3 Energy Tips for Your Spring Renewal

Where I live in northern California, spring is in full gear. The oak trees are showing their beautiful new leaves full of silver and sparkles. The daffodils are almost done blooming, but the iris plants are popping up in all their purple splendor.

It’s so much fun to see what flowers show up next. I allow myself to be surprised even though I really do know what to expect. The plants, flowers, and trees have it all figured out; they always know how they fit into the spring journey.

They are always on track, and they navigate the season with ease.

How about you and your journey?

Are you on track to navigate the goals you’ve made? More significant yet – are you happy with how you’re navigating your life, overall?

Spring is the time of year for renewal. The season puts us in a positive frame of mind for possibilities and growth. It provides the opportunity to rethink and refresh any plans you’ve been trying to move forward, or create new plans to step into.

Bloom into YOUR possibilities

It’s a given – life is a journey. Have you had those times when you felt the need to take a strong look at what direction you were going? Maybe you sensed that you needed to take a different route to get to your destination. These questions could easily relate to business or personal life choices.

Whatever happens in your day-to-day experiences or goes through your head, it’s essential to have the energy and vitality to be on your voyage.

And here’s the key – the navigation will be a lot easier when you have focus and clarity, and you can see your options, make decisions, and determine your action plan.

When you allow yourself to grow and bloom, you will fully discover how many possibilities await you around corners, curves, hills, and mountains. Take a chance and soar!

Three energy tips for improved navigation

No matter what destination you’ve put into your life’s GPS, these tips will help you arrive refreshed.

These acupressure poses are super easy to do. Hold each one with a light, gentle touch for several good breaths. There is no such thing as too much self-help, so do these as often as you think of them throughout the day!

1. Remember to give yourself room for grace. YOU are a super important being on this planet – so give yourself some love. Give yourself a hug!

Cross your arms and hold anywhere on your upper arms. You’re connecting with acupressure points that are all about your respiratory and vascular systems. Giving yourself a hug brings in a deep breath followed by a powerful exhale. And it allows your heart to feel the love and care you’re offering to your whole body.

2. Give yourself a boost of calm and vitality. Those two qualities must coexist for your energetic body to be present for all you want to do and accomplish.

Cup your sternum directly below your collarbone. With the other hand, hold your tummy below your navel.

3. Enhance your awareness of ALL that is happening around you, and you will bring clarity and focus.

With your right hand, cup your forehead and hold your fingers on the left side of your forehead.  Cup the base of the skull with your left hand and hold your fingers on the right base of the skull. And, you can easily switch your hands to give an extra boost.

Even though it may not be in full bloom in your area just yet, embrace the renewal of spring and support your body, mind, and spirit with some easy-to-do self-help acupressure techniques.

NOTICE!

And if you want to create your own internal GPS system to map out your wellness journey, I invite you to check out my popular 10-week course starting April 17^th.

At GPS for Body, Mind, & Spirit 2024, You’ll discover and practice the principles of energy balancing with Jin Shin Jyutsu and self-help acupressure techniques, so you can enhance self-care and improve your energy level for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Get all the class details and registration information here – COURSE DETAILS

Ah(choo) Spring!

Are you sick and tired of the symptoms of allergies?

Feeling any of these symptoms:

• sinus congestion
• sneezing
• headaches
• itchy watery eyes
• itchy throat
• a stuffy or runny nose

If you are constantly dealing with any or all of those miserable symptoms, you are most likely noticing a loss of productivity. These symptoms impact sleep and vitality in a big way. Spring grasses, weeds, and tree pollen (allergens) can bring on those pesky discomforts. If you are like me, you don’t want to hide inside. You want to enjoy what Mother Nature has created for you. 

3 easy ways to reduce the misery of seasonal allergies

Follow along and learn how to reduce reactivity to the pollen floating around outside.

Use acupressure to relieve allergy symptoms

Jasmine came for a Jin Shin Jyutsu session feeling uncomfortable and lousy. Swollen, weepy eyes. Her head hurt. Jasmine had intense sinus congestion.  She had been doing all the right things to boost her immune system: lots of self-help acupressure flows and drinking lots of water. It seemed like an uphill battle and she was on the losing side. She left our 90-minute session in comfort and ease. She could breathe deeply. Her face was no longer puffy, and her cheekbones reappeared.

Why did Jin Shin relieve Jasmine’s allergies?

Our bodies are made of energy. Energy needs to flow. Conditions, illnesses, and injuries are evidence of blocked energy. Acupressure helps energy flow. It allows the body to let go of symptoms and heal.

