Moon Journal: Embracing Change

I’ve started a Moon Journal to reflect on my process as my body shifts into menopause.  The process really started full force at the beginning of this year but I don’t believe I was ready to write about it until now.  My cycle has been “off” since then and I have struggled with all the signs and symptoms that go along with the changes of my menstrual season.

I decided to create a journal to record my journey along the way.  I thought it may help me be in a place of acceptance instead of the battle I’ve engaged in since this all began.

I knew the process had begun when I started having hot flashes back in January.  They lasted continually for about 6 weeks and then they disappeared.  My period stopped for 74 days before I bled again.  Then within two weeks my moon came back with a vengeance seeming to make up for all that it had previously missed.  Once again I am waiting for my blood to flow at day 36.  My body is bloated and heavy with the water I am retaining.  This is a new experience for me as I have never retained water on this level before.

This is my journal.  On the inside of the front cover is the image at the top of this post.  She is entitled Embrace The Moon.  The moon is constantly changing and a woman’s body is reflective of the moon.  That is how I feel about the process I am undergoing.  I need to embrace the changes going on in me otherwise this will be a miserable experience.  I picked up a blank artist’s book at Michael’s and some stickers to make it pretty.  I thought if I created something beautiful to write in I would more likely do so.  I want to get some pretty pen’s to use in it as well.

My intention with this blog is to share my experience but to also share what is supportive of that experience.  One of the best books I have found on this topic is the New Menopausal Years by Susun S. Weed.  I have combed through her pages over and over in the past few months.  One of her main messages is that this is a time of initiation.  I am birthing myself into a new Woman.  I am looking forward to meeting her (me) along the way.

Support:

Kundalini Yoga:  Releasing Premenstrual Tension & Balancing Sexual Energy

Kirtan Kriya

Nettle Tea

Walking out in Nature

What Is Decording?

Have you ended a relationship, yet are still constantly thinking about the other person?

Has a telephone conversation with a friend left you exhausted?

Do you avoid a family member or work associate because they bring you “down”?

These are symptoms of negative energetic attachments (cords).

When I was in my twenties I met someone who I ended up having to decord from.  The first time I saw him I felt a deep connection.  He unfortunately did not have the same experience with me.  My logic told me I needed to let go of this fantasy but I couldn’t seem to.  Somehow I knew traditional therapies would not help me.  I went to a psychic instead.

This wonderful woman taught me a process called decording.  I decorded from this man and was not bothered with the obsession again.  It was during the process that my psychic gifts appeared.  They were buried deep within myself waiting for an opportunity to come forth.  Decording is what awakened them.  Not everyone will have a dramatic response like I did.  You will find a freedom that you may not have known existed before though.

Each of us connects with one another on an energetic basis every time we interact.  When we smile at someone we meet on the street we energetically connect.  Those connections are loving and do not affect us in a negative way.

When we are in deeper relationships we connect energetically as well.  When the relationship has dissolved physically sometimes those connections stay intact and they start to drain us, especially when the other person becomes abusive.  Sometimes the relationship is a child who keeps taking and taking.  You may not want to end that relationship but you want to change the dynamics of that relationship.

With the process of decording you can:

• find relief from haunting thoughts

• reclaim the energy that may have drained you

• reestablish healthy energetic cords with those you are still involved with

Please consider coming to Della’s Decording Workshop on Friday, May 17th.  Click here to register.

For a full picture of Della’s healing services visit her website at www.innerpeacemovementstudio.com

Let Go Of The Plan

A few days ago Guidance spoke to me and suggested I let go of my plan.  I plan everything.  The plan makes me feel safe and organized.  The plan creates stress and anxiety.   I decided to experiment with letting go of the plan.  I do make a list of things I would like to do in a day.  But I decided if I forgot to put something on the list then it wasn’t that important.  I also decided to let go of how and what it looks like to carry out the tasks on my list.

So far, the experiment has been very liberating.  I’ve followed my day according to what feels right.  I do have a job that has a schedule.  It is a given that I need to be responsible towards my commitments to others.  The rest is a free for all.  There is a bit of fear around letting go in this way.  What will happen if every aspect of my life isn’t controlled?  What has happened so far is I feel more rested and more at peace.  I will continue to experiment with letting go of the plan.  I can always go back to they way things have always been . . .

