When the United States was born in 1776 during the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Pluto, the planet of rebirth and transformation, was located at 27 degrees Capricorn. More recently, Pluto entered Capricorn, a sign that signifies money, dominance, power, authority and ambition in late 2008 and leaves Capricorn on January 21, 2024. Pluto reached 27 degrees Capricorn on 02/22/2022 and will do so again on July 11th and December 28th this year. As such, many astrologers consider this the U.S.’s personal Pluto return. A planetary return is when a planet revisits the same exact place in the sky, which for Pluto occurs around every 248 years!
Pluto represents destruction and construction and works to tear down things that are no longer working. Anything that is occurring during this time will be asking us to pay attention to what needs to be transformed within the US and beyond, creating upheavals in the current dynamics, such as the sexist, racism, classist, homophobic, ableism, anti-Semitism, transphobic systems put in place all those years ago. Pluto in Capricorn has removed the blinders and allowed these ugly and painful truths to be seen and felt more acutely. It has brought down people and corporations that have refused to grow and transform. It destroys what is no longer working and constructs new evolutionary ways, shifting ideology into a space of growth.
So what does this all have to do with our powerful emotions? Well, with Pluto in Capricorn, the energy is working to support the growth of the world and specifically the United States. And when there is resistance to this growth and evolution, societal upheavals are expected. And when we as humans experience such societal upheavals, powerful emotions tend to arise. And if we don’t tend to these powerful emotions, conflict may escalate not only externally but perhaps more importantly, internally.
Below are intention-setting ideas for you to consider to ride the collective and personal emotional waves as Pluto continues to push us on our journey of transformation and evolution:
- Befriend Powerful Emotions. Don’t view your emotions as the enemy as so many of us have been taught. Powerful emotions have information to share if we can simply welcome them, instead of reject them. For example, consider anger. Anger’s message is often that our needs are not being met, either because they are being ignored, invalidated, dismissed, or trampled on. Anger might be saying “I need to be seen, heard, valued, supported and/or accepted!” Perhaps think about the last time you felt anger (dare I say rage?) and get curious about what it is trying to say to you. What need or core value was not being honored in that moment? Gaining clarity around your needs, and how anger attempts to protect those needs, begins to soothe this powerful emotion as if feels heard and valued (by you!).
- Release Control!. We have also been taught that we can control our emotions. Unfortunately, this lesson has created a belief that leads many of us to disassociate, to cut off all connection between between our logical and emotional intelligence. However, under such conditions, powerful emotions tend to show up when least expected or wanted, because they will only be ignored for awhile. Perhaps think about how you might regulate or balance your emotions, not control them. For example, when we experience loss, sadness is a normal, natural human response and requires expression. If we repress it, thinking we can control it, it will shift into the space of depression.
- Accept ALL Emotions. Powerful emotions are not bad, they are human. Another step in regulating or balancing emotions is to accept all of them and honor that they are what make us human. Take guilt as an example. Most of us don’t like feeling guilt as it is uncomfortable. However, what if we accepted guilt as a guide, the primary emotion that keeps us connected to our authentic self. Perhaps consider thinking of guilt as a guide, not viewing it as a punishment making us suffer for a mistake we made. As humans, we make mistakes. That is a necessary part of learning. So, when we begin to veer too far away from our authentic self and behave in a way that elicits guilt, thank guilt for being the guard rails to our journey, instead of beating yourself up as you learn along the way.
- FACE Fear. If we don’t embrace our deepest fear, it will always be in the driver seat of our lives. This is not a conscious decision, but a reality. Embracing our deepest fear doesn’t mean we are turning the steering wheel over to it. Instead, it invites in compassion and encourages fear to loosen its grip on the wheel. To FACE your biggest fear allows space for us to engage in a dialog with it and honor how it too protects us. Consider trying the following:
- Foster an internal and external environment where awareness, understanding and choice can grow.
- Act even when experiencing fear, even in the smallest of ways, as action reduces fear and builds strength and resiliency.
- Create a current vision that comforts and sooths fear, whether in your mind to visit or perhaps a drawing or picture to look at frequently.
- Express a mantra that challenges the fear, perhaps “This fear might be real, but it is not true right now!”
- Give Shame Back. Somewhere along our journey, usually when we were very young, we internalized a message that we were bad or inadequate in some way. Shame believes it is being protective, keeping you from connecting to others in order to avoid further hurt and humiliation. In actuality, it is keeping you from accepting yourself and connecting with your authentic being. Shame needs to be given back to the person that gave it to you, is not yours to keep! Shame is like a hot potato that if we don’t give it back, we continue to pass it around to others, to try and make ourselves feel better. The shortest route to feeling better is to shine the light on shame, give it air to breath so it can die on the vine. Shame is like toxic mold. Once mold sees the light and feels the dry air, it withers and dies. Shame is probably one of the most powerful emotions keeping us small, so perhaps consider seeking the support of a trusted friend or professional counselor to support you in shining the light on the roots of any shame you are carrying under Pluto’s return, so it can be destroyed once and for all.
