Heart, Romance and Recover

Heart and romance

February is all about heart health, both emotional and physical.
Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the fifth century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia. No matter the history, it is the day that gives many a BIG reason to recognize and celebrate those heart connections with loved ones in their lives.
AND you still have time to get that extra special gift for that special person in your life!

February is Heart Health Month

This is the month we’re made more aware of how we can improve the health of our hearts so we can decrease the chances of heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is an equal opportunity killer which claims approximately 1 million lives annually. The good news? It is also one of the most preventable. Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart disease, having regular check-ups and working with your physician to manage your health are all integral aspects of saving lives from this often silent killer.
Read more about how to make a BIG difference in having a heart-healthy life.
https://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-awareness-month/

Giving Service from the Heart

Here’s another “Heart Connection” — and it is doing something really big for the community.
My dear friend and colleague, Dr. Shiroko Sokitch, director of Heart to Heart Medical Center in Santa Rosa, has created an amazing event that is FREE and available online to help you deal with physical and emotional challenges after a traumatic event, like a disaster, an accident or a death in the family.
This event is entirely at no cost and it will be yours to keep when you sign up for it. It’s all about being able to heal no matter where you are or what is going in your life. Register to hear talks by healthcare experts February 12– 19.

The Disaster Recovery Online Summit

This event is here to help those who have endured the disasters we’ve recently experienced—fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and others—to help them heal and overcome, physically and emotionally, the impacts of living through a disaster.
After a traumatic event, people begin to go back to their daily lives, but it doesn’t mean they’ve completely healed. And, far too often, there are very few resources that address the emotional difficulties and latent health issues that such events can cause.
Health care experts will provide advice on helping children cope, anxiety, mindfulness, self-healing, mold toxicity, even disaster recovery itself.

Get complimentary access to these talks about traumatic recovery now

These 32 talks are yours FOREVER! Meaning, you’ll gain access once they’re unlocked on February 12, and retain it for whenever you need to address trauma for yourself, or anyone else.
No purchase required and no commitment necessary for you to participate.

My interview with Dr. Shiroko on Tuesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm

I’m honored to be participating in the Disaster Recovery Event! Dr. Shiroko will be interviewing me on Facebook Live Tuesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm (Pacific Time). Tune in to hear my suggestions for how we can make use of Easy Self-Help Acupressure to help deal with the stress and challenges of traumatic events. I’ll give you energy tips that can make a big difference in the quality of life.
Go to Dr. Shiroko’s Facebook Page.

From Stress to Success – Creating the Miracle of Abundance and Prosperity

Have you ever felt that you’re not receiving all that you want and desire and that you’re not going to be able to be all you want to be? Maybe what you’re searching for seems to be right around the corner, or perhaps it flits in and then it seems to disappear.
There is a trick to setting intentions and attaining your goals. It’s about creating a state of balance and harmony within your body by allowing your body to experience the movement of energy. When that shift is happening your body will naturally want more of the same, and it will let go of any stuck, stagnant energy that has been blocking your ability to make changes and move forward.

REMOVE THE BLOCKS THAT ARE IN YOUR WAY

A blockage of energy is just something in the way, like a traffic jam or a beaver dam.  The beauty of this process is that we don’t have to break out the big equipment and get all stressed out by working too hard to make changes. We can gently break apart the blockages and allow the flow of energy to happen and do so without effort. And that flow is what creates the space to receive all that you want to gain.

DISCOVER BALANCE AND FULFILL YOUR DREAMS

That is prosperity, whether you’re searching for health, financial abundance, happy relationships, or a fulfilling career. Your goals could include letting go of self-judgment and self-sabotage, increasing productivity and having the vitality to do all you want to do. Anything is possible in this state of balance because nothing is in the way of fulfilling your dreams. For that matter, your intention could be receiving all of those! And then you are on the journey of creating miracles!
Without that vibration of balance in the body, what we want will not come towards us. The vibrations of the body must match the energy you are trying to attract. Otherwise, it just does not show up.
Another step on your journey towards abundance and prosperity is to spend time each day being in thankfulness and gratitude for all that is coming your way. In that state of being you will easily be able to continue to attract all that you want because you are in alignment.
It is easy to follow your dreams and keep those New Year’s resolutions when your energy aligns with your goals and desires. Create miracles this year! You have abundance and prosperity at your fingertips.

