When looking for self-help, the personal development market is saturated with countless programs, books and classes. Most people opt into developing themselves in the work world, focusing on becoming a better leader, more efficient employee or a more creative designer, and often leave their soul behind.
For some, the more they give themselves into the business world the more their soul becomes lost. Why? Most people prioritize their career and “bleed” countless hours of energy into their work. This leaves the soul “high and dry” waving its hand in the corner that says, “please pick me!”
 
For many, the soul is the last kid chosen for a game of pickup basketball. When picked last long-term, the soul gets discouraged, fearful and weak. It no longer wants to play basketball because it gets discouraged, or only shooting one or two shots the entire game.
 
For those that are wrapped up in the work world and are unhappy (and needing more in life) it is your soul’s way of tapping you on the shoulder, or throwing a basketball at your head, depending on the severity.  Find out if your soul is in need of some “TLC” below. 

Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat – If the only thing you know in life is work, or you work to keep yourself busy, your soul is in dire need of a break. There are so many beautiful things in this world to keep your soul occupied other than work. This is also called a “hobby.” Nature walks, painting, yoga, writing, dancing, crafts, picnics – there is a laundry list of things you can do to fulfill your spirit.
 
You Can’t Sit Still – This ties along with people who work constantly. If your body and mind is restless – you need to calm down, take a breath of fresh air and do something soulful.
 
Your Eyes Twitch – If your eyelids twitch, it means you are stressed. Stress overtakes the body in the most negative ways. Take this as a wake up call that you need a break before issues get worse.
 
You Always Think Negatively – If the first words out of your mouth is a negative thought or putdown you really need to focus and trust your soul. There is much good in life that thinking the worst things all the time is a slow poison killing your mind and body. 

You Watch Too Much News – Watching the news everyday is the best way to make you fear life. Try to mix up your news source or layoff the news for awhile. Good and bad things happen every minute of everyday. Many who watch too much news nest at home fearing every negative detail about life. This gives you a limited perspective about life and challenges your belief system. There is more to life than worrying about the world falling apart. 
 
You Have Limited Belief Systems – If your mind is stuck, so are your beliefs. If you believe “there are no good men out there” or “no one will hire me” than you are in need of soul development. When you embrace your soul, your mindset changes. The same is true in the opposite manner. When you ignore your soul and let fear and negative perceptions flood your mind, the mind will follow those beliefs.
 
The Same Patterns Repeat – Whether it’s your behavior or the same choice in shitty partners, repeating negative patterns are a wake up call for change. Something is “stuck” subconsciously or life is trying to teach you that same lesson again and again.
 
You Are Depressed – My yoga guru from India said, “Depression is not a disease it’s a lack of knowledge.” What he meant was a lack of life knowledge because those (with non-clinical depression) do not see the light in life or are blinded with illusions (materialism). The best thing to do when depressed is to skip drug and alcohol use. Spend some quiet time in nature and let the environment do its work.
 
You Want to Hurt Yourself or Others – If you are thinking about suicide or hurting others, there is a gap between you and your soul that you need to “refill.” When you connect to your soul you overcome the anger, hatred, bitterness and revenge that you seek on the world.
 
You Feel Lost – Do you feel that you don’t belong? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? If you feel lost, connect to your soul. It’s not a quick fix, but a long journey of discovering yourself and what makes you happy in life. Looking inwards ignites the light, power and passion that lives in each and every one of us.
 
 
Those who find their soul know how to maintain long-term happiness.  Life is a challenge of highs and lows and not everyday will be a perfect sunny day, but when you know your soul, you are better equipped to handle life’s obstacles.

To sign off I leave you with this, 

Nature is beautiful, but nature is also cruel. Nature is as still as it is also violent. Albert Einstein, the interesting scientist that he is, loved nature. Though many would categorize him as an atheist, he believed that there was a power higher than humans and science. 

When you look at nature you may see pretty flowers, beautiful trees and exquisite birds. But what do you really see with your minds eye? You'll see an interconnected network of symbiotic relationships between plants and animals and species that mingle within its own "tribe." 

