Blog – Energy Medicine & Dance with Sheila Peters

Grace in Growing Older

systemwpadmin body image, Graceful Aging, Growing Wisdom, Recalibration, self-image April 28, 2022April 28, 2022Growing Older, Inner Wisdom, Recalibration

Arrggghh! Growing Older!

I severely strained my lower back muscles almost 4 weeks ago and am still dealing with the recovery and pain. As a former professional dancer and lifelong athlete, I’m not a stranger to injuries or muscle pulls. But this time, it’s been a resounding message to me about how to adjust to growing older.

What precipitated the back spasm was an impossible move that no one in their right mind should attempt. I folded forward and down from my hips with straight legs, then twisted my upended torso to the right, and reached out to grab my 3-year-old grandson, trying to pull him towards me. Yes, a stupid move. Especially since I preach while I’m teaching movement classes about the vulnerability of the lower back. Just because I was able to get away with doing something like this in my dancer’s prime doesn’t mean that I should have ever done it – let alone now. Yet sometimes I forget that I’m not 25, 35, 45, or 55+ years old anymore because I generally feel so at ease in my body. I was instantly humbled!

I want to stay feeling at ease in my body as I continue the inevitable aging process. The challenge is how to learn to adjust to the ever-increasing need to recalibrate what will be beneficial and what will not, in terms of physical effort?

Awareness clearly seems to be the first step. What is it I am attempting to do? Is it reasonable to ask my body to do that? Perhaps I need to think about the logistics before I act. If I had thought about what I was trying to achieve before I reached for my 40-pound grandson in an exaggerated position, I would have understood that it was quite an inefficient and risky way to bring him closer. Of course, standing upright and bending down with my knees on the floor towards him would have given me the proper leverage and support to pull him to me. What had I been thinking? That is the bottom-line question – I hadn’t been thinking. I was just reacting without processing what I was asking my body to do. Awareness is key.

Understanding my body more deeply would also be helpful. What is my normal posture? Am I standing correctly on my feet and allowing the bones to balance in a way that enables the muscles and soft tissues to function in the best way? Have I been crouched over my laptop for too many hours so that the act of straightening up is painful? How can I expect to immediately jump from the crouched position to reaching high over my head to the shelf where the item I want is placed without injuring myself? The more time we spend out of alignment curved over, the more our muscles and soft tissues cannot react quickly to perform a completely opposite movement. Thus, the probabilities of wrenching ourselves increases. So, regaining correct anatomical alignment is critical for correct physical functioning.

Listening to what our body is saying is also critical. If we are exercising and we feel some warning sign that all is not right, we need to pay attention! My dance training was often diametrically opposed to that common sense idea. We were encouraged to push through the pain, constantly go above our last accomplishment, and most importantly, that the show must go on! In the past, I continued to perform on stage no matter what—once even after having a toenail painfully pulled out by the root backstage just before my entrance. I continued to perform through foot injuries, a broken bone in my hand, and major emotional life events simply because not to do so was unthinkable. And although we can get away with pushing through when we are younger, it is not a healthy way to proceed as we get older. Unfortunately, that “true grit” attitude is hard to break when it is no longer appropriate or useful.

If “true grit” and pushing through the pain and available physical stamina is no longer a reliable method as we age, then how can we do the things we want and need to do? One clear way is to be honest with ourselves about what our real capabilities are in our older years. What is the true amount of energy we have today? Did we sleep poorly the night before or stay up too late so that we have less vitality this morning? If so, what are the priorities for the available energy we do have today? Perhaps we can put a particular task on hold and aim for a better night’s sleep tonight so we can achieve the task tomorrow. Or maybe we could break the task down into smaller pieces and finish it albeit using a longer period of time. During this time with my current back injury, I’ve taken to bringing up clean, folded laundry by handfuls as opposed to lugging the whole laundry basket up and down the stairs. I can walk up and down stairs but not carrying a heavy load if I want to continue to heal from the back spasms.

This all takes patience. Being patient as our body heals and listening to the inner voice when it says stop and take a rest are crucial. We need to adjust the timelines we assumed in the past to match the timelines our changed physical bodies can actually meet in the present. Frustrating, yes! But only because we haven’t yet adjusted to the new version of ourselves as we are now. This is not easy – adjusting to the pace and ability of the older body. It feels like slowing down, giving in to the aging process. But, in truth, adapting is the best way to prolong our lives in these bodies.

We can also learn to ask for help—something that is so very difficult for many of us. It can make us feel diminished and less valuable to ourselves and those around us, and affect our perspective of how others view us. Could we ask for help? Fraught with myriad self-worth and self-esteem issues, it can be a hard question to ask. If we show vulnerability by asking for assistance, will we be thought less of? We might also be thinking, “I don’t want to be a bother to anyone” or “I want to do this now, not wait for or rely on someone else!”

It comes down to a self-respect. Do we respect our aging body’s wisdom to know what is right for us, even if it feels limiting? Can we view this innate wisdom as valuing ourselves instead of limiting ourselves and prioritizing the importance of keeping healthy and balanced for where we are now in our lives? If so, when we ask for assistance, if we remain grounded in our lifelong self-respect, the response from the person we are requesting to help us will be more respectful than if we had asked irritably because we didn’t want to admit that we needed help. We can also remember how eagerly we ourselves respond to requests for aid when the requester has come from a stance of self-respect.

Another perspective that might help us to accept the changes we go through as we get older is to realize that as our physical prowess decreases, our inner wisdom increases. Our experiences are varied and wide because we have lived a long time. Precisely because we have more experience, our ability to draw on past events, relationships, and know-how provides us with a wealth of tools to deal with the quirks and u-turns of life.

While our outer physicality has become restricted, what’s underneath the skin has become amplified. We may have more patience and be able to more fully and actively listen to others. Perhaps we can exist more in the moment and not sweat the small annoyances. Maybe we heed the call of our heartstrings and are more willing to see the good in others and, therefore, judge less harshly.

Each decade brings changes. When we were five years old, we wanted to ride our bicycles without training wheels. When we were sixteen, we couldn’t wait to graduate from high school and move toward adulthood. We may have had endless physical vitality and stamina during those decades but we still had many lessons to come in compassion, patience, and understanding. In a sense, there is a tradeoff that seems to flow throughout our lifetimes. Physical strength and prowess versus inner wisdom and empathy appear to have an inverse relationship. The longer we live, the more opportunities we gain to develop a bigger, loving heart.

