Have you ever been told you should do yoga?
Have you heard people talk about how great it is for stress, anxiety, depression…the common cold, zombie apocalypse? Okay, maybe not zombies…
Maybe you have even tried yoga before and thought it was….fine, I guess.
I am creating a new series of yoga videos on YouTube to help break down why yoga is helpful and how to make it best work for YOUR needs.
Come check it out!
If things are feeling stressful at home during quarantine and your getting irritated more easily…
Here is a skill that might help cool you down!
Does it feel like lately nothing is working out the way you planned?
Check out this video I made about letting go of expectations:
I made you a present! It’s a yoga practice you can do at home to help feel grounded when things are feeling a little unstable. It doesn’t require any props. Now you get to see what I do in the office when you aren’t here! Hee hee hee…
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Elevated Mind and Movement |
March 18, 2020
Hi Everyone!
I know there are a lot of questions coming up right now about all the rapid changes that have been happening in our world. Social distancing and a pandemic are not things that were really on our radar until now.
I want you to know that I take the health and safety of everyone in our community very seriously and I am sure we all want to do our part to protect those most vulnerable during these times.
Next week, Elevated Mind and Movement will be closed. It was a planned closure for spring break anyway, although now it will be less of a break and more a week policing my son’s video game time while we hang out at home doing our social distancing. During this time, I will not be available for appointments or answering emails. I will be available to answer any questions or concerns you may have when I return on Monday, March 30th.
The following week (starting Monday, March 30th), all appointments will transition to TELEHEALTH ONLY. In order to comply with quarantine requests and only leaving the house “as necessary”, no office sessions will be offered at this time. I will attach a link below that provides information on preparing for a telehealth session.
I understand that not everyone has access to technology or private spaces and telehealth may not be an option for you at this time. Please know that I will be keeping everyone updated on when in-office visits will become available again. In the meantime, I will try to post resources on the website www.elevatedmindandmovement.com and on the social media sites:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elevatedmindandmovement/?fbclid=IwAR1fLoQ45ZBH_CemMIJXaTId6xkmwdlKm6RT22wZbQW674sNvttP1O5FLC4 and Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/elevatedmindandmovement/
I encourage you to schedule a secure video appointment with me. Research shows that they can be just as effective as in-person appointments, and we can continue your care without interruption. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll make the necessary arrangements.
Please refer to the CDC’s dedicated 2019-ncov website for additional information, and maintain awareness by checking the official communications from the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Regards,
Amelia Mackle, LPC
Elevated Mind and Movement
| At this time, the office remains open to accomodate clients with in-person sessions. If you are interested in changing your in-office session to a telehealth session, please contact the office at 360-990-8091 |
I know that there’s widespread concern in our community about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and I want you to know that your health is our top priority at Elevated Mind and Movement.
With the increasing uncertainty and growing number of infected individuals around the world, I encourage you to take responsibility for yourself and your family. Though the risk remains low, it’s important to take a proactive approach to minimize exposure.
I encourage you to schedule a secure video appointment with me. Research shows that they can be just as effective as in-person appointments, and we can continue your care without interruption. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll make the necessary arrangements.
Please refer to the CDC’s dedicated 2019-ncov website for additional information, and maintain awareness by checking the official communications from the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Regards,
Amelia Mackle, LPC
Elevated Mind and Movement
Sahasrara is our Crown Chakra. We have journeyed up the ladder of the chakras these past 7 weeks to arrive here. It is important to know that while we have been moving up the chakras, we can also move down them. The path up is considered the journey to enlightenment, while the trek down is the path of manifestation. Some of us like to stay in our own heads where we have lots of ideas, but never really bring them to fruition. The manifesting path would be useful to bring those ideas into daily living!
The crown chakra is located at the top of the head and is said to connect us to higher consciousness. When it is off balance we might struggle to learn new things, feel depressed or isolated. We could also find ourselves being rigid about our beliefs. When we are in balance, we live in the present with trust in our own inner guidance and understand the impermanent nature of reality.
Things are always changing and we go with the flow!
Since this chakra is located at the top of the head, it is also related to our cognition…how we think about things and what we believe we know. This can lead to over intellectualizing things. When this chakra is open, we should feel the flow of energy. Thinking about things in a purely intellectual way often shuts down energy and keeps it trapped in ‘facts’. How this pertains to mental health???? Ever notice how those ‘facts’ change based on our mood? When we are depressed, everything is bad. When we are anxious, everything is scary. When we are mad, everyone sucks.
The right of the crown chakra is TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND. The work is to RELEASE ATTACHMENTS. Attachment can be to physical things or to our own ego. Attachment is seen as the source of our suffering because it blocks the fluidity of the universe. Another way to think of this in more practical terms is look at how often we people please. We agree to things or overcommit because we fear of losing an attachment. True non-attachment might be to admit that we have other responsibilities right now, but maybe I could come back to this later if the time is right. Non-attachment is to understand and be open to the path we are on; not stubbornly trying to control the path or move faster or slower.
How do we know if this chakra is blocked?
