What type of Manifestor are you?

Manifestation is a topic that gets a lot of coverage in the personal development space. And it makes sense…the idea that you can make whatever you want happen is undeniably alluring. I’ve seen it described as everything from simply “the power of positive thinking” to outright magic. But not everyone is designed to manifest in the same way. Human Design teaches there are two distinct ways we are designed to manifest: Specific or Non-Specific.

As a quick refresher, these are the general principles of manifestation:

-       Have clarity on something that you want

-       Focus your energy (intention) towards that thing through visualization

-       Take inspired action to align with your goal

-       Set your desires free, releasing ego-driven attachment

-       Be open to receiving what you want or something better

Most manifestation guides will tell you to be super specific in order to attract exactly what you want. They suggest that if you aren’t crystal clear then you are more likely to settle for something less that comes along. Or even when something does present itself, you won’t even recognize it because you hadn’t gotten clarity on what you want.

But some of us are designed to be more active with the details and others are designed to be more passive.

If you are a Specific Manifestor, you are designed to take an active, assertive role in manifesting what you want. You benefit from brainstorming and visualizing each particular detail or feature and then creating lists of exactly each element of the thing you want to call in. Vision boards are another useful practice to find images, words and examples that help get Specific Manifestors in the vibration of excitement, abundance and gratitude.

If you are a Non-Specific Manifestor, you are meant to take a more passive approach to manifesting, not needing to know all the details. You are better suited to come up with a few desired choices or scenarios and then be open to knowing that one of those or something even better will come your way. Non-Specific Manifestors can lean on affirmations, mood boards and visualizations that evoke the desired feeling or experience you want to manifest.

So using the example of wanting a new home, here’s how it breaks down for each type:

 Specific Manifestor:

• Home Style: Brainstorm all the styles of homes then choose one specific style, even if that style is a hybrid like Modern Farmhouse

• Neighborhoods: Research the neighborhoods you’d consider and choose one that is your perfect spot, even your favorite streets

• Home Details: Make a list of all the details you want in your home including exact size, layout, price, features

• Action: Make a vision board or pin board of exactly what you want your house to look like

Non-Specific Manifestor:

• Home Style: Consider all the styles of homes that you’d like, focusing on how you feel in them and how grateful you are to be living there, hosting friends and family

• Neighborhoods: Be open to many neighborhoods, thinking more about the features you’d enjoy, like being close to a park or a friendly coffee shop

• Home Details: Envision yourself cooking, gardening, dancing in your new home, but without a specific attachment to what the home actually looks like

• Action: Make a mood board and create some daily affirmations that support the feeling you will have when you are living in your dream home

Ready to dive deeper and find out how you were designed to Manifest? Click here to order your free Human Design chart with Manifesting guide. And for more posts in the Self Discover Summer series click here.

The Wisdom in Animal Whispers

This morning while walking my dog Poppie, I witnessed something I had never seen before. A beautiful, silvery-gray feather was being gently and slowly guided across our path, as if an invisible person were moving it. I find feathers everyday and am very drawn to their messages, so I immediately stopped to take a closer look. Then I saw what was behind this magical movement…a tiny bee was lifting the feather by its quill and carrying it into the grass.

I stood there mesmerized by this incredible animal encounter and then raced home to do some research. Turns out, there is almost no information about this type of bee behavior. So did I see a complete anomaly? Welcome to the world of Spirit Animals.

Have you ever felt a connection to a specific animal, like a dolphin, that doesn’t seem to make any logical sense? Or maybe you have a recurring dream about a bear? Do you see hummingbirds everywhere you go? These seemingly disconnected experiences could hold some very powerful messages.

Based on Shamanic and Native American traditions, the terms Power Animal, Spirit Animal/Animal Spirit Guides and Totem Animals each have the own distinct definition and origin, but are often used interchangeably in popular culture. The commonality, however, is the idea that animals are incredible channels of guidance, inspiration and reassurance. These animals that we are drawn to or are seemingly drawn to us, present opportunities for self-exploration, increased awareness and mindfulness.

