Do you have a favorite prayer, mantra, or sacred text you like to read or say again and again? I know I have several.

​What I’ve discovered though is sometimes we can repeat them in a rote way, with very little attention to the deeper meaning or sacred quality of the words.  We fall into a pattern out of habit and in this habit, fall asleep a little. 
 
To break out of this in my spiritual practice, I like to work more consciously with a specific sacred text or prayer. One of my favorites is the Lord’s Prayer. 
 
I read or say it slowly – out loud.  Whenever my heart is touched, I stop at that place.  I let that word or phrase flow through my whole being and work its sacred power. 

​I don’t really try to think about it or intellectually understand it.  I let it wash over me as I stay present, aware, and in silence.
 
This is quite a powerful and potent experience!  If you’re seeking a way to deepen your spiritual practice, I recommend giving it a try.
 
You can use the Lord’s Prayer below or another sacred text. Here are the steps I suggest, but be sure to adjust them to meet your own needs! 
 

1. Read the passage or poem through to familiarize or reacquaint yourself. 
2. Read it a second time stopping at a word or phrase that speaks to you.
3. Hold that word or phrase in your mind, repeating it, as needed.  Be present and attentive to each sound and word as you speak it in your mind. 
4. Let go of the word or phrase and open an empty space in your mind in silence.
5. Hold this sacred space and see what insights, images, or messages may come to you.
6. Repeat this exercise several times with the same word or phrase. 

 
Explore these steps with different sacred texts and discover the depth and sacredness in each.  

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen
 
 
Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here.

​Some picture prayer as a religious act where you bend down on your knees and fold your hands and talk to God, often putting forward requests. 
 
Others may reach out in prayer to God when life’s path is difficult.  A desperate plea for help in a challenging time.  

How about you? How do you think of prayer?  When do you use prayer?
 
Consider for a moment that prayer is the divine within you reaching out to the Divine in the Universe, saying that I’m willing to be helped with this right now. The meaning of this request actually comes more from the feeling and intention within, rather than the words stated.
 
Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.  Mahatma Gandhi

Of course, we remember that life’s journey is filled with bumpy spots and twists and turns in the road. Many of these may have a deeper purpose for our lives or may be a lesson in our greater journey, even if unknown to us at the time. 

​And in the request for support from the spiritual world, we accept that Divine will and Divine time may unfold in a different way than what we realize in the moment.
 
So, we ask for help and then need to surrender to see what unfolds – being open to what comes.
 
In this surrender, we truly seek wisdom about what needs to be accepted or changed in this situation. We ask for guidance, the wisdom to understand, and the courage to follow through with the next steps in our own lives.  

Here are 7 steps to help you bring meaningful prayers into your life.
 

1. Be grateful for the many blessings you have.
2. Create calm, peaceful surroundings, as much as you are able to, with a relaxed way of being.
3. If you desire spiritual support for a situation, turn inward and explore where this desire or intention lives within you and why.
4. Once you understand, be clear, calm, and focused on the request or intention that you have in your prayer.
5. Follow-through and persevere in your desire or intention, acting with purpose in your daily life. Release any stress, rigidity, and need to control.
6. Accept what is and be open to what may come, even in new forms.
7. Contemplate what obstacles may be interfering at this time.

 
 
When we enjoy the moment of our prayers being answered, we experience our intentions manifesting into reality and there’s a total clarity of our True Self aligning with the Divine in the universe in our life’s path. 
 
Don’t forget to check out the many resources available for FREE in my Free Healing Library here.
 
 

I’ve been enjoying the blossoming flowers and singing birds here in Colorado as spring comes to life all around me. I hope you’re taking radical care of your self this season!  Now’s a great time to focus on your own health and well-being. 

“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.” – Unknown
 
Here are a few helpful reminders of what I’ve shared over the last weeks in my Radical Self-Care series.  Discover which one may nurture you the most at this time. 

1. Break Free from Fear
It’s so easy today to let fear overwhelm us. If you pause and focus on what could make you anxious and fearful, there, most likely, will be a long list. 
 
Fear of not having enough – enough food, shelter, or basic needs.  Or fear of getting older and not doing all you had dreamed of doing in your life. 
Fear is a part of being human and probably has been with us since the beginning of time.  And yet we’re in charge of how we work with our own fear, how we let it paralyze or overwhelm us or how we may dissolve it.  Our external circumstances don’t actually have control over our fear.  We do!
 
