Happy Gemini Full Moon ~ The Power of the Mind and Communication!

This powerful Gemini Full Moon relates with our ability to communicate; with all our relations (family, friends, co-workers, colleagues, neighbours); with our mind, logical thought; learning and sharing knowledge.
So for me this brings a very interesting insight about the mind and communication...
The power of mind that can create anything we wish and like this can be delusional as well: the most dangerous thing to believe is what one wants to believe.

Communication, which I remember to learn in my first Public Relations class, when doing my BA (looks like another life, but was part of academic journey) that communication always involves two people, a talker and a listener, so one would listen and respond accordingly...
Very well, then through the spiritual journey in my Healing NLP course, made me realise that what people call communication most of the time is actually a monologue... have you noticed how many times people are talking to themselves or not really listening... And at that time this made me think, do I talk more or do I listen more?
Listening is such a yin, feminine quality, and takes me back to my granny saying the wise ones are the ones who listen, starting from within...

Starting with the Taoist Practice which evolved into my creation of the Jade Egg Holistic Practice, I found a very easy and natural way to work with my mind in a harmonious way.
One of the benefits you get from these practices is harmonisation of the the left and right side of the brain, so I trust intuition to be my guide, and have my logical and rational mind working in balance with the unknown and artistic other side of the mind, and vice-verse...

Regarding communication: to express our creativity (which comes from the sexual centre), to express our truth (which comes from our heart), to express our ideas (which come from our mind), are the three energy centres, or the Taoist call Tan Tiens, or organs if you want: genitals, heart and brain.
Are they all acknowledging each other, listening to each other, and agreeing with each other? Whatever is the way (voice, writing, dance, any art, anything!...) you are expressing these.

Now just stop for a moment and answer yourself:

• How can you improve your ability to communicate based on the above?

Going back to the Full Moon you can use this time of sparkle, bright, ideas, jokes, laughter and repartee to: bring light and life close to you as Yuletide approaches, make arrangements, swap ideas, improve communication, work with impartial and detached thinking, travel short-distances, heal the lung! (arms and hands too - any movement on them as Qigong, Tai Chi, Dance will do!;).

In the Taoist Calendar we are still in the season of the lungs, the Autumn, the Metal Element. 

The lungs negative emotions are sadness and grief. We can look upon them as a process of letting go... And its such perfect time of the year to do so!  Look at Nature, trees getting stripped, everything dumped in the Earth, preparing to enter the dark, the Winter, the Yin peak, time to Be!  
"The Great Void is the place where all solutions and answers live in harmony with the questions that fill our realities." Jamie Sams

To help you in your process of letting go, here is the lungs' Healing Sound: 

• Become aware of your lungs resting within your chest. Take a deep belly breath to slowly fill your lungs, breathe out SSSSSSSSS as you release sadness, grief, loneliness, depression. Allowing the sound to vibrate in your lungs, breath then in the crystalline white light of courage, self-confidence, uprightness, and self-esteem.*

*Adding the lung meridian stretch: as you breathe in, raise your arms overhead, elbows slightly bent outwards, hands palm up and extend your arms above your head. Let your eyes follow the movement.

The Jade Egg Holistic Practice is a continuous invitation to turn inward and get in touch with one's body (and organs), teaches us about the Inner Alchemy, starting with the first practice of the Inner Smile meditation.
Let the moon too inspire you to look within - the Lunar Alchemy.
Alchemy was more than attempt to turn base metal into gold, it was a spiritual quest. The alchemist's power came from the conjunction - the union of the God and the Goddess. The God was symbolised by the Sun, the Goddess the Moon. This is a reminder to look deep within ourselves, to the balance of male and female internal energies, yin and yang. By attuning ourselves with to the needs of our male and female sides, we then can work towards healing the parts of self that need assistance.
Without balance there is no place to creativity, without true awareness of ourselves there is no place for progress. By looking deeply into ourselves we grow.

As in all the Full Moons, you have the opportunity to energize yourself with the power of moon yin energy and unite with women from all over the planet, here my suggestion: let's meditate at 10pm in the moonlight; by your window (or outdoors if is not too cold where you are) or use three candles or one large silver candle as a substitute for the moonlight. (If you don't have any of these, no worries, your intention is what matters, just put your heart into it!) 

 © Anamarta

***Happy Rooster Year: Focus your Power***

With New Moon, the new beginning in the Lunar Calendar the Chinese (Taoist) New Year begins: The Fire Monkey swings away and the Fire Rooster crows in!

