Even though he was 14, had arthritis in his hips and cataracts in his eyes, and couldn’t hear worth a darn, he was one happy, healthy boy up until his final week. Then suddenly the aggressive cancer in his spleen (that I didn’t know about) overwhelmed his system and he was gone in a matter of days.

My remaining pup, Baer, who’s all of 7 going on 3 (one Energizer Bunny battery too many), is confused. What happened to his big brother? We were a pack of three, now it’s just “Mommy and me.”

He trots his favorite toy, a stuffed dog, around the house, through the doggie door, back into the house, and brings it to me. Takes it back outside. Buries it in the garden. Unburies it. Aargh. The boy does not know what to do with himself. I keep telling him, “Be patient. I’ll get you a new brother soon,” but words just aren’t cutting it.

Happiness Is a Choice
As I sit there petting Baer, missing our Ringo, I am reminded that happiness is a choice. I can remain depressed, low-spirited, and unhappy over Ringo’s passing or I can choose—yes, choose—to see what’s right with right now, and choose to be happy. Jumping up and down happy? No. But OK. Appreciating what is. That I can do.

So, I look at Baer, and marvel at this wonderful doggy-companion the Universe has gifted me. I think about how much I appreciate his snuggling with me at night, how fun it is for him to wake me by laying his front paws on my chest and licking my face. What a goofball he is when he runs rings around the living room sectional, as if on a track doing laps.

I remember good times with Ringo—how much he loved his car rides, how he loved to roll over on his back and stretch out all 95 pounds of himself for a righteous tummy scratch. How he would tussle with Baer in his younger years, without ever hurting him.

How his version of what you do with a bunny rabbit lost in the backyard is not to kill it, but to lick it all over, as if to return it clean and unharmed to its “pack.”

Rediscovering Happiness
As hard as it is to lose a loved one—animal or human—if we are still alive, there is something to be happy about. Something to appreciate, something or someone to live for.

We don’t help the departed by being miserable, nor does it make anything better for those still here. That we should mourn and grieve, yes, absolutely, but never to forget that appreciation, of what was and is, is what will pull us through and onward.

After all, what will Baer’s someday new brother want? A miserable, depressed family? Or a happy one, eager to welcome him into the fold?

The post How to Choose Happiness After Loss appeared first on TUT.

Anger, frustration, resentment, hurt, unworthiness… It’s valid to feel these emotions, yet how do they impact your well-being?

Unhealthy emotions sap your energy, affecting your focus and drive. As a busy high-achieving person, you can’t afford to let disagreements get the better of you.

Yet you’re also human, so it may be difficult to ignore the pain that can accompany a seemingly unjustified action. You may repeatedly replay the situation in your mind, stirring up even more disturbing thoughts, which can result in emotional exhaustion. 

So, how can you relinquish these energy-draining thoughts and emotions?

When someone’s actions hurt you, you only debilitate yourself further by holding on to pain and anger. Practicing forgiveness can help relieve recurring negative thoughts and unhealthy emotions. 

Forgiveness is a choice, a conscious and deliberate decision to release feelings of anger and resentment. To forgive doesn’t necessarily mean to forget, it means to accept and surrender the emotional charge experienced from the situation.

When you choose forgiveness, rather than holding on to the past, your mind stays open to the positive possibilities of what could happen in the future. By forgiving, you reclaim your power and effectiveness. 

If you’re struggling to let go of unhealthy emotions triggered by another person’s actions, here are three ways to help you forgive others and reclaim your power.

1. Shift your perspective
When a person’s actions feel designed to deliberately offend you or just don’t make sense, it can help to put yourself in their shoes. Although their act presented itself as harmful to you, it may have been a difficult, but necessary, decision for them.

When you are able to shift your perspective, it can make it easier to understand where the other person is coming from.

2. Look for the positive lesson
When you reflect on your feelings about another’s action, you may learn something about yourself that can be applied to future relationships. One of the best ways to learn in life is through experience.