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." – Eleanor Roosevelt  
 
Explore more tips about Breaking Free from Fear here. 

2. Unlock the Hidden Treasure of Your Inner Power
When your inner well’s full, you begin to develop a certain steadiness in life. You’re guided and strengthened from within, rather than dependent on external influences. This gives you even more strength for all that comes your way in life.  You’ll become more present and fully experience all of life. And a sense of peace and calm will arise, as you begin to see the bigger purpose and meaning of your life.
Here are a few tips for filling your inner well, giving you the key to unlocking the hidden treasure of your own inner power.  

 

3. Awaken your Heart to Compassion
If you ever feel overwhelmed by the suffering you see in the world, or even experience in your own life, awakening your heart forces is a key. When we open our heart through our spiritual practices, then we become active in transforming suffering.
 
If our heart is closed, we can feel isolated or disconnected from the rest of the world. Maybe even overwhelmed by all of the suffering we see and experience. 
 
In awakening your heart to compassion, not only is it helpful for the person suffering, but it can bring you to a place of peace and love.
 
 
Curious about a few practices to help you find compassion within your heart, for yourself and others? Check out my favorite ones here.  

4. Cultivate the Art of Authentic Communication Finding your voice and authentically expressing yourself isn’t always easy to accomplish. Sometimes it’s easier to simply say what the other person wants to hear or is able to hear in that moment, instead of speaking your truth.
 
Speaking your truth doesn’t mean you can say whatever comes to your mind, even if it’s hurtful or unkind. Speaking your truth, when it arises from your spiritual essence will be clear, yet compassionate. 
 
True active listening isn’t always easy either.  It includes giving the other person your full attention, with focus and presence – holding a space for all that needs to be shared. And even allowing a pause for what’s being shared to live in the space for a moment before responding. 
 
Discover more HERE about how to cultivate the art of communication in your daily life through

• finding your authentic voice.
• speaking your truth with integrity, clarity, and compassion.
• actively listening to another with care and focus. ​

5. Be Open to a New Perspective
How often are we stuck in our own view and maybe even with blinders on?  But if we take just a moment to step out of it and see in a different way, what a gift it can be in our relationships, our interactions, and even in our own inner development!
 
Take a moment right now and think of someone in your life.  Picture yourself as that person – what it’s like to wake up in the morning as that person, go about the day in their activities, to interact with others. Now imagine you, as this person, encountering something that bothers you.  Why is it upsetting?  What lives behind the emotion?  How do you see the situation?
 
Step out of the view of the other person and come back to yourself.  What did you learn from that experience?  Were you able to see life from their perspective? How do you see that person now? The issues they are encountering in life? Is it different in any way from how you viewed it before? 

6. Simple, yet Profound, Ways to Connect to Divine Healing Energy
​The challenges that we experience in the world may seem to always be present.  We can get caught up in the regular surprises that appear to threaten our well-being in this world which can be frightening and unsettling. 
 
Especially now, in this time, it’s vital for our own health and the health of the world that we bring conscious practices into our lives regularly.
 
Here are 4 simple, yet profound, ways to bring a daily practice into your life that makes a difference in your health and well-being.

• Gratitude
• Time in Nature
• Breathe
• Being in the Present Moment ​

Explore more on each practice for connecting to Divine Healing Energy HERE. 
 
I do hope you are finding ways to nurture yourself with Radical Self Care this spring! 
 
And don’t forget to check out the many more resources for FREE in my Free Healing Library.
​

​Seem to have trouble squeezing in a spiritual practice on a regular basis? 
 
Life can get busy or overwhelming, at times. 
 
The challenges that we experience in the world may seem to always be present.  We can get caught up in the regular surprises that appear to threaten our well-being in this world which can be frightening and unsettling. 
 
Especially now, in this time, it’s vital for our own health and the health of the world that we bring conscious practices into our lives regularly.
 
Here are 4 simple, yet profound, ways to bring a daily practice into your life that makes a difference in your health and well being.

1. Gratitude
The practice of gratitude brings your attention to the present and all that comes into your life each and every day to support you. There’s so much! Such gratitude is like a gift to the Divine – for all that has been given to you.  And when appreciation is a regular practice, a space opens for more gifts to flow into your life. 
 
