Challenging yourself feeds your soul

Beltane

I love Beltane not just because it is the beginning of Summer in the Celtic Wheel of the Year but because it is also my husband's birthday so it is a time of love and connection for me. It is always good to have a reminder that we are all lovable but also to show love and appreciation. Anyway with dh turning 50 it reminded me that it is my 50th in January and so this is the last year of my 40s.

In the last year of my 30s I challenged myself to honour the elements - earth, air, fire and water. I was in the midst of my Core Shamanic Practitioner training and was resonating a lot with the elements and how they are the basis of all nature and a great source of power. 

Honouring the Elements - earth, air, fire and water

In my 40th year before I turned 40, I honoured air by doing a static line solo parachute jump; honoured fire by doing my first fire walk; honoured water by starting to wild swimming and sat out alone from sunset to moonrise for 4 hours in the dark to honour the earth. All these experiences were amazing and solidified my connection to the elements and the power they can bring. They also took me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow as a person.

Challenging Yourself feeds the soul

Now is the time to consider what I am going to do in the run up to my 50th birthday. I have already committed to do the annual York Dragon Boat Race in July and if you would like to sponsor me - https://yorkrotary.enthuse.com/pf/viv-chamberlin-kidd. I am rowing as part of the Kyra Crew. This is going to be a massive challenge as I don't particularly like deep water (hence the wild swimming challenge when I was 39!!) plus I can't row very well.

But the real thing I feel I most need this year is to consistently be of service to others. This feels like an achilles heel of mine in some ways due to my neurodivergent brain. So I thought this would be a great internal challenge for myself but that having some accountability to others would serve two purposes.

Knowing how I felt after my parachute jump and then after my fire walk and my sitting out alone in the dark has spurred me on to realise that anything is within my grasp if I just see the chance to take myself out of my comfort zone and step into my power.

My 2022 Challenges

Earth (my body) - I am wanting to release some unhealthy habits that I have accumulated since my Dad's death in 2020 and over various COVID lock downs. I am therefore commiting to drinking more water and less coffee with syrups. I am also going to make my own essential oil chocolates and do regular strength training

Fire (my spirit/soul) - I am going to continue doing my weekly shamanic journeys and dream incubations/affirmations but I am going to document my spiritual journey via my Essentially Evolving Telegram channel - https://t.me/EssentiallyEvolving. If you would like to follow my journey then please come and join me.

Water (my creativity) - I am going to support myself and anyone who wants to tap into the magic of their full, evolving, powerful potential by sharing regular prompts, tips and steps along my journey using the various tools I have at my disposal. 

Air (my expertise) - I am going to share my expertise and experience with Runes; Ogham; chakra drumming; dream journaling; essential oils; chakra clearing; oracle cards; regular Game of Transformation games for the Earth; stone divination via my Guided Pictures in the Stone process; and any other things that appear in my life to support and guide me.

Your Challenges

Life is a journey. Not always an easy one. Getting out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself is a great way to fully realise your potential and amazingness. Is there a way you can find to challenge yourself this Summer?

If I can support you on that journey please come along for the ride. I'd love to share in your journey whilst I share mine and together we can make the world a better place. 

Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, which signifies the end of Autumn and the beginning of Winter. It is the day in the year when the axis of the earth means that it is the shortest day and longest night and so the days are getting longer through to the Summer Solstice. 

This slow beginning of more sunlight is a great time to plan the sowing of the seeds and look to next year's harvest. Whether this is around the actual growing of food or in my case more around plans for my business and family, I love this time of year to rest, recuperate, relax and have that space to plan, reflect and regroup.

I also love that falling a few days before Christmas this festival and space doesn't get tangled up in the consumerism of presents and over-indulgence. Instead, people celebrate using candles, setting intentions for the coming year and mulled beverages. Simply lighting a candle or sitting around a fire can honour the light and dark in all of us.

For me, it is a reminder that although there is light and dark; day and night; good and bad; male and female and so many other dualities, actually all of these things live on a spectrum. It isn't as clear cut as night and day as there is dusk and dawn; what is good to one person can be bad for another and vice versa. These things are not definitive.

So today is a day to honour transitions and growth with compassion and understanding. The Winter Solstice is a time to take it slow and enjoy the fact that nights are going to gradually get lighter from today. And it is a great time to look inward to our plans for the coming year with excitement and wisdom. And realise that things are always changing and growing.

What do shamanic healing and jigsaws have in common?

A strange title I know but this thought was gifted to me as I was doing a power gathering exercise that involved the candle in this video (with the jigsaw behind) on YouTube https://youtu.be/woXW_Nvm2KU

It is not always easy to explain to people how attending a shamanic healing session can affect them or how they might feel after the session, with the power they take into their lives. All healing sessions are different as all people are different but also for one person all soul retrievals or power retrievals are different. So let me give you a bit of a backstory about my own experiences with shamanic healing and soul retrievals. 