The learning may be around how you reacted or it may be an awareness of boundaries that you wish to set for yourself and your relationships. Whatever the case, by consciously looking for a positive lesson, you support your future self.

3. Trust the Divine
Divine timing means that when you’re connected and in alignment with the universe, things will happen at the moment destined. You may have heard the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” This adage empowers acceptance that what can seem negative now may eventually lead to a positive outcome.

By practicing spirituality and accepting the concept of universal intelligence, you expand your perception of divine timing. Then moments of frustration can appear less bothersome and you’ll be able to forgive more easily. 

Don’t let another’s actions impact your focus and drive. Release any resentment and unhealthy emotions and reclaim your power. Practice forgiveness today for a more joyful tomorrow.

The post 3 Ways to Reclaim Your Power Through Forgiveness appeared first on TUT.

We all have the ability to not only balance our energy but elevate our vibrational frequency simply yet powerfully. Our vibration is a reflection of our thoughts, emotions, and overall well-being, and when we raise it, we naturally attract positivity and abundance into our lives. It seems so simple.

So, why is it so hard? Unfortunately, hidden forces of the world, experiences, and energetic drains chip away at your core life force (our chi), and it’s up to you to take care of it, much like you would brush your teeth or comb your hair. But the good news is you can rebuild and reset any time you need—you just need the instructions to figure it out.

These transformative techniques will empower you to vibrate higher, manifest your dreams, and embrace the extraordinary energies that make up you.

But first, how’s your foundation of wellness?

The Pillars of Energetic Harmony

Before we understand how to move and bend our energy at our will, we first have to build a foundation of wellness. We all have the capacity to be in harmony, we just need to know how to access it. Here are the eight pillars of energetic balance and harmony:

• Meditation: Practice mindfulness or focused meditation to clear the mind, enhance awareness, and connect with higher states of consciousness, promoting inner peace and vibrational uplift.
• Breathwork: Utilize conscious breathing techniques to release stagnant energy, reduce stress, and increase vitality, fostering a deeper connection to your body and spirit.
• Gratitude: Regularly express gratitude for what you have and who you are, shifting your focus to positivity and abundance, which naturally raises your energetic frequency.
• Movement: Incorporate physical activities such as yoga, dance, or energetic workouts to energize the body, release tension, and boost overall vibrational levels through increased circulation and endorphin release.
• Nature Connection: Spend time in nature, whether through walks, hiking, or gardening, to ground yourself and absorb the natural frequencies that uplift your energy.

Note: Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t have all these practices in play every day. This is an ebbing and flowing journey of this and that. Do what you can with what you have, and let it all unfold as it should.

3 Techniques to Elevate Your Energy Frequency

When was the last time you checked in with your energy? And I don’t mean how many cups of coffee you’ve had or if you’re tired mid-day. I mean your real energy—the core energy centers that live in your body (and beyond).

If you’re not checking in daily, you may be depleting without even knowing it. You can tap into your energy centers at any time, simply by drawing your awareness inward. Your intention alone will help you to see how you truly feel inside.

And, spoiler alert, these energy centers are attached to your emotions, your physical body, and your mental body. It’s all connected, which is why this is so important.

1. Connection Meditation
Energy is all about connection. Connecting to your true self and actually listening. This doesn’t need to take all day; just a quick check-in like you would text a friend. Hey, energy, how are you doing today?

This is done with a quick connection meditation. Don’t get bogged down by the word meditation—it doesn’t have to be a big deal or something you master. Just sit and chill with yourself. Take as much or as little time as you need. It doesn’t need to take hours to connect.

An energy connection meditation is just a practice that focuses on tuning in to and harnessing the subtle energies within and around you. You sit and cultivate awareness, allowing yourself to perceive your own energy field and the energetic dynamics of your environment.