Every evening before you go to bed, recall 3 things from the day that you’re grateful for.  

2. Time in Nature 

​Time in nature is healing and calming for all of us.  A hike or walk outside is refreshing and rejuvenating, but even sitting for a few minutes under a tree while you take a break at work can be incredibly helpful – relaxing the body, deepening the breath, and feeling a closer connection to Mother Earth and all that exists in the Universe. 

3. Breathe
​Take a deep breath in, all the way to your belly and then slowly exhale. You help your blood be nourished, fuel your whole body, and let go of the waste the body doesn’t need, detoxing your bodily systems. 
 
Pause for a moment whenever you can throughout the day to inhale slowly through the nose, deep in the lungs and belly.  Exhale through the nose slowly.  At the end of the exhale through the nose, open your mouth and blow out any remaining air in your lungs until they’re empty.  Breathe in deeply again through your nose and repeat.  This expels all of the used breath and fills your lungs with fresh, new air.  Supporting health and well-being in your body.  

4. Being in the Present Moment
​How often do we think about the past or focus on what’s coming up in the future?  Take a moment, while taking deep breaths, and focus on the present moment.  What do you hear?  What do you see?  What do you feel? What sensations are you feeling in your body in this moment?  Bring your attention to what is in this moment – the present moment.  This is the space of health and healing. 
 
 
The Crown Chakra
The practices above will support you in beginning to open to a higher state of being. 
 
The seventh chakra, the crown chakra, is what gives us the ability to access higher states of consciousness, as we open to that which is beyond ourselves.  

It’s located at the top of the head and slightly above the head. It sits like a crown, opening upwards.
 
It’s the source of our connection to the divine energy of creation and to our higher self.  Also to the experience that we’re one with everyone and everything in nature.
 
 
This is the 8th in my series on Radical Self-Care!  To help balance the crown chakra, we can call upon Brahman, cosmic spirit and infinite consciousness. You can find the Healing Brahman Mantra in my Free Healing Library  and chant along with me. 
 

​How often are we stuck in our own view and maybe even with blinders on?  But if we take just a moment to step out of it and see in a different way, what a gift it can be in our relationships, our interactions, and even in our own inner development!
 
Here’s a story that’s a favorite of mine about seeing another view. 

One day a young student on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross the wide river.
 
Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey, he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young student yells over to the teacher, “Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river?”
The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, “My son, you are on the other side.”
​

​This story’s such a wonderful example of how we can learn to step out of our own view and begin to see from another perspective. How often do we just get trapped in our own thoughts and viewpoint, unable to move or shift from them?  Of course, we may listen to someone else sharing their thoughts.  But, do we actually step onto their bank of the river in our minds and experience what their perspective is? 
 
When you’re able to do this, it not only helps you to develop better understanding of the person, but this can affect your attitude and behavior toward that person (and possibly even in life!). You begin to develop empathy and understanding of how that one is experiencing life. Your perception of the person may even change. 
 
This inner work of developing perspective is based within our third eye or brow chakra. The third eye or brow chakra is in the space between the eyebrows, just a little above on the forehead.  It encompasses the pituitary gland, eyes, head, and lower brain.  

When developed and balanced, you’re able to see what’s happening from the perspective of an observer who’s mindful.  And you understand what it means – seeing yourself and also the outer world.  You see what’s important and what’s not, what’s meaningful and what’s superfluous.
 
This chakra is also the home to our conscience. When it’s in balance you see clearly and understand what you see. You have perspective on events and ideas. 
You’re open to new ideas and can be quietly reflective. You trust your intuition.
 
Take a moment right now and think of someone in your life.  Picture yourself as that person – what it’s like to wake up in the morning as that person, go about the day in their activities, to interact with others. Now imagine you, as this person, encountering something that bothers you.  Why is it upsetting?  What lives behind the emotion?  How do you see the situation?
 
Step out of the view of the other person and come back to yourself.  What did you learn from that experience?  Were you able to see life from their perspective? How do you see that person now? The issues they are encountering in life? Is it different in any way from how you viewed it before? 
 
Experiences such as these help us to develop perspective in our own lives and in the world. 
 
