What this year has in store...

grief in the energy field
This summer was full of loss and full of life or maybe just full of living. My aunt died in July and two weeks later my cousin passed away. I traveled to Minnesota once by car and once by plane. Seeing the landscape shift and reality shifted from here and not. In Minnesota I was engulfed in my huge extended family. It was surreal how my busy calendar of days all of a sudden became open as travel plans, wakes, funerals took place. It seemed like many people had significant loss this year. It made me aware of how much shifts in our reality with a loss as well as with our energy field. Here’s some of what I’ve been thinking about how grief can show up in the chakras.

A death of someone we care about can leave us feeling wobbly and bring up feelings of not being tethered to life on this planet or not feeling like one’s home is safe or comforting. It may leave us questioning the culture we were raised with. This shows up in the first chakra or root chakra.

 

We may notice feeling a sense of tamping down our life force as a way to align with the deceased. For example, not joining in activities or not returning calls or emails who in the past we would enjoy to engage with. Or we find ourselves taking more risks as a way to prove we really are living – skydiving, being promiscuous, experimenting with drugs or consuming more alcohol. Also creativity coming out with a more weighted meaning. This shows up in the second chakra or sacral chakra.

 

We may experience a dulling of the sense of personal autonomy, lack of appetite, a clenching in the stomach, anxiety in midsection and lack of mental clarity. We may also question who we are if our loved ones are not here. I was 29  when my father died and I still felt like somehow orphaned by his death, despite living states away for years. This shows up in the third chakra or solar plexus.

 

We may begin putting more weight on current relationships, demanding closeness from family members or partners, either by intimacy or by wanting to be in close proximity of loved ones. It may feel like we can’t get a full breath. Emotions may feel like they pinball all over the place and often sadness is lurking behind other feelings. It can be experienced as a reevaluation of relationships or a not wanting to socialize. This shows up in the fourth chakra or heart chakra.

 

Not eating or eating without tasting, and feeling like nothing can satiate. Grief can come out with a slowing down of how fast one speaks or how loud. The volume of voice can also be experienced as out of synch with reality, either speaking too quietly (pulling others in) or loudly (pushing others away). This shows up in the fifth chakra or throat chakra.

 

Confusion, depressed thoughts, a checking out of current reality to spend time with the deceased person in our thoughts, a sense of time slipping, forgetfulness. We are often caught in a circle of reevaluation of how time is spent and with whom. Everything in life can feel so immense. The pacing of one’s life in general seems off. This shows up in the six chakra or third eye.

 

Anger or disillusionment with a higher power or the purpose of one’s life. Overwhelm of having to continue living on this earthly plane without our loved one. This shows up in the seventh chakra or crown chakra.

 

When we experience the death of a loved one, there is a rip in the energetic field. This tear allows sensations of life feeling surreal as well as not feeling protected come closer in. Some deaths bring in a sense of relief or guilt, the person is no longer suffering or they are no longer causing suffering. 

 

How can we give ourselves what we need when it feels we are barely staying above water?

Remember no one grieves in the same way, just because your sibling isn’t a wreck like you might feel you are, doesn’t mean they are doing it better or worse than you are. It can be helpful to give space, time and the gift of support.

 

In the first chakra finding a space one is comfortable in and allowing that to build. That may be a park or a coffee shop. In the second chakra allowing the pause to come in with help to reduce the destructiveness that rears up. Any outlet of creativity can be helpful – sometimes choosing one that we aren’t familiar with or one that is tactile – clay, oil pastels, knitting, with the understanding we’re not doing this for a masterpiece. Tactile arts can be helpful because they help ground and keep us in this reality. In the third chakra simply placing a hand over the 3rd chakra (right below where the ribs open up) can help with bringing stability to the chakra. For the 4th chakra we’re wanting to not try to harness our emotions, basically every one of them is invited to the table. Talking with a therapist or joining a grief group can provide a safe space to sort through all that’s rolling about. In the 5th chakra we can write notes / sing / talk to the person who died or if feeling vulnerable in this area can wear scarfs / jewelry to offer protection. In the sixth chakra and seventh chakra being open to anything that shows up and doing our best not to judge. For example when feeling anger at a higher spirit or situation we can notice the emotion (not talk ourselves out of the emotion) and actually feel that emotion. Sometimes we judge that we’re feeling angry or bypass the emotion by trying to focus on how grateful we should be for our life when someone we cared about is no longer here. That gratitude is not helpful for us when we are addressing the feeling. Grief can often leave us feeling like we are alone and carrying the burden ourselves, but there are friends, family and therapists out there willing to be a support.

