Reiki Thursday

Welcome back to Reiki Thursday! Please leave your name, location, and need in the comments to request Reiki energy and healing. This week I am posting an article I found about Chakras, their names, positions, and aspects. It can be helpful to know at least the color and aspects of each Chakra and meditate briefly on the Chakra which governs your area of issue glowing with energy of the corresponding color. For example, if you are having trouble with communication or need help with public speaking, meditate on the throat Chakra, Vishuddha, glowing with pale blue light to boost your communication skills. Please read on to learn about your seven Chakras. Namaste. H.W.

The Seven Major Chakras

Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra

Sahasrara is generally considered to be the chakra of pure consciousness. Its role may be envisioned somewhat similarly to that of the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones to communicate to the rest of the endocrine system and also connects to the central nervous system via the hypothalamus. The thalamus is thought to have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness. Symbolized by a lotus with one thousand petals, it is located at the crown of the head. Sahasrara is represented by the colour violet and it involves such issues as inner wisdom and the death of the body. Sahasrara's inner aspect deals with the release of karma, physical action with meditation, mental action with universal consciousness and unity, and emotional action with "beingnness".[24]

Ajna: The Brow Chakra

Ajna (along with Bindu, is also known as the third eye chakra) is linked to the pineal gland which may inform a model of its envisioning. The pineal gland is a light sensitive gland that produces the hormone melatonin which regulates sleep and waking up. Ajna is symbolised by a lotus with two petals, and corresponds to the colour white, indigo or deep blue. Ajna's key issues involve balancing the higher & lower selves and trusting inner guidance. Ajna's inner aspect relates to the access of intuition. Emotionally, Ajna deals with clarity on an intuitive level.[25] (Note: some opine that the pineal and pituitary glands should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and Brow chakras, based on the description in Arthur Avalon's book on kundalini called Serpent Power or empirical research.)

Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra

Vishuddha (also Vishuddhi) may be understood as relating to communication and growth through expression. This chakra is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth and maturation. Symbolised by a lotus with sixteen petals. Vishudda is characterized by the color light or pale blue, or turquoise. It governs such issues as self-expression and communication, as discussed above. Physically, Vishuddha governs communication, emotionally it governs independence, mentally it governs fluent thought, and spiritually, it governs a sense of security.[26]

Anahata: The Heart Chakra

Anahata, or Anahata-puri, or padma-sundara is related to the thymus, located in the chest. The thymus is an element of the immune system as well as being part of the endocrine system. It is the site of maturation of the T cells responsible for fending off disease and may be adversely affected by stress. Anahata is symbolised by a lotus flower with twelve petals. (See also heartmind). Anahata is related to the colours green or pink. Key issues involving Anahata involve complex emotions, compassion, tenderness, unconditional love, equilibrium, rejection and well being. Physically Anahata governs circulation, emotionally it governs unconditional love for the self and others, mentally it governs passion, and spiritually it governs devotion.[27]

Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra

Manipura or manipuraka is related to the metabolic and digestive systems. Manipura is believed to correspond to Islets of Langerhans,[28] which are groups of cells in the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands and the adrenal cortex. it's Hot These play a valuable role in digestion, the conversion of food matter into energy for the body. Symbolised by a lotus with ten petals. The colour that corresponds to Manipura is yellow. Key issues governed by Manipura are issues of personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotions to complex. Physically, Manipura governs digestion, mentally it governs personal power, emotionally it governs expansiveness, and spiritually, all matters of growth.[29]

Svadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra

Swadhisthana, Svadisthana or adhishthana is located in the sacrum (hence the name) and is considered to correspond to the testes or the ovaries that produce the various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle. Svadisthana is also considered to be related to, more generally, the genitourinary system and the adrenals. The Sacral Chakra is symbolized by a lotus with six petals, and corresponds to crap the colour orange. The key issues involving Svadisthana are relationships, violence, addictions, basic emotional needs, and pleasure. Physically, Svadisthana governs reproduction, mentally it governs creativity, emotionally it governs joy, and spiritually it governs enthusiasm.[30]