It’s not easy – this process of getting older. It obliges us to recalibrate our priorities, recognize the reality of what is physically viable (and reasonable), and respect the enhanced wisdom that we’ve gained. It’s a lot to manage and balance. Fortunately, we have also had the time to acquire the grace needed to do just that.

Sheila Peters helps clients and students regain their natural flow of energy and increase wellness through techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Eden Energy Method, shamanic practices, reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, intuition/channeling and movement. For more information, email Sheila at: sheilapetersdance@gmail.com, call 781-354-0725, or visit Sheila’s website at: www.energymedicineanddance.com.

Updated: Energetic Spring Cleaning

systemwpadmin Balance, Energy Medicine, Recalibration, Spring Cleaning March 19, 2022March 19, 2022Balance, Energy Medicine, Recalibration, Spring Cleaning

We all know about the ritual of spring cleaning our homes – clearing out the winter miasma to get ready for the rebirth of spring. We feel motivated to tidy up our living spaces. We want the fresh breezes of late March and early April to flow in through the windows and doors to get rid of any feelings of inactivity or inertia left over from the inwards journey or hibernation during the colder months of the year. We are prepping our rooms and physical environment to embrace the sense of renewal that the spring heralds.

What about our physical bodies and energetic selves? Shouldn’t we also be performing a spring cleaning on an energetic level as well? Many of us begin to start moving our physical bodies when the weather outside begins to warm up and invites us to step outside. However, a holdover from the winter may still be influencing our bodies. An energetic spring cleaning can help purge any remaining holdovers from the winter so that we move into spring with renewed vigor and optimum health.

Baking Soda Baths One simple way to begin an energetic spring cleaning is to take a long relaxing bath. Pouring a cup of baking soda into the bath water enhances the letting go of the old season. Baking soda is a great natural home remedy, especially for the skin. It helps to neutralize skin acidity facilitating the refreshing, renewing and softening of dry winter skin. Baking soda performs the same service for energetic and emotional patterns. It assists in the elimination of energetic and emotional patterns that no longer serve us. Toxins are removed, both energetically and physically, with a baking soda soak that can be augmented with the addition of pure sea salts and organic essential oils.

Smudging Smudging is an ancient healing and clearing practice to relieve negative energies and unwanted emotional or energetic patterns that may be lingering in our homes. It is accomplished by burning sage or sage in combination with other herbs such as sweet grass, cedar or pine needles. Wafting the resultant smoke with feathers or the hands into the corners of our living spaces helps to dislodge and remove the negative energies.

We can smudge ourselves as well. Guiding the smoke up along our bodies, we can invite new thoughts, emotions, and positive energy to enter into our lives while clearing out what no longer serves us. A lovely smudging prayer can be found at The Chopra Center website:

A Smudging Prayer

May your hands be cleansed, that they create beautiful things.

May your feet be cleansed, that they might take you where you most need to be.

May your heart be cleansed, that you might hear its messages clearly.

May your throat be cleansed, that you might speak rightly when words are needed.

May your eyes be cleansed, that you might see the signs and wonders of the world.

May this person and space be washed clean by the smoke of these fragrant plants.

And may that same smoke carry our prayers, spiraling, to the heavens.

Energy Medicine Exercises There are also a number of energy medicine exercises that can help to clear out unwanted negativity in your physical and energetic fields. In fact, doing a daily energy routine will help you to continually rebalance, renew, and refresh your body and subtle energies. One of the best daily routines and one I do every day is based on the work of Donna Eden, a well-known pioneer in the field of Energy Medicine. I have created two videos that demonstrate my daily energy sequence. One includes verbal explanations of the exercises and the other is shorter, leaving out the explanations. They can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/xPtOE7o1Afo and https://youtu.be/l4e5TJz1_1k.

Here are two other exercises that can clear negative emotions and can augment an energetic spring cleaning:

Emotional Clearing Place the right palm on your heart chakra at the center of your chest. Allow yourself to deeply feel the emotion, belief, or behavioral pattern that is troubling you. Once you have connected with this feeling or idea, raise your left arm slightly out to the side and imagine that this emotion, belief, or pattern is now draining out of your body through the Heart Meridian. This meridian begins in the deepest part of your armpit and runs along the inside of your arm, through the palm and out the small finger. As the tip of your small finger begins to feel full, envision the emotion leaking out of the tip and leaving your body and biofield.

Porcupine Reactivity According to Ellen Meredith, (Medical Intuitive, Energy Medicine Practitioner, Conscious Channel, Author, and Teacher) when you are in Porcupine Reactivity, you may seem prickly or off-putting to others. You might feel agitated, grumpy, gnarly, over-energized or exhausted, unnaturally calm, detached or listless. The following exercise is Ellen’s way to rebalance and clear out these unwanted energies.

Place both hands at the crown of the head, as if grasping the edges of a “sock” that is inside out.
Breathe in and pull both hands up to full extension above the head.
Breathe out and pull each hand out and downwards in an arc and tack the ends of the “sock” to the ground.
Grab the other ends of the tube and with your in breath, pull the “sock” up with arms extended to above your head.
With your breath out, tack the ends to the crown of your head.
Repeat the above steps, starting and ending at the third eye chakra.

By completing an energetic spring cleaning, we allow ourselves to let go of winter energies and any unwanted holdovers from the past season. We flush out the old energy to provide ample room for the renewed energies of spring so that we may blossom in the coming season.

Sheila Peters helps clients and students regain their natural flow of energy and increase wellness through techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Eden Energy Method, shamanic practices, reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, intuition/channeling and movement. For more information, email Sheila at: sheilapetersdance@gmail.com, call 781-354-0725, or visit Sheila’s website at: www.energymedicineanddance.com.

