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peace

Beauty, Balance & Peace

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I am delighted to be part of a month-long online project entitled “Beauty, Balance & Peace”, a foundation for weaving voices of peace hosted by Janet Stanley. This is an online gathering of Peacemakers from around the world that will begin on November 4th, 2019.

I met Janet on a trip to Finland and Estonia this past July. It was an incredible trip organized by Elisha MacMillan and Christie Perrault to witness the 150th anniversary celebration of the Estonian Song Festival. 

The Estonian Song Festival

“The Estonian Song Festival (in Estonian: laulupidu, Estonian pronunciation: [?l?u.lu?pi.du]) is one of the largest amateur choral events in the world, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is held every five years in July on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak) simultaneously with the Estonian Dance Festival.” There were 32,000 voices of all ages singing with a full orchestra to over 120,000 thrilled audience members.

It celebrates the heritage of this small country on the Baltic Sea that has been overtaken by other powerful nations in the past. The singing celebrations became the main anchor of Estonian identity. In the 19th century, the choirs and song celebrations were at the core of the national awakening of Estonian peasants. As a result, it helped establish an identity that indirectly led to the country’s independence in 1918.

My Experience at the Estonian Song Festival

As a singer, it was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had. Though I did not understand the words sung, the emotion and strength of the message of peace, unity and hope was profound.  The various costumes each group wore to represent their cultural heritage were so colourful and creative. “Research shows that 48% of the Estonian population has, at some time in their lives, taken part in the song celebration and is one of the remaining activities that is enjoyed by the whole of society.” https://estonianworld.com/culture/gallery-estonian-song-celebration-2019/

There were 10 women who were drawn to the invitation and of which I personally knew only 3 before we came together. We entered into our own sacred ceremony for the trip to bring the message of peace and freedom home with us. This was more important than we first thought as we shared a small air b & b with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. We had beds and suitcases all over and managed to get through potential sticky situations with much grace and humour!

Being a Part of Janet’s Peace Project

On one of our many stimulating discussions, Janet shared a Peace project she was undertaking to launch in the fall. After all my years leading Women’s Wellness Circles, I have come to truly know the empowerment that comes from people sharing their own stories and gifts. I was immediately drawn to learn more about her endeavor. Therefore, we arranged to connect upon our return and was asked to take part in her project and be interviewed which I humbly accepted.

With this in mind, I encourage you to accept the invitation and sign up to listen to the 24 interviews of people who are living out their own version of peacekeeping in our world. https://0vs1sd5o.pages.infusionsoft.net/

May they inspire each of us to become more conscious of our thoughts and actions as we continue to create a world that works for everyone.

Enjoy a few of my photos and a short video from the Song Festival.

Until next time,

Karen    

Japan – Collaboration & Creativity

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Looking through my photos of my trip to Japan allows me to continue to integrate my experience. Today I want to share what is possible when we open up to collaboration from others on a challenge to create something totally unique and special.

The Buddhist Temple of Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
One of the Temples that I visited really touched my heart from this perspective. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is a Buddhist Temple in the Arashiyama neighbourhood of Kyoto. Originally founded by Empress Shotoku in the middle of the eighth century, it was destroyed once by flooding and once by a civil war. It was moved to its current location in 1922, later suffering typhoon damage in 1950.  It took thirty years to repair the damage but when it was finally restored worshipers celebrated by donating the 1200 rakan sculptures (stone statues representing the disciples of Buddha).

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Japan – My Inspiration for My 2018 Intention Words

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Happy 2018 to all…a fulfillment of my intention words for last year led me to book a spiritual reiki trip to Japan in November. It was there that my 2018 Intention words were inspired.

The Trip of a Lifetime

Yes – a trip of a lifetime opportunity arrived in my inbox early in 2017.  Coincidence or co-created by my intention words? I choose to believe that our thoughts are energetic and assist in attracting their matching experiences.  I read the invitation entitled, The Essence of our Practice, and felt my whole being respond with a YES!

Full Alignment

Then my head engaged and started the series of practical responses.  You know what I mean.  It is too much money, it is right after my chorus trip to Las Vegas, I should not take that much time away from my clients and on and on.  So I left it alone for almost 2 weeks, all the while thinking about it constantly.  Then I remembered my intention words for the year.  Fearless Living and Stillness. That was it – I decided that it was in full alignment with what I wanted to create and the universe would provide all I needed to support it.  My experience confirmed this to be absolutely true!