Planet earth is an incarnation of polarities. There is no light without the dark and there is no masculine without the feminine. The natural laws of life rule human nature. Those who try to change humanity by going against nature will lead us to a path of pure destruction. The battle of the artificial and the natural world are here. And I, until the day I die, will choose nature. 

As always, inspired by the sun, 
Elizabeth

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I believe nature holds the secrets to life. In some ways, the path to spiritual enlightenment is similar to the blossoming of a flower. People who find themselves lost or insecure must start somewhere, from the acts of planting the seed to growing the roots, discovering who you are, and blossoming your soul, takes time.

The path to spirituality comes when one opens their mind to the opportunity of change. Staying rooted with fear, and being scared for something new, will not allow a flower to grow. People fear change because they know they will detach from old things, people, habits or ways.
 
Many people refrain from spiritual change because of fear, but also because of skepticism, logic or chronic self-judgment.  The biggest barrier to spiritual development is the need to change habits, specifically mental and emotion habits, breakdowns and anxiety attacks.

It’s about changing one’s mindset and balancing the thoughts between the head and the heart. Based on my life experience, and what I was taught via theEight Limbs of Yoga and the Yoga tree, I believe spiritual development is similar to the growth of a flower.
 
Humans love flowers. Nature needs flowers and they are some of the most beautiful creations on this planet. In order to blossom and be beautiful inside, you must take the road less traveled, which looks a lot like the flower’s growth.
 
Stage One – The Seed
Planting the seed is the first step to growth. If we want to grow flowers we must plant the seeds. People who are lost may think about change. They also think about what they need to do in order to change or break patterns. This may go through the avenues of seeing a therapist, signing up for a yoga course or visiting a healer.
 
Thinking is planting the seed into one’s mind about change. Much energy spent in this stage revolves around thinking and researching options.

Seeds are hard and tough and the ego and darkness wants to hold you back, but through listening to one’s higher self they evolve to seedlings. 

 Stage Two – Seedling
In nature, a seedling is a young plant birthed from a seed. A seed is actually planted into the ground and the seedling is the first sign of life sprouted from underground. Gardeners may cover seedlings, but if left covered for too long, the seedling dies. In order to thrive, seedlings require air and light. 

I equate this stage to the actions taken toward spiritual change. This stage takes time and is not easy for most. A person may find talking to a psychologist works for the first weeks but then realizes this type of therapy is not right for them. A person may switch therapies, but the actual commitment towards getting help is the first sign of life for the soul to sprout from the underground and bask in the riches of potential and the light.
​
Seedlings are delicate. This represents the vulnerability some feel by exposing themselves and releasing the darkness from within. Seedlings are in a development stage, and this is exactly what stage two represents – development and growth. And the person has two choices, to continue the path of growth or to remain covered and rooted in old ways.
 
Stage Three – Leaves and Stems
Seedlings grow and develop leaves, stems and roots. It’s a vegetative stage where the stem thickens, the leaves grow taller and the roots spread.

Spiritually, this stage occurs through breaking patterns and allowing one’s soul to grow and breathe. Someone who’s been doing meditation or yoga “religiously” for six months will feel, look and think differently than they did six months prior.

Stage three occurs when people let in more light than darkness. They may struggle, but each time they do something for their soul they are thickening their backbone, growing their wings and staying grounded. 

Stage Four – Flower Buds
The budding stage occurs immediately when the flower bud forms. The flower then goes through a stage called heliotropism, which means the leaves and buds move to follow the course of the sun throughout the day.
 
It takes a while to bud, but a person is budding when the therapies are working. Like a flower, they follow the light. They are seeing progress and results and are nearly independent. They start to expose the light from within and their mindset has switched.

The person may have doubts, as that is normal, but they are almost in bloom.
 
Stage Five – Bloom
Once a flower blooms, the flower is independent from heliotropism and blossoming can take several days, which happens from the outside toward the middle point. Once the flower blossoms, it eventually ripens, which allows the seeds to fall to be planted.
 
