surrendertosoulsw – Page 4 – Surrender to Soul Healing & Wellness Blog

Working with The Medicine Wheel

There are countless ways to practice with the Medicine Wheel. I do encourage an intuitive approach when working with spiritual symbolism, as we will all take something different from it. Trust your gut on how the medicine of the Wheel wants to work with/through you. Do not force, let this be a beautiful evolution (the evolution is part of the teaching, too! 😊).

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Below I provide you with a simple Incantation to speak clearly to call upon the energies of the Wheel. You may face each direction as you go through the Incantation. It is important to note that you must embody a reverence for the Spirits (Energies) of the Wheel as you go through this practice. After, you may wish to dance or sing or free-write to soften the mind and let the energies of the Universe move through you. Notice how and what you feel. Remain open to receive the energies. (You may also choose to draw the Wheel, meditate on the Wheel as a whole, or meditate on a specific section/animal/element/etc.) In Shamanism, there are no rules to what is right or wrong. How liberating! Enjoy.

Incantation:

“With respect and honoring, I welcome and call upon the Spirits of the East. I invite your powers and wisdoms to bring me clarity, perspective, intuition, and new beginnings.

With respect and honoring, I welcome and call upon the Spirits of the South. I invite your powers and wisdoms to bring me passion, determination, perseverance, and playfulness.

With respect and honoring, I welcome and call upon the Spirits of the West. I invite your powers and wisdoms to bring me renewal, rejuvenation, fluidity, and acceptance of the dark.

With respect and honoring, I welcome and call upon the Spirits of the North to bring me home. I invite your powers and wisdoms to bring me the knowledge, the abundance, and the Life I seek.

East, South, West, North – Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So be it! Aho!”

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody. Empower.

Always Love,

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Chef, Shamanic Energy Healer

The Medicine Wheel: The Wheel of the Year

Happy New Year!

What a beautiful time to recognize and appreciate the ending of a year

& The passing through to a new!

This is a potent time to reflect on the previous year. This is also a potent time to clarify your intentions for the upcoming year – helping you to manifest and create the life of your dreams. Intention-setting practices like meditation or yoga or ceremony, vision boards, art, music, dance, and any other form of creation or expression is a beautiful way to call in the energies you wish to cultivate in the upcoming year. Through these conscious actions and efforts, we create space for our intentions to manifest and ground into our Earthly life.

I have felt a deep pulling, now more than ever, to work in closer harmony with The Medicine Wheel – especially during this compelling time of transition and completion, commencement and rebirth. The Medicine Wheel is of Native American decent, and it represents the cycles of life as they turn and turn around the symbolic Wheel of the Year. Appearing as a circle, the Medicine Wheel as a whole teaches us about the never-ending lessons, rhythms, and evolutions of life – spinning around and around as each year passes. The Wheel is split into 4 parts, a part for each of the 4 Directions/Elements/Seasons correlating with one another to share a similar message and teaching. For each section of the Wheel, there is also a Gatekeeper – a specific power animal that holds the “medicine” of that part of the cycle.

For those of you that have worked with me before or who know me well, know that I LOVE learning from Earth and her natural rhythms, as it encourages me to recognize and honor MY own cycles. The Medicine Wheel is a powerful Shamanic tool that helps us do this. If we embrace the “medicine” of the Wheel (otherwise known as the teaching), we can embody the different powers, strengths, and wisdoms it holds. If we implement into our Lives what reverberates and resonates for us, in return each rotation around our Wheel of Life is smoother and filled with greater peace and knowing. You can find many different variations of The Medicine Wheel out there – I offer one below that resonates with me. As always, you may discover your own and choose differently. 😊

Traditionally we rotate clockwise, beginning in the East. The element that correlates with the East is Air; the season is Spring; the color is Yellow. The Gatekeeper of the East is known as the Eagle. The Eagle offers us the medicine of clarity, of sight, of perspective. The Eagle soars high in the sky, blown by the wind, gazing down onto Earth and all of its workings. The Air in which the Eagle soars is representative of breath, of intuition. This part of the Wheel symbolizes new beginnings, as the sun rises in the East each and every day. It is said that we first enter our Earth bodies in the East; it is also the place of conception. You can observe and feel this conception taking place during the Spring – when the Earth is waking back up from the silent solace of winter. We give our gratitude and respect to the East for bestowing us with a new day, new beginnings, with clarity and perspective, and with the chance to start anew.

