If you are like most people you get in your car, start it and either adjust it from the "park" position and put it in "reverse" or "drive". Right?  You are either moving forward or in reverse. In much the same way in life, we are either moving forward, towards  our goals, or being distracted by things which are coming between us and our goals. And sometimes, just as in driving, you may have to go in reverse in order to move forward.

It is worth noodling this through and holding ourselves accountable. After all, we are in the driver's seat.  We are faced with decisions daily as we "drive" through  our lives. Try asking yourself when struggling to make a decision, "Will this feed the energy of what I want to accomplish & create... or detract from it?"  This one question will help you say YES or NO with no guilt-- and with no apology.

This weekend, as I waited in line to get my car washed I was on my cell phone with friend and Success Television & SSI Expert, Dianne Orwig.  I paid, rolled up my windows and eased my car into the tracks of the conveyor that would guide my car (with me inside) through the suds and dancing strips of fabric that would soon remove winter from my car. Distracted by our engaging conversation I placed my car in PARK once I got the hand-signal from the attendant.  Within seconds I noticed a huge rhythmic jolting of the vehicle and the look of alarm on the face of the attendant as he called out to me to put my car in NEUTRAL, not park!

Oops.

I was amused..
Dianne was amused.
The attendant, no so much.

I will allow the spiritual lesson of the car wash to be a guide today.  Rather than driving forward or in reverse-- or sitting in park-- I will allow more time in neutral.  Not because I don't want to move forward, but rather  because I want to move forward with EASE.

You see, once I put my car in neutral, the conveyor carried me.  I didn't have to DO anything at all to get through the car wash.  In much the same way, we are guided in life and sometimes we think we have to push forward-forward-forward...when sometimes you only need to let a force BIGGER THAN YOU, drive.

If you feel like you are paddling upstream you can change this exhausting act.  And that does not mean paddling downstream either. It means, similar to putting your car in neutral, DROP THE OARS and let the river effortlessly carry you like a conveyor through a car wash. 

Rena M. Reese, M.S. is the author of several inspirational titles, founder of Soul Salon International, radio host and instructor at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, Md. In her latest book, The Soul Salon, readers enjoy what would equate to a year of personal life coaching. For more information about her books or speaking, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com.

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Can you recall a time when you woke in the middle of the night to the absolute silence of your bedroom?  Perhaps the stillness seemed palpable, mystical and even sacred. Maybe there was something divine in that moment of absolute quiet that affirmed that you too are divine and more than a physical shell. Experiencing this external silence so deeply is a hint of what our spirit craves internally. Absolute outer silence is the gateway to the magical and transformative internal silence.

The external world of music, news, conversation and mind-chatter can be spiritually deafening. The good news is that silence mutes this unhealthy bombardment to allow the spirit to speak and be heard. It is in silence that you’ll hear the whisper of your spirit nudging you toward your personal truth. Your greatest advocate and guide, your spirit, spills out truth, information and guidance when you allow for quiet in your daily life.

When life is full of positive momentum and optimistic thoughts, silence is a wonderful way to steep yourself in reflection and appreciation. However, when we are faced with important decisions or some form of adversity, quiet is a tool to reveal profound and transformative insights. Silence can energize and open you to creative thoughts and myriad solutions that would have otherwise been engulfed in the white-noise of life. Ignorance finds it very difficult to exist in silence. The truth, when it is allowed to freely flow, will most often emerge from calm and quiet, not disorder, noise and a frenetic pace.

Practicing Silence:

