Another exciting way my career is organically opening up is through my daughter’s interest in making her own art. We make art in some form each day. I am an avid photographer and blogger, and document our activities constantly. I figured that I may as well publicly share what we are doing here in our home with other parents, caregivers, teachers in the world who are spending time with little ones. So, I recently began a blog called Paint Cut Paste where I post step-by-step descriptions and photos of the art messes we make together.

initial watercolor resist project in action

As an art therapist, I am trained in choosing art materials that are developmentally appropriate for various stages and ages, as well as confidence-boosting for young artists. Someday when I move into an office/studio space again (within the next year,) I would love to offer Paint Cut Paste art groups where parent/child pairs can creatively engage and witness each other’s artistic processes. It is part of my life’s work as an art therapist to inspire people of all ages to create something new and unique that hasn’t existed in the world… getting messy with art materials, being inventive by making ordinary objects extraordinary, and being green by recycling and repurposing household items into artistic works!

This natural infusion of creative energy into my daily life has brought about more and more ideas for reaching out and offering what I have to give… I have many more ideas brewing… stay tuned! And if you’re on Facebook, click here and “Become a Fan” of Paint Cut Paste so you can see status updates each time we have new art-ventures, and become part of the community where we share our artistic ideas! Happy creating!

For some, summer is a transitional period, often including time off from work and time with family. Time to re-evaluate and  to rest. Time to soak in the invigorating rays of the sun. Time to grow and to nourish.

summer solstice sun

What a great time to treat yourself to a Reiki session! I’m offering 60 minute Reiki sessions for $60, or save by signing up for a series of three sessions for $160.

Contact me for an appointment by calling 804.239.8617.

Enjoy these long, sunny days!

Happy spring!

I hope each of you are enjoying the beauty of the season! Spring is a time of awakening and blossoming, a time when the earth and our bodies awaken from winter’s hibernation, and our energy warms and becomes more expansive. It is also a time of a great global shift — politically, environmentally, and spiritually. As we all experience these changes externally, it is essential to integrate them internally. To rediscover a resting place, a sense of stability and support in our own bodies. It is the perfect time to cleanse the body and spirit, to sharpen your awareness, and to center your intentions. It is wise to come into this enlivened energy of spring and changing energy of the world in a mindful and compassionate way.

blooms!

The gentle approach of Reiki is a perfect support during a time of change and rebirth. Reiki is an ancient hands-on healing technique where the practitioner guides universal energy to restore balance in the body, mind and spirit. It is done while laying on a massage table, fully clothed, and relaxed. During a Reiki session, you are provided an opportunity to deepen connection to your body’s energy system, cleanse unwanted baggage, and gain insight on what you are called to do now. The experience of receiving Reiki is restorative, relaxing, and for many it can be quite cathartic.

For the season, i am offering a special rate for spring cleansing Reiki sessions:

• $60 for a 60 minute Reiki session (or $160 if you sign up for three sessions)

Contact me for an appointment by calling 804.239.8617.

These are times of shifting sands and shaky ground — politically, environmentally, economically, spiritually… There is undoubtedly a global overhaul that is underway, as was predicted between 2008-2012. We’re just now strapping ourselves in for the bumpy ride. We’ve got a new President in the driver’s seat, representing change, eloquence, capability, and integrity. So here we go… Spiraling toward a new future and hopefully a raised level of social consciousness. 

With the economy at its most dire in ages, we are all feeling the tremors. Whether it is in your job security, healthcare costs, or your grocery bill, we are all united in sensing that these are uncomfortable times. When the ground falls out from under us, it targets not only our physical beings, but also our energetic bodies. In the present moment, universally, people are struggling with issues of money, security, stability, housing, and family. Job loss can lead to feelings of insecurity, and uncertainty about how one will survive. All of these qualities are held in our energetic bodies in the first chakra.

