Healing for the Earth, Day 16: Turn off the News and Turn on Nature

Hello Earthlings,

How are y'all doing out there? Are you getting rest? Are you getting out in nature or at least breathing in some fresh air?

The news is pretty prevalent on the internet and TV right now. It's all over the place. Some of it is very important information that we need to be aware of, but watching the news and tuning into the thousands of news posts on social media 24-7 can make a person go crazy. Seriously. It's not healthy for fellow Earthlings.

You could probably get all the news you need to know in an hour or less each day. I find it healthy to maybe select a few credible places where you intend to be informed and leave the rest.


Here's a little video I made on my walk in the rain today, where I didn't see a single soul, so I was able to keep my social distance from other Earthlings. Out here in the countryside, it isn't hard to do. My counselor calls my channel of choice the Nature Channel. I like that one.

I'm aware of the turmoil out there, but I have decided that it is not helpful to the world if I'm in turmoil too. I can have compassion for what we as a species are going through. I have been offering love and support individually to several friends and collectively in my thoughts, prayers, chants,  drum sessions and meditations to all beings and our planet. This may not feel like much to some, but when I tune into the bigger picture and offer this gift of peace and healing, I find it to be so powerful. It tunes me in with all the other millions of people doing the same and collectively I can feel that energy.

The other thing that can offer so much incredible healing to Earthlings right now is tuning into the EARTH that we are living on. Yes, this big blue marble we call home. This crisis is not a human problem, it's an Earth problem. If we separate ourselves from nature and our planet by making ourselves the only important beings here, we are going to suffer.

In nature, ALL is there for us. Our water, air, sun, fire, material for our houses, and food has always been there for us. It's what sustains us and keeps us alive, actually. And the animals, particularly the wild animals, are speaking. They are literally SPEAKING! I now understand why our ancestors had such a strong connection to the land and animals. They understood very clearly that without them they could not live. Indigenous people have always known this. In my meditations I feel we are being called as a species to WAKE UP and remember that we are also part of nature and to survive we need to work in harmony with it.

I know, from all the news, that we are to keep ourselves 6 feet away from all people other than our family members and partners in order to flatten the curve of this virus. I'm respecting this, We Earthlings are also supposed to sanitize ourselves by washing our clothes, our bodies, our hands, etc. This is working very well. I'm proud of everyone for doing their part.

  I'm also enjoying the gentleness and quietness of our species who are normally so loud and dominant in the world.

We may be loud in our homes, but outside all is quiet. I hear a heard of elk walked down Cannon Beach in Oregon. A herd of ELK! When I see Earthlings outside now, here in the countryside where I live, they walk so mindfully and contemplatively. They keep huge distances from each other and respect space. They look so beautiful, as if they have just woken up to this precious planet that we all have been rushing around on.

You don't have to walk far to hear the quiet stirring of nature again. You don't have to do too much to feel that it has changed and a big part of it is that we are not running the show out there now. We were sent to our rooms! And those who venture outside for a walk, at least out here where I am living, have found a way to connect again.

On the beach today, way off in the distance, I saw a fellow Earthling walking alone in the rain and she was beautiful, the way she moved. And it brought me back to a time before our time when we used to walk like that, paying attention to the direction of the wind and the position of the sun and the sound of bird calls. Behind some logs on the beach, I found the medicine wheel I made with by boyfriend before the lockdown happened. I was delighted to see that it had remained completely untouched for over a week!

Today I spent time in meditation with a few friends virtually. We spent about an hour in silence together. Afterwards I felt so much peace and gratitude. We are all in this together. Be gentle with each other. There's so much love out there. There is so much healing happening! Thank you, each one of you, for doing your part.