Yes, another fire year!... Fire creates, fire destroys, fire connects with the heart the place of love and compassion, impatience and hatred, as light and dark coexist.

"The Fire Rooster, specifically, is an already-intense sign with an extra side of focus and drive. Rooster years are rarely ever boring, so it'll be a year with a lot of action." 

But different from the monkey's unpredictability, the rooster is more predictable, so this brings some stability, indeed wrapped in action, which can be taken to be productive and fulfill accomplishment.   After all rooster is characterised by confidence, optimism, courage, hardworking, being observant, resourceful and talented. The Rooster is also sensitive, so drama can accompany the year; although I believe is not about what is happening but the way we respond to it. So if you make a priority in keeping yourself in a good space, which for me means keeping the inner peace in our heart and mind, feeling the harmony within, which will spread to our outer world, can really support you in managing your life and all the "arrows of outrageous fortune" much smoothly.

"The Rooster favours those who put in the hard work and stick to a plan. Also respects those with strong opinions and a good work ethic. Be thoughtful about what’s in your heart and go with it." Adopted from Chinese Astrologist Laura Lau

This Rooster year according to some Chinese Horoscope is Female Fire Chicken aka Red Chicken year. I'm bringing this up as I would like to mention the feminine, yin importance; as it's great to keep focus and organise to accomplish goals and all that, but that's pure yang, masculine, the rational and doing; so keep a good eye on equally relaxing, to be open without expectation, to cultivate the state of simply being. Otherwise you might find yourself out of balance or totally drained by exhaustion!...

How do you relate with these animals: the rooster and the chicken? Any experiences you have with them? What comes to your mind?

Part of tuning in into the energy of the New Year, is understanding the animal, and knowledge follows understanding, which gives you the support to make the most of it! How do you think Chinese Astrology started?...voilà! And specially when the energy in the air is strong, the better you understand it, the best possibilities you have to deal with it and even end up to ride it for you own advantage. But with misunderstanding and fighting against it, a hard time is guaranteed!...

Before I share some of my relationship with Rooster and Chicken, here some facts and interesting curiosities about them:

"Rooster is almost the epitome of fidelity and punctuality. For ancestors who had no alarm clocks, the crowing was significant, as it could awaken people to get up and start to work. In Chinese culture, another symbolic meaning is exorcising evil spirits."
Well, just not in in Chinese culture they are used to 'magical purpose': in Greek mythology Rooster was thought to have the ability of divining the future. In Africa and Brazilian-Afro cultures they are feared for their use in 'black magic'.

Recently in Bali I learned the feathers of the roosters are used in their sacred rituals, and each part of the island (east, west, north, south and center), uses different colours according the the feather coat of their local roosters. While there, one day my curiosity pulled me to a crowed of men shouting holding money in the air.  As I got closer I just saw a rooster jumping on another.  Shocked, I asked "Did he kill him?" The shock was from the men, as women are not allowed in rooster fights (which I didn't even know about it)! As you can imagine, being an animal lover, I was horrified; but this to say that this animal is indeed courageous, when it does stand for himself it does fiercely! Something to bear in mind (and not to be taken literally) for this coming year. I also had the opportunity to observe some wild roosters, I can definitely confirm that:

"Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others. They enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charm on any occasion". 

I had a special episode with this rooster you can see below, he was big and strong, and as I came close to him and asked to photograph him, he didn't run away as most of his fellows, but actually posed to the photos.  I chose the best two, but was literally a photo session; he loved it!

In ancient times rooster was regarded as a mascot because they ate harmful insects. 
The "Barcelos Rooster is the unofficial symbol of Portugal" originating from a Medieval legend from the lovely Minho, a region of the north of the country, where this Barcelos city is located. So:
Once upon a time a men was accused wrongly of committing a crime, stealing some silver from a landowner. He was a pilgrim in his way to Santiago de Compostela (still today a route for the "caminho"). He was taken to this landowner who was holding a banquet with some friends, but even after pleading his innocence, he was condemned to death, so he shouted: "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." Well, with laughter they let him go, but afraid or not nobody ate the rooster. As the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed. The lord in panic for his misjudging ran to the gallows, and to his surprise and relief the innocent man had been saved from hanging thanks to a poorly made knot in the rope. The man was immediately freed and sent off in peace.
Besides being Portuguese I confess that I just learned about this symbol of "faith, justice and good luck" last Summer, as this location is just nearby where we hold our annual Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher Training in a manor house belonging to the same feudal family for hundreds of years.

