Everyone knows music possesses the power to change a person's mood.  I have proof!

Last night, I received a recording composed and produced by a young artist known as lxsh on SoundCloud. The lyrics and vocals are by ISREAL and together they created a work of real art.  

Prayer is a gem which meets me at my Soul and brings a sense of inner peace.

I know the artists intend to spread love and positive vibes with this music.  In truth, I believe this is also a song for healing.  I keep playing it just to listen and feel the beauty they've created. You'll also find redemption, grace, and gratitude when you hear it.  

I cannot wait to hear more from these two young men in the Millennial Generation!

I'm sending my prayers their way, too.

Peace!

As life continues to bring challenges, we adapt and update our tools.  I posted The Feather over three years ago.  Since then, the meditation has evolved into a powerful way of finding peace in difficult circumstances. 

I'm sharing it here for anyone to use as they see fit:

"Close your eyes and take a few breaths.  Feel the Earth beneath as the image of a soft white feather on the wind appears.  Gently allow it to come to rest in your hand and see how it becomes motionless, even though there is a strong wind.  Begin noticing that the wind no longer touches you or your clothes.  You feel protected and calm even though the wind outside of you becomes strong like a tornado! 

Stay here as long as you like, and re-engage with the world when you are ready. 

The storms of life are outside.  Come back to this state of calm when you need peace.

Isn't that outdated radio terminology or a little too "techy" for this site?  What does that have to do with me and why write about it?  I am SO glad you asked! 

One of my teachers uses the phrase "noise in the signal" to describe and explain the sound distortions picked up during tuning sessions.  The idea expressed by Eileen McKusick is based in the theory that our energy fields are electrical systems of storage and communication, and by clearing the field, we get "better reception."

Recently, I gained further insight to this concept in the form of a dream: 

I'm trying to watch or hear a story with my daughter, but we cannot even follow the main plot due to background noise.  I look around and find that the noise was classical music - which I enjoy!  I turn off the music and go back to the story, but nope.  Still can't hear it very well. 

I look around more carefully... A-ha!  This time, the culprit was a video game, and a violent one - which I don't like!  Of course, I shut off the game screen but still hear some noise!  Hmm.  Oh! The game machine was still on!  Off it goes, and  finally, I can hear the object of my desired attention! 

So, you ask, what's the point? 

Consider this:  we might need to pay attention to the distractions, just for a moment, just long enough  to identify them and turn them off. 

By addressing the "static" in our electrical energy fields or auras, we get the same effect as clearing the noise in the signal.  This means we can hear ourselves again!  It may result in better rest and more energy, or hearing that "still, small voice" we've been missing, or suddenly finding that our intuition is "right on" again.

Now I have a question for you: Are you willing to turn down the noise and silence the distractions?

Come by for a "Tune-Up" and find some Peace!

~ Cici

Interesting note:  As I finish this article, I hear the Spring Peepers cheering me "onward and upward!"

My friend and fellow lightworker Erin Sikopoulos said:
"I feel very called to gather with my fellow healers to do healing work on a grand scale
to clear and neutralize the disharmonious and erratic energy swarming our country."

Erin hosted her event in New York and I participated via Skype with Beth and Melanie from The Healing Tree!  Together, the group focused our attention on clearing excessive energy from our nation using gemstones, imagery, and meditation.  Erin guided us to clear "fogginess" with sodalite, then unite heart and head with Lapis Lazuli. 

Feel free to use the clearing and unifying energies any time by meditating on the mandala in the photograph.

The mandala created for Be The Light includes 4 Sodalite and 9 Quartz Spheres from Gemisphere as well as Pacific Northwest sand, 1 slice of Rocky Mountain Lapis Lazuli, and 3 Atlantic Ocean seashells.  The design in the sand represents our ability to "digest" the world as it is.
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Note: seashells spiral the same way despite the various specimens - clockwise - which, I believe, indicates the direction of an energy vortex.

Enjoy the peace and clarity!