The blooming stage occurs when a person is in check with his or her emotions and mental state. The mindset changed and the old ways of doing things, or over-reacting, are in the past.

The person feels, sees and breathes in the light. Their roots are so deep that they stay grounded in times of chaos. Their backbone (stalk) is as strong as a tree, so the branches may sway but are rooted and cannot be swayed back into old ways of doing things.

Externally, the person looks different and most claim they feel different internally.

The bloom stage is spiritual liberation. It’s the “end” of the journey from darkness to light. The person knows that learning, wisdom and change never has an end, but knows how to remain strong during tough times.

Once they continue this path, their seeds fall into the earth, helping other souls to find their way to the light. Replanting those seeds also aides them on their future problems. They know problems will never go away but are equipped with the strength, knowledge and tools on how to better handle life's problems. 

Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is a trainer, health coach and author of Finding Om: An Indian Journey of Rickshaws, Chai, Chapattis and Gurus. Kovar has undergone various spiritual experiences throughout her life and now shares her experiences with the world to inspire people to break patterns, reach their potential and cultivate a thoughtful life. 

The winter solstice represents the shortest day of the year. It signifies the time of gaining light into our life. We are in that upswing to the spring solstice, and surely my intuition gravitated towards this. 

I find it interesting that each solstice the people who request reiki all somehow are interconnected on their needs. During the healing session, my heart and gut were pulled at the most. Most of us need to do something in our life to fulfill the human need of love. Or some of us just desire more love in our life. 

I felt there was a connection between the heart and the gut. The gut, "our second brain," is ruled by our navel chakra, which is our power center. I was guided to continue strengthening the gut, which interestingly, fulfills our heart (and vice versa). As this is the time where we begin gaining light, I was reminded to tell you to bring the light to your heart and power center. 

At the end of each reading, I throw the goddess cards to help give me feedback about the reading. Lakshmi and Sedna popped out of the deck as I shuffled the cards. These two cards indicate that our needs will be met if we ask for it and pursue action. It reminds us that everything will be okay, but we must do our part. Please click the links to read the actual meaning of these cards. This gives you insight on this knowledge can apply to your life. 

The next 3 cards I threw in order included Saravasti, Ostara & Damara. 

You can click on each link to read the meaning of each card. But the thoughts that popped into my head are fertility. If you want to bear children, it is important to focus on this, but this also means fertility in ideas, business adventures, creative pursuits or doing something new. Combined with Saravasti, doing something whether a hobby or a business idea that we've longed to do, completing (or at least trying) can help fulfill our heart (and our souls, spiritually). Creative pursuits are ideas taken from the source and are our gifts to the world. Don't be afraid to try something new. 

Right now, in the darkness of winter, we need to plant the seeds for spring. Ostara is in the present moment position, and she represents spring. This is the time to plant the seeds for fertility (on whatever capacity that may be that can / cannot include bearing kids) on idea so it opens more in the next solstice. (Remember, change takes time and ideas take many seasons to grow). 

I was guided to also say you should touch base with your inner child. Let your spirit be free, cut cords from things that no longer serve you, and do something fun. Maybe you need to overcome childhood issues, or remove yourself from the behaviors we learned from our parents, either way it's time to cut those cords so you too can enjoy life. With the new year just days away, these goddess can help us plant the seeds for any new and creative ideas we may have. 

If you have any questions please ask. But know that your heart and gut are important. The more you take care of yourself (emotionally, mentally, physically and spriitually) and the more you choose yourself, the more love, light, energy and strength comes into your heart and power center.

Merry Christmas my friends. Until the next solstice, let the light shine in. 
​Elizabeth 

Are you going through an awakening process? Many people around the globe are experiencing some form of awakening right now. Your awakening may differ from another person's, but know that in some capacity we are shifting into Age of Aquarius.
 
I believe that in this New Age humans should tap into the ancient wisdom of our elders, stories and belief systems. As we awaken energetically, we need to realize that life consists of ebbs and flows.
 