I’ve been attracted to butterflies for as long as I can remember. Their gorgeous colors, fluttering flight patterns and beautiful shapes have always captivated me. But more than anything, it’s their story of transformation and exploration that captured my imagination as a young soul-seeker. Fast forward to high school and college and butterflies filled my doodling sheets, adorned my room and my body in the form of jewelry and a self-designed tattoo. I still seem to find butterflies wherever I go...or maybe they find me. And every time, I’m reminded of my own power to be present in the moment, to evolve and to see the beauty in both the simple flower and the great adventures of life.

So the next time you are visited by a bear in your dreams, have a repeated or unusual encounter with an animal, take a few minutes to look up what that animal means. If you open your IG to a photo of a snake, see a news article about snakes, hear a friend’s story about a snake movie and then see a snake on a walk, rather than dismiss these as coincidences, you might want to explore the potential meaning of snakes (major personal change, energy shifts and healing are coming soon). I love Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer, but Spiritanimal.info is a good online resource.

Here are some links if you missed one of my other Self Discovery Summer posts on Yoga Nidra, Saging, Meditation or Gratitude. If you want to take your Self Discovery even further, I have 3 Free Connection Calls available each week to chat about any of the topics I’ve covered or any other healing/spiritual modalities you might be curious about.

Oh and that incredible bee I saw this morning, her message was one of the most profound, timely messages I’ve ever received. It’s time for creativity, productivity, collaboration and sweetness beyond your wildest dreams. Stay tuned for my major news next month!

Yoga Nidra, the yoga of your dreams (literally)

If you haven’t heard of Yoga Nidra, you’re not alone. In the ever-evolving Western Yoga universe, certain styles such as Flow, Power and Hot often get most of the attention. And it makes sense. For many of us, Yoga can provide the perfect two-for-one combo of strenuous exercise and mindfulness.

But if you are craving deep relaxation (hello, who isn’t these days), then get yourself to a virtual Yoga Nidra class asap. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from my first class, but I was all in when my amazing instructor Rebecca told me I only needed to find a comfy place to lie (eye mask and crystals optional). I have tried Yin and Deep Stretch yoga before, but while they are also in the Restorative category, Yoga Nidra is completely different.

The literal translation is Yogic Sleep, but it really cultivates a state between sleep and wake. In this twilight “trance” you can find incredible relaxation and allow healing from anxiety, stress and even trauma.

Starting with some beautiful deep breathing, Rebecca led us through the process of incorporating a Samskara, or repeated intention. We continued our body scans, with gentle prompts to find more surrender and deeper calm. Throughout the 30 minute session, it seemed like I melted away weeks of built up tension and I left feeling much more rested. Research suggests that one session of Yoga Nidra can equal 2-4 hours of sleep. And while it shouldn’t replace a good night’s sleep, Yoga Nidra practiced a few times a week can provide many of the sleep benefits insomniacs crave.

One of the things I love most about Yoga, is that there is a practice style to meet any of your physical and spiritual needs. And right now, an hour of self-care is exactly what I needed.

For amazing Yoga Nidra intro classes check out Rebecca Moulton and her incredible Sunday morning Chill series. Insight Timer also has beautful guided Yoga Nidra meditations created for sleep, healing and clarity.

If you missed a #SelfDiscoverySummer post, click through here for more info on Saging, Gratitude practices, Crystals and more.

Sage for Serenity

Feeling in need of some new energy? Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands. Luckily, one of the most powerful energy clearing tools can fit right in your palm.

Saging is an ancient Native American custom, more traditionally known as Smudging. It’s been used for centuries to clear the energy of a space, both by physically cleaning the air and by removing negative energy as part of a spiritual practice. It’s also a beautiful addition to any mind-body ritual such as yoga, meditation or journaling.