 
To help balance the brow chakra, we can call upon the Hindu god Shiva who is often depicted with a third eye of wisdom.  He sees beyond the obvious with clear perception and shows what is truth. You can find the Healing Shiva Mantra in my Free Healing Library and chant along with me.
 

When we focus on cultivating authentic communication in our lives, many of us will only think about speaking – how to speak your truth with integrity, clarity, and compassion. If you missed my post on this aspect of authentic communication Part I: Finding Your Voice, check it out here. 
Yet, listening is another aspect, often overlooked, of authentic communication.  It might seem to be something we do naturally or easily in a conversation, but it’s more complex than we usually realize. 
Yes, of course, we naturally will face the person speaking and appear to listen, even remembering to be quiet for a while so the other person can speak.  But, true listening is so much more. 
Often when we try to listen, our minds will wander.  
Maybe judgments or advice arise within us as the other person continues to speak.  
Maybe we want to respond with our own thoughts and opinions, and we’re simply waiting until they are done or rehearsing what we’ll say even as the other person continues to speak. 
Maybe the content we hear elicits an emotional response in us and our attention goes to our own feelings about what the other person’s saying.  
True active listening includes giving the other person your full attention, with focus and presence – holding a space for all that needs to be shared. And even allowing a pause for what’s being shared to live in the space for a moment before responding.  

​The other day, I was out walking on a snow-covered path through the foothills with a friend.  She was telling me a story of a young man who was renting a room from her and how she had taken on a motherly role toward him. He was anxious and nervous about the outcome of a recent job interview and he didn’t have any family within this country.  So, she’d become his sounding board and support during the interview process. 
As she told her story, I found myself curious and wanting to interrupt to ask questions. I also contemplated why this story was important to her today.  A bluebird flew by and my attention followed the flight of the bird, happy to see this sign of spring at that moment, even as she continued talking.  As she neared the end of her story, I found myself disappointed in the way the company had handled the interviewing process and feeling disheartened for the young man and his experience. I wanted to share my opinion of this with her even before she finished speaking.
How easily our mind jumps from here to there even when we are trying to listen! 
How easily our own feelings arise and come to the forefront, overpowering our ability to truly listen to the other.  
And how hard it is to hold an attentive space – calmly and silently, for a period of time - to truly listen.  
Not an easy task!  But one worth taking up to cultivate deeper relationships with our loved ones and with ourselves!  

Follow these steps to be an active and attentive listener, holding a space for the speaker to be heard, in the conversation. 

• Turn off or put away any physical distractions such as your cellphone, computer, TV.  
• Set an intention to listen actively with your full attention, with an open heart and without judgment. 
• Be aware of the more hidden parts of communication including body language, tone of voice, and hand gestures. 
• Notice when you interrupt or want to interrupt.  Offer a space where the other one can share without interruption.  
• Be mindful of your mind wandering and bring it back to listening to the other person. 
• Thoughts, feelings and body sensations may arise.  Notice them and return your attention to creating the space for the speaker to share.

 
Cultivate the art of communication in your daily life and soon you will be on your way to …..

• finding your authentic voice
• speaking your truth with integrity, clarity, and compassion 
• actively listening to another with care and focus 

 
This is the 6th in my series on Radical Self-Care. Watch for more over the next few weeks!  You can also access an audio of a mantra to chant to invoke Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of abundance, here in my Free Healing Library. She can support you in your efforts to listen deeply to others, bringing abundance to all. Click here to access the audio.
 
 

​Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to express yourself – your truth – and you found you couldn’t.  Something seemed to get in your way? 
 
Maybe you felt too nervous or upset, with a lump in your throat. 
 
Maybe your voice was shaky and your palms sweating.
 
Or you just blurted out words that made little sense. 

​Or possibly you were worried that you wouldn’t be heard. That before you fully expressed yourself, you’d be interrupted or dismissed………..or worse yet, even shut down, your thoughts viewed as unimportant.
 
Finding your voice and authentically expressing yourself isn’t always easy to accomplish. Sometimes it’s easier to simply say what the other person is wanting to hear or is able to hear in that moment, instead of speaking your truth.
 
Speaking your truth doesn’t mean you can say whatever comes to your mind, even if it’s hurtful or unkind. Speaking your truth, when it arises from your spiritual essence will be clear, yet compassionate. 
 