The Mysterious Vivaxin Field

systemwpadmin Directional Weakness, Energy Medicine, Vivaxin Field, Vulnerability February 16, 2022February 16, 2022Birth Trauma, Directional Weakness, Energy Medicine, Vivaxin Field, Vivaxin Syndrome

One of the least commonly known areas of energy medicine work involves an energy field known as the Vivaxis. Researched by Francis Nixon in the 1960s, the Vivaxin field corresponds with the exact geographical point where a baby leaves its mother’s womb. As Shirley Climpson, an energy medicine practitioner from the UK, wrote:

Essentially, we are imprinted with an energy configuration based on the magnetic field present at our place of birth as well as the orientation of the planets in our solar system at the time and place of our birth…

The Vivaxin field imprinted on us at birth is intended to help alleviate the shock to the infant of moving from the nurturing environment inside the womb to the outside world where the child meets the electromagnetic field of the Earth. Donna Eden, energy medicine pioneer, elaborated further:

The shock of entering the new electromagnetic environment causes the body to form this protective energy field, creating a bond that electromagnetically aligns the infant’s physical direction at the moment of birth with the planet’s energies. This protects the infant and orients the child during the first three months after birth.

Francis Nixon further clarified:

It is thought that the baby’s vivaxis is generally created about the time of the mother’s first labor pains and is approximately the size of the fetus just prior to birth.

Fundamentally the Vivaxin field, which closely surrounds the baby, is meant to be protective until the child orients to the Earth’s electromagnetic field and no longer needs this shield. The three-month period seems to correspond to the passage of 100 days, a point at which many cultures believe that the child is viable and has survived the birth experience. Some cultures traditionally waited until the end of three months before naming a baby. During the naming ceremony, healers would make sure that any remaining part of the Vivaxin field would be demagnetized so as not to interfere with the connection with the Earth’s electromagnetic field.

However, if the Vivaxin shield does not completely demagnetize or if there was trauma around the birth, the child may carry into adulthood something called the Vivaxin Syndrome. Rather than remain protective, retaining the Vivaxin shield becomes a liability, as it causes energetic weakness when the person faces in the direction in which they were birthed. The individual will often find that whenever they face that particular compass direction, they have a vulnerability. This could be demonstrated as an inability to be productive if facing that direction or becoming tired, depressed, or more easily confused. Or perhaps the person will unconsciously avoid chairs or areas that face the area of vulnerability. This shows up in a simple energy check as an individual is rotated in a circle. There will be a primary point in the circle when the person is unable to maintain strength in the energy test (or muscle test as some people call it).

I have had clients who dislike working at their desk or sitting in a specific chair to read or accomplish tasks. Some clients report that they no longer get a good night’s sleep when they have changed the direction of their bed or moved into a new space. When verified, it often turns out that the direction of the desk, chair, or bed is facing is exactly the direction that tests weak when checking for the Vivaxin Syndrome.

Recent research indicates that a repeat Vivaxin Syndrome may also be triggered due to the increase in environmental pollution, particularly due to the proliferation of cell towers and the ubiquitous use of wireless computers, cell phones, Kindles, appliances, and the like. Our homes, schools, and offices are inundated with devices that utilize wireless electromagnetic frequencies.

Some individuals are extremely sensitive to these EMFs and find that their individual energy flow is regularly disrupted and benefit from more frequent remediation for the Vivaxin Syndrome. In fact, nowadays Eden Energy Medicine practitioners make it a practice to energy check clients every periodically. Those that are not quite so aware of energy flow disruption may not realize that they have a repeat Vivaxin Syndrome. As Shirley Climpson has said: We are electromagnetic beings and our human energy field is sensitive to disruption. Interestingly, the compass direction that tests as vulnerable may be different from the original birth experience.

In addition, I have found that many of my clients have needed a Vivaxin Syndrome “tune-up” when the individual is experiencing deep stress or a potentially life-threatening event or illness. I have also seen clients need remediation as a result of the stress of the Covid pandemic. Fortunately, I’ve found a short cut to do a “tune-up” that utilizes a shamanic approach.

So how can we correct the syndrome?

Fortunately, it is a fairly simple correction. There are a number of ways to accomplish this. Using a magnet or a glass crystal, an energy medicine practitioner will spin at each of the meridian endpoints, usually while the client is standing. Originally, I was taught this protocol during my foundational training year learning Eden Energy Medicine. Since then, I have discovered a few updates that I have found to be very effective. Some of these include having the client lie on a massage table so that they can relax and either fall asleep or more easily notice the sensations that occur as the correction proceeds. I also like to start with the Central and Governing meridians and then move methodically through the meridians in clock order, starting with the meridian that regulates the current hour of the session.

As my practice has evolved, I have noticed that I can sense in what direction a client may have a weakness by tuning into their energies prior to energy testing. I always do the actual energy test to make sure that I have sensed correctly but my ability to pick up the direction has been remarkably accurate.

When I originally had a Vivaxin Syndrome corrected for myself, I found that I spontaneously started to cry and felt a number of overwhelming emotions well up. The after care of taking a bath for the next seven days, adding a cup of baking soda in each bath as a cleansing method, seemed to bring a new calmness and strength to my body and mind that was subtle but noticeable.

In her book Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body’s Energies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality, Donna Eden included two Vivaxin field correction examples of clients who had strong changes in their daily life. One was an architect who claimed he had lost his creativity. After Donna found that his desk faced the exact direction of his vulnerability and did the remediating protocol for him, he found his creativity rebounded. The other was a young mother with three small children who began to experience lethargy and depression at certain times of the day. Donna discovered that the work space of her kitchen where she spent a large part of her day preparing food and washing up was her direction of vulnerability. Again, with treatment, this woman no longer was troubled by exhaustion or depression.

Not everyone has such obvious results. However, most clients, once they have received a Vivaxin Syndrome correction, find that the direction of vulnerability no longer affects them. They happily function at the desk, chair, or area that previously created negative work habits and/or emotional states and that their sleep was less disturbed. In addition, some clients find that chronic illnesses, allergies, or cognitive issues have cleared with the corrective protocol.

If you would like to discover if you need assistance with a potential Vivaxin Syndrome, please reach out to me to learn more.

Sheila Peters helps clients and students regain their natural flow of energy and increase wellness through techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Eden Energy Method, shamanic practices, reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, intuition/channeling and movement. For more information, email Sheila at: sheilapetersdance@gmail.com, call 781-354-0725, or visit Sheila’s website at: www.energymedicineanddance.com.

