Stone Medicine
Open Up!
Happy May, Happy Spring. This is a month where we are seeing so much come to life and open up. Our yards and parks are alive with color, the branches are filling with blooms and leaves. Lets see if we can align our hearts, minds and bodies with this natural process and talk about "opening".
Opening can mean opportunity--opportunity to create, to breath, to learn, to experience, to expand, to enjoy, to see and so much more. Bringing the new into our lives is a wonderful thing but it requires space so that things can grow. We don't want to simply add-on, therefore becoming stuffed and over-full, we want instead to cycle out the old, and cycle in the new. To encourage this I will address the three parts of ourselves where we can experience this.
First lets discuss the mind. How do we create openings in our minds and why. To open our minds for something we haven't learned or witnessed can be a challenge. The mind holds the place of intelligence, dreams and theories. There needs to be a certain amount of trust and faith in possibilities but also there needs to be an skill acquired to create a space for something else to come in. This skill can come from meditation, trance or prayer work. Quieting the mind and finding silence inside is the best way to "open up" to new possibilities and dreams. Visualizations of clearing out "mind gunk" or simply allowing silence to seep in creates a space for the new: new ideas, new dreams and new interests.
Now let's discuss the heart space, our emotional center. Everyone has heard the expression, "open your heart", we might find it old but there is something valid in this saying (as much as it has been over used and under explained). When you open your heart you allow those close to you to see the real you, the you that might be tucked away and feeling safe. To allow friends and family to see this inner you can be frightening if you just throw those heart doors wide open. I always suggest baby steps, begin with your very closest friend. Begin to share an inner thought or desire that you haven't shared before, be sure not to have any expectations of a response, just do it for the practice of opening up the emotion-center. After some time it becomes easier and you'll feel a sense of open-ness to your heart that wasn't there before. The result of sharing these locked emotions and desires creates a space for the new: new connections, new desires, new healthy feelings.
Lastly, create opening in the body, create flexibility and fluidity. Movement such as yoga, stretching and dance is a great way (in my opinion) to opening the body and it's energy centers. My favorite yoga master is Connie Habash at www.awakeningself.com, her newsletters and classes are so informative on finding poses that open up areas in the body that can hold stuck energy. Acupuncture is another way to encourage opening and releases. My new favorite place is the Dan Tian Wellness Center on Geary, Edith is compassionate and skillful, she holds a wonderful space to help you move through the "stuck" areas, allowing emotions and tensions to dance together before moving out of your way. If you are in the East Bay, Michael Shpak is another very compassionate and amazing acupuncturist in Pleasant Hill. For dance classes I've always favored bellydancing, great releasing and great fun. My favorite teacher is Sue, with Clandestine, she teaches at Kiki-Yo . Whether you choose yoga, dancing, acupuncture, stretching and moving on your own be sure to find ways to allow the body to release the old. Moving out that old gunk in the body allows you to have more energy, more vigor and more passion. Who would say no to that?
Creating openings for our inner selves will reflect in openings in our outer lives, the trickle effect is astounding. How can new and abundant things come to us if we are already full? How can we pack for our next trip if our suitcase is still full form our last adventure? There is an element to opening up that is "letting go". Pouring out the old, making room for the new. Many people I know are getting colds and the flu, this kind of illness typically comes from too much of our "holding on", there isn't a healthy energy flow when we hold on to that which we've already processed or just don't need anymore. This current economy has a lot of us holding on because we don't know what will happen or how long it will last. The key here is to let go regardless and trust that what we need will come and if it doesn't, do we really need it anyways?
In closing, I wouldn't be a responsible Stone Priestess if I didn't tell you what type of stones could assist you in these processes. Working with the mind in creating silence and expanding your meditation practice: Labradorite enhances dreams, Lapis opens intuition, Moonstone or Clear Quartz helps find that beautiful silence. Working with the heart center and sharing emotions: Rhodocrosite allows the heart to open, revealing the inner desires, Rose Quartz helps sooth the sharing of emotions, Amazonite is wonderful for finding ways to get over past emotional issues you feel you don't need to process anymore, it's a good stone to "get over and get on" with it. Working with the body for movement and flexibility: Carnelian creates movement, especially in the low back, hip area. Fire Quartz gets you moving. Jasper will inspire you for those long walks. Garnet allows the body to relax and open.
May your Spring be filled with new ideas, new joys and lots of laughter.
Blessing and Peace
Renee Bastet
Stone Priestess
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Stone
of the Month |
Clear Quartz
Cleansing and Detoxifying
There is no stone more cleansing and purifying than Clear Quartz. Just gazing at this stone is cleansing. This stone has always been used for clearing energy for other stones and alter items.
This stone is wonderful during meditation to help you clear your mind, find silence and a new focus. You can use it with the intention to have it assist you on connecting with your higher self or higher power. It is often used for communicating with the spirit realm.
Physically this stone detoxifies and energizes. Great to have around you if you are experience medical situations that require a lot of toxic medications or if after a hospital stay. Keep near the bed, wear daily and before long you'll feel clear and supported.
The energy of this stone can be found in not only the clear variety but also with Tourmalated Quartz, Fire Quartz, Rutilated Quartz or some Agates. Simply take these energetic properties and add them to the other variation involved and enjoy. I work with Quartz mostly in the seventh chakra and in the element of spirit. However, this stone is found to work well in all chakras and in all elements.
Enjoy Quartz in Spirit and in Fire Quartz in the element of
Fire.
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Class Schedule
Chakra and Stone Meditation
Tuesday, June 2
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: San Francisco
Cost: $35-$55
Create a healthy practice for daily or weekly meditations. By working with our chakras and stones we can clear out blocks and find healing messages for our bodies and minds.
This class explores challenges we all have in making meditation a priority or with assistance in focusing or simply learning to sit still. We'll have discussions, sharing and lots of stones to play with. Please come join us for one time or on a regular basis. This class will be offered once a month. Email to sign up. Space is limited.
Embracing Wholeness
6-week series beginning end of June
Tuesday evenings
Location: San Francisco
Series cost: $225-$275 sliding scale
Discount for pre-pay
This 6-week series will have us meeting once a week, discovering and exploring all the sides of ourselves: intellectual and emotional. We will use meditations, discussions, journaling, readings and many more fun ways of exploration. Creating a small group of trust and confidence to give us room to work through areas in our selves and in our lives that need improvement. This is the time to create profound healing while being supported and appreciated. This class is limited, please email me if you are interested.
Friends and Resources of Bastet Jewelry:
Awakening Self
Cybele's Well
Dori Midnight
Elka Vera
Clandestine Belly Dance
Love Bug Clothing
Red Lotus Bellydancing
Dan Tian Wellness Center
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
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