When I had my first soul retrieval I was surprised what soul part was bought back to me. To be honest I was slightly disappointed. I had an idea of what was most important to me to get back from my childhood and that is not what I received. However, as I continued my shamanic learning and received more soul parts back as part of my training, I looked back at that first session. I realised, with hindsight, why I had received that different part of myself back first. I needed that foundation to accept parts that were returned later including the part I initially thought I had lost. 

So whilst I was doing a power ceremony with the candle in the video I was given an analogy of shamanic healing being like doing a jigsaw!! So let me try and explain:

Imagine that you are a jigsaw puzzle but that pieces go missing through life's events and experiences. Sometimes so many pieces disappear that it is difficult to work out what the picture is anymore or how all the pieces could possibly fit together. Pieces go missing through life experiences like illness, difficult relationships, shock and trauma, moving house, changing jobs, mid-life worries, bullying at school, etc. Simply put anything that makes you feel less like yourself, unbalanced, etc can be power or soul loss (according to a shamanic practitioner.)

So with regards to the jigsaw, shamanic healing can bring those lost bits of your jigsaw back. Sometimes a session can result in a whole section of your jigsaw re-appearing such as important objects - faces, buildings, etc. Or a whole edge can be retrieved bringing with it very obvious benefits to the overall picture formation. Sometimes, however, after a shamanic session it can feel like only a few connecting pieces have been added to the jigsaw and it might not seem like a lot has changed. 

Although those 'filler' pieces seem less important they are still a vital part of the overall jigsaw. Without those in-between pieces, the picture can look distorted or just a bit weird (like this one.) They might seem unimportant but they connect the more obvious parts of the jigsaw giving the puzzle balance and more of an impact.

You might feel less impressed when you find those sky pieces between Dumbledore and Hogwarts but it is still important even if it is less exciting than finishing Hagrid's face!

So if you ever go for a shamanic healing session and, like me, feel a bit disappointed with the outcome, remember that maybe you need those less obvious bits of your power or soul returned before you are ready to receive more significant parts.

If you want to know more about my work or to book a session, book a free discovery call with me and let's get you sorted.

Legacy is a circular thing & a wonderful acronym for life

During my core shamanic practitioner training I learnt to 'psychopomp' people. Psychopomp is derived from a Greek word that literally means 'guide of souls.' The shamanic ritual of psychompomping is therefore making sure that the soul of a deceased person gets to the shamanic land of the dead. 

This new way of viewing death and just the act of openly talking about death gave me a different view on where I am going when I die and how that fits in the amazing circle of life. Subsequent talks about:

1. ancestors and those that come before and after my time on this earth in this body
2. time and how in the spirit world it is not linear as it is on earth
3. reincarnation and choosing to live on earth again as a different lifeform 

were just some of the things that got me thinking about my legacy but only really as a vague thought in my mind rattling around but not really taking up space enough for me to really formulate any ideas.

Nothing brings these ideas into focus more than the death of a significant person and so my Dad's death in January 2020 re-engaged my thoughts around legacy and what it means to me. I wrote about my Dad's legacy in a previous blog post here. My Dad wanted to finish writing his latest book once he knew he was dying and it is such a gift to have all his published books to look at as something that has lasted beyond his time on this earth.

What does legacy mean to me?

The word legacy is derived from the Latin legatus meaning 'ambassador.' The meaning has changed over time and is now more linked to what is left after your death especially in a will but I am taking the word back to its legatus meaning.

After my Dad died and with lockdown starting soon after his death I was given the chance to do some personal healing work by attending an ancestral healing shamanic course. I was able to heal some of my ancestors from all four of my grandparent's lines and bring them into my shamanic work as ancestral healing guides. It made so much sense that healing those who have gone before and making sure that they were safely in the land of the dead would have such an important impact on all those ancestors who have come after those relatives.

This is when it really hit me that being an ambassador is not only leaving the planet a better place for those who come after me (whether my direct offspring, those whose lives I have touched or even anyone who is here after me) but also that I need to be the best I can be for those who have come before me. So many amazing people are in my family tree - so many experiences, so many obstacles overcome; so much learning and growth; so many amazing gifts and sacrifices and that doesn't even include the miracle of my existence on this planet.

You are a miracle

The proof is in this article here. The likelihood that you were born to the ancestors you have is truly a miracle: an event so unlikely as to be almost impossible.

So my challenge to you (and to myself) is to truly act like the miracle you. As one of my favourite artists Nik Kershaw sings in You Don't Have to Be The Sun - "you don't have to be the sun to shine on me, just the miracle you are!"

As a helping hand and because I love a great acronym feel free to use the following to help you be your truly awesome, miraculous being.

L = Love. Love yourself. Love everything you do. Love your life. Bring love to others you connect with

E = Everything. Do everything you do at 100% but that includes resting, failing, learning, loving and being with your friends (give them 100% of your attention!)

G = Gratitude. Find whatever you can to be grateful for. This isn't always easy but even if you can think of is that you are still breathing, thinking and feeling that is enough.

A = Authenticity. Be totally you! We have established you are a miracle so be miraculously you. Share your uniqueness with the world in whatever joyous ways you can. 

