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| Middle Prong Trail, GSMNP photography by Laura Annan |
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Women's Equality Day ~ Celebrating Women's Right to Vote!
Women's Equality Day ~
Celebrating Women's Right to Vote!
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal."
~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Alchemy in Nature: Forest Bathing
Have you noticed how a great sense of well-being falls around you when walking in the forest? You felt relaxed and at peace with the world.
The elemental energy of Nature makes us feel good by enhancing our mood, stimulating our senses, reducing anxiety, improving focus, and even helping us to find solutions to situations.
Immerse yourself in the magic of Nature to nurture and transform your spirit.
Take a walk, breathe in the air, feel the alchemy of Nature shift your energy.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
5 Ways to Connect With Nature
Whenever possible, get out in
Nature.
The more time we spend
outside, the more we can concentrate on just being instead of always doing.
It’s your time to unplug from
the hyperactive pace of the modern world and tune into the natural pace of the
earth.
This is good medicine for the mind, body, and spirit.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Allow the Flow of Life
Letting go is the alchemy
to acceptance and surrender
as we navigate
our way for
healing to transpire.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
The labyrinth is a metaphor for the center of your deepest self.
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| Life is a journey...enjoy every mile |
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
The Universe That Gave Way to Unity
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| Middle Prong Trail, TN photography by Laura Annan |
Ancient wisdom teaches us that in the beginning, there was
the Universe: the Universe that gave way to the creation of unity through
the natural elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.
Unity is our relationship with ourselves, our relationship
with others, and our relationship with the natural elements themselves, as we
learn to live in harmony with life, rather than struggling against it.
We are living in a time of great transformation and powerful
shifts. Now, more than ever, it’s time to move in harmony with Nature as our
ancestors did.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Our Breath Connects Us Back to Our Center
Connecting to our breath means being fully present with it, and feeling it move through our body with each inhalation and exhalation.
As we do this, we find our breath has the power to help us find our center during any situation that may come our way.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Embarking on a Journey to Heal Relationship Endings
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| Buckhorn, Gatlinburg, TN photo by Laura Annan |
A healing journey is essentially a spiritual exercise of clearing out the emotional landscape by exploring our inner world.
After the ending of a relationship, we are left navigating our way through a labyrinth of emotions. This means walking into the unknown and facing all that is presented along the way.
On the journey, you must be willing to be open and honest with yourself—about yourself. You must be willing to feel into yourself and be vulnerable. This, in itself, is an act of self-perseverance, which is necessary to navigate through what lies ahead. Make no mistake—this journey will push you, as it is an inward and intimate experience.
Your healing journey will be unique because it will reveal your personal story of all the emotional pain and heartache you are holding onto. How far you travel on the journey is up to you. With each step you will experience a new relationship with yourself unfolding, one that will help you create a new beginning that is free from the emotional bonds of the past.
I invite you to embark on a journey that will help you to heal and move on after the ending of a relationship, one stepping stone at a time.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please check out my book at amazon.com/author/lauraannan.
As a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach, Laura Annan brings together her training to help others on their journey of life. With over 15 years of experience in personal development and holistic healing modalities, Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth through the alchemy in nature. Visit www.lifeisajourneycoaching.com
© 2015 by Laura Annan. You may reprint or share this article in any form provided that you do not alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Inside Nature is a Pattern of Movement
Inside Nature there is a language of creative energies that naturally takes place.
According to science, energy cannot be destroyed—it only changes in form and is always in motion. Change, then, is a vital part of Nature, whose cycles are nothing more than energy changing form in a never-ending circle of movement that is never broken. A circle is one of the most universal shapes, as it represents the ancient symbol of unity and integration. Since circles have no beginning and no end, they teach us that for every ending there is truly a new beginning.
Matters of the heart are the most
challenging when it comes to navigating through change, since the connection we
have to the past and to others creates a series of circles. There is no way out
of the circle except through it. To avoid getting stuck at any point on the
circle or stuck in a repetitive cycle with no escape requires forward movement.
Sometimes that movement may be painful, but it helps to realize that whatever
truth we find along the way is a gift of awareness. With awareness we can shift
your perception to choose a new path, to move us forward while paving the way
for new experiences and new ways of being. It’s through this awareness that we
can continue to consciously grow and evolve.
If you enjoyed
reading this post, please check out my book Stepping
Stones to Heal Relationship Endings at www.amazon.com/author/lauraannan
© 2015 by Laura
Annan. As a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach,
Laura Annan brings together her training to help others on their journey of
life. With over 15 years of experience in personal development and holistic
healing modalities, Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth
through the alchemy in nature. www.lifeisajourneycoaching.com.