• Meditate: You don’t have to be a Buddhist monk to enjoy a meditative practice. Wake up ten to 30 minutes earlier and designate a comfortable spot to sit upright as you breathe mindfully. Simply sit in silence and when thoughts pop into your mind, acknowledge them and then let them be.
• Be Still: When you awake in the morning, before rising choose to lay still. Put two fingers on your neck pulse-point and keep your eyes closed. Take a minute to feel your body pulsing life through your body.  Drink up the truth that nature sustains your life and all life on its own. You don’t have to “do” anything for your heart to beat. The same force that beats your heart turns an acorn into a mighty oak tree and rotates the earth on its axis as it makes its yearly trip around the sun. Tap into that extraordinary divine force already housed within you working its magic.
• Try a car ride without media. A trip to the grocery store or into work without music, traffic reports or a phone conversation will have you arriving in a much greater “Zen-like” state. You will be more grounded, live with greater intention and likely enjoy a lower heart rate too.
• Create a sacred sleep space. Just as you have software to protect your computer from viruses and spy-ware, be vigilant with setting boundaries with your sleep space. Your bedroom should be a haven from the outside world. Using a laptop in bed with the TV on is a sort of energetic assault on the spirit at the close of the day. A beautiful sleep space is as much about the energy of your bedroom as it is about your linens, pillows and lighting.
• Create a daily ritual for yourself that requires silence. You may sit in silence with your coffee in a sunny breakfast room while you make your must-do list for the day. Perhaps you can allow for 15 minutes of peaceful reflection before bed to write in a journal. Try journaling a list of five things that occur each day for which you are grateful.
• Reconnect with nature. Go for a walk on a nature-infused path without music or your cell phone. Seek to find a spot where you can turn 360 degrees and see nothing man-made.
• Engage in thankful thinking. Use silence as a time to accentuate the positive in your life. Coupling gratitude with silence turns up the volume on those things in your life.

Create a daily ritual that includes silence and insist that you allow time to implement it everyday. After all, your intuition illuminates your personal truth in the gaps between your thoughts. Your physical body sends you signals in moments of silence. Your ego is muted and your spirit speaks though a megaphone when quiet is allowed to blanket your conscious mind. Like beautiful music, silence must be heard to be enjoyed.  

Rena M. Reese, M.S. is the author of several inspirational titles, founder of Soul Salon International, radio host and instructor at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, Md. In her latest book, The Soul Salon, readers enjoy what would equate to a year of personal life coaching. For more information about her books or speaking, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com.

While on vacation I finished an autobiographical accounting of Amelia's historical flight in the Friendship called, 20 hrs., 40 min.  I took note of many parts of the book-- and many of her funny remarks and humble stories.

One story that amused me was when she gave an accounting of the time she experienced real fog for the very first time.  She explained that it was very "disquieting." She explained that in fog with that density, it is virtually impossible to know what the plane is doing. She told of how it could be going in circles or even upside down and the pilot would not know his/her position in space.  The absence of outside landmarks leaves the pilot to count on physical feedback--such as noting if your seatbelt seems to have tightened or if your feet have dropped back from the rudder.

When experiencing this for the first time Amelia decided to kick the plane into a tailspin, on purpose and plummeted from 12,000 feet down to 3,000 feet at which time she emerged from the fog and landed safely.  What is amusing is that after she was back on the ground she explained that one of the old-timers asked as he looked at the plane's barograph record which showed the huge & rapid drop in elevation, "What does that mean? Did you go to sleep along in there?"  She relayed that he was not "impressed favorably."

She explained to him how she got out of the fog "by way of the tailspin."

To that, he replied, "Suppose the fog had lasted all the way to the ground?"

Well I think we all know the answer to that one...

Amelia told this story because she wanted to emphasize how a pilot, must have experience flying with instruments and not only "by horizon." It is through your instruments that you will maintain your "course, equilibrium and altitude," she explained.  And so it is with us as we pilot ourselves though the metaphorical flights of our lives.

So today, I thank Amelia for her reminder that we often count on "the horizon" for feedback in life.  We look at what is before us on the horizon, or the obvious things that fill our days- for feedback on how we are navigating our course.  But the world is infinitely more complex than this and requires more reliable feedback, especially when the fog rolls into our life. Things like our bank accounts, real estate values, roles, degrees and shoe collection give a limited view of our existence. It is our inner instruments or spiritual GPS that will give the completed picture.  If we regularly glance at our spiritual dashboard we will tune into our inner guidance which calls on us to adjust our course if needed.

Check your dashboard.

All the best!

Rena M. Reese
Founder, Soul Salon International

Olympic marathon runner John Stephen Ahkwari of Tanzania had the great honor of representing his country in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. It seems from accounts that around the 18th mile,  Ahkwari stumbled to the ground and seriously bloodied his leg and knee. (click on the image to see the video)

It seemed clear to the spectators that this man should not keep running , but Ahkwari would not have any part of giving up. He kept running and walking. The race's winner was declared less than an hour after his fall, but he kept running... walking... moving forward...

And then, nearly 2 hours after his fall and about an hour after the first runner crossed the finish line-- Ahkwari would have his moment of completion. Could he have known that what began as an unceremonious entrance into the Olympic stadium would inspire and lift the hearts of so many?