OMG! Paleo Protein Bars

 

1 cup almonds (raw)

1/2 cup golden flaxmeal (ground)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup creamy nut or seed butter

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt (I like course ground)

1 cup hemp seeds

1/2 cup coconut oil or ghee

1 tablespoon raw local honey

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

1. Place, almonds, ground flax meal, shredded coconut, nut/seed butter and salt in food processor.
2. Pulse briefly, about 10 seconds
3. Place into mixing bowl and add hemp seeds.
4. In small sauce pan melt the coconut oil/ghee, stir in stevia, honey and vanilla into it.
5. Combine wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients
6. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish
7. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour until mixture hardens

Chocolate Topping

1 4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate bar

3/4 cup almond milk

2 squirts vanilla flavored stevia

1/4 cup powdered peanut butter

1. In double boiler place the chocolate bar and almond milk together to melt
2. Once melted using a whisk add the stevia, peanut butter and vanilla flavored stevia
3. Pour topping and spread over cooled bar mixture
4. Place back in refrigerator until topping hardens
5. Remove from refrigerator and cut into bars and serve

Makes 20 bars

I love these bars!  I have made them several times now and I find them very sustaining.  You can not over eat them as they are so dense and filling.  I change the flavors by changing what kind of nut/seed butter I use.  You can leave out the powdered peanut butter from the topping if you want.  I have added dried cherries to the bar part of my last batch and added cherry flavoring in the topping.  Yum!

This is a very simple recipe that looks complicated on the surface.  Enjoy!

Kindness Practice – Starting Over

“Life got in the way.”

Pretty sorry excuse but there it is.  My work load tripled and my personal kindness practice fell by the wayside.  It’s not that I was unkind per say.  It’s just that I lost focus in the last couple weeks.  My intention is to get back on track and recommit myself to those ideals I have written about earlier.

It’s amazing to me how I let stress overtake my life and all my best self-care practices exited stage left.  That is the most unkind thing I could have done to myself.  It is that accumulation of stress in my body that brought my back to center.  It’s time to relax and breathe which is the kindest thing I can do for myself today.

I also changed the title of this sadhana from challenge to practice.   And, I’ve also decided to let go of the 40 day mark and simply let this be a practice for life.  Every day is an opportunity to live my life this way.  Some days will be better than others.  My goal is to always do my best.

Sat Nam!

40 Day Kindness Challenge – Day 13

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written.  I have felt stagnate and uninspired these past few days.  I was hoping this kindness practice would catapult me to joy and that has not happened.  I do realize that anything that isn’t joy has to come up to the surface to release first.  And, some of that has happened.  Yet, the last few days I have been a bit tired and listless.  I could be the extreme cold.  It could be the alignment of the planets.  It is more likely that this is all part of the process of realizing the kindness within myself.

Kindness Tip

This morning, during my favorite ritual, taking a bath I did a chakra balancing exercise.  I go through each of my chakras, putting my hand on the place on my body where they live, and invite them to balance.  I say “balance” and visualize them as so and then move up to the next chakra.  I had to do this several times through before I felt the shift in my energy field.  Here is a pdf I created to give you a better understanding of the chakras.

Chakra Spreadsheet

It will help you to find each and give you tips to balance them.  I encourage you to work with the chakras when you are feeling a bit off and see what positives can happen.  It is from that place we can find our kindness.

Sat Nam,

Della McGee

www.innerpeacemovementstudio.com

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

In the past few months I have followed a Paleo Diet.  I have found over the course of time that grains and beans make my blood sugars wonky and it makes for difficulty living a normal life.  The paleo lifestyle has worked for me like nothing I have tried before.  Basically it has more animal protein vs. grains & beans like I was in the past.  The only problem is that it is heavily laden with meat.  I do eat meat but only once or twice a week.  The one consensus I make that most paleos don’t eat is cheese.  I tend to choose goat or sheep cheeses as they are easier to digest. What am I to eat that is hearty, filling and vegetarian all in one meal?

I have looked for paleo vegetarian recipes on-line and have found only a few offerings.  I thought I would start my recipe base for others of you like me who don’t want to consume as much meat in their daily diet yet want to feel satisfied.  Here is my first recipe and it is quite delicious!

• 1 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 3  Medium sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
• 2 tsp. Curry powder
• 1 c. Vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. Almond butter
•  smoked salt

Sautee onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add diced sweet potato and curry and add broth.  Simmer until sweet potato is soft.  Add mix to blender and blend to your favorite consistency.  Add more broth as needed.  Add almond butter and smoked salt to taste.

This makes about 4 servings.  I eat this with paleo bread that I made from a recipe off Elana’s Pantry.