This connection fosters a deeper understanding of how energy influences our emotions, thoughts, and overall well-being. By grounding ourselves, it can promote healing and enhance intuition. My tip is to try noise-canceling headphones and just listen to your breath. Try it out!

2. Energy Movement and Flow
This is by far my favorite one. Energy needs to flow; remember it can’t be created or destroyed. So, your mission is to be the channel in which it flows through. Seems easy, but there are many factors at play.

I love to do each of these different energy movements a few times to get myself going in the morning.

First, I stand and twist, letting my arms just flop at my sides breathing out when my arms hit the body. Then, I drop at the waist like a rag doll and pull the ground energy up, slowly rolling up, vertebrae by vertebrae, a few times. And, finally, I sweep my arms up vertically above my head and drop to my feet a few times while puffing out big air.

That’s it. Takes less than a few minutes.

3. Chakra Balancing
Each night I balance my chakras with intentional breath. I found that right before I fall asleep, it’s important to do a quick reset so I don’t bring that into my sleep or the next day. I do this in a few ways.

Sometimes I do an energy channeling breath, where I sweep the seven chakras (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown) with the breath up and out. That’s just simply breathing into each chakra and pulling your intention and awareness with it.

Other times I may take a few deep breaths into each chakra and swirl my hands over each one, clockwise, while I breathe. I may say an affirmation for each chakra while I swirl, but I definitely listen to how each one feels. The important thing is to just check in with each and accept what you find.

Bend Your Energy At Your Will

Your energy is something you can work with, just like molding clay. You can learn to use it for you, not against you at any time. I’ve dedicated my life to helping people find their own light, and often that means understanding their own energy.

These methods can promote a holistic approach to health by working with the body’s energy systems to enhance well-being, reduce stress, and improve overall vitality. Make it yours.

The post 3 Energy Healing Techniques to Raise Your Vibration appeared first on TUT.

Since my business felt so close to my heart, my deepest desires, I was afraid it would crush me if I were disappointed. And of course, there were many disappointments along the way.

There were opportunities that got my hopes up that ended up leading nowhere. There were people I reached out to and never heard back from. At times I felt that I had finally cracked the code to then find out that my new approach was not as successful as I had hoped.

I was disappointed, just like I feared I would be. And yet, I found out that with a little gentle care, disappointment did not crush me like I thought it would. I learned that when we truly desire something, we can find the courage to try again.

To start something new, do something scary, or go for something you truly want, you need hope. Hope is the fuel that drives you into action, that allows you to move forward even when it is uncomfortable or scary.

Without hope we would give up in an instant or not even try in the first place. Hope is a powerful emotion, a positive force that helps us in the face of adversity.

But with hope also comes expectation. When you put yourself out there, you might feel the expectation that it will lead to the result you want. If things don’t work out as planned, you feel disappointment.

Disappointment is a natural part of life, and almost inevitable when you put yourself out there, but most of us haven’t learned how to deal with it.

When you finally find the courage to apply for that dream job or ask for a promotion and you get rejected, the disappointment can lead to you feeling discouraged. It can stop you from putting yourself out there again, to avoid feeling the pain. This means you will avoid disappointment, but you also lose the chance to do something truly meaningful.

When you are in the process of making your dreams come true, here is how you can find the courage to try again after being disappointed.

1. Acknowledge the disappointment and allow yourself to feel it.
It might feel like allowing yourself time to feel disappointed will lead to not trying again. The opposite is true, though. Only when you let yourself grieve the outcome you didn’t get can you heal your disappointment and find the motivation to try again.

Acknowledging that you feel hurt and allowing yourself the time you need to process your feelings is the only way to move past it. Disappointment often comes with anger, frustration, and sadness. Your feelings are valid, and you are allowed to be hurt.

2. Recognize the courage it took to try.
Trying something new or working toward something you really want takes courage and vulnerability. Regardless of the outcome, can you give yourself credit for trying, for doing something that felt scary?