Transitioning to the South, it is the place of Fire, of Summer, of the color Red. The Gatekeeper of the South is known as the Coyote. The Coyote offers us the medicine of resilience, perseverance, determination, and a whole lot of playfulness and trickery. In the South, the heat of Summer burns like Red Fire to transform and grow and play. The South is a place of passion and action, of coming together in community to thrive. Beginnings conceptualized in the East gain momentum and shapeshift in the South, allowing for Divine manifestation.

Transitioning to the West, it is the place of Water, of Fall, of the color Black. The Gatekeeper of the West is known as the Bear. The Bear teaches us about renewal, hibernation,rejuvenation, and acceptance of the dark. The Bear is also a fierce protector and nurturer. The sun sets every evening the West, encompassing the sky with Black darkness. It is said that when we are ready to leave our Earthly bodies, we will exit through the doors of the West. We also call upon this Watery energy to become comfortable with fluidity, with our emotions, with the rain; Water is known to have very cleansing and purifying properties, too. You can feel or imagine this time similar to the final stages of pregnancy – where the fetus lies in the dark, watery womb, replenished and renewed.

The final transition is to the North – the Element of Earth, Season of Winter, Color of White. The Gatekeeper of the North is known as the Buffalo. The medicine of the Buffalo is that of knowing and wisdom, gratitude and abundance. When Native Americans would hunt and kill a Buffalo, they used EVERY part of the animal. This was seen as a representation of the ultimate surrender and an action that honored the cycles of life and death. The buffalo was respected greatly for it’s life-giving qualities. Everything comes full circle in the North. It is said that this is place where the Elders, Ancestors, and Spirits reside. I see Earth and the North as a place of coming home – of grounding into our foundation for the next turn of the Wheel. Do you remember Harriet Tubman? With help from a friendly white woman, she followed the North star to run away because she feared being sold as a slave. Once free, she went back to assist hundreds of others on their way to freedom on “The Underground Railroad”. Through the support of the North, she helped to close one cycle AND begin a new for the hundreds she saved.

We lean into the support of the North during this time of year – as we are preparing to cross the threshold into 2019.

Blessings & Best Wishes for you in 2019…

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody. Empower.

Always Love,

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Chef, Shamanic Energy Healer

Home Practice: Bless Your Home

You can easily bless your home (or any space) through your thoughts, words, and actions.

STEP ONE: Begin at your front door or the entrance to your space. As you walk in, look around and start to mindfully walk the perimeter of the room, slowly making your way through each part of your home.

STEP TWO: Gaze at your space with the feeling and the thoughts you wish to reflect onto your space – peace, comfort, safety, healing, etc. (You may choose to carry your favorite crystal or burn your favorite herb or wood as you do this.) Invite an inner feeling of Love and hold the clear intention to Bless in your heart center.

STEP THREE: Sounds are a powerful tool that create our reality. Words, songs, and incantations can be a promising way to deliver a potent Blessing. Here is an incantation I have used that is quite simple but effective: “Bless this house. Bless this home. Heal this house. Heal this home. Love this house. Love this home.” You may repeat this as many times as you feel called as you walk around each room, being sure to walk the edges and corners. You may also replace the words house/home with space/place or any other word(s) that feels right. It may feel right for you to touch certain objects in your space, or move your hands in an organic magical way as you repeat the incantation. I would recommend repeating the incantation at least 3 times all the way through out loud with conviction, certainty, and feeling.

STEP FOUR: Once you have made it through the entire space, return to the center of the space or to the center of your home. Close your eyes and breathe for several moments into this Blessing that you have bestowed into your space. Thank yourself, and notice what you feel. Record any experience or reaction as you feel called to.