A friend of mine recently inspired me to share one of the best gifts I learned through Reiki.  She mentioned that she liked using a certain centering tool to calm herself and her (eight!) kids.  When she told me this "prayer" was from Reiki, I had one of those ever-welcome "A-ha!" moments to share with my readers ;-)

Many people know that The 5 Pillars of Reiki  come from Mikao Usui, the Original recipient of Reiki.  However, the version I use incorporates the same concepts, but uses language that speaks to my heart and comes from my friend Reiki Master/Teacher Jane.  Here is my favorite expression:

"Just for today, I choose Peace.
Just for today, I choose Joy.
I live my life with Love and Integrity.
I am Kind to all Living Beings.
I express Gratitude for my many Blessings."

Some of my students noticed similarity to some 12-step programs which use the "Just for today..." phrase.  I realized that invoking this one idea of being in the present, we become grounded.  Being grounded, we are NOT replaying past events or fretting about what may - or may not - happen in the future! 

Saying this in the morning helps me to remember to live today the best way I know how and to appreciate the gift of the new day - even when it's raining - or too hot - or snowing!

I've used this as a prayer before meals to help me invoke Reiki at the dinner table to bless my food, my family, and myself.  I also find it makes a big difference when everyone at the table says a line or two!

Of course, I use it at the start of any Reiki session, but I even use it at bedtime to close the day in peace and I do rest easier. 

Try it - share it - live it ...
the best way you know how.

Peace!

"Hello Everyone!"  sings a strong, upbeat voice at the other end of the room.  It's Eileen, the teacher and creator of Biofield Tuning and I'm finally her class!  The 14 students contain our excitement because we inherently KNOW that what we are about to learn will forever change lives - ours and our clients.  

The top-floor studio of the old train station in Burlington, Vermont has a view of the buzzing downtown district.  However, the back of the building holds a breathtaking view to the West over Lake Champlain and the mountains of New York.  Lovely!  I'm always up for a great view, but I bring my focus back into the classroom after the short break.  After all, I AM here to LEARN!!!

We get started with a quick overview of the techniques and protocols and then we're ready to start our hands-on portion.  Each student gets "trained" while working on a fellow student.   It's my turn and the forks are longer than I've used before so they feel unwieldy.  I feel energy with my hands all the time, but this is different.  The forks are doing the work and I'm doing the listening.  Working my way through the student's field, I pick up several places of incoherence.  The forks naturally resolve the static-y sound and the tones become clear and open with the repeated strikes on my trusty hockey puck.  Towards the end of the process, I feel the weight - yes, energy has weight! - and finish the session.  My fellow student says she feels significant relief when I'm done and truthfully, I am relieved, too.  It's more tiring than it looks! 

In those moments, I learned to listen, feel, and process through the energy patterns of my "client" in ways I had never felt.  These powerful techniques are in some ways still "works in progress" even though they've been developing over the past 20 years.  By introducing coherence in our energetic fields, we clear the "static" and it is static which causes us to develop and stay in our old patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. 

My particular group included several New Yorkers - some who were still affected by the attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001.  One man requested that his session focus on resolution of recurring pain and injuries with his left foot.  As the student began the session, minor issues from birth on were resolved quickly.  Then, our fellow student found The Spot.  We all felt heaviness in the room and as it turned out, that place corresponded with the timing of 9/11!  As he relayed his experiences from that day, emotions he didn't know were still there came up. 

The practitioner continued to bring coherence to the area and he was able to let go of those old stuck emotions. After several minutes, the emotion passed and the heaviness in the room lifted.  A sense of relief and lightness took over, and the session ended with smiles and hugs! 

But wait, what about that foot?  All I know is that his pain was reduced immediately and if I hear more you can bet I'll share it here.

Peace!

​UPDATE 8/9/16 - As promised!

​I recently heard from the gentleman with the foot pain.  The following is the exchange between Biofield Tuning Practitioners and Students:

A:   "I experienced a benefit from the session [T.] did. This was during our training. Eileen, as well added to the healing in the latter part. There are various causes for neuropathy, in my case nerve damage on both feet from a smash collision. I did physical therapies, acupuntcure, hyperbaric, cryotherapy as well as nutritional supplementation, IV's, B12, niacin. That Biofield Tuning session though had a transformative effect on me and the trauma associated with the damage."