And do you know the shape of China on a map is often likened to a rooster? 

My relationship with rooster and chicken started when I was a baby: we used to spend holidays in my grandfather's small village, a valley in a mountain surrounded by countryside, and he had many animals, including chickens and rare white roosters (they are not afraid to charge into humans if upset), so apparently when I started to crawl I used to disappear and be found in the chicken coop!... The problem was then to take me out of  there, as the roosters won't let it happen easily!...
A few years later I was given an Indian chicken (a small size chicken), which I remember very well to be my companion. I was to carry her everywhere under my arm, feed her and play with her.
Many years later, so just a few years ago, I encountered this same breed of chicken while camping in Hawaii, they lived everyday with us, we shared food with them, but they were really keen on my beloved partner Kris actually, as they always followed him wherever he went.  This was hilarious, and believe me we tested a few times, and they were many, as you can see in the photo below.

Rooster (or Chicken) ranks tenth among the Chinese zodiac animals.  This just reinforces the "1" in this year numerology: 2+0+1+7 =10 is 1+0= 1. The number one is the fresh start, new beginnings, rebirth, is associated with the sun: life force, creation, fire element!

"The most important themes during a “1” year are flexibility and resilience so that we are mentally, emotionally, and physically able to effortlessly accept and adapt to the continuous change that is constantly floating our way." Alex Myles

I wish you an amazing Rooster New Year: Focus your Power, cultivating the energy necessary to do so! Grab the opportunities and make the most of what this Fire Rooster/Chicken and 2017 brings you!***

 © Anamarta

 

***Harvest Powerful Moon***

Today is a very special Full Moon, the Harvest Moon, the one which occurs closest to Autumn (Fall) Equinox, sometimes a few days after or before, depends on the year. It's usually the biggest full moon in the year and more 'pumpkin colour'. Perfect time for an abundance ritual!
The Moon will be in Pisces and comes with a Lunar Eclipse, presenting us the Alchemy of light and dark, yin and yang - Full Power Time!!
"Eclipses are the most powerful transits that you can experience." Kelly Rossano

This Pisces Moon relate with sensitivity, intuition, mysticism and dream power, spiritual evolution, expansion of consciousness and subconscious seeking inner truths.

With your Moon Magic (even if just lighting up any candle: what is important is your intention and focus) you can ask the Grandmother Moon to support you in all the above and anything related with this energy, specially to your dreams come true!...

And what is Moon Magic? Magic is no more than a change of consciousness, and the Moon representing psychic energy, or the unconscious that holds the secrets of wisdom, can be a great ally or supporter in this.
Here a my suggestion:
Light a turquoise (or violet) candle and burn oil or incense of ylang-ylang, or eucalyptus, or sage. Repeat an affirmation three times, facing the moon (if possible) even when indoors. Let the candle burn until the end. 

You can create your own affirmation based on the Pisces virtues, here an idea:
"Moon in Pisces, bright your beam, Bring to me my sweetest dream".

Why not put you Pisces Moon magic with a ritual of Abundance to make the most of this energy in the air!
'Magically speaking' this is indeed a great time to focus on abundance.

You can create your own ritual to connect with your inner self and let this golden moon illuminate and inspire you; be clear and assertive in your requests and be aware of the same (be careful that what you ask the Universe is what you really want...).
Ideas of things you may use in a ritual for abundance:

• Gold (or/and green, orange) candles, oranges, rice, milk, corn, cinnamon, money (big notes and coins), gold. Some crystals relate with abundance: citrine, carnelian, jade; and totems: buffalo (or/and cow) and sardine.

Remember follow your intuition you can never go wrong, and for something to happen, the belief must come, not just from the mind but from the heart and soul.
My Last year Harvest Aries Moon (is why the red candles) Abundance Ritual.

© Anamarta

Sexuality & Spirituality in the Taoist Tradition in Modern Lives

How are sexuality and spirituality bound together in the Taoist tradition, in a way that's relevant to modern women?

