more I realize that healing is love.  

And love is healing. 

When healing we speak of "intention", but what exactly does that mean?  The dictionary will tell you that to have intention means to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim. 

Strangely, when healing, it means almost the opposite.   Yes, you have a purpose (to heal) but there is no directing the mind to make a specific healing happen.  There is no aiming to control the outcome.  To heal you relinquish control (see last weeks post) and just allow whatever happens to happen.   You support your client and trust that s/he gets what's needed  - even if neither of you understand it. 

Relinquish control.  Trust.  Support.  Kind of sounds like love, doesn't it? 

First, love.  Healing will follow. 

Speak Easy

 
Do the words we speak - about ourselves and others - affect our health and well-being?  You bet they do!  Not only do they affect us, they affect those around us.

Although there may be sounds in our lives that we cannot change, we always have some control over what we allow in our environment.

 

Here are four proactive steps to improve the sounds that surround you.  Take a moment and think about your sound life:

1.  Which sounds and words are positive and which do you find abrasive?  Do you allow yourself intervals of quiet and silence?  Do you reserve time for yourself where you control what's in your air space?

2.  Think about the words you hear from others.  Are there any that are consistently negative and that make you unhappy or drag you down?

3.  The sounds of your own discontent can create discontent within others.  Think about the words you speak that impact those in your sphere of influence.  Where is there room for improvement?

4.  Imagine your ideal sound environment.  What kinds of sounds would you include?  What sounds would you eliminate?

I'd love to hear from anyone who tries this for themselves.  Please leave a comment or send me an email sharing your experience.  Did you make quiet time for yourself?  Identify and eliminate your own personal negative words?  Create your preferred sound environment?  Did this make any difference at all in the way you felt that day?  The following day?  Did those around you behave differently when you changed the words you used?  Your feedback is appreciated.

Get rid of that achy with Reiki

"R" is for Reiki

Reiki is a holistic healing method using natural energy forces to create balance, vitality and wellness at the physical, emotional and spiritual level.  Reiki works by placing the hands over the major glands of the endocrine system - called chakras - which governs hormone production.  This system controls metabolism, growth, aging, resistance to stress and the body's ability to heal itself.  Reiki helps the body balance the system resulting in deep relaxation which also enhances the body's ability to heal itself.   From "Practical Reiki" Mari Hall, Director, International Association of Reiki

Before you're ready to pick up the phone and schedule your first appointment, you probably have some questions you'd like answered.  Here are there top 5 questions my Reiki clients ask me, along with my answers:

Q. What exactly do you do?

A. I smooth your energy field.  Each body has a bio-field, or aura, which is affected by physical and emotional states of being.  It is this smoothing that results in deep relaxation, increased energy, feelings of well being, and reduced stress which all enhance your body's ability to heal itself.

Q.  How do you feel my energy field? 

A.  Once prepared for a treatment, my hands are highly sensitized and tingle as I put them into your bio-field.   Some areas feel smoother than others.  The smooth areas feel tingly, while the rough areas send little jolts of energy through my fingers.  It feels like little bolts of lightening or electrical shocks.  I can also experience heat (in my hands only or in my whole body), coolness in my hands, or even a "spacey" feeling in my head.   I focus on the rough areas, working on them until they feel smooth.  Once the whole bio-field feels smooth, your treatment is complete.

Q.  How does the healing happen?

A.  No one knows for sure.  What I can tell you is that intention is the most important thing.  My intention is to be an energy conduit, to provide you with whatever you need for your  "highest and best".  This means I don't try to direct the energy in any way.  Nor do I take credit for the healing that takes place.  I am only a conduit for the universal energy - it and your body do the rest.

Q.  Why was your treatment different from my last Reiki treatment?

A.  Each Reiki student is taught the history of Reiki, shown the proper hand positions, receives an attunement, practices under the watchful eye of their master, then offers Reiki to others.   Because intuition varies from one Reiki practitioner to the next, and because intuition is a large part of Reiki, each practitioner slowly develops her/his own style.  

Q.  Can I learn Reiki? 

A.  YES!  Everyone can learn to give Reiki.  I believe it is something each and every human being can learn because energy is the nature of our existence. 

Want to learn to feel energy?  Try the simple practice exercises found here and you will be feeling your own energy in no time!

Intentional Healing

"I" is for

I have it on very good authority (the authority of a very good healer that is), that each and every one of us has the potential to become a healer.  No special training, secret passwords or crystal balls required.  All we need is to feel genuine compassion for the person needing healing, and then focus that compassion with an intent to heal.  

The old saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" leads us to believe that to "intend to do something" is to never actually get around to doing that something.  Not so!  The good Messrs. Merriam and Webster tell us that to intend is to "direct the mind on, or to have in mind as a purpose or goal".

We can all feel compassion, it's part of the human condition.  And we can all hold an idea in our head - it's just the way our brains work.  So then we can all heal.  Go ahead and give it a try.  "WAIT" you say.  Wait for what?  You don't know what you're doing?  Of course you don't.  Do it anyway.  Believe in yourself - you'll be amazed at the results.  I have it on very good authority.