What We Do Not See

Mtn Bike

Have you ever walked down a hallway in your home, one that you have traversed a million times, and noticed the details of a picture hanging on the wall for the first time? You may have known the picture was there (or not). Yet, until that moment, you had not seen it in full.

I’ve had this experience from time to time and it always amazes me how much I overlook in my daily surroundings, how often I create patterns in my life that I repeat over and over, like a groove in a vinyl record, never jumping the tracks or looking for something new. I am surprised by how much I don’t see.

Since we’ve been quarantined (about a month now), my partner and I have taken up mountain biking. We do this almost daily and are having a blast. It not only gets us outside, provides us with a few adrenaline rushes and offers an intense workout, but it also allows us to explore the acres of forest and woods that surround our Massachusetts home. We are loving it. It is one of the amazing gifts that have come out of this pandemic.

During our excursions, we have been awed and inspired by a number of things, one of which is the many acres of trails (literally in our backyard) that we had never noticed before. Over the 20 plus years we have lived in this area, it appears we have only been skimming the surface.

This got me thinking. It seems that in any given moment, we can choose from an infinite number of possible realities. What we focus on becomes our experience and the remaining options fade into the background, often dissolving into the abyss never to be seen again.

There is a theory in quantum physics called “Collapsing the Wave” which is explained brilliantly by Mel Schwartz in his article, Collapsing the Wave: Creating New Realities (Psychology Today, Sept. 29, 2011).

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shift-mind/201109/collapsing-the-wave-creating-new-realities

Schwarts states that when “the light photon is not being observed it exists in waveform but at the moment of observation, the wave collapses and becomes a particle.” When we apply this theory to our thoughts, it suggests that there is infinite potential rumbling around us always and the minute our mind focuses on it, the wave collapses and becomes our reality.

There are many people who have touted this belief. Some of my favorites are Rhonda Byrne (The Secret), Esther and Jerry Hicks (The Law of Attraction) , Pam Grout (E-Squared), and Mike Dooley (Playing the Matrix). All worth a read.

Once we open our minds to the belief that there are infinite options at any given moment and we can create our reality by focusing on what we want, our lives will change. We’ll begin to notice the trails that we have never hiked, the pictures hanging from our walls, the value of our friendships, the dreams within our reach, the abundance at our fingertips. We’ll realize how much potential and wonder surround us in every moment. We’ll see that we have a choice in the manifestation of our realities and we’ll begin to live a more peaceful and full life.

What Animal Totems Tell Us About the Current Pandemic

Animal Totems

For most of my life, I have been attracted to Animal Totems and the beautiful energy that they offer. The theory is that every animal (usually wild) has a powerful spirit defined through certain characteristics, talents, and habits. When we look at these unique attributes, we can understand the medicine or message being brought forth.

Many people have one or two animals as Totems which they carry with them throughout their lives. These animals bring messages and themes that help guide them spiritually and practically. We do not choose our spirit animal. They choose us and come into our lives in a variety of ways if we are open.

I have had several animal totems throughout my life. Most recently, I have developed a relationship with the spirit of the hawk. It appeared in my life several years ago as I began contemplating some major life changes. I would see it flying overhead as I drove down the road or perched on a mailbox nearby as I waited at a stop sign. It seemed to be following me and would come to my consciousness at opportune times as if to tell me where I needed to shift my focus.

According to Ted Andrews in his book, Animal Speak, the hawk will appear as a totem “at that point in your life where you begin to move toward your soul purpose more dynamically.” “It awakens our vision and inspires us to a creative life purpose.” These were themes I had been contemplating for years and it felt like the hawk appeared in my life to reinforce that the time to take action was nearing.

The hawk led me through a difficult divorce and reassured me whenever I began to question my motives. On the day our family house sold and I removed my final belongings, I stumbled over a hawk’s feather, standing upright in my path as if to say, “Congratulations, you made it.”

In addition to a life or situation themed totem, I also like to receive the messages offered with each animal encounter. Whenever a fox crosses my path or I come face to face with an owl, I look to the possible meaning and message that it may have for my life at the time. It always speaks to something current.

As the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread, along with the rumors of its origin in bats, I was naturally drawn to the bat spirit and the possible messages that were coming forth. I pulled out my reference books and this is what I discovered.

The bat is symbolic of rebirth and transition. According to Jamie Sams and David Carson in their book, Medicine Cards, the bat “symbolizes a new truth being awakened” and “promise amidst the sometimes chaotic energies of change.” The book also states that bat medicine suggests, “We will not only be able to fly as a result of the change, but we will be able to see the world from an entirely new perspective.” I believe, through this pandemic, we will be faced with shedding old habits that no longer serve us and emerging with a new, healthier and more loving approach to life on earth.