Savoring the Moments of Joy and Wonder

systemwpadmin Gift, Habits, Learning, networking, Opening Up November 30, 2021

As we hurry during this season of holidays, gatherings, and family commitments, it is easy to get caught up in an endless bustle of expectations to fill – people to please; gifts, meals, and visits to make. We stop living in the moment and truly experiencing what we are doing or feeling. I’ve been making it a practice to spend some part of each day this season to relish what is right in front of me and fully immerse myself in that moment. It might be a short blip or a longer period of time but I want to savor that moment and embed its meaning into my heart.

I am sharing a few of these experiences with you in the hopes of encouraging you to also find daily ways to bring meaning into your heart during the holiday season.

Ladybugs

Yesterday I spent 30 minutes looking at the ladybugs that appear on my windows when the sun is just right. In the winter, there are only a few. Yesterday my 2 ½ year old grandson was with me. This was the first time he had examined these harbingers of good luck. We watched them crawl along; move towards and away from each other; and then hide in the sides of the window frame. They love finding warm cozy spaces to hibernate over the winter. My grandson and I had a joyous half an hour focusing on these spotted red bugs. We coaxed a few to come crawl on our bare feet and rejoiced when they spread their wings and flew onto our legs or arms. We admired their unique spots, each different but still entrancing. By the end of this shared interlude, “lady bug” had become a favorite word for my grandson.

Birch Stand

I love walking outside in the colder weather. Over the years I have collected the perfect combination of pants, sweaters, jackets, headbands, and gloves so I can stay warm enough. I love seeing the bare branches of the trees as much as I love the seasonal changes of the leaves. What gives me a sense of wonder during winter forest walks is being able to clearly observe the structure of the trunks and branches of the trees.

My particular favorite is a stand of birches. They are so sturdy looking, but also flexible and able to flow with the shifting winds. Their bark shimmers in the sunlight in places, yet holds sections of darker shadows so that the trunk surfaces appear deeply textured. I notice how they group together and I imagine their intermingled roots communicating underground. Then I envision all that is surrounding the roots – the mycelium that spreads out even farther than the birch roots, connecting up disparate parts of the forest to each other. It makes me reflect on the networks that abound throughout nature. I remember that I am part of that networking of nature and also in my human relationships.

Eyes

Gazing into the eyes of a new born, I am prone to becoming hypnotized. I remember that my own newly born children seemed to be emanating such wisdom when they stared at my own eyes or just beyond the edge of my face. What were they thinking? They seemed unshielded, allowing me to truly see who they were. They had yet to learn to hide part of themselves and I was given an honest and deep glimpse into their souls.

Nowadays we are wearing masks and can’t see half of our faces when we meet out in public. The eyes must take the place of our facial expressions in order to communicate basic emotional responses. Because of this, are we learning to disarm the barriers we have erected? So that we can communicate more clearly with our eyes? Are we being forced to really look into the eyes of others in a way that we have habitually not as we became socialized? I’m enjoying observing the eyes of others more deeply these days. They have so much to say.

The Fleece

As I put on my claret-colored fleece and zip it up, I instantly feel warm and comforted. I appreciate this article of clothing for its beauty, durability, and symbolism. I have no other clothing quite the color of it, so it feels unique. I bought it many years ago when it felt like an extremely extravagant purchase. I was in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho on a hiking trip with my best friend. I saw it in a small coffee shop with a sideline of hiking apparel and instantly wanted it. But I didn’t think I could spare the money nor did I think I deserved it. I was a single mom with little extra cash and the hiking trip was already a stretch for my budget.

How dare I buy this beautiful fleece for myself? My friend, who understand my predicament and knew how hard it was for me to do so, urged me, in the most loving way, to consider making this a gift for myself. Thankfully I was convinced and this fleece has accompanied me on many other adventures through the years. There is still a moment when I remember the loving kindness from my friend, each time I slip it on.

Wishing you the very best holiday season!

Sheila Peters helps clients and students regain their natural flow of energy and increase wellness through techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine, shamanic practices, reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, intuition/channeling and movement. For more information, email Sheila at: sheilapetersdance@gmail.com, call 781-354-0725, or visit Sheila’s website at: www.energymedicineanddance.com.

Healing Stones and Crystals

systemwpadmin Crystals, Healing Stones October 27, 2021October 27, 2021Crystals, Energy Medicine, Healing Stones, Learning

As a young child, I was fascinated by stones. I collected ordinary rocks found in my backyard or at the pond, looking for specific-colored stones or ones that had rings around them. Some stones seemed more “friendly” to me than others and these would come home with me. When my family went to the ocean for vacation, the occasional trips to curio shops on rainy days would end with purchases of tumbled stones and geodes to add to my collection. I loved looking at my stones and holding them but I had no inkling of their innate vibrations or qualities. They were objects of beauty.

More than 45 years ago, the first time I went to Sedona and the surrounding red rock areas, I began to experience some of the vibrancy and aliveness of the cliffs, formations, and geologic layers that surrounded me. Camping in the national parks of the southwest intensified my sense that there was more to the rock formations around me than pure beauty. These giant stones seemed to speak to me, but not by using words. There was an ancient mystery that seemed contained in the rocks that would offer up secrets if I could learn to decipher the code.

These days I am much more versed in stone lore, having spent many hours listening and sensing the unique properties that each variety, and, in fact, each individual stone contains. I enjoy playing with my stones and crystals with my grandchildren as well as utilizing the connections that the stones can make for the benefit of my energy medicine clients.

Crystals have been used world wide for thousands of years by societies small and large. Their uses have included their purely esthetic qualities by being fashioned into jewelry, forms of currency, art pieces, demonstrations of religious or spiritual authority and power, and badges of political hierarchy. Additionally, crystals and stones have been considered as healing and protective devices in many of these same societies. In the past, obsidian was shaped into knives and cutting instruments; lapis lazuli was pulverized to create eye make-up; and clear quartz was considered to be alive and able to assist with the production of rain. Nowadays, diamonds are used for cutting metals and glass, in lasers, for heat dissipation, and as the preferred stone for an engagement ring.

Some stones have retained the same uses for humankind throughout centuries while others have changed in how they are utilized and what meanings they are given. The late Judy Hall described one crystal whose meaning changed in her book, The Encyclopedia of Crystals. “In Germany, for instance, miners in the Middle Ages called Cobalto-calcite kobald because they believed a goblin lived in the stone. Nowadays, Cobalto-calcite is considered a beneficent stone that opens the heart and fills it with love.”