ENERGY TIPS TO MANIFEST ALL YOU DESIRE

Here are two super easy energy tips to help you flow freely toward prosperity without struggle or effort.
Energy movements for expansion of breath and manifesting your destiny:

• Right hand:  hold on area of right kidney
• Left hand: hold on area of left kidney
• Right hand: cup sternum directly below your collarbones
• Left hand: hold fingers in a vertical pattern on your tummy

There are other “tricks” to help your journey towards abundance and prosperity be a true miracle. It can be easy, effortless and successful. Join me for my Energy of Prosperity Workshop on Wednesday, January 31^st.  Follow this link to get more information or to RSVP now.
Photo by Chevanon Photography from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-arms-outstretched-against-blue-sky-317155/

Holidays bring Joy

Holidays Can Be Filled with Demands and Happiness

Holidays bring us joy and stress. To make sure you have joy, here is my recipe to keep you in balance.

It’s there even though many of us seem to be searching for it this year because of all the chaos that has been occurring for the last few months.

Lucky for me that I love Christmas. I could hardly wait for the Friday after Thanksgiving to decorate the house and bring in the color and lights.  Maybe it’s because I grew up in Minnesota where the winter days seemed exceptionally dark! What I do know is that as soon as I start putting on the lights and meticulously placing the ornaments on the tree, I’m in the spirit. And as that transpires, my heart is open to possibilities and smiles and joy. So, as a result, I decide to spend all of Thanksgiving weekend to deck the halls and enjoy the time and the space I’m creating. And then, somehow or other, it seems like I do have time for all of the other items on my list.

Here is what helps me with all of that lifting and climbing and stretching when I’m decorating. Whether I’m placing all of my Santa Claus figures on the shelves or I’m winding the strands of lights around the tree or I’m reaching for the highest limb on the tree to get the absolute best ornament in the space I’ve chosen, I want to have my body easily cooperate and not go into a reaction. I want to make sure that my body will let me do everything that I’ve planned to do.

Daily Clean Your House Flow to Start Your Day Right =  Holidays Bring Joy

First, I start the day with the Daily Clean Your House Flow!

Then, off and on during the decoration extravaganza, I do the following:

1.  Right hand — cup and hold left shoulder near neck

Left hand — hold fingers at left pelvis/groin area

Left hand — move fingers to left sit bone

Switch and do the right side.

2.  Right hand — cup back of neck with fingers on the left side

  Left hand — hold base of spine at coccyx

Left hand — hold outside of the left knee (the anti-inflammatory point)!

Switch to do the right side

To make it even easier — watch this video!

I wish each and every one of you a magnificent and joyous holiday season!

Hands on Brilliance Workshop

Hands On Brilliance

Since the October fires, do you feel like you’ve lost some of your ability to process information?  Have you lost some of your get-up-and-go? None of that is unusual after trauma and chaos, which all of us experienced during and since the wildfires, no matter how we were individually impacted.
You can easily rediscover your vitality by connecting with your energy using self-help acupressure. Rev up your body’s ability to accomplish all you desire to do and be. Become a partner with your body! Help your body let go of the trauma and effects of the wildfires, including shortness of breath and other respiratory symptoms.