There are many different methods to formally using sage, but it’s also something you can easily incorporate on your own. You can simply burn sage while doing a walking meditation, use it as a time to reset your intention in your home or quite literally clear the air around you after some tense or rough situations.

Here are a few tips to get you started on a ritual sure to bring some fresh energy to your surroundings. Plus, few things will get your pets, kids or spouses attention more than coming towards them with a smoking bundle of sage.

Choose your Scent

Sage is easily accessible at any local health food or new age store and also available online. There are some other popular aromatics that you can use either as a substitute for sage or as a second part to a clearing ritual. In this second step, after you clear the space, you then burn another scent to put intentional energy into the area. Here are some additional options and their healing properties:

• Sweet Grass: positivity and happiness

• Cedar: purification and protection

• Lavender: calm and peace

• Palo Santo: grounding and clarity (note: make sure you buy Palo Santo that is being sustainably harvested)

 Create a Ritual

• I love saging as a weekly Sunday night ritual. It gives you time to be grateful for the time passed and also think about what you’d like to change or improve for the coming week.

• The 1st of the Month is also a beautiful time of transition to conduct a burning ritual, welcoming in the energy and excitement of what’s to come.

• Some people use the moon cycle, the solstice and equinoxes, or just whenever you feel like the energy in your space has become stagnant or negative.

So whether you are a saging newbie or experience energy shifter, I’d love to hear how you incorporate this meaningful ritual into your daily life!

Meditation Misconceptions

Most people fall into one of two camps when it comes to meditation. You either love it and it becomes a cornerstone of your wellness practice, or you feel like it’s not for you, perhaps assuming you don’t know how to do it right or it’s too hard.

I first learned about meditation when I started doing yoga 20+ years ago. My boyfriend & I tried a Friday night class at a New York Sports Club. The teacher was an older and very experienced yogi who valued Savasana (corpse pose) and repeated the mantra “quiet the mind, quiet the breath” as we sank deeper into rest at the end of our strenuous postures. It was the first time I experienced the elusive absence of thought and realized I had the capabilities to briefly silence my inner dialogue.

Since then, I’ve tried a variety of different meditation practices – from blissful week-long sessions isolated in nature to 30-minute lunchtime classes. Sometimes you experience a seemingly magical channeling of intuition. Other times, it feels like you run through your to-do list the whole time. But the secret truth is: any meditation session is a huge success. Surprised? Here are some of the most common misconceptions about meditation and how to overcome them:

• “Meditation means completely quieting the mind.” Sure maybe for Buddhist monks who’ve been practicing for their entire lives this is the goal. But a modern meditation teacher will tell you that just like you can’t tell your heart to stop beating, you can’t tell you mind to stop thinking. It’s about training your mind for increased awareness and attention. So release the expectation that your goal is a blank mind and you will open yourself to an entirely different meditation experience.

• “Meditation means dedicating hours a day.” There’s an old Zen saying, “You should sit in mediation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour”. And I get it…I once did a one-day silent meditation retreat and it was pure heaven. I also have days I feel like I can only squeeze in 5 minutes before bed. Fortunately research shows just 10 minutes a day can have incredible benefits, such as reduced anxiety and improved concentration. So don’t worry; the time you decide to spend is entirely up to you.

• “Meditation is sitting still.” Sure, lots of people love the stillness of their meditation pillow, back straight, hands resting gently. But for some of us, we need to start (and maybe stay) with a practice that involves movement. Luckily, there are walking meditation practices that are perfect for those who struggle with sitting still:

  • Use your yard or find a park that you can safely walk

  • Start walking, creating a path in either a square, rectangle or circle shape

  • Take your time, walking at a steady pace, focusing on your rhythm

  • Pay attention to your speed, the sound of your feet on the ground. This is great to do on gravel, grass or a regular concrete path.

  • If you can do this in bare feet it’s even better!