You can’t always control the outcome of your actions; you can only do your part. When you recognize that you took a courageous step, you might find that same courage to give it another go. Even if it didn’t work out this time, every step takes you closer to where you want to be.

3. Were your expectations realistic?
Once you have acknowledged the hurt, a good question to reflect on is whether you set realistic expectations for yourself. Disappointment is inevitable in life, but setting realistic expectations can make a significant difference in the intensity of it.

When the initial pain is gone, can you see what you learned from this situation and what could help you moving forward?

4. Get back to the desire.
Why did you want to do the brave, scary thing in the first place? Why is it important to you, and what would it be like if you succeeded? Getting back in touch with the desire you feel is the fuel for taking action once more. Allow yourself to dream again.

5. Take a baby step in the right direction.
Putting yourself back out there, no matter how small the first step might be, is the only way to move toward what you desire. What is a tiny step in the right direction that you could take today? Remember that achieving big dreams is often the result of lots of baby steps.

The post 5 Steps to Help You Try Again After Being Disappointed appeared first on TUT.

When I had severe asthma as a child and grew into a teenager with significant acne, it seemed only logical to “fix” those symptoms with medicine. After all, I was living in one of those broken bodies, and medicine was the “cure,” right?

At some point, I started to question that ingrained belief. It began as pondering (okay, obsessing over) my great-grandmother’s health. She lived her entire life without ever having surgery. Even in her 90s, she didn’t take medication (that I recall). So why was I struggling so much in my 30s?! Why was I popping two prescription medications daily? Why was my gallbladder full of sludge?

What was fundamentally different between her and me?

Awakening to the Body’s Wisdom

As I began asking myself these questions, I awakened to the realization that we aren’t made to be sick.

It would be years more before I began understanding that symptoms are the body’s way of communicating that it’s struggling. As I continued to move in this expanded awareness of health and well-being, I realized something else too—every symptom and disease are an expression of the body’s struggle to create.

Here within this community, I’m preaching to the choir. Since you’re reading this, you already know this truth: you are more than matter. You are embodied energy. And so is every physical thing in the universe.

As you go throughout your day eating food and drinking water, the body transforms the embodied energy of those foods into the embodied energy of you. The food matter is broken down and transmuted into pure energy by each of your trillions of cells.

The body relies on that manifestation of energy from matter for health. Said a different way, health resides in the seamless dance between matter and energy. When I started to understand that this is the way we’re designed, it became blissfully simple to liberate myself from the many, many symptoms I was struggling with.

Chronic UTI symptoms, fatigue, weight gain, migraine, night sweats, insomnia, PCOS, and heart palpitations dissipated, leaving without any trace that they’d ever been with me. I was able to relieve all those symptoms by focusing solely on metabolic health and supporting the three key metabolic hormones to build resilience back into the body.

And, while that was enough to calm my body’s concerns over energy and outright get rid of most of my symptoms, it still felt like something was off. I was better, but I wasn’t truly well… at least not yet.

Unblocking Primal Intelligence

As entrenched as I was in the Western-medicine view of the world, I’d still been dabbling for decades with acupuncturists, Reiki practitioners, and other energy healers of one sort or another. Through a series of well-timed circumstances, none of which I remember the particulars of at this moment, I found my way to a network chiropractor’s office, and my whole world changed.

This gentle touch was unlike anything I’d experienced before. After each session, I felt as though I were unwinding, releasing years of pent-up emotion that I’d refused to let myself feel in real time and releasing it in ways that weren’t uncomfortable… whether because I was finally open to allowing it to release or whether it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, I don’t fully know.

Suddenly, the neck pain I’d lived with for decades started to diminish. I felt more and more at home in my own body rather than just a visitor. It felt as though I was unlocking space within me, opening up long ago shuttered rooms for my soul to dwell. And, in the blink of an eye, I began to become more and more me with each passing day.