Easy Ways to Improve Focus, Clarity and Productivity FREE workshop

Thursday, December 14th, 9:00 – 11:00 am
Santa Rosa Metro Chamber offices
50 Old Courthouse Square, Suite 110, Santa Rosa, CA
To sign up for this FREE workshop go to:
http://bit.ly/MyersDec14
or Call Wendy Eaton at the Chamber, (707) 545-1414

In Deborah’s Workshop, You Will Discover How To:

• Release blocked energy, old patterns, and self-sabotage that can limit your success
• Increase your vitality and productivity — and create peak performance
• Balance your energy & get more out of each day
• Help your body let go of any stress and anxiety
• Rediscover your breath — help your respiratory system heal
• Improve your focus, clarity and memory
• Improve your ability to process information and let go of overwhelm
• Boost your immune system and stay healthy
• Get relief from chronic symptoms including respiratory problems
• Manage pain
• Improve mobility and flexibility
• Handle feelings

I hope you will join me.
Download the Chamber Hands on Brilliance Workshop Flyer 12-14-17 with all of the information and share it with your friends.

Survive and Thrive

Get your breath back after the fires – FREE workshop

Wednesday, November 15th, 9:00 – 11:00 am

Available to ALL residents and community members

Santa Rosa Metro Chamber offices

50 Old Courthouse Square, Suite 110, Santa Rosa, CA

To sign up for this FREE workshop go to:
http://bit.ly/ThriveHAYFT

You know those phrases we have a tendency to use after a crisis?

“It took my breath away.”  “Waiting with baited breath.”  “Waiting for the next shoe to drop.”

Those phrases are describing our bodies not having enough breath. And, once that has occurred, our bodies have a memory of “not having enough breath.” After the traumatic experiences of the last month, it is pretty easy to recognize that we need to revitalize the respiratory system and make sure to boost our immune systems, especially when the smoke has also been part of the picture.

Santa Rosa Metro Chamber has requested that I offer a workshop to assist the community.

Survive and Thrive Workshop – Discover how to recover from trauma and be prepared for life

Vitality is at your fingertips. You can easily connect with your energy using self-help acupressure and rev up your body’s ability to accomplish all you desire to do and be. Become a partner with your body. And help your body heal from the trauma of the wildfires.

In this workshop with health educator & acupressurist, Deborah Myers, you will discover how to:

• Balance your energy & get more out of each day
• Help your body let go of any stress and anxiety
• Rediscover your breath
• Boost your immune system & stay healthy
• Improve mobility & flexibility
• Improve your focus, clarity, and memory
• Get relief from chronic symptoms & manage pain
• Increase your vitality & productivity & create peak performance
• Let go of overwhelm
• Handle feelings
• Release blocked energy, old patterns, & self-sabotage that can limit your success

To sign up for this FREE workshop go to:
http://bit.ly/ThriveHAYFT
Chamber Survive and Thrive Workshop Flyer 11-15-17

Recovering from the Sonoma Fires

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Here are a few of the tips:

• Hold thumbs with opposite hands
• Hold index fingers with opposite hands
• Fold arms across chest and hold opposite upper arms

• Hold right base of rib cage with right fingers
• Hold right chest below clavicle with left fingers
• Switch and hold opposite sides

• Cup sternum directly below clavicle with right hand
• Place left fingertips in a vertical pattern below the navel

Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle — at Last

Time has floated right on by me. I thought I would be back in the saddle about six-weeks post-op with rest and rehabilitation. I can’t believe that it has been six months since my neck surgery. Life did indeed throw me a curve ball when surgery was the way to take care of the flare-ups and pain I was experiencing from the October 2015 car accident. When we get out of our way, it can be pretty amazing what can take place.

Surgery went smoothly, and so has my recovery. My surgeon is pleased with the results. My whole healthcare team is in full agreement that I am doing well. Flexibility and mobility are improving daily. Physical therapy can bring up discomfort as the muscle groups figure out new ways of engagement and movement. Doing my energy work before and after PT and my home exercises allow my body to do more with less reaction. So that is helping the healing process. I’m also discovering how doing Jin Shin Jyutsu and physical therapy can bring back a voice. (Yep — lost my voice for a while.)

