It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since I posted on the GPR blog.  It's been quite the busy year, two actually, thinking about it.  I finished my degree that I had been working towards (yay!), took a job in a different department at work (good strategic move), and had been making some great progress with my own physical health.  

There was a bobble over the summer when the stress of school and work tipped me over to not feeling great with a super hyperthryoid phase, sort of regained balance from that, and then that segued into me sitting at home this week recovering from the flu that a coworker shared when they came in contagious.  Public Service Announcement that shouldn't need to be announced:  PLEASE STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK!  It's funny, in a kick myself in the behind kind of way, that this had me thinking about setting good boundaries (emotional, physical, energetic), balancing work and life, and self care, as I was in bed like a a limp noodle with a fever.  Sometimes our best thinking happens when we are forced to rest.  I have to admit that self care is still, even if I am a Reiki Master, something that I have to consciously work on.  Putting my own oxygen mask on first doesn't always spring to mind when I am in S.H.T.F. mode!

So while the Universe provided me with this time to recuperate and rest, it's given me that opportunity to see what needs to be changed in my life and how can I use my knocked-on-my-butt-with-the-flu situation to help folks not end up being hit by the same bus driven by stress.  

One thing I did (and do) have going for me was that I eat really well, even working full time and wrangling a less than stellar commute each day.  I had the oddest conversation with a coworker about that several weeks ago.  They were ogling my leftovers that I was eating at my desk (note that is one behavior that will be changing, no more eating at my desk or working through lunch!) and asked if I cooked like that all the time.  I said yep, why?  They seemed shocked that I did, I asked why the surprise and their answer really surprised me...because it had the inference that because I cook for one that I would resort to prepacked meals or dining out or ordering in.  I said do you think cooking for myself, or yourself, is any less worthy than if you were cooking for someone you loved?  You love yourself, right?  So why wouldn't you feed yourself something wonderful?  That conversation devolved into why they thought cooking meals would be time consuming (it doesn't have to be), expensive (it doesn't have to be), and a pain in the patootie (it doesn't have to be....you sense a theme here in my response to them?).  I have some blog posts planned that will cross over from my Ginger Girl Goods cooking blog on how we can cook with intention and feed ourselves tasty foods that nourish us and can help keep our coworker's funky germs at bay!

A downfall that did contribute to the stress and immunity risk - my reliance on coffee.  The more stressed I am, the more I want coffee.  My acupuncturist friend Leslie told me that coffee is an emotional suppressant.  It's great in a time of need, but when we become overly reliant on it, it will backfire - those emotions you're suppressing?  They'll come out eventually.  The caffeine overdosing will tweak the heck out of your adrenals and cortisol levels and leave you vulnerable for other health issues.  A little is good, a lot, not so much.  Coffee in particular, and caffeine generally, tends to deaden your appetite and can make you not thirsty for water.  Being a diuretic and adding to dehydration is not that great either if overconsumption is happening.

With working later, and then logging on when I got home, exercise/play took a backseat.  Losing that stress outlet was a huge mistake for me to make.  One I know better than to leave by the wayside, but I did it anyway, and now I'm laid up recovering from the flu.  I miss lifting - it makes me feel strong, it works up a sweat, and who doesn't like feeling good in their skin?  This is one of those things that has to be scheduled in as a non-negotiable.  So I will talk to my boss about leaving early to hit the gym on the way home and then logging in to handle work that can be done on non 8-5 hours. 

Sleep also took a hit, which added to the when-is-it-all-going-to-fall-stress-Jenga madness.  Drinking more coffee created a state where sleep was harder to find.  Going to bed later because of working after getting home pushed back dinner, chores, even relaxation time.  I had a great session with Julie King and she reminded me that we need a break between work and home.  When we get home, change out of work clothes at minimum, but perhaps take a quick shower to rinse off the energetic yuck that may have come home with you.  Schedule in time for REST!  I tend to have a willpower/bulldozer mentality at times in getting things done, but that can be to a detriment to health.  Taking time to lay on the couch reading or snuggling with one of the dogs, sitting outside on the deck and listening to the birds and watching clouds, or doing something artsy-craftsy are all forms of rest.  No timeline, no outcome that is expected - just resting from the hamster wheel that we can put ourselves on.

I have utilized some coping mechanisms during these wild ride the past several months, the use of essential oils, tweaking supplements to deal with stress, and making sure that I was keeping up with my Reiki self practice, but they were acting like a bandaid to the bigger, stressful, not in control situation I had put myself in.  I know how easy it can be to set self care aside when we are hurtling forward cajones to the wall day to day.  I hate to think of how much harder this illness would have hit me had I not been doing what I have been!

We have to become more radical about the concept of self care.  It is *not* selfish to take care of yourself, we have to put our oxygen masks on first so we can be able to help those who need it.  

What steps can you take to better your self care?  Reiki session? Massage?  Going to bed a half an hour earlier?  Drinking more water?  

If you've been thinking about booking a Reiki session for you or your pet, now is the time to do it! Half off for the month of April in exchange for feedback and testimonials for my website!  Today is the last day to take advantage of the 1/2 off pricing.  

