Beloved Reader!

Aren’t these long days beautiful? Rain or shine, warm or cool... doesn’t it feel lovely to move freely among the explosion of greenery and blooms? I love it.

You’ve probably read about my European adventures in last month’s newsletter, but you may not know that I barely slept while I was away. Between jet lag and time differences, I managed about three hours of sleep at a time, punctuated by insomnia. 

This meant that I was often awake in the wee hours of the morning... At first, I worried (a lot) about being exhausted during the following day, and about missing out on experiences. Luckily, I remembered to use some of the suggestions that I recommend to others in such cases. Two practices, in particular, became my best allies. This was in no small part due to the fact I could do them while lying in bed.

I followed guided yoga nidra visualizations on my cell phone (an example here) and I practised self-Reiki every night at bedtime, or in the wee hours of the morning when I couldn't sleep. I also practised them at normal wake up times, to set the tone for the coming day. They helped me to release my anxiety about “not sleeping”, and they brought me to rest as well as to some revelations. More about the latter in a moment. Honestly, the anxiety about not sleeping was worse than the condition itself....

Another bonus was being able to experience the beautiful quiet and numinous energy of the hours before dawn, and of dawn itself. It is no wonder that yogis and yoginis consider this time to be auspicious for meditation. It is said that the veils between the everyday and the transcendent worlds are most permeable at these times. Even cities are at their most peaceful and fresh. 

I usually engaged in the nidra practice first in order to relax and open up, and followed with a simple laying on of hands. (You can read about it in this newsletter.) I continued to breathe gently while resting soft hands over my eyes, crown, ears, throat, heart, belly, root. In order to reach my lower limbs I would either sit up, or I would or fold them in while I continued to recline. I connected with my hips, lower back, knees, ankles and feet. Some days I would mix up the order, or I would add or subtract locations as intuition led me.

As I touched each part of myself with love, I visualized it fresh and whole. This came easily in some spots and took some time in others. Insomnia had gifted me with extra time, so I could choose to spend a little longer in the places that were guarded or had been rendered "offline". Many revelations emerged. Most of them had to do with unraveling memories and stories in the spots where I have had injuries, or where difficult memories were stored. I had loads of opportunities to reframe how I think about and describe these areas.

Here is one small example to give you the general flavour of my moments of reflection. I happn to have bunions and a hammer toe; they are often painful, and they require me to wear comfortable shoes and to do corrective exercises on a regular basis. That is a fact on one level, but I confess that I felt my energy drop as I wrote and reread that particular description... Perhaps you felt that shift too? Or perhaps you started to think about some pain that accompanies you in your life?

Nowadays I am exploring a new way to bring healing energy to my feet and toes. As I touch them, I spend our connection time in appreciation of their beauty. I marvel at the miracle of their engineering, and also at the many wonderful adventures on which they have carried me. I look to remember a time in the past when they were whole and felt whole, and I visualize and feel them in a fresh incarnation that lies ahead. Lol, as I sense and write about this other way of perceiving reality, I feel full of effervescent energy and my feet feel happy! Of course, this is a work in progress... but it is so much more fun approaching it this way.  It brings hope and delight to the process. And wherever there is more Prana Shakti or Qi, healing is naturally ignited. Energy follows thought.

In this month’s newsletter, I offer you images and words of inspiration. Unicorns are magical creatures that reveal themselves to us when our hearts are light and free, and The Star of Tarot always brings hope. Above all, our imagination is a powerful tool that is always available to us. 

Blessings to you, and thank you for your beautiful presence. May our hearts, minds and bodies be full of hope and infinite possibilities.

~ Karusia Nirmala