Sometimes this chakra can be over-active leading to:
SO HOW DO WE GET THERE????
Some ideas to journal on:
Visit the Facebook and Instagram pages for more ideas on how to support your crown chakra, or schedule an appointment to come in and discuss how to best get this energy unblocked!
The third eye chakra is in the middle of our brain (although we sometimes place it at the brow as a reference point) and is associated with our pineal gland. We interpret information we see outside of ourselves. We can also use our imagination to build the scene around those details to get a feel for what we believe is happening around us. The more we tune into this, the stronger it gets.
Sometimes Ajna is also referred to as our intuition or our conscience. This is what we are using when we give ourselves a “reality check” or access our wisdom and self realization. Those “aha moments”!
Now, here is some fun sciency-type stuff. The pineal gland is tucked into the middle of our brain and actually has some of the same retinal tissue that our eyes have. It responds to light. When the pineal gland is processing the light that we see when we open our eyes during the day, it signals the body to produce serotonin. Serotonin is the hormone that helps us feel motivated and positive. When it is completely dark out, the pineal gland signals the body to produce melatonin. That is the hormone that kicks in our relaxation response and helps us fall asleep.
We know that when our sleep/wake cycles get thrown off, we have difficulty managing our emotions or making wise decisions. It becomes difficult to think and we may even be more likely to hallucinate. Artificial light is becoming more and more of an issue in our daily lives and it is important to reset ourselves with a balance of natural outdoor light and complete darkness.
The right of the third eye chakra is TO SEE AND PERCEIVE. The work is to release illusion.
When this chakra is BLOCKED:
When this chakra is OVERACTIVE:
And when it is JUST RIGHT, a BALANCED Third Eye chakra looks:
This week practice mindfulness or other meditation. Daydream or visualize what you want to manifest in your life. Draw a yantra or mandala. Keep a dream journal. Notice the times when your first feeling is right to develop trust in intuition. Go outside to be in natural light or spend time in complete darkness to activate pineal gland.
Repeat to yourself:
I see the truth in all situations
I trust my inner wisdom
I think clearly
I trust my decisions
Check the Facebook and Instagram pages for more ideas!
Vishuddha is the Throat Chakra. It is located in the throat region and it connects us to our expressive self. When it is off balance, we may feel we have no power or fear speaking up for ourselves. Often this comes from lessons we learned in early childhood when we were told to be quiet, or people we cared about did not believe us. We learned to shut down our voice or not to trust our instincts about what to say.
Over time, we overthink what we say before it comes out of our mouth so our truth is edited. We may feel like we don’t really connect to others because we don’t feel like we can be totally honest with them….or…we start to tell everyone everything to see who will stick around.
When our throat chakra is in balance, we tend to have more confidence and feel we communicate effectively. We feel more freedom and harmony between our inner and outer selves. Honesty and openness because easier. We may become more creative and be more productive in bringing those creative projects into reality.
This chakra is the source of our will to SPEAK. To express ourselves. To identify our purpose. To connect with others through communication.
How do we know if this chakra is blocked?
Sometimes this chakra can be over-active leading to:
SO HOW DO WE GET THERE????
Some ideas to journal on:
Visit the Facebook and Instagram pages for more ideas on how to support your throat chakra, or schedule an appointment to come in and discuss how to best get this energy unblocked!
Week four brings us to the midpoint in the chakra system!
The heart chakra is in the middle of our chakras and is always seeking balance. It will let us know if our inner world does not match our outer environment; or if there is inequality between our upper and lower chakras. It will also lead us to others who can create balance, however, that isn’t always a good thing!
Looking back over my own life, I can see where people entered my life to create a balanced system that actually needed HEALING…not balance. For example: there were many years where I was unsure of myself and believed others could only see my shortcomings.
What happened?
I attracted people who were only more than happy to point out all the ways I didn’t measure up. Did they create balance by giving me the “truth” I thought I needed? Sure. But this is where I needed healing…not someone to sit on the other end of my self hate teeter totter.
The heart chakra sits in the region of our physical heart, not in the heart itself but more centered. Think of where you feel the emotion of heartache and you have found it. It is associated with the element of air, which makes sense since it sits smack in the middle between our lungs. The heart chakra is focused on love. Big love. Not just love of others, but also love for ourselves. It symbolizes empathy, universal love, self-knowledge, inner peace and emotional openness.
The right of the sacral chakra is TO LOVE AND BE LOVED. The work is to release grief.
When this chakra is BLOCKED:
When this chakra is OVERACTIVE:
And when it is JUST RIGHT, a BALANCED heart chakra looks:
This week try writing yourself a love letter, honor and accept the different parts of your personality, practice self-care as an act of self-love, volunteer in the community, make a list of things that bring you joy, fly a kite or drive with the windows down to feel the air. Visualize a ball of green light glowing in your chest that grows to wrap the world in peace and love. Perform random acts of kindness. Repeat to yourself:
I am open to love
I am peaceful
I deeply and completely love and accept myself
I accept things as they are
Check the Facebook and Instagram pages for more ideas!