Sunday, June 11, 2017

The ladybug and the Horse



Since I can remember, I was always a little girl who loved animals. All of them! From horses to dogs, insects to birds. I remember this lovely lady we had as a neighbour. Her home was old and beautiful! I would walk from my yard through her marvellous gardens. So many flowers, it was magical. I would go visit her and would always end up in her wardrobe where I knew, in a box was her cat and kittens. She seemed to always have kittens around. I would get lost in time and often would be late for dinner, but my mom knew where to call to find me. I would do the same at my grandmother's place. I would kiss my grandma quickly and head in the basement, near the wood stove where again a box with kittens was waiting for my love and enchantment.

As a child I had a bed frame with a book shelf in the headboard. I had a whole collection of books about animals of all kinds; birds, whales, wolves etc. As I got older I spent hours watching documentaries. I only spoke french back then and loved Jacques Cousteau! His amazing documentaries were called "L’Odyssée Sous-Marine de l’Équipe Cousteau". My mom would urge me to go outside but I was perfectly happy learning and being amazed by the creatures of the world!

When my spiritual journey started to unfold and come to the forefront of my life, especially after my Reiki course, I realized my love for everything in nature grew! I even had a phase where I had a hard time gardening, cutting grass etc... I kept thinking; who decided this plant was a weed and needed to go and this one was a flower therefore could live? I started saving all insects I could from my home. In our home we would get ladybugs quite often and I had learned that in the winter they could survive on their body weight but what was killing them was dehydration. So yes, I would put a bit of water on my finger and leave it to them, they would run towards it and drink. Even my husband knew to leave them alone and not get rid of them. Every living being deserves to live...to me from a ladybug to horse there is no difference. Who gets to decide which one is more important!


The more I aligned with my purpose the more sensitive I became.  Eventually I came to the realization that I am an Empath. I had always associated being an empath to feeling and sometimes absorbing a persons' energy but I realized that I could also do it with animals.

I could feel what animals were feeling; both physically and emotionally. I remember my first experience with this. My husband and I were were travelling to my in-laws in Northern Ontario. We sadly ended drive by a bear who had just been hit and was laying in the middle of the road. He could not get up, but was still moving his legs. I had to stop the car a few minutes after that as I could not stop crying.  This was not me sympathizing and just being sad about the event. I was in fact feeling pain and so much sadness, and fear. I knew I had picked up on the bear's energy. That's how I started to really notice something important was happening that was tied to my life purpose including animals.

I started volunteering at a sanctuary for wild birds and was assigned to the ICU. I could feel when one was close to passing or when one was scared, happy, etc. It was hard at first but then I realized it was how I could connect with them and therefore help them in the way they needed. It was not a curse feeling this much, it was an ability and tool I was given to help in my own way.

From there my love and desire to help animals heal just sky-rocketed! Animal Reiki was my next step. In this training I was shown techniques and insights only to realize I had already been doing these teachings intuitively, so it just confirmed even more that it was part of my purpose to help nature.

Animals started to show themselves to me more and more, especially wild animals and birds. Animals I had never seen ever before in my life. Just this week I had the privilege of watching, 10 feet away from me, 4 little chickadee babies take their first flight one right after the other. It was absolutely magical. Last winter a snowy owl gave me the honour to be in its' presence one on one. I took the time to thank him, meditate with him and send him Reiki that he graciously accepted. I even have a lovely friend who started to call me Snow White haha!

As I write this I feel my heart space just open up so much. I often say I prefer being in the presence of animals. They understand me and connect with me on a level humans often can't. And the most beautiful thing started to happen. As I was more and more open and practiced more Reiki on them I started to hear them. Animal communication is something I now realize I always did but now I am aware of it and use it to help me get to the root of what needs healing.

Imagine how different our world would be if we all respected, to the high level of wisdom that they have, all animals, trees, insects. They taught me that we don't need words to communicate with one another. Humans to humans, humans to animals, etc. We can communicate and create stronger bonds energetically, if only we take the time. They help us connect with a part of ourselves that is screaming to come alive. They teach us about the beauty of life, the rhythms of the earth, the seasons of joy and struggle we go through. They teach us about compassion, resilience, and of course LOVE. They have helped me heal and now it's my time to do the same for them.

So go out there in nature, be still, observe, listen...there are many teachers ready to help you on your path.


May your healing move you with ease and grace wherever you are in your journey...


Marie-Helene




Wednesday, February 1, 2017

The power of intention

More than ever, we are being confronted and triggered. Sometimes by the person sitting right next to us on the bus, by a customer, or, of course and most commonly, our own family. But have you noticed a shift lately? A wind of change? We are most definitely being tested by a much bigger energy and tension from the physical world that we, more and more, can't deny. The energy is dense and although some people have noticed it for awhile now. I would say many more in the last few months are now aware.


And more than ever we need to find ourselves. Some will say they need to find their heart space, others will use the term inner-self, while others will call it finding their centre. It's all the same. It is in your centre that you will find your answers. As only in your centre can you be loved, can you love, and can you change the circumstances you want to see changed. It will not be from the outside that this transformation will occur. It is, and has always been, from the inside out. It starts with you and you will never know the ripple effect, the impact you will make, and the power you have until you tap into the never ending well of abundant love that resides inside of you. And I speak of a gentle and kind inner power that, yes, can change the world.
Words are overrated my friends...intention is how you will get through to others. Intention from your heart and from this peace that we are all made of. That we were born with and that is there even when the world is loud and overbearing.