Always Love,

XOXO

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Diet Coach, Shamanic Energy Healer

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody. Empower.

*First image of me was taken by Annabelle. Please check out her work here http://www.annabelledenmark.com/*

Own Your Power: You Create Your World

Happy Holiday & Winter Season!

I hope you are enjoying this healing, dark time of year as the sun shines less and the moon shines more.

I used to really dislike winter…you know…the cold, the lack of sun, the longer nights. But recently, I have found the sheer beauty and comfort in being home cozy, rested, reflective, and mostly in the dark.

The photo above was taken just as the season was changing to fall…I am in Rocky Mountain National State Park surrounded by mountain air, water, sunshine, and rock. I love this image because it beautifully shows the balance between light and dark, and also because there is an awesome orb glowing with the color of my Lifeforce – bright blue! 😀

The seasons are a great example of the entire spectrum available to us in the Universe. We have spring/summer (the light side) and fall/winter (the dark side). For most of my life, I was labeling or judging the dark (winter) as “less-than” instead of viewing it as an equal part of the greater whole.

The distinction between light and dark can be compared to many oppositions and reflections that are parts of one total whole….good and bad, self and other, earth and universe… there are an infinite amount of examples. When we open our perceptions to see the totality of each experienced spectrum, we also open to the beauty and the healing in each and every part. One gives definition to the other. We know there would be no light without dark, no good without bad, no self without other, and no earth without the universe.

Through our perception do we actually create each experience we have.

Through our perception do we actually create the Universe.

And the Universe always responds.

Shamanically, it is believed that we actually dream the world into being. I first learned this from teacher Sandra Ingerman. We dream the world into being through our thoughts, beliefs, actions, and perceptions. Because we are all a part of the Universe, we are all co-creating this world together. Individually, we have our personalized belief systems for which we base our own perceptions and actions around. And yes, surely some overlap with the “collective” as well. The “collective” is defined by me as being the Universal “way” dreamed into all of our beings by centuries of programmed beliefs, actions, and behaviors of mankind.

When the veil of illusion lifts away, when you begin to SEE the truth of your reality – things actually become a bit lighter and certainly clearer! We consciously begin to understand our most in depth under-the-surface workings, our unique code to how we function and perceive reality. You can call this getting to know our subconscious or unconscious Self. And, we actually build the foundation for our Life through our subconscious and unconscious Self – these parts we are mostly unfamiliar with.

We certainly dream our world into being through our deepest parts such as these…

Give yourself a moment to look within yourself for your answers:

With awareness, gaze around you…shift your perspective so that you may be able to SEE the whole…then ask yourself…

How does my home space reflect me, both in feeling (vibe) and appearance (cleanliness & organization)?
How does my work reflect me?
How do the actions I have taken reflect me?
How does my experience of yesterday reflect me?
How does my attitude about tomorrow reflect me today?
How am I thinking, feeling, acting and how does that reflect this perceivable moment right now?

…

Our perception and perspective begins with us, always.

We create our Life because we are Life!

We create our experience because we are the Creation!

We are Creation itself as it witnesses itself!

….

We are a unique and valued part of the whole of the Universe.

Own your Power.

How do you create your world?

Always Love,

XOXO

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Diet Coach, Shamanic Energy Healer

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody. Empower.

Nature’s Spiral

Happy November!

In the photo, I am holding myself while at a beautiful Women’s Retreat tucked away in the mountains with Lori Glazebrook & photographer Annabelle Denmark. I helped to cook the delicious Soul Food for this retreat. And for those of you that have visited my website or know me well, know that I LOVE to get my hands on food to infuse it and cook with LOVE. What a beautiful blessing to attend and share one of my passions!

The gorgeous and raw photo above was taken by Annabelle. Please check out more of her work at http://www.annabelledenmarkportraits.com/.

The image of me is pretty telling. During the shoot, I naturally curled up in the dark corner and hugged myself tight. In this image, I feel my present-self whispering to my “inner child” – “It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re held. I love you.”

The last few weeks have been “turbulent” times for me you could say – as I have been navigating through family emergency, illness, nerve pain, unexpected & expected travel, workshops/classes/retreats (teaching & attending), and a lot of emotions along the way.