In the Taoist Tradition sexuality and spirituality are bound together, as the Taoists focus on harmonising mind, body and spirit.  Spiritual development requires a balance of physical health and mental clarity, and our sexuality plays an important role in that.
Sex is natural and we are sexual beings – women, born with hundreds of eggs, they have the capacity to generate hundreds of lives! (And man with a single ejaculation could repopulate North America!).   The Taoist believes that if we were not to use this energy to create life itself, we can use it to enhance our own life. This happens by internalising the intense sexual energy, all the hormones and nutrients; the ancient secrets of the Art of Bedchamber that can be applied to benefit our modern lives.

In this light sexuality is beyond sex, being the most powerful energy of creation, the expression of our creativity, that can be used for pleasure, healing, to cultivate health, rejuvenation, longevity; to attain goals, to realise dreams, and ultimately, to connect with the Divine, the universal source or ‘Re-Union with the Tao.’ In other words, by using the sexual energy for spiritual development, we come by ‘the short path to enlightenment’.

When we consciously tap into the energy of creation, we have in our hands the power to heal, transform, and create what we want!  Creativity is present throughout our day, from the moment we get out of bed and choose what to wear, what to eat…  And the fact is that when we get up our sexual organs don’t stay in bed: they are always with us! 

Why and how is this energy important for having sex that is spiritual. Is this energy a fusion of body & spirit?

There is no ‘sacred’ focus, all human sex being sacred in the union of Yang, the force of Heaven, with Yin, the power of Earth.
The idea is that by keeping the body – the vehicle to generate, transform and project energy – healthy, we keep mind, soul and spirit healthy too. And to keep the body (also seen as the ‘temple of spirit’) healthy we learn how to avoid losing energy, which women lose through menstruation and childbirth (and men through ejaculation). We also learn to take the most of our energy circulating it through all our being, which includes redirecting the orgasmic energy through the whole body, instead of just staying in the genitals.
These Taoist Healing Love practices are internal alchemical methods to harmonise both right and left sides of the brain, balancing the intuitive and the rational, when to do and when to be. Besides the enhancing of sensation, transcendental pleasure and becoming a more effective lover, the practices bring the benefits of hormonal balance and vitality, empowerment and fulfillment in all levels (physical, emotional and energetical).   Being holistic, merging qigong and meditation, the specific yin (feminine) and shamanic practices, also bring the benefits of grounding, being centred in one’s own power, and unconditional self-love and self-acceptance.
The Taoist holistic practice brings awareness of our infinite inner resources and opens the path of self-healing and self-mastery to live life to the full!

If you want to learn more about these you are welcome to the:

Coming Annual Jade Egg Initiation Workshop: Tao of Feminine Empowerment. 

Questions answered to Angela Kennedy from UK Soul&Spirit magazine I was featured in the beginning of the year. 

© Anamarta

Image of the Taoist Eight Immortals by Shen Quan

LOVE or LUST?...

Both!...

***Love or Lust - How can you tell the difference and does it matter from a spiritual point of view?

Love is the warm feeling that starts in our heart and can spread through our whole being, with the power to heal and transform.  Love and the way it is felt is unique to each individual, transcending mere words.
Lust triggers desire, which can also spread through our whole being, releasing sexual hormones, bringing a sense of vitality, stimulating all our senses, like the Spring when everything bursts into life!

Love and lust, both have the power to energise, and are equally important: as in the Taoist philosophy of Yin & Yang. The aim is to find harmony within which will spread into our outer world - to tune into the feminine and masculine, the emotional and the sexual, and to bring this balance into our life. 

We have meridians (energy lines) in our body.  As blood flows in the veins, energy flows in the meridians.  The ‘Conception Vessel’, running from the perineum (the point between the anus and genitals) up the front of the body to the lower lip, connects our heart center (in the middle of our chest) with the energy of love, with our sexual center (our womb, genitals) and the energy of lust.

You are welcome to learn more about the Jade Egg Initiation Workshop: Tao of Feminine Empowerment.

***Question answered to Angela Kennedy from UK Soul&Spirit magazine I was featured in the beginning of the year. 

© Anamarta

Happy Chinese Monkey New Year: Follow Your Heart Desires!

Today with the New Moon we enter in another cycle, a New Year in the milleneum Chinese (Taoist) calendar.

The Wood Yin Sheep trots out, the Yang Fire Monkey swings in!!

