WISDOM
Welcome to the WISDOM page,
Check in with these “wisdom shares” and think of ways you can apply what you learn. Keep a notebook and pen handy, you might want to write things down that feel like a solution or inspiration for you or a friend.
Wisdom share from Universal Mother Sarah McLeod:
“Master, how can I face isolation?
-Clean your house. Thoroughly. In every corner.
Even the ones you never felt like, the courage and the patience to tend.
Make your house bright and well cared for. Remove dust, cobwebs, impurities. Even the most hidden.
Your house represents you: if you take care of it, you also take care of yourself.
-Master but the time is long.
After taking care of me through my house, how can I live in isolation?
-Fix what can be fixed and remove what you no longer need.
Dedicate yourself to the patchwork, embroider the starts of your pants, sew well the frayed edges of your dresses, restore a piece of furniture, repair everything worth repairing.
The rest, throw it away. With gratitude.
And with the awareness that its cycle has ended.
Fixing and removing outside of yourself allows you to fix or remove what's inside of you.
-Master and then what?
What can I do all with time alone?
-Sowing.
Even a seed in a vase.
Take care of a plant, water it every day, talk to it, give it a name, remove the dry leaves and weeds that can suffocate it and steal precious vital energy.
It is a way of caring for your inner seeds, your desires, your intentions, your ideals.
-Master and if the void comes to visit me? ... If fear of illness and death come?
-Talk to them.
Prepare the table for them too, reserve a place for each of your fears.
Invite them to dinner with you. And ask them why they came from so far to your house. What message do they want to bring you.
What do they want to communicate to you.
-Master, I don't think I can do this ...
-It is not isolation that is your problem, but the fear of facing your inner dragons. Those that you always wanted to get away from. Now you can't run away.
Look them in the eyes, listen to them and you will discover that they put you against the wall.
They've isolated you so they can talk to you.
Like the seeds that can only sprout if they are alone.
Prakasa Yoga”
Photo: Sawaki Kódó
Via: Iggy Changoma
Arts, Culture, Inspiration for the Queer Caribbean Diaspora
"The promise of a medicine woman:
If you come to me as a victim I will not support you.
But I will have the courage to walk with you through the pain that you are suffering.
I will put you in the fire, I will undress you, and I will sit you on the earth.
I will bathe you with herbs, I will purge you, and you will vomit the rage and the darkness inside you.
I'll bang your body with good herbs, and I'll put you to lay in the grass, face up to the sky.
Then I will blow your crown to clean the old memories that make you repeat the same behavior.
I will blow your forehead to scare away the thoughts that cloud your vision.
I will blow your throat to release the knot that won't let you talk.
I will blow your heart to scare fear, so that it goes far away where it cannot find you.
I will blow your solar plexus to extinguish the fire of the hell you carry inside, and you will know peace.
I will blow with fire your belly to burn the attachments, and the love that was not.
I will blow away the lovers that left you, the children that never came.
I will blow your heart to make you warm, to rekindle your desire to feel, create and start again.
I will blow with force your sacral chakra, to clean the sexual door to your soul.
I will blow away the garbage that you collected trying to love what did not wanted to be loved.
I will use the broom, and the sponge, and the rag, and safely clean all the bitterness inside you.
I will blow your hands to destroy the ties that prevent you from creating.
I will blow your feet to dust and erase the footprints memories, so you can never return to that bad place.
I will turn your body, so your face will kiss the earth.
I'll blow your spine from the root to the neck to increase your strength and help you walk upright.
And I will let you rest.
After this you will cry, and after crying you will sleep,
And you will dream beautiful and meaningful dreams,
and when you wake up I'll be waiting for you.
I will smile at you, and you will smile back
I will offer you food that you will eat with pleasure, tasting life, and I will thank you.
Because what I’m offering today, was offered to me before when darkness lived within me.
And after I was healed, I felt the darkness leaving, and I cried.
Then we will walk together, and I will show you my garden, and my plants, and I will take you to the fire again.
And will talk together in a single voice with the blessing of the earth.
And we will shout to the forest the desires of your heart.
And the fire will listen and whisper the echo, and we will create hope together.
And the mountains will listen and whisper the echo, and we will create hope together.
And the rivers will listen and whisper the echo, and we will create hope together.
And the wind will listen and whisper the echo, and we will create hope together.
And then we will bow before the fire, and we will call upon all the visible and invisible guardians.
And you will say thank you to all of them.
And you will say thank you to yourself.
And you will say thank you to yourself.
And you will say thank you to yourself."