However, such is life. Our human existence is challenging, and it will always have those clearly challenging sections or bumps along the way.

Challenge is an invitation to grow.

Challenge is an invitation to check in.

Challenge is an invitation to feel.

I feel deeply within myself that there is a teaching in every experience, every emotion, every turbulent or every blissful time. Through LIVING, we learn about ourselves. Through EXPERIENCING, we open ourselves to receive guidance, insight, and teachings as we continue onward on the wild journey of life on Earth.

It has been a reoccurring theme for me to honor MY needs first…so that I may continue to serve, support, and love others. This has been a constant teaching, a constant “checking in”, a constant “What do I need?” as I’ve moved through the last few weeks.

My needs showed up such as:

driving a bit further to buy myself my organic groceries while traveling
saying “no” to a workshop I already signed up for
allowing myself to nap or rest more if needed
or simply holding myself (like in the portrait) during this cycle of healing and renewal.

I’ve learned over the years that even if Life appears as smooth sailing or seemingly “easy”, my path continues to unveil itself and spiral in a circular orientation. I have days or weeks where I am full of lifeforce, prana, or creative energy as I go about my daily tasks, teachings, healings, workouts, cooking, etc. This is the “outward” or “upward” time of my cycle or circular path. In opposition, I have days or weeks where I am drawing inward. During this time, I am needing holding, rest, rejuvenation, and additional support. Neither is better or worse than the other, and the timeline for each opposing cycle is unknown and different during every rotation.

You can observe this spiral in nature all around us…from as big as images of the universe to smaller images of hurricanes to as small as images of a seashell. Of course, there is a mathematical foundation to this characteristic of the Cosmos – it is called the Fibonacci Sequence, also known as the Golden Ratio.

But to me, I call it Nature’s Spiral.

I have integrated this teaching into a deeper level of my being recently. I “knew” this tendency about my path, but I was still holding onto a certain level of resistance for the “inward” or “downward” portion the spiral. I realized how beautiful, soft, and simple this time can be, and it doesn’t make it “less than” or “worse than” the opposition (even though society teaches us to push, grind, and force our way through).

I believe Nature’s Spiral occurs in all of us with different varying degrees and opposition, whether we are aware of it or not…

Try to soften your mind, open your heart, expand your ability to reflect and find out for yourself…

Home Practice

STEP ONE: Find or take a moment to pause, slow down, and reflect. This can be anywhere. Invite a few deep breaths in and out to enter the present moment. Once you feel ready, ask yourself “How am I feeling today”? Do I feel tired? Do I feel energized? Do I feel introspective, joyful, sad, carefree, depleted, tender, overwhelmed? If you could pick one emotion to describe how you are feeling, what would that be?

*This is a great practice to do for several days/weeks straight. It can be simple, and I promise will get easier as you practice. You may choose to record your answers in a journal to reflect on later.

STEP TWO: Inhale a lengthened low belly breath; this time, exhale and offer the breath out of your mouth. This breath can be however gentle or loud as necessary. Repeat this style of breathing, and notice until you feel your inner awareness shift down (out of your mind and into your Heart Center, or perhaps even lower into Belly Center). It is much easier to connect to the wisdom of your true essence through the body; additionally, be mindful that it is impossible to connect to your being if you are lost in your mind’s chatter (own it if you are!). Furthermore, once you are fully relaxed into your body, guided by your exhales – ask yourself “What do I need in this moment?” Not what your mind wants you to do; not what other people want you to do; not what your job wants you to do. What do YOU need?

*This need comes from the wisdom within the body or from the “Higher Self” if you will. Honor the answer you receive. Act on your need in the perfect time for you.

STEP THREE: Reflect on the last few weeks of your life (or your journal entries). What do you notice? What Wisdom is to be gained through reflecting on your own cycle? Is there some sort of pattern asking to be seen?

*Mentally reflect or write your insight down in your journal.

Please reach out with any comments or questions about your experience(s)! <3

As Always – So Much Love & Gratitude,

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Diet Coach, Energy Healer

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody, Empower.

