A Shaman
An Energy Healer
A Light Worker
An Empath
An Earth Angel
An Intuitive
A Reiki Master
A Kind person with an Open heart
A Good Listener
A Growth Seeking Being
A Human Being
 
What a healer means to me is someone that is committed to growth… a person I refer to as a growth seeking being. Someone that is interested in shining some light on the darker places in their lives. Turning their traumas, dramas, uncomfortable and challenging life experiences into rocket fuel.  They often self-reflect, immerse themselves in different healing containers, they are willing to do the hard work. In many instances, they just can’t help themselves.  It is a part of who they are.
 
I am one of those people. At times, when the going gets tough, I sigh and say “I just want to coast for a while.”  A therapist I worked with several decades ago said to me “Melanie, you need to take coasting out of your vocabulary.  It’s just who you are. There is no “off switch” to seeking”.
 
Leonard Cohen said it best, “There is a crack in everything, that is how the light gets in.”
 
I believe that “healers” are willing to let the light in.  They have courage to shine the light on their shadow, the so-called dark places, so that their path can be illuminated. We’ve heard this many times but it still holds true, “you have to feel it to heal it.”
 
Healers use this energy to propel them forward in life and to gain more compassion and understanding for other human beings.  In living from this place of tending to their inner world, their outer world and circumstances change.  Often you can change everything around you by doing the “inner work.”
 
In my Intuitive Energy Healing practice, I “see” the healer in people ALL the time.  I can also “feel” the healer in someone upon our first meeting.
 
They are teachers, massage therapists, coaches, psychotherapists, lawyers, waiters and waitresses, jewelry designers, nurses, doctors, car mechanics, corporate leaders, writers, painters, landscapers, bagel shop owners, estheticians, barista’s, financial planners, dog groomers, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc. 
 
They are YOU!
 
Just as I believe we all have the ability to tap into our intuition, the same goes with the healer within each of us. 
 
When I first ask people how they feel about being a healer, they often get quiet and feel a little shy.

I have mentored quite a few of my clients that have ventured out on their own and crossed the bridge from the corporate world to creating their own healing practice. They were able to uncover what had been standing in their way, they got curious and opened up to the idea that perhaps they had a bigger calling.
 
And others were elated with the feeling of openness in their bodies and minds and enjoyed “being a healer”  by modeling kindness and having compassion to others around them.
 
Now is the time to access the healer within. To shine some light into the cracks of our lives.
By doing so, we not only heal ourselves, but the collective as well.
 
What does it mean to you to be a healer?  I’d love to know!💓
 
Oceans of love,
 
  
Today is such an auspicious day!  2-22-22!  I didn’t think about the synchronicity of this day until I started writing my newsletter.  My parents eloped as teenagers with me in utero, 62 years ago today.  One of my most powerful healing journeys has been shining light on my fear of being seen.  I will tell this story another time.  Thank you Mom and Dad for following your hearts and giving birth to me!

 I have always loved the month of February. 

 It is the month of cold weather and all things hearts💓💓💓.

 It’s the time of year where I check in with myself and see what needs to come back into balance and what I need to align with in order to live the life I deeply desire.

 It’s a reminder for me to “listen” to how I expend my energy and “feel” into ways that are more nurturing and honoring to my body, mind and spirit.
 
I ask myself these questions:
 
How do I feel in my body?
Where do I need to course correct so I have my back around my commitments?
Am I having fun?
Taking time off?
What could bring me more joy?
Am I allowing myself to receive?
Am I connecting with family, friends, and colleagues?
 
After the sudden passing of my beloved brother, I just KNEW that I could not move forward or survive this profound loss alone. Grief can be VERY isolating. I decided to dig deep and put myself in places where I could not only receive support but build community.
 
I joined a grief group via zoom, a membership community I resonated with, reached out to my closest friends, had regular visits with my therapist and made a commitment to myself that I would not go it alone.
 
It was not my natural tendency to immerse myself in groups or put myself in vulnerable situations. It was an act of self-love.
 
I grew up feeling unsafe to share my feelings or be seen. When I reflect back, I realize I tried to figure everything out myself, When I was 10 years old and my parents were going through a divorce, I would walk across the street and spend hours laying on the ground in the pine needles attempting to soothe myself. 
 
