Category: awareness

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, emotional well-being, healing, holistic healing, inspiration, transformation

How Slow Can I Go?

A quick update on my Slowing Down for December intention. The universe heard my request and has responded with half of my clients cancelling appointments this week and last. It’s a good opportunity to let go of the ancient fear of not having enough, to re-examine the wisdom of the “careful what you wish for” maxim, and to renew faith that things always work out, often in unexpected ways.

For the greater part of my days, I’m camped out of my Bio-Mat, surrounded by a stack of books that I’ve wanted to read for ages, a cup of tea, my journal, and an array of colorful markers. There’s something about having a beautiful notebook and great pens that makes the task of inner exploration seem less daunting. As do my comfy pajamas- it’s hard to take things too seriously when you’re covered in lemons and wearing your favorite fuzzy socks. 🙂

I do have some structure provided by guided meditations and written exercises designed to help me uncover what’s beneath the surface identities that I present to the world. The process of letting go of attachments and conditioned beliefs can be unpleasant, and I have a circle of friends with whom I check in frequently. It’s helpful to hear that they are facing many of the same challenges, and like me, continue to show up and face whatever arises, nonetheless.

Curiously some physical discomfort has amplified-or is it that I’ve removed enough distractions that I can actually receive the messages my body is sending? I’ve pulled out some massage tools to apply gentle pressure andstimulate circulation. (This is key! The goal is not to punish muscles for misbehaving or to beat them into submission, but to give them some loving attention and bring awareness to postural and movement patterns. More on this in an upcoming post.)

I ventured out to the farmers market for some produce and have been getting out most days for walks, so I’m not entirely reclusive aside from work. The goal has really been to clear my schedule so I can tune into my needs and desires with minimal influence from those insidious “shoulds”. As it turns out, I prefer books and trees to small talk, media of all forms, and shopping. No surprises there!

Basically, I’m playing detective and discovering what I can let go of and what I can cultivate in order to move into the new year in the most authentic way. Being present with emotions and sensations seems to be the only way to get an accurate reading on what to keep and what to release. Being still and quiet supports the inquiry.

We’re really in the darkest of days here in the northern hemisphere as the moon wanes and the winter solstice approaches. It’s really no hardship to stay tucked inside my cozy little apartment as much as possible. While it’s not exactly easy either, I am grateful that I decided to give myself this gift of doing things my way. It’s my hope that you’ll lean into doing things your way too.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, emotional well-being, holistic healing, inspiration, Reiki, transformation

Slowing Down for December

Once again, nature is slowing down during these short winter days. Most of the plants are stripped back to the bare minimum and many animals are hunkered down in their dens. I feel the same impulse to stay at home and do less. When I do venture out, I’m moving slowly and intentionally. 

I’ve cleared my calendar of all extraneous events. Easier said than done, I know! I’m also looking at my daily rituals and habits and wondering which can be paused for now. At first glance, everything seems essential, but I know that’s not entirely true. Which of these tasks are fueled by “shoulds”, such as what society informs me is necessary or from my own ego, clinging to an identity that may no longer be valid?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be wiping the slate clean. Letting go of who I think I should be, who I think I am, and who I am expected to be in order to allow the truth to emerge without the imprint of conditioning. The activities I engage in will be flavored with this sense of inquiry and intention of releasing old patterns. For example, this post is still being written (obviously!), and aligns with December’s exploration and my desire to share the processes that support me. 

(I’m fascinated by how much of life can fall into the “both this and that“ category when I let go of “either this or that“ thinking.)

While I do still have responsibilities to meet and bills to pay, I’ve created a spaciousness that will allow me to slow down. The goal is to be more present with what arises in each moment in order to be more mindful of my inner landscape. Ideally, this awareness will help me let go of all the embedded beliefs that prevent me from experiencing and expressing my essential self. 

I imagine a backpack that contains all the beliefs I hold about the world. Some of these concepts were dropped in before I had the capacity to object and others snuck past my defenses when I wasn’t paying attention. It’s my hope to empty this backpack, examine those beliefs, many of which I’ve been carrying around since the 70’s, and carefully choose which to keep and which to discard. Ideally, I will be more discerning moving forward, and only collect items that align with my desires and values. 

I’m very much looking forward to lightening my load!

If you have access to Reiki, it can be a helpful tool for analyzing your belief system. I find that activating Reiki when I’m doing any sort of introspection helps me remain in the present moment, focused on the task at hand, without getting too caught up in memories or projection. 