If you feel called, check out my humble offerings on my website here.

Conscious Eating

This is a huge part of my life.

So often in today’s society we have completely lost our personal relationship to the food we eat. More specifically, we have lost our connection and lost our gratitude for how our food is grown, where it is grown, how it travels to us, and most of the time even how it is cooked before we eat it. Generally speaking, food as we know it exists only right before it enters our mouths. ☹

There is DEEP healing in not only how we interact and respect our food, in not only the quality of the food we choose to eat, in not only how our food was grown, but in the ENTIRE process of eating. For most of us, that is the shopping, preparing, cooking, eating, cleaning cycle that occurs when we touch, infuse, and respect our food by preparing it ourselves.

We become humbled by this process, because you are right – it is far from “convenient” in today’s world. Although, convenience and health can be two opposing things. Maybe for some of us, we are able to have our own gardens and grow our own food, or buy from a local farmer. This year, I have harvested cucumbers, romaine, green leaf, watermelon, zucchini, squash, herbs, and more!

There is something really profound about caring for your food as it grows before it even hits your fridge.

But, we are really blessed either way.

We have a surplus of grocery stores around us carrying healthy & organic produce, meat, and anything we could possibly need or even want. I do not have to grow all my own food because there are plenty of talented organic farmers around doing that for me (thankfully). I can literally walk to a grocery store from my house and buy clean, nutrient-dense food. How awesome is that!

As the season’s shift, it is a beautiful time to slow it down, check in, and pay attention to the small joys in our Earth life – like preparing or truly enjoying a delicious meal. The turn of the seasons is a beautiful time to honor the fall harvest – whatever you are harvesting (however subtle it may be).

And no matter the season, the food we choose to put into our bodies as fuel is directly related to our level of health and our potential level of health. You have probably heard the saying “You are either fighting or feeding disease with every bite”. I realize this can be quite overwhelming because we are habitual creatures, and it may be hard to break those habits. BUT, there are 4 simple principles I teach so that you can improve the quality of the food you eat AND improve your relationship to the food you eat as well.

4 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health:

Cut back on processed foods (foods in the middle of the grocery isles – anything boxed, packaged, etc.). Most of these foods have no nutritional content, and they are filled with sugars, grains, artificial flavors & colorings, preservatives, GMOs, and more icky ingredients. Be sure to check the nutrition label for sneaky ingredients that could feed disease.
Cut back on gluten, dairy, and refined sugars & fats. Simply put, these will absolutely correlate with the levels of inflammation and toxicity in your body. Plus, nowadays there are amazing healthy alternatives.
Have respect for your food! Honor where it’s been before it hits your plate – it matters. Taking a moment before you eat at a restaurant or at home to offer your thanks and your love to the food can completely shift how your body will digest and metabolize it. This is specifically important if you do not buy, touch, cook, or connect in some way to your food before you eat it. Your intention is everything!
Have compassion! Be kind to yourself. The beauty is in the process…

CONTEMPLATE or JOURNAL:

Am I connecting with the food I eat? Am I honoring my food? Am I honoring my health?
How can I improve my connection to my food?
What are 1 or 2 simple changes I can make that will help me honor my food more authentically?
What is a personal, reasonable goal for my own Conscious Eating in a year from now?

Conscious Eating Meditation

Eat a meal with wholehearted, conscious awareness.

Sounds simple, right?

You can find the right time to do this no matter where you are. Trust that you will know when is the “right time”.

Give yourself permission to set aside the everyday worries of your world.

Give yourself permission to let go of the grasps of the mind. Let go of the mind’s tendencies to attach, resist, or judge; and instead, simply allow yourself to experience the present moment in your body. This is important: Put aside all distractions (tv, phone, radio, etc). You will not need them.

Allow yourself to become immersed in the sensations of eating. Indulge in the smell of your food. Taste the flavors as they interact with each other in your mouth. Feel the changing textures as you chew and swallow. Let this be a full body experience. Allow your body to experience the experience of eating with gratitude, with love, and with presence. Allow every bite to dive you deeper into the magic of eating consciously.