The healing energy of the bat also addresses facing our fears and the need to make peace within ourselves. Andrews points out that many cultures, including the Shamans, performed initiation rituals around bat energy which mentally and physically challenged a person to face their fears by spending a night alone, partially buried in the earth, until they were ready to re-emerge with a new perspective. Like the Shaman initiates, the pandemic is offering us a chance to come to terms with our fears (which like a virus can “spread, uninhibited, eventually permeating our system and creating a kind of madness within our lives”) and re-emerge with new insight and perspective.

Bat energy is powerful, and if we choose to embrace its message, it will help us understand and accept the magnitude of change occurring around us. It will assure us that facing our fears will lead to freedom and the opportunity for rebirth, and it will offer us a better tomorrow, one that focuses on humanity, care and respect for the earth, conservation, and love.

Staying Balanced at Home

I am a massage therapist and healer by trade, and since Covid-19 arrived, I have been unable to see clients in person, to soothe their muscles on the massage table, to work out the knots that prevent them from moving, to reduce their anxiety and stress.

I imagine that most are seeking opportunities to heal on their own through walks in nature, getting more sleep, cooking healthy meals, reaching out to loved ones, exercising regularly, and spending more time engaged in relaxing activities. I appreciate all that people are doing to keep the focus on the positive, to embrace the healing that is coming from all of this.

I am advocating that we take it one step further by implementing therapeutic services at home. Of course, it’s not quite the same as going to a hands-on studio, but it is surprising how much can be done on your own (or with a partner) from the comfort of your own home.

For those who are interested, I did some research and found a few Youtube links to get you started.

Self Massage with a Foam Roller

This video offers a full body routine and covers most of the main muscle groups. It will leave you feeling like you just got a professional full body massage (well, almost). There is also a link to purchase a foam roller if you are interested and don’t already have one. I would highly recommend this technique as it is also a perfect complement to regular professional massage and can be continued once you return to your regular therapist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu-rVZVSzxs

Self Massage with a Tennis Ball

If you don’t have a foam roller or want to get to more specific areas of the muscles, tennis balls are a wonderful option. This video will give you some basic ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY-7CXAHxfY

Couples Massage for Beginners

This is a gentle and easy-to-follow guide for couples. If you are lucky enough to be quarantined with someone you like (at least a little :-), give this a try. I guarantee it will be a practice you carry forward even after the pandemic has passed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aliKjIcDMQ0

And if you don’t have a massage table and want an idea for creating one on the floor, you might like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKSsAs_GMpM

Once you’ve loosened your muscles and slipped into a relaxed state, you may want to continue the treatment by giving yourself a facial, taking a warm bath, lighting some candles, diffusing essential oils, and hydrating your skin with a cream of your choice. There are plenty of products out there to get you going. I have decided to clean out my drawers and use up all the creams and serums I’ve collected over the years (including samples). It’s been a fun way to try new products while clearing space.

There are many ways to set up a home healing space and I hope you delve into it with a creative and playful approach.

Feel free to contact me at wsaydah@gmail.com with any questions related to the at home techniques. I am sending you all continued love and light during this difficult time and reminding everyone that the more love and care you put into yourself and those around you, the less room there will be for anything harmful to get in.

Bearing Witness to a “God Wink.”

I woke up this morning to a beautiful Amaryllis bloom. It had been holding back for months. Yet, in recent weeks, it seemed to have made a decision to come forward and burst into the miracle that it was meant to be, a gorgeous sculpture of deep red and intricate design, taking shape before my eyes.

Every Christmas I plant some sort of bulb in the hopes that it will bloom alongside the holiday. If the timing is right, the petals open just as the magical day arrives. I do this for a number of reasons.

First, it is a reminder of the magnificence of life and its inherent beauty. It suggests that there is a force and intelligence greater than humanity. It offers an opportunity to witness the cycle of birth, growth, and death which on its own is a true miracle. I also love the color and majesty of the amaryllis in particular which is an extreme contrast to the darkness and cold of a New England December.

This year I was late in purchasing the bulb. By the time I got to the garden store, there were only a few left. The stragglers were clearly the runts and it was questionable whether or not they had enough energy in them to bloom at all. I decided it was worth a try, so I spent the $10 and went on my way.

The chaos of the holiday ensued and it wasn’t until early January that I actually got the bulb into a pot. By the time it made its way onto the window shelf, I was pretty sure it would be a dud.

January passed and then February and nothing. I watered it occasionally with no response.

March approached and with it the turn of events that would bring on the global crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic. My attention was focused on stocking up on food and other supplies, making sure my daughters were safe, and setting up camp for a quarantine that would last God knows how long. The bulb left my mind entirely.

Then, in the middle of March I noticed it beginning to sprout. The stalk was growing. It was going to give it a shot.

I was surprised by the timing, as if the flower had decided to come forth now when the world was in such crisis to offer me hope. I watched the miracle unfold over a couple of weeks and today it opened its petals full force.