There has been a resurgence in the attention that stones and crystals have received regarding their healing abilities in the last several decades. While there are many crystals that the majority of people agree upon concerning their qualities and how they can affect human conditions and moods, I have found that individual variations are common. This is why I encourage clients to choose their own stones by touching the actual stones and sensing which seem more in tune with their individual selves. It’s almost as if when it is the right stone, the crystal will lock into a tight fit with a person’s palm.

This is far too short a blog to delve deeply into which stones are beneficial for which purpose for all of the many varieties of crystals that have been discovered so far. However, I would like to mention a few stones in particular that I often use and recommend in my practice. I have relied on the work of Judy Hall, Robert Simmons, and Naisha Ahsian for the interpretations found below while adding my own impressions.

Black Tourmaline works like a sponge, soaking up all the negative energy that surrounds it. Like a daily disinfectant for the soul, Black Tourmaline cleanses the aura of negative thought patterns keeping one up at night. Black Tourmaline is also associated with the root chakra, the energy center that keeps us feeling grounded and secure.

Lepidolite, a purple and whitish stone, assists in the release and reorganization of old behavioral and psychological patterns, gently inducing change. It brings deep emotional healing and soothing and reduces stress, worry, and depression. It is useful for hyperactivity, attention deficit, and electromagnetic pollution and can be an excellent stone for children.

Selenite, a translucent whitish stone, is associated with the moon and therefore brings in the energies of the unconscious, instinct, subconscious, and emotional well-being. This stone also aids in mental clarity thus enhancing mental flexibility and enabling strong decision-making abilities. Selenite removes energy blocks or patterns and can be used to cleanse other crystals or physical spaces. Do not get selenite wet or it will dissolve. If your selenite feels “heavy” to you, place in direct sunlight or moonlight for a day or two to enhance its properties.

Rose Quartz, a pale pink stone, is the quintessential stone of love. It can heal the heart of its aches and wounds, reawaken trust, stimulate and open the heart chakra, clear out negative emotions from the heart, and assist in the integration and resolution of old emotional patterns. It is a humble but very powerful stone. It turns one towards love and compassion in all forms. It is said to be an excellent stone for midlife crisis, as it strengthens empathy and sensitivity towards oneself, aiding in accepting the changes that occur as we evolve.

Amethyst, a purple stone, has been prized for its beauty for thousands of years. This stone is known for opening up multidimensional awareness, enhancing metaphysical abilities, and assisting meditation practices. Amethyst’s ability to activate the higher mind allows one to gain a clearer understanding of the dynamics and causes of life experiences. Hence it can be useful when trying to change addictive or unhealthy behavior. It creates a “bubble of light”, shielding against emotion-based decision making, allowing one to take action based on higher guidance and spiritual understanding.

There are so many other wonderful and useful stones and crystals. If you would like to learn more or would like to purchase crystals, please contact me for more information. I have a large number of different stones available for sale and love to find the right fit for each person and crystal.

Don’t Leave Part of the Whole Behind

systemwpadmin Balance, Five Levels of Self, Paths, Personal Growth September 29, 2021September 29, 2021Balance, Five Levels of Self, Learning, Paths

Often when people are first learning about energy, they get very excited about discovering the non-physical parts of themselves. Chakras, intuition, and connection with the higher self are fascinating subjects and are areas of endless potential wisdom. A person could spend eight hours a day for all of their life exploring the different aspects of energy and never run out of new understandings to absorb and contemplate. It is one of the wonderful facets of delving into who and what we are as energetic and spiritual beings. There is always more to grasp, to understand, to open up to. The energetic and spiritual journey is limitless and there are as many paths to follow as there are different individuals.

As delightful as it may be to stay focused in the energetic and spiritual realms, there can be a serious downside to not recognizing the equally important need to also focus on the physical part of our being. After all, this physical body is what houses the heart, mind, and connection to higher self. We are here on Planet Earth in a physical form and, surely, there must be a good reason for that. Ignoring or eschewing the physical means that we are ignoring part of ourselves and not understanding the reason for existing in the physical plane. Why would we even have a body if there was no purpose to it?

Our bodies anchor us to this planet. We can have corporal knowledge of the interconnectedness that we are part of in a truly visceral sense. This is something that we would have no experience of if we were in a non-embodied existence. Becoming embodied means that our souls or higher selves have an additional way to realize the interrelatedness of all that exists. It is sometimes confusing to bring the spiritual us into the physical us – it could be compared to squashing an unbounded substance into a small clearly defined container. Sometimes the wonder of the physical packaging is so overwhelming that we forget our spiritual and energetic parts and think we are just the container. We see with eyes, hear with ears, taste with tongues, smell with noses, and touch with our hands and skin. It is a glorious adventure being in our physical packaging!

However, if we stay just in our bodies, we miss out on the beauty and wonder of our energetic and spiritual selves. All of us have observed those around us who may be fully inhabiting their physical bodies but seem to not recognize the energetic connectiveness we enjoy with other humans, the earth, and the universe. This purely physical orientation can lead to people feeling separate from others and therefore more materialistic in how they live. For these people, physical sensation is all that matters and it can become a vicious circle of ‘I want this, I want that, and I am going to get it no matter what’. The meaning of their lives is about purely physical gratification in whatever material form is most pleasing to them. If these people were to be asked “what is the meaning of your life?”, they would perhaps not understand the question. They might answer that they have acquired a house, a car, a job, and lots of money in the bank. Things are important to them and they may view their spouses, children, family, and friends as so many possessions.

In an attempt to not become one of these materialistic humans, those following a more energetic and spiritual path may decide to disregard the body, disdain material acquisition, and almost forget to engage in the physical world. In extreme cases, this type of person may be perceived as spacey, seem to never really grasp human concepts of time and space, and to ignore the body’s needs for sustenance, sleep, and visceral connection with others. This type of person can be easily manipulated and taken advantage of by unscrupulous others because they are not anchoring into the physical reality of the moment.

Obviously, the above descriptions are extremes – the outliers on both sides of the continuum of human behaviors. We have a physical component in addition to an emotional life, a thinking and conceptualizing mind, an energetic body that envelops the denser physical body, and we have a connection to all that surrounds us which has been variously called the Collective Unconscious, All That Is, Source, various names for God, and even Nature. All five components are essential to fully benefit from this life experience we are having. Each impacts the whole and disconnection with one part will negatively influence the functioning of the other parts. Discounting any one of these five different parts of ourselves leads to a diminished life experience.