"This cheeky animal bursts with exuberance, bringing a lightning pace and fantastic motivation. The Monkey increases communication, humour and wit, helping us get through stressful times with grace and ease. The Monkey’s gift is the ability to find unconventional solutions to old problems. Daring to be different can lead to success"

The Monkey is a trickster, playful, funny, intelligent, inventive (great problems solvers), strong minded, adaptable, curious, creative and last but not least youthful! 
Fire Element: "Fire dances, fire warms, fire burns, fire creates and fire destroys" Kris Deva North in Finding Spirit in Zen Shiatsu

A year  that anything can happen, the way to respond to the unexpected is to be flexible and grounded - sounds contradictory? Well it's the principle we use in Tai Chi, as the flexibility strengths our ability to respond to any situation without letting the situation itself take over, and the grounding gives the necessary stability to be in the here and now: this makes us centered in our power, open to wide vision and harmoniously living.

 

And you heard the expression "monkey mind"? The mind jumping around, being faster than the body, so practice breathing in and out, and focus on the moment rather than yesterday, or tomorrow, or later.  The scientific world is already agreeing with the benefits of ancient methods of meditation and body movement as Tai Chi, Qigong, Martial Arts, dance, yoga, etc...

The creative mind may also be bubbling with ideas - great!! Channel them, put them in practice, even if involves taking risks... Monkey energy supports success and innovation!!

But be aware if you find yourself spending too much time in mind, remember your body, the grounding helps: even if this just being barefoot, especially in nature. Our body needs more activity: exercise more, move more, whatever works for you and in an enjoyable way. Otherwise if the mind takes over can be overwhelming, depleting, and losing touch with inner wisdom; and for us women the most powerful compass we have within filled with ancestral knowledge, our womb!

 
So: Keep calm and eat bananas!
Hehehe, joking... But indeed you need energy for this year, so keep an eye how you manage your energy; which for me is about the choices we make. In which, where and whom you decide to spend your energy, choose wisely!...

And saying all the above: 

How does the monkey, yes the animal itself, resonate with to you?

Just take a moment to allow any thoughts, images or sounds to fill your mind...

I had a few encounters with monkeys in my 13 times in India these past seven years.

In India one of their beloved Gods is Hanuman - the Monkey God - so monkeys run freely, mostly everywhere.

I saw so many people being robbed by monkeys from food to objects (not just in India, but also in Africa), and 'monkey gangs' really taking over a place, messing up a kitchen... Can be scary, but I never had a bad experience with them, thus I really respect them and my relationship with them honestly is "hi, bye", as with their unpredictable nature you never know what to expect from them.
I could share a few stories, but let me pick up the ones who mark me most:

** 2009 in Bagsunag, in the Indian Himalayas, when I was teaching my first Jade Circle Workshop, we were a big group on a rooftop which was covered with nice fabrics (imagine a tent); a monkey (red face one, which are the more dangerous in India, the black face ones are more gentle), just come in, the dog from the BuddhaHall Center felt him, ran to him furiously barking and the monkey responding to him showing his big teeth in a very aggressive way... OMG a slight panic started to be felt by the ladies; I thought "this has to finish otherwise is the workshop finishing here for today!..." I got up and went close to them, calm down the dog and look to the monkey and gently asked him if he could leave; the monkey looked at me, looked at the dog, and just before he left did a little jump to the dog (just to scare him, like if he was attacking him) and then off he went!...

** This one was more recent, a few year ago, in the edges of the Rajasthani desert. Was early morning and I went to the top of my guest house to sit on a wall (was wide enough for that) where I had an amazing view and breeze and maybe two floors high. I crossed my legs, clasped my hands together, closed my eyes and start to meditate... when suddenly I felt a very fluffy warm 'thing' passing by my back, the first thing that came to my mind, was: "do not panic!!..". So without moving my head I opened my eyes to see what it was: exactly what I suspected: a big red face monkey!! Big enough to just push me down; and I just realised I was in his territory!! I tried everything to keep calm, breathe deeply, closed my eyes again to continue to meditate; but my curiosity made me open them again. Keeping still I looked again and the monkey was exactly copying me!  Ok he didn't cross the legs, but his hands together, looking straight ahead with his eyes closed!!!... Meditating together!!... So I closed my eyes again, and then after a while I felt the 'fluffy thing' passing by again and off he went. I didn't abuse my luck, I found another place to meditate!

Do you know the Monkey is the 9th animal in 12 Chinese zodiac? And we are in the 9 year = 2 + 0 + 1 + 6 - reinforcing this number of completion; but in the Tao, 9 is our infinitive number.