Healing for the Earth, Day 15: Mana Iho (Self Empowerment) by Guest Blogger Kau'i Auwae

Today's guest blogger is Henrylyn Kau'i Auwae. Originally from the Big Island of Hawaii, she currently lives in the Seattle area and boy are we lucky to have her RIGHT NOW in these times we are living in. I first met Kau'i in a shaman journey at a retreat at Breitenbush led by Hank Wesselman.  That means that I met her in the dream realm. It was an extremely powerful experience that I shared with the circle at Breitenbush and it changed my life significantly and pointed me clearly to the path I am now on. When I left Oregon to return to Washington, someone told me of a workshop that I might enjoy which was led by Kau'i. When she walked into the room, I nearly fell over. She was the woman from my shaman journey. Kau'i comes from a line of healers and her grandfather, Papa Henry, was a beloved Hawaiian healer and kahuna. She teaches Ho'oponopono classes that I highly recommend. She has one coming up online through Seattle Psychic Institute. You can click on this link to find out more about this online class starting on APRIL 3! If you are going through a hard time right now or need more connection, peace, self-love and ALOHA, I recommend this class. Here's Kau'i with a message for us about Mana Iho, or self empowerment. I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful.

Mana Iho in ʻŌlelo Hawai'i means self empowerment or self power. Though Mana Iho starts with choice first and foremost. Mana Iho is limitless when you OWN your power to choose. 

In these uncertain times that we are living in currently, we may not be able to change the situation. Though we can always change our perception of our current situation. We all are able to make a choice to stand in our own power. Because we have the ability to create for ourselves anything we desire.  It is through our ability to choose and create that we are truly able to own our power and EMBODY self empowerment. 

The power to live a life of Mana Iho comes with the understanding that we, as individuals, are the creators of our own reality. A creation of our personal reality that we desire for ourselves. Take a moment and breathe..... 

Know that we have the ability to release anything that isn't in alignment with our truth or doesn't resonate within. Whether it be old habits or constructs that are holding you back from your true potential, or a relationship that no longer resonates or not rewarding yourself with needed self love. You know what you need in order to stand in your power. 

Take another moment to breathe....

Are you brave enough to stand within your power? 

Are you willing to make the necessary choices to be Mana Iho?

Are your choices here and now keeping you in a stagnant position or allowing you to flow and adapt to our changing surroundings?

Give yourself permission to experience the true greatness, brilliance, and beauty of all things. YOU have the ability to make the CHOICE that resonates for you and your well being. Know that all things are possible for us all when we stand in Mana Iho. Be willing to be the GREATEST YOU, that you can be, as you stand in Mana Iho.


Henrylyn Kau'i Auwae is a licensed massage therapist, Ho'omana practitioner, Ho'oponopono facilitator, Kanaka Maoli cultural practitioner, certified Reiki practitioner and  an intuitive tantric healer. She is the founder of Ola Mai I Loko Mai. As a Kanaka Maoli cultural practitioner, she teaches and shares her 'ohana lineage on numerous cultural aspects, such as Hula, Lomi, and Ho'oponopono. You can find her on her website at olamaiilokomai.com

Healing for the Earth, Day 14: Going Within

Hi Earthlings,

Howya doing today? Feeling okay out there on this big, gorgeous, BLUE marble of ours?

 Today I connected with other fellow Earthlings in my Vision Circle via Zoom. All 13 or so of them touched my heart so very deeply. They are family and I appreciate all of the inner work they are doing that doesn't show up on the airwaves here, but counts for so much. Seeing them today reminded me of how connected we all are. The inner work you are doing is a thread in this web. There are so many people doing this work.

Going within not only helps me feel centered and grounded, but it connects me deep down to the core of Mother Earth. Then, everything I do is from a centered and clear place. I'm not reacting to my environment, I'm observing my environment.

Reaction and observation are two very different things.

Reaction is the stuff fear is made from.

Observation is the stuff peace is made from.

By being an observer, you can actually take action on things without being in re-action to things.

It's not easy to be an observer. Especially in these times. Sometimes when I sit, emotions bubble up. My mind says I don't like this. I don't like what that person said. I'm done with this and I want this to end. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm scared.

All of these emotions are genuine. They are real. And they are A-OKAY!!!! We wouldn't be human if we didn't have emotions.

But instead of letting my emotions rule the show, I've decided to try and drop in each day and observe them. I'm observing them as I would clouds passing across the sky. Behind the clouds the sky is always brilliant BLUE. Sometimes there are dark, ominous clouds. Sometimes there are white puffy clouds. Sometimes there's just a thick wall of clouds and sometimes there are no clouds at all.