At different points along our life journey, we may find that one of the five component parts of ourselves needs more attention than the others or perhaps a combination of two or three together are our focus. Perhaps our spiritual growth has moved farther along the path than our emotional component. Rather than disregard the emotional part of ourselves because it isn’t “keeping up”, we need to recognize and appreciate whatever the roadblock is and begin to burrow into it. Ignoring the roadblock will only impede the furtherance of the other four parts of ourselves. Although each of these five components of ourselves may not move forward at the same speed, we must be aware of each one of them and help them move in concert and relationship with the others. Don’t leave part of the whole behind.

Energy medicine is for children too!

systemwpadmin Balance, Children, Energy Medicine, Teenagers April 27, 2021April 27, 2021

Sometimes I am asked if I am willing to use energy medicine techniques on children. Although the vast majority of my clients are adults, I am always happy to work with children. Children seem to be fascinated with the various methods and tools that I use. They love the soft touch I employ and they often are remarkably responsive to the shifts in their energy systems. Spinning colored crystals and the many different colored stones I may use are another source of interest for them. The young ones are delighted to be put up onto the massage table; in fact, sometimes so delighted that the session is carried out while climbing up and down multiple times.

The key to working with children is being flexible. I follow children just as I do my adult clients in the way that will best serve them. In the case of children, the following is not just on an energetic or emotional level but often on a literal physical level. A little boy may want to look more closely at a particular crystal I have lying on the floor of my studio. So off he goes – in the middle of a particular protocol – and I trail after him to finish what I have started.

I noticed years ago that my young granddaughters loved watching me do my early morning daily energy routines. At a very young age – around 2 years – they would watch wide-eyed as I performed various energy balancing sequences as if they could visually see the energies begin to come into equilibrium. Like newborns who tend to look just beyond their parents’ faces, many young children actually do have the ability to see the energy field around humans, called the aura or biofield. Until children realize that no one around them in our western society talks or thinks about these biofields, sometimes they will mention a color around a person’s head or body. Usually by the age of 4 years, children tend to ignore and disregard what they once noticed so vividly earlier on.

One of the energy exercises that my grandchildren were most excited about was the use of a stainless-steel spoon on the soles of the feet. This grounding exercise helps people to maintain a yin/yang balance by opening up the bottom of the foot to the yin energies of the earth, thus the name “grounding”. Going barefoot in the summer helps people soak up the yin energies as does sitting with the tailbone against the trunk of a tree. However, in the winter snow, being barefoot is out of the question. So, the spooning exercise was a particular hit with the grandchildren in the winter! We made a game of it – sometimes I would spoon their feet and then they would delight in reciprocating on my feet.

Meeting children and young adults where they are at emotionally is also essential. I worked with one young girl in a distance session where she could cuddle up with her mother in her own home and talk with me via the phone. We learned what was bothering her at night that was causing her to have strange dreams and then worked with energy medicine techniques to help alleviate the young girl’s concerns. Of course, it helped that her mother was very familiar with the work, already being a client, and had been introducing various energy medicine exercises to her daughter for some time.

With young adults – teenagers – it is more similar to working with adults in that they don’t wander around the studio but stay lying on the massage table. Sometimes they are reluctant to ask for clarification so I need to be vigilant in listening to what is not being said and figure out a tactful way to ask the correct questions or give the needed explanations. Often the way that I work is very unfamiliar to teenagers and they can be quite skeptical at first. I spend a good deal of time allaying any skepticism by having them feel the different answers that are obtained through muscle testing using their own bodies. They can feel the answers viscerally and this becomes quite intriguing to them. It can open up a whole new way of looking at themselves. It also helps them feel like they have some control over how they feel, think, and sense.

One dramatic example of working with a teenager occurred in the fall when a high school senior was finishing up his college entrance essays and applications. The pressure of completing these tasks was completely overwhelming this young man to the point where he felt unable to move forward. He began to experience anxiety attacks, although he had never had one previously. After spending time in the local ER with the onset of the attacks three times within a couple of weeks, he was referred to me. After some reluctance to open up, the teenager began to see that energy medicine was unlike anything he had experienced before. Simple protocols could help him feel calmer and he could use them whenever he started to feel anxious about the college application process. He never returned to the ER for anxiety and he is currently a junior in college.

Another difference I have observed with children and teenagers is that the time required for shifting old energetic patterns and learning new ways to function can be more rapid than with adults. Often when I work with very young children, they will move their limbs away from my hands when the balancing has occurred. It’s almost as if they instinctively know that the shift to a more beneficial way of functioning has happened and they don’t need any more assistance. It makes me laugh because they are so exquisitely aware and sensitive to what is happening and very direct when they feel they are finished.

Frankly, it is a delight to work with children! My practice will continue to be mostly filled with adult clients but I am happy to work with children on occasion as potential issues come up. Energy medicine is for children too!

Repotting Myself

systemwpadmin Personal Growth, Transformation, What's Next? March 25, 2021March 25, 2021

I just finished repotting a number of my house plants. I found bigger pots, some new soil, and began spreading out the roots of the pot bound plants. Then the plants went into their new homes. After watering them, I put them into spaces where they would get the most sun to help accelerate their ability to acclimate to their new environment. I wanted my plants to grow!

While I was accomplishing this, I thought about how this activity of repotting was relevant for myself. As a society, we are finally beginning to emerge from the Covid pandemic with the advent of vaccines. We are starting to contemplate what we might like to focus on next. Like seeds or plants that have been hibernating during the cold dark winter, we are starting to reach out and imagine a renewed life.

What are our dreams? What will this renewed life look like? Throughout this long year, we have experienced being rootbound – in insolation, feeling the emotional darkness of the daily death count, being restricted in who we could see, where we could travel, and what activities we could do. Personally, I felt as if my ability to grow were being squelched.

And yet, as the year progressed, I realized that new growth was occurring. Instead of being able to reach outside of myself into the larger world, I was able to go inward. I learned what was no longer agreeable in my life and found some new interests to explore. I came to know exactly who I could depend upon and who brought the most delight, intimacy, and comfort into my solitary existence. I acknowledged areas of personal strength and admitted to areas where I was less skilled. It’s been a long hibernation, and I am grateful that I was eventually able to acknowledge the benefits of the year amongst all the initially perceived negatives of this time period.