Infinitive transformation indeed!... But definitely with this fast paced year, gives the opportunity to complete cycles, and don't waste time with anything that no longer serves us, let it go, thanks for the learning and move on.

When the energy in the air is strong for me the options are: to tune into it, I mean to understand it, which brings the opportunity to make the most of it and gives strength and ability to take the challenges and quickly transformed them into opportunities to change and grow; or if we resist the change is like swimming against the tide, procrastinating and complaining about things instead of doing something about them, we can have a really hard time.

"The year of Red Fire Monkey brings to humanity the possibility of tremendous growth and vast fulfilment; we begin to create our destiny through intention, desire and focus."
Glenn Stewart Coles

A simple ritual to welcome the Monkey New Year:

Light up a red candle(s), tune into the fire within and without, smile at your heart where the fire lives, smile at the Fire Monkey, ask to align with his energy and for him to show you how to make the most of it. Then set your intentions (reinforcing perhaps the ones you set for 2016) and speak them loudly.

I wish you a fiercely Monkey New Year, also filled with laughter and fun, may your passion drive you to follow your heart desires!

© Anamarta

Monkey and the girl by "Kindness Blog"; third image monkey by Jandkatl

Monkey "Joker" Zen painting by Kris Deva North

Lista de Placeres para Hacer!

Aloha,
Este es mi último artículo del año y es, desde Hawái.
Así que mi sugerencia no es para el año nuevo, sino para la vida, cada vez que recuerdes este artículo:
¡Una Lista de Placeres para Hacer!

Sí, lo digo en serio y lo sugiero que, tu sabes tan bien como yo que somos buenas creando éstas listas
"Para Hacer"...
¿Y te pones a ti misma como la primera en tu lista de tareas?
Esto aparece muy a menudo en nuestros Jade Circles (o Círculos de Jade).

Esto surgió hace unos meses cuando me mimaba en un balneario en India. Estaba teniendo un momento tan placentero y pensando "Esto me gusta mucho...". El otro pensamiento que le siguió fue: "¿Qué es lo que realmente me da placer esta Vida?... A todos los niveles de placer: Cuerpo, Mente y Espíritu..."
Así que te sugiero lo siguiente:

• Con tu Mente piensa en todo lo que te da placer. Puedo extender esto a todo lo que te hace feliz, realmente hace que tu corazón sonría y ¡todo tu Ser tenga una grata sensación! ¡Y esto realmente debe incluir todo! Sé que algunas cosas implican algún coste *(de ahí mi ejemplo de ir al spa) pero otras no, (como el estar en la naturaleza...).
• A continuación, escribe tu Lista de Placeres Para Hacer.
• Asegúrate de que todos los días completas un placer de tu lista para hacer, cada día más y mejor; manteniendo objetivos simples y haciéndolos alcanzables... ¡todo esfuerzo es un maravilloso extra!

Simplemente añadiendo las cosas que te dan placer (que te hacen feliz) y también las que implican un coste: ¡Tú puedes hacer que sucedan!
¡¿Cómo?!
Plantéate tus propósitos (lo cual significa creer que puedes hacerlo) para encontrar los recursos y así, hacerlo...
También se trata de opciones y prioridades en tu vida; las cuales normalmente asociamos con responsabilidades. Sin embargo, el hecho de sentirse bien y feliz es una responsabilidad, ¡una prioridad para nosotras mismas!
Sé que eligiendo placer, sintiéndome recargada e inspirada, me da más energía y el poder para manifestar mis propósitos y cuidar de las responsabilidades conmigo misma... La otra cosa que viene con ello es confiar en que el Universo proporciona todo lo que necesitamos en el momento...

Otra cosa que me pareció útil y se relacionaba con todo esto, es que si no todos los días, de vez en cuando preguntarse a una misma, las siguientes preguntas:

*** ¿Estoy donde quiero estar?
*** ¿Estoy haciendo lo que quiero hacer?
*** ¿Estoy con quien quiero estar?

Quiero mencionar a mi pareja y amado Kris Deva North y os recomiendo su gran libro electrónico "From Stress to VITALITY NOW! Secrets of Love and Life Mastery for Men and Women" – !definitivamente lo recomiendo!

Sólo deciros mis queridas: ¡disfrutar de la vida, celebrar vuestra hermosa y divina Feminidad y ser felices! 
¡La felicidad no es para ser deseada sino para ser tomada! ... ¡Carpe Diem! (originario del latín, a disfrutar de la Vida como si fuera el último día, o como en el diccionario está definido "Aprovecha al máximo el tiempo presente y da poca importancia al futuro").