Much of what we learn in spirituality (and read through the mainstream) is that everything is light and airy. Many believe that once we ascend we are “saved from the darkness.” I’ll try to say this as eloquently as possible. It’s bullshit. 

Planet earth is an incarnation of polarities. The dark (hate, evil, violence) will never go away. We must ascend ourselves energetically and become our own warriors to deflect, and battle, the darkness (struggle, obstacle, challenge, unimportant people) that comes our way.

This year, I picked up a pack of Doreen Virtue’s goddess cards. These cards deepened my spirituality. The more different goddesses popped up in my readings, the more I realized how much we can learn from goddesses (and gods too). 

Whether they’re in a love triangle, or overcoming betrayal, these energetic beings teach us important life lessons.
 
With an aware, wise and balanced mind, you too can overcome your obstacles, guilt and heartaches with the story behind every goddess. The biggest lessons from all these goddesses are that they can be found (and connected to) in nature. They've risen above the 

Here are four examples of goddesses who overcame (or represent) struggle that we may encounter throughout our human experience. 

Healing from Love
Most humans will experience heartache at least once in their life. This does not always mean romantic love, but any relationship. Isolt can ease your heartache. She is a Celtic goddesses who was caught in a tragic love triangle with her husband, King Mark of Cornwell and a noble knight named, Sir Tristan. She was courageous in respecting her husband but also acknowledging her love for the knight.

She reminds us that regardless of the situation love is real and powerful. She can be found in the forest and amidst the trees. I was once in a love triangle and know how agonizing the pain can be. But Isolt teaches us that some romantic connections are here for lessons no matter what the rational mind thinks.
 
Endings and Beginnings
Those who do not understand the natural cycles of birth, death and rebirth fear Hindu Goddess, Kali. In this life, we continuously shed the old and welcome the new But, how afraid are you to change? Kali pushes us out of comfort zone, not only to grow, but also to fulfill our soul’s mission. She reminds us that when one door closes, another door opens. 
 
Label and Judgment
This gospel Goddess, Mary Magdalene, has been labeled everything in the book from being a prostitute to a sinner. Instead of worrying about what everyone said about her, she chose to do her work from a higher level of consciousness. Mary teaches us to deflect the critics and “nay-sayers.” If we constantly listen to the people at the bottom, we'll never rise above our struggle. 
 
Betrayal 
Sedna is an Alaskan Goddess and daughter of the creator-God, Anguta. While at sea, he throws her into the ocean. As she held onto the boat, Anguta cut off her fingers and Sedna sunk to the underworld. Her fingers transformed into seals, whales and walruses, which were hunted by the Inuit people for food. This story teaches us that betrayal is part of the human experience. What we can do is channel our “loss” or story into something greater that can help mankind.
 
These are several examples of how Goddesses can help us in real life situations. These brief stories also teach us that life is not perfect and neither are people. The divine is here to help. All we have to do is ask.
 
Who is your favorite Goddess? What story did she teach you?

​First, thank you to all who messaged me for the 10/3 distance Reiki session. I hope that the intelligence and higher power of Reiki was sent to provide healing and the confidence to walk forward in life.
 
Well, I must say this was one of the most interesting healing sessions I’ve done. Some disturbances occurred before and during the session, which I feel were part of the healing session.

The most fascinating part is that everyone who emailed me seems to be in some mode of transition (physically, emotionally or spiritually) that requires personal healing. Letting go, starting something new, unemployed, releasing anxiety, needing to make big decisions – nothing seems rooted and just okay. Everyone is going through some form of transition.

My original intentions were to sit on this bench (that no one ever goes to) that is surrounded by trees. Since a leaf-blower guy was on the other side of the fence, I walked to another bench that is partly private.
 
I felt attracted to some yellow leaves and placed the leaves around my crystals and Palo Santo.  I commenced the healing and cleared myself of energy. The leaf blower was in the distance, and so it was distracting but not horrible.
 