You may reprint or share this article in any form provided that you do not
alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
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Thursday, May 7, 2015
Alchemy in Nature
Nature speaks to us in many ways through her patterns of movement, where transition is the common energetic thread.
The deeper we explored Nature, the more we
discover how her patterns of movement also apply to the human experience.
Teaching us that death, renewal, transformation, and growth is the rhythm of
life. Change is a creative part of Nature, just as change is part of our human
evolutionary process of being here on Earth. Movement is the alchemy in Nature
that also resides within us.
Life also flows by the energy of movement,
because similarly our lives are a continuing series of changing experiences.
However, as humans, we sometimes choose to stay stuck in our experiences
because it’s easy to resist the winds of change. Change is the only constant in
life. We can easily navigate through change when we are willing to be with it,
as it is. Being able to harvest our experiences is an important component to
how we grow and evolve. By embracing the truth, even when it’s unpleasant, we
can begin to flow with transition rather than push against it.
We are living in a time of great transformation
and powerful shifts. Now, more than ever, it’s time to move in harmony with
Nature as our ancestors did. As we begin to reconnect with Nature, we once
again become attuned to her creative flow of movement and we can begin to
navigate through change with grace as part of the human experience.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please check out my
book Stepping Stones to Heal Relationship Endings www.amazon.com/author/lauraannan
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Take Charge of Your Destiny!
By Dar Payment
Let me ask you some pretty intense questions. Do you
think that your life is predetermined? Has everything that’s happened to you so
far in this life happened as it should? Does your conscious choices mean
anything? Or does it matter because the outcome is already written in the
stars? Is it really?
Are there truly infinite possibilities or does
everything you do, every choice we make, lead to one inevitable outcome? Has
the future already been written and you’re simply walking the yellow brick
road? Or is “Destiny” something else entirely?
Do you have the ability to burn brighter than
any of your predecessors?
I believe that you do. But then what is it that so
often stops you from doing just that? One thing. The fear of failure. Often the
fear of failure paralyzes you from taking the action necessary to take you from
where you are to where you want to be.
Often accompanied with the fear of failure is the
fear that you are incapable of greatness, and the fear of judgment and
criticism when you make a decision to take charge of your destiny and shine –
no matter who or what may object.
Don’t allow yourself to fear. And don’t begrudge
people for trying to keep you stuck in your fears either. Those people who look
down their noses at you simply have not found a way to overcome their own
fears, and quite frankly your desire to step outside of your comfort zone makes
them see their own fearful reflection.
On the surface, they may seem unaccepting and
judgmental. That’s because they themselves are afraid. But when they go home
and lay in bed, with a million and one thoughts swimming through their mind;
thoughts of fear, of doubt, and insecurity.
Forge confidently ahead anyway. Listen to the battle
cry of desire from your own heart that says “your destiny awaits you, be
strong, be courageous, and just be you.”
Those people, even though they unconsciously will
not admit it, are inspired by what you represent. A way forward. Because of
this they will always remember you. They will remember the passion that burned
in your eyes. They will remember the light that seemed to radiate from your
very soul. And ultimately they will remember that “their” destiny has been
awaiting them, calling their names patiently over the years to rise to their
own greatness.
Take charge of your own destiny. You have the
ability to write it with your own hand to be, do, and have what your heart
desires most.
“Every individual has a place to fill in the world
and it important in some respect whether he chooses to be or not.” ~ Nathaniel
Hawthorne
© 2015 by Dar Payment Heal Your Life
Workshops Worldwide, www.HealYourLifeWorkshops.com. Dar
Payment is a Licensed Heal Your Life Workshop Leader, a published author, and
an Intuitive Life Coach at www.Whispers-From-Heaven.com.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Endings Are Invitations ~ 2
Endings are invitations to embark on a healing journey to reclaim the heart.
A
healing journey is an inside job. Working on your inner world sets off a chain
reaction that will organically spread
outward to your relationship with the rest of the world. Your
own emotional pain is the only thing holding you hostage, and your healing
journey is not complete until you heal that for yourself. No friend, no
relative, and no new relationship can do that for you. The journey is complete
when your emotional pain no longer holds you captive.
Step by step, this journey holds the potential to
change the quality of your life. As you begin to change your personal
relationship with yourself, you will be able to move more easily through
whatever life throws your way. The more we cultivate our ability to move
forward, the more we easily move into change with grace. You will begin to
trust that life is happening for you
instead of to you.
Your journey
will be unique because it will reveal your personal story of all the emotional
pain and heartache you are holding onto. Where there is emotional pain, there
is love. Where there is heartache, there is love. Love never dies, it just
changes form. And just as your journey with your former partner began with love,
this journey back to yourself will also end with love. This is a journey, where
the healing begins.