February 1st, my rates will be: Energy Healing (in person or distance) $100, Reiki Session $100, Group Chakra Alignment $100, Intuitive Impression $220. If you'd like to schedule, you can find my scheduler here.

 

 

reset

 inner work  ~

I just returned from a backpacking trip in Shenandoah. I feel reset. The trip involved 16 miles of hiking, sleeping in a tent when the temperature was 34 degrees and being with my thoughts, lots of thoughts. I went with a friend who is both great to talk with and probably more important, is great to be silent with. I enjoy backpacking because I love being in nature, food tastes amazing after carrying your pack and it helps me recenter. It gives me space to remember what I want in my life and what I don't. 

During a frigid mountain stream crossing which we had to do barefoot I had the experience of how intense and then temporary discomfort can be. My mind screaming "get out this will never end", and then it did. Reminding me of all the times I think, I won't survive this and I do. And then we got to do it again a 1/2 a mile later. The second time the feeling just as intense but my mind being more elastic and knowing it will be over soon enough.

We also spied the beginnings of the spring emphermels. They always show up right when I'm so weary with winter. 

This year I've tried to schedule these type of resets because my calendar tends to get crowded if I don't. I also have been trying to create resets within my day. Each of these times offers a moment to re-focus, I can bring my attention back to the life I want. I can ask what is my intention for the day, the moment? Here's a few that have worked for me; Reiki self practice in the AM, when I walk the dog (making it a choice not a chore), making a cup of tea mid afternoon. 

 

If you're looking for some resources to tune into yourself, may I suggest the following; Reiki training (see below), the book Effortless; Make it Easier To Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown and the song, Best Time of My Life by Cloud Cult and if you want a healing to reset, my schedule can be found here. 

I hope this finds you well and if you have things that have worked well to recenter, please share.

Best ~ Kim

Below is an upcoming event offered at Hara Studio in Crozet.

March

I have invited Becky Holtzman of Orange Flower Healing to come and teach First Degree Reiki. If you aren't familiar with Reiki it's a type of energy work / healing that uses a light touch. I've found it can bring a sense of relaxation to the energy field. Reiki is something you can practice on yourself or others so it is a valuable tool to calm the system. 

First Degree Reiki

This will be held March 30th, 31st, April 1st, and 2nd, 2023.

Thursday 5-8 PM, Friday 5-8 PM, Saturday 5 -8 PM, Sunday 9 AM -12 PM. 

$175 / $100 deposit by March 10th to reserve space. *

Space; limited to 6 students.

*Deposit is refundable up to March 20th, after that date deposit can be applied to a future class.

To register contact Becky.

Already taken First Degree and want to dive deeper? Becky will also be offering Second Degree Reiki when she is here, contact her for more information.

seed dreaming

seed dreaming ~

How about this weather!?! I've found this particular winter season to be a bit colder and yet I find more warm clothes to wear. A bit disappointing with activities being canceled and yet more time to make peace with my home. A bit more tight and yet I learn to stretch. And then this week, a reminder that the cold temps won't last forever.

One particularly cold and snowy Saturday, my son and I wrote down all the things we wanted to plant in our garden this year. We flipped through the seed catalogs, made lists, jotted on our calendar when to start the seedlings and when to direct sow. We spent the time imagining, mixing up the magic of hope and spring. Now is when we have the time to clean and sterilize our pots, place our seed orders and plan our garden beds. A sweet reminder of why we need this cold and blustery season. Now is our time for rest, repair and deep listening to our seed dreams.