- Source Unknown
Read more about Curanderismo here:
BOOKS
WHEELS OF LIFE BY: ANODEA JUDITH
“The Altar Within” by Juliet Diaz
DBT Skills Training Manual by Marsha M. Linhan
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
“Shallow Waters” by Anita Kopacz
I’ll Never Write My Memoirs by Grace Jones
Health Secret Revealed by Leading Wellness Doctors including Dr. Claire O'Neil
The Four Fold Way by: Angeles Arrien
House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss
Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.
The Psychic Sense by Edgar Cayce
“Human Design” by Chetan Parkyn
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
The Book Of Lilith by Barbara Black Koltuv, PH.D.
Lilith, Healing the Wild by Tom Jacobs
For Your Own Good by Alice Miller
“Untie The Strong Woman” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph. D.
The Power of Your Mind by Edgar Cayce
“Never, Never, Never” by Dr. Sarah Davies
The Pocket of Enlightenment by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller
Black Dove by Anna Castillo
The Seven Sacred Flames by Aurelia Louise Jones
Heart Medicine by E. Bast
Rethinking Psychiatry by Bernadette Grosjean
Essential Reiki by Diane Stein
ARTICLES
Below are articles that touch upon mental health, healing the physical body, guidance on spirituality, and articles that I have found inspiring throughout the years that are full of helpful resources and tools. You may find something to help with your current situation or maybe something for a friend.
https://www.bethanywebster.com/why-its-crucial-for-women-to-heal-the-mother-wound/
https://www.thecut.com/2017/08/erykah-badu-health-fitness-wellness-advice.html
https://hightimes.com/culture/high-priestess-how-take-high-vibe-tolerance-break/
https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/
https://www.alice-miller.com/en/healing-hatred/
https://melmagazine.com/i-have-hiv-my-partner-doesnt-84bbfeedfeca
https://www.wekeepitcandid.com/blog/2017/9/19/i-dont-want-to-cum-i-want-to-feel
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/gender-variance-around-the-world
http://mymodernmet.com/nasa-air-filtering-plants/
https://www.viceland.com/en_us/video/sacred-water-standing-rock-part-i/5888c90ae04dd90112c2893a
http://www.womboflight.com/why-its-crucial-for-women-to-heal-the-mother-wound/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-12661646
http://sanctuary3.com/spiritualized-domonique-echeverria/
http://www.injusticeboycott.com
https://unitedhumanists.com/2017/05/07/science-has-a-new-explanation-for-homosexuality/
http://articlesbrain.com/what-it-means-when-a-narcissist-says-i-love-you/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mental-health-black-women-art_us_57c87f76e4b078581f11f296
http://www.oprah.com/sp/new-midlife-crisis.html
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/domestic-violence-and-abuse.htm
https://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/the-connection-between-verbal-abuse-and-anxiety-everyone-ignores/
https://medium.com/@arahthequill/stop-mistaking-shared-trauma-for-compatibility-ae8dd1f4c7b4
https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2019/4/14/joy-sex-after-gender-confirmation-surgery
https://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/panic-attacks-and-anxiety-episodes-linked-to-vitamin-deficiencies-in-groundbreaking-study/
DAILY ROUTINE SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU STAY GROUNDED.
* Wakeup and try to avoid reaching for your phone first thing, give your spirit time to connect with the day ahead.
Pee
Take a few breaths to wake up your lungs
Drink immune boosting tea and herbal medicines
Meditate. Laying down, sitting, standing or walking meditation are all great. If meditating in silence is difficult that’s okay! Put on headphones, listen to meditation music of your choice, and lay down. (Suggestions on the sound therapy page.) Make sure you are comfortable, warm, maybe cover your eyes, and if you have healing crystals that you love, feel free to use them during this morning meditation. This time allows you to check in with your body and mind, giving you the opportunity to reset yourself for a new day. Today is a NEW day, remember to take deep, long breaths, bringing fresh oxygen to all of the nerves, joints, muscles, organs and bones in your body. What will I do today to help myself, my family, and the world?
Hydrate more! Drink water, tea, eat fruit
Mindful Eating. Try to prepare your meals mindfully without music or any other distractions. Little exercises like mindful food preparation allows us to slow our brains down so we can get comfortable with being our own pilots again. I suffer from chronic body pain and CPTSD so I treat my first meal like a dose of medicine. What does my body chemistry need to stay regulated today? Am I tired? did I go out the night before? am I PMSing? Am I depressed? Am I in pain? Do I feel amazing and want to keep it up? Have I been exposed to something triggering? Whether I'm preparing a smoothie or a cooked meal, I make sure every ingredient has a medicinal quality, from oils, to spices, to vegetables, to fruits, etc, every ingredient is a combined effort to regulate my adrenal hormones, remove toxins, and keep my inflammation down. I stick to an organic, mostly vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, caffeine free, high protein diet. Everyone's bodies are different, explore what works for you. I had my blood tested to help me figure out what foods cause the most inflammation in my body and eliminated them from my diet. If you are interested on how to regulate your pain through food medicine you can email me at: domonique@universalmother.love
Protect yourself. Whether it's a ritual, a prayer, a pep talk, a moment of peace before you walk out the door, etc, remember to take a moment to protect your energy and ask yourself to stay present and strong in your body. I also recommend smudging your space every morning to clear the energy in your home.