Muladhara: The Base Chakra

Muladhara or root chakra is related to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality. This centre is located in the region between the genitals and the anus. Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to relate to the gonads and the adrenal medulla, responsible for the fight-or-flight response when survival is under threat. There is a muscle located in this region that controls ejaculation in the sexual act of the human male. A parallel is charted between the sperm cell and the ovum where the genetic code lies coiled and the kundalini. Muladhara is symbolized by a lotus with four petals and the colour red. Key issues involve sexuality, lust and obsession. Physically, Muladhara governs sexuality, mentally it governs stability, emotionally it governs sensuality, and spiritually it governs a sense of security.[31] Woodroffe also describes 7 head chakras (including Ajna and Sahasrara) in his other Indian text sources. Lowest to highest they are: Talu/Talana/Lalana, Ajna, Manas, Soma, Brahmarandra, Sri (inside Sahasrara), Sahasrara.

Gainfully employed!

I am VERY excited tonight! I stopped by the pet shop here in town to buy Advantage for my dogs and got talking to the owner. I used to work there as both a groomer and a clerk. We talked for a few minutes as she rang me up, and I mentioned that I was pretty much recovered from the baby and to call me if she needed help or me to fill in sometime. The sentence was barely out of my mouth when she was asking when I could go on the schedule! One of her groomers just went on maternity leave, and even when she comes back neither of the groomers like to work Saturday or Monday. So, I jumped on it, I love being a SAHM but need to get out of my house and be a grown up every once in a while. Two days a week is perfect! Just enough to give me something out of the house to do and make an extra $100-$200 a week that we could sorely use. The girls can stay with family or (hopefully) friends on Sat.s and will go to my sister's mother-in-law on Mon.s Plus I just really like grooming...and have missed it. I have only groomed my poodle and a friends shih-tzus in the last year or so and I just flat miss grooming. I was so happy when I came home I went through all my equipment and got it ready like a kid before the 1st day back to school. It was kinda funny, and the Hubs was making fun of me a little, but he is glad to because he knows I get a little stir crazy when I am home all the time. This is what I hoped for, maybe a little down the road but the chance is here now so who am I to complain. I like to work and, if I do say so myself am a really good groomer, and like to have something I do for me. It is important for the Hubs and I that I be home with the kids, but that does not have to mean every single second of every day, in my opinion. I know from experience that for me personally I need to keep it down to 2 days, three at the most, to still get everything done at home as far as homeschooling and stuff. Any more and I am just playing catch-up and I get stressed out and sick. So, as of this Saturday I will return to the work force, part time though it may be...I better get busy pumping breast milk!
H.W.

Quick check in

I just wanted to check in for the Body After Baby challenge I signed up for on the MamaNotes blog quickly. Slow and steady is working, at least so far. I have had no seconds at meals, eaten first helpings on smaller plates, and have tried to not get crazy about just getting fast food when I don't feel like cooking. I have done OK with the not drinking so much pop, and have walked around the park when the kids were playing. I took Jiji to the Dr today and hopped on their scale, which I am glad to say said 273.5! This means my home scale is off by about 3lbs, but that is still a loss of 5lbs in a week! Yay me! Now I have had a looooong day, and am gonna go have one more glass of water and put the baby to bed...maybe she will even sleep tonite! Good luck to the others on the challenge, and I will try to be more in depth next week!
H.W.

Friday Moon in Gemini

Friday is the day of Venus, Goddess of love, friendship, and beauty. The waning moon in fickle Gemini can make our relationships susceptible to outside influence. Temper your reactions to bumps in your road to good relationships with a cool head and eyes firmly on your prize. Take the time to step back and think, meditate, and look within before acting on highly charged emotion that may cause irreversible damage to a valued friendship or love. If you fear the damage has been done, today is also a good day for reconciliation, so get to work retying the ties that bind, and building bridges before they burn. Our connections are a beautiful and meaningful part of life, but they are rarely effortless. Anything worth having is worth working for, and the more we put in joyfully, the more joy we get from them.
H.W.

Introducing Reiki Thursday!