Notice what shifts; notice what comes up; notice what evolves; notice how you feel when you finish.

Please reach out with comments, questions, or if I can support you in any way through your journey of Conscious Eating. Many Blessings.

XOXOXO,

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Diet Coach, Energy Healer

https://surrendertosoulwellness.com/

Contact me @ [email protected]

Trust in YOUR Path

It is a bittersweet time of year for me, as I am such a summer baby, but actually I am quite excited for fall in CO (hopefully it lasts longer than 1 week – haha ?).

MMM I can taste pumpkin already… (check out my recipe for this month below).

Schools are back in session, nights are colder, days are becoming shorter, and the rhythm of life continues on. As much as I love waking up to the sun shining beautiful luminous rays through my bedroom window in summer, there is something magical about waking up to darkness, stillness, calmness – and observing the light as it emerges and encompasses, waking up Earth (at least on our side ?).

As we begin to shift into another season, our internal rhythms will naturally shift as well to follow what is occurring outside of us. There is great wisdom and balance in the creative workings of life – the macro and the micro. Our bodies may inform us of these changes such as going to sleep earlier or waking up later than before, yearning for more time to slow down & reboot, or a little extra cozy snuggling on the couch with a blanket and your favorite book or movie or podcast. There are endless ways YOUR body could show you – unique to you. Although, it is 100% up to YOU if you listen and respond mentally to this innate craving, or brush it off to the side because of life’s sheer business and scheduled structure. I know for me personally, I can already feel myself turning inward to reflect, recharge, and expand my awareness to learn about things that interest me.

The other night I was watching an awesome show on Netflix called “The Code” and it really stirred up a continuing contemplation of my own

How much Trust do we truly feel for the manifestation of our own unique Path?

The episode I was watching explained the mathematical code that contains the manifesting Universe, in reference to Nature herself. Proven now by mathematical formulae, there is a Universal Order to the intricate workings of Earth and Earth’s Beings. Bees naturally take the path of least effort and resistance as they make their honeycomb – they choose the hexagon shape (instead of a triangle or square) no matter where they are in the world. This shape allows them to use the smallest amount of wax to build their home. Based on fractal geometry, we know this to be absolute truth. The definition of a “fractal” is a non-regular geometric shape that has the same degree of non-regularity on all scales. Fractal geometry is everywhere! From trees to stone formations to brain waves to bubble formations to flowers and bacteria. I like to think of fractal geometry as “ordered chaos”. That sounds like Life – doesn’t it? ?

I love merging the Science and the Spiritual, SO even in times of hardship or suffering, there is still a Universal Order occurring moment by moment – a Divine Timeline for our Path & the events, experiences, and sensations along it. The manifesting Universe has our backs; it will provide us the Path of least resistance & least effort naturally (even if it doesn’t seem so). We are continuously moving, divinely guided through Life – no matter the number of perceivable detours, roadblocks, or bumps that appear on our Path.

I ponder how many of us, myself included sometimes, resist the natural flow, manifestation, and “ordered chaos” that is our Life. Sometimes is quite hard to see the Divine unfolding of our Path – but I promise you, it is without-a-doubt manifesting perfectly – unique to YOU.

XOXOXO,

Shanin Weisberg

Yoga Teacher, Diet Coach, Energy Healer

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody. Empower.

Check out my website here!

Are you Conscious of your own Aliveness?

Are you conscious of your ability to witness, contain, and harness the power that resides in YOU? The power that is the essence of creationary lifeforce itself. (Woah! ?)

Are you conscious of the very lifeforce that pulsates through your being at any given moment? Do you offer yourself time & space to connect to your OWN lifeforce?

The creative energy that fuels all life manifests in our own bodies as our breath, heartbeat, blood flow, a stream of thoughts, emotion, sensation, and more.

Do you revel in the sheer Aliveness that is YOU?

…. Or are you “sleeping” your way through *human* life? Are you on autopilot for most, if not all, of your “time” or days? Are you too distracted or restricted by the artificial rhythms placed in modern-day society (clock-time, schedules, technology) to feel gratitude for and connect to this miracle that is LIFE?