Reiki also helps me calm my nervous system, reduce the impulses to run away from the discomfort, and accept myself just as I am, 40-year-old baggage and all. My go-to technique is to turn on the flow of healing energy, place one hand on my heart and the other on my belly, and state my intention. I do this at the beginning of my process and whenever I feel the urge to do the laundry, check my emails, or any the other distracting/avoiding/numbing strategies that are so familiar. I return to this hand position and my intention, allowing the Reiki to help me find my center again, as often as necessary. 

Is there just one thing you can let go of this month that is no longer serving you? I’m choosing to stick firmly to my work schedule and stop making minor adjustments to accommodate clients. There are parts of me that feel afraid that this will affect my income, but I have trust that the clients who are meant to work with me will adapt, and those who aren’t will move on, making space for new ones who are more compatible. 

I did such a good job of letting something go last year that I can’t even remember what it was! Several years ago, I stopped rushing. That’s one goal that I can recommend wholeheartedly. I allowed more time in between appointments, especially if traveling was involved. I also stopped filling up every last moment with some sort of activity. Now, when I find myself with five minutes until my next client arrives, I take the opportunity to sit quietly and meditate rather than the trying to squeeze in a chore. It’s been great for cultivating a calm feeling within me. 

I’d love to hear how you’re slowing down. Maybe next month we can truly claim to be moving like molasses in January. 

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, inspiration, transformation

When Everything is Falling Apart

It can be really difficult when things don’t go as expected. It can be even more difficult to trust that what is falling apart is what holds us back. The good news is that you don’t have to figure anything out. It’s a simple matter of remaining present with whatever comes up in the moment. (Notice I said “simple” and not “easy”. They are often very different!)

I love how Kyle Cease breaks it all down in this 15 minute video.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, holistic healing

Felt Sense Prayer

I’m really enjoying this free 40 day mindfulness meditation course with Jack and Tara. I’m finding it to be a good review, and it’s also beginner friendly. In the episode I received today, Tara shared an essay. She didn’t reveal the author and I haven’t been able to find it via my search engine. I don’t know who deserves the credit, but it’s so wonderful that I want to share it anyway. It’s a love note from the body and accurately reflects what I see daily in my Reiki practice. I hope it encourages folks to heed the messages our bodies are constantly trying deliver.

I am the pain in your head, the knot in your stomach, the unspoken grief in your smile.
I’m your hot flashes, your fragile low back, your agitation, and your fatigue.
I’m your high blood pressure, your elevated blood pressure, your fear of challenge, your
lack of trust.
You tend to disown me, suppress me, ignore me, inflate me, coddle me, condemn me.
You usually want me to go away immediately, to disappear, just back into obscurity.
More times than not, I’m only the most recent notes of a long symphony, the most
evident branches of roots that have been challenged for seasons.
So, I implore you. I am a messenger with good news, as disturbing as I can be at times.
I am wanting to guide you back to those tender places in yourself, the place where you
can hold yourself with compassion and honesty. I may ask you to alter your diet, get
more sleep, exercise regularly, breathe more consciously.
I might encourage you to seek a vaster reality and worry less about the day-to-day
fluctuations of life. I may ask you to explore the bonds and the wounds of your
relationship. Wherever I lead you, my hope is that you will realize that success will not
be measured by my eradication, but by the shift in the internal landscape from which I
emerge.
I am your friend, not your enemy. I belong. I have no desire to bring pain and suffering
into your life. I’m simply tugging at your sleeve, too long immune to gentle nudges. I
desire for you to allow me to speak to you in a way that enlivens your higher instincts for
self-care.
My charge is to energize you, to listen to me with the sensitive ear and heart of a
mother attending to her precious baby. You are a being so vast, so complex with
amazing capacities for self-regulation and healing.
Let me be one of the harbingers that lead you to the mysterious core of your being,
where insight and wisdom are naturally available when called upon with a sincere heart.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, holistic healing, intuition

Intuition Chronicles: Success Revealed in the Rearview Mirror

Intuition Chronicles is my tracking system where I document the internal messages I receive and the results of heeding or ignoring them. I’ve shared a variety of my learn-the-hard-way stories in previous posts. Ugh! Happily, this is a success story, but I didn’t know it till months later. Since the outcome of following hunches isn’t always immediately apparent and can easily be overlooked, I’ve found that having a record to review is a great teaching aid. 