What happened instead, is I held the confusion, despair, sadness, uncertainty and panic in my body. This energy stayed with me and created imprinting and neuropathways from which I operated my daily life for years/decades (more on imprinting later.)
 
This is one of the reasons I feel I was drawn to specialize in releasing trauma from the body in my Intuitive Energy Healing practice. 
 
Leaning into and receiving support has cracked my heart open. It has been an act of self- love that helped me emerge from the darkness.
 
I hear from my clients every day in my healing sessions how much fear, grief, sadness, uncertainty and loneliness they have been experiencing during these trying times. 
 
We have ALL had so many challenges and much change these past few years.
 
We not only have the opportunity to heal ourselves, but in doing so, we also help heal the collective.
 
Now, more than ever we need to lean into each other.
 
 

 
 
I’d love to hear where you lean into support and how you are going to love yourself deeper💖
 
Just hit reply and let me know!
 
Oceans of love,
 
 

11:11

1:11

I see this number ALL the time! 

When I do, I know that it is a sign for me to stop, take a deep breath, pay attention to my thoughts and bring myself back to the present moment.  (I kid you NOT!  I just typed this sentence and saw 11:11 on the clock!)  I guess I am moving in the right direction.

Do YOU ever see repetitive numbers?  Hear a certain song over and over again?
Has someone said something to you at the perfect time and you’re like “Wow!  I really needed to hear that today!”  You read something and think “that was written just for me”.

Or you’re sitting at a stoplight and the license plate or bumper sticker speaks to you?
 
I saw this while driving home from my Mom’s last week.
I was rushing around and this stopped me long enough to pause and shift.
The brake lights above the sticker was an extra special touch!
 
I have always been drawn to live my life in a way where I look for external signs and synchronicities and get super excited when I experience these events.  I have fun living my life this way.  I believe they show me that I am on the right track.  A confirmation of my inner guidance and intuition, nudging me forward on my path.

Synchronicity is a concept that was first described by psychoanalyst Carl Jung.  He described this phenomenon as “events appearing meaningfully related despite no casual connection.”
 
It’s a sense that things in life are “aligning” or moving in a positive direction.
 
When I was younger, I often felt different. In my teens, my friends would call me “Hippie Chick” and later on “Woo Woo Woman”. I used to hide this part of myself.  The part of me that has always been fascinated with signs and synchronicities from the Universe (feel free to replace this with whatever resonates with you). 
Now it is my way of life.
 
It’s that time of year where most of us are hitting the reset button. Making goals around food, moving our bodies, releasing old habits and creating new ones.
 
We are inclined to create BIG plans and have BIG ambitions for ourselves and wrap our minds around new ways of being.  The calendars come out and the “to do” list grows.
 
Getting a clear picture of how we want to live a more joy filled and heart centered life, and setting intentions is very important.
 
It’s also meaningful (and magical) to make space for and open yourself up to possibilities that have yet to be shown to you.
 
As Rumi said,  “What you seek is seeking you.”
 
How do we align with the magic of the Divine?
 
How can you live from a place of feeling a sense that everything is in order and the
Universe is looking out for you?
 
*Get still and silent
* Meditate
*Take care of your energy (eat right, sleep right)
*Spend time in nature
*Practice living in the moment
*Connect with your intuition/inner knowing
*Listen to your body
*Ask to be shown a sign that you are on the right track/path
*Pay attention
*Look for the connections
*Keep a journal
 
When you’re connected intuitively, you’re better able to sense when something is a sign or synchronicity and what the message may be for you.
 
Wishing you a joyful, magical and synchronistic year ahead!
 
 

Save the date!  Saturday, March 19th ~ Sacred Healing Circle with Me

Click here to sign up for updates on my Sacred Healing Circle coming soon!