• “Meditation is a silent practice.” Guided meditation is the majority of my practice. There are literally hundreds of types of guided meditations from Body Scans to Self-Compassion. Meditations for activating your chakras and helping you find clarity for manifestations. Some people crave the quiet and I too love mixing in some silent practices, but I recommend letting the wisdom of trained teachers guide you and it will transform your assumptions about meditation.

• “Meditation is a religious practice.” Yes, Meditation, as a practice, is rooted in religion. But fortunately, as experts continue to uncover the many benefits, it has become entirely mainstream and accessible to everyone. Whether you tie your sessions to a religion or not is a completely personal decision. Your meditation practice is yours and yours alone.

Ready to dive in right now? I’ve got you covered. While there are so many fabulous programs available, here are some I recommend:

• I love the Insight Timer app. It’s free and there are thousands of meditations to choose from.

• Another great program for beginners is Ziva meditation. There are some YouTube videos available for you to try and they also offer a free trial.

• If you are really ready to kickstart your practice, you can also go the private route. I was lucky enough to enjoy a few sessions with Tiffany Andras-Myers from A Mindful Heart and it was incredibly personal and expansive.

As always, can’t wait to hear what you think of this chapter of the Self Discovery Summer series!

6 Ways to Create a Gratitude Ritual (that isn’t Journaling)

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is a practice that takes, well, practice. Some days it’s super easy to access those feelings of appreciation. Other days…not so much.

Now, more than ever, we can recognize our blessings of health, financial stability, friends and families. But what about when your child is misbehaving? The home is overrun with mess? Work is completely overloading you? Can you still access your gratitude then or is the glass only half-full when things are going your way?

Research shows gratitude can improve both your physical and mental health. It can help you have better relationships, handle difficult situations and generally lead to a happier life.  It also opens you to the Law of Attraction. When you are able to find genuine appreciation for all you already have, you will more quickly be able to manifest more of what you want.

It’s amazing if you can bookend each day with a written documentation of 10 things you are grateful for. I’ll admit it’s a struggle to keep a formal journal going. So if it’s not working for you, please don’t give up.

It’s time we debunk the idea that a Gratitude Journal is the only practice that counts. Here are some alternatives to expand your consciousness around thankfulness and find a practice that sticks IRL.

•  Use TECH

  • Make a new “Gratitude” note in your phone or create a collection of voice memos. Set a recurring alarm in your phone to remind you and each day record the first 2-3 things that come to mind.  It actually can be that easy.

• Have FUN

  • If you are more visually inclined, a gratitude jar is a great option. Grab a bunch of fun colored paper scraps and each day write one thing to add to your jar. Watch what happens when you literally see your gratitude expand.

• Get CREATIVE

  • If creativity is your jam, then the sky is the limit. We’ve done hand-written gratitude leaves in the fall and made paper hearts for each day in February. Any and all ways to add a fun and meaningful spin to gratitude is amazing.

• Get a PARTNER

  • Brainstorm who you can enlist to be an accountability buddy and then make a ritual you can do together. Always have Sunday night dinner with your family or a Wednesday walk-date with a friend? Add a gratitude element to something you already do regularly and you are more likely to stick with it.

• Make it the VERY FIRST THING

  • Before you get out of bed in the morning, say a silent moment of thanks for your night’s sleep (good or bad), in a warm bed, in a safe home. So many people don’t have this everyday luxury we often take for granted.

• Make it the VERY LAST THING

  • Few things can send you off to a more peaceful slumber than acknowledging all the sweetness you experienced in your day. This is also a beautiful practice to incorporate into your kid’s bedtime routine.

Cultivating more gratitude has been one of the most positively impactful shifts in my life. I’d love to see which of these ideas that you incorporate into your daily routine.  

Crystal Connection

Wondering how to make a crystal connection? Crystals have been drawing people to their power since practically forever. Evidence shows the earliest presence of crystals is 4000 BCE. Nowadays, it seems everyone I know carries a rose quartz in their bra. Oh, is that just me?

