Congratulations Donna Eden & David Feinstein!

Both Energy Medicine and Energy Medicine for Women have won in their categories in the USA Book News Best Books Awards 2008.  To quote Donna when she heard the news, "Wow....hip, hip hoooray".

From the USABookNews press release:

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS (NBBA) on October 20, 2008. Over 500 winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print and audio books. Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007.

Jeff Keen, President and CEO of USABookNews.com, said this year’s contest yielded an unprecedented number of entries, which were then narrowed down to over 500 winners and finalists.

If you don't have copies yet, then get yourselves on over to Innersource to put your order in. They're such excellent health and self-help references to have in your library. I wouldn't be without mine.

Self-care tips: Keeping your Feet on the Ground

Today's self-care massage and energy tip is a follow on from the Crown Pull. Clearing the head so that we can think straight and allow energy to move through the crown chakra goes hand in hand with making sure we stay grounded.

How easily we walk on the earth, both figuratively and literally, is determined by how well we are grounded. We pull energy up from the earth and empty it back out through the feet. When we are not sufficiently grounded, this ability is severely impaired, causing us to feel "spacey", out of sync with our environment and others, tired and just not quite all there and present in the moment. When a lack of grounding continues over time and energy backs up in the system, physical symptoms can ensue, sciatica and hip problems being two that I see a lot in my practice.

Retraining your energy system on a daily basis to be grounded and stay that way can be accomplished through some simple exercises.

• Walk Barefoot - spend some time everyday with your shoes and socks off, walking on a natural surface
  
• Be Like a Tree - stand planted on the earth and imagine yourself as a tree, with roots extending into the earth through your feet
  
• Spoon Your Feet - rub a stainless steel spoon along the length of the sole
• Reinforce the Grounding Wire - place a piece of hematite on Bladder 66 (in the dip on the outside of the baby toe
• Swish your bare feet through dew-dampened grass
  
• Wiggle your toes in the sand at the beach (it doesn't have to be at the ocean - Oak Creek works just as well)
  
• Dance - put on some music with a good beat and stamp your feet into the earth
  
• Massage - work the spaces between the toe tendons on the top of the foot
  
• Stretch - use both hands to stretch the sole in all directions

Above all, have fun! Self-care doesn't need to be a chore. The more enjoyable the experience, the greater the benefits.

Energy Medicine Self-Care Tips

How would you like to have some simple, easy to follow techniques and exercises that will only require a few minutes of your time, and will help you to go about your day with a healthier, happier body and a spring in your step?

Starting today (because, quite honestly, what better time is there than right now?), I'll be posting regular self-care tips, focusing on different areas of the body and addressing those common, niggling complaints that keep us from being fully productive and full of zing in our daily lives.

If you're familiar with Donna Eden's book Energy Medicine (buy your copy here if you don't already have one - you'll be so happy you did!), the exercises and techniques will act as a reminder for what you already know. If the whole Energy Medicine arena is new to you, then you'll find you can start building your own toolbox of vital techniques to take care of your health and well being. In fact, these exercises are so easy, you won't even need a toolbox - you can keep them right in your back pocket!

Today's tip: How to Clear a Fuzzy Head or The Crown Pull

The Symptoms: You know the feeling. It's like your brain's been working overtime and there's just too much stuff in there. You really need to be able to think clearly, but the harder you try, the more slowed down you feel.

What to do: Stop right now! Take a deep breath (in through the nose, out through the mouth), and continue with deep breaths throughout the exercise.

1. Bring your fingertips to the base of the skull (where the head meets the back of the neck). Massage and rub deeply from the center of the ridge out to the sides. Do it a couple of times.
2. Bring your fingertips to your forehead. Starting at the eyebrows, curl your fingers in at the center of your forehead and drag them with pressure out towards the temples. Do 2 -3 passes, working your way up to the hairline.
   
3. Continue this movement in increments from the hairline over the top of the head, digging in at the center line and pulling the fingers apart 2 - 3 inches, just as if you're opening up your head.
   
4. Continue down the back of the head and neck to on top of the shoulders.
   
5. (Optional) Comb your fingers up through the hair to the top of the head. Grasp the hair at the roots and tug it slightly away from the scalp. This helps for those of us with very tight scalps. If you have a sensitive head, you may want to leave this step out. 
   

Effects: Your head is probably starting to feel a little buzzy, tingly or warm, and like maybe there is some more space inside. There is!

Stagnant energy is able to move out allowing energy to flow again. Circulation is increased, as is the pumping of cerebrospinal fluid, and your nervous system starts to calm. With energy able to move through the crown chakra again, you're opening yourself to inspiration and connection to a higher source (God, the Universe - however that is best expressed for you).

Fall Schedule for Energy Classes

There will be only one practice class a week, on Sundays, through the fall season, starting this Sunday, October 5th.

For those interested in going more deeply into the magic that is energy medicine, I'll offer a once a month  class where we study a whole topic from Donna Eden's book Energy Medicine, supported by the DVD. We'll cover a whole area in each class (e.g. meridians, chakras, the five elements) looking at it from all aspects, including hands-on work. This will be a longer, more in depth class that will give everyone the opportunity to gain more understanding and practice of Donna Eden's Energy Medicine. 

Please let me know if you are interested in joining. You'll be required to sign up for each class in advance.