Welcome to the Ask an Expert Columns on Peaceful Willow with Team Members, Aromatherapist Eileen Mallard and Massage Therapist Cathy Bell, both from Australia. Plus co-owners Donna Thomson and Ronnee Ruselle who offer their wisdom about crystals and psychic/medium topics. Each column features a new Q & A at the start of each month. Here's this month's... |
by Cathy  About Cathy: Cathy Bell is qualified in a number of natural therapies including Kinesiology, Massage (Chinese, Remedial, Deep Tissue, Relaxation, Lymphatic Drainage), Reflexology and more. Cathy will answer your questions about hands-on healing and natural therapies.
 I have a dear friend who is recovering from myocarditis - an infection in the heart. He is also actively working with his emotional heart and feeling a lot of pain there. Is there any kind of gentle hands of therapy he or I could do to help heal the heart and release energy blocks? According to Eastern thought, breathing is the primary way we bring energy into the body. We extract energy from the breath and store it in the lower abdomen, and the more we can extract and store, the better our physical condition. But mostly, due to ignorance and poor habits, we do everything possible to defeat both the flow of energy into the lower abdomen and our ability to store it there. As a result of physical trauma, stress, and sedentary living, we develop blockages - areas of tension, often unconscious and long-standing, primarily in the abdominal area. Energy can't flow through tension and thus is prevented from reaching the reservoir in the lower abdomen. Ultimately, these blockages in the energy pathways lead to organ dysfunction. Illness and decrepitude, wrongly considered an inevitable result of aging, are often the result of blocked energy intake, dissipation of our reserves, or accumulated toxicity. Conserving our internal energy, developing it, and bringing it under voluntary control allows healing to take place. To create heart energy take your thumb and rub it very gently across your fingertips for about half a minute or a minute. While you do this, don't do anything else, just put your attention on your fingertips. Close your eyes and feel your thumb rubbing slowly across your fingertips. Notice that when you do this, it brings your physical attention into that part of your body. Now you can relax and bring that same physical attention anywhere inside your chest, not just where your heart is, but anywhere across your chest, solar plexus area or abdomen, and either generate or look for a physical warmth you can actually feel. Take a minute or two or as long as you need to find that warmth. And when you find it, go into that feeling of warmth and feel it more, just stay with it. Stay with that feeling of warmth. Feel it for a few minutes so you can memorise the method, and most importantly, so your body can create a recollection, a physical recollection of how it needs to feel for you. The heat might come up in different parts of your body - maybe one time in the left of your chest, maybe another time in the right of your abdomen or other places around there. Wherever you feel it, just let it be there, don't try and move it around - that's where it's showing up in that moment. Always when it comes up and you feel the warmth, go into it and feel it more. Make sure you do this when you are alone and quiet, not when you are driving a car or doing anything that requires your full attention. After you have done the warmth for five minutes, or as long as you can do it - relax. Now think about this: The warmth is the physical evidence of loving yourself. We've all read about how we need to love ourselves, but this exercise creates the actual physical experience of it. The heat will tend to push everything out of you that is not of you or supporting you. Because the heat, as the physical experience of loving yourself, also unites you with Creator Energy and generates a greater sense of harmony with all beings. You might notice as you get better at this, that your friends or other people might feel more relaxed around you, or situations might become more harmonious. Things that used to bother you or upset you don't bother you as much, because the heat creates an energy, not only of self love but of harmony. Because it is heart energy, it just naturally radiates, like light coming out of a light bulb. Remember, you don't throw the heat out even with the best of intentions. You don't send it to people. If other people are interested in what you are doing or why they feel better around you, you can teach them how to do this exercise in the way you have learned or the way that works best for you. And the most important thing to remember is that this method of loving yourself and generating harmony for yourself, creates harmony for others, because you are in harmony. Remember that this will provide a greater sense of ease and comfort in your life no matter who you are, where you are, what you are doing or how you are living your life. It can only improve your experience. |
by Donna  About Donna: Donna Thomson is a natural Crystal Intuitive as well as a psychic, channel and healer, using crystals in many ways for the whole essence of a person and their life. Donna is currently creating some intensive crystal courses for Peaceful Willow. Donna will answer your questions about crystals, crystal use, how they can help you for varying purposes, and more.