Speaking and listening are a part of the 5th chakra, the throat chakra.  And, in learning radical self care, many of us need to learn to care for ourselves by finding our voice – our voice to speak our needs, thoughts, and opinions, with clarity, care and compassion.  

​Of course, balancing the first 4 chakras will help you to find your voice in your 5th chakra.  Overcoming your fear and anxiety, , accessing your creative flow, finding your inner power and confidence, and awakening your heart with love and compassion, within these 4 chakras, will build a strong foundation for authentic communication.
 
Remembering these steps if you have an important topic to share with someone will help you find your authentic voice in speaking.

• Ask yourself these questions about what you want to share: Is it needed?  Does it contribute positively to the well-being of self, other, or relationship?  Is it important, real, authentic? 
• Contemplate: How do I convey this in a compassionate way? 

• Use I statements – I feel…, I’d like to request…, In my experience, I …, What I understand is…
• Find the right time and space for the type of conversation you’d like to have. 
• Communicate important topics in person, not text, email, or a voice message. 
• Practice what you will say out loud or in your mind.  Consider if your words are authentic and compassionate, with the best chance of the other hearing them. 

 

Cultivate the art of communication in your daily life and soon you will be on your way to …..
 

• finding your authentic voice
• speaking your truth with integrity, clarity, and compassion

 
This is the 5th in my series on Radical Self-Care. Watch for more over the next few weeks!  You can also access an audio of a mantra to chant invoking Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of abundance, here in my Free Healing Library. This mantra can support you in your efforts to speak your truth with compassion and to listen deeply to others, bringing abundance to all. Click here to join the Free Healing Library and access the audio.
 

​If you ever feel overwhelmed by the suffering you see in the world, or even experience in your own life, awakening your heart forces is a key. When we open our heart through our spiritual practices, then we become active in transforming suffering.
 
If our heart is closed, we can feel isolated or disconnected from the rest of the world. Maybe even overwhelmed by all of the suffering we see and experience.  

​In awakening your heart to compassion, not only is it helpful for the person suffering, but it can bring you to a place of peace and love.
 
Here are a few practices to help you find compassion within your heart, for yourself and others.
Just Like Me Practice
Ever have an experience where you can’t believe that a person would act that way or say those words?  It seems so………. fill in the blank………. rude, immature, incompetent, inconsiderate,…
Realizing that another person is “just like me” in some ways can help you to dissolve the feeling of separateness or disbelief.  It embraces what’s similar, what’s human, and helps to develop compassion for others in your life.  

I first heard of this practice from the Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron. She shares,
“It is a simple human truth that everyone, just like you, wants to be happy and to avoid suffering.
 
Just like you, everyone else wants to have friends, to be accepted and loved, to be respected and valued for their unique qualities, to be healthy and to feel comfortable with themselves.
 
Just like you, no one else wants to be friendless and alone, to be looked down upon by others, to be sick, to feel inadequate and depressed.
 
The equality practice is simply to remember this fact whenever you meet another person. You think, ‘Just like me, she wants to be happy; she doesn’t want to suffer.’
 
Here are the steps.

1. Bring the person to your awareness as clearly as you’re able to. See that this person is a human being, just like you. 
2. Now repeat these phrases while thinking of the person.
   • This person has a body and mind, just like me.
   • This person has feelings, emotions and thoughts, just like me.

   • This person has experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering in life, just like me.

   • This person has at some point been sad, disappointed, angry, or hurt, just like me. (You can say these one at a time....)

   • This person has felt unworthy or inadequate, just like me. 
   • This person worries and is frightened sometimes, just like me.
   • This person has longed for friendship, just like me.
   • This person wants to be caring and kind to others, just like me.
   • This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering, just like me.

   • This person wishes to be safe and healthy, just like me.

   • This person wishes to be happy, just like me.
   • This person wishes to be loved, just like me. 

 
     3.  Create your own “just like me” statements, as desired.

• “When he did ________ to me, he was looking for respect. Just like me.”
• “When she said ________ to me, she was wanting to feel important. Just like me.”
• “Just like me, he is afraid of being unloved and unlovable.”​
•  Just like me, just like me, just like me.​​

     4.  Close the practice by sending wishes for the health and well-being to the person. 

​Loving Kindness Meditation
You can use this simple meditation to practice compassion first for yourself, then for those you know, and then for others you may not know. You can also use this for someone who upsets or frustrates you. 