I want to start a Reiki share day here on the blog. Thursday is a day of spiritual insight and expansion, hence the start of Reiki Thursday! I will be blogging with Reiki info, articles, meditations and the like, and would like anyone who wants or needs Reiki healing energy sent to themselves, a loved one, or a situation, as well as any Reiki practitioners who wish to send Reiki to the list here to post a comment. To request healing, leave first name, general location (like city and state, do not post your address please) and the issue/situation which requires Reiki energy. For those of you unfamiliar with Reiki, it is a Japanese method of energy healing and spiritual evolution. Reiki is used for stress reduction, relaxation, physical and emotional balance of the energy pathways of the body to facilitate healing, balance, and well being. In short, to enhance the bodys ability to heal itself in mind, body, and spirit. It can purge the body of toxins, both energetic and physical, and over time improve stamina, intuition, meditaion, and spiritual evolution as well as physical health. It aids in a whole-being approach to health and wellness through harmony within the self and with the Universe. It is not a cure for health or emotional problems, but a tool to facilitate healing. For a more in depth disscussion click here for Reiki articles at Holistic online. I am a Master/Teacher of Usui Reiki Ryoho (Mikao Usui is the founder of the Reiki system) and my lineage is available upon request for anyone who likes that kind of info. Please feel free to post any questions as well about Reiki healing, treatments, or attunements if you wish to learn Reiki. I look forward to sharing, and I hope to see your name on the list!
H.W.

H.W. parenting

I am pretty granola as far as parenting, as you may have guessed. I am into a lot of stuff as far as my parenting choices that get anything from blank stares to confusion when brought up in conversation. "Gross, cloth diapers?" or "You will spoil her in that sling!" or "She will sleep great if you let her cry it out." I appreciate that these well meaning mamas are trying to help. Parenting is hard, and I know they think some of my choices are making more work and less sleep for myself. Except for the cloth diapers, which are new for this baby, I just say it worked for my 1st child, who slept thru the night at an early age, is very healthy, happy, smart and well mannered. It is hard to argue w/great results. So, in the face of my seemingly loosey-goosey views on childrearing, people tend to be shocked about some other details of our parenting. For one, I like a routine. Not a schedule, do not be confused there, I am not that guy who would hold off feeding or keep a sleepy baby awake because the clock said it was not time. I like a routine so that the same general things happen in the same general order in a given day. I think this will be especially important with a homeschooled kindergartener and an infant, and now that Mojo is a little more ready for it I will start easing her into one. Secondly, well-mannered children are very important to us. We teach it, model it, publicly correct bad manners in our kids. I cannot stand bratty kids, and certainly could not live with them. My proudest moments as a Mama are when people tell me how well behaved and polite my kids are. Believe me, they have their moments of brattitude like all kids, they are not creepy Stepford kids, but in general they know how to act. Third, our kids have chores and responsibilities, and we are very strict parents. Our kids clear up dinner dishes and put away their clean clothes. Jiji has chores every day, and my stepdaughter has chores and generally helps out when she is here. Rules are rules in our house, and we expect them to be followed. There are consequenses for all actions. Lastly, we are very devout. People have a lot of misconceptions about pagans, far to many to address here, but even people who know us well are suprised at how 'serious' we are about are faith. We pray, often, and most aspects of our lives involve our faith, just quietly. Our faith is private, not because we hide it, but because it is between our family and the Divine. If you ask, we will be happy to tell you...proudly and in detail, but we do not prosthetize or advertise. A lot of what we do seems to not go together, but it's working for us. Better I think, to have a plan that evolves and grows to meet the families needs, changes, and goals, even if on the surface it seems weird, then to stumble through and wonder what went wrong. No thing works for everyone, and everyone has to find their thing. I guess we just like to keep people on their toes.
H.W.

Garden in July

Things are rockin' outside, unfortunately that includes the weeds and Japanese beetles, but that's ok. Things are looking great! Flowers and gourds are looking good, gardening is not just about food! Things are not as productive on the vegetable front as I had hoped, but I have a more important things to worry about, and I am still perfecting my skills. Better every year is the goal. Next year Mojo will be toddleing along beside me, and I am sure I will get more weeding/mulching/composting/plant babying done, but if not we will just plant more flowers!
H.W.