While I do learn quickly by experiencing the inconvenience, discomfort, or expense of discounting inner guidance, I prefer to learn the easy way! I don’t always know until later that I’ve had a successful intuitive encounter, so I keep track of the nudges that don’t seem to make sense as well as the hindsight-activated realizations that I unknowingly acted on a nudge. I can use all the experiences for learning.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

In December 2019, I got a wild hair to buy allspice essential oil. I didn’t know why and had no clue what I’d do with it. Some exploration online taught me that it’s an antiviral spice and combines nicely with several other antiviral herbs and spices. I purchased the lot and made a batch of air purification spritzers for my home and office and to share as gifts. 

It wasn’t until the following spring that I recognized that “wild hair” purchase as an extrasensory “knowing”. It didn’t come in the verbal format I’m accustomed to. I never heard a voice in my head saying, “Buy this; you’ll be glad later.” My attention was inexplicably drawn to the product and I felt an urge to buy it. When antiviral oils became hard to come by in 2020, I was extremely grateful I had an adequate stock on hand, and the epiphany blossomed. If I didn’t have an active practice of recording intuitive messages, I likely would have never perceived this as a victory.

This is when people usually point out that they frequently have sudden desires to buy items and wonder how they can tell the difference between impulsive shopping and an intuitive hunch. Valid question! Who doesn’t get urges to spend money out of the blue?

I have a two-pronged answer to that. A) Keeping track in a journal makes it easy to look back and say, “Aha! I was guided to do xyz and that proved incredibly helpful in the future. I’ll pay attention the next time a message like that appears.” Or, “Yikes, I regret spending all that money on something so frivolous. Next time I’ll be more mindful.” B) My intuition speaks to me calmly, but firmly, without any sense of desperation, whereas impulsive shopping can feel like I absolutely must have this thing or else I just won’t be ok. My intuition knows that I’m already ok and isn’t trying to prove my worthiness to me; it’s trying to make my life and my calling easier. Both the quality of the message and the act of mindfully recording it help me discern the difference.

I know that learning to recognize and interpret subtle directives from the metaphysical realm can seem daunting. At first there might be some confusion if the memo was issued by the soul or the consumeristic conditioning we’ve all been exposed to. To add to the complexity, there are a variety of ways intuition can communicate. Sometimes my eyes are mysteriously drawn to an object. Other times I get clear verbal instruction, have a gut feeling, or just know that I need to do something. Synchronicity is another guiding factor and too big of a topic to address today. (More on that in a later post.)

The more I’m tuned into the intention to receive and decipher guidance, the easier it is to notice it. Just like learning a language or instrument, we get better with practice. Even if you don’t feel confident following through on your intuition just yet, you can build your confidence by making notes and beginning your practice today. Soon you’ll be fluent in this new language.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, healing, intuition, Reiki

The Intuition Chronicles: Cell Phone Edition

Welcome to the series detailing my personal journey of intuitive development. So many students ask me how they can learn to connect to their intuition that I decided to dive in to this complex and fascinating topic.

I keep track of the intuitive messages I receive in order to help strengthen my listening muscles. Hindsight is indeed 20/20.`One way that I learn is through contrast. When I ignore a nudge and experience unpleasant consequences, it highlights my desire to avoid future unpleasant consequences and activates my willingness to comply. 

Intuition is constantly speaking to me. It’s my job to pay attention and take action. Free will allows me to override the messages I get, and sometimes stubbornness gets the best of me. When I record results, both positive and negative, I have a map that helps me move forward in the direction I wish to go. I think these particular episodes, as cringeworthy as they are, will be particularly effective at making my point.

Intuition: Bring your phone. 

Me: I’m just going to the next room. I’ll be fine without it for now. 

15 minutes later, entrenched in a project, my lap covered in layers of notes and books, thinking… I need my phone, why didn’t I just bring it? 

This has literally happened dozens of times over the years! These incidents have been an annoyance, but hardly catastrophic, which is why it took so many repetitions for me to learn. Just take the darn thing when instructed to do so! Intuition can make my life easier, even in small ways; but only if I listen.

Intuition: Move your phone. 

Me: No way! I’m going to need it any minute, I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll just let it charge while it sits on the table next to me. 

30 minutes later, tripping over the cord, and praying the screen hasn’t cracked when it crashed to the floor. ARGH! Fewer applications of this lesson were needed. Intuition wants to help me avoid needless disasters, large and small.

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Intuition: Don’t use that pocket. 

Me: Whatever. I know it’s not a secure pocket, but I’m in a rush. It will be fine.

