Silver Linings Blog
Healing our Relationships From the Inside Out with the Spiritual Practice of Reiki
Most relationships are often very dynamic and can be healed through intention and energetic healing such as Reiki. When we think of the heart chakra Anahata as the space where our own self-love resides, perhaps it is here we begin the journey of loving oneself. Often we discover the blockages of the heart stem from childhood situations and memories. Learning to express ourselves through the divine feminine aspects of nurturance, acceptance, co-creation, cooperation, sensing and complimenting often encourages truthfulness and self-acceptance. We often evolve into this space through a daily spiritual practice in this case, Reiki.
Energetically we can heal our hearts first by becoming the child ourselves, and begin to parent our own hearts with divine feminine energy and nurturing ourselves towards more cooperative relationships. Here we experience the depth of our true essence and love, often radiating that love now to friends and family. The question often is where to begin and what might this practice look like.
My own transformation and on-going awakening comes from a daily practice of Reiki and meditation. Reiki is a spiritual practice that can often be used for healing relationships. Since we are both individual and collectively healing relationships, we can begin first by setting the intention to co-create with spirit as the key to the healing process. It is important to create a sacred space where healing can happen and this can be an altar, a journal or a physical location, sometimes creating space energetically in the relationship.
In Reiki we practice the precepts, often referred to as the Secret of Inviting Happiness through Many Blessings The Spiritual Medicine for All Illness based on The Founder Usui Mikao.
These precepts remind us to be centered and aligned with our own well being.
For Today Only: Do not AngerDo not worry Be HumbleBe Honest in your Work Be Compassionate to Yourself and Others
As a daily practice, Reiki can bring in loving energy to the heart chakra, open the spaces in the heart to heal. My own practice includes the reciting of the precepts, the Gassho meditation and creating an altar with beloved items. Often I’ll place a picture of the person I wish to heal the relationship with on the altar.
In the professional practice of Reiki, my clients are often offered this guidance to first begin working with themselves as the primary receivers of the Reiki energy. This way their heart begins to soften and heal allowing them the opportunity to feel and sense this loving way of being in the world.
The energy of Reiki can often be sensed through warmth, tingling or even clients will see and experience colored light. Imagine feeling immense love for yourself that it radiates out from the core of your being. As this emanates, so does the environment around you fostering deep and loving relationships.
Healing is often a solitary and personal journey for many, working with a healer can lead you to a higher level of self-discovery and a life filled with grace and ease.
Curious about Reiki? Learn more about it here.
Community Center Corner: Anjali Rose and Renee Innes offering outdoor yoga classes
Originally published in the Conway Daily Sun.
Greetings from the yoga mat at the North Conway Community Center. We are pleased to welcome yoga instructors Anjali Rose and Renee Innes for outdoor yoga classes on the gazebo.
Rose has been with us for many youth and adult yoga sessions over the years. In addition to hosting group instructional classes here at the center, she often hosts off-site yoga sessions that benefit the North Conway Community Center in which a portion of the proceeds are donated to our organization.
Anjali is hosting yoga in the gazebo on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. For more information, go to northconwaycommunitycenter.org/instructional-classes and to find a link to Rose’s website to register online.
In June, Rose will be hosting yoga benefit classes on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Settlers Green at the labyrinth near Barley and Salt. The North Conway Community Center will benefit from a portion of the proceeds.
Innes is an instructor with Sacred Circle of Wellness which is located just across the street from the North Conway Community Center. Innes is hosting prenatal yoga on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. in the gazebo. She describes the class as a series that teaches the safest ways to stay fit physically, mentally and emotionally through movement and breath work in order to prepare the body and mind for the athletic event of labor and birth. It also offers education about the pregnant body and tips for postpartum recovery. For more information, go to northconwaycommunitycenter.org/instructional-classes and to find a link to Sacred Center of Wellness where you can register online.
The 15th annual golf tournament with presenting sponsor Eastern Propane and Oil was a huge success this year. Our participation was up by nearly 50 percent. We had perfect weather and it was a treat to see so many friends of the center again. We are grateful for the many sponsors of the event. The North Conway Country Club was a pleasure to work with and our players were very pleased with the delicious food put out by their new kitchen manager, Dan. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it.
Registration for Mountain Biking Session B is open on our website. We look forward to a mini session of off-site mountain biking. The group will go to Sticks and Stones, Hemlock Lane, and the Cranmore Bike Park for a grand finale adventure. The program runs June 4-18. The cost of this short session is $10 and open to intermediate and advanced riders in grades second through sixth. Go to northconwaycommunitycenter.org/youth-sports to register online.