As I look around at what’s next, I can decide if I want a new environment. Many people are rethinking where they want to live, to work, to play. Perhaps a complete change of scenery would be beneficial or perhaps a clearing out of the existing space would be the best fit. I’ve been looking at my home with a discerning eye, noticing what I no longer use. I’ve changed the mattress on my bed, I’ve cleared out closet space by donating clothing, and I’m rearranging furniture and work spaces to better complement my needs.

Scheduling for my energy medicine business and movement classes went completely haywire during the pandemic, but I’ve realized that there is much more flexibility in my calendar than previously. I’ve also figured out that I want to offer different but related services that involve channeling and group classes. When my work goes “live” again, and I am able to see clients in person, I can still utilize the virtual methods I developed during isolation as a way of servicing my clients and students. In truth, I’ve gained, not lost, flexibility in managing my work life.

I have rearranged the way I use my time each day. I don’t want to book my days so completely as I did before the pandemic, and I want to prioritize my schedule differently. Working remotely has opened up a whole new approach to movement classes – my students can decide the most convenient time to participate in a class, and I can decide when I want to create the online class itself.

I’ve modified the way that I eat and nourish myself too, and I plan to continue with those changes. Some days I only eat one meal. Most days, I don’t have breakfast—I have brunch instead. I no longer enjoy the daily protein shake that I’ve imbibed religiously first thing in the morning for years. I’ve made the switch from raw sugar in my tea to locally produced honey. Because I didn’t go to any grocery stores in the last year and therefore couldn’t get items found only in those stores, I’ve learned to substitute and live easily without an item.

I’ve always loved reading books. At first, I missed the physical books themselves and the ability to go to the local library. I used to devour mysteries and visited my library weekly to indulge in my reading addiction. I pooh-poohed Kindles. However, not only have I discovered the convenience of getting books online, I’ve changed my reading habits as well. In the future, when I can finally travel again, I will pack my tidy Kindle in my luggage instead of worrying about the additional weight (and cost) of the many books that I like to take with me.

When I total up all of the seemingly insignificant changes that have occurred in my life over this past year, I see that I have been spreading my roots out. I’ve been finding new ways to nourish myself and make my life more meaningful. I’ve cultivated a more selective personal environment and fed and clothed myself in more personally satisfying ways. I’ve given myself more space and time to find what works best for me. I’ve weeded out objects, activities, and relationships that have lost relevance. I’ve begun to water and nourish new areas of interests, and I am doing my best to stand in the light of the sun.

So… yes, I’ve been repotting myself. I want not only my plants to grow but also myself!

Sheila Peters is a certified Eden Energy Medicine Clinical Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, and shamanic practitioner. She also teaches classes and workshops in Stretch/Body Awareness, Energy Body Tune-up, and Jazz Dance. For more information, email Sheila at: sheilapetersdance@gmail.com, call 781-354-0725, or visit Sheila’s website at: www.energymedicineanddance.com.

My Covid Vaccine Experience

systemwpadmin Courage, Covid vaccination, Opening Up, Stress February 24, 2021February 26, 2021

Initially, I had misgivings about the Covid vaccine. Usually, I don’t get the recommended yearly flu and pneumonia vaccines. However, I am grateful that I was given all my childhood shots and that I had the polio vaccine as a child. I am not an anti-vaxxer but I do think there are many shots that are unnecessary. That being said, I’ve had serious illnesses and operations in my life and believe that antibiotics and other medical interventions have saved my life several times. When my children were growing up, they had their required shots although I thought long and hard about agreeing to any extra voluntary inoculations.

I think a strong immune system bolstered by nutritious food, adequate sleep, plenty of exercise, supplemental vitamins and minerals, a positive home life, and the opportunity to be outdoors, is our most fundamental building block towards physical health. But accidents happen and pandemics occur and they are certainly not under our individual control.

When Covid came along, I quickly began to isolate myself, used masks when I encountered anyone not in my bubble, and maintained social distancing. I rarely went to stores, never ate out, or went to events. When my bubble members went back to schools and jobs, I only saw them occasionally and outdoors, masked, and socially distanced. That meant that I did not see some family members for a long, long time. I utilized social media, technology, and video chatting as a way to interact and converse with the people I cared about. As the newer Covid variants came into being, I isolated even more strictly. My big weekly outing was to take my recyclables and trash to the town dump.

I read all I could about the vaccines being developed and worried about the rapid approvals of several companies’ products. I didn’t want to be a guinea pig, was concerned about the quality of ingredients and the integrity of the companies producing the vaccines, and feared the idea of choice being taken away by governmental decree. Yet, I also wanted to be able to hug my grandchildren, travel, and conduct my own business again in person. Furthermore, I wanted to believe that humanity could actually come together and produce a vaccine that would help others to avoid severe chronic conditions as a result of this pandemic or, in the worst case, die. Despite the extreme divisiveness that our country has experienced in terms of politics these last years, I think our commonalities supersede our differences.

I watched as some friends espoused the evils of the health industry and “brainwashing” and others were in lock step agreement with each and every new announcement, sometimes conflicting, that came from the CDC. For a long while, I didn’t have to make a decision about whether to receive the vaccine because I was not in one of the cohorts that were eligible. When I finally was, I had to face my fears and hopes quickly.

With the advent of 65 years + being added to the groups that could get a vaccine, I had to make a decision. It seemed to be a scramble to even get an appointment. The state’s website crashed almost immediately upon the moment of opening up to my cohort and stayed crashed for a long time. Despite all that, the drive to come out of my extreme isolation and interact with family, friends, and clients overcame my reluctance. With the concerted effort of my son and daughter-in-law, who work remotely at home, I was able to obtain a timed appointment at a large vaccination facility about an hour from my home. I was apprehensive about driving there, negotiating the process, and essentially surviving the whole experience. It didn’t help that there was a storm predicted for that day with a wintry mix.

I realized that I had truly become hermit like. I was afraid to go out into the wider world. I had become somewhat infantilized, needing the comfort of home and hearth, scared to emerge into a wider environment. This was totally unlike my normally independent and adventurous self. During isolation, my world had become exceedingly small and I was apprehensive to experience the bigger picture.