Now, when Jasmine does her daily self-help acupressure, she will notice the benefits more readily. And everything else she does for herself will help her body be happier, healthier and more comfortable.

Hydration!  Drink lots of water!

Allergies have a tendency to dry out our systems. It’s important to hydrate your body. Avoiding dehydration will boost your immune system and help maintain normal histamine levels. Read more about it in this article from mytapscore.com, http://bit.ly/2JtBbuM

Lubricate your body adequately with good fluids, including electrolytes, and all layers and levels of your body will notice the difference. Your physical, mental, emotional, and energetic levels will all cooperate with each other and bring health.

Eat anti-inflammatory foods

Beat seasonal allergies the natural way by adding anti-inflammatory foods to your grocery list. Pineapple, which contains the enzyme known as bromelain, fish oil, and fresh ginger are just a few that will reduce allergic reactions.

Check out a more complete list at http://bit.ly/2Jvs2Sq

To read more about seasonal allergies go to https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/seasonal-allergies

Got Questions about Allergies?

Leave a comment below or contact me directly.

Wishing you a beautiful and enjoyable spring without the misery of allergies!

The Beauty of Spring

Spring is all about transformation. We see it all around us – the plants growing, the land changing all around us.
I love the beauty of spring colors, the emerald green of the grass and trees, the vibrant colors of the flowers and the glorious blue of the sky. I am thoroughly enjoying the scents that are permeating the air. It’s amazing to be able to smell my lilacs, citrus and jasmine all at the same time.
Our bodies are also in the mode of change. Are you feeling the shift as a boost of vitality and a greater sense of awareness? Or are you experiencing tiredness and loss of energy? If the latter is the case, you may also be experiencing allergies. It’s not unusual that they go hand in hand. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Discover how easy it is to walk around in a body that has balance and harmony and allows you to experience all the beauty of spring. Let go of blocked energy that is creating allergies, tiredness and loss of energy by doing your energy work! It’s super easy to do the Daily Clean Your House Flow. See the nine-step self-help acupressure flow on the website and discover what difference you can make in how you feel and what you can do.

Breath Makes the World Go Round – Including Baseball!

I’m a happy girl! Baseball is back! And I love it that it comes at the same time as gardening. Several years ago I was lucky enough to get a Mother’s Day gift of a radio for the outside deck and outside speakers. So when I’m out in the garden, my true oasis, I can also listen to the Giants game. Who could ask for a better way to experience life? My neighbors are even okay with it — they get to listen to the game in stereo. So until I’m told differently, that’s what happens when I’m in the garden. But I do have to admit that my television is set to record every Giants baseball game and many a night is spent watching them — no matter how they’re doing. I just love baseball.

I love watching the players and seeing if they’re in tune with the messages their bodies are giving them. Even if you’re not into baseball, I want to invite you to watch at least one inning of a game and really look at the players and how they “work in” their bodies. Watch them breathe. And think about what YOU are doing during your daily activities. Consider using the baseball game as a lesson in how to be connected to your breath and body movement.

Watch the pitcher and notice whether the diaphragm is open or whether it’s constricted. When the diaphragm is open, the torso easily stretches and the pitching arm seemingly flows through a specifically planned and orchestrated movement. If the breath is “caught up high” you will notice that the torso and arm don’t move as easily together. The dance isn’t there. Do you notice times when YOUR body and breath aren’t moving in an easy, effortless dance? To open up your breath, consider holding your upper arms.

Now notice a batter and how the time at the plate is all about being in breath. Notice the placement of the bat while waiting for the pitch, the flex in the knees, the lumbar curve, the uplifted torso, and even the relaxed jaw. All of these pieces allow the batter to be in good alignment, allow the breath to be fully present, and create readiness to connect with the ball that is coming over the plate. When you see all of these body areas working together you will easily recognize when it isn’t happening. If the alignment and breath are not present you have a batter who is in distress. Do you want your body to be able to always step up to the plate and do what you want it to do? Sit on your hands! That simple “hold” connects with vitality and creates lumbar curve. Then cup the sternum with one hand and with the other, hold your tummy. That opens up breath by relaxing the diaphragm and releases tension throughout the torso.

I love watching the catcher. He’s all about proper body placement. If he wasn’t, we would see him being stuck and not able to stretch and reach for the ball. His position is one I’m often in when I’m in the garden. And if I didn’t have my breath and body ready for that squat and reaching movement, I would probably be a hurting girl. To make sure that I won’t go into reaction when I’m going spend time in a squat, I do these simple energy steps. First I hold by sit bones and then I hold the inside of my knees.