The MWV Farmers’ Market, taking place at the North Conway Community Center this year on Tuesday afternoons, is welcoming farmers, artisans, and food truck vendors to fill out the vendor application online. Go to northconwaycommunitycenter.org/farmers-market to fill out the online application or to print a PDF version. The MWV Farmers’ Market committee strives to maintain a high ratio of food vendors.
Blood drives continue to take place every other week. The next drives are scheduled for May 28 and June 11. Drives are hosted by the American Red Cross from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To make an appointment to donate blood, visit redcrossblood.org. The American Red Cross performs COVID-19 antibody testing for all blood donations.
AA meetings take place on Tuesdays at noon, Wednesdays at noon and 7 p.m., Thursdays at 12:30 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays at 10 a.m. Saturday morning meetings take place in the gym whereas the other meetings take place in the multipurpose room. To join the multipurpose room meetings, use the playground entrance along the side of the building. To join the gym meetings, use the parking lot entrance located in the back of the building at 78 Norcross Circle.
The Mountain Garden Club will be hosting its annual spring plant sale on June 5 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The sale includes annuals, perennials, floral baskets, and other decor. Sales benefit the MGW Alice T. Madden Scholarship and community beautification projects of the Mountain Garden Club.
Our building will continue to be closed to the general public for the time being, but we are welcoming folks in for scheduled programs and meetings. If you have a program, meeting, or event that you would like to host at the North Conway Community Center, email carrie@northconwaycommunitycenter.org to find out more about our COVID-safe criteria.
Creating a Sustainable Practice
Yoga, like any activity, is one to be approached with curiosity and a beginner's mind. My journey began with watching yoga videos and practicing in my home before I had the courage to go to a studio. From there, the rest is history. YET, each day I start my day with yoga, whether pranayama, meditation, asana or prayer, these practices continue to remind me of the importance of PRACTICE. Believe me there are days I'd prefer to sleep in or am easily distracted, however, it's always on the mat I find the peace and calm needed each day to be present and be of service.
Want a sustainable practice, here are 5 steps:
Set a time when you can practice each day. Mornings can energize, lunchtime can renew, and evenings can relax and unwind the body, mind and spirit.
Commit - make it your self-care time
Listen to your body - Choose asanas to support your body that day.
Don't Judge or Compare yourself - accept yourself on the mat.
Breathe - the breath is key to centering and being in the present.
At Anjali Rose Bliss Yoga and Healing, my mission is to offer many opportunities to participate in yoga. Click here to view the schedule.
Practice is the key.
Blissfully,
Anjali
Anjali Rose Bliss Healing is part of the MWV Business Virtual Expo held Tuesday, April 20 and Wednesday April 21. Be sure to check out my video and pictures of participants.
Mindfulness and Self-Care for Transformation of Your Well-being
Originally published in the Conway Daily Sun.
Recently, I had the pleasure of teaching a virtual workshop for the Jackson Community Church on Mindfulness for a Healthy Well-being. Our intention is to bring the community together to create health and well-being. Here’s what I discovered, most everyone is looking to increase their levels of joy and happiness in their lives by reducing stress and anxiety. It seems as a society we are constantly looking to improve our health in one way or another, and why not science shows mindfulness improves our everyday health and well-being. During this of all years, we need it even more.
There are numerous types of mindfulness activities which can sometimes create some indecision on where to begin. Ever had the thought, “oh my gosh I don’t know where to begin so I didn’t”. Well,here in this article, I hope to simplify those choices and create a pathway for you as each of us can integrate one or more practices into our daily routines and create moments, minutes, hours, days and weeks of ongoing happiness and joy!
Mindful Movement
Mindful movement is where the breath and movement connect to create a deep awareness of the physical, emotional and mental well-being in the present moment. In my practice, I teach this through yoga, whether it be a hatha yoga flow or a Yin/Restorative practice, we move our bodies with the breath to release and let go of inner chatter allowing for the flow of joy and happiness.
Mindful Eating
Here we take time to plan what we eat, eat when we are hungry, choose healthy foods and portions and remove all distractions while eating. This practice tends to be one of the more challenging for me and many of my clients as it takes true commitment and focus. As I write this I’m chuckling about sharing a bag of Twizzlers yesterday with my friend Maureen, truly “mindless” eating. It happens. Each month I teach a virtual Plant Based Cooking Class to bring in the mindfulness of cooking and eating. Practice is the key.
Mindful Listening
Listening to the nuances of soft sound, hearing and digesting what a person is communicating to us, relishing in the sounds of nature and music and processing the feeling of what we hear in our bodies versus our brain. What feelings does it conjure up? We all have our favorite genres, try listening to meditation music and notice how you feel.
Mindful Energy
Being in the flow, creating a sense of movement energetically and being attuned to our physical, mental and emotional energy and where we place it in the moment.