I had to gird my loins to get in the car and drive in the wintry mix to an unknown destination. My hands and feet were ice cold, not from the outside temperature but from my fear. I had done all I knew to do to mitigate the feeling of anxiety but still it was there. Part of the distress was having to be utterly alone in this journey. I had to drum up the feeling of courage that had been buried deep under the months of isolation.

The vaccination site was well organized from the signage on the highway though parking and following directives in terms of registration; the vaccination process itself; and setting up the follow up vaccine. I emerged from the building knowing I had an hour’s drive at commuting time in rotten weather but I felt surprisingly victorious! My world had opened up! I rediscovered my ability to interact with others outside of my hermit like existence. I was, again, an adult not only in age but also in spirit.

The next day, I had a slight headache and my inoculated arm was somewhat sore. Those were things I could easily offset. By far, the greatest gift about this whole experience was the fact I was opening up to possibilities. I had regained a sense of self that somehow had been lost during all those months of isolation. My future was not small and curtailed. I could dream, again, about new adventures and journeys. While I might need to wait to play out some of these dreams, I now had the courage and determination to make these possibilities become real. My world had enlarged.

A metaphysical discussion on the meaning of balance

systemwpadmin Balance, Channeled message, Essence January 31, 2021January 31, 2021Channeled message

What is balance, after all? It is simply staying in the center; the essence of being of ourselves. It allows us to come from the wisdom at the center of each of us. Not too far to the right, not too far to the left. Precisely at the point of the innate understanding that we all have within ourselves.

We experience it through the body. When we walk, we move first one leg, then the other, and although we are leaning towards one side or the other as we go forward, we maintain our equilibrium because we are focused on the balance between the two legs in an unconscious way. We trust our center, that we will not fall or crumble to the ground.

When we conceive of a new idea, we dream, we marinate, we look at the possibilities. We allow the flow of creativity to travel through us without too much restriction. The new idea comes out and gets refined eventually. But in this first dreaming state we let it all come out without any disparagement if we are truly immersed in the flow. It is only after the vision has been completed that the other part of the equation comes in to find ways to make the dream come to fruition. That process of the whittling down and refinement comes as a balance to the creative time. It becomes clear this part of the new idea might be better if it went another way in the light of realistic thinking. So, we again have the balance between the creativity of the dream state and then the subsequent honing down of the more pragmatic state.

When we begin to discuss the spiritual realm, balance can become less tangible for most humans because it is not found in the palpability of physical matter. We hear messages from our higher selves, or a repeating intuitive thought, or a hunch in the “gut” starts to make itself known. Those that are not quite yet opened up to the spirit can sense, feel, and respond to what they call a hunch, a gut feeling, or perhaps they just go for it in an impulsive action. Those that have a broader experience with the spiritual realm may understand that they are receiving information, advice, or suggestions from a larger part of themselves. This larger part is connected into the Source energy whatever it is called – the collective unconsciousness, God, the creator, etc. They will understand that they have free will but also understand that they are being offered a different perspective from which to observe whatever there is a question about. And, of course, there are those that vacillate between these two ways of accessing “mystical” information. In fact, all humans vacillate but to what degree?

Human existence is but a game in many ways where we souls choose to forget what we truly are and engage in learning new lessons through the covering of a physical body in a physical world. If you can focus your observations from a more encompassing perspective, you can see that it is truly a fascinating and engaging adventure – these human lives provide an endless variety of ways to come back to the realization that you are but souls.

Let’s come back to the subject of balance. There is the fulcrum, the mid-point, the center where sight is not distorted. A little shift too far in one direction will disrupt the balance. The directions are multiple not just right or left or up and down or in or out. And sometimes the shift towards any one of these multiple directions can suddenly move the fulcrum so that the balance point is in a new position. It is similar to shifting of the earth’s poles. The earth does not cease to exist when the poles shift although the ramifications or effects change. That is precisely what happens when the soul in human form makes a balance shift. It is an essence turn, a re-centering, so to speak. From that new perspective, the possibilities that creative meanderings or dreams will have is with a slightly different flavor than what came before. It is growth, it is following the river of life into new territory while still maintaining the connection to soul at the essence of that particular being’s heart, so to speak.

These three areas – body, heart, and soul/spirit give forth the other parts of the human existence that can be played with as souls. Body and heart produce the mind which often wants to take control and be the ruler. It is a handy thing to have, the mind, but it is simply a “computer” to help formulate the needs of the body and heart. Similarly, the energetic component that humans speak of is the child of the marriage of the heart and the soul/spirit. For everything is energy but its myriad forms are limitless. Does it truly matter if energy is soul or love or light? It is birthed from Source and enervates the heart.

As a human child learns to sit up, stand, walk and then run, it is a constant matter of learning balance, finding the center as the body continues to change. The essence is always present but the perspective the essence radiates from will change as new understanding is brought into being. This is equally true in terms of how the heart evolves through emotions and dreams.

Is there one right way to maintain balance? There are as many different ways as there are souls. Each soul in each lifetime has the ability to exercise free will and choose how to maintain balance. That is why there are so many expressions of human lives. There are infinite varieties in the way of finding and maintaining equilibrium or integration.

Look at the earth as she moves through her existence. One day is cold, then next warm and sunny, perhaps in one single day snow, rain, and sunshine will all occur. The earth does not see one way as better or right but understands that tornadoes, fire, earthquakes and tsunamis all have important functions. Observed from a higher perspective, all that occurs on earth in terms of her manifestations have a use and a reason. Does the earth have free will just as human forms do? That is a question for another day.

Balance is not a stagnant thing. It moves and shifts and finds equilibrium second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, etc. There can be comfort in that thought. For energy moves constantly and heart and spirit are connected through energy.

Perhaps a useful question to ask oneself as we inhabit these human shells, beautiful and fun as they are, is where does the dream lead? What new way of perceiving is being brought into existence and where might there be a new place of balance? It is but a beautiful adventure and we are assured of many more as we move within the orbit of Source.

Sheila Peters helps clients and students regain their natural flow of energy and increase wellness through techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine, shamanic practices, reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, intuition/channeling and movement. For more information, email Sheila at: sheilapetersdance@gmail.com, call 781-354-0725, or visit Sheila’s website at: www.energymedicineanddance.com.

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