• Find a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths. 
• Next, repeat the following in your mind-

May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be healthy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.

• As you say the words, imagine breathing warmth and compassion into your heart and breathing out warmth and compassion toward yourself.
• Then, direct those same words to someone close to you, saying:

 May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.

•  Finally, pick someone you don’t know well.  Either a person or a group. Maybe a neighbor or maybe someone very different from you. Again, repeat the words for this person or group:

May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
May you be happy.
 
Breathing out Compassion
The Tibetan Buddhists have a practice that is called Tonglen which means “giving and taking.”  You use your breath to inhale the suffering of someone and to exhale compassion. 

• Find a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths. 
• Bring to your mind a person who is suffering. Imagine the suffering as a dark cloud around the person.
• Inhale, imagining you’re breathing in this dark cloud. 
• As you inhale, picture the dark cloud transforming into a warm, golden light of compassion in your heart.
• Exhale this warm light of compassion toward this person to dissolve the suffering.
• Repeat a few times – inhale the dark suffering, exhale the warm compassion.
• When complete, take a few deep, cleansing breaths. 

This practice can be very powerful.  Overwhelming for some people. Be attentive to how you feel and if you may need to stop. 
 
Bringing practices such as these into your life can open and awaken your heart.  Not only are they helpful for the other person, but they can bring you to a place of peace and love, even in difficult times. And, in so doing, contribute to the health and healing in the world. 
 
This is the 4th in my series on Radical Self-Care. Watch for more over the next few weeks!  You can also access an audio of a mantra for Krishna, the Hindu god that radiates love and compassion, here in my Free Healing Library to help you awaken your heart to compassion!  
 
 

​Are there days that you feel like curling up in a ball and not joining the rest of the world? Do you wonder if you’ll ever experience a true sense of inner peace and calm in life?
Some days are harder than others. The troubles that loom over our heads – troubles in the world, in our country, in our communities, even with our families and friends.  Sometimes it all feels like too much. 
And yet, we must reach deep within ourselves to find the strength to move forward. But how?
If you dig deep down into your inner well and it’s not full, what then?  How do you cultivate self power, an inner strength, so that it’s always available to you?  How can we find this hidden treasure? 
When your inner well’s full, you begin to develop a certain steadiness in life. You’re guided and strengthened from within, rather than dependent on external influences. This gives you even more strength for all that comes your way in life.  You’ll become more present and fully experience all of life. And a sense of peace and calm will arise, as you begin to see the bigger purpose and meaning of your life.
Here are a few tips for filling your inner well, giving you the key to unlocking the hidden treasure of your own inner power. 
 
Explore Who am I? 
Take a look at who you are. Truly. Your abilities, your qualities.  Your biography and current life.
 
What moments in your life were turning points?  Who did you meet? What made a difference in your journey? 
 
What are you passionate about?  What gets you excited?  What do you want to do to make a difference in the world?  

​What do you like doing for fun? How do you relax and rejuvenate?
 
The more deeply you know who you are, the more aware you become of the best way to care for yourself and your needs. You’ll feel more grounded and confident.  And more yourself. 
 
Identify Your Gifts
We all have unique gifts – talents or skills – that we can use to make a difference in the world. What are yours?  Where do you shine? 
 
Our gifts typically develop out of our passions in life.
 
Or sometimes out of overcoming adversity. 
 
By sharing these with others, not only does it benefit them, but also you!  You are able to engage in meaningful and purposeful work in the world – which ignites your inner fire and power.  

Replace Negative Voices
Pay attention to what enters your mind that’s negative and doesn’t serve you. When these thoughts enter your mind, simply acknowledge them without judgment and then bid them farewell.  Replace them with gratitude. Think of something in your life that you’re currently grateful for. Focus your thoughts on the gratitude you have.   
 
Balance Your Solar Plexus Chakra 
​

​Your third chakra, the solar plexus chakra, is the source of the light that radiates your personal power and strength out into the world. It’s located between your navel and the bottom of your sternum.
 
Bring this chakra into balance to access your own inner strength. Sit quietly in an upright posture and picture your third chakra filled with the warm yellow light of the sun, radiating out into the world while saying these affirmations:
 
I love myself.
 