Not knowing what lies ahead is a natural part of
life. It’s
easy to resist taking the first step because facing the unknown can be scary. If you accept the invitation, it means you are ready to transform your life.
If
you enjoyed reading this post, please check out my book at amazon.com/author/lauraannan.
© 2015 by Laura Annan. As
a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach, Laura Annan
brings together her training to help others on their journey of life. With over
15 years of experience in personal development and holistic healing modalities,
Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth through the alchemy
in nature. Visit www.lifeisajourneycoaching.com. You may reprint or share this article in any form provided that you
do not alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Endings are Invitations ~ 1
When we meet and fall in love, it’s because we are open to receive it and we easily flow with new experiences to explore. But not all relationships last forever. When the relationship ends, it now leaves us open, once again, to move into new experiences to explore. However this movement of change is not always easy to transition into because it’s not as joyful as falling in love. Nevertheless, we can assure ourselves that this ending has come our way because we are meant to experience it, to feel it, and to grow from it.
What if we look at ‘endings’ as an invitation?
· An invitation to accept where we are, by
surrendering to whatever uncertainty lies ahead.
· An invitation calling us to look deeply
inward, to uncover inner resources that will help navigate the process of
renewal.
· An invitation to find the courage to
forgive others, and the strength to love our-self as the ultimate elixir in
rebuilding a new beginning.
·
An invitation to embrace change as a rite
of passage on our journey of life.
To face this invitation, is to trust the process of life that is fated especially for you to experience. This requires a willingness to be vulnerable to confront any hidden, unpleasant, and unspoken emotions that you may be holding on to. If you instead avoid those emotions, you are only handing over your power to them and now they own you in an unhealthy way. Only by facing your feelings honestly, without guilt or shame, can you allow your emotions to move through you so you can reclaim your power.
When we take the time to honor endings, explore our emotions, and heal the split within, then we are open to receive a new beginning, liberated from the past. It all starts while standing at the crossroads of the past - the life you knew - and the future - the road of uncertainty.
If
you enjoyed reading this post, please check out my book Crossroads: A Journey into the Unknown at amazon.com/author/lauraannan
© 2015 by Laura Annan. As
a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach, Laura Annan
brings together her training to help others on their journey of life. With over
15 years of experience in personal development and holistic healing modalities,
Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth through the alchemy
in nature. You may reprint or share this article in any form provided that you
do not alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Endings are invitations to embark on a healing journey to reclaim the heart.
 | |
|
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Standing at the Crossroads of Relationship Endings
If we are bound by others, on our journey of life, then perhaps relationships are divinely ordained. But not all relationships last forever.
When a relationship ends, the bond of two is now broken, leaving a hollowness that echoes with emotional hurt and uncertainty of what lies ahead. Although relationships may be our greatest learning experiences, the hardest relationship we will ever have to face is the one we have with ourselves—especially when we are standing at a crossroads, left broken wide open where the road of love has ended.
When we take the time to
honor endings, explore our emotions,
and heal the split within, then we are open to receive a new beginning,
liberated from the past. It all starts while standing at the crossroads of the
past and the future.
This crossroads of the
planned life you knew and the unknown life that lies ahead is where your
healing journey begins. Even though you may feel as though your life has fallen
apart, perhaps left immobilized to move forward, the journey of life always
marches on. Life will continue, but in a different way. This journey will no
doubt have many twists and turns, where powerful obstacles may seek to block
your way. But hidden within the journey is the ultimate treasure of finding a
new relationship with yourself and truly finding a new beginning.
If you enjoyed reading this
post, please check out my book Crossroads: Journey into the Unknown at www.amazon.com/author/lauraannan
© 2015 by Laura Annan. As a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach, Laura Annan brings together her training to help others on their journey of life. With over 15 years of experience in personal development and holistic healing modalities, Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth through the alchemy in nature. You may reprint or share this article in any form provided that you do not alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
© 2015 by Laura Annan. As a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach, Laura Annan brings together her training to help others on their journey of life. With over 15 years of experience in personal development and holistic healing modalities, Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth through the alchemy in nature. You may reprint or share this article in any form provided that you do not alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
8 Golden Rules of Positive Thinking
8 Golden Rules of Positive Thinking
by Dar Payment
- A positive mind attracts positive circumstances.
- A positive attitude helps to create great and harmonious relationships.
- A positive mindset creates a memorable first impression.
- Positive thinking is beneficial for vibrant health.
- A positive mindset is the key to success.
- Positive thinking abolishes stress.