J:   "Thanks, A. How has your neuropathy been since your session with [T.]?"

A:   "Hi J, more on the side of ease than discomfort. I sense that there's layers that present themselves and how I approach this, becomes the fulcrum as to the next outcome. Does this make sense? The session at Level 1 [training] was one of those "fulcrums" which precipitated greater ease."

​In my experience energy or vibrational therapies - like anything worth pursuing - take time and as stated above, often present themselves in layers.  This modality works exceptionally well in conjunction with other therapies such as Reiki, flower essences, and crystals. 

​If feeling better sounds good to you, I invite you to consider this modality. 

​If you're local to the DC area and would like a sample of this work, come to my workshop on Saturday, August 13th at 2 pm.  Check the Calendar for details.

Working with people over the past few years, I've noticed a dominant trend:  lack of grounding.  Discovering this trend got me thinking about grounding and how I learned to do it myself.  I asked, What is grounding? Why is it important? and How can I help more people learn it? 

Grounding is a term most often heard in conjunction with electricity in buildings and cars.  However, the brain, heart, and nerves all function through chemically induced electrical currents. 

Providing our bodies with proper care including nutrition, water, exercise, and sleep helps the electrical system function well.  Kinesiology studies show that our thoughts and emotions also affect this system.  With different stimuli, our thoughts can leave us feeling amazingly focused and strong or depressed and weak or even "spacey" and disconnected. 

If we experience troublesome symptoms once in awhile, we can usually "shake it off."  Sometimes we get into a rut... then it might be time for a little coaching to get back on track. 

These are some of the benefits of grounding in my own experience:

1.     Reduces stress and calms the mind​​ - of course, stress happens.  But, when you practice grounding, you're connecting with very supportive Earth energy.  Tapping into this energy can help you offset challenging situations.
2.     Increases ability to focus on tasks at hand - especially when feeling overwhelmed by several tasks at once.
3.     Reduces vulnerability to external energies - not everything you feel belongs to YOU.  Grounding helps to sort through that.
4.     Improves sleep quality - when you can't seem to calm down even when you know you're tired and need sleep.
5.     Improves ability to meditate - many try but give up quickly.  Ground first, then try again - and use The Feather meditation below!
6.     Calms anxiety - it's easy to find ourselves worrying over what could happen or fear the state of the world.  Grounding helps reduce that feeling in us.
7.     Improves ability to respond rather than react - emotions can temporarily overrun us.  If we take a minute to ground, it allows us to think before we act.
8.     Increases body-work therapist stamina - without grounding, we may become more susceptible to taking on our client's issues. 
9.     Improves problem solving capacity – being in a grounded state helps us to see more available options.
10.   Improves overall ability to function more efficiently and effectively in life.

Background
The past few weeks have flown by for me as I traveled from coast to coast and back again.  First, Spring Break in Seattle, Washington with my sister, Katie.  We had lots of fun, but also worked and shared a booth at the Emerald Spiral Expo - what an experience!  A few days later, I attended a weekend retreat in Yogaville, Virginia.  Another fantastic event which resulted in very real inner shifts for many who attended - including me!  Finally, I headed to Burlington, Vermont to attend a 3-day class.  Yet another life-altering experience! 

With all that activity, time seemed to warp and I felt the peace from my retreat slipping away.  While in Vermont, I took a few moments at bedtime to center myself and listen to the Universe.  An image came to mind and I saw a single white feather....

The Feather
​​Sitting quietly, imagine a single white feather...it's very light and downy...even the faintest breeze stirs its edge.  Notice how focusing on this feather allows it to gently land in your hand.  Your attention keeps this feather still and calm.  Now see how you can keep the feather still even if the breeze moves your hair or clothes.  Even a strong wind cannot move the feather if mind makes it so!

​Now shift the image to a pond with very clear water.  The surface is smooth and even.  Allow it to stay just like that - smooth and even.  If drops of water disturb the surface, simply wait until the ripples die down.  Breathe. 

Realize that the breezes and drops of water are thoughts on the surface of the conscious mind.  Even though we sometimes find ourselves in a rainstorm, we can simply remember to take a few minutes to calm the water or still the feather!

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