From the dark of night, off the streets of Mexico, into the blasting white lights of the stadium, Ahkwari made his entrance alternating between a spirited jog to a walk-run. The thousands of spectators that were speckled among the stadium seats to watch an entirely different event, took notice of this gentleman making his final stretch to the finish line. One lone competitor, competing not against the other countries that began the race with him, but the race for his dignity, character or the pride of his country. THESE are the things John Stephen Ahkwari valued most and they were his strength as he ran the final leg with his bandages and wounds.

So the crowd who needed a moment to noodle through what was going on since the marathon had LONG finished--realized that this man was the caboose to the marathon train...

Imagine the moments that followed.... the applause began.... and got louder as he made his way around the track. People began to stand and holler words of encouragement and the applause heightened to a full burst. Crossing the finish line was not an act of ego, it was an act of pride--honoring what John Stephen Ahkwari valued most.

The most powerful part of this story is in its closing. After he received medical care and was asked, "Why did he forge forward even with such tremendous pain that surely all would understand his not completing the marathon?'

His response, quite simply, was this... "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

You can do so much when you connect to your values. Even when things seem hard or impossible, the power of values seems to boost the odds. Living a values based life is a great way to do the impossible, to inspire, and to have a great deal of fulfillment and satisfaction. Watch this video and see the powerful driving force that comes from acting from values.

All the best!

Rena M. Reese
Founder, Soul Salon International

Courage is granted to each of us equally, not just firemen, explorers and military heroes.  Like a muscle that will atrophy if not exercised, our courage is also strengthened and grows with use. Lucky are the children who have courage breathed into them by parents, teachers and role models during their formative years; surely they will navigate fear with more grace as adults.   However, it is never too late to tap into our reservoir of courage to align with the life our spirit is nudging us toward. Silencing our fears doesn’t happen by reviewing and analyzing them, but rather best done through small acts of courage in support of the outcomes we desire.

Fear is a powerful emotion.  Beyond just an emotion, fear is the most debilitating disease on the planet. It is worse than hatred and in fact may be the precursor to hatred. It is a stifling presence that keeps us from leaping, trusting ourselves and stepping into all that is in our best interest. Conflicts between races, countries and religions can often be boiled down to something born out of fear and lack of understanding.  And then there is courage, the powerful, contagious and energizing attribute which expands our lives.

Overwhelmingly, the majority of fears we spend so much energy worrying about never materialize. Knowing this and choosing to move through our fears takes us to a higher level of personal power in life. Persevering courageously through our fears gives us the opportunity to showcase our true character. The attitudes we hold and the actions we take when we are in that powerful state, make it possible to negotiate through what seems hard or even impossible.  Seeking to understand what may be unfamiliar, scary or threatening can transform fear into courage, compassion, or respect.  With that comes the knowledge that we do not need to fear what is foreign or uncomfortable to us, but rather try to grow in our understanding of these things.

Fear pollutes important decisions. It prompts someone to marry another they don’t love out of a fear that they won’t find someone better.  Fear keeps people from ending unhealthy or toxic relationships, from finding a life’s work that really jazzes them, starting a business, retiring, or moving to a new city. In caving in to our fear we are closing ourselves off from countless opportunities for joy and fulfillment.  Fear can scream so loudly that it makes it hard to hear what our soul really wants, but it is possible to hear beyond the head chatter of constant trepidation. Whether we are being called to step up with physical courage or moral courage our inner compass is clearly marked with our true north.  Understand that being prudent and cautious is different from being fearful.  Refusing to fly ever again because of security concerns is a decision steeped in fear. Jogging through Central Park during daylight hours rather than 11pm is cautious and prudent.  

Fears can be carried out to such extremes that it chokes the breath of life. It can keep you from healing, challenging yourself, growing and rising to your potential.  Courage is a sort of spiritual spine available to each of us to the measure we choose to use it.  Acts of courage infuse life with an unmatched aliveness worth vying for.

Boost Your Courage:
Visualize yourself successfully and happily doing the very thing you fear.  Include the pride and confidence that will bubble up when you visualize your triumph. Identify elements of your fear that can be positively impacted with your present day choices and preparation.  You are more able to positively impact an outcome than you may credit yourself. Investigate the roots of your fear to diffuse it. Perhaps an adult role model from your youth embodied a fear and passed it along to you. You may find your fear was not yours to begin with. Decide what would be a small step for you to begin overcoming your fear.