We, as humans, have a beautiful advantage in this life – we have the ability to be conscious of our own consciousness. This is probably why (even as a biproduct) we hold the status we do on Earth, at the top of the food chain. Essentially, we have the ability to be a part of the spirit of life as it flows through and within us just as much as we are able to witness the Aliveness pulsate from an objective view. We can, cohesively, experience the pulses of life as US (breath, heartbeat, thoughts, etc.), and, simultaneously, witness those pulses as they unfold (neutrally “watch” thoughts, emotions, sensations as they occur).

This requires us to be still enough to experience AND observe the subtle pulsations. As we practice releasing the restraints of the mind, the illusionary veil of separation and fear will eventually lift – we surrender into a “remembering” of the universal rhythm of life.

This connection to lifeforce occurs when we are fully present and immersed in the wonder of this moment. It is beyond minds ability to attach, avert, or judge – this connection is rooted in the true power of the body. Even if only for a moment or two, we can sense from deep within ourselves, the vastness of lifeforce. If you have a difficult time “sensing” this vastness – with enough stillness, you can surely feel your breath moving itself and your heart beating itself. Feel into the force that is behind the breath, behind the heartbeat.

We can also become conscious of the pulsations inside AND outside – pulsations of the Earth – driven by the same lifeforce.

You could call this connecting to the entire Web of Life – life inside our “vessels” (aka our bodies) & life outside our “vessels” – ignited & propelled by the same source.

It is sometimes easier to connect to Earth’s lifeforce first…

Contemplate being in nature – it is quite simple to feel enchanted there…

When immersed in the natural world, we observe & also rest as a part of the universal flow and vibration of life. We sync with the natural rhythm. We hear the sounds – wind as it blows the trees, animals shuffling or insects flying by, waves crashing, birds chirping. We feel the breeze on our skin or the toasty sun as it warms our body. We gaze upon nature beings interacting within the circle of life – in alignment with all of the other beings around. We smell the vital, pure air that is so deeply fresh. We taste our snacks as they bounce in our mouths, full of flavor – and for some reason, we are totally occupied by a state of wonder & gratitude for life.

The most direct way to connect with the lifeforce in your body is to connect with the Earth. The Earth and our Earth bodies are inseparable. Our body is a piece of the bigger Earth. We can view our inner world & our outer world as mirrors linked by the same force – of life. When we allow the natural rhythm of life to flow through & within us (instead of artificial rhythms) – we allow nature to do what it does best. We surrender to the universal flow of the Cosmos as it occurs within US.

We are, then, Conscious of our own Aliveness.

With Love & So Much Gratitude,

Thank you –

Shanin Weisberg

Diet/Lifestyle/Spiritual Services, Yoga Teacher, Healing Sessions

https://surrendertosoulwellness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SurrendertoSoulWellness/

Doing vs. Being

I’d say it’s officially SPRING – with maybe even a touch of summer (at least here in CO :P). Perhaps you feel the increase of energy that goes along with this change of season. I know I am! For me, it tends to manifest as an extra chatty mind or busy “to-do” lists. This could (and probably will!) show up in a different way for you. Regardless of how this propulsion into a warm, active season is revealing in your life, we could all invite in a little less “DO” & a little more “BE”. We can then find our own unique balance of these two energies (DO & BE) as they merge in our everyday life. These last few weeks have brought me back to this simple, but profound practice.

So – what is the difference between doing vs. being?

Doing is the action you take in the world. We are doing when we turn a thought or belief into our physical reality by action. Mowing the lawn, tending to the garden, driving our car, working at the office, preparing our dinner, etc. – these are all actions we “DO” – can you feel into the energy of doing?

Being naturally occurs when we are completely present – when our entire awareness is rooted in our body (not in our thinking mind!). We are being when we experience every sensation, every emotion, every action, even every stream of thought as the experience unfolds, fully immersed in that very moment. It is actually impossible to “BE” when we are in our mental space, having conversations within our own mind – spiraling thoughts around & around. Being requires us to feel, not to think. Practicing yoga, talking a walk out in nature, listening to waves crash on the beach, eating a meal without distraction, meditating peacefully, etc. – these are all experiences for which we “BE” – can you feel into the energy of being?