This was the healing I’d been seeking. With more clarity, I started making decisions in my life differently as an entrepreneur, as a wife, as a dog mom, as a friend, as a daughter, as a sister. There was no area unaffected.

Perhaps most surprisingly, even to me, I found myself wanting to share this modality with others. That’s when I surprised myself making an unexpected leap, the pharmaceutical research scientist who’s now well on her way to becoming a certified Spinal Flow practitioner.

As you reflect on your own state of health and wellness in this moment, how are you perceiving your symptoms? Are you mad at them for being there, wondering why they’re ruining your life? Or have you opened fully to the possibility that your body is talking to you through those symptoms?

In your own healing journey, are you focused on making space within your body for your soul to reside?

The post How to Find Wellness by Awakening to the Body’s Wisdom appeared first on TUT.

The gift of anxiety in my body feels like fear—sometimes trickling like a leaky faucet, sometimes pulsing like a Waterpik shower head, sometimes like tons of cold water dropping powerfully over Niagara Falls. There are moments when I disassociate. But it is getting better.

Through observation and experience, my mother’s worries taught me to not trust the world, everything is not all right, and all is not fine. In her defense, losing both her parents before the age of 18 and coping with a vision disorder skewed her perception of the world, literally and figuratively.

My mother died when I was in my 20s but if she were alive now, it’s possible because of what I have learned, I could show her another way to live with greater joy and less stress.

Anxiety is work and it is exhausting and before you get too excited, I have not found a cure, but this is what I have learned:

1. How much you worry about a person is not a sign of how much you love them. However, your heart overflowing with a belief in that person is most definitely a sign of how much you love them.
2. Carrying worry beads or a crystal in your pocket to relieve some of the stress is much healthier than a smoking addiction.
3. Asking for what you need from another person, God, your angels, or the Universe is a first step to then looking for signs of its fruition and believing if you ask, it is given. Anxiety is lessened when we know we are not in this life alone. We can ask for help. We can be open to receiving that which is ours by divine right.
4. The gap between asking and receiving is today, tomorrow, and maybe many more tomorrows, so it is an easy time to give up and revert to worry and stress. But as Andy Dooley, author, teacher, and artist, suggests, we can mind the gap by acing it: Appreciate, Celebrate, and be Excited.
   
   This is mindfully living in the present with gratitude, which reduces anxiety. Delightfully, some of my petitions manifest almost instantaneously. But not all. My search for my birth family took more than thirty years. The world had to change.
   
   DNA testing for the public and a new law that allowed adult adoptees to obtain their original birth certificate were necessary before my plea to the Universe could be answered. What I was given, after such a long wait, was so much more than what I had even imagined.
5. Anxiety is forgetting. It is forgetting we are not alone, and we are co-creators of our reality. It is forgetting that the most powerful force in the Universe is love. It is forgetting that with love, we are unstoppable.

The gift of anxiety is not just sweaty palms and stomach cramps. With each anxious moment, there is an opportunity to pause and make a choice. The first choice is to breathe in and breathe out. Allow spirit in, let fear out. The second choice is to focus on your intention.

To raise one’s vibration we must let spirit in. With anxiety, it might take a few extra steps, yet it is worth the effort.

It is so much more fun to laugh and feel joyful. I wish my mom was here to feel it with me.

The post What I Learned from the Gift of Anxiety appeared first on TUT.

Not yet a world free of trauma because it will take time and commitment to heal our wounds—but a world willing to heal and move forward, where we are courageous enough to face our inner selves.

Healing and growth happen when we drop into the truth of our hearts to feel what wants to be felt, to see what is ready to be witnessed, and to allow the grace of sacred transformation into our lives.

Does this scare you? It used to scare me.

But, as I found out, the truth is, we were built for this. We are capable of allowing all our feelings to surface. We were born with courageous hearts.

Yet, when I first embarked on my inner healing journey, I did not know this. I stumbled forward without a tool kit or the trusted network of therapists and friends I can call upon today. I spent many dark hours all by myself, and I have never in my life felt more alone.