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Support Powerful Emotions
/in Newsletter/by LindaWhen the United States was born in 1776 during the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Pluto, the planet of rebirth and transformation, was located at 27 degrees Capricorn. More recently, Pluto entered Capricorn, a sign that signifies money, dominance, power, authority and ambition in late 2008 and leaves Capricorn on January 21, 2024. Pluto reached 27 degrees Capricorn on 02/22/2022 and will do so again on July 11th and December 28th this year. As such, many astrologers consider this the U.S.’s personal Pluto return. A planetary return is when a planet revisits the same exact place in the sky, which for Pluto occurs around every 248 years!
Pluto represents destruction and construction and works to tear down things that are no longer working. Anything that is occurring during this time will be asking us to pay attention to what needs to be transformed within the US and beyond, creating upheavals in the current dynamics, such as the sexist, racism, classist, homophobic, ableism, anti-Semitism, transphobic systems put in place all those years ago. Pluto in Capricorn has removed the blinders and allowed these ugly and painful truths to be seen and felt more acutely. It has brought down people and corporations that have refused to grow and transform. It destroys what is no longer working and constructs new evolutionary ways, shifting ideology into a space of growth.
So what does this all have to do with our powerful emotions? Well, with Pluto in Capricorn, the energy is working to support the growth of the world and specifically the United States. And when there is resistance to this growth and evolution, societal upheavals are expected. And when we as humans experience such societal upheavals, powerful emotions tend to arise. And if we don’t tend to these powerful emotions, conflict may escalate not only externally but perhaps more importantly, internally.
Below are intention-setting ideas for you to consider to ride the collective and personal emotional waves as Pluto continues to push us on our journey of transformation and evolution:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor Juneteenth
/in Newsletter/by LindaLast year, in the midst of the pandemic, a new federal holiday was honored by legislation that signed it into law, even though it has been celebrated for over 150 years. Juneteenth is the holiday that commemorates and celebrates the freedom of all Black people in the South that were enslaved. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1,1863, it took another two and half years for this information to travel to Galveston, Texas and inform the slaves there of their freedom. The officials in Texas announced slavery was abolished on June 19th, 1865. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified six months later to outlaw slavery nationwide.
This holiday celebrates the culture, history and pride as well as the strength and resiliency of black communities. It is important to honor such events and holidays to make the time to remember and heal.
Below are intention-setting ideas for you to consider for honoring our collective history on this Juneteenth holiday:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Microplastics in Your Life
/in Newsletter/by LindaIn preparing for a screening colonoscopy this year, I met with my gastroenterologist recently to schedule the procedure. I told him I was on the “every 10 year plan” since I had changed my diet. He said “You can do everything right” like reducing the amount of red meat you are eating, avoiding processed foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, etc.; however, you cannot avoid ingesting microplastics. He offered that recent research suggests that we consume the weight of a credit card’s worth of small plastic particles every week and microplastics “have even been found in lung tissue”, implying we are breathing it in as well as eating it!!! Hearing this was scary and had me feeling a little helpless and hopeless.
This information came my way at the same time as Jupiter and Neptune were aligning in Pisces (on 4/12/22) for the first time in 166 years. This planetary alignment is known to support new creations and insights. Shortly thereafter I heard about Harvard University’s work to address sustainability at a systemic level by creating sustainable plastics, supporting the release of my fear and opening my heart once again to hope.
In honor of the recent work by students and staff at Harvard, below are intention-setting ideas for you to consider as you reflect on your relationship with our Earth and how you might reduce your carbon footprint as we await the mass production/distribution of these new bioplastics:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Summer Sacred Sound Baths
/in Events/by LindaBenefits of Integrating Yoga Into Postgraduate Mental Health Curriculums
/in Yoga/by LindaAs we find ourselves in a bit of a lull in the Covid-19 outbreak here in southern California, I have found my way back to teaching yoga in-person in a local yoga studio. My heart is full as I have greatly missed the opportunity to bring this healing modality back in-person to a larger audience. Yoga, including all of its contemplative practices, has been the largest tool in my self-care tool kit, even becoming my way of life over the years, and it is truly what kept me grounded in gratitude through the pain and chaos of the past two years. Although I may not have found myself on my yoga mat regularly, especially for those yummy 90-minute classes that include an extra long savasana shape at the end, I know how important these practices are for supporting our mind-body-spirit health. And, as a mental health provider, I know it is mission critical to prioritize our self-care practices in order to be fully present and prevent burnout. With increasing rates of burnout in mental health providers during the pandemic, the question becomes is it possible to integrate yoga into postgraduate curriculums for mental health providers to ensure the long-term wellbeing of such providers?