I was gifted my first bag of crystals around age 30, when I attended a weekend retreat aimed at “increasing your intuition” led by a medium and spiritual guide. I remember loving my new bag of goodies, but as the weeks went on, the connection didn’t stick. Focused on work and trying to get pregnant, I placed them in my nightstand drawer. I moved them from house to house, a grey and blue sack, hidden in plain sight.

It was a girls trip to St Simon’s about 8 years later that reignited my interest in crystal magic. If you’ve ever stood looking at a wall of crystals in little bins, you will understand what it feels like to be kid in a candy store…a spiritual candy store. In an instant, something inside me had reignited. After careful consideration, I selected three new stones. There in my tiny bags, which could easily fit in my pocket, was something just for me. I didn’t have to tell anyone, make anything, do anything. They were just there, giving me quiet strength, excitement, power.

There are lots of different rituals to select crystals for daily use. Some people lie out their crystals and pick one or two that they feel drawn to. There’s an incredible practice in creating crystal grids to literally line up a healing or manifesting intention. I often use a guided activation process, which I’d love to share with you.

1. 1. Sit or stand with your eyes closed and hands in prayer position at your chest. While breathing in fresh, intentionally air, slowly raise your joined palms together above your head, to your crown chakra.

2. Gently move your hands down back to your heart, pulling in all the divine guidance from above. Feel your feet (root chakra) and pull the energy all the way, doing a brief body scan to get guidance on what needs attention, focus, healing for today.

3. Take another deep breath and with your eyes still closed, pick a crystal or two. Then rub your hands together to get a little heat and pick up each stone in a warmed palm.

4. Do a quick look up of the stones you selected and head online to look up the properties. While there’s a ton of info online, if you really feel connected to crystals, check out the book Crystals by @goldirocks, it’s one of my favorites. Set an intention for the stones to guide your highest self and then tuck them in your pocket and set off on your day.

Let me know after you try! And of course, I would love to hear some of your favorite stones.

Speed-Changing

As a self-growth devotee, transformation is my love language. It’s the fuel that drives my daily exploration. So when my healer friend Monika proposed her new fast-track offering in exchange for a Human Design session, I was all in. I met my husband in college, so I was lucky enough to skip the whole Speed-Dating trend. But Speed-Changing? How could I resist finding out if you can turbocharge transformation?

The practice Monika offered is called Rapid Transformational Therapy, or RTT. Using a light version of hypnosis, the goal of RTT is to find key memories from childhood and adolescence that have formed a block in your growth and development. These past experiences lay deep subconscious roots, which present themselves in adulthood as limiting self-beliefs. According to Monika, these beliefs usually fit into one of three categories: I’m not enough, I don’t want to be different or That’s not available to me.

We started via Zoom, with a deep review of my intake form to identify what issue I wanted to tackle. For this session, I chose to look at some recurring themes of self-doubt and imposter syndrome that seem to keep resurfacing, despite years of reflection. Then Monika gently led me into a state of hypnosis, which allowed me to both access memories and be more suggestible to changing my beliefs. While we may hold very tightly onto beliefs as fact, they aren’t. Beliefs are only thoughts we keep thinking. So when we truly change our thoughts, real transformation and growth is possible.

In my session, we visited four separate memories that I hadn’t thought about in many years. I was warmly prompted to share how each memory made me feel and I was surprised to find the common themes of these seemingly unconnected events. I felt embarrassed, sad, lonely, hurt, misunderstood.

Monika helped me recognize the pattern between these unexpectedly important memories and my resulting actions.  I was different…and I hated it. This thought, repeated countless number of times, became a belief my ego created in order to keep me protected from those negative feelings. If I stayed small, never got too much attention and wasn’t too “out there”, then I would stay safe.

Gathering all this negative energy up from every corner of my body, I was guided to heal these memories and replace them with feelings of love, compassion and acceptance. I immediately felt a shift. I was lighter, clearer and more confident. I saw a new portal of energy literally open up before my eyes.