It does not have to be this way.

True, the spiritual journey is unique to each one of us and no path is alike, but it is possible to walk together. Enter the superpower of holding space.

Holding space means creating a sacred container which allows for a deep dive into our wounds and the attached feelings—which, let’s be honest, we often do not want to face.

Imagine someone who simply sits with you without saying:

• “Don’t overreact!”
• “I’ve been there. Want to hear my story?”
• “How can we fix this?”
• “Stop crying!”

Instead, they radiate compassion and acknowledge your feelings. They truly see you as who you are: a beautiful, sometimes complicated and lost human being who, at your core, possesses a divine heart.

A space holder is a sacred witness to your story, someone who does not judge, blame, or take sides.

A space holder is there for you, to see you in your totality, to grant you the gift of being fully present with all parts of yourself, especially the ones you have a hard time seeing.

A space holder will never push you or say you are wrong; instead, they will allow you to find your own answers.

There is nothing more courageous than facing your inner demons. A space holder will hold you through this process and be proud of you for stepping forward. They do so because they have been there and know what it feels like.

They have done enough healing work to stay in neutrality, and, if they get triggered, they understand the need to take responsibility for their own energy and further healing.

Imagine what the world would look like if we all had someone to hold space for us.

Imagine if we taught our children how to work through their emotions through the power of space holding.

Imagine if we all knew support was there, always, and that all would be well—regardless of what feelings we experienced.

Wouldn’t that be beautiful? Let’s keep holding space to build a better world!

A guideline for how to hold space:

• Silently create an imaginary bubble of golden-white light around the person and yourself that acts as the sacred space in which the process takes place
• Silently invite your and the other person’s Higher Self of the Light and Angels of the Light to assist in the process and with the transformation
• Silently state the intention to stay in your heart space and in the neutrality of higher truth
• Listen without judgement or blame
• Stay centered, grounded, and focused with deep breaths
• Focus on not being pulled into the story, but act as a neutral guide
• Keep your heart open by focusing on gratitude, grace, and our innate divinity
• If you feel triggered, step away for a few moments to recenter. If you feel overwhelmed by the topic, get (professional) help

The post How to Access the Healing Power of Holding Space appeared first on TUT.

When a person feels hopeless, what can be done? If you feel like your hope is running dry, quickly find someone who can find it for you, give you words of encouragement and love, make you smile and laugh, and remind you who you are when your days are sunnier.

Sometimes the people closest to us, our family or friends, unintentionally wash away our hope. “You are going to do what?? You cannot afford that! You have never done that before so how will you manage? You cannot quit your job, sell your house, get a puppy, or follow your dreams. NOW? You don’t have the money. The economy is a mess! Are you crazy??”

Sometimes, it is the so-called experts on TV or social media prescribing when to retire, how much money you need, when to buy a car, and basically how to live your life with the 10 best of anything and everything who dash hopes for anyone whose life does not match their idealized image. They have not even met you.

Losing hope can feel like a syringe draining out the juiciest, happiest, most joyful plasma that makes you who you are. Losing hope is losing not only your sparkle but also your power and strength.

Fortunately, decisions have power. In my experience, when I make a decision, the universe supports me. The wind is at my back, and as the Irish say, the road rises up to meet me. I let go of the hows. How am I going to afford this? How am I going to find the front porch I so desire? How am I going to travel, write, and meet new people?

The decision, for me, is to focus my energy on what I want in my life and not how I am going to get it. This is fun and exciting and full of hope. This is how to live believing in infinite possibilities.

This is remembering amazing, wonderful opportunities that have appeared in my life in the most magical and surprising ways. This is surrendering to a benevolent, marvelous universal energy that works for me and you for our highest good.

Having someone to call when my light was dimmed and my hope on shaky ground enabled me to get back on track and to ride the bliss train of life again. Sometimes reading, writing, music, meditating, petting my dog, taking a walk, or sitting on the beach raises the vibrations to recall what is important.