What are your tips for buying good quality crystals? When starting out, it's best to buy your crystals from a store so you can get a "feel" for which crystals you are drawn to. It's harder to know what a crystals will be like when buying online, so look for reputable sellers who have good feedback as extra assurance. Look for the crystals that catch your eye and draw your attention. You may even get a burst of energy, warmth or tingling on your hand or the crystal may just stand out more than others. Rather than a 'quality' issue, this is more about determining what crystals you need at the time. Price does not always reflect quality. Many crystals are overpriced so compare prices and make sure you can justify the expense. In some cases, retailers point out additional "qualities" of crystals such as 'windows', 'keys', or call them 'Isis Crystals' and so on, which basically refers to a natural facets and attributes. These attributes should not push the price up, so look for other sellers who offer the same crystals without adding hugely to the price. If you are buying pointed crystals (natural points, clusters or pendants) make sure the points aren't damaged as this can affect the energy. Dyed crystals are more often used as display pieces so if you're using crystals for healing and other intuitive work, stick to naturally coloured crystals. Be careful when buying turquoise. Some sellers, especially from China, dye white howlite blue and pass it off as turquoise. Turquoise can also be broken up and "stabilised" with epoxy to make it stronger but it greatly diminishes its natural qualities. Ask the seller to confirm that it is natural, undyed and unstabilised turquoise. Genuine turquoise will cost more than other pieces/tumbled stones of similar size but that is not a guarantee that it is genuine so also use your intuition. Quality is not dependant on the size of the crystal. You can get many good quality small tumbled stones at inexpensive prices. They still work effectively and are very practical to carry with you. I do suggest buying clear quartz in its natural 6-sided form because it is one of the most powerful and versatile crystals you will own and its natural formation directs the energy through its termination (point). Natural points and clusters will likely become among your favourite crystals. The best quality crystals are really those you are drawn to - no matter what formation, type of crystal or size! |
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Send us your questions!* It may take some time for your question to be answered and similar questions may be combined to address the main topic. Don't forget to check out the Archives to see the previous topics and informative responses (links below).
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by Ronnee  About Ronnee: Ronnee Ruselle is a master seer and medium with a very strong ability in just about all areas of energy-work. Ronnee has over 20 years experience in psychic servces plus several years as a teacher helping people recognise and enhance their own psychic abilities. Ronnee will answer your questions about psychic energy and events, psychic abilities, mediumship and spirits.
What tips do you have for good meditation? Meditation is basically being able to relax your body to a point where your mind can wander. Many people today still associate it with monks and chanting, but it can take any form of relaxation even something as simple as sitting on a beach quietly enjoying watching the sea. There are some basic tips that have been covered in the articles on this website, but here is a recap for convenience: Preparation - ensure that your atmosphere is conducive to relaxation. Keep noise at a minimum or choose a time of day where distracting background sounds are at their lowest. Ensure that you are warm and comfortable as your body temperature will lower while you meditate so a blanket is a good idea. Expectations - It's best to have none. Meditation allows your mind to connect with your energy and relate to you information in any form it sees as the most suitable at the time. Your expectations will tell the mind what it can and can't do, limiting your chances for gathering information. If you're new to meditation, just know that we can all do it to some degree and it's like a muscle - over time, working it out will bring greater results so don't feel rushed or pushed to equal Mary who lives 3 doors down who's been meditating for 20 years. You will achieve different things at your own pace and that pace will be right for you. Nobody is better or worse than another. Protection - Protection is generally part of preparation but I put it separately because many people do not use protection at the end of their meditation. Remember to protect yourself again so that you can deal with the day to day stresses and situations that come to you. As long as you are relaxed, the form of meditation can be whatever you wish it to be so explore and use a variety of ideas from others but also from your own imagination until you find something that works for you. Good Luck! |
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by Eileen  About Eileen: Eileen Mallard is qualified in Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Therapy for Animals. Eileen provides aromatherapy massage as well as making a range of natural skincare products. Eileen will answer your questions about any aspect of aromatherapy and essential oils for yourself, home and even your pets.
What are your aromatherapy hints and tips? Did you know... ...that Essential oils are sourced from a single botanical species. Example: Lavender - its botanical name is lavendula angustifolia. Orange - its botanical name is Citrus Sinensis. Peppermint - its botanical name is Mentha Piperata. ...they are sourced or extracted from different parts of the plant. For example rinds (citrus oils such as lemon, orange, lime), leaves, twigs and flowers. ...they evaporate on exposure to air and they are light sensitive (store them in dark bottles). ...essential oils are HIGHLY concentrated - 70 times more concentrated than the plant from which they come. ...some are antibacterial - such as Tea Tree, Lemon, Pine, Eucalyptus. HINT Essential oils enter the body via the 'nose', that is our sense of smell as we breathe them in, and they have a direct affect on our mind and emotions within a few seconds. TIP When smelling an essential oil - take the time to ask yourself what it is you feel when you inhale the scent - Do you have a sense of relaxation? (lavender) Do you feel refreshed /alive/aware? (rosemary, peppermint, spearmint) Do you feel uplifted? (sweet orange, grapefruit) Does the smell repulse you? Does the scent remind you of something? HINT Essential oils are absorbed rapidly by the skin via our hair follicles and sweat glands. The oils penetrate the skin quickly and are absorbed into the blood stream affecting the underlying tissue and organs in a therapeutic way. TIP Bathing or showering before an aromatherapy massage will aid absorption of the oils. Aromatherapy can be helpful for the following conditions: * Anxiety, stress, depression and nervous tension * Fatigue * Insomnia and poor sleep patterns * Headaches and migraines * Low immunity system * Menstrual problems, pregnancy & menopause * Poor circulation High blood pressure * Respiratory conditions including asthma & sinusitis * Muscular aches and pains, including before & after sports and workouts * Skin conditions and skin care |