C = Creative. Find a place beyond your comfort zone and be creative with sharing yourself with the world via your friends, family or whoever you resonate with. Find the thing that makes you feel amazing about yourself.

Y = You. Remember you are the sum of your ancestors who came before you and will come after you. Take those gifts from them and thank them daily. Share those gifts with anyone/everyone. You leave your legacy with every person you interact with so make it a great interaction. 

If you want to hear more go and watch my FB 'live' about from New Year's Eve 2020. 

If you want to have a chat with me about any of my healing sessions whether it be about ancestral stuff, a lost loved one or anything else please book a free call. I'm always here to help if I can and if that resonates with you. [click button below]

If you are wanting any help with grieving over a lost loved one then there are also essential oils that are fantastic in helping with the process so a chat about that is also something I am more than happy to have with you. My free eBook and extra stuff are also available on my member site here. 

There is also a video I have done about essential oils and grieving here as well as two videos about using oils with emotions here and here.

I'm here to help

Why is my business called Essentially Shamanic?

When I re-launched my business on the Autumnal Equinox in 2019 (23rd September - which also happens to be my Wedding Anniversary!) I wanted a name that captured the essence of what I did. 

I had been vaguely using the name Essentially Shamanic but the re-launch gave me the chance to re-evaluate. I obviously stuck with it.

I believed that it did capture not only who I was but also what I did. Even though using the word 'shamanic' can cause confusion for those who aren't aware of shamanism as a spiritual practice or what I do, I still felt that using it would elicit curiosity, could at least lead to an interesting conversation or could lead someone down an interesting Google rabbit hole of discovery.

Learning about, experiencing the healing power of, and ultimately training as a Core Shamanic Practitioner got me to a place where I was able to comfortably accept myself. It gave me back my essential essence and I then felt able to offer that powerful healing opportunity to someone else.

So why Essentially Shamanic?

'Essentially' because: 

1. I want everyone to be essentially themselves
2. I use essential oils to enhance the spiritual healing experience of my work
3. I believe that I am essentially a spiritual being
4. Shamanic healing brought me back to the essence of who I am

'Shamanic' because

1. I am a Core Shamanic Practioner
2. I use core shamanic healing techniques with my clients
3. I am guided by my shamanic power animals and shamanic guides
4. I use dreamwork in my business which is another way in which shamans believe the soul travels to the spirit world

If you'd like to find out more about how I can help be essentially you please book a free call

Look after yourself. Don't forget the 'Deep blue'!!

Last week seemed tougher than previous weeks this year. Nothing major happened (although it was the anniversary of my Dad's Memorial / Thanksgiving service at York Minster) but I was aware that I was a little more tired than usual, a little less motivated, a little more distracted, etc and I was not taking the time to slow down or look after myself. There were signs and thoughts that were hinting that this was going to be a problem but I still ignored it.

I forgot to take my vitamins, omegas and cellular support pills; I wasn't quite so proactive with my emotional oils and my muscle rub (doTERRA's deep blue ointment), which keeps my back healthy, got misplaced. I usually apply it morning and night at the very least but I kept forgetting to find my tube and so didn't stick to my usual routine.

Fast forward to Friday and my back 'went'. I am standing straight in this photo and you can see that I am very wonky and my hips are out of alignment. 

This hasn't happened for at least 2 years (probably more) because I had been methodical with my essential oil use and other beneficial stuff for my body generally. It was so strange to be reminded of how awful this made me feel and I started out very annoyed with myself.

• How could I be so stupid to forget to use my muscle rub?
• Why didn't I just find the tube and put it where it needed to be?
• Why didn't I pay attention to the signs of my brain telling me, via my body, to slow down?

And various other questions! All valid but ultimately unhelpful. 

The problem is that once my back has gone into spasm it's a lot more difficult to get out of it. Prevention is definitely better than cure in this scenario. Once I have lost the ability to stand or walk safely it is problematic.

Luckily helping out a friend a week ago with some essential oils information meant that I found a helpful reference section in my Medicinal Essential Oils book. I looked up antispasmodic and found these 2 pages of oils that I could use and there were loads of them! I already knew about marjoram having used that before at any hint of back spasm issues. 

But how amazing that bergamot mint (from the doTERRA Spring Exclusives kit) had arrived that very morning. Are doTERRA wizards? How did they know? It was a sign to me and this little ray of hope turned my questions and mind chatter around.

How can I help myself now I am in this situation?
What can I do to support myself with my natural health solution knowledge and supplies?
What could I do now to pay attention to my brain's messages to slow down and find a positive in that?

And various other helpful questions! 

I even gave myself a target that if I couldn't fix this by Monday I would have to resort to going to the doctors and getting myself pills - which I hate and have made me feel shite in the past. This was very motivating and so with this in mind I got to action (in a very slow, deliberate, painful way!!!!)