Outlining degrees of overcoming your fear will make the process much less daunting and boost your confidence. Plan a controlled scenario to face your fear. If you are afraid of dogs set up a situation through a trusted alliance to hold a sleeping puppy or a sweet, elderly lap dog. If it is driving over bridges you fear, find a small bridge to master and a friend to accompany you for support. Remember that courage is not the absence of fear, it is moving forward in spite of the fear.

We often tolerate mediocrity in the name of staying in a familiar place either physically or emotionally.  Refuse to let your dreams gather dust even one more day because “fear” or “habit” is taking its place.  Choose to move past those things to find the greater happiness waiting for you. You will find as you make incremental changes, that you, like the Cowardly Lion in the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, had an abundant reservoir of courage within you from the start.

Rena Reese, MS is an author, founder of Soul Salon International and instructor at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, Md. (www.themindfulnesscenter.com) In her latest book, The Soul Salon, readers enjoy what would equate to a year of personal life coaching as they learn about the path to awakening & bliss, living in alignment and enjoying a life of purpose.  For more information about her books or speaking, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com. 

Our ego loves stuff.

On the contrary, our spiritual-self has no attachment to anything because our divine-self knows it is not ours. Someday it will belong to another. Sure we use it while we are here, take care of it and perhaps admire it, but it will someday be another person's stuff, it is not really ours.

Material possessions make us feel many things at different times in our lives. Some may stir sentimentality, a sense of accomplishment, safety and even power. The man who holds his father's wedding ring in his hand the day he buries his dad will likely have an emotional stir unmatched by anything he's ever felt before. The accomplished business person who drives up to valet parking on the night of his high school reunion in a prestigious vehicle, has another feeling entirely. Our home and its contents-- from a couch to a set of dishes may make us feel secure and comfortable. Yes, we love our stuff and how it makes us feel.

Illusion. The ironic thing is that the more value you place on anything, be it a car, piece of jewelry or ___(fill in the blank)____, the more you leak your energy to it. You actually lose your personal power by being what is called "object referred", rather than being "self referred." Basically, do you believe you are wonderful because you are a divine creation or because you have a certain degree, own a particular car or have nice "stuff"?

Sadly, many people live beyond their means, basically creating debt to buy things that they believe will make them feel ten shades of wonderful. But the truth is that you are ALREADY ten shades of wonderful, even without your stuff.

Six Thoughts About Having More:

1. All of your possessions require energy to maintain. The nicer the thing, the more the energy it takes. If you had a 1978 Ford Pinto it would take less of your energy than if you had a 2009 Bentley. You would not only pay less to purchase, insure and maintain each of these, but you'd also spend a disproportionate amount of energy in finding a parking space considering if you car door will get doinked. The nicer the stuff, the more it requires from you.

2. Your "things" will never bring happiness to you. You may enjoy them immensely, but real bliss will never come from an object. We are just not wired that way.

3. If you wish to travel through life in a powerful way (not dominating, but rather awake and conscious) you will have to release an attachment to your belongings, which actually hemorrhages your energy to that thing. Is there something you own, that if I asked you to give it away (not sell, but give) that you would get hysterical about doing so? If yes, you are leaking energy to that thing.

4. Your ego will always want more. It is the nature of the ego to never be satisfied with the status quo. This has actually worked to the advantage of humanity since that is what has made any advance possible from space travel to the invention of the light bulb. But in terms of acquisition of material possessions, it works against you when you attach to the object.

5. Simplifying your life, boosts your power. How many email accounts do you have? How many cars do you have to insure, maintain, and drive to keep the battery from dying? Whether you have an art collection worth millions or a library full of precious books, more stuff takes more energy and attention to have and hold.

6. Do you use all of your stuff? I once heard the 80-20 rule. We only use 20% of our stuff and we store or hoard the other 80%. This sounds about right. Can you shed some of your 80% and get it into the hands of someone for whom it would be part of their 20%?

When you attach yourself to something outside your spirit, you weaken yourself. But when you detach there is unmatched freedom! (This is true in relationships too, the more you attach, the weaker you become.) HAVE nice things. ENJOY nice things. CELEBRATE the the nice things you own, just do this without an ATTACHMENT to them.