© Anamarta

Traducción de Elena Álvarez

Breathing!

How is your Autumn?
We now in the middle of the season, walking lightly into the yin peak of the year, the Winter, descending into the darkness, from which new life and ideas are born!

Continuing to talk about breathing, as I began in 'Happy Autumn' post:
Do you Know?
**The size of your nostrils indicates your born ability to take in life. Which you always can change...
**The lungs are also called the master of chi and breathing: "heavenly chi" (air) is breath in, and "impure chi" breath out, to vitalize the body.

*Good affirmation for you lungs (you can create one with your own words): "I have the capacity to take in fullness of life. I live to the fullest."

To breath in is inspiration, to breath out is to expire. The Breath of 
Life/Chi/Prana, flows like a tide.

A nice way to give your lungs fresh chi and at the same time recycle their emotion is by the Healing Sound: do it with full awareness of your breath, of your lungs. The slower you do the sound and breath, the more powerful you make this practice.
*** Sit quietly, focus on the breath coming and going through your nose. After a couples of breaths connect with your lungs, breath in and out, feeling your lungs expand. Now, delve into your lungs, be aware of any feeling of sadness, grief, depression. Breathe in from your lungs and out with a SSSSSSSSSSSSS, letting all go. And then, breathe in this imaginary white silk and wrap all around your lungs, visualize your bright white, healthy lungs, filled with courage and self-confidence, for you to do whatever you have to do! And smile at your lungs! =) You can do this a couple of times, and can add the movement if you wish: as you breathe in, raising your arms overhead, elbows slightly bent outwards, hands palm up, and extend your arms above your head. Your eyes follow the movements of your hands.

The healing sound is such a nice way to practice breathing to release and relax, and if you want some energy, breathe to energise and warm up your body with 'Bellows Breathing':
***Sit in meditation, comfortable posture and lay your hands on top of each other over the navel.
Inhale and expand your lower abdomen, feeling your lungs expand. Keep your chest relaxed and focus on breathing with your belly.
Exhale with some force, pulling the navel back in toward the spine and keeping your chest relaxed. Feel your sexual organs pull up toward your navel at the same time.
The rhythm of this breathing is medium to quick, see how it feels and if it feels good, repeat a couple of times. Finalise by relaxing and feel the warm chi that you have created at your navel center.

**Sexual Practices - Focused breathing: Air=Energy, the more you can take in with least effort, the more you can put out.

We have specific breathing in the Yin Taoist practices, as the kidney breathing and ovarian breathing, so important and useful to keep these organs healthy and radiant, and to strengthen our life force, our sexual energy.
You can learn more about these in the Jade Circle Workshop and Taoist Healing Love Workshop.
For the ones in London the Jade Circle Evening is a great introduction for these. 
Here the calendar.

© Anamarta

Amazingly WonderFULL Jade Circle Workshop!!

I'm still vibrating in pure joy after the amazing Jade Circle workshop - welcome to the family: lovely Jade Goddesses 2015 travel from all over UK and Ireland, representing beauty of 11 countries, even besides having the biggest British and Londoners group ever! Another wonderful journey of the Tao of Feminine Empowerment! Blissful gratitude & delight.

Here we are:

***Thank you for your feedback***

• "Magical. transformational. Re-connecting with self-love." K. Croatia

• "Thank you Anamarta for such a transformative and inspiring workshop. I feel completely different from when I arrived on Friday - much more in my body, grounded and alive. I feel like I have got my physical self back who I have felt disconnected from for quite sometime. I feel light, energised and beautiful again! You have such a beautiful presence and powerful way of teaching. It feel very real, alive and genuine." G.A.L. England

• "Beautiful, thank you! Such a nurturing, joyous + empowering mixture of beautiful informative + beautiful practices..." T.B. UK

• "Thank you Anamarta. From when I did the workshop with you three years ago, the introduction to the jade egg, you inspire me to embrace my femininity, and now I truly can!Keep shining!" J.M. UK

• "The workshop was thorough and clearly expressed, packed with information! I am going home feeling supported and intimately wired with my spirituality and even more!! I had never experienced meditation as deep as this weekend. So the 2,5 days were perfect to sink into it. Thank you so much for your flexibility... With deep reverence and love." B.C. France