Intention Words for 2018

I will share a few blogs to start this year around my magical trip to Japan however this one will focus on my Intention words for 2018. It was organized and led by Phyllis Furumoto, the Grand Master of the Usui System of Reiki Healing. I joined 12 other reiki masters/practitioners from around the world to explore the Essence of our Practice; it’s deep roots and traditions. Part of our trip included a visit to Mount Kurama outside Kyoto, a sacred mountain for many and the location of Dr. Usui’s enlightenment Reiki experience.

Our first experience on the mountain was not an organized tour day.  Instead, Phyllis arranged for us to receive a beautiful boxed lunch, gather our notebooks and enter into a silent solo pilgrimage for the day.

It was a beautiful clear and cool fall day. I was filled with emotion as I pulled on my boots and bundled up for my day.  How many times have I shared the reiki story with my students over the years and now – I had the chance to walk the same path of our founding Master, a journey that has impacted so many lives over the last century including mine. I was definitely in a mindful space.  Once I paid my entrance fee, I received a map and a small printed ticket which included this prayer:

“Since Primordial times, the life-energizing vitality of Mao-san (symbol of Power), the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the Earth, has pervaded Mt. Kurama. Imbued with this life energy, a wide variety of life forms resides here in serenity, and the rich natural environment continues to flourish.

Since the guardians of heaven Bishamonten (symbol of light) at the end of the Nara Period and the thousand-armed Senju-kannon bodhisattva (symbol of love) at the beginning of Heian Period became enshrined in this land, people have continued to flock here to offer their heartfelt prayers.

At Kurama Temple today, these three venerated deities are worshipped as the trinity of Sonten (symbol of cosmic energy). All those who come into contact with Mt. Kurama not only receive the life energy emanating from the mountain but also become conscious of their own “shinge” (pure and innocent spirit), and look forward to the dawn of a world of peace and harmony where lives of all people will shine with the brightest of lights. To create a world, where all lives shine,

Beautiful as the Moon (Love)
Warm as the Sun (Light)
Powerful as the Earth (Power)
We trust in Sonten for all things.”

Reading this put me into the perfect inner space to become conscious of my own pure and innocent spirit and my day was magical and rich in embodying the roots of my practice.  As I descended the mountain late in the afternoon, these words came to me and I knew they would become my 2018 Intention words.

Honour – to honour my teachers, all living things, and the planet I call home.

Gratitude – closely related, however it felt more like focusing on having a grateful heart and attitude in my life.

Playfulness – with another mountain spirit present named Tengu, my seriousness was interrupted with something that took me by surprise and made me laugh. It reminded me to keep a playful spirit alive in my life.

2018 feels full of opportunity to challenge the status quo and to continue to play my part in creating a world where all lives shine. May we all adopt this symbol of trust in Sonten and let Light, Love and Power lead us forward.  It will challenge many deeply held patterns so make sure to allow for a playful spirit to accompany you.

More to come from my travels in Japan. Happy New Year.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

In harmony,

Karen

Good Sleep – A Key Foundation

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Continuing on my last post’s theme of hormone disruptors and building on the key health foundation of good sleep; I would like to share with you my journey to find a new mattress.

As we spend approximately 1/3 of our day resting and rejuvenating, it warrants spending some time researching what contributes to a good night’s sleep.  I have been experiencing an increased amount of arm numbness and neck tension upon awaking so it has got my attention big time. Starting the day feeling rested and ready to go is the only way in my opinion. Read more

Top Hormone Disruptors

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happy-hormones

image courtesy of authenticdiscovery.com.au

I have been unable to ignore a message coming to me lately to share on my blog.  Hormone disruptors are a key component affecting our core health and the ability to keep our body strong.  I respect the research and work of The Environmental Working Group and as I reviewed their site, I found this wonderful blog post that I would like to share in its complete form with you. Read more

Are you in Balance? What’s your Wake-up Call?

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Being out of balance is a result of not paying attention to our needs, physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.  What is your wake-up call that brings you back to awareness?