1. I took my pills and set an alarm to remind myself to take them daily
2. I found my deep blue rub (3 tubes) and strategically placed them around the house (including one back on my chest of drawers for before bed and after waking application!) 
3. I used the deep blue rub and layered it with copaiba essential oil and my forgive / frankincense blend on my back
4. I took and then placed my antispasmodic oils on my chest of drawers - marjoram, bergamot mint, rosemary and a few others with capsules ready to take every 4 hours
5. I did some spinal twists to get my spine back in place
6. I had a hot bath and did some cold therapy too
7. I checked how my energy body was doing and found out what was going on in my lower chakras paying particular attention to my sacral chakra (something I do as part of my spiritual / energy / shamanic work)
8. I did some writing / journaling about what I found during my energy body scan and how I was feeling generally

I woke up Saturday morning and felt so much straighter.  I planned to use the antispasmodic oils and deep blue rub every few hours throughout the day which gave me a reason to move often throughout the day which was important for my back and for me to check my progress.

I could still feel the tension in my back. I was still worried so I added in some emotional oils on pulse points and I continued to journal my feelings, noted down this plan of action (and noted down some more antispasmodic oils) and had a plan for later in the day if things went in the right direction.

I have been walking most days at lunch with my DH who is working from home. Over the weekend we often do a longer walk or a bike ride but on Saturday I was concerned about any activity. My plan was to go for a walk if I could really feel that it would be ok for my back. Again this was a great motivator to use the oils, rest, look after myself and really tap into how my body was feeling and if it was realigning itself. 

I made it and it was so great to go out with DH, DS on a lovely late afternoon walk.

So my message to you is:

1. Make sure that your self care is foremost in your mind ALL THE TIME or at least most of the time
2. If your brain is telling you to remember to 
•     take your pills
•     use your essential oils
•     take a break
•     use whatever is your go-to thing to support your health and wellbeing, LISTEN TO YOURSELF
3. PAY ATTENTION if you are:
•     feeling a bit low 
•     a bit demotivated 
•     tired
•     feeling something that might be telling you to slow down
4. Take a BREAK when you need to and do something JOYFUL
5. Take a bath - do some hot / cold therapy 
6. 
   Go for a gentle walk - notice at least 3 things in nature
7. Lie on the floor with your feet and legs up against a wall and listen to some fab music
8. Check your chakras and see if anything is going awry (I can help with this if you want to know more)
9. Listen to your intuition or gut as to what you need to do
10. Be your own cheerleader for looking after yourself
11. Have some fun (like I did with Snapchat on my walk!)
    

If you want to know how to use essential oils, essential oil-infused supplements, energy body clearing or anything I have talked about here, please book a FREE spiritual / essential oil health check with me. I'm here to help you be the HERO of your HEALTH.

If you want to see what Kevin Hart thinks about doTERRA's Deep Blue rub watch here.

Why autonomy is so important - creativity & diversity

Until I autonomously educated my children I didn't really know what autonomy meant to be fair. When I joined the thousands of people home educating when my DS turned 5 and didn't go to primary school, it became apparent that we were going to be a radical unschooling family, who autonomously educated or unschooled our children. 

Our children lived autonomously - deciding what they wanted to do, eat, when they wanted to sleep, what passions they wanted to pursue, etc. - all within the boundaries of our family unit: they self-governed as the Greek roots of 'auto' (self) and 'nomos' (law) stated.

I never thought that the idea of autonomy would become such an important value or ideal within my business. But it is because I want EVERYONE to be their best, intentional, amazing, unique selves. I want people to regain their power: be their own Emperor, Hero, Boss, Sovereign - as stated in some of the 'tag' lines I am now using in my business.

These 'tag' lines that are in the diagram above I believe come from my neurodiverse, dyslexic mind which I mentioned in my FB 'live' on 4/3/21 - (an exciting date by all accounts for a mathematical geek like me!) You can watch that on FB here or on YouTube here. To help my short-term memory issue I often help myself using alliteration, wordplay, acronyms and symmetry to help me.

These are some of my quirks along with my fascination with symmetry, palindromes, as well as my linking of interests in elemental work, the chakras, the directions (above) and puzzles. I also enjoy poetry, lyrics, harmonizing music and none of these things I do particularly well but that isn't the point.  

These are all important aspects of me and things that I often bring into my spiritual, healing work. By acknowledging and honouring these things in me and trusting that it is important for me to be truly me I feel that that allows me to honour you and those parts of you that are truly part of you when I do any healing work.

Owning your individuality or even our idiosyncrasies isn't always an easy thing to do, I don't think. But I think it is important. As Ken Robinson mentioned in his TED talk Schools Kill Creativity (or it might have been one of his other talks), creativity is one of humanity's natural resources and that as a species we are destroying it via our school system. 

Creativity is the way we all see the same thing but view it differently

Creativity is the way we can hear the same thing but experience it differently

Creativity is feelings arranged with words, sounds, colours, but different people who all experience things differently

Creativity is all our brains firing different neurons in different ways based on our experiences, our culture, our upbringing, our unique take on the world. 

Creativity is autonomy expressed. It is sovereignty expressed. It is diversity expressed. And vice versa!

