Category: Blog

Why We Meditate

Posted on by Tom Kelly

We meditate to go from the level of problems to the level of solutions. Will meditation solve all problems? No, but meditation allows us to see problems through a much different lens. If we are then able to step forward with a different framing of our situation, a new and more clearly defined reality will be seen.

Meditation is the path to consciousness and being conscious is like having won the lottery. The only difference being, all sensation of this glorious state continue well beyond any material success.

 

Yoga and Healing

Posted on by Tom Kelly

Those who know me understand how much I connect with Yoga. And although there is nothing that can replace doing a class in person and being part of the community, there are times when a good teacher pops up online.

For me to endorse a teacher, number one they need to have an advanced level of knowledge but more importantly, offer “safe” options in their routines. You should never leave a yoga class hurting, or in worse condition than when you started. This is why choosing a teacher is so important, whether online or in person. As a student, it is “our” responsibility to gauge our level of participation, keeping in mind growth and expansion comes over time. If we compare ourselves to students in the class we have immediately lost our reason for being there. As a yoga student one needs to be committed to our process and free of comparison. A teacher reads the class and gears the practice to keep everyone interested and safe, leading students beyond the pose and yet in sync with the group.

This week I was looking for a psoas release and came across this wonderful yoga teacher Brea Johnson. Her videos range from full-length classes to short videos specific to help to gain strength, stretch and releasing muscle groups or areas of the body. I find her approach safe and effective. If you are looking for ways to expand your daily practice and can’t get to a class in person. Brea has created a video to help you expand, get stronger and be safe.

Brea Johnson on YouTube

Heart and Bones Yoga

If you are looking for a studio to Practice in Ottawa there are many. All good studios offer trial packages to allow students to attend different classes and be with as many teachers as possible. Your goal as a student is to find a class and teacher that challenges you but also support growth on an individual level. Remember, no two people are alike, our bodies, bone structure, flexibility, and life experience are different. Thus your practice will be unique to you.

Students who fully surrender at their own level in class are often learning and experiencing far more than a student who might look great in a pose but may not see or feel a deeper sense of self. Not that any practice is right or wrong.

Here is a shout out to my studio, keeping in mind the Yoga community in Ottawa support each other – Pranashanti Yoga Centre

Hypnosis and Healing

Posted on by Tom Kelly

Most people think of hypnosis and are immediately reminded of something they saw on television or watched at a fair or exhibition. What we remember is a hypnotist making people fall asleep and then act foolish on stage. In movies, we were shown the Hollywood version of mind control as patients were stripped of their dignity and diminished using hypnosis.

Until recently, I myself thought hypnosis was nothing more than tricks for those interested in entertainment.

In 2017, I read a book that offered hypnosis as a method to heal past trauma and after doing a lot of homework I reached out to a friend to have a session.

What I have learned is that with the right practitioner, hypnosis not only can be but also is a powerful healing tool. Unlike what we recall from television where people are sound asleep and not aware of the present moment, one is actually quite aware of what is happening.

A hypnosis patient is guided into a deep trance state, which I call super consciousness or an area of Theta brainwave. Theta state is the area of consciousness between being awake and being asleep. So Theta is actually a deep meditative state and considered by Shamanic healers as the bridge to the subconscious mind.

Let me clear up possible myths about being in a hypnotic trance. You are not asleep and unable to understand what is going on, you are simply very relaxed and feel very alive and empowered. I can say for the record that in Theta state one is fully aware of their surroundings and can come back to a fully awake state without assistance, so you are always in control.

In hypnotic trance or Theta state, the power of suggestion or the ability to see beyond our beliefs and patterns is very powerful. This is where our greatest healing work happens.

In many respects, hypnosis is no different from other healing modalities and a client must find a practitioner they trust, someone who will manage their experience with complete care and integrity. All good healing practitioners tune in and are literally there with a client as they journey through an experience that is meaningful to them, something they need to heal.

I am very fortunate to know Sandy a very talented healer and certified hypnotist. I can offer her contact information to those interested in her services.

Earlier this summer I had a session with Sandy and to be honest I was not 100 percent certain what I would be working on?