My dad died recently and as I noticed the heaviness of grief, it became apparent this kind of energy needed to be cared for. My practice includes the use of reiki healing energy and this type of healing is profound for removing stagnant energy and creating the natural healing flow of energy within the body. Our mind, body, spiritual connection is meant to be clear so our energy can flow through all aspects of us for a healthy well-being.
Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation is key to all mindfulness as it slows the chatter of the mind, brings our breath and focus into attention and taps into the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is the opposite of fight and flight, which is where most Americans live, and the parasympathetic nervous system creates a healthy and healing response for the body to restore and repair itself naturally.
Mindfulness Guidance
Connecting with a holistic practitioner for guidance on where to begin, what baby steps to take on your pathway to health and well-being, whether you begin, physically, mentally or emotionally, eventually the pathway integrates all of these into a holistic plan or path; some would call a spiritual path to wholeness.
Where do I start you ask? Wisdom comes from within and whether you begin with mindful movement or a “guidance” call with me to create your plan, my role at Anjali Rose Bliss Healing is to mentor and guide you on this mindfulness process. During this year, many of us have gone to virtual platforms for movement classes and mindfulness activities. Any aspect of your path can be done virtually or in person with me. Click here to get in touch.
Finding Balance in Everyday Life
Hello Dear Ones:
As we explore balance in life and how transformative balance can be, innately, my hope is to guide each of us to explore balance in our mind, body and soul. Feeling into our energy can often tell us where we might need more balance in our lives and I love using the chakras and yoga postures as a way to realign our balance and transform our way of being.
Just this weekend I noticed my lower back and neck feeling a bit out of whack and then feeling a bit out of balance in my daily tasks. Well they certainly go together, don't they. Once I realigned my back this morning with some yoga poses, hip openers and lower back stretches. I became more aware of what needed to be accomplished today to feel back in balance in my daily tasks. (No pun intended) Saying no to a couple of requests (although that's not always easy) was one way to find balance again in my day.
What other ways might we find balance and align our energy in the mind, body and soul? Anatomically speaking, our sacrum is key to physical balance as it supports the pelvis and sits at the base of the spinal column. Spiritually, the sacrum or Svadhisthana, Sacral Chakra is the energy of flow like the water element. It is also the chakra that governs your emotions, your creativity, sensitivity, sexuality, intimacy, emotional well-being, and self-expression,” This week we will focus on sacral stabilizing postures for transformation and flow.
Pose of the Week
Sarvangasana Bridge Pose
May your day be filled with light and love,
Anjali
Psst! Save the date for February 20, 2021 for a Virtual Self-Care Retreat!
Yoga is Light
The more we practice and cultivate our light, the brighter the flame.
The busy mind is described as quieting down through a number of ways: lengthening the breath, concentration on objects, or on experiences in deep sleep or dream states. It is also suggested that the mind can be quieted by concentration on the ever-present source of light that is believed to dwell inside the human heart. This light grows brighter when we do practices – each practice brings us closer to our inner light, the source within.
Perhaps a gentle meditation this week of imagining the light with each breath, and practicing this mantra which is one I share with my Reiki students, I am the Light, The Light is within me, the light surrounds me, the light protects me, I am the light. Say this three times and notice how you feel, much lighter I hope. Replacing any heart "hurt" with light, gently consoling the inner self with this warm and beautiful light. Take the light with you where ever you go.
Pose of the Week
May your day be filled with light and love,
Anjali
Psst! Save the date for February 20, 2021 for a Virtual Self-Care Retreat!
Self-Love: Take a Selfie of Your Heart
February brings with it a sense of love, storybook romance, roses, chocolates and a divine connection between you and a partner. As we celebrate this love, remember, you can only love another to the extent you love yourself.
From one of my spiritual mentors, I share this with you.
“Self-love is rooted in self-forgiveness. Generosity of the heart, reverence, respect, and empathy for all living things bring you profound power to live a life of happiness and contentment. And that includes generosity, empathy, and compassion for yourself! ”
Of course, we want to protect our hearts from hurt, resentment and anger, yet it is only in self-love and forgiveness we can truly feel the wholeness of peace and integration of love in our hearts. Might today be the day each of us begins the ritual of self-love beginning with forgiveness for ourselves to create health, happiness and an open-heart. I'm ready are you?
As we focus on self-love, forgiveness and sharing our authentic selves, I invite you to create a ritual of mindful movement, intentional healing and self-reflection. Here’s a favorite yoga pose to assist in mindful movement, a prayer for intentional healing and a ritual for daily reflection.