Getting started

I have been trying all day to blog. I pulled up the Blogger Dashboard about 9a.m.ish and it has been sitting here waiting on me, because I have not put the baby down since Saturday for any longer than to pee, and I have worn her in the sling to the bathroom a lot. My dad came down to hold her while I took a shower, and she still screamed through my very short shower. She is in the bouncy seat right now, for the 1st time since Saturday afternoon, being quiet and calm, so I am taking the chance to blog about starting Body After Baby Challenge today. I have not gotten a chance to weigh myself today, but on Saturday when I sent my before pic and info to Mama Notes I was 281. I just went to the site and there are a lot of people signed up! Go Red Team! If you are interested go to Mama Notes or hit the button below. That is my before pic to the left. This challenge is from now till Labor Day, so it is a short term goal for me. I have 100lbs to lose at least and I am expecting it to take at least a year, but my goal here is to lose 10lbs and get started on good life habits on my way to the ultimate goal. I drink a lot of water, but I drink a lot of soda too (for those of you who live in my area I need a lot less Ricker Pops!) and I want to cut that down to 2 RP's a week. Also, I have been doing a good job of not having seconds at meals and want to keep that up. I also want to start walking more, and when I get the OK from the Dr I have several dance-type workout videos I want to do, especially my belly dance videos which I love to do, and I want to start back on yoga. Having a lot of choices keeps me from burning out and getting bored. I am trying to start small. In the past when I have tried to lose weight I have always jumped in the deep end, then quit when I got overwhelmed. This time I am hoping slow and steady will win the race. So here I go, a little fat tortise hoping to win the race, and not let my hare tendencies blow my chances. I want things NOW, and this is not something I can rush and hope to get and keep. So now I am going to go do some housework before Mo wakes up, and tonight when it cools down I will put her in the sling and go for a walk with my girls!
H.W.

Road Widow, again

I want to be happy that my husband is going back to work. I should be happy, we have insurance again, we won't have to scrape by on unemployment, we won't have to borrow $$ from family when we can't quite make it. It's a good thing, a great thing...he is ready to get back in his truck and we are getting to the point where togetherness is too much of a good thing and we are driving each other nuts. Better still, he is being dispatched 2 days earlier than we were told when he 1st got the call back. So why am I being a whiner about it? Because he is leaving in the morning for Laredo, Texas...we live in Indiana. If he gets lucky and gets a load back immediately he might be home Wednesday. And so, I go from having him here, helping me with the house, kids, me, and having him next to me every night except when I was in the hospital after the c-section to him being gone, and let me tell you, 5 days is an optimistic number, he was out 2 weeks once on that run. So now I go back to that routine so familiar to the trucker's wife, 25% couple/75% single mom. I was used to it, and we talked long and hard about it before we got pregnant this time. I was ready to be here alone w/a 4 yr old and a new born, and occasionally a 9 yr old when my stepdaughter comes to stay when her Dad is still on the road. We had a plan, and we were prepared. Then came the lay off/bed rest situation, and he was here all the time. I got used to it, I got spoiled, the luxury of unlimited time with my husband became the norm. Now it's gone, and I am beside myself to think he will drive that truck away tomorrow and it will be days before I see him again. I know I don't need him here every minute, I know I can do it and will be fine, I know I have a list of friends and family to help me if I need it, but I miss him already and he is just out in the driveway packing up the truck for the trip. So, I need to cowgirl up, put on my big-girl panties, and all those other cliches and be glad he has a job for me to be bitching about, because being lonely is better than being destitute! Thank gods for cell phones. Maybe I should finally learn to use a web cam so we can Skype to each other...the kids would love to talk to Daddy over the computer.
H.W.