It always changes. Just like our emotions. They always change. So actually, change is the only thing we can be absolutely sure about.

If we know things will change for sure, we know that we won't always be in this state. We KNOW that this virus won't last FOREVER. We know we will get through whatever we are currently experiencing. No emotion lasts forever. No pain lasts forever. In fact, nothing lasts forever.

THIS. TOO. SHALL. CHANGE.

Perhaps that is a good mantra for our times.

We can't control anyone but ourselves. We aren't in control of the world and other people, but we do get to decide what we each are going to do in any given moment.

Walking on the beach today watching the clouds make shapes, like a gray whale or a lotus or dark, scary monsters, helped me see this change up close. I enjoyed watching these clouds change.

Then, I sat down in the sand and meditated. I listened to the bird calls and the waves and grabbed fists full of sand and let them sift between my fingers. I tasted the salty air and touched the smooth surface of seashells. I breathed deeply into my heart and released my breath to the Earth. I let each emotion or feeling hang out for awhile. I didn't push them away or entertain them. I just let them be there with me on the beach.



Here's a little video I made for you about going within. Sorry, I'm wearing my nerdy glasses, but the message I wanted to share is there.

Healing for the Earth, Day 13: Every Little Thing Counts

How are you doing fellow Earthlings?

It may feel like you are not doing much. It may feel like you are wasting time, but every little thing counts.

Today a million things were swirling around in my head. A million things. I wanted answers to all of the questions:

Where am I going to live after my parents return? What is my life going to look like? What are OUR lives going to look like? How am I going to get my book finished? Forget it...too much is needed now in other areas.

 How am I going to train for this new tech job at my college?  People need help getting classes online. Can I really help? I'm not even a techie.

What will I do if my eye is infected? What if this virus never ends? What if there are more deaths? What can I do to help?  What if I never see my boyfriend again?

Swirling, swirling, swirling....

So many thoughts were swirling around in my head wanting answers.

I did some things today related to my housing situation. There are some exciting things on the horizon. Every little thing counts.

Nothing is certain. Nothing has ever been certain.

But I feel things will work out.  I think there is a global sense that people want change. I see people helping each other. People are coming together and people are taking care of themselves. Self care is important too.

On the one-lane road to my destination today,

I smiled and said hello to several people. And every single person returned a smile and hello.

Every little thing counts.

I communed with the eagle down on the beach. He always comes when I'm there. He sits proudly on his pine tree branch and observes the world. I took a few minutes to tune into my eagle friend. The wild animals need attention too. The Earth loves our attention.

Every little thing counts.

I joined people in play on the beach keeping HUGE distances.

Skipping, jumping, walking, wading in water, breathing, smelling a flower, picking up a shell....going far far out on the beach to have a good YELL!

Every little thing counts.

That's all I've got for you today. I'm going to now go slip away into an epsom salt bath with a cup of echinacea tea.

The fact that you are here today, means a lot to me.

Every little thing counts.

Healing for the Earth, Day 12: Signs of Love are Everywhere

Hello my dear Earthlings,

Howya doing out there in quarantine? Are you going stir crazy yet?

 For awhile, I've been getting up late and not eating quite right. There's no one here to check in on me and I'm not good at keeping myself on task, but I'm going to try and stick with a schedule starting tomorrow.

I'm also going to try and give myself a break and realize that these are very different times. After all, the entire world's schedule got thrown out the window. That makes me feel better when I'm eating mint Milanos at 11.

But truthfully, I have things I do want to accomplish in this time that I have free. I actually have a tech job at my college that I'm supposed to be learning, I have some classes and workshops that I'm putting together, I'd like to get into a more structured book writing schedule, I need to put a class online for spring quarter at the college and I am working on my housing situation for when I have to leave this lovely place in Sequim, WA. So there are things I could certainly focus on. Also, I'd like to organize and pare down my possessions. I don't have a lot of things, but they could be organized a bit more. So I'm ready for some structure.

