Astrology Summer newsletter 2019

I wrote this newsletter hoping to send it out sooner on MailChimp. There are several more steps to take verifying people’s email addresses and that they actually want to receive my newsletters… so I am putting this out here on my blog for now. It is likely I will have it out within a week or two. Thank you for visiting!

Hello friends,

Here is my Spiritual Astrology newsletter for Summer of 2019! For some of you, we have worked together recently. And for others, it has been a while. See below for specials I am offering in the month of August! If you want to unsubscribe, scroll to the bottom.

Where have we been recently?

First of all, I have been learning Somatic Experiencing over the past year, which is an amazing modality for working with overwhelm in the nervous system – a.k.a. trauma resolution. So I need to ask the question, “Think about what is going well in your life. Can you sit with that for a moment now?” Allow those resources and thoughts of success percolate through your system for a bit….. take your time with this. And then we can begin.

Anyone else having a challenging month of July? How many times have I heard how bizarre or taxing these past few weeks have been – “when is Mercury out of retrograde?” is the familiar refrain. Let me know if you want to schedule an hour for astrological counseling to clarify what is going on in your chart. If you have worked with me before, this service is $95.

Well it has been more than Mercury… Mars entered the sign of Cancer back in late May and stayed through early July, setting the stage for all the personal planets to move through – Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus as well. For a few weeks there, things were extra emotional and passionate – think nurturing being over-done!

Also, for those of us with a Leo Rising, having Mars, the Sun and Mercury Rx in our mysterious, nebulous, I-don’t-know-what-is-around-the-corner 12thhouse… let’s just say there may have been some gnashing of the teeth as we yearned for clarity, yet only found fogginess for a couple weeks there!

And back on emotional topics, transiting Jupiter has been squaring Neptune in the astrological sky for several months now. On its own, this is rather subtle – increasing sensitivity, idealization, artistry, poetic traits, etc. However, for those of us with planet(s) in mid to late mutable signs – Pisces, Sagittarius, Gemini or Virgo, this aspect may hint at wanting to escape, deny, suppress or blame our stuff on others – or if we go to further extremes, this combo might lead to excess risk taking or errors in judgment.

As I write this, we have six planets (including Chiron) that are retrograde (Rx). Better to plan, re-evaluate, organize for the future when this is in effect. Definitely make sure to read the small print and re-read contracts / court documents during this time! Begins to clear in August, see below.

The good news is that things are beginning to clear up for the fall! Remember how I suggested we think about what is going well in our lives? Well what is going good? We can think about that some more if that was helpful!

What is upcoming?

As I mentioned above, Mercury is coming out of Rx officially on August 1stand it will be moving forward at its typical fast clip by August 15th. All the outer planets will still be retrograde through Sept / October, so it will still be good to read the fine print!

However, with the Sun, Mars, Venus and Mercury entering Leo, it will be a time of more creativity, taking charge, increased vitality, spontaneity and enjoyment. And by the end of September, the Jupiter / Neptune square will be lifting.

Then, a few months down the road, Saturn comes out of Rx in September as it begins its journey toward conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn (beginning in December of 2019) and the two of them will be joined by Jupiter by February / March of 2020. For some people, there will be fireworks or karmic purification to be sure. I will say more about that in future newsletters! 

Let’s just say though that people with Capricorn Suns / Moon / Rising signs may want to pay attention, and also those with earlier Sagittarius Rising. It is a ways off though, so we can enjoy ourselves and this amazing summery weather in the meantime!

What is new in my Astrological practice?

As I mentioned, I have been learning Somatic Experiencing (SE for short), which stacks well with the Vagus (nerve) Work I have been practicing for a number of years. And I am finding SE works well with astrological counseling as well. I have even picked up a few long-distance clients with whom I am doing an interesting blend of Spiritual Astrology and SE work. Let me know if you want to get on my schedule to have your chart done in a trauma-informed manner! Or purchase a package of sessions and save!