I listened to Reiki music with ear buds, and began to Reiki the group as a collective. The leaf blower guy then came into the garden. Between the music in my ears and the buzzing of the blower, the noise got so overwhelming I had to move.

While reiki-ing the group, I walked two-minutes down the road to a private staircase – where I never see anyone. I know this because sometimes I read on those stairs for quit some time. I sat on the stairs and set up my leaves and crystals. A house does reside next to the stairs and out comes a family dragging suitcases in and out of the house, walking past me to go to their car.
 
God, should I move again? Since this was the third location, I had a strong urge to stay put. I thought, “Aweee, why are people in my way?”

This nagging thought to stay put kept rummaging through my head. A message came through. It said, “There will always be disturbances and people in your way. You need to proceed with this healing session regardless of who’s around. Strength comes when you block the outside world and do what you want to do.” So, I sat there and completed the individual Reiki. The family was quiet and did not talk to me, and I was able to block them out.
 
A big thing as I moved through healing people is that I had a lot “pull” on my gut. The gut is the “second brain,” the place of our intuition. The navel chakra is our power center. I kept getting reminders that we need to build ourselves up, spiritually and in our inner world regardless of what people think. In Japan, they call this area the “hara,” and if you’ve ever seen older Japanese movies and when the spiritual guy stabs himself in the stomach – he does this because he’s killing his power center.

I also felt some pull from the heart, which is something many of us are lacking in modern society as we give up our power to someone / something else and put ourselves second, or avoid the things we love because we don’t have time.
 
The other fascinating part of the healing is that I had one request to send love and light to the koalas in Australia. Now, I lived in AUS twice and I have a deep love for these animals. My body and third eye was “sucked” into these creative and into the eucalyptus trees.
 
I kept receiving a message that everyone on this list needs to spend more time and be inspired by nature. Now, some of this has been my path (connecting food with nature) to get people to evolve themselves by learning from nature, but my guides told me that the planet needs our help just as much as we need help in our own lives.  And it’s that symbiotic relationship that can evolve us. Nature can help and inspire us. And we can help nature.
 
I concluded the healing session with a Goddess Card reading. (Sorry for the blurry picture! I dropped my phone in a latte while trying to photograph it for my travel blog, so my camera is ruined!)

I asked for feedback about what people should know about this reading. (You can read more about these goddess online with a Google Search).


I shuffled the cards and two cards popped out of its deck. The first was Nemetona a Romano-Celtic who is guardian of the groves (trees) and inspires those to either visit an ancient site, build an altar in their home, go on a spiritual journey / retreat or space clear naturally with something like sage in order to connect to the Divine. Being outside in nature is very representative of Nemetona. The big message about this card here is to connect to our roots (something ancient) and nature. It’s interesting because for a year now I am drawn to Bath, England and apparently she was worshipped there.  
 
The second card that fell out of the stack is the Indian Goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi is the goddess of beauty, light, wealth, good fortune and love. This card signifies that everything will be okay, but you need to step into the light and get rid of the old “bag lady” fears you have about your future. Stop worrying about money and start visualizing abundance. Lakshmi works with Ganesha (the remover of obstacles) to overcome challenges. She is here to protect you and your family. How I interpret this is it doesn’t mean you wont experience obstacles but see them as a challenge not a barrier.
 
The three cards I pulled were:
Freyja (Nordic earth goddess) – BE BOLD and do something daring – make a big life change, appreciate your body, be flirty!
Guinevere (Celtic triple goddess) – True love (soulmates could be on their way, if your romances aren’t being met, you need to fix this within you / take steps to alleviate this, renewed passion is stirring etc., great love is within you)
Aphrodite (Greek goddess) – Inner Goddess – do something fun! Awaken your soul through dance, self-care, expose your feminine side & balance your male and female energy.
 
After that, I noticed bush branches that were cut. I felt compelled to pick them up. As I looked at the small branches, I noticed how balanced this bush is. The leaves on the right are the same shape, size and angle as the leaf on the left. I placed these branches along with my list in the sunshine for the rest of the day.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback – please contact me!