I managed to get out for a walk again at sunset. This time, the clouds were puffy in the sky and I felt happy that I made it out the door and on the way to the beach in time

As I was on my walk, someone put up beautiful handmade prayer flags of good wishes on the barbed wire fence along the deserted road. It made me happy to see it there. I had been feeling like I needed a bit of hope and love and there it was.

Further down the beach, I saw that the medicine wheel that Scott and I made last Sunday was still there almost a week later. That made my day.

I walked as far down as I could and another person had made a heart out of shells. Signs of love were everywhere.

And once again, the eagle that is always around when I'm down on the beach, flew overhead and landed on a high branch of a pine tree nearby and sat there calmly staring down at me.

I was so happy I made it to the beach. I almost didn't make it. I had been feeling cooped up and unproductive. Whenever I walk I feel so refreshed.

When I got home, I called my boyfriend and put the ingredients for a 12-bean soup in the Crockpot. I wanted to make a lentil soup, but all the lentils in the grocery store were gone, so this was all that I had to work with.

I feel that people are looking out for each other out there. I feel there is LOVE in the air. At least those are the signs I seem to be tuning into today.

Have you seen any signs of LOVE out there?

Much love to you fellow Earthlings!

Healing for the Earth, Day 11: Everyone is a Hero for Going Through This, Have Compassion

Hello dear fellow Earthlings,

Wow, so many emotions coming out now. Do you feel that? It's an Earthling thing.

Every little word feels likes it's charged with so much emotion. The world is a bundle of emotions right now. We are ALL processing so much.

I'm grateful for each and every one of you. ALL of you are heroes just for going through this. From the doctors and nurses who are on the front lines, to the people all alone in quarantine with no family around, to the person who has a loved one in the hospital, to the person who has just lost their job or home, to the people who are sick and struggling for their lives.


ALL OF US ARE IN THIS TOGETHER.

If you are feeling lots of emotions today or feeling alone, this little video I made today may help:

You might think only a few people are affected by this. I don't believe that. We are all affected in one way or another by what's going on. Life will never be the same after this.

Today, I was feeling rather emotional. I've been pretty grounded, but I got caught up in a swirl of emotion. It was a feeling of unsettledness. I envied people in quarantine with their lover or their family. How lucky you are to have your lover or family with you. How lucky! Hold them close.

I'm out here without my boyfriend and who knows how long I'll be out here without him. It's not easy to be alone when things are so uncertain. That's also the heroes journey. We come into this world alone and we die alone. If you can learn to be alone in the midst of all of this, you are my hero and I SEE you!

Actually, each one of us is on the hero's path for just being alive on the EARTH! It is not easy to be a human being. We go through sooo much in one lifetime. There are deaths and divorces and losses and pain and disease and uncertainty and natural disasters and war and...the list goes on. Every one of us has been touched by some kind of trauma. Every single one of us.

So if you think one person's got it easy and another's got it hard, think again! You are looking from the outside at a person. You are NOT that person and you have no idea what they are going through.

So have some COMPASSION for each and every Earthling. Especially NOW when we are all going through this.

Today I realized that I had to just GET OUTSIDE again. It's what grounds me and brings me back into connection with the planet and what it means to be here and connected to all things.

The streets out here where I live were deserted. It was like a ghost town. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere came a car driving at 40 miles an hour down the residential street I had just turned down. She was driving so close to my bumper that I thought she might hit me. Her face looked angry. I thought about pulling over, but I was almost to one of two parking spots in front of the beach, so I just kept driving and rolled into a spot. She took the other spot and got out of her car and gave me a death glare. If looks could kill I'd be dead.

I stayed in my car as she got out. I watched her walk with a bit of a limp. It seemed like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. At first I felt angry that she had spewed her anger out on a stranger. What was wrong with her? I came to the beach to be in peace and I felt upset.

As I walked down the beach,  one of the few places we are still allowed to walk, I was able to release some of that anger. I had no idea what this woman was carrying. What if her husband had the Coronavirus? What if she was alone and couldn't take it anymore (I could relate to that somewhat)? What if she had just had a fight? What if she had just found out she lost her job? What if she didn't know how she was going to make ends meet?

Suddenly I began to feel compassion. I began to forgive myself too for being upset. I let it all wash off me. I let the waves come and take those emotions and thoughts out to sea. I then filled that empty space with compassion for myself first and then for this woman.