It’s been a while since I have written to you all.  It is today, on Winter Solstice, the darkest and longest night of the year, that I was called to reach out to you. Even though I was born and raised in Florida, I have always loved the cycle of the seasons. Especially Winter (I blame it on the Norwegian in me.)  I love it so much I make it a priority to go on an annual “snowcation.” Winter is all about introspection, hibernating, going within and listening. Winter ushers in spring so it also provides the setting for renewal, rebirth and hope. The Solstice symbolizes the turn from the season of darkness into the light. When the sun sets tonight, each day will bring more light…a natural progression towards spring. Spring is the time of blossoming and rebirth. I have been in my own rebirth process since I experienced a profound loss in my life. The kind of loss that shatters your identity, turns your life upside down and forces you to do a deep dive into the meaning of life and being a human being (more on this later.) This loss has changed my life in every way. It brought me to my knees and catapulted me onto an epic healing journey.  I was amazed that one of the things that carried me through was my work and the healing sessions I do with others. Other things that really supported me in my grief process and darkness: *Leaning into support (we are not meant to or can we do this alone) *Spending endless hours in nature *Moving my body *Expressing and processing my emotions *Journaling *Rituals / Ceremony I know most of us (if not all of us), have had our worlds turned up side down in some way these past few years. Now, more than ever before, I understand grief, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, depression, anguish, hopelessness, overwhelm and all the things that come with these emotions. Today marks the beginning of emerging from the darkness and lighter days ahead. My wish for you is that you love yourself deeper on your healing journey, seek support and enjoy this Winter Solstice Ritual I created for YOU!     I am excited to be back and grateful for each and every one of you. Oceans of love and light, Coming in March!  Sacred Healing Circle with Me Click here to sign up for updates on my Sacred Healing Circle coming soon!

I’m walking on a snow-covered path in a national forest in Minnesota. It’s mid January 2018 and the last day of my “snowcation.” In my mind, this walk in the fresh snow was going to be the beginning of a new period of renewal and creativity for me. I’ve wanted to resume creating content for my book and new retreats since before Hurricane Irma hit last summer.

My intention for this trip was to have time in nature, clear my head, and reflect. I was looking forward to returning home refreshed and inspired and to write about living an authentic life. But that didn’t turn out to be the case…life had other plans for me.

Instead an authentic life event happened. I took my phone out to capture a beautiful image of a natural ice sculpture in a stream, when all of a sudden I received the news that my beloved stepmother Patti had passed suddenly that morning. In that moment I had a full body visceral feeling not only of shock and sadness, but a deep knowing that my life had just changed forever. Instead of writing about living an authentic life, I found myself having to live into it

What do we do when we’re walking down one path and then life experiences point us in a different direction? Instead of feeling inspired to be creative, I found myself turned upside down, driving back and forth across the state of Florida assisting my dad in planning, getting settled, and re-organized after the passing of his beloved wife of 38 years. Although I was truly honored to be there for him and the rest of our extended family, I felt overwhelmed, ungrounded and thrown off balance. It brought me to a deeper understanding that although I can plan and have goals and aspirations, living an authentic life truly happens from moment to moment.

What does it mean to live an authentic life? Authenticity is defined as genuineness….the proven fact that something is legitimate or real. REAL LIFE HAPPENS! You just don’t one day start living an authentic life….it’s a series of experiences. Each life experience takes us deeper and gives us the opportunity to reflect.

I often tell my clients during their 1:1 Soul Play Healing Sessions to play with getting comfortable in their discomfort. I’ve found that growth and inner change can take an immense amount of courage and strength.

I had to really dig deep and go within to make the shift to where I was being led. I found myself struggling to try and be creative. I felt a pull to keep going down the same path I was going before Patti’s death. It was difficult to truly let go and surrender to the present moment. I was being guided to be of service. Period. No creating, no pushing, no doing. This was genuine…this was real….this was living authentically.

So how can our souls play with living authentically when life has other plans for us?

I’d like to share my “Soul Play” practices that supported me on this journey:

* I listened deeper and made stillness my friend
* I allowed myself to go deeper & deeper into the experience
* I wrote daily in my journal to keep me connected to my heart, and I allowed my heart to lead
* I practiced living in the moment and trusting the process
* I spoke my truth without letting the approval of others get in my way
* I set healthy boundaries even in the midst of disappointing others
* I reached out and asked for support
* I focused on my self-care (healthy food and lots of water)
* I let the tears flow
* I moved my body daily
* I allowed myself the time I needed
* I focused on appreciation and all I had to be grateful for
* I celebrated the memories I’ve shared with my family

Patti, My Dad, & I

I realized I didn’t have to look for content to write about, I was actually living the content… living the story so I could write about it later. As we go through life and fully participate, the content is always there.