I had a gut feeling there was something unsettling from my childhood that was calling for my awareness and this is where my session led us.

I almost immediately went to a place in my past where I was 7 or 8, and fully connected to an experience that had upset me. The remainder of the session became about processing the underlying pieces of what was perceived in those moments and fully understanding this reality. All healing of this nature is about seeing a trauma clearly, knowing how it affected you and then stepping forward to heal or reclaim. We honor the feelings from the past, in a sense lightening their weight while creating a new loving perception for yourself and all who were involved.

These moments of healing always stun me with the power they possess to transform something we may barely have remembered. These transformational unfoldings always leave a client completely uplifted. It is something you can see in their eyes like something new and bright has reappeared for them. Also important is to review the core messages of the healing so that there is a takeaway as a reminder of the power that was reclaimed.

As we enlighten a moment from our history and brighten a space within ourselves, we also can brighten and heal for others who surrounded us in these moments. What we affect through healing is always much bigger than ourselves (or should be)!

By Tom Kelly

Risk Factor

Posted on by Tom Kelly

What is “risk” and how does it affect our lives? This documentary caught my eye recently and really helps the viewer understand and answer some tough questions for ourselves and the risk we take. No, it is not about money or wealth. This documentary discusses how risk participates in our daily lives and how risk helps and hinders us grow regardless of age or gender. Without understanding how risk enhances our lives, we can miss the key components that help make us more powerful at living. I like the real-life stories and analysis of high-risk living and how it translates into everyday life for the average person. In the documentary alcohol is mentioned with this notation, one glass of wine equates to medicine with all subsequent glasses considered poison for the body (I know, bad example for those I hope will watch). Just a tiny glimpse of all the invaluable information within this 50-minute documentary.

– Tom Kelly (see below for official film bio and link to watch Risk Factor)

Risk Factor

Risk permeates our lives. Filmmaker Robert Lang’s journey to demystify risk leads him to a renowned statistician at Cambridge, an extreme ice climber on an avalanche-prone mountain, a physicist at a nuclear reactor, and a security guru at the Boston Marathon. Lang replays and reconsiders his most risk-laden life experiences – from a drunken joyride to a murder on his doorstep, to a brush with nuclear radiation, to the pages of his family history that speak to current fears about terrorism.

Watch the full documentary at TVO (TV Ontario) from this > Risk Factor

Synchronicity, More Than a Coincidence.

Posted on by Tom Kelly

Intuition and synchronicity are powerful tools we can all benefit from in daily life.

If we call something a coincidence, it somehow seems easier than pretending we have physic abilities or deep awareness. However, if we adjust our thinking slightly and let the word “coincidence” become “unplanned.” I think most of us would accept intuition and synchronicity for the simple reason that any object passing through our stream of consciousness is best to communicate and participate with than see as unknown.

Both are closely linked but slightly different. Intuition is something that is sensed or known and synchronicity relates to life experience that comes to us.

Being very similar does not mean one cannot happen without the other. However, in both cases, you need to be open and realize what is happening, also honor the information received.

We have all picked up the phone to call a friend just in time to receive a call from this very person.

It is common to have intuition lead to synchronicity. An example of this might be sensing a rain shower on a cloudy day, and then noticing animals in nature finding safer ground. It might seem obvious that rain is imminent and so what does this have to do with intuition? It is how the information comes to you.

In another example, you might be somewhere are see a dog and immediately realize you need to pick up food for your dog. These synchronicities are often looked as coincidence, far removed from our spiritual being and admired by the thinking mind as intelligence.

A few months ago at a concert at the National Arts Centre, I was waiting in a concession line when a complete stranger struck up a conversation. I do not remember much of that conversation but that this individual literally “told me” I would really enjoy reading a specific book and provided the title and author. M intuition told me to purchase this book, and from the first page, I quickly realized every word had an important meaning for me at that time.

If we watch closely, we see synchronicities more clearly and notice an increase in their frequency. We may also notice ourselves offering guided support to others, where before we might have held back.

In our silence are the words we were destined to hear. A Parent always knows when their child needs them and this is no coincidence. We can allow our senses to expand, helping to bring a deeper connection to all we are.

