I admit to having written a blog piece about post-partum depression, but right now it seems more like a bummer more than anything else (not that we shouldn’t talk about it, on the contrary). Instead I am feeling a buzz of excitement about what has been happening at the center and what is about to happen over the coming months.
First big news is that I complete my cacao facilitation course with the lovely Mona Moon. I found Mona online and we immediately had a connection – I knew I was meant to work with her. I finished my course in April, and have been using cacao regularly ever since. It has been wonderful sharing this gentle, soulful magic with the community. Here is a message passed on to me by my teacher and friends Mona, after we ended our last session. The directions correspond to the Medicine Wheel, which we worked with during my training:
South: May you carry the seed of love and hope in your heart.
West: May you see others as whole, healed, and perfect just as they are.
North: May you channel the consciousness of love through your intention, action, word, and vibration.
East: May you embody the Spirit of Cacao.
Just reading these words makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (I think I will make myself a cup of cacao now).
I have used cacao with mediation and yoga and journaling and fire ceremony (beautiful photo by the talented Pablo Quiza taken two weeks ago), but what I love is combining it with Shamanic Journeying. Here is a clip of cacao ceremony participant Andrea, after her experience:
Hit me up if you would like to experience this in a private session, there is such a great need for peace and healing now and always…
Today is Saturday and I am still on a cloud from the three days of reiki and shamanic journeying we held at the center with my Reiki Level Three Master- Teacher Jamila Nedjadi. Jammi’s particular brand of Reiki involves a lot of drumming and chanting, putting the participant in a semi-conscious state where negative patterns are more easily disloged. There are many purposes to Shamanic journeys, thought the main goal always remains deep healing.
There is a lot of confusion and misinformation regarding the practice of Shamanism and the role of the Shaman. In a nutshell, the Shaman’s role is to guide the person to the spirit world where they can take an active role in their own healing. Shamanism is one of the oldest spiritual practices worldwide, predating all the major religions as we know them. What fascinates me most about this practice, is that people from remote areas of the planet who would have not had any way to share information actually performed similar rituals. The reason behind this is that they are intimately connected to the whole, call it Universal Life Force Energy, Mother Earth, God, or whatever resonates with you.
I have found Shamanic reiki very effective in my own practice. This involves sending reiki to the person while guiding them on their spiritual mission, be it cutting cords from a toxic relationship, or going back to a traumatic event in the past and reclaiming power or soul loss at that time. The groups I have guided through Shamanic Reiki Journeys so far have been on the following themes: Connecting to the Divine Feminine and Shapeshifting with the Sun. I hope to lead more in the center in the near future!
On another note, next weekend I am pleased to bring Kundalini Yoga to the Center, another misunderstood – or under-understood – practice. The combination of asana (physical form), pranayama (breathing), chanting and meditation results in explosive sessions, nothing to do with your regular yoga practice which focuses mainly on the physical with some mental quieting and of course breathing. Like Shamanic Reiki, this is not a practice for the faint at heart, though it can be deeply healing, unblocking stuck areas or flow, and allowing magical new energies into your life.
Kundalini workshops will take place on 2 to 4 March 2018 at the center, led by Manila-based teacher Rosan Cruz. For more info, check our facebook page at www.facebook.com/thegasshocenter
The holidays have been a quiet time at the Center with a lot of people out of town, but as of next week, we will be in full swing again with our regular classes. We will also be welcoming some new guests for our third Sound Healing event: Yeyette San Luis and Ishilta from Manila, on 17 January (more info on this here ).
Before that, there will also be a Reiki level 1 class on the 14th. The beginning of the year is a great time to learn something new, especially if it has the potential to be life-changing, as Reiki has been for me. I always tell my students that there is a well-defined “before” and “after” Reiki life for me. Learning about the energetic dimension of the world just opened up a whole new universe with different, mind-blowing, and fun rules! There is also a 21-day detox or cleansing period following the class which will help you in adopting a new set of habits or getting rid of old ones that no longer serve you, so you get a double benefit there.
Whether or not you choose to check out these events (or any of our other ones), January is a good time to look back at the past year and at what stands out that you want more of, and what didn’t work so well, that you would like to get rid of. Personally, 2017 was extremely challenging, with changes in career, ending of friendships, loss of loved ones, but also a huge period of growth through overcoming doubt, fear, anxiety, rejection, self-esteem, insecurity, to mention only a few. I do feel clearer in some important areas of my life, but I also feel I have such a long way to go and 2018 will be equally demanding. Good thing the rewards are usually commensurate to the energy expended, and that we have many tools to help us go forward. A daily or at least regular practice of some sort of meditation is helpful.
I started using EFT or tapping, which I alternate with meditation if I don’t’ have time for both. Reiki self-healing is also very meditative and calming, as is Yin Yoga, all of which are offered at the Center. Tarot is another fun way to stay centered and grounded when faced with confusion or disarray. I have been playing around with a twelve card New Year spread that leaves customers filled with wonder and anticipation.
Wishing you all a 2018 filled with magic!