Learn more about the procedure: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and also here.

The Big Surprise

What took me by surprise was how long it took me to regain clarity and focus. I had full belief and expectation that by the sixth week after surgery I would be getting to my extensive list of writing projects, office clean up and organizing projects. Well, dream on! At this point, I’m still in the space of “getting it together.” Clarity is back, but I’m finding that my body is asking for more rest and downtime. At first, I thought I was experiencing a loss of motivation which was freaking me out! I realized that I need to look at my calendar and avoid teaching multiple classes and presentations in a row. I’m listening to the messages from my body. I’m not packing as much into my days. Go figure! I’m spending lots of time each day doing my energy work, along with physical therapy and voice exercises.

Autumn is Upon Us

This is one of the hardest realizations I had over the last few months: I couldn’t do all my gardening and yard work that I typically pack into spring, summer, and fall.  Thank goodness I have had great help, but for those of us who love getting dirty in our gardens, it’s not quite the same. I’m harvesting my basil and tomatoes and enjoying the dahlias.  And, of course, I love these autumn days that are pleasantly warm and have gentle cooling breezes.

What’s Next

I’ve learned so much about healing from major surgery, being patient, and respecting my body’s timeline. Stay tuned for my insights as I share my journey of recovery.

This is What Happens When Life Throws a Curveball

Life throws a curveball when we are going along doing what we love. Life can have all sorts of surprises, and sometimes we’re not necessarily enamored with them! As you can well imagine, I get bodywork on a regular basis. I’ve been making sure to receive an assortment of treatments to relieve discomfort, to aid healing and to help my body not be so reactive. Healing has consumed a great deal of time for the last year and a half, since a car accident in October 2015.  For the most part, I’ve accomplished that except I pretty consistently am dealing with flare-ups. So here comes the curve ball. I got a surgical consult, and I need neck surgery! I immediately went into, “Not me! I’m not a surgical candidate!” Guess what? The reason I have so many flare-ups is that I don’t have adequate discs in my cervical spine. The trauma from the car accident caused my body to go into a major reaction, and now my body is vulnerable to actions that strain or exacerbate, which seems to happen for pretty simple movements.

Research Your Options

I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to all of my care providers, and I’m listening to my body and my health care team. I’ve gotten out of my way, and I’m recognizing that sometimes you have to take a route you weren’t planning on taking. In fact, that route could very well be something that you weren’t even likely to consider.

Help Your Body be Prepared No Matter What Happens

The beauty of this whole journey is that I have no worry and no fear. I’m ready for this next step because my body is prepared for what I’m asking it to do and for what might come at it. Sound familiar? It’s a statement I’ve been known to say to my clients and students! It’s all about doing our energy balancing on a daily basis so IF something does come up our bodies can easily move through the next steps of the journey. I know that I’m ready because all I have been doing and receiving is allowing this next step to be smooth and successful. Surgery IS a big ask of my body and mind. I’m pleased that Western medicine gives us options that allow us to receive what we need to have healthy, productive lives. I’m scheduling treatments for post-surgery, so my body heals faster and easier. How lucky we are that we can easily blend allopathic and alternative health care.

Pot at the End of the Rainbow

I am laughing about this piece most. The energy balance point located at the mid-cervical spine area is “all about not my will but thy will and about getting out of my way.” See my smile? Further, when that energy balance point is in a state of balance with no blocked energy, it can fulfill its purpose which is to “gain flexibility, mobility, and alignment.” And that is what this surgery WILL give me. I am so ready to be able to go back to living my life without my body talking back to me. I’m willing to have the energy and capability to go back to exercising, doing yoga, gardening, hiking, comfortable driving, sitting in front of my computer, chasing my cat in the garden. Granted I’m more than willing not vacuum or clean the litter box, but to know that I can if I want to or have to is a massive shift for me.