It was amazing how quickly I could see the connection between these memories and the limiting self-belief I created. It was born from a place of self-preservation and continued, despite my strong desire to step out from the shadows and into my light. It kept me needing validation, questioning my expertise and shying away from bold moves.

The next part of RTT is listening to a 10-15 minute audio recording for 3 weeks to solidify this more positive way of thinking.  I’ll report back with the details of how I navigate this process and any new insights I have.

In the meantime, I’m holding tightly to my new and improved self-image. After 30 years, I’m more than ready to shine.

You can find RTT Practitioner @Monika Holzner on social media and at her new website Continuously Choosing.

Have you lost your Mind(set)?

How can we stay positive in the midst of uncertainty, pain, fear? If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we have no idea what’s coming next. While we might have thought we had control in many aspects of our lives, the truth is the only thing we can ever control is ourselves in each. present. moment.

Our mindset is literally our collection of thoughts. Our frame of mind. Having a growth mindset helps you weather the storm. It’s the belief that you can grow, change, improve. It doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect or living in denial of the truth. It’s acknowledging your missteps and identifying them as areas for future potential.

If you are struggling to keep your mindset in mind, you are not alone. It’s easy to let our circumstances and our (self-curated) cultural environment set the tone of not-enough-ness. But that’s exactly the time to reevaluate your thoughts and reset your mental loop. Here’s a few things you can do TODAY:

-       First, find silence & breathe. The first time you do this might be a struggle. The first minute might always be a struggle. Do it anyway. Sitting quietly and just breathing can help improve just about anything and leave you feeling more centered and refreshed. I like to schedule breathing breaks into my day. Just put them into your phone like any other appointment.

-       Next, take inventory of your most frequent thoughts. Again, this takes some work, but knowledge is power. And knowing where your thoughts keep going will help you identify your own mental minefield. We all have different areas of sensitivity based on our open centers and how we’ve been conditioned take in others energy. If you want more information on this Human Design awareness tool, send me a DM or comment below.

-       Finally, set the intention to make the shift. If your current self-beliefs aren’t aligned with your goal feelings, this is where the mindset work really takes shape. Let’s say you want to feel positive, bright and light, but the negativity loop is loud. Every time you have a negative thought, follow it by saying to yourself or out loud “But from now on, I see everything through the lens of positive possibility”. Don’t beat yourself up for the first thought, instead focus on your energy on changing the second thought. Over time, you will come to believe this new thought, because it will now be true.

So, what does your current mindset say about you? What are your beneficial beliefs and thought patterns? Where do you need to make some tweaks?

Goal Feelings

You started the year full of all the fire and focus to make it happen. And now here we are, 4 weeks into the longest month ever (why does January have 5 weeks??) and the cold might be dampening your spirits, along with your drive.

Sound familiar?

Let’s be honest. The pressure to make over your whole life in the span of 30 days is pretty ridiculous. Depending on your goals, it can be unrealistic and unsustainable.

But, as always, YOU have a CHOICE in how you will feel, in creating your own story. So instead of being pulled into an anxious tailspin, bombarded by messages about what goals I’m accomplishing this month, I’m going to continue to focus on GOAL FEELINGS.

Here’s my list of how I want to feel this month and for the foreseeable future. I will focus on creating these feelings inside and making sure all I do this month lines up to support me. This is great daily exercise to help you set your intention and reignite your fire. It’s also lovely to do monthly, to check-in on your progress.

**Accomplished: Get stuff done, but only what lights me up work-wise & play-wise

**Valuable & Valued: Come from a place of service & inspiration, stay true to my values

**Aligned: Spiritual, connected, grounded - don’t let the ego create a false/damaging narrative

**Gratitude - I have ALL I need, focus on the daily journey, not some unicorn destination

Would love to hear if you’ve ever worked on goal feelings & if you’d want to share below. Also, if you have never considered this idea, it’s definitely a mindset shift. I’d love to help you make your own list, so send me an email!