Living the most authentic life possible continues to be a daily aspiration for me.

Even when life has other plans!

What does living an authentic life look like and feel like to you?
What do you do when life has other plans for you?

YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IS YOUR SOUL MADE VISIBLE.

Authentically yours,

I’ve learned throughout the years that what’s happening in my outside world, is often (if not always), a reflection of what’s going on in my inner life.

I’ve also learned to pay attention to the messages and reflect on the lessons being offered.  In the past, if I haven’t listened, I was presented with an even bigger lesson, warning sign or wake up call.  It’s not always a 2×4 knock over the head, but often the consequences are greater and require a bigger “recovery period.”

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I haven’t been home on a weekend in almost three months. Traveling to Minnesota, Norway, Chicago with side trips in between.  All of it really great stuff….just a lot of it.

I had intended to write a blog about traveling to Norway and my ancestral lineage, but it was coming out in bits and pieces and just wouldn’t flow.  I played with my resistance, got comfortable with my discomfort and then realized I was in my old pattern of pushing.  Instead of writing my blog and having it be fun, it felt like a “project.”  So, I consciously made the decision to abandon my “project” and lean into the tools that I teach ~ Soul Play.

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I’m sending out a quick note to say hello and let you know that I’ve been thinking of you and holding you in my heart.

I had planned on sending out my monthly newsletter several weeks ago but Mother Nature had other plans for me.  Hurricane Irma came barreling through my home state of Florida.  Although I feel very fortunate to still have my house, the energetic chaos that occured is undeniable.  I am still in the process of getting back to center.

Not only was there Hurricane Irma…but Harvey and Maria, an earthquake in Mexico, fires in California and the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Whether or not you were directly affected by any of these tragedies, I believe, as humans, collectively we are. We are just wired that way.

My heart goes out to those who have been personally impacted. And even if you haven’t been directly affected, I sense that this feeling of fear and being unsettled may be touching you too.

So how does one stay calm in the eye of a storm?  How do we dig deeper to stay positive or rested or grounded? How does one regroup when suddenly, in the blink of an eye, everything looks different on the outside?

If there was ever a time to lean into Soul Play  ~ this is it.

Finding a way to keep our hearts open and stand united is a huge part of Soul Play.

Getting support through the feelings of grief and fear and finding a way to take better care of myself enables me to be there for other people.

I feel like these are the times when I have to dig really deep in the spirit of Soul Play.  I create the space for love, compassion, companionship, support, and staying present.  Whether it’s donating to a relief fund, hugging someone you love and telling them that you love them or simply making eye contact with a stranger or offering someone a smile. Heaven knows we could all use some sort of support in weathering these storms of life.

Here’s a few suggestions of how to keep an open heart along the way through Soul Play:

*  Breathe into your body to stay in the present moment
*  Allow yourself to feel your feelings
*  Reach out to support another and lean in to support yourself
*  Tell the people you love that you love them
*  Practice self-care by tending to and grounding yourself
*  Stay open to possibilities

I invite you to practice one or more of the above suggestions or create your own version of open-hearted Soul Play.

With love and an open heart,

My friend, Barbara Stanny (The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth), has created an event that will show you how to focus and train your brain to build your wealth. And, I’m SO excited to announce that I’ll be speaking at this amazing event! Rewire will take place this October in Chicago and it is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced where she will share her new approach on wealth building for women. There are still a few seats left. Will you join us? Learn more here: https://barbarastanny.com/rewire-2017

When I graduated from high school many moons ago, the most popular jobs for a woman were that of a court room reporter, a nurse, a teacher or a flight attendant (aka a stewardess back then).

Being a flight attendant was quite glamorous back in the day (it has many perks today as well). Although I loved to type, teach, care for people and travel, none of those positions was the path I chose.

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