Need a song to remind you of your beauty? Click here.

Best ~ Kim

Below are upcoming events offered at Hara Studio in Crozet.

March

In March I will be teaming up with artist, Sue Covington, for Mindful Mandalas. A series of 3 classes where you will learn the art of meditative dot painting. This is a perfect outlet for releasing the stress of the past few years, no experience necessary. Her work can be found on Instagram at daydreamdotter. The photo in this email is an example of her work. More details to come.


April

I have invited Becky Holtzman of Orange Flower Healing to come again and teach First Degree Reiki. If you aren't familiar with Reiki it's a type of energy work / healing that uses a light touch. I've found it can bring a sense of relaxation to the energy field. Reiki is something you can practice on yourself or others so it is a valuable tool to calm the system.

First Degree Reiki

This will be held April 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2022.

Thursday 5-8 PM, Friday 5-8 PM, Saturday 5 -8 PM, Sunday 9 AM -12 PM.

$175 / $100 deposit by March 20th to reserve space. *

Space; limited to 6 students.

*Deposit is refundable up to March 20th, after that date deposit can be applied to a future class.

To register contact Becky.

lifting off while laden ~

Hey there ~ how's it going for you now that spring is here? Although we've weathered so much over the past year and there is much to be hopeful about I've been thinking how anxiety seems to be constantly lurking. I zeroed in on this when I was typing an email to a friend and with every sentence of exciting news came a disclaimer. I'm looking forward to this but I'm nervous about .... I'm loving this class but I have to do X and I don't know if I can ... My kids are doing this, it's awesome and I'm worried... After I sent the email I was like, what is happening? Am I just becoming more conscious of these lingering fears? The little pokes that happen when I encourage my kids to walk out on the log in the bay, all of a sudden flags me down once they are out there exclaiming- "yikes, come back!" While some anxiety is to be expected this amount is creating distortion and pulling me from being present in the now and flinging me into a worrisome future.

When someone comes into a healing session with something they want to heal, "fix", make peace with, etc we often talk about how energy healing works to wake up the consciousness or conditioning that holds that pattern in place. Sometimes that conditioning is as simple as noticing when it's coming up and sometimes it's more complex like untangling a knotted necklace. In my situation I think I was waking up to see how much anxiety was surrounding me.

I've found what seems to help lift me and allow me and my anxiety any levity is self care. I can hold both the joy of the moment and the fear of the moment and not be consumed by the weight. I sometimes forget what self care even is so I literally have made a list to look at, if you want to check mine out it's here. Sometimes people think self care is selfish or means spending time or money getting pampered, if that is the case for you, I ask that you reexamine what self care can be. Maybe yours is really reading a magazine or turning off devices for an hour before bed or maybe it's singing really loudly to Dolly Parton. One of the ways I enjoy self care is through learning new skills. If you are looking to add some new self care techniques, below is an upcoming training offered at Hara Studio in Crozet.

I have invited Becky Holtzman of Orange Flower Healing to come and teach First Degree Reiki. If you aren't familiar with Reiki it's a type of energy work / healing that uses a light touch. I've found it can bring a sense of relaxation to the energy field. Reiki is something you can practice on yourself or others so it is a valuable tool to calm the system. If you have already taken a Reiki training, she will also be offering a Reiki refresher.

First Degree Reiki

This will be held July 9, 10, and 11, 2021.

Friday 5-8 pm, Saturday 10 am - 5 PM, Sunday 11 am — 2 pm.

$175 / $100 deposit by June 10th to reserve space. *

Space; limited to 6 students.

*Deposit is refundable up to June 10, after that date deposit can be applied to a future class.

To register contact Becky.

Join Becky Holtzman from Orange Flower Healing virtually to get any questions you may have about what first degree Reiki training involves and learn how Reiki can reduce burnout and enhance your self care. $5 suggested donation. For Q & A Zoom link contact Becky.