Help wanted, ask Mama

Today Mojo is 4 weeks old! It seems like it went by in a blink, but at the same time she folded herself into our family so easily our life before her seems blurry. She did not, however, fold herself right into my Mama routine. This may sound strange, but I want to clean my house, I want to cook an actual meal, I want to get the weeds that are taking over outside pulled, I want to get the rest of the diapers sewn. I cannot do them, however, at least not completely or to my satisfaction, because of the gravitational pull of my sweet baby girl. I can get some housework done w/Mojo in the sling, and my husband helps a lot, but I think it's just that I can't do it that makes me want to. I actually got a lot done today, and one unexpected side effect of cloth diapers is I keep my laundry caught up because I am always aware of it. But then Mo wakes up and needs Mama, and I sit in the chair to change/nurse/hold her and do not get up for an hour or two. I love those hours, don't get me wrong, having gone through it once w/Jiji I know how sweet this time is and how quickly it is gone, but then I put her in her bouncy seat or back in the sling and plod along through house work that is slipping steadily out of my ability to keep up. Worse, the Hubs goes back out on the road Monday and I will be on my own again as far as the day to day. It is worth it, the housework will be there when I have time and a year from now I will be remembering sweet baby smiled and coos, not that all my laundry is clean but we are living out of laundry baskets, or that I can't run the vacuum yet until the Dr OK's it, so instead I just pick up dog-hair-dustbunnies when they get really big. At least I am getting really great at blogging while I breastfeed,opens up time to snuggle after diaper change.
H.W.

Thursday, Moon in Aquarius

Express yourself to expand your horizons. There are songs in you only you can sing, there are dances only you can lead. To keep them inside, in a dark corner of your heart you are afraid to show, is to deny beauty and blessing to yourself and the world. These are gifts you alone can give. Give freely and joyfully, and all your good will flood in at your feet. Stifle them and they will wither in shadow, blocking the door to bliss.
H.W.

Body After Baby Challenge

A few of my Twitter peeps have been talking about this Body After Baby Challenge that fellow Mommy blogger Mama Notes has up on her blog. I am all for this, and jumping right on board, although my goal will be relative. I am, as I sit and post this, within 5lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight. Please, hold your applause due to the fact my pre-pregnancy weight was 276. The day I had Mojo I weighed 307. So, my goal for the challenge is to amend the deal I made right before I got pregnant. When the Hubs and I decided to have another baby, we figured we had a little time. It took us 2 years to get pregnant w/Jiji. We agreed I would take a year to get under 200lbs. or after the baby was born I would go ahead w/the bariatric surgery I was approved for. This plan fell to the wayside when it turned out we concieved Mo literally 2 weeks after that conversation (Hence the baby Mojo nickname...get it!) So, this turned into I will take a year after the baby to get under 200lbs or we will pursue the surgery. Let me just say, I don't want the surgery, it sounds like all kinds of suck to me, so my motivation is to avoid it at all costs. So, my Challenge goal is to be under 200lbs by next August. I am giving my self a few extra weeks in there, since today was the 2nd day since the baby I have been able to go walk any kind of distance without pain. I walked through the park next to my house, and made the outside loop in 20 minutes. The whole circut through the park is a mile, starting and ending at my front door. 1st goal is to make the whole mile in 20 minutes by August. I will keep yoou posted, and good luck to the other Mamas taking the challenge. BTW, follow the link above or the button to the right of my page to take the challenge yourself!
H.W.

Tuesday, Full Moon in Capricorn

What do you need? Where does your life need to be going? Positive action leads to wisdom, and passion for the goal will speed your journey. Full moon in Capricorn is a great time of power, you have but to tap into it to begin to manifest your desire. Remember to temper your passion with humility and discipline. That much power with out structure can easily spin out of control and whip back at you. Nothing worthwhile comes without effort, and no true effort comes without a price, but if your goal is worthy, work becomes joy, effort becomes play, and desire becomes reality.
H.W.

version 2 of fleece pocket diapers done, tried new technique for elastic and velcro and it seems to have solved our leakage issues. I also made mediums, the one small I made in the new style was super tight. The mediums are just a touch big, but should fit for a while. I really like the color combo with the purple/khaki.
H.W.