It was a stormy day on the beach. It was dark and cloudy and cold and a bit ominous. There was a thickness in the air. It was hard to see far out in the distance, like driving through a fog. It's that feeling of not seeing where you're going but trusting you'll eventually get there, wherever there is.

It was starting to get darker and I looked out across the water and could see the light house at the end of Dungeness Spit. The Spit is closed to the public, but the light at the end was still blinking. I stared at it through the dark clouds and at that one little spot of light and it brought me hope.

Wherever there is darkness, there is also light. Have compassion for each person out there. You have no idea about what they are going through. Have compassion for yourself  for all the emotions you may be feeling. We WILL get through this and be stronger for it. You are all heroes just for going through this.

Much love,
Katherine

Healing for the Earth, Day 10: Feeling Grateful

Hellooooooo out there fellow Earthlings!

How y'all doing on this big blue marble of ours? Let's keep it BLUE!

This is DAY 10. I'm a third of the way done, but this Healing for the Earth business is really helping me tune into the vibration of love and........

GRATITUDE!

Today I woke up late at like 11AM and ate mint Milanos for breakfast. Hey, I'm not perfect! There's no one checking in on me, so why not?

But then I thought, geez, it's gorgeous outside. I just want to get OUTSIDE.

Humans, like plants, can wither without enough natural sunlight, fresh air and clean water. Luckily there's lots of space out here and I was able to walk to the beach without bumping into hardly anyone.

On my walk, I talked to my mom on the phone who was in the process of creating face masks from her old bras, I kid you not. She needed to go to the doctor for a check up and didn't have a mask. We've gotta do what we've gotta do in times like these.

When I hung up with her, I smiled. I love my family. They are funny, nuts, generous and kind. They are probably like any family. You can't live with them, but you can't live without them either. Anyway, I'm grateful to have all of them in my life.

And I then thought about my lovely partner Scott. Wow, what a blessing to have such a sweet, kind, insightful, spiritual, FUNNY, loving man in my life. Blessed beyond words.

Then I started thinking about all my friends. Wow, so many friends that make me laugh or friends who have helped me in a time of need or friends who have encouraged me. I began to recall memories of many friends as I briskly walked to the beach in the sun.

Then I started to think about the sun, cherry blossoms, my comfortable shoes, the fact that I CAN WALK. So much gratitude. Have I taken it all for granted?

On the beach, I found that the medicine wheel Scott and I made three days ago was still there untouched. I stood in front of it with my shadow in the middle.

 As I stood there listening to the waves on the shore, an eagle flew over my head and landed in the pine tree behind me and began to sing. "I hear you!" I said to it. GRATITUDE for the eagle who came to visit too! Here's that eagle SINGING!

And then I walked back in the sunshine to the lovely home that my family is so graciously letting me stay at while they are in Arizona and I felt enormous gratitude.

And then I opened the fridge to find that it was full of food. FULL of FOOD. There is plenty to choose from. I have a choice. I can CHOOSE!

And then I had a 1 hour training to be a faculty tech support person at my college. It's a new job for me and I'll also be teaching. I don't consider myself a techie, but I'm willing to learn more. I have a job. I will have enough money.

Food √
Shelter √
Water √

Immense gratitude for having those three things covered. The rest is icing on the cake. Yes, things have changed. It's not like it used to be and everything is uncertain. But the truth is:

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN UNCERTAIN!

We think we have it all figured out and we know what will happen, but we don't. We have no idea what will happen in any given moment and these strange times are proof of that.

When I operate from a place of gratitude, I realize I have everything I need (more than I need in fact) in this moment and it helps me to then reach out and help others. I'm excited that I get to support my college in an area of need. I feel grateful for the opportunity to help. I am also grateful for the opportunity to do 30 days of healing for the Earth on this blog. It's connected me deeply to the Earth and so many like-minded people. It's been a powerful experience. And WOW am I ever grateful to MOTHER EARTH! Where would we be without her?

 Stay tuned for many guest speakers here. I'm not the only one who has something to share.

What are you grateful for?