We have to take back this autonomy/creativity and rediscover these self-governing rights that we have over our bodies, emotions, thoughts and higher power. 

I spent many years via my shamanic training and afterwards, retrieving power that I had lost at school, during my childhood, in unhealthy relationships, etc. That helped me realise my unique place in the world and that my neurodiverse, quirky, non-binary, geeky way of looking at the world was not only ok but was important, valuable and that I had a right to express myself authentically.

Don't get me wrong, I still have more power to reclaim and more things to learn. I also accept that not everyone wants to engage with my quirks. That's ok. You might not totally get what I am trying to explain here. That's ok. 

What isn't ok is people feeling that they can't take up their space in the world or that they have to hide who they are or they don't have anything to contribute.

Take back your sovereignty over your soul. Be the emperor of your emotions. Be the hero of your health and be the boss of your body. And feel free to do all those things your own way.

How to never feel imposter syndrome (or never again)

Imposter syndrome is the belief that you aren't as competent as others perceive you to be despite external evidence to the contrary. It also includes the fear of being found out as a fraud. But it seems that actually, pretty much everyone feels like that regardless of whether we are talented, experienced, a newbie or a seasoned veteran. Either that or they hide it well OR maybe there are actually people out there who don't care and get on with what they are doing regardless.

To be honest, I don't mind if you are actually an imposter in some ways - so what if you are pretending that you know more than they do, so what if you are winging it or slightly faking it to get ahead. I don't mean actual fraud or deception tor fraudulent gain or conning people. I mean slightly bending the truth ("I passed my Maths GCSE!") to get ahead in something you love so that you can learn on the job or get that step up that you need to prove or improve yourself.

Good for you for having a go. If the vast majority of people are feeling like they are imposters then we can all join the party and be in it together and if there are people who are faking it because they love what they do good for them. I'd rather be an imposter in something I love doing than a veteran in someone I hate doing, as long as I am not hurting anyone. 

So what if you know less than the next person? How do we even measure this?

So what if there are people out there who know more than you? They aren't you and the way they implement their knowledge may be very different to you!

So what if you have less experience, so what if you are a newbie? Everyone has to start somewhere before they can become competent.

Here's the 'live' I did on Facebook about this subject - https://youtu.be/BPiT4Dz9jfY. I start most of my 'lives' on Facebook with "hello beautiful people" and I finish most of my lives with something along the lines of "remember you are an amazing, unique person and there is no-one else like you." because both of those statements are true. I am not talking about external beauty although I believe that everyone is externally beautiful! I am talking about the amazing, beautiful, unique people we all are. There is no-one else with your brain, your talents, your skills, your thoughts, etc in the way that they are arranged in you. 

So really you are an expert and uniquely qualified for at least one very important task. 

Being you

So let's forget about imposter syndrome, let's forget about competency, let's forget about what others think about you. 

If you are doing something that brings your joy and adds value to one other person's life even indirectly, brilliant. What others think about that is irrelevant and what you think about what other's think about you is also irrelevant and is also frankly a waste of time because they are too busy worrying about whether you have noticed that they are imposters or they haven't even noticed you at all.

Be you, be unashamedly you, be successfully you, be effectively you and by default you will be competently you and as Yoda would say "you an imposter cannot be!"

PS. If you would like some help accessing or exploring your personal power or are inquisitive about how you let allow outside factors influence your wellbeing arrange a call with me where I can tell you how I could help as a core shamanic practitioner. Book a call with me.

If you are into essential oils spearmint and bergamot are just two oils that can help you find your true voice, confidence and allow you to embrace your fabulous awesomeness. Arrange a call if you would like further information (use the button above.)

PPS. I have added my logo to this post because it was designed from a doodle I did after a shamanic journey I went on about my business. If you look at the way that it has been drawn it spells B ME with a backward B. This is the basis of my Essentially Shamanic business. I want everyone (including myself) to be truly themselves. 

Alternative healing for dogs - stressed, separation anxiety, etc.

Shamanic Healing

As a shamanic practitioner, I believe that everything - people, animals, plants, stone, etc. - has a spirit or soul. 

When something happens to humans such as trauma, shock or even just stressful life circumstances, the soul can fragment and a bit of it can leave. This loss can be expressed through the physical body and mind, manifesting as such problems as illness, confusion, apathy or just feeling 'out of sorts'. 

This can also happen to pets if something traumatic happens like an animal attack, accident or even being affected by how their owner is feeling. Separation anxiety or a change in routine can make a dog feel great loss and result in troubling behaviour.

Shamanic healing can address the spiritual aspect of these issues whether in the animal or the owner. Animals are particularly responsive to shamanic healing because they live in their soul / spirit much more than we, as humans, do. They understand the spirit world intuitively even though they are very different from their wild cousins.

If you would like further information about how I can help you and your pet please book a free Spiritual Health Check call with me or contact me here. 

Essential Oils

Essential oils can also be used for pets and as their worlds often revolve around scent, aromatherapy can work really well.