Recovery

Of course, recovery won’t be instantaneous. I’ll need lots of physical therapy, and I’ll need to be smart about what I ask my body to do. So, I’m continuing to do my Daily Clean Your House Flow, to balance my energy, and to receive treatments from my care providers. And I’m ready for the next step. Surgery is on the schedule for Wednesday, April 5^th. Thank you, ahead of time, for thinking of me!

Thanks to Wikipedia for the great animated gif of a curveball.

Kid Scoop News – Easy To Do Acupressure

I love helping kids, parents, and families stay healthy. See my tip on how to stay healthy during the winter months in the February 2017 edition of  Kid Scoop News

Ready for a vacation??

My Winter Vacation

Have you ever gone on a holiday and didn’t want to come back from your vacation? And when you did return, did you have a real hard time being back? Well, that’s my story!
I was on the beach for a whole week. I was enjoying the sun and spending lots of time snorkeling and glimpsing colorful fish. I also spent every morning watching the sunrise over the water. The new light of the day would wake me up. The sun was in the midst of creating its beautiful canvas of oranges, yellows, and reds. As each second created a new canvas, the calm water would mirror the painting. Oh my! And then the night would bring the full moon rising over the water. No wonder I didn’t want to leave!
I rested a lot. I enjoyed the beach and water. I enjoyed spending time with my family. I ate lots of great food and just felt that space of ease and relaxation.

My Takeaway

Step into the possibilities of having more vacations, no matter where they are or how long they are. Hey! I’m open to that! But until that is a done deal, I have realized that I need to fool my mind and my body and create the semblance of a vacation. Now, granted, there is nothing like leaving for a real destination. But if that isn’t in the plan, we can create restful chunks of time that revitalize the body, mind, and spirit.

Taking Your Experience of Health to the Next Level

I’ve worked with many of you, one-to-one, or in a workshop. I shared easy and effortless ways to help your body grow healthier with a few steps. Easy, self-help acupressure helps you integrate physical, mental, emotional and spirit.
I can show you how to create a vacation for yourself right here and now. As you do your energy balancing, hold each energy balance point, and “pretend” that you are there. Envision where you want to be. See the beauty, picture the experiences, hear the sounds, and smell the scents. Breathe it all in and know that you are there. Some may call it meditation or a soul journey.  It is, but let go of labels and just experience the moment and see what happens.

The Power of the Daily Clean Your House Flow

I’ve created what I have just described while doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow. I do it when I awake in the morning and again in the evening. Off and on throughout the day, I’m holding a few energy points as I relive the best vacation moments. I am extending my vacation even though I’m back home! I feel like I’m right back at the beach plus I’m giving myself restful breaks during the day.
I enjoyed taking catnaps on the beach. My secret for getting back to that sense of peace and relaxation: doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow. It helps me feel rested. I sleep more deeply at nighttime too.

I’ve retained the vitality I gained from my vacation. And I’m enjoying those gorgeous sunrises as if they’re still happening.

Energy Balance Points = Mini-Vacation

Here are a few of the energy balance points that I’m holding to get those “hints of my vacation”:

1. Let go of mind chatter: With right hand, cup your forehead, so your fingertips are on the left side. And with the left hand, cup the base of your skull, so the fingertips are on the right side. You will create clarity. You can contemplate the possibilities of what you are envisioning.
2. Let go of old patterns: With right hand, hold your fingertips on the left elbow. And with the left hand, hold your fingertips on the base of the right ribcage. This flow is about expanding your breath and letting go of old ways and patterns.
3. Build new habits: Hold the outside of your knees. These energy balance points will help you create the new pattern of openness. You will be receptive to new ideas.
4. Manifest: Hold your fingertips at your mid-back at the area of the kidneys. You will connect with manifesting all you want to receive.

Let me know where your visions take YOU on your mini-vacation!  Enjoy!!