Reiki Refresher

For students of Reiki who wish to reengage with their hands-on practice. Space; limited to 6 students, Brief interview required at registration. Friday, July 9, 12-3 pm Fee: $50.

To register.

Best ~ Kim

pause

Hello there ~ I know you all have been doing your best to stay afloat and alive. I hope that 2021 brings you delight as you cross the many bridges this year holds.

I’ve been puzzling about what my favorite memories were over the past year and what gifts 2020 has brought me. One has been this interesting sensory experience where it feels almost like time slows down and I observe an interaction where I can witness misunderstandings, hurt feelings, relationship dynamics.

One morning my daughter came out and said something in a grouchy tone. I was particularly calm that morning and before I could say anything my son replied, “What are you in a bad mood?” This of course set her off on the road of “Why are you are judging me?”

It reminded me of the importance of the pause and how often we and others are hurting or tired and what we need is someone to give us a hug or bring us a cup of tea and a snack. Can we suspend the snippy retort? Can we wait a beat? Perhaps retrieve one where we say how are you? I know I have I lost it many times due to being hungry, tired or in need of having someone to connect with.

I think healing is like this, a recognition of your needs in the moment even if they can’t always be met in the moment. This pause to let me know that what was just said felt really painful. This pause to let me know that a painful experience that happened a while back is still affecting me and this is holding back some of my life force. Sometimes it’s easy for us to pinpoint experiences that have caused us pain and other times it’s a surprise of what’s behind this door or a gradual unveiling. Healing often is about the simple but difficult task of accepting what is. This form of acceptance is also known as surrender.

Anyways, I hope however you’ve coped through this year, however you’ve surrendered or not, that you give yourself whatever grace you need to keep healing and creating wholeness for yourself.

Best ~ Kim

finding our power

power

How have you been dealing as this pandemic continues to surge? How have you been integrating this call to action spurred by George Floyd's murder? Are you feeling charged? Depleted? Inconsistent? We are still struggling to find our way amidst the cancellations of many things we previously enjoyed and the transmutation of a life we knew, and we have been summoned to address how black people in this country are treated. Both the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement are stirring up our relationship with power. Here are ways you might be experiencing this in your chakras.

1st chakra: the root chakra governs culture and family. You might be feeling scared, what does it mean when I thought the police protected everyone but they actually and now I see that they don’t. I hear people are calling for defunding the police – what does this even mean? Or this might be bringing up feelings of relief, finally more people are waking up to the reality that the police do not protect all. How can I still feel connected to my power when it feels like my ground is shaky?

2nd chakra: the sacral chakra governs creativity, sexuality, flow and emotions. This chakra might be feeling the tug of the push and pull of power. Bringing both I want to make a difference versus sit down and be quiet. You might be playing out this in your interpersonal relationships (who has more power or access or freedom), perhaps it is mimicking the dynamics playing out in race, politics, beliefs and how to address this pandemic in your personal relationships. You might be experience feelings of guilt, shame, rage or maybe when you come to a disagreement point you pull out your righteous indignation to put another person in their place.

3rd chakra: the solar plexus governs personal power and will. This chakra is the birthplace of social movements and carries the fire and passion that can bring about social change. This may bring up the feelings of how (if we are white) we have systematically benefited at the expense of black people and this has spurred us to learn more or stand up for others or call for change, while others of us may still not be clear (stuck energy in the 3rd chakra can show up as confusion) on what is happening or why. Or might bring in feelings of having more or less power. 3rd chakra is where we can feel responsibility. From this place we can take action or relinquish responsibility and pull shoulders forward to protect and shield the 3rd chakra.