We learn to create our reality, to expand what was once unknown into the bright beholding of a new day.

By Tom Kelly

Summer in the Trees

Posted on by Tom Kelly

If one listens carefully, they may hear the mystical sound of an afternoon breeze dancing among the trees.

The trees shimmer and sway high above. Leaves shifting, restlessly waving for those who watch.

Branches creak, limbs twist and turn as the embers of summer light push past.

Leaves lean forward, back and sideways all in one swirling motion. Like beads of natures rattle, they follow and chase. There is a rush, a silence as they curl and flutter to this chaotic mantra. Like breath, there is a rise and fall, the sound of delicate harmony.

This breath (or breeze) brings with it strength and weakness, alignment as well as a distraction.

Moments pass together without the need to organize. The magic of one leaf becomes many to sing this afternoon song.

I often like joining this wonderful orchestra and whistle along with summer in the trees.

By Tom Kelly

Quote of the Day

Posted on by Tom Kelly

If you awoke today “thinking,” I have a lot to do. Maybe “thinking,” I have too much to do today.

Remove “thinking” and replace with “presence” and rephrase. You will witness a very different experience as you allow rather than work to control an outcome.

“I enjoy this new day moment by moment. Everything I bring my attention to is special and exciting.  I witness each new breath through the eyes of a child, allowing whatever “is” to be as it is.”

Get Grounded

Posted on by Tom Kelly

Getting Grounded

It doesn’t matter who you are, there will always be a reason to ground yourself and for those of us who are sensitive or empaths staying grounded is even more important.

Being ungrounded even to a minor degree can make one feel off-kilter, scattered and just not in their body. If ungrounded for long periods, one might even feel unwell or disconnected from the world around them.

There is a reason people feel great when at the beach or walking in nature. This is due to negative ions and the effect they have on us. When you breathe in air that’s charged full of negative ions, stress levels are reduced, a positive mood is created, and the levels of serotonin increase (which helps reduce feelings of depression and lethargy).

Recently I had a healing session and one of the comments made post-treatment was to find ways to get and stay grounded. So even for someone who looks at my own energy closely, I had become ungrounded if even is just slightly.

Day to day life does not always afford us the opportunity to go to the beach or walk in a forest, so I have created a grounding meditation (below) to get you grounded quickly and listed helpful tools to help keep you grounded.

Just doing some form of grounding during or at the end of your day will help you feel inspired and connected with mother earth, leaving the door open for you to create and expand your life. Any type of energy treatment (such as Reiki or Crystal Healing) is certainly a great way to ground. Everyone will find their best way to get grounded. My favorite and I’m guess I’m not alone on this would be number seventeen (happy grounding). You can also listen to this mediation @ Hearthstone Healing YouTube Channel!

Things to help you get and stay grounded

  1. Meditate
  2. Get close to a tree (touch it)
  3. Go for a walk (anywhere)
  4. Eat more root vegetables
  5. Use Crystals to Ground  (tiger’s eye, garnet, hematite, onyx and or copper.)
  6. Sit near stream or river
  7. Breathe in fresh air
  8. Cook a meal from scratch
  9. Use essential oils such as; sandalwood, cedarwood,
  10. Cuddle an animal
  11. Do yard work
  12. Get physical with exercise
  13. Lay in the sun
  14. Drink lots of water and ensure your salt intake is adequate
  15. Disconnect from technology
  16. Pamper your physical body (have a sea salt bath)
  17. Have sex (with yourself or with someone else)
  18. Have a real conversation
  19. Go sit somewhere in nature
  20. Listen to earthy music
  21. Create your own music
  22. Write
  23. Cry

How Culture Influences Aging

Posted on by Tom Kelly

After studying centenarians all over the world, Mario Martinez has found that cultural and spiritual beliefs are more significant than genetics when it comes to health and longevity. He sits down with Steve Paikin to discuss how his theory can be applied in practice.

Dr. Mario Martinez, author of “The Mind Body Code” offers great insight into how our bodies age in response to culture and lifestyle.

Click Here to watch the full (20 minute) interview from a recent broadcast on TV Ontario’s The Agenda.