I am still looking for people with whom I can do astrological research. In particular, I am looking for participants who know a good amount about their birth and early years. It is interesting looking at the horoscope through a Pre- and Perinatal (PPN) Psychology lens! So I am offering a special – pay $90 to have your chart done for research purposes (75 minutes). Half the session will be focused on developmental topics and half the session can be about what you want to focus on! It is my intention down the road to teach a PPN Astrology series, and this research will help to get that ball rolling.

I am thinking about teaching an on-line (and if you are in Charlottesville, an in-person) class about Working with Trauma in the Birth Chart. This would probably begin in early October. Let me know if you are interested in this class – it will be about what to keep in mind when working with trauma and some tools to slow things down and come into the body, along with what aspects in the chart are often overwhelming or chaotic enough to lead to a trauma response. And how do we approach this skillfully, clearly and with compassion!

August Special: purchase a gift certificate for a comprehensive Birth Chart Interpretation for only $140. My rates are normally $175 for first time clients for this service. Let me know if you want to take advantage of this savings!

In conclusion, it has been an interesting summer astrologically. Things are a bit clearer in the fall (of course Transit and Progressed charts are going to be more individualized) – hooray! And we have an interesting configuration coming up in December through summer of 2020. Stay tuned for more!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Kirby Moore

Dynamic approaches to Astrology and Bodywork

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting! If you want to see what Kirby offers regarding bodywork and astrology interpretations, visit http://www.mkirbymoore.com for more info!

I’m not entirely sure this is a good thing.. sometimes it might be best to keep it simple. However, I have a lot of training under my belt. I am very fortunate to be a part of several healing lineages – Tibetan Buddhist, Craniosacral Therapy, Polyvagal (Vagus nerve work), Chinese Medicine through Asian Bodywork, etc. And the relatively new (to me) modality Somatic Experiencing that I have been studying off and on since 2012 often works best when incorporating other systems. All reasons that I am able to offer quite the dynamic session if it seems appropriate (or if the client comes in with a complicated issue and says, “I don’t know what you should do for me,” then I muscle test and might include two or three modalities).

With that said, things have gotten quite dynamic over the past three or four weeks…

A client, who had been seeing me for a while (gave permission to share a little about their session), wanted to take a break from working together. This is normal as people often feel better after they do a series of three, five, seven or even 10 sessions. Considering this would be the 12th time seeing them, I was really glad they dedicated that much time to doing their inner work.

However, they surprised me by saying they wanted to meditate together for their final session! I was getting a culmination / completion type review ready regarding recapping some of the work we did together – A “where have you been over the past 6 months?” kind of thing. And meditation sounded great too!

So we sat for 40+ minutes together. I don’t have any special qualities, let’s just start by saying that! Because it is true. However, I am connected to some incredible teachers, yogis and Tibetan Lamas who do have special qualities, and to the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism which has amazing healing qualities. So I was happy to provide a tiny bit of a spiritual container for this client (I have been meditating since 2002, and meditating efficaciously since 2006, for them it was more like five or six years).

When I meditate with people, my resonance (from doing bodywork – I can sense in my body what clients are experiencing in their body) sometimes comes through. And it did with this client as well. So after the meditation I was able to check in and make a couple of recommendations to them. (Not to say too much!)

Next, I have been seeing a client long distance for bodywork / Somatic Experiencing type work. That is pretty amazing – they are very receptive to this potent combination of modalities. I have worked with several clients in this manner over the past several years, and I have done dozens of long distant and even international Astrology Interpretations. So it is fitting that things are starting to branch out more in this direction.

Then recently, I did an astrology interpretation in person where I combined a Conflict Resolution technique with astrology. It was amazing – first time I had ever done that (on paper). Keeping everything confidential of course, I will just mention the method I would use if I did this again.

There is a conflict resolution technique which I learned from teachers at Eastern Mennonite University – where they have an excellent conflict resolution program! Then I filled in the categories with planets instead of other issues.