2 hours later, where is my phone? Did it fall out in my friend’s car? What the … bleep… she’s gone on a silent meditation retreat for the weekend and is notoriously bad at responding to messages even in real life. I won’t even know for sure that it’s under her passenger seat for days upon endless days. GAH! A minor crisis, all things considered, but an inconvenience intuition tried to help me avoid.

Intuition: Don’t use that other pocket. 

Me: 

3 minutes later, whoops! The phone falls in the toilet and now I must purchase a new one. Pocket lesson learned after two applications. Minor crisis, major expense, could have been avoided.

Intuition: Put your phone in your pocket. (Seriously!)

Me: I’m just going to let it charge for a few more minutes. 

45 minutes later on a train, dependent on my phone to connect to the world whilst traveling for 8 hours, realizing it’s still plugged into the socket at my friend’s house. Pocket lesson variation, learned immediately. Major inconvenience, could also have been avoided!

This is how it goes for me. My intuition is rather bossy. It tells me what to do to avoid pitfalls. It tries to guide me towards my highest good and frequently my ego argues with it. Ridiculous! Looking back, it’s obvious to me which voice I’d prefer to follow going forward. 

It’s easy to overlook these nudges when I’m not paying attention. It’s impossible to overlook when I’m tuned in. When I start the day by activating an intention to receive and understand soul messages by applying Reiki, even for just a few minutes to anchor this goal, I’m much more likely to catch on. Keeping a record of messages, received and ignored, helps me to be more aware the next time a message comes through. 

This is the equivalent of practicing scales for musicians or conjugating verbs for language learners. It provides the foundation necessary for a more nuanced experience in the future. In this case, I’m learning to recognize and trust my inner voice. It never steers me wrong and my life would be so much easier should I just follow instructions!

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, emotional well-being, healing, inspiration

Spirit is Not One-Size-Fits-All

In this humorous video, Sonia Choquette delves into the different personalities of the human spirit. It can be really helpful to have this type of clarity so you don’t bother turning to a go-get-’em type person when you really want a hug and vice versa.

I recognize myself as part earth and part water. I guess my spirit type is mud, although she doesn’t present that as an option. You might think mud is rather unappealing, but it’s certainly useful for holding things together. It’s definitely messy, and difficult to control. Like me. 🙂

I think many of you will enjoy watching this, if only for the chuckles. And some will really find the concepts presented to be helpful for understanding yourself as well as creating future strategies to meet your unique needs.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, inspiration

Freestyle Homemaking

I recently moved into my own apartment after years of sharing a variety of houses with a variety of roommates. If you can recall the last time that you moved, you know that there are dozens of necessary decisions to turn a space into a home. It’s easy to go on autopilot and simply make the same choices your family of origin or the status quo would make. Ever the rebel, I get a kick out of doing things my way.

For starters, my kitchen drawers are rather narrow and long. My utensil organizer is much too wide to fit. I did a brief search online for something suitable and found nothing. Having much bigger fish to fry, I dumped all the silverware in the drawer and called it a day. My friend who was visiting at the time agreed with me that the spoons and forks don’t need to be segregated. Over a month has gone by now, and it’s simply not an issue. (Mom, I know you’re itching to scour the Container Store or Pinterest for a more civilized alternative. There’s absolutely no need. Truly, I like it this way!)

There’s a built-in microwave above my stove. It takes up a large amount of space, particularly given the limited cupboards generally found in an urban apartment. I knew right away that I wouldn’t use it (haven’t for nearly 20 years) and that I needed to find a way to reclaim that territory. Now, it’s my tea cupboard, housing loose leaf teas and the various superfoods that accompany them. Since many are stored in tins or canning jars, I’ve unplugged the microwave to prevent accidental explosions. I’m rather pleased with this solution! It sure makes teatime more streamlines.

While shopping for a shower curtain, I noticed that an additional plastic layer is recommended for inside the actual curtain. What? Why? I dug my heels in and resisted purchasing extra, needless plastic. Maybe I’m less active in the shower than other people, but so far, not a drop has escaped. Who says you need two sheets of material between the inside and outside of the tub? Martha Stewart? The Plastic Coalition? No thank you. I’m doing just fine with one.