- Positive thinking and an optimistic attitude helps you to turn your problems into opportunities.
- A positive mindset helps you to notice the abundance of good things in your life.
Positive thinking. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But the truth is it’s not always easy. Your life is made up of a myriad of habits, and habitual thinking is one of those habits. The Buddha once said a very wise thing: “You are what you think.”
If your thoughts create your who and your do, then it’s crucial that you learn to constantly chose a positive way of thinking, and more importantly to make an optimistic attitude a natural part of who you are.
The 8 Golden Rules of positive thinking will get you well on your way to making optimism a part of the fabric of your mind.
Let’s take a look at why these 8 Rules are so important: Read the rest here
© 2015 by Dar Payment for Heal Your Life Workshops Worldwide,www.HealYourLifeWorkshops.com. Dar Payment is a Licensed Heal Your Life Workshop Leader, a published author, and an Intuitive Life Coach at www.Whispers-From-Heaven.com.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Beautiful to be Alone
Living in harmony with Nature is a healing gateway that nourishes the mind, body, and spirit.
It's a place that gently reminds us that we are never truly alone.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Reconnect With Nature to Move Through Change by Talking a Walk
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| Burgess State Park, TN Photograph by Laura Annan |
Movement is the creative alchemy in Nature that also resides within us.
We are connected to Nature, because we evolved in
Nature. Yet, in today’s fast-paced world we are too busy to recognize just how
disconnected and separated we have become from the natural world. By
reconnecting with Nature, we can begin to honor the cycles of change in our own
lives that is necessary to move forward on our journey of life.
Inside Nature there is a natural progression of
movement, where the landscape changes and the mood changes. As Winter awakens
from the slumber of regeneration, it gives way for the renewal of Spring to be
birthed; then Summer moves in to celebrate growth until it’s time to retreat
into Autumn, where the cycle of movement turns to Winter once again. This
movement is a constant flow of change, sometimes gentle and gradual while at
other times violent and destructive. Teaching us that death, renewal,
transformation, and growth is part of the rhythm of life. Change is a creative part
of Nature, just as change is part of our human evolutionary process of being
here on Earth.
Life also flows by the energy of movement, because similarly
our lives are a continuing series of changing experiences. Change is the only
constant in life. We can easily navigate through change when we are willing to be
with it, as it is. Being able to walk into the unknown and face
all that is presented along the way. reminds us that life is happening for us and not to us. By embracing the
truth, even when it’s unpleasant, we can begin to flow with life rather than
push against the winds of change.
When we
are looking for answers or need clarity to help us move through change, we can
tap into the well of our inner guidance that has the ability to point us in the
right direction. Our inner guidance is always speaking to us, if we only take
the time to listen. Being in Nature is where we can start to slow down to hear
that inner voice of guidance.
Nature
helps us to restore balance in our lives.
Walking
in Nature is a wonderful visual meditation because it has the potential to
expand our awareness. With awareness we can be inspired to choose a new
path to move us forward, while paving the way
for new experiences and new ways of being. It’s through awareness that we can find
clarity to consciously grow and evolve.
With that in mind, go take a walk in Nature! Walk
through a local park; walk in your neighborhood; walk along the beach; walk on
a hiking trail; walk in a garden; walk anywhere. As you do so, witness your
surroundings. Be mindful. Look up and look around. Allow your eyes to take
everything in and feel your senses open. Allow your busy mind to quiet down by
observing what you see and naming it: I
see clouds floating in the sky. I feel the wind against my skin. I smell the
flowering Jasmine. I hear birds singing.
When your mind starts to wander, simply refocus
your attention back to the present moment and start all over again. This time,
see if you can notice something new. Remember, this is your time—it’s not time to be talking on the phone or texting. Concentrate
on just being instead of doing. You can attend to the real world later.
Learn to breathe and relax with every step—something magical will happen. Try
it!
Change is the common energetic thread that has
surrounded us since the beginning of time.
We are living in a
time of great transformation and powerful shifts. Now, more than ever, we need
to move in harmony with change. As we begin to reconnect with Nature, we once again become attuned to her
creative flow of movement, and we can begin to navigate through change with
grace as part of the human experience. The more time we spend outside,
the more balanced we can become. This is good medicine for the mind, body, and
spirit. Whenever possible spend more time in Nature!
© 2015 by Laura
Annan. As a licensed Heal Your Life® Teacher and certified Meditation Coach,
Laura Annan brings together her training to help others on their journey of
life. With over 15 years of experience in personal development and holistic
healing modalities, Laura shares her stepping stone journey of personal growth
through the alchemy in nature. You may reprint or share this article in any
form provided that you do not alter it, and that you keep the bio line intact.
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