All the best!

Rena M. Reese
Founder, Soul Salon International

Rena Reese, M.S. is an author, founder of Soul Salon International and instructor at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, Md.  In her latest book, The Soul Salon, readers enjoy what would equate to a year of personal life coaching as they learn about the path to awakening & bliss, living in alignment and enjoying a life of purpose.  For more information about her books or speaking, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com.

What are you?  

Ask that question of a thousand people and the vast majority will likely respond with their occupation or job.  I am a parent, teacher, lawyer or a whatever-I-do-to-earn-money-and-fill-my-day.  Yet this is not who we are. We are not what we do.  Think about that for a moment. While it sounds simple, do you really know who you are when extricated from the identity of a profession, a role or an achievement?  Can you tell me what you are without naming what it is that you do?  The most accurate answer to that question is actually the same for each of us.  The truest response is the same for you, me, your doctor, your mail carrier as well as each person with whom we share this gorgeous planet.

We are energy.  The parts of us we can see and feel, as well as those we cannot, are pure energy. We can visualize a storehouse of energy in our body much like a gas tank contains the fuel for a car.  On some level of consciousness, we check in with our energy supply regularly, acknowledging when we are powered up or running dangerously low.  We know it is true since we innately speak about our energy regularly.  We refer to our energy and it’s place in our bodies when we say phrases like:

Energy drinks are wildly popular. Coffee houses abound, and why?  People are looking for ways to feel energized and alive.  We spend our days unconsciously either draining or feeding our energy.  Every single thing we experience daily is either crediting or debiting our energetic accounts.  Our energy is fed or depleted by the foods we use for nourishment, the books we read, jobs we hold and the things we surround ourselves with. Our sleep patterns, the company we keep, our thoughts and the music we allow to fill our ears also impact our energy.    It is important to realize that even the colors of the room we spend time in can affect our energy!  

So rather than spending our days depleting our energetic reserve and then trying to figure out how to restore it, how about looking at where we are leaking in the first place. Shift this understanding about your energy for a moment, from being stored IN your body, to your energy actually BEING your body.

You receive energetic input all day long. Pay attention to the hints your physical self is sending you.  Becoming conscious of your energy can positively change your life, improve your life and even save your life.  Trust the messages your energy system gives you and act on the input you receive. Your health and spirit require you to advocate for yourself as well as to hold firm to your personal standards. Don’t compromise on those things. If you feel that you have made choices that have compromised your energy, you can begin right now to reverse the process.

SPIRITUAL ENERGY BOOSTS

Be the Word Police: The words we allow to fill our head do find a home in our bodies. The child who hears he is wonderful from teachers, parents and friends is uplifted and energized.  The child that hears he is lazy and selfish will own that too. This truth also applies to adults, so be vigilant about the words you allow in your life both written, spoken and sung.

Be Vigilant with the Basics: Pay attention to the quality of your food, water and air.

Rest Matters: Monitor and adjust your ratio of activity to rest. Being unbalanced in this area could have you racing towards an empty spiritual fuel tank.

Identify the energetic drains in your system. We mistakenly label many of these drains as being non-negotiable, but we discard our personal power when we take on that perspective. Words like obligation, duty, should and responsibility come to mind when we think that something is a certainty and not up for discussion.  Surely we have obligations to others but none are greater than our obligation to nurture our spirit.

Respond to energetic drains with self-love:  Advocating for yourself in this way can reduce and even eliminate the drain felt by you. For example this may take the form of your learning to say “no,” “yes,” or, “I need help.”  For example, if caring for an ailing parent drains your energy, consider how to create a circle of support for yourself and ask for help.

Insist on Values-Based Living: Do that which is aligned with your values.  Compromising on these things regularly will hemmorage your precious energy. Honoring your values in even the smallest of things cretes a bionic boost.

Create! Every single one of us is creative. Whether you create a fabulous dinner, a blockbuster novel, design a vegetable garden that would make Farmer McGregor jealous, or write a poem for a loved one; creation  is like caffeine for the spirit.

Fun:  It is true what is said about all work and no play. When is the last time you had a lot of fun?  Can you schedule another positive surge today?  Just looking forward to a fun-filled event boosts your energy before the good-time even arrives!