The notion of the chakra system began in india over 4,000 years ago in the literature of the vedas and was brought to the west in the 1920s through the tradition and practice of yoga. Yoga, meaning yoke, is a discipline designed to merge the individual with the divine by passing through seven expanding states of consciousness, represented by the chakras. The word chakra is derived from the sanskrit word, cakram, meaning wheel or circle. Cakram, or chakra, refers to “a spinning sphere of bioenergetic activity emanating from the major nerve ganglia branching forward from the spinal column.” there are seven major chakras stacked on this column from the base of the spine to the top of the head, as well as minor chakras in other vortices of activity, such as hands, feet, fingertips, and shoulders. Chakras are not necessarily physical entities that can be seen or touched; they express spiritual energies in physical locations on the body. Each of the seven major chakras is related to areas of the body, wavelengths on the color spectrum, psychological issues, and basic rights.

During these trying times in our world, you may experience symptoms associated with first chakra disturbances, such as issues with your adrenal glands, legs, feet, bones, or the large intestine. Eating disorders, sciatica, and constipation are common when one’s first chakra is off balance. The shadow side of the first chakra, or the dark emotion associated with it, is fear. Currently there is a strong undercurrent of fear buzzing in our country, and we are all suseptible to being plugged into it, even just in watching the news. 

The first chakra is called Muladhara, the Sanskrit word for root. It is located at the perineum, or the base of the spine, and corresponds to the adrenal glands, legs, feet, bones, and the large intestine. On the light spectrum, the first chakra is linked to the wavelength producing the color red. Muladhara governs the central issues of survival, security, family, and finances. It grounds one to the earth element, the womb, and the material world. The basic right expressed in the first chakra is the right to be here and to have. Fitting with other psychological developmental models, the first chakra is congruent with Erikson’s first stage of trust verses mistrust, Freud’s oral stage of development, Maslow’s physiological realm, and Wilber’s pre-personal pleromatic or uroboric fulcrum. 

image credit: yogatherapyireland.com

To become grounded in the root chakra is to be oriented to time and space and to bring consciousness into the body. Grounding provides one with the ability to contain and to set healthy boundaries. In the first chakra lies the validation of one’s existence, or the basic right of being here and having one’s needs met for survival. 

So what does all of this mean for you, right now? It means that we could all use a reminder that we are being held, by our bodies and by the earth. Reminders that we do have roots. Activities that promote feelings of being grounded are beneficial to a sense of well-being. A few ideas for self-care in regards to first chakra balancing include:

• Wearing red or black, the colors associated with the first chakra
• Eating grounding foods, like meats (if you eat meat,) nuts, and other proteins. Root vegetables such as beets and radishes are supportive, as well. The act of mindfully preparing foods tends to be a grounding experience.
• Wearing or holding the gemstones ruby, garnet, or hematite 
• Burning cedar inscense
• Making art – specifically working with clay
• Connecting with family – researching your family tree, hearing stories from your ancestors, finding your geographic roots (perhaps traveling to your place of birth or the land native to your family,) cooking your family recipes
• Connecting with nature – perhaps through gardening, hiking, planting a tree, collecting rocks
• Go get a massage (a hot stone massage may specifically target first chakra imbalance)
• Make an appointment to receive reiki
• Mindfulness meditation
• Yoga postures: knee-to-chest pose (apanasana), chair pose (utkatasana)
• Sitting in a grounded way, wherever you are (desk, couch, etc.) With both feet firmly planted on the floor, hip width apart and parallel to each other

Our bodies are so wise. A friend of mine today said that she felt the need to take a mudbath, which i found so appropriate. Her body’s innate sense was to find a hole in the earth and have a soak… ah, sounds perfect!

Web sites & books on chakra balancing:

• My energy work & Reiki resources page
• Sacred centers

Books on the global shift:

• Waking the global heart. By Anodea Judith
• The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community. By David C Korten

Inspirational books for difficult times by one of my favorite authors, Pema Chodron:

• When things fall apart
• The places that scare you
• Start where you are
• Comfortable with uncertainty