Firstly though remember that animals tend to use their sense of smell of lot more than humans. For example, a dog's nose has 40 times more scent receptors than humans which means they are very sensitive to smells.

Secondly, there is a well-known phenomenon in animals where they self-medicate called zoopharmacognosy. This is where non-human animals select and ingest or topically apply mosses, lichen, grasses, plants, soils, clays, insects, etc when out and about. 

So when working with oils, self-selection is really important and diluting the oils is equally important. (Essential oils are diluted in carrier oils such as almond oil or fractionated coconut oil.)

Some oils that are great for stressed /  anxious dogs

Spikenard, lavender and turmeric are great oils to try with anxious dogs and the doTERRA blends Serenity, Balance and Peace can also be very supportive. 

If there are underlying health concerns or conditions that are causing issues with your dog then there are supplements and oils that can help with:

• digestive issues
• the cardiovascular system
• the liver, kidneys and urinary tract
• the nervous system 
• immune support 
• oral health

Dr Janet Roark is a licensed veterinarian who uses doTERRA oils with animals and there you can find out more here Using Essential Oils with Animals podcast (with transcript)

Please be aware I only use doTERRA oils (see below*) so cannot comment on any other blends or makes of oils.   

How do you use the oils - Self-Selection

There are various ways you can do this. 

1. Put an oil you feel drawn to in the diffuser and see what your dog does
2. Grab a bottle of essential oil. With the lid still on and the label hidden, offer your closed hand to the dog
3. Pick a bottle of essential oil, take the lid off and leave it near your dog 

With all these methods you are then watching for signs of positive body language such as:

• lots of lip-licking
• yawning
• coming and sitting in front of you
• nudging you etc 

You know what signs your pet gives you that are positive. If you see this sort of reaction then that is an acceptance of the oil. 

Please be aware there are essential oils that are not good to use with pets and that all essential oils are NOT the same. I only use doTERRA oils (see below*) so cannot comment on any other blends or makes of oils. I would strongly suggest that you buy some of the resources to help you feel more confident (see below **)

Dilution

The general dilution rule for canines is to mix one teaspoon of carrier oils with 2 drops of essential oil (or a 2% dilution). Obviously, if your dog is a smaller variety then dilute more. 

If diffusing essential oils then having a diffuser like the doTERRA Lumo diffuser with a 10-hour setting with intermittent time on/off is a great way to diffuse 3-5 drops of essential oil. There has to be a way for the pet to leave the room though.

Another way to affect animals is for the owner to wear the oils in diffuser jewellery or on the skin or clothes and the animal can benefit that way and you get a 2 for 1 benefit with your oils.

You could even add the diluted oils (15ml of almond or coconut oil with a drop of essential oil for example) on the dog lead before going for a walk or massage it down the spine from neck to the top of the tail if the dog needs to be calmed. 

If you would like further information about doTERRA oils please get in touch and we can have a chat. I am also more than happy to send you a sample to try with your pet before you buy. Contact me here or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/vckidd or via messenger here.

There are some great resources out there for you to find out more. 

Here are just a few:

PETS and essential oils - this is a 51-minute talk about using doTERRA oils with horses, dogs, cats and even rats!!

Pamphlet on using oils with cats & dogs - £8 written by Dr Janet Roark**

Leaflet on using essential oils with cats and dog - only £0.90** 

These pamphlets and leaflets have information about what oils to not use with dogs (and cats) so definitely worth the investment!

* I can only recommend doTERRA oils as I know that they are 100% pure from the tests that they undergo. To be labelled as pure however essential oil bottles only need to contain a small amount of the actual oil. doTERRA bottles all have a number on the bottom of the bottle where you can go to sourcetoyou.com and see all the tests that that oil passed to be put in that bottle. All essential oils are not the same.

A different blog post - lockdown time warp lessons

At the beginning of the lockdown, I had grand plans. I was going to get all those courses I signed up for over the years done, get back to writing regularly, blog every week and be more present on social media. 

Having had a minor car accident in December 2019 I had taken a break from face-to-face shamanic healing sessions due to a knee injury. I was in the process of moving my business online and I was furloughed from my part-time job so I had more time on my hands. So that was the plan and then reality hit! 

I was still grieving for my Dad following his death in January 2020 and as I wrote in a previous blog post it was tough grieving whilst in lockdown. Although I have many useful ways to support my emotions via my essential oils and shamanism, I still noticed that I felt more stuck than usual - like my grieving was on lockdown as well. 

For me, time changed over lockdown. I have a very frenetic lifestyle with not much structure. Taking my son to college; my daughter being out on Fridays; attending networking events and my part-time job were the only really static things in my life. I fitted my self-employed work, hobbies and time out with friends around those events but when they were gone, my days merged into each other.

But I still had that extra time and I wanted to make the most of it and so I planned. I felt that the more I tried to be rigid with my time, the more I was not getting anywhere and not even getting things that I used to get done, done. What was going on?

So I tried even harder and I started to succumb to that little voice telling me I wasn't good enough. Social media told me everyone else was doing ok? Why was I finding it so tough? 