Meditation/Quiet:  Exercise without music, walk the dog without earbuds, turn off the TV before bed, or drive in silence on the way to work. It is in the quiet, that our highest and most pure guidance is filtered to us.

We have many responsibilities in life, but that includes our spiritual responsibility to act in alignment with our soul.  Certainly we may disappoint some close to us when we make choices fully aligned with our spirits, but that is part of self-advocacy and reaching spiritual adulthood.

Each of us is linked to the entire universe.  This includes all of humankind, the animal kingdom and all of nature even beyond what the eye sees.   Your energy, as well as your physical and spiritual well being, affects everyone and everything you share the planet with.  You are part of the collective consciousness that is humanity.  Your high-vibration life benefits all of us.

Rena M. Reese, MS is an author, founder of Soul Salon International and instructor at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, Md.  In her latest book, The Soul Salon, readers enjoy what would equate to a year of personal life coaching as they learn about the path to awakening & bliss, living in alignment and enjoying a life of purpose.  For more information about her books or speaking, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com.

Each of us has always been a part of a group. We are born into a family which becomes group.  As we continue through life, our groups expand and contract, but mostly expand. There is our religious group, classmates, the other nerds, braniacs, athletes, national honor society members and on and on.... From the gym community to the garden club and on to our political party, we are group heavy.

Belonging to a group is a wonderful thing-- until the group/s begin to erode our truth... and we silence our truth to continue to "belong."

What happens to...

• the Muslim who decides he will pray 3 times a day and not the mandated 5 prayers per day?
• The Jewish woman who comes to believe in Jesus? The Christian who feels an alignment with Buddhism?
• The fur-maker who wants to join PETA?
• The Fortune 500 CEO who wants to spend more time with his/her family?
• The strictly-raised Catholic who chooses to live an openly gay life?
• The Democrat who feels the unmistakable pull to vote for the Republican or the Republican who feels the integrity and promise in a Democratic candidate?

What potentially happens when you honor your truth and that truth differs from the group's? Well, the group quite often disappears.  It can be lonely until you find another group that fits with your truth. Of course, you can stay in the old group and not honor your truth and convince yourself that the group's needs are more important than your own. You can also stuff your spirit's mouth with a sock to fit in with the group, be accepted, validated and "safe" within its bounds.

You are born into some groups and some you have selected by choice as you've grown up. Either way, groups have an often unspoken code of belonging. Saying yes to membership within the group implies you are signed on with the rules of belonging. Whether negative, positive or neutral-- your group's values and way of being are expected to be yours. But if they are not really yours, the group controls you and even owns you.

A terrifically wonderful gift you can give to yourself is to honestly assess the groups you belong to and decide if the "energy" of the group is aligned with yours. Decide if the contribution and beliefs of the group are a good fit with what you want your legacy to be. And then, consciously participate in the groups that are aligned with your truth. What you will find is a beautiful phenomenon. Departing from one group allows you to find alignment in another. Honoring your truth becomes a compass for you--to find a group that you can step with, chin held high, on the road to your happy place.

All the best!

Rena M. Reese
Founder, Soul Salon International

The word,"streaking", has a way of titillating us. The fun, the fear and the freedom associated with this act is what lands streaking on the to-do list of countless people every year.  There is an aliveness that this act fosters that connects us to our physical body and our senses. There is a spiritual counterpart to this aliveness; it is called, a "high vibration", and it lives in every one of our cells.  When we are happy, content with our choices and fully engaged in life we elevate our vibration. As a result, we contribute our positive energy to the world and are better able to handle what comes up in life.

A soul streaker, much like a physical streaker, strips off layers of spiritual clothes that are not a good fit. Societies, religions, families and cultures have a lot of clout and influence over us.  Each can manipulate our views of who we are in this world and what is expected of us.  We drink up customs, labels and expectations that cement our identities. This is wonderful when it is aligned with our philosophy and our spiritual needs, but a problem when the custom, belief or rule leaves us feeling bound up.  What we fill our days with will either feed or erode our spirit. Our vibration is affected by the commitments we make, the quality of food we eat, as well as our level of happiness in life to name just a few.

Let the strip tease music play.  One by one, let your spiritual clothing fly.  Let your soul get naked the way it was when it came here.  Your spirit’s quest is for aliveness and creativity.  If you are engaging in low energy activities that drain your life force from you, you are on the road to ill health and crisis. Consciously infuse your days with activities you love and a sense of contribution while acting in alignment with your soul and you will enjoy abundant health and real happiness. Discover your truth and then run like the wind!