Encouraging balance in life…

My tag line for Inside Out is “encouraging balance in life…” I chose this because it has been part of my journey and continues to require tuning in and presence.  I have identified some keys that bring me back to balance and the process just might work for you too. Read more

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

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For those of you following my posts this year, you will have noticed a theme.  I embarked this year on expanding my awareness of healthy lifestyle choices that result in feeling more energized, happy and physically strong.  This inner pull was motivated by new hormonal shifts taking place in my body that created a feeling of not being in control. I felt exhausted, my digestion was sensitive, I got light heart palpitations at night and my natural exuberance for life was hard to connect to. This menopausal feeling mimicked my early months of pregnancy when I felt exhausted, nauseous and overly sensitive to food and smells. What I knew was – it wasn’t a happy place! Read more

Dream Projects – My Fairy Garden

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Last fall I decided it was time to take action on one of my dream projects…my Fairy Garden. I know – you are thinking, what constitutes a Fairy Garden? I have 3 sons so I have had that question arise a time or two. My vision was to have a garden located outside my home office window that I could gaze out to when I was home working on the computer. It would be a place that invited nature to interact and I could watch and enjoy the happy scenery. It all started when I bought a wonderful bird house from our church talent auction that was made by one of our elders. I asked my husband to put it up outside my office window where I could watch the birds come and go. Read more

Why Reiki?

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One morning after handing my middle son over to our new sitter while he cried hysterically, I also cried all the way to the office. I sat in the parking lot for some time to gain my composure and walked in the door. A close colleague saw me and immediately took my arm leading me to a quiet room to ask what was going on. I told her I just didn’t think I could keep going like this; that I didn’t bring my sons into this world for someone else to raise. I missed being with them more and I was exhausted. She smiled and said; “What you need is Reiki”. I didn’t even know what that was. “Why Reiki?” I asked. Her reply was that it would help me find my truth. Read more

Things to Remember When the Shift Hits the Fan

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GoingWithTheFlowHave you been noticing the shifts lately?  You know the ones that are bringing up old stuff that are calling to be released!  Planetary influences are all about “releasing what no longer serves us” so I have been noticing with many clients and in my own life opportunities to release and to transform our thoughts and perceptions.  I took my reiki mastery training with Dean Noblett and Rebecca Couch of Heartlight in Schomberg.  Rebecca is an excellent writer and she posted this piece on Spirit Library that fits perfectly for the energies taking place right now. Here are some things to remember when the shift hits the fan!

Dean & RebeccaProcess Your Emotions Honestly Feeling makes you human. Allow your emotions to express themselves within you truthfully. Just be with them as they arise, because you have a right to feel however you do. Stay with them until you can name them – but don’t get stuck in them and don’t hurt yourself or anyone else with them! You are not your emotions; you are oh-so-much more.

Breathe and know that all is well.

Remain Calm and Carry On Just like any emergency situation, you can think and respond better when you are calm. Remember that there is great power and balance in neutrality. Don’t take anything personally. Be the neutral, objective watcher as much as possible. Have courage, and keep on keeping on…there are great insights ahead. Always put the oxygen mask on yourself first.

Breathe and know that all is well.

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Vision in Action

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Harbour Breezes Nova Scotia

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My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Nova Scotia where we visited with friends in Musquodoboit Harbour on the Eastern Shore about 45 minutes from Halifax. While there we toured an incredible garden property called Harbour Breezes where owners Allan and Shane have created a visionary wonderland. I wanted to share this story with you because I was so moved by what I experienced walking these gardens and listening to the story of its “becoming”.  It truly is a “Vision in Action”.

The property was purchased in 2004 and opened to the public in 2006. Its location is ideal being right on the well traveled Hwy. #7 along the Eastern Shore at Jeddore Harbour with a south facing view of the water. From the humble home at the road, the property goes straight uphill behind.  The land is rough, covered in large rocks, trees and native scrub brush. As the story unfolded, we learned that every year Allan gave his creative dreams permission to grow with lots of hard work and research and determination. The core lines of products are Day Lilies and they currently have over 750 varieties with new ones being added every year.

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2013 – Preparing for New Beginnings

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new-beginningsWell – here we are 1 week before Christmas day and 2 weeks left in 2012!   I know you may be fully engulfed in preparing for the activities that are abundant right now so what am I doing talking about “preparing for new beginnings”?

This is a new beginning time for me every year because I happen to have my birthday in December.  I seem to be drawn to completing unfinished projects before my birthday and to begin thinking about my next year.  The other pattern for me in December is to give my home a thorough cleaning before I put up any Christmas decorations.  The thought of adding beauty to clutter just feels like adding clutter to clutter.

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