A Heart Opener for Mindful Movement
Prayer for Intentional Healing
Dear Source/Spirit/God/Goddess,
May today be the day I fully forgive myself and others, share my authentic self, be kind and gentle to myself and those I love, be truthful with my feelings, and love myself from the inside out. May I connect my mind, body and soul to the heartfelt intentions of love, peace and joy, going inward for my true essence and light. Thank you for this or something better. So be it! And So it is! (AR)
Ritual for Daily Reflection
Light a candle, gaze into the candle, and ask how might I be of service today? Listen for the whispers of the heart, they are meant to be heard.
May your day be filled with light and love,
Anjali
Psst! Save the date for February 20, 2021 for a Virtual Self-Care Retreat!
Finding The Type of Insight That Inspires Commitment
Often we begin a new year with lofty goals and intentions. Some set from the heart some from the heat of the moment. During January, we may start a new class or yoga practice with the intention of showing up with consistency, then after time when it's convenient, when it's possible, perhaps if I have nothing else going on. Yet it is during this time, we can go within and ask, what makes me feel alive, what lights me up and where during the week am I the most peaceful. If the answer is on your yoga mat, connecting with your tribe and committing with curiosity to your own self-mastery, then kudos to you. This is the type of insight that inspires commitment.
It's okay to falter yet we know with curiosity we find our vibe, our flow, our destination and path to the mat, over and over again. You see, the mat is always calling for our presence, it's a gift, a present of sorts. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it! That’s it. Begin. Begin. And, then, begin again. It’s about the process of beginning again and again along this path. Gathering up our attention with intention and getting going… each new day. (J. S. Yoga) Commanding our commitment is about self-mastery, self-discipline, the daily commitment to what serves our highest good. Yoga is here for everyone's highest good, to go inward with curiosity commanding the self-mastery and exploration to create our highest and best self. I believe in you, so let's begin.
All my love,
Anjali
“Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back. The moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
Finding Peace and Love During Turbulent Times
Sometimes what we are looking for is right in front of us and is quite often within us. Today and as move forward, we look to activate the peace and love from within as we join together on our yoga mats to breath, practice and relish in community.
In my meditation practice each day, I find the peace, love and sense of bliss in the quiet moments, the stillness, the times when I look inward for intuition and direction. For me, coming home is going inward and a special place where I know all of my true self exists.
As we encounter the outside world, we may sometimes feel a sense of turbulence may temporarily upset the balance within. Remember, it is within where the true balance exists.
So perhaps as our outward circumstances challenge us we go inward for the peace, love and calm to create an inner bliss, a non-reactionary state of being. Take the time this week to breathe, relax and release on your mat, your mind, body and soul will thank you for this.
All my love,
Anjali
"Shine your light"
Pose of the Month
Shanti Virabhadrasana
Holiday Habits: Creating Self-Care Instead of Stress
The current trend in holistic wellness circles is self-care. Being a woman and working with mostly women,I am seeing more and more women wishing to address self-care as part of their lifestyle. Of course, most of us know quite a bit about nutrition, exercise, sleep and a myriad of other ways to empower better choices. Between magazines at the check out line in grocery stores and the influx of information on the Web, we can have access to any amount of information we want, yet finding what’s right for us individually can be a bit more challenging. We are often like circus jugglers, with many balls in the air, hoping not to drop one of them.
I can tell you many stories of miraculous shifts in people’s way of feeling better about themselves and their health after receiving Reiki treatments. Reiki has been a gift that keeps giving in my life and has helped restore my own health and well-being during different phases of my life. Women’s health is a special focus of my practice. Woman at all phases of life, early adolescence, young mothers, breastfeeding mothers, woman at peri and post menopausal phases of life can be supported with Reiki as a way to nurture themselves, bring in alternative methods for healing and experience the relaxation to feel more clarity, more health and more self-care. Each session is unique and geared towards the individual. And as women we are often the center of our family and needing to be healthy to support others.
So notice the feeling this brings in for you. Your right hand is filled with what’s creating stress in your life, the left hand is filled with self-care practices, which feels heavier, the right hand? Simply open the right hand and let it go, then focus on bringing in what creates space, love, and light in your life, perhaps, it’s your favorite fragrance, a warm bath filled with lavender scents, or time unplugged from technology, perhaps a quiet dinner with a loved one.
Habit stacking, or creating a foundation of healthy habits can lead to a life of optimal health. We all have a toolbox filled with skills, ideas and ways of being and here is where we can tap into the divine gift. Open yourself to the possibility of carving out time for you, whether that be daily exercise , reiki sessions, or simply being in nature or with positive people.
What can you offer yourself today in love and compassion?
Connect with me and my tribe on facebook, instagram, or in my new on-line offerings, Women of Wisdom, Oracle Cards and/or Reiki sessions or training. Or contact me for a 1:1 oracle card reading.
Mantra for the day! Eat well, live fully, move mindfully and be compassionate with yourself. “I love myself fully and completely” Just for today, I am stress-free.