A is for Abundance

It's no coincidence that this is the time of year when my patients start job searching, giving their boss the extra side eye, or dreaming about that business they want to start.  That's the Wood Element within us, pushing us toward the fullest expression of ourselves.   We learn from the Wood Element: 

 

A flower doesn't ask for its share of the sun, it just grows instinctively toward the light.  

The Wood Element is about self-actualization, and encourages us to ask ourselves:

Am I living my best life? Am I living ON PURPOSE? 

If the answer to those questions  is Yes- we feel ridiculously abundant.  Money and resources effortlessly flow our way.  We sing on our way to work (there's a playlist for that). We stand in our power.  

If the answers to those questions are NO- we feel stuck. Burdened.  Overwhelmed. Frustrated.  Powerless... and often- broke.

Here are my favorite ways to energetically tap back into the flow of abundance that is our birthright:

 

1. Write Money is Love on all of your checks and credit card slips.

According to Barbara Wilder, author of "Money is Love: Reconnecting to the Sacred Origins of Money", this will help to shift any fear and limiting beliefs that you align with your money.  It also sends a positive vibration of money out into the universe. I've tried this, and it really, truly works.     

2. Practice Gracious Receiving

Allow yourself to receive gifts, praise, and compliments without negating them, discrediting them, or trying to return them.  Why? Because you are worthy, and worthy of abundance.

  

3. Practice Generosity

The more your share, the more you have! It's just as true for money as it is for love and happiness.  So, practice giving expecting nothing in return, just for the heck of it. Donate to organizations you love, tithe at a spiritual organization, or 

give surprisingly great gifts (for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or just because!).

 

4.  De-Clutter

Get rid of stuff- mental, emotional or physical- that may be blocking the way for something new to come in.  Let your Spring Cleaning be both inside and out! Let go of anything you no longer need or doesn't bring you absolute joy, and create space in your life for more.  As Ms. Badu advises, "Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go."

Want a deeper dive into the science of abundance?  Check out the recording of my webinar Flower Essences 101: Attracting Abundance to learn about key flower essences to shift your blocks to abundance.  If you're ready to get your business dream off the ground,  come in for In My Element Business Coaching. There are so many ways to tune in, and to live on purpose.

Wishing you love, light, and abundance this season!

xoxoxoxo

Lindsay 

Vision Board... or Prayer Board?

Every Winter Solstice, I gather with the women of the Kamaria Circle to explore the depths of Yin before the return of the Yang.  In our contemporary 'red tent' we honor the many gifts of the Sacred Feminine:  stillness, receptivity, intuition.  And one of the major projects of that evening is getting started on our Prayer Boards for the new year. 

A Prayer Board is very similar to a vision board, and both are very powerful tools for manifestation. As we discovered as we shared stories around the circle, both work!  But there are some key differences that make Prayer Boards unique:

1) Intention

Vision boards are  focused on what you want to achieve or acquire (i.e. a promotion at work, vacation abroad,  car, etc.) It is best created when you can clearly see what you want- hence the name 'Vision Board'!  A Prayer Board focuses on who you want to become and what you want to feel. So rather than envisioning a promotion, you might include symbols that remind you to stand in your power and stand up for your worth.  Instead of a hot vacay destination, your board might tap into the feelings of relaxation, serenity, or even adventure.  The point is the why, not the what.  

2) Openness
A Vision Board is clear and specific- its purpose is to keep you focused and moving toward your stated goals.  A Prayer Board holds the feeling of your intention, but is open to many of ways of it manifesting.  Its like saying "this or something better" at the end of a prayer: it keeps us from limiting our expectations to what we already know to be possible.  A Prayer Board allows space for the expansiveness of the Universe to flood us with insight, solutions, and opportunities beyond what we might have imagined.  We surrender what we think we might want for our lives to receive the abundance that is already effortlessly flowing our way.  

For example, one of my goals this year is to increase my public speaking engagements.   Instead of putting the names of specific places I'd like to present, I am putting a microphone so that I can attract the right opportunities.  I might end up somewhere I'd never have thought to explore, and I'm open to the right workings of a Universe that has never steered me wrong.  An added bonus is that the symbol reminds me to 'speak my truth'- which will serve me not only in my career, but in all of my 
relationships.

The Yi in Me: Where Heaven Meets Earth

Today is the 14th day of my 30-day hot yoga challenge.  And on day 14, I feel like a superwoman. 

Let me rewind for a second. It's not the yoga that has me soaring. Ok... it IS partly the yoga.  My back feels lengthened and tall. Instead of slumping my shoulders, I'm walking with my heart extended forward-  vulnerable, exposed and unafraid. I can actually feel

energy in parts of my body that were once numb and uninhabited.  Even my ovaries are talking.  

But more then the yummy goodness I feel from the yoga practice, there's the extraordinary joy I've discovered that comes with my intentions and my actions being in alignment.The self-satisfaction of following through with doing exactly what I said I would do and honoring my commitment to myself.  And that, my friends, is what the ancient Taoists called the Yi. 

Every element in Chinese Medicine has a spiritual component, and the spirit of the Earth Element is called the Yi. The glyph for the Yi is both poetic and powerful.  It depicts a heart with a musical note above it, asking us, "Are we singing the song of our hearts?"The Yi resides at the horizon of the earth, and is responsible for making sure our inspiration from heaven is empowered and animated with the energies of the earth. It's that crucial link that I often bypass when I am trying to manifest something. 

This... or That? Another way to do business...

This year Oceans & Rivers celebrates her 6th anniversary!  When I launched O&R back in 2010, I knew two things:  1) I wanted to help women step into the fullness of their lives, and 2) I wanted to create a lifestyle that gave me the flexibility to be there for my daughter in her most important moments.  (I also knew I wasn't quite cut out for working for other people, but that's another blog post...) 

  

What I found out was that most small businesses fail within the first five years.  I had flirted with being one of those statistics many times over.  I remember being so overwhelmed that I seriously considered giving it all up to work at Target- which seemed, quite honestly, a less stressful, more lucrative, and more stable work life.   I dreamed about the simplicity of red shirts and khaki pants. 

Is Harvest Moon for You? Here's How to Tell:

I wish I Could...

I think I Can...

Don't Mind if I Do!

If your thinking about the Harvest Moon Retreat sounded something like that, then I can't wait to see you in the Catskills!   I literally can't wait for the cooling breeze and the autumn trees...  

But if you're still in the I wish I could phase, here are some ways to tell if the Harvest Moon Retreat is exactly what you need:

1.  This is you on the first day of school:

This summer I took on an extra, unpaid job as my daughter's personal assistant.  Responsibilities included coordinating transportation to and from camp, scheduling playdates, and

programming fun summer activities.   So...  I join mamas across the country in celebration of back-to-school, which means I can get a little bit back-to-me.

 

2. You're ready for CHANGE

Maybe you need small micro-adjustments, or maybe you need a whole life overhaul.  The Autumn Equinox welcomes in the Metal Element- the season of transformation- and the ideal time for creating new schedules, new habits, and new routines.  At the Harvest Moon Retreat, we'll be taking time, taking stock, and taking charge.  Let me help you Find Your Flow!