So, folks, learn from the baseball players! No matter what you’re choosing to do for your spring and summer activities, help YOUR body discover alignment and easy movement AND help it be in breath. Prepare your body for what you’re going to ask it to do.  At least one time a day I do the Daily Clean Your House Flow. Off and on throughout the day, you might see me do the first step of the Daily Flow – holding my upper arms by folding my arms across the chest.  THAT opens up breath.  And when I’m in the garden, I’m doing the third and fourth steps — sitting on my left hand with my right hand on the left shoulder and then switching. THAT is helping my body be ready for the lifting and digging and weeding and planting.

Have fun with all you do in your world!

Spring brings magic and smiles

Spring is like a box of chocolates!

You never know what you’re gonna get.” Okay – I love all three parts of that statement – spring, chocolates and the not stated but oh, so awesome Forrest Gump.
Spring is so full of so many amazing and yummy pieces of chocolate – the warmth, the flowers, the bursting of amazing scents, the balmy breezes and rain showers (we hope!), and the long list of activities we want to do. Those first pieces are easy but I can easily get caught up in the last one I mentioned. There always seems to be so much to do. The list is long and I have a tendency to want to do it all and feel like I should do even more. The trick is to pull one piece out at a time, savor the yumminess and get the absolute most out of it. The next trick is to make sure your body and your calendar can thoroughly experience and enjoy all of the pieces of chocolate that are in your box because it’s important to always have that smile!

Spring Energy Tips

Here are some energy tips to help you with YOUR box of chocolates! So you can be in joy and magic!
For clarity about your list (what piece of chocolate to pull out of your box), having the energy to do what you want to do, and enjoying every moment:

For clarity

1. Place fingers on left and right base of skull
2. Left hand: cup back of your head with fingers on right base of your skull
3. Right hand: cup forehead with fingers on left side

For renewing your energy and creating vitality:

1. Hold your hands at mid-back, right fingers on the right side at kidney level and left fingers on the left side at kidney level.
2. Sit on your hands (this energy balance point is all about giving you and your body that extra boost of energy!)

experience spring magic

For helping you and your body KNOW and experience all of the pieces of chocolate that create the magic of spring:
Hold fingers on outside of knees, left fingers on left knee and right fingers on right knee.

Spring is here!

Is your body on the same page?

Do you have this question brewing? “Why am I feeling punky when I’m supposed to be feeling up?”
If you are feeling confused, see if any of these scenarios fit:

• You don’t know if what you are feeling is an allergic reaction (could be environmental, something you ate, or something you have touched)
• You’re not in the midst of a cold, but your eyes, nose or throat feel scratchy
• You are experiencing muscle soreness or weakness that is unusual for you

If you can’t come up with the cause of your discomfort, you may very well be experiencing a release of toxins. This can happen even if you aren’t doing a seasonal cleanse.
We know that our bodies are miraculous beings, and they innately know when it’s a “good time” to be letting go of accumulated blocked energy. Spring is a time to let go because our bodies are no longer trying to stay warm during winter cold spells. They no longer feel the need to hibernate and we are ready to step into the longer daylight hours, the activities of spring and the joy of living.

Energy Balancing Tips for Moving into Spring

Here are a few suggestions to help your body be in that letting go stage in an easier, more effortless way:

Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow.

In addition, do the following “energy cleanse flow” off and on throughout the day. It is fast and easy. You should feel the benefits right away.

1. Right hand – hold the right mid-back at kidney level
2. Left hand – hold the left mid-back at kidney level
3. Right hand – hold the left base of ribcage
4. Right hand – hold the outside of the right knee
5. Right hand – hold the inside of the left knee

 The body as an energy system

Your body is bilateral so you only need to do the one side, but there’s no such thing as too much self help! How many times have you heard me say that? So, go ahead and do the other side.

Stay Hydrated and Rested

• Drink plenty of good water to help flush the toxins out of your system.
• Make sure you’re getting good rest

Sleep can be tricky during this time because your body wants to be awake and moving and doing. Consider doing the following “sleeping flow”.

1. Right hand – hold right base of skull
2. Left hand – hold left base of skull
3. Jumper cable – hold each thumb and finger for at least several breaths

If you’re not asleep by the end of the second hand, start over. Most people find that sleep comes by the middle of the second time through the fingers. If you don’t know what jumper cabling is, go to my website and I’ll show you!

In Conclusion

Long and short of all of this is to give your body what it’s asking for: space to make the shift into the new season, space to be different, and space to experience flow. THAT after all is what moving energy is! FLOW!!
Enjoy the spring – you deserve it!