I did not understand the power of intention, let alone what it truly meant, until last year. I remember the exact moment where I experienced it while consciously being aware of it. I was in a group session/demonstration for equine therapy. We were asked to make our horse meet us at the centre of the arena. I noticed everyone walking towards their horses.  They were trying to push them, pull them, call them. I got quiet, calm, and started breathing. Finding my centre, my heart space. I placed myself in the centre of the arena, closed my eyes. I put out the intention of wanting the horse to come meet me. After about a minute, I opened my eyes. The horse had walked right up to me, only a foot away from me. Facing me and totally connected with me. It was magical and even I could not believe it at first....can it really be this easy? Yes it can! 


I then started to use this in other situations and with different people. At the grocery store, while driving, in my sessions with clients etc. What a beautiful discovery! 
We, humans, use words, so many words....too many words in my opinion. It truly is not how we communicate most effectively. Someone will read your intention long before any words make it to their conscious minds. That's where the intention you have can be so powerful! 


And I know, believe me I know; life is busy, the world is moving fast, and you feel you can't stop because if you do you will be missing out. This needs to be done, that needs attended to etc. I get pulled into the circus like everyone else...but being aware is key. Start by being aware you are being pulled and then take yourself back into your centre with this peace that never left you. It is there inside you waiting for you to tap into it. It won't be a loud voice...it will be a whisper. So breathe. Be still as much as you can. Pull yourself back in a million times a day if you must (that's where I am at right now). It takes practice but the rewards last a lifetime. Once you have found this clarity you can move from this place of love and set your intentions... send out your signal into the world! 


Crack your heart open! Let your mind take a back seat. Let your inner self guide you...it is there waiting for you. It will always be there. It has aways been there. The heart always wins. Let your heart be the fuel behind your intentions.


May your healing move you with ease and grace wherever you are in your journey...


Marie-Helene 

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Your energy...Your responsibility...

My angels wanted me to share with you on the subject of being responsible for your own energy.  Before the holidays I had a big anxiety episode and it had been 3 weeks since my last one. I was pondering what had triggered it.  The next morning I realized it was a mix of my own anxiety and the energy from others around me. Being an empath is a beautiful gift but in stressful times can be harder to live with. An empath is someone who is highly sensitive and can feel and absorb the energy of the people around them. Even further than that some empaths, like myself, can feel world's energies, the collective consciousness. Here's an example; I can be in a perfectly good mood, all is well and I can go in a shopping centre and notice my feelings change. All of a sudden I can start feeling moody or anxious when 1/2 hour before I was on cloud number nine. The same thing happens with watching the news. I actually stopped watching news as it would affect me too much. I can feel someone's sadness and pain on a physical and emotional level. This is a fantastic tool when working with clients but I have had to learn how to take care of my own energy, to clear myself and shield my energy field constantly from the harsh and negative energies that do not serve me.

Maybe you resonate with just being highly sensitive, or being an empath. And maybe you don't resonate with it at all.  The reason I am sharing this is because it is so important to be aware and take care of our own energy no matter at what level we feel it. Because it's also not only about how much you feel but how you share your own energy with others. Are you aware of what you do with it, how you show up in the world, and how it affect others and yourself?

Interestingly I believe self care is key! For all the ones out there who just love to give but take no time for themselves I say please do. Please do take time for yourself because that's how you will achieve your goal of helping others even more. Because eventually, if you take no time for yourself, your level of stress will spike up and negative feelings can start to arise. Feelings like resentment, anger, etc. start to creep in and next thing you know you might take it out on someone, or on your pets, who truly might have nothing to do with all that you are feeling. What you end up doing is just letting it all out. For most people who love to give, you then might start feeling guilty for lashing out...and that is not an healthy energy for you to create and live from. 

So if you believe it is selfish to have regular self-care it truly is not. You're actually doing a favour to yourself and others! It is not a luxury, it is not a selfish act...it's you being responsible with your own energy and showing the self-love you deserve and is necessary.

Finding whatever makes you happy, whatever brings your stress level down, is for you to find out. You get to come up with your own recipe. For me it looks like this; every morning I will bring in my guardian angels and Archangels and connect with them during meditation. I will ask them to help me clean and clear any known or unknown low or fear based energies from my physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental bodies through various methods. I then ask them to shield me for my upcoming day and only let love enter and leave my energy field. Another way I love to provide self-care is connecting with nature.  Going outside is so important to help me find clarity and keep my vibration high. Exercising is also one that helps me, especially gentle forms of exercise like yin yoga, stretching, etc.  Having a sea salt bath is one of my favourites! It helps me to keep my energy clean especially if I was in public during the day. Those are all ways that work for me but everyone is different so make it a fun thing to try to figure out what works for you and raises your vibration!

In very high stress situations, sometimes the best way you can do this is to honour and take care of yourself and remove yourself from conversations, situations, etc. Taking a time-out to go and breathe and check-in with yourself.  Are the situations you find yourself in healthy for you? Do they promote lifting your spirit or is it full of negative which truly helps no one. 

A second point I would like to share is how awareness of your energy is important. Being aware when interacting with the outside world but also when alone. Meditating can be an amazing way to work on building awareness of your own state. Noticing how you feel and what you are doing with all those feelings. Are you owning them and processing them in a healthy way or are you totally ignoring them and acting without noticing how you show up in the world and how it affects you and others?

When I started to be aware of this concept I noticed how it actually changed my interactions for the better with others.  It helped me be much happier and stay positive. That awareness of my own energy made it easier to notice if the energy I was feeling was mine or someone else's. It also made me aware of when I would start being affected by another's energy in my own field. I could then respond to them in a way that was healthier for both of us. 

In closing I wish a beautiful year 2017 to everyone...let it be filled with love, truth, light, discoveries, and growth. I wish you all that your heart and soul desires!

May your healing move you with ease and grace wherever you are in your journey...

Marie-Helene