Each of us has our own path. I am so grateful for the kindness of loved ones who keep me afloat and remind me that I am strong, resilient, divinely created and inspired living an abundant life full of love and possibilities.

If you ever feel hopeless, act immediately, and do not let it take hold. We all need to breathe, and we all need to hope. If anyone’s negative opinions creep into your thoughts, remember they are just opinions, and you have better ones—your own.

The post Hold On to Hope, Always appeared first on TUT.

This inherent healing power is not something we acquire; it’s an integral part of who we are, woven into the very fabric of our being.

Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a fundamental concept in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), martial arts, and Taoist philosophy. It’s the vital energy that flows through all living things and is essential for maintaining health and vitality.

In Vedic philosophy and yoga, this same invisible force that permeates everything in the universe goes by the name of Prana. Similarly, in Polynesian cultures, this spiritual power is known as Mana, while in Japan it is called Ki.

Qi, Prana, Mana, and Ki are different terms for the same concept that cannot be adequately described in words, nor can science fully explain how it works. Yet, it is this vital energy that (1) gives us life and (2) keeps us alive.

Understanding Your Inner Healer

Think back to your earliest memories. Remember the times when a simple scrape or bruise seemed to magically heal on its own? That’s your inner healer at work.

Our bodies possess a remarkable intelligence that orchestrates the healing process, from repairing damaged tissues to fighting off infections. Just as a seed instinctively knows how to grow into a mighty tree, your body knows how to heal itself.

But like any skill, this ability requires nurturing and support to flourish. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits, practicing self-care, and tapping into holistic healing modalities like Qigong, you can awaken and amplify your innate healing potential.

Healing isn’t just about fixing physical ailments; it’s about restoring balance within every aspect of our being—body, mind, and spirit.

Much like the fuel that propels a machine, it is our invisible life-force energy that keeps us functioning at our best. When this energy flows harmoniously, we experience a sense of well-being. However, disruptions in this delicate balance can lead to illness and discomfort.

As you embark on your healing journey, remember that you hold the power to transform your health and well-being from within. You have an intelligent energy system that seeks to maintain harmony. It is part of your nature.

How Qigong Improves Your Ability to Heal

The word Qigong combines Qi, meaning energy or life force, and gong, which translates to work or cultivation. Qigong is a traditional Chinese practice that involves integrating physical movement and postures with breathing techniques and mental focus to cultivate and balance Qi.

The practice of Qigong is deeply rooted in Taoist philosophy, which emphasises living in harmony with the natural order of the universe.

Nature is brimming with an abundance of positive Qi that we can harness with the right mindset and tools. Because Qigong helps us connect with the natural world around us, it’s like plugging into a power source that can make us feel better.

Think of your body as a sophisticated receiver, capable of capturing a wide range of energy frequencies. Just as radio antennas can tune into different stations to produce various types of music, your mind and body possess a similar ability to tune into diverse energetic vibrations that surround us.

Unfortunately, many individuals inadvertently tune into energetic frequencies that are detrimental to their mental and physical well-being. When you allow yourself to be inundated with toxic messages and disempowering media, you unknowingly deplete your body’s vital energy reserves.

Instead of aligning your energy with influences that hinder your growth, Qigong offers a pathway to attune yourself to the ultimate sources of health and vitality—the boundless energy of the universe, the grounding power of the earth, and the nurturing essence of nature.

Discovering Harmony Within

Qigong teaches us to pay attention to what our body is telling us. We learn to feel the flow of energy within us and use it to stay healthy. It’s like learning to dance to the heartbeat of the universe, the rhythm of life.

What’s truly remarkable is that you don’t need anything fancy to start practicing Qigong. All you need is your body and an open heart and mind.

With each breath and every movement, you embark on a journey of inner exploration that leads to wholeness. And one day you realise—with every cell in your body—that you’ve had the power to heal all along.