So I ripped up my plans and I stopped. I felt very apathetic but I did some shamanic work with a friend, got my emotional oils strategically placed around the house so I could grab them wherever I was and I decided to just go with the flow. 

 

I rediscovered my joy for doing silly things like changing the lyrics of a song for my fundraising challenge and writing for the joy of it rather than for a blog post. I stopped expecting more of myself just because I had more time. Instead, I gave myself permission to just be in that extra time. I came to realise that lockdown was not a time to expect more of myself but to fully realise that I am ok as I am. 

I feel that time has changed over lockdown. In some ways, it slowed down but in other ways, it speeded up and as I write this I can't believe that it is nearly August. My Dad died over 6 months ago but it seems only a few weeks ago. So I am going to continue to be aware of that time distortion as I continue venturing out. But I am also going to remember to take care of myself, slow down and take a breath when I need to and to fully embrace that everything is as it should be because of who I am not because of what I have (or haven't) achieved over the last 4 months. 

I know that going back to work, getting out and about more is going to feel equally surreal and weird so I am taking this realisation of what I need into those future times with me. 

So this was not the blog post I was going to write. I was going to write one that would help the re-launch of my business in September. But this is the blog post that called to me and so here I am going with the flow and writing what I feel needs to be written for me and anyone else it touches.

And following on from my post about grieving being tough in lockdown, I know that I am finding it easier to grieve now that I can do some of those honouring things I spoke about. I attended York Minster's Eucharist service last Sunday with my Mum and gave myself the space to cry whilst lighting a candle for my Dad. I also attended a wonderful Talking About Loss event last Saturday which also gave me the space to cry about my Dad in a safe space and away from my immediate family. 

I'm going to celebrate these moments as well as the fact that I did indeed get one course finished. I managed to honour my Dad and my Black ancestors with my crazy fundraising challenge and sharing my love of oils with people over the internet rather than face to face. I got to enjoy my garden more and spend time more time outside and walking with my family. I have decluttered stuff that doesn't serve me anymore and some of those courses on my list are never going to get finished because I don't feel the need to do them anymore.

I challenge you to write down all the things you have achieved, however 'small', unplanned or weird. 

• What new joys have you discovered? 
• What old joys have you rediscovered?
• What have you let go off that doesn't seem to fit your life anymore? 
• What are you not going to go back to after lockdown?

Now take the time to celebrate those things

If you want to know more about using oils whilst grieving here is a video I did for Dying Matters - Dying Awareness week - May 2020

                 

Power - a shamanic practitioner's view

Power is a tricky word. It’s linked to electricity such as with power lines or with the unit of power, the watt. It is the rate at which work is done. Then there is the idea of having power within us, such as being empowered or having power over people or someone being in power such as politics (authority), sovereignty (‘the powers that be’), domestic abuse (power over others), etc. 

This can make it problematic when the premise of your business is based on the idea of bringing power to someone or giving them a power animal. What are power animals? What can they do for us? If I bring power back for someone does that mean they could abuse it or just give it away again? 

When I have a shamanic session with someone who hasn’t had shamanic healing before I always bring them back a power animal. It is a part of their soul that is now their link to the spirit world if they choose to learn more. However regardless of the shamanic path that animal is there to remind them of their power and to use it wisely. It is also a reminder that we are animals regardless of what we think. We are part of an amazing eco-system, the earth, and we are guardians of our planet. 

Sometimes it feels that we think we have power over the earth but we are so much more powerful working with the earth and those that live on it than trying to control it. I could talk about this so much more, but the important thing is that we are all powerful - with unique skills, views, compassion and so much more and if we use those skills and uniqueness for the benefit of everyone and everything the world would be a better place. That is what shamanic healing can do - it can bring balance, power and ultimately peace to everyone.

The Norwegian language has different words for power. ‘Makt’ relates to power in the form of might or force - control over people or manipulation. ‘Kraft’ means powerful or strengthening - being effective or flowing with power or energy and lifeforce. With regards to shamanic work and healing, kraft is allowing the Spirits to work and bring back power whereas makt is controlling and demanding rather than acceptance and is not the way to bring back power that is truly power-full.

No-one ever found inner peace or contentment from having power over people or by manipulating them or controlling them. I want everyone to be power-full so that we can all be peace-full. I want everyone to have the inner strength to be who they were truly meant to be. Then we would all know we are enough and we would see the world for the amazing, beautiful place that it is.

If you want to book a free 20-minute spiritual health check with me please book one here.

Some of my Shamanism back story

It was an interesting set of events that led to me becoming a shamanic practitioner
after my religious upbringing. After having my 2 amazing children, with a molar pregnancy
miscarriage at 19 weeks pregnant in between, I felt that my emotions were hindering my
desire and ability to home educate my children. As a successful IT programmer, turned
stay-at-home-parent, I didn’t want to be an angry or resentful person around my children.

Having tried weekly therapy for about a year, I felt I needed more and so in 2009, I attended
the Hoffman Process - a 7-day residential course to change any inherited behavioural patterns
that prevent you from feeling fully alive. During this process, you learn to identify and honour
your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual sides (your quadrinity.) It was during this time of
transformational work that I started wondering about my Christian upbringing and how I was going
to honour my spiritual side without any hierarchical religious involvement. 

It was, strangely enough, my Dad (a Church of England Priest) who facilitated me finding the
answer because he had visited a shamanic practitioner a few years before to discuss the
idea of Jesus being a Shaman. He had bought a copy of the practitioner’s book ‘The Spirits
Are Always with Me’ (Jane Shutt.) I had mentioned how some of the exercises during the
Hoffman Process had felt very tribal and so he had given me the book to read. I had an
epiphany moment during one of the chapters where it talked about ‘The Void’ (a place souls
get stuck) and ‘soul retrievals.’ It talked about how we can ‘lose’ bits of ourselves and I knew
that I had lost bits of myself through repeated bullying at school, the miscarriage and the
horrendous way I was treated in hospital during my subsequent termination procedure,
the death of loved ones, even being dyslexic at school, to name just a few thoughts that
popped into my head as I read.

I put the book down immediately, got on the internet, found Jane and booked an
appointment (luckily at the time she lived in Scarborough as I lived in York.) At the appointment,
I got my power animal (my personal spirit helper to empower me in everyday life) and I did
indeed receive 2 soul parts back (one that was stuck in The Void.) It was an enlightening
experience because I hadn’t mentioned my fears to Jane about being down The Void but
also to find out why those parts had left in the first place. 

Being a course junkie at that time I was excited to learn more and book on the Introduction
to Shamanism as well as the year-long Deepening Your Connection course with Jane and
her partner Christine. I learnt to ‘journey’ to the spirit world for power, knowledge, to bring
back healing, etc. This is the primary way that Native Shamans around the world go to the
spirit world either via a drumbeat or through rhythmic rattling. It was exciting, scary and
during my training, I was beginning to recognise the many subtle positive changes in my
emotions, my levels of stress, my relationships with others and it felt like I could fully put
into practice what I had learnt on the Hoffman Process. I had often felt pressure and overwhelm
before but with my power animal and the other spirit teachers I was finding as part of my training
and as I was learning more about shamanic healing techniques it felt like I had graduated from a
3 geared bike to a 10 geared bike: everything was just easier and more fluid.

I didn’t feel the need to find the next course that would change my life or fix whatever was
‘wrong’ with me. It was such a relief to me (and my bank balance) as I had already trained in
EFT, NLP, Silva Method, Reiki, started a hypnotherapy course, done an introduction to counselling
and although I had learnt a lot there just wasn’t that feeling of empowerment or grace that
I was getting now I was learning the ancient skills of shamanism. Instead, I enrolled (for personal
development reasons only) on the 3 years Core Shamanic Practitioner training - ‘Healing the
Fractured Soul.’ I learnt to conduct soul retrievals, power animal retrievals, blessings, a stone
divination technique which I call Guided Pictures in the Stone (GPS); psychopomping (making
sure people who have dies get to the Land of the Dead for healing) as well as other shamanic
techniques to bring back power, balance and healing. 

It wasn’t always easy, I often felt like a fraud as it was so far removed from my Christian
upbringing but it was liberating, powerful and I received at least 10 soul parts back. I got to
know my spirit teachers and guides and my power animal so well that they are like my own
personal advisory board with my best interest at heart, there when I need support, advice,
power or protection.

It was during my 3rd year of training that I knew that  I couldn’t keep what I was learning to
myself - I had to let other people experience the subtle, exponential power and clarity
shamanic healing or a GPS session can give you. Once I finished training I offered sessions
to anyone who was referred to me by my teachers (who had moved to Wales at this point)
or if anyone felt drawn to me when I discussed my shamanic belief system. However at the
Autumnal Equinox 2019, to fit around home educating my children, I officially opened my doors
as Essentially Shamanic (incorporating my shamanic and spiritual essential oil work.)

Things were going really well when I was involved in a car accident on election day last year.
Although only mildly injured I was left with some knee and upper back issues which meant
I needed to recuperate and couldn’t easily practice shamanic healing which involves kneeling
and quite a lot of movement. A journey to my spirits led me to take my business online which
is how I am now able to offer 90+ minute sessions via zoom and distance healing to anyone
who wants a session.

If, like me, you have experienced the loss of a loved one, a relationship breakup, an
accident, bullying or any life transition (menopause, children leaving home, moving house
children changing schools, etc,) where you feel that maybe you have lost a bit of
your ‘spark’ or haven’t felt the same since then I can help.

I can honestly say that until I experienced my first few soul retrievals, I hadn’t realised that I was working on ‘half batteries’ as I call it. I now feel more peaceful, content, able to accept lives stresses more easily than I used to. I accept who I am more easily without needing the external validation I always craved. Don’t get my wrong, life is still stressful, I like getting external validation, things are not ‘perfect’ but shamanism has changed who I am, how I feel and how I conduct my business.