To book a session, please click the appropriate link below:

30 minute session for people:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6ZE3ZXDX4UJ72

30 minute session for pets:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7QZDTVK4J56DW

Tulip and Remy are two very sweet Boxer pups who have the nicest furkid "parents!"  Tulip is the older sister (with the all brown face) and Remy is a fast-growing youngster (he has more black on his muzzle).  Their Daddy is in the military and he and his sweetheart wife will be traveling overseas for two years.  They didn't want to put the pups through the trauma of flying that far of a distance, considering the potential dangers to pups with smushy face schnozzes.  Just too worrisome to even consider, though it makes them very sad to not be with their puppers.  They will be staying with their "Grandma" by the ocean in Florida, and will be very well loved.  We always need to make decisions based on what's best for our furkids, even though it can make us sad. 

The pups were having some issues with the transition, understandably so.  They love their Mama and Daddy very much and were sad and confused, which gave rise to some behavioral issues.  Tulip is such a sensitive soul, that it about broke my heart to hear how sad she was feeling.  She felt abandoned and worried that she wasn't going to see her Mama and Daddy again.  Remy was acting out - letting loose since Alpha Daddy and Mama weren't there to rein him in.  He was barking up a storm in the house, in his crate, wherever he felt like barking and just being a wild hooligan.

When I checked in with them, Tulip was so heavy-hearted and somewhat inconsolable with missing her parents it made my eyes teary.  I made sure she knew that she wasn't being abandoned, that Mama and Daddy miss her as much as she misses them and that they would check in often via Skype or FaceTime to talk to her.  I asked her to help keep her brother in line at Grandma's house, since she was the big sister!  I also let her know that she has a special guardian angel there to comfort and protect her while her parents are away. When I checked in with her a couple days later, I kept seeing her put her forehead to mine and she felt much calmer.  I wish I could give her a big hug!  

When I checked in with Remy, he was all over the place - showing me a cat that has black and white on it, baby bunnies, the beach...it was like talking to a wild ping pong ball! :)  I asked him to really step up, be a big pup,  to be aware of his surroundings and only bark when there's a problem or bad person. He felt very needy (though he would never admit it), so I asked Remy's Mom to have Grandma give him extra love.  I asked angels to be with Remy too, so he would have comfort 24/7 and he was VERY excited about that...though he kept thinking "chase!" Ah, puppy brain!  :D

It was such an honor working with these two, can't wait to hear about their adventures in Florida!  

If you've been thinking about booking a Reiki session for you or your pet, now is the time to do it! Half off for the month of April in exchange for feedback and testimonials for my website!

This is no April Fools' Day joke! 

To book a session, please click the appropriate link below:

30 minute session for people:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6ZE3ZXDX4UJ72

30 minute session for pets:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7QZDTVK4J56DW

I love when Reiki is quickly effective!  I think I let out a "wooohoo" when Dolly's Mom told me she used the litterbox that night! :)

When JA talked to Miss Dolly she immediately came up with a description of her personality so perfect, it irked me I hadn't thought of it myself: "Schoolmarm/Xena Warrior Princess." It had taken me years to pick up on these qualities in my reticent cat, who was indeed both these things.

 Dolly had some opinions about other pets in the household that were fun to know about. Also, she had a problem ... the endless winter was causing her to find inappropriate places to pee instead of going outside. She was sick of the snow! I'd put out a litter box, and she'd test it out with her paws but couldn't seem to bring herself to use it.

 After JA's chat, Dolly used the litter box that very night. The next day, she sent back a bonus message: "tell them to keep it clean!"

Testimonial from Elka's "stepmom" -  I love the Downton Abbey reference. :)

After she talked to our cats, I knew we needed JA to talk to our long-haired German Shepherd Elka. Elka is a very sensitive dog, who feels uncomfortable with change. I thought our upcoming move and combining households might be upsetting her, or maybe the problem was my dog-hating cat ... but whatever it was, she was upset and telling her to calm down only made things worse. It was clear something significant was bothering her and the problem was getting worse, but we had no way to tell what it was or reassure her.

 JA plugged right in and found that there there were two main concerns ... one, my cat was indeed being very hostile, and the other was, she was afraid her closest companion animal was going to be left behind in the move and forgotten about. What a terrible feeling!

 JA was able to reassure Elka her "sissy" would not be left behind in the move, and even somehow managed to convince my dog-hating cat to be a little kinder. Since our session, Elka has been visibly calmer, and there has been notably less hostility between cat and dog.

 These things are wonderful in themselves ... household conflicts are not very fun for everyone. But at a richer, more subtle level, leaning about my pets this way exposed a whole world of interaction, preferences and personalities that are normally somewhat invisible ... kind of like the upstairs/downstairs divide in Downton Abbey!

So excited to be part of Living From Spirit University!  

The four amazing women who created LFSU are truly a gift to this world.  The collaboration between them and the hand-picked instructors make for a wonderful opportunity to explore, learn and grow in spirituality!

"We have created an online learning environment where people who are interested in learning about Spirit can come and learn about Spirituality and explore the many different modalities."

I've been graciously added to their amazing site, offering Reiki sessions for pets and people. :)  

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