The post You Were Born a Healer appeared first on TUT.

In university, I came across the book On Death and Dying by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. I was fascinated by her teachings and read all her books. I was fortunate to hear her speak and found her teachings made so much sense.

The moment we are born we are in a process of dying. But what’s important is what we do with the time we have on this earth. The challenge is how uncomfortable people are discussing death. It’s almost as if it won’t happen if we don’t talk about it.

No matter how we want to stop it, death is going to happen to every one of us. No amount of creams or injections will change that fact.

I’m certainly not saying that it’s not challenging to have someone you know and care deeply about die, but I do believe that we need to normalize its occurrence and accept its inevitability. We need to use the words dead, dying, and death.

My husband died prior to his 41st birthday. I’ve never used the words passed or loss regarding his death, because they are not accurate. Several years after he died I was at a school meeting and one parent said, “I’m sorry to hear you lost your husband.” I looked at him and said, “I didn’t lose my husband; I know exactly where he is. He’s buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.”

By using the words loss or passed, we try to make death sound better, perhaps thinking it won’t hurt the living as much. However, it does neither of these things and only stops us from accepting the reality that we are all going to die.

I talk about the eventuality of my death, I’ve planned my funeral, I’ve made my wishes known. Am I ready to die? Of course not, but I don’t deny it’s inevitability, and I ensure that I live life to its fullest, always wanting to learn new things and expand my education.

I worked as a social worker for 23 years and I can remember a co-worker whose husband died in a freak accident. Every day at 3:00 p.m. she found herself crying, and no one wanted to be around her because they weren’t comfortable with her grief. I reached out to her and we met every day for several months, and I just listened. She knew I was comfortable listening to her.

I’ve known many people who have grieved a death, and they all grieve differently. There is no timeline on how long the grieving will take, but I’m very sure of one thing: if they find someone with whom they can share their grief and who will sit and listen, the healing will happen sooner than if they grieve alone.

Listening, and I mean really listening, to someone is so very important. Some of us go through our entire lives without ever experiencing what it’s like to have someone really listen to our thoughts and feelings.

Often people listen while planning their response. That’s a good way to tell the other person, “My response is more important than what you have to tell me.” I’ve experienced both types of listening, and I can tell you how lucky I am to have wonderful people actually listen to me and who let me know I am heard.

I grew up as part of a generation who didn’t talk about anything. Everything was a big secret, and I don’t like secrets. I wanted to know about menstruation, conception, giving birth, menopause, death. In those days there were no computers where you could do a Google search. You soon found out with whom you could ask questions, or you read books.

I continue to learn and inquire about things. If you find yourself uncomfortable with death, dig deep within your soul and ask yourself why.

I had a client who brushed off any challenge in his life as “no big deal.” This really concerned me, but no matter what I said he repeated his same comment of “no big deal.” Then one day his father died, and this man couldn’t pretend it was “no big deal.” Six months later he took his own life because he didn’t know how to handle something that was a big deal.

When we normalize death and feel comfortable talking about it then we can truly help others when they are experiencing their grief. How can you help someone who is grieving if they sense you are uncomfortable with the topic? They will keep their grief inside and believe no one understands how they are feeling, and the sad thing is they aren’t wrong.

Start using the correct words; eliminate the word passed and use loss in the proper context. We will never be able to feel comfortable about death if we never say the word. Someone didn’t pass; they died. I didn’t lose my husband; he died.

Accepting death as part of the cycle of life and allowing the word to be part of your vocabulary will help make you a happier person who doesn’t fear anything and who can help others cope. Well, I’m still am fearful of spiders, but they don’t count.

Mike Dooley speaks in-depth on the topic of death and the lessons those who have passed on want to share with us in his book The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You. The 10th Anniversary of this special book releases February 20. Pre-order your copy and get a FREE TICKET to his live workshop!

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