• "Amazing workshop and fantabulous people. Always enlightening Anamarta, thank you." S.B UK

• "Thank you for sharing this work and practice. I feel like something is being re-ignited, a reconnection with myself has been found. I'm going to try to practice everyday and I'd really like to make to the next session. May the healing Tao find everyone who needs it. In'lakesh, aloha, namaste!!" R.M. UK/Bangladesh

• "Finally I made it  onto your beautiful Jade Egg workshop. So many deep practices for me to explore and use to deepen my relationship with myself, my Jade Gate and the world! Thank you. " V.A England

• "Exciting! Loved exercises - I trust the time will make them easier to embody them without too much thinking." E. Czech Republic/Ghana/UK

• "Thanks a million Anamarta for incredible teaching, for creating special atmosphere of happiness, magic and inspiration, of what is possible; for reminding us how special and beautiful we all are. Thank you for your kind heart and radiant beauty to inspire Divine feminine! Thank you for this New Beginning. Sincerely Love" G.R. Russia

• "So wonderful - wish I had done this as a teenager! x so much gratitude & love." N.H. UK

• "I love it, even found it at times physically challenging due to my condition; it was: well structured, beautifully held, layered, reassuring, informative, balanced, very experiential, skilful, enchanting. I am in love with my jade egg + Anamarta and the beautiful women who supported and attended. Thank you from my head, heart and jade gate" T.V. London

• "The workshop equipped me with tools to further my journey. I am full of questions, they are patiently answered. I knew I have all the answers, but now I have the courage to listen to the answers of the universe coming through me." R.G. UK

• "Thank you Goddess Anamarta, as always I enjoyed so much and I was in need of practice, it was finally time for me. Great to meet all the Goddesses." S. Croatia 

• "Very grounding, inspiring to give love to my self in simple ways: smiling, stroking hands all around body, breathing, generating energy with intention. Taking conscious time in the hours of my life to make a point of bringing wellness, pleasure and love to myself. I love the colourful workshop." N. Iran

• "Hot Damn, ma'am :) ;)". S.S. USA

• "This workshop really tuned me on with my higher self, I'm deeply in peace, insights coming clear with acceptance I'm feeling big and happy. Thank you for all your sharing, thank you for assisting us in our special journey, commune us with ourselves and bring sisterhood spirit united! Thank you for being the biggest inspiration Goddess Bella Anamarta " C. Brazil/Italy

Thank you for this inspiring sharing, received days and weeks after the workshop: 

"After 24 hrs your presence has followed me in my dreams last night! And although my bleeding is so flowy I feel so much more centered and somehow 'strong': I feel totally inspired by your hard work and sincere dedication you offer to all these goddesses around you ! I also feel blessed by such experience and I aim to give you more feedbacks from my personal work based on your teachings. Keep up the fabulous work you have put into place !!!!" B.D.

"* On the Tuesday after the workshop I realised I didn't feel stressed anymore - no matter what was going on - feeling so calm and centred.
* I have my energy back - I don't remember feeling so much energy - and it doesn't go away like it did before.
* My moon time after the workshop came with virtually no build up, I felt so much better than usual, less angsty, more calm, a bit of cramping that felt like a clearing on the first day, and no breast tenderness in the build-up
* I had very strong healing dreams the first 2 nights with the Jade Egg under my pillow.
* The symptoms of vata aggravation (such as restlessness and finding it hard to concentrate) have cleared up.
* I lost 3 pounds during the workshop without trying, another pound the following week even though I had my moon time!
* Feeling more alive and joyful.
* I feel SO grounded (something I have wanted for a long time).
* I have energy in the evenings after work which I haven't for years!
* My breasts have gone from feeling swollen and very painful (I was getting concerned) to feeling nice, soft and comfortable.
* My posture at work has changed - much better now.
* I feel more attracted to lighter foods, less attracted to heavier food.
* All in all I feel like I have got my life back. Thank you Anamarta, you have given me a huge gift.
*And of course the workshop itself was so beautiful, a wonderful group of women, very powerful exercises, an amazing process, beautifully held. I look forward to more." G.A.L.

"I have been blessed with the company of so many women around the world connecting through healing. The meditations have really helped me to come to terms with my emotions and I have had many comments on how well I look after my training. I feel confident that I am in safe hands with the teaching from Anamarta" R.G.

Anamarta