When someone comes to you with a really full plate – like they are overwhelmed and they mention four or more significant issues they are chewing on, this technique can be very beneficial to help them sort everything out. If someone has six or seven significant issues going on simultaneously, they literally cannot keep track of everything – rather they are probably in a space where they are bouncing like a pinball from issue to issue – only able to react in the moment. This method can work wonders with them – it is literally medicine to help them organize their thoughts and their heart around these various issues.

Not to give too much away (you can come and see me for a session to do this type of work – and I could even do it long distance with you!)… but let’s just say we write down the issues – which in this case are the planets. Then we write down what the issues (whether people or “who, what, when, or where” things) need. Next we look at what is it that you truly need? We take time to flesh that out – to truly get to the core of your needs. Then is there any common ground between their needs and yours? Maybe maybe not… And finally, is there a win / win solution that we can come to or a way out at least?

Doing this with planets is really interesting! It is as if the planets have this subconscious energy that is pulling at us – until we make it conscious and then start to have a choice with what we do with it. That subconscious pull would be the second category – the planets are the “issues” in this case, the subconscious influences are the “issue’s” needs. Then we look at the clients conscious needs in these areas. (Category 3) Then is there any common ground between the un / subconscious influences and the conscious needs? And finally, what is the way forward? Is there a win / win where we can use the planet’s influence constructively?

Awesome stuff! I am loving what I am doing. Let me know if you are interested in having your chart done – whether the traditional chatting about the charts method or another more dynamic / unconventional method!

You can visit https://www.mkirbymoore.com/store.html to purchase an astrology interpretation or bodywork.

Thank you for reading!

KM

Upcoming Class: Working with Trauma in the Astrology Chart

I am slowly putting together information to teach a class entitled “An Introduction to Trauma Informed Astrology.” This will dovetail nicely into the next level class: “Skillful means: Working with Trauma in the Astrology Chart.”

Having been studying and practicing trauma-informed bodywork modalities and learning didactic wisdom of working with the nervous system since 2012, modalities which include Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Somatic Experiencing and Working with the Polyvagal System – Touch Skills for Trauma Work, I bring a unique perspective to working with trauma and the astrology chart. This will be a fusion of trauma-informed modalities and psychological, health & wellness and Spiritual astrology – which I have been studying since 2003. Much wisdom and knowledge will be shared and there will opportunities for participants to ask questions.

We will spend time going over the basics: what is trauma? what are some common aspects reflecting that level of overwhelm or chaos in the natal chart? what is the Window of Tolerance or the Functional Range? what is sympathetic charge vs parasympathetic charge? What aspects in the chart indicate a sympathetic bias or a parasympathetic bias? What is the trauma vortex and how do we avoid re-traumatizing someone? and much much more! We will especially cover things to keep in mind if you work with someone who might have trauma in their system. Plus we will work with some of the newer research about the Vagus Nerve.

The Vagus Nerve, which is one of the main regulators of the autonomic nervous system, and otherwise known as the Soul Nerve, is 80% afferent – meaning 80% of its impulses are traveling from the body up to the brain. And therefore only 20% of its nerve impulses are coming down from the brain to the body. You could say we have a 4 lane highway going up to the brain from the body, and only one lane coming down from the brain. Hence, processing from the body up, or bottom-up processing is the way to work with trauma. We must get into the body to heal the body and repair the nervous system in the body. If we just do primarily cognitive talk therapy, which is very supportive in some ways, we may not ever get to the bottom of a trauma pattern.

This is an ambitious plan I know… however this is the perfect fusion of trauma-informed bodywork, cognitive information on working with trauma and the nervous system and looking at these aspects in the astrology chart as well! It is blending many things I am passionate about!

It is my intention to have this class have an online component. I live in Charlottesville Virginia, a fairly progressive and “awake” small city, but even with our alternative medicine and healing scene, this is still a tiny niche. Hence I want to open this up to anyone who is interested in this rewarding topic.

Let me know if you are interested! My intention is to get this going by September or October.