Now – we are humans functioning in a present-day society. We have lives to life & things to do. But, we also have the ability to gift ourselves with each experience as it occurs, moment by moment. It IS possible to be fully present & aware as we go about our daily tasks. It is also possible to (if we need to) pencil in time slots so that we can BE – go for a walk, practice yoga, or whatever else is suitable for you! I know – it seems simple as written text but is much more challenging to invite in as a part of our reality. That is why it is a practice, always ?.

Start to contemplate: Ask yourself how you can incorporate more being during this shift into activity. Then ask yourself how you can be in all that you do. Maybe journal about it, chat with a friend, or write a comment & let me know how it’s going!

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All my LOVE,

Shanin Weisberg

Owner/Founder of Surrender to Soul Wellness

Diet/Lifestyle/Spiritual Services, Yoga Instructor, Healing Sessions

How To Make Delicious Paleo Superfood Cacao Power Balls

Hi Beautiful Health-Conscious People!

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I have recently created this AMAZING & EASY recipe. These

Paleo Superfood Cacao Power Balls

make a DELICIOUS treat, pre/post workout pick-me-up, morning metabolism boost, & all around filling & energized snack. These balls will help you BURN fat, increase your metabolism, help regulate your blood sugar levels, keep you full for longer, & give you sustainable energy.

I’m sure you’ve heard the latest on Cacao vs. Cocoa… Does it really matter which one to pick? Well…they do start from the same place… but finish VERY different! Cacao beans are processed at HIGH temperatures to get the well-known Cocoa Powder — highly processed & stripped of most of the nutrients & antioxidants during the heating process. Cacao beans go through a cooling process to become the bitter, wholesome Cacao powder — which maintains most of it’s nutritional value.

Here’s why you should choose Cacao over Cocoa: *less-processed* *super-food* *antioxidants* *nutrient-dense with magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, & manganese* *mood-booster* *improves cognitive function* *healthy heart* *regulates insulin* *no added- ANYTHING* *you are eating CLEAN love*

Sounds good — right?

Great, & this recipe is really so simple…all you need is your handy-dandy food processor & this list of ingredients below ( do your best to buy organic 🙂 )

Ingredients:

1 cup toasted cinnamon almonds (i bought raw & then toasted with lots of sprinkled cinnamon on a baking pan in oven (375 degrees) for about 15 minutes, mixing once or twice, then cooled, packaged, & used the day after) OR 1 cup raw almonds
1 cup roasted salted cashews ( i bought them this way 😉 )
4 medjool dates
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut flakes
2.5 tablespoon coconut oil
1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
few pinches of sea salt

How To Make:

Put all the ingredients in the food processor, & blend together until relatively smooth. If you have more of a sweet tooth — you can add in more dates or some of your favorite raw honey or coconut sugar, but the other two might change the texture slightly. Try it first though—see what you think! You may really enjoy the bitterness of the Cacao balanced with the fat & protein. After you’ve processed the ingredients together… you just ball it up…into really whatever size you want…but mine were about the size of a normal cake pop top – lol (but of course much better). This recipe made me about 24 balls. They last in an air-tight container for about 1.5 weeks, or for longer in the fridge.

Let me know how you adjust this recipe fit YOU! <3

SO MUCH LOVE … thank you for taking the time, making the choice, taking the action to improve yourSELF through what you put into your body as fuel. It is truly our best alley for health in this life.

xoxoxo

From all of me, To all of you….

Shanin Weisberg

Surrender to Soul Wellness

Enhance. Embody. Empower.

Check out more….

on facebook https://www.facebook.com/SurrendertoSoulWellness/?ref=bookmarks

on my website https://surrendertosoulwellness.com/

Here’s for more info on Cacao vs. Cocoa – https://blog.paleohacks.com/cacao-vs-cocoa/#