Move. Dance around while you're getting ready for work, go for a walk, do yoga on the floor in your room, go to the gym, find a way to get your muscles moving. If you like to shower or bathe in the morning before or after this time is best, especially if done mindfully, any chance to reset and slow down.
Work. Whether it's creative work, working at a coffee shop, or office, try to be present in your tasks. This is especially important for you freelancers out there, fill this time with mindful work, free of distractions. I like to leave my phone on airplane mode in a drawer in my dresser. If you do need to respond to calls, texts, emails, etc for work, try not to get distracted by social media and get into an internet K hole.
Fuel. Water, food, vitamins, sunshine, fresh air, music, laughter, day dreaming, meditation, love. What do you need to keep yourself going right now?
Study/work/create. Now that you've recharged, come back to your work or project with a fresh mind, fresh eyes and full body. Prepare yourself to be mindful and get started.
Move. If you pay attention to animals and children, they are always moving. Stretch, walk, go work out after work, do yoga in your living room, maybe your body needs a particular stretch or exercise to counter act the tension and stress from the day, especially if you've been sitting at a computer or standing.
Decompress, cleanse, and fuel. Throughout the day we absorb a lot of energy from other people. It's important to find time to release that tension, stress, and heavy energy before we enter our home or greet our loved ones. Maybe that means screaming, working out, getting together with friends, watching a funny movie, taking a shower, going out to dinner, listening to music, journaling, making art, or simply taking a deep exhale. Check in with your body, what do I need right now?
Connect. Take this time to be mindful with your interactions, with yourself, and with others. Practice gratitude through action and presence.
Prepare yourself for sleep. Sometimes it takes me a long time to wind down from my day, so when I'm present, I make sure to give myself plenty of time to acclimate. I like to clean my room before I go to bed so when I wake up I'm in a fresh space, respond to friends and family if I have the energy, shower, prepare my work table or bag if I have a busy week, practice rituals, read, spend time with lovers and listen to music. If you have a hard time winding down from the day or falling asleep, come up with a bed time routine and stick to it until your mind catches up. Maybe you need to reset your circadian rhythm.
When my insomnia kicks in, I find listening to meditation music to be helpful.
What is anxiety disorder?
According to Phyllis Balch in her book, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, “Anxiety disorder appears to affect twice as many women as men, though there may not actually be that wide a disparity between the sexes. Psychologists believe that men are far less prone to report or even acknowledge having a problem of this nature.
Anxiety disorder can be either acute or chronic. Acute anxiety disorder manifests itself in episodes commonly known as panic attacks. A panic attack is an instance in which the body’s natural “fight or flight” reaction occurs at the wrong time. This is a complex, involuntary physiological response in which the body prepares itself to deal with an emergency situation. Stress causes the body to produce more adrenal hormones, especially adrenaline. The increased production of adrenaline causes the body to step up its metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to quickly produce energy for the body to use. In addition, the muscles tense, and heartbeat and breathing become more rapid. Even the composition of the blood changes slightly, making it more prone to clotting.”
Thats why when we are stressed our bodies seek stimulates; sugar, caffeine, carbs, sex, digital screens, drugs, alcohol. . .distractions . . . anything to avoid being present with ourselves.
If you find yourself stressed out a lot and turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms that might include unhealthy stimulates, you could be slowly poisoning yourself (duh, right?) . . . maybe seeing it typed out helps . . . if you suffer from anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, etc . . . one of the best ways to shock your system into shape is to flush out toxins.
Treat your body like a chemistry project . . . are you indoors a lot? Maybe you are deficient of Vitamin D . . . do you eat unhealthy and drink? Maybe you need probiotics and tea. This isn’t hippy bullshit, flush out the toxins in your body . . . maybe your body is trying to tell you something, listen.
If you do suffer from anxiety, stress or mood disorder, first check in with your body, have I been healthy to myself? Honestly? No? Why? What are a few ways I can improve the health of my body and mind? What can I do to be more present in my body and mind? And remember to take deep long breaths. Don’t forget to breathe.
Love,
Domonique
email: domonique@universalmother.love