By far, my biggest purchase was an organic mattress that I’ve been drooling over for a few years. I spend more time in my bed than anywhere else, so it’s a good investment in my future health. The cost of the mattress itself was more than I would have spent on a traditional set up, so for the next few months, my wonderful mattress will rest on the floor until I can magnetize a frame worthy of it. I get that this might not be an option for people with mobility issues, but for me it makes a whole lot more sense than going into debt and paying interest on something that is much more of a want than a need. (You can also see the corner of the sheet that is temporarily acting as a curtain…)

Learning critical thinking skills in college was perhaps the most valuable lesson of all. I’m ever so grateful that I have the capacity to question everything, even the small things and the deeply ingrained things so I can make the best decisions for me. I can’t remember how to conjugate German verbs or do advanced math, but I am able to examine costs vs. benefits and customize my decisions to precisely suit my circumstances. It certainly made this transition easier, but also enables me to make bigger choices about my health, lifestyle, and overall value system.

It’s very empowering to lead my life from my own inner compass rather than simply doing things the same way everyone else does. Please consider joining me by thinking outside of the box. Heck, let’s just eliminate the box altogether! Start with something small, like a kitchen drawer, and see how liberating it feels. Before you know it, you’ll be freestyling it all over the place.  

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, holistic healing, inspiration

Urban Adventure Meets Ancient Wisdom

Last week I headed downtown for a change of scenery. I don’t get out of the neighborhood very often these days and I was getting a bit antsy. The bar for excitement is set pretty low right now, so I’m choosing to call this excursion an “adventure”. It’s all relative, right?!

I met a friend for an outdoor chat and then set off with several free hours and no agenda. Naturally, I was drawn to find some yummy treats on this journey. 🙂 I splurged on an organic, gluten-free, vegan cupcake that was almost as heavenly as sitting in the sunshine somewhere besides my porch for a change. Not the greatest photo, but it isn’t all that easy to balance a very dear dessert in one hand and snap a pic with the other in the middle of a public park!

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This delight inspired a tour of my other favorite dessert dispensers, and I’m sad to report that two had closed down over the past year. Sigh. But my spirits remained high because I was out of the house and had no responsibilities; so a-wandering I went. I allowed curiosity and beauty to guide my way. I’ve always found the colonial alleyways of Philadelphia to be charming, so I meandered, trying to avoid the busier streets and absorbing the essence of the hidden nooks and crannies of the city.

Which is how I stumbled upon this interactive installation, courtesy of the Mural Arts Philadelphia program.

The Atlas of Tomorrow by Candy Chang. Photo by Steve Weinik

I was perplexed that passersby kept passing by without a glance! We city-folk can be like that sometimes. But as I stopped to read the instructions and took a spin of the wheel, others began show interest. Number 17 came up for me. That’s my birthdate and chosen numerical talisman, so I wasn’t at all surprised when it popped up out of 64 possibilities.

“THE NOISY MAN: if you want to be heard, adapt to the changes of this world. Examine your opinions and prejudices. Power lies in meeting the needs of others.” This was the message conveyed by my spin on this intriguing wheel.

Exactly what I needed to hear! It was more potent after allowing a sense of wonder to navigate my adventure and after discovering the closed restaurants, which had apparently been unable to adapt to the changes of this world.

The universe is full of magic and beauty if we only pay attention and follow the guidance of spirit. I’m reminded of Joseph Campbell’s famous quote, “Follow your bliss.” Well, this path of bliss via healthy-ish cupcakes and charming alleys led me to a surprising gift and reawakened my intention to let my spirit guide the way. I can’t wait to see what appears next!

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, emotional well-being, holistic healing, inspiration, self-care, stress, wellness

Leave the Red Zone, by Dr. Rick Hanson

My inbox is quite the mixed bag today! There’s an astrology report announcing super-intense cosmic energies and a weather forecast predicting a major winter storm in my area. All this on top of so many people already struggling with cabin fever. Massive snow seems to bring out either the very best or the very worst in Philadelphians. Some people gladly shovel their neighbors’ sidewalks and others get aggressively proprietorial about parking spots. All in all, I’m expecting a very interesting next few days!

If you find yourself stressed out, overwhelmed, frazzled or irritable, you might enjoy this blog by Dr. Rick Hanson. He outlines some simple techniques for cultivating inner calm despite outer chaos. Stress has major physiological affects which can negatively affect one’s health over time. I can personally attest to the beneficial results of these methods. The more consistently I apply them, the happier I am.

Whatever the world is throwing at you, there’s help to be had for minimal investment of time and effort. Safe, easy, and free plus the side effects of improving focus, relationships, and overall wellness? It’s a no-brainer for sure!