Perfect timing.

Some people believe there is no such thing as a coincidence. I am one of them.

In Squire Rushnell’s book, “When God Winks,” he describes a coincidence as “a sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged.”

We’ve all experienced situations in which something or someone shows up at just the right time; we are led unknowingly down a road that ends exactly where we want to be or something unplanned happens which saves us from impending tragedy.

When this occurs, we can feel it. It may be a serendipitous sequence of events, but more likely we are being led down a predetermined path by a power that is greater than ourselves.

My amaryllis in full bloom is a testament to the miracle of life and to divine timing. It feels like a God wink and that brings me peace and makes me smile.

For more real life stories of how the power of coincidence guides your life (with a lot of humor thrown in), check out a copy of Squire Rushnell’s book. It will leave you laughing, comforted and maybe even a believer.

Calming Our Fears

Fear Emerson

Even before Covid-19, I had been waging a personal battle with fear. We’ve all experienced it. It has a powerful grip that keeps us paralyzed, increases our anxiety, makes us angry and defensive, threatens our relationships, and extinguishes the flame of our passions. It attracts more of itself (our thoughts bring about our reality). What we focus on grows.

A while back, I discovered the power of Positive Affirmations. (to learn more, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmations_(New_Age). I experimented with formulating and writing out statements (all positive) of how I wanted things to be and how I wanted to feel. I began to find that the success rate was staggering.

I specifically remember a time when I was afraid to fly for fear of a crash and death, and whenever the air got bumpy I went into a full out panic attack. It curbed my desire to travel and when I did, it made the experience much more stressful.

I distinctly remember this happening one time when I was in my 30s. While in mid-air during a rough flight, I started creating negative scenarios in my head and panic ensued. I recalled the process of enlisting positive affirmations and began repeating in my head “I am safe. The flight is smooth and easy. We arrive without incident. All is well.”

I immediately felt better. I’m not sure if anything changed externally, but my reality made a complete 180 degree turn.

After that experience on the plane, I began applying this strategy to other instances where fear would surface; singing in front of an audience for the first time, setting boundaries with a friend, taking on a new business venture, entering into a love relationship. The thing I remember most about all these situations is that it worked. Every time.

Today, I am faced with the plethora of possible fears surrounding the pandemic and it is scary. It is hitting us all on many levels (health, finance, relationships, career). What will our futures be?

I try to keep the negative input to a minimum. I only watch the news once a day from a credible source. I make sure I am eating well and getting enough sleep. I exercise/meditate/do yoga at least once a day. I facetime or call loved ones. I get outside. I forgive myself when I don’t accomplish as much as I’d like, and I replace negative fear thoughts with positive affirmations when I am feeling stressed.

We are currently fighting Covid-19 in full throttle mode. That is a fact, but there is also another, perhaps greater, enemy that deserves our attention.

Fear.

It is the perfect time to begin practicing love and positivity as an anecdote. It is a daily challenge, especially now. Yet, if it is the one thing that defeats most people over all else, as Emerson states, then mastering it will be the way to freedom and victory for us all.

Seeing the Blessings in our Current Pandemic

On the first morning of my self quarantine to slow the spread of Covid-19, I received this beautiful quote from a dear friend. It made me cry.

It made me cry because it put into words what I had already been feeling. Mother Earth is sick of our shit. She has been patient and loving, continuing to give and allow us time to work it out on our own, and we have failed. We are making Her and ourselves sicker by the second, literally. Enough is enough.

The Coronavirus is a nightmare. No question about that. Thousands are dying. Our economy is shut down. We are quarantined for God knows how long and we can’t be sure that the world will ever be the same. And yet, each day there are blessings that seem to emerge from all of this.

In addition to those so eloquently outlined in the quote, I’m sure you are each finding unique blessings of your own. I know I am. This week, I started doing a daily “bike ride” with my mom who is 85 years old and quarantined in her small retirement community apartment. She is in Pennsylvania and I am in Massachusetts, but we check in at the allotted time most days and facetime while we ride. It not only gets her moving (due to debilitating back pain, she has trouble motivating herself to exercise), but it also gives us a chance to check in and catch up. This has been a meaningful connection that I would never have thought of had life been business as usual.

And there are others. I am conversing on a deeper level with my 23-year old daughter who is making her way in LA on her own. While bored in her apartment, she put together a quiz for friends and family to see how well we all knew her and I did surprisingly poorly. It made me realize I need to talk less and listen more. I’ve gotten back on my mountain bike and am doing more reading. I’ve caught up with old friends. I started this blog.

As I continue to reflect on the quote sent by my friend, I realize that I am not only crying for the sickness and the failure, but I am also crying for the love that is surfacing and the opportunity for us all to heal together on an individual and global level. It is a special gift and I believe we will all come out better on the other side.