Easy Ways to raise Your Vibration Today:

Light candles: Candlelight invites a wonderful energy into your personal space. Fire is one of the basic elements of nature. Some experience an elevation in personal vibration by being near the ocean another of nature’s elements.  In the same way the quiet flickers of a soft flame can bring ease to the spirit.  The glow that illuminates a room with the fire’s aura will blanket you with energy, balance and peace.

Give a kind word: Decide that today you will give unexpected “love nuggets” to others. Give several people unsolicited, positive comments as they occur to you. Compliments that are sincerely and unexpectedly given have a positive ripple that can be infinite.

Moisturize: Find a beautiful lotion that smells heavenly to you or choose one that is scent free if that is your preference. Select one with all natural and healing ingredients.  After your next shower, nourish all of your skin with a complete moisturizing treatment. Allow the sensory experiences of smell and touch to energize you while they simultaneously calm you.

Release: Do you have an old belief that really doesn’t resonate with you anymore?  Were you raised with a notion that seemed like truth at the time, but now seems tired?  Can you release the belief and substitute it with a more authentic version of what is truth for you?

Face a fear: Decide to do something that scares you. Frying bacon while naked does not count. Sure that would be scary, but dig a little deeper to find something meaningful.  Select a date in the future that you would like to have achieved this goal and then promise yourself to get it done! What do you feel is keeping your life small or unfulfilled?  What fear is robbing you of joy? Is there a single act of courage that can change the direction of your life?

Keep a gratitude journal: Enter at least one thing each day that you are grateful for.  When this is your regular way of looking at your life, you will steadily attract more of what you are pleased to receive.  Even in the toughest of scenarios, there exists the proverbial silver lining. There is always something that you can express gratitude for.

Think before you eat: You may be surprised to learn just how often you are filling your body with something that is unnatural and confusing to your cells.    Artificial sweeteners, pesticides and the like can confuse your body’s natural and wise processes.  Confusion creates disharmony. Sustained dis-harmony is the precursor to its cousin dis-ease.

Your life force is stored within you much like a gas tank contains fuel for a car.  During any given day you may be draining or filling this metaphorical tank.  Your spirit and your personal energy will thrive when you partake in high vibration activities. These involve doing the things you love to do, being with people you genuinely enjoy, and going to places that feel good to you. Additionally, living life as a soul streaker you will be honoring your personal truth. When you live this way, you can be a streaker for life, even when you are too old to run and your parts are not as pretty as they used to be.

Rena M. Reese

Founder, Soul Salon International

Think back to some of the big life changes you have transitioned through in life. Some may have been rights of passage such as moving up from elementary school to middle and then high school or your first sleep over. This could include leaving home for college or military service, getting married or becoming a parent yourself.

Do you remember if you felt any anxiety about the change and, more specifically, what it was about the change that had you feeling unsettled? This reflection is beneficial because you can apply what you know about yourself to what is showing up in your life now  and find support for your transition.

Sometimes we can resist change quite strongly, but, it is the change that we are putting off, that will really propel us to our happy place. This could include changing habits that will increase our health and energy or change the people we allow into our life as we advocate for ourselves and set better boundaries.

Acknowledge what you have created in your life, what you want to create and the power you hold to do each of these things. Author Louise Hay talks about the lessons we can learn just through having a keen awareness about "what is" right now. She asks us to noodle through our:

• Assumptions: "It would not do any good anyway...."
• Beliefs: "That wouldn't be spiritual or I'm not that kind of person..."
• Them: "God doesn't approve...It's all their fault...You don't understand..."
• Self Concepts: " I am too old...too poor.....too serious.....

When you examine these things, you can decide if you are ready to change. Louise Hay points out that these ideas we come up with are little more than excuses or tactics to delay doing something. Somehow we think it gets us off the hook for changing. Sure we may be scared or in unfamiliar territory but that is what makes the payoff so wildly exciting. We may prefer to settle and even suffer in the familiar than step out--even when we know it will be so much better when we do.

Just notice what belief or fear may be holding you back from owning your gifts, letting go of a relationship that is unhealthy for you, or a limiting belief that you have imposed on yourself and then..... change something.

All the best!

Rena Reese
Founder, The Soul Salon
Soul Salon International