4th chakra: the heart chakra governs interpersonal relationships (like with family) as well as relationships with the outside world (like with friends, coworkers, people who you interact with at a store). Perhaps this has forced you to examine what you can do to show support for people of color and where and how you can act on this. Some feel the need to be out in the community protesting and others feel they aren’t safe to do so. Some want to quickly move to saying ‘we are all one.’ This statement is a way to diminish the power held by white people. To be in a healthy relationship we must examine the ways in which we share or hoard power. Just as the saying “I don’t see color” erases the individuals so does “we are all one. ” When we connect and build relationships out of this chakra we want to be careful not to erase people as a way to ease any heart pain we might carry as a result of our actions or inactions.

5th chakra: the throat chakra governs self-expression and speaking your truth, as well as taking in and assimilating. Many black people are speaking out and perhaps you wonder – why are they so loud? Or why didn’t I know about this? Or maybe you feel the call to speak up along side them or post frequently on social media. We often feel the need to speak louder or post when we have not been heard. When you attend a protest one of the unifying things is the call and return, the chant, the hearing of the message said by a collective voice. How do we take in and assimilate the messages we hear? Do we automatically dismiss them? Do we feel the power to speak up when someone says something we disagree with? Do we feel the need to deny someone else’s reality if they tell us how scary it is to be black in America?

6th chakra: the third eye governs wisdom. Our perception of safety in society or systems is stirred up. Maybe you feel like your worldview is upside down or maybe you feel like - finally! No more gaslighting, the world sees how racism isn’t about just a handful of racist individuals it’s how systems are in place to keep people oppressed. This chakra is where the learning or unlearning takes place. If you doubt yourself or your actions, it is likely your third eye is closing or closed. You want this open to bring in the ability to generate new thoughts as well as the ability to carry out actions.

7th chakra: the crown chakra governs connection to divine. It is through this chakra that we might struggle with power the most. Who do you surrender your power to? Perhaps you question if there is a higher power if there is so much cruelty or so much harm. Or maybe you rally against any type of changes. While these times have been overwhelming and uncomfortable, they hold the potential for great change and a shift in how we use our power. This would be a great time to tune into your energy field and meditate on the concept of power.

Some questions to explore in meditation:

  • How do you use the power you have?

  • How do you misuse the power you have?

  • Who do you give your power away too?

  • Who do you take power from?

  • What situations do you feel powerless in?

  • What situations make you feel in control?

  • Where in your body do you hold the feeling of powerlessness?

  • What does your body feel like when you feel powerful?

  • Are there things (foods, beverages, news, people) that you consume that drains you?

  • How can you use your power to bring about change?

When we bring awareness to the ways in which we give up our power, keep others from their power or are being held back from our power, we can begin to explore how to make shifts to bring about a more equitable distribution. If you need a healing I am available for distance sessions and starting July 15th I will once again be offering in person sessions. I have more information here on what an in-person session looks like during Covid-19.

take care ~ Kim

Reopening Protocols During COVID-19

I’m looking forward to seeing you once again in person for a hands on healing. As this pandemic has no plans to leave anytime soon, here are the protocols I’m putting in place to keep us both safe:

Masks are required during session, if you don’t have one, one will be provided to you.

Hard surfaces (doorknobs, light switch,etc) will be wiped down with alcohol disinfectant wipes prior to your arrival.

Hand washing / Sanitizing: prior to session practitioner will wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer, client will also wash hands or use provided sanitizer.

Linens: after the client leaves the treatment room, the linens will be stripped and folded in upon themself and be removed from the room to be laundered.

Disinfecting: Hard surfaces (massage table, chairs, etc.) will be wiped down using alcohol based disinfecting wipes. The window will be opened as well as an air purification system will be run.

You will need to complete the following form prior to your appointment.

If you would prefer to receive a healing where you aren’t required to wear a mask, a distance healing would be the best option for you. You can relax in your own home and still receive the same benefits as an in person healing.

Looking forward to connecting with you soon ~ Kim

Hara Meditation

A dear healing school classmate asked me to record a meditation guiding one to drop into and align with their hara line. She felt that her clients and folks in general could use a meditation that they could do at home while the stay at home orders are in place. If you are needing a bit of support, check out this video.