Thank you for reading!

KM

Pushing ourselves to non-conceptuality

I am a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, and so much more. Very fortunate am I to have met multiple different lineages of healing wisdom, some secular and others quite nonsecular.

One thing I must be discerning about however is that with so many tools and techniques under my belt, I still must practice efficacious self care. I don’t have a lot of time to waste – I see clients, socialize, try to get outdoors, etc – so I only have about an hour or two / day to take care of myself physically and psycho-spiritually.

Therefore, what is one of the most powerful practices I can do? As a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, it is the Tsok / Ganachakra feast offering along with Lama Chopa. This is a potent practice which invites the lineage masters past and present to be here with me / us. We offer them food, pay homage and receive blessings equal to our devotion.

I have heard this is the most singularly powerful practice a Dharma practitioner can do. It purifies eons of negative karma as it strengthens our connection with the living lineage of luminous healing wisdom (of which there are many).

Occasionally, I will notice a brief period of non-conceptuality when I do this practice. At times though, I will get drowsy half way through the practice. (I try to do the full 1 hour plus practice.) My eyes begin to close as I chant the mantra. I take a sip of (herbal) tea and chant some more. I complete the mantra, mentally transform my body, offer the food and hopefully receive a few blessings.

It is best to do this practice on two days in particular according to the Tibetan Lunar calendar – the 10th day and the 25th day. These are the Linage Lamas – Guru Rinpoche Day and Dakini Day (enlightened wrathful feminine liberator energy beings). We can gain great merit from doing a Tsok practice on the Full Moon or other days as well, but the 10th and 25th are most efficacious – the connection to the Lamas or the Dakinis is easiest, so why not take advantage of it?!

Being gentle, being kind. Just pushing myself enough to grow and be able to digest these inner changes, may I creep (ever so slowly) toward enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings! May all beings create the causes to connect with authentic lineages of healing wisdom! May we all be liberated from suffering and its many causes.

Thank you for reading!

km

Summer Update 2019

Hello Dear Readers,

It has been a few days since I posted last. I have been very busy! Which is good. I am actually doing a bunch of Spiritual Astrology interpretations in these next two weeks – let me know if you want to get on my schedule for that!

I have been typing up the Somatic Experiencing notes – I keep finding how deep we are going there – learning about the nervous system, tracking where someone is in the threat response ladder, and learning methods for bringing people into stable healthy organic rhythms of activity followed by restful settled states. Wow!

Going into the SE weekend, I was a little bit run down. And it was a powerful intense time of learning and tracking people’s autonomic nervous systems whether they were in flight, fight or freeze. So juicy and challenging material for sure. Still integrating that work!

I have also been watching some amazing soccer being played in the World Cup (played this year by the women). The US is no longer the top of the pack with a bunch of countries chasing it – I think France has a legitimate chance of upsetting them on Friday. Should be intriguing!

And finally I have been spending some quality time with my girlfriend. Her daughter just turned four – she is so precious! We are keeping a decent balance between work, play and adequate self care time.

This summer I am looking forward to more time swimming! And doing Qigong most mornings! 🙂

Thank you for reading!

KM

7 Ways to Practice Self Care when you are Busy

This is a guest article by Brad Krause, who hosts http://www.selfcaring.info along with a great blog there! Enjoy!

7 Ways to Practice Self-Care When You’re Busy

To be truly happy and thriving, we must care for our body, mind, and soul. Self-care is a big part of making that happen. However, it can be challenging to work self-care into everyday life and keep it going for the long-term. For many of us, work is stressful, commitments are piling up, and life seems too busy to fit in any time for ourselves. If this sounds like you, these seven tips will help you incorporate self-care into your life — no matter how busy you are.

Change Your Eating Habits 

The first order of business: eat for nutrition more than you eat for convenience. A balanced diet is the foundation for living healthy. If you start eating fewer processed foodsand drinking less sugary drinks, your tastes will eventually change, and you may even begin to prefