Greetings and Happy Spring! As I write, I am sitting in the cozy back yard of my rental property, which abuts a nature preserve. How lucky I am. The red winged blackbirds, sparrows and finches are providing a sweet, soothing bird symphony. Soaking in warm sun and listening to birdsong makes my heart very happy. Spring has finally come to Southern Maine.
What a time in the history of humanity!! This little understood virus has turned the world upside down. Widespread feelings of fear, sadness, uncertainty, isolation, anger, overwhelm, and helplessness have pushed people to react in uncharacteristic ways. The threat of this organism and the illness it causes threatens our most basic needs for health and safety, and dredges up our deepest unhealed wounds.
Like many of you, I ride the “COVID-coaster” of ups and downs; anger and calmness, restlessness and relaxation, sadness and laughter, emptiness and fullness, disappointment and gratitude, fear and ease. Sometimes a bit of old Catholic guilt creeps in that I am comfortable. I have not experienced a loss, nor do I work on the “front lines”. That guilt is an old story that doesn’t serve me. I am right where I am supposed to be. On a challenging day, I feel a bit like a caged animal pacing, bored, and frustrated. A friend’s casual comment might trigger me unexpectedly, or I may just feel a sad longing for my pre-COVID life. The collective energy of the world is palpable right now. The sensitive types feel it all. It’s easy to pick up other’s emotional discharges. Do you feel drained after leaving the grocery store? I find the stores to be the most draining. How is your coaster ride going? Each ride is as unique, as the rider. All the emotions that we are experiencing are valid and justifiable, given the circumstances. Allowing ourselves to feel it all is important too. But being with the feelings is uncomfortable and hard, isn’t it? What we do with the feelings is important. Stuffing is not good for us but neither is projecting it out at our fellow humans. Releasing in a healthy way is the trick.
How are you bringing yourself back from the brink when you have had a challenging day or week? I would love to hear from you. :) For myself, woods bathing, beach walks with my pup, yoga, singing, energy work, exercise, dancing, painting, and shamanic journeying help me get back into balance. Gratitude is a powerful shifter! Journaling helps express it on paper. I try not to spend too much time reading news or engaged in social media. As a sensitive person, I get overwhelmed quickly. Less is more.
As our states start to open up, the mixed feelings will be there, happiness for a bit of freedom, intertwined with anxiety and the rest of human emotions. I haven’t gotten to this place yet, but I imagine, as the quarantine time ends, and the controls exerted on us to keep us safe are lifted, it won’t be just like flipping a switch. Re-entry will be equally challenging. I encourage you all to take it one day at a time. Check in with yourself often, and adjust as needed. Love yourself no matter how you are feeling each day. Keep doing the things that you know make you feel better. You know what you need. If you are having a hard time managing, forgive yourself. We are in uncharted waters. Take just one small step toward a goal for the day. It’s progress not perfection.
One of the gifts of staying home has been all of the amazing on-line offerings right now for yoga, meditations, sound baths, music, shows, art and so much more. There is plenty available to help us come back to balance, if we allow ourselves. Do you sometimes feel that you don’t deserve any downtime because you haven’t “produced” enough in one day? Time to let go of that worn out record! Ah yes, for the younger readers, vinyl records were used to play music before digital technology existed. Who knew? :) You deserve all the downtime you need. Take advantage of this slower world pace to SLOW DOWN! It won’t last forever so we may as well take advantage of it.
While riding the COVID-coaster, it is more important than ever to attend to our needs. Has it been a while since your energetic system has been cleared and rebalanced? Or perhaps a shamanic healing session would help hit the reset button. I cannot offer in person sessions yet, but remote work is very affective and powerful. I have included a testimonial from a recent remote session.
For the next 2 months, I am offering remote healing sessions on a sliding scale of $40 - $80 for a 75-minutes. You have a choice of Polarity Therapy, Shamanic Healing, or Transfiguration (Toning). The session begins with a brief phone check in. Then we turn off the phones, and I do the work while you lay down comfortably in your home without distractions, listening to peaceful music if you choose. After the session, we debrief on the phone. If you choose a toning session, I will tone through the phone. Please reach out if you have further questions, but have faith that it does work! We ARE energy.
Testimonial: “My first remote session with JoAnn was POWERFUL. After experiencing face-to-face sessions for years, the remote healing session gave me a new experience. Since I no longer could feel JoAnn’s touch or hear her words and toning, I was able to focus on what was happening inside me. This experience was profound in many ways. I asked JoAnn to look at past life experiences, knowing something was there and keeping me stuck. Not only did she find what was stuck, our debrief session showed that my experiences coincided with what JoAnn had witnessed. The whole thing baffles my mind, but I 100% believe in what happens. I also trust the experience and JoAnn’s wisdom immensely.” ~ Mary
I wish you all peace and comfort during this unprecedented period in our lives. Be gentle with yourself, and please be kind to others. Help where you can. Appreciate the gifts that come.
With great love,
JoAnn