A recent research study took a look at including yoga into the curriculum for first-year mental health students to test the feasibility of such a proposal. Introducing such tools to all students in this setting ensures all mental health providers would have the first-hand knowledge and experience of the impact on their well-being before actually moving into the space of providing services to clients, where the stress level of the role only increases. Although the results of this research advocates for such a change to the curriculum, it only provided a brief, 15-day offering. It is my belief that offering longer curriculum based yogic interventions would not only provide more sustained self-care tools to the mental health provider but it would also equip the mental health provider with the skills to bring such self-care tools to their clients.
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Stress
/in Newsletter/by LindaApril is Stress Awareness Month!
The month of April, among other things, has been designated Stress Awareness Month. The first step to making any change in our life is awareness. Without awareness, we tend to continue on our journeys doing the same old things, repeating old patterns, all while hoping the results will be different. The pandemic has brought additional sources of stress, so it is perhaps even more critical now for our health to consider the impacts on our lives.
With awareness comes understanding, which leads to compassion and choice. One of the best habits we can develop for our body/mind/spirit health is learning our personal triggers and noticing when and where we feel stress. To this end, below are some ideas to consider to support this healthy habit:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Hybrid (On-site/In-person and Online/Virtual) Reiki-infused Sound Healing and Meditation Class!
/in Events/by LindaOn-site/In-person Community Gathering Practice Tips
We understand that, during this transitional time, some of us are more ready than others to slowly re-enter into the experience of small social gatherings. For this reason, we have created a hybrid service model, where a small number of (no more than 4) participants will be able to join us in-person. If you are interested in this option, let us know and we will provide further guidance, including:
Virtual Community Gathering Practice Tips
For those that would prefer to stay in the comfort of home – whether due to physical distance, family participation and/or even the enhanced sense of privacy – we will continue to provide the option to connect with us through Zoom.
Once you let us know that you are interested in attending, we will send you an email that will include details around what is needed from you, including:
To facilitate the benefits of such a virtual community practice at home, below we have provided some helpful hints:
Restorative Yoga Tips and Props
On the day of the class, here are some additional recommendations to create a more sacred space in advance for your practice:
In home prop ideas:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Celebrate a World of Flavors
/in Newsletter/by LindaMarch is National Nutrition Month!
As the weather begins to warm up, we begin to feel called outdoors more. The crocuses, daffodils, pansies, and violets begin to bloom inviting our sense of sight to enjoy the colors. As the fruit trees blossom, the sweet smells floating in the air remind us of the delicious bounty to arrive soon. As our senses become enlivened, our mouths begin to water in anticipation of tasting our favorite fruits and vegetables right from our own gardens or our local organic farmer’s market!
With the renewed energy of Spring, we can devote some of our self-care to celebrate National Nutrition Month this month. Below I provide intention-setting ideas to consider this month. It is my hope you will consider trying one!
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor Friendship
/in Newsletter/by LindaFebruary is International Friendship Month!
Friends are our family of choice and this month we get to celebrate that family! Over the past two years, we have needed our friends more than ever, whether they speak, bark or purr. Such connections can warm our hearts and calm our minds. And the power of these connections goes beyond the individual level to our communities and to our nations, bringing security and comfort to all.
Below are intention-setting ideas to honor the friendships in our lives this month. It is my hope you will try one and lean into the feelings that arise from such connections!
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Manifest Radical Self Acceptance as Your New Year Intention
/in Newsletter/by LindaPerhaps, with the advent of the pandemic, this is THE year that we stop setting New Year resolutions that set us up for failure and challenge our mental health and, instead, consider the only intention that will support lasting health, mind, body and spirit – self-acceptance.
When we can truly accept ourselves, both our light and our shadow as a human being, we are in a balanced space to fertilize the soil for continued growth. Self-acceptance will not bring on a superiority complex or make us vain, as those spaces are ones of imbalance, leaning into only our gifts and ignoring or defending our imperfections or limitations. Self-acceptance will lead us away from self-doubt, low self-esteem, low self-worth, and any other spaces that suggest we are less than other. Learning self-acceptance will land you in a place of humility, where you are able to recognize yourself as perfectly imperfect, allowing you to move into spaces of vulnerability to deeply connect with yourself and others. It is in this fertile soil where we can identify parts of ourselves that currently live in the shadows and invite them to sit with us in the light, creating opportunities for growth.
Below I offer ideas you might want to try to support your new year intention of radically accepting yourself exactly as you are now:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!