summer school lol

OK, so I am feeling pretty good, am getting around much better, even have to back myself off from over-doing it sometimes, so there is no reason to keep putting off starting up homeschool for Jiji for the year. As I did last year, I like to start in the summer because there is so much more outdoor/nature science and walking field trips that can be done in the nice weather. To be honest, I meant to start last week but did not get enough lesson planning done. I am not 'done' now, but have enough to get rolling, and I tend to only stay about a week or so ahead anyway, makes it easier to adjust schedule/subjects as we go along. Jiji will be 5 in November, so we are starting on Kindergarten curriculum, as we started Pre-School early last year. Technically she was young to start, and so people do not expect her to be in school, so we have had little negative reaction, but people do ask if she will be starting school soon, and when she tells them she does school at home w/Mama we sometimes get that look, if you homeschool, you know the one. The only really negative reaction has been a woman who's son is in public school, and is a juvenile delinquent (really, I am not just saying that) who told me Jiji won't get enough socialization, needless to say I ignored her. Socialization in public school really helped her kid! On that particular topic, what socialization are the kids really getting, other than recess, which we go the park for and always meet up w/ other kids to play with. My stepdaughter told me they have to take a book to lunch because they are not allowed to talk, how is that socialization? Anyway, I don't really want to get off on a big rant, it could last for days. So, today is the 1st day of Kindergarten, I better get back to work!

nursing cover

OK, I am going to have a little rant now! People who think I am sick or rude or lewd to breastfeed my daughter in public are evil. My breasts were made to nourish my baby, and I must say they do a hell of a job. They were made to provide food and comfort to her, and I will damn well whip the girls out to feed her when she is hungry. I will not make her wait, hungry and crying, until we get home. I will not go into the disgusting bathroom and expose her to germs while nursing. If you do not like it, look away, or walk away, even. Your ridiculous outrage at being aware that my breast is fulfilling it's destiny over here is not more important than my baby, and besides that I am covered up. This brings me to part 2 of my rant. Lactivists need to back of me about my nursing cover. I am the first to jump up and defend a mothers right to naturally feed her child in any situation, but I do not see why I have to make myself feel exposed and uncomfortable to prove a point. A.) I am more likely to breastfeed if I am comfortable and do not feel that I am am exhibit. B.) I am fat, and although I have little problem with flashing a nipple here and there, sitting in public with my fat rolls hanging out is not my idea of a good time. C.) I do not believe you win people over to your way of thinking with blunt force. Just as I, as a pagan, do not believe in converting people but being there as a guide to people who seek answers, I think that people do not have to actually SEE my boobs to know I am exercising my basic human right to feed my baby. So, as usual, extremists craziness will continue to feed the justifications of the other side, and I am here in the middle, feeding my baby under a nursing cover not because I am embarassed, but because feeding Mojo is more important than anyone's opinion of how I go about it.
H.W.

breastfeeding art

http://www.breastfeeding-art.com/html/frames/framesetall.htm
awesome page w/breastfeeding art...beautiful

lazy day

I have not gotten to the sewing machine yet, have had to wear a cranky baby all day, and although I can get a lot done w/Mojo in a sling sewing is not on that list. Right now, I am nursing as I blog one-handed. I have been, once again, obsessively researching cloth diapers and have decided on the details I will be changing to solve the issued we had w/the 1st try. Here is the pattern I am using http://fernandfaerie.com/sewing_fitteds.html w/a few tweaks I will try w/elastic and aplix. Hopefully I will get something done tonite!
H.W.

1st harvest

OK, if you don't count the salads I made from my lettuce/spinach bucket I picked my 1st harvest from our garden today. Small but mighty, I have 1 pepper, and a handful of Roma and yellow pear tomatoes. My hands smell wonderfully of tomato now! I had gone outside w/Mojo in the sling to walk Jiji to the neighbors house and decided to take a lap around the yard, mostly to check on flowers. There, waiting for me in their buckets were the beauties pictured above. Mo and I grabbed a pail and scooped them up and into the house before the rain. I must now amend dinner plans to include them, or I will make a tiny batch of salsa! lol
H.W.