I am strong and courageous.
 
I feel my own power.
 
When your solar plexus chakra is balanced, you’ll feel confident and want to say “YES!” to life. You’ll be grounded and ready to start each day. You’ll feel strong and able to take up actions, moving through challenges as they arise.  

Connect to a Higher Presence
Having a regular spiritual practice helps you not only be healthier and more grounded, but connects you with the Divine. This might be meditation, yoga, chanting, being in nature, studying ancient sacred texts, or even sitting in silence.  This raises your vibrational frequency. Doubts and fears fall away as you experience your True Self and have divine support to accompany you.
 
 
This is the 3rd in my series on Radical Self-Care. Watch for more over the next few weeks!  You can also access an audio of a mantra here in my Free Healing Library to call upon the Goddess Durga with her great courage and strength to remove any obstacles that are holding you back from feeling confident and powerful within your life.  Click here to access the Library.
 
 

​It’s so easy today to let fear overwhelm us. If you pause and focus on what could make you anxious and fearful, there, most likely, will be a long list. 
 
Fear of not having enough – enough food, shelter, or basic needs.  Or fear of getting older and not doing all you had dreamed of doing in your life. 
 
Or fear of not enough love or connection in the world. 
 
Not enough control of your life. Not sure what’ll come towards you out in the world. 
 
Or fear of losing what you have. The relationships you cherish, the people you love. Your job, your home.    

​You may want to run away or strike out angrily at your friends and family.  Or you just feel frozen in place –unable to move. 
 
You might even become a “mother bear” wanting to protect yourself and others who are more vulnerable. 
 
Fear of not having enough or fear of losing what you have. It’s part of our human nature. 
 
And although fear is a natural part of our life that helps us to survive at times, dwelling on fear can build and spiral out of control like a tornado picking up strength as it moves across land, destroying any joy or happiness in the present moment. 
 
When we let fear take control of us, we feel unsafe and insecure.  This most basic need – feeling safe and secure in life, is essential in life. Without it, we’re always on guard for threats that may arise, in survival mode.  In this state, we have no space left to explore, learn, connect, create, discover – truly thrive in life. To experience joy.
 
Fear is a part of being human and probably has been with us since the beginning of time.  And yet we’re in charge of how we work with our own fear, how we let it paralyze or overwhelm us or how we may dissolve it.  Our external circumstances don’t actually have control over our fear.  We do!
 
Each one of us needs to find our own path out of the sinking hole of fear.  We must muster our inner strength and courage and explore our own fear.  Move toward it with curiosity, with interest.  Why’s it here?  What’s its origin?  Does it remind us of a fear from earlier years? 
 
"Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones." –Thich Nhat Hanh 
 

​Here are 5 tips to support you in breaking free from fear if you finding it creeping into your life. 
 
1. Shift to Thinking – Move your attention away from your feelings to your thinking. Identify the facts that actually exist currently about the situation.  Not speculating about the future. Not the chatter from others or in your head that fuels the fear.
 
2. Take Charge of What You Invite In – Monitor what you choose to see and hear regularly – through news stories, the internet, and even friends who focus on igniting fear through their addiction to threats, violence, dread, and doom. 

3. Let the fear go - Move toward your fear. Find a way to share the fear outside yourself – someone who can listen and not fan the fire, but calm it. Maybe write about it.  Or express it artistically.  Something that’ll begin to move it from a state of being stuck and frozen. 
 
4. Talk to Someone who can Listen Deeply - Share how you feel with someone who listens well. Ask for their insight about the situation. Avoid those who tend to dwell in negativity and anxiety. 
 
5. Remember Your Inner Work - Bring your attention to the present moment. Calm your whole being through meditation, deep breathing, or a walk in nature.  Taking charge of your own state is the best way to reduce fear that seems to be creeping in. Within a calmer state, your awareness expands and you can begin to explore and discover new perspectives and solutions. You begin to find your own sense of safety and security and soon discover the fear starts to dissolve.  

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." – Eleanor Roosevelt  
 
 
This is the second in my series on Radical Self-Care. Watch for more over the next few weeks!  You can also access an audio of a mantra for Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, here in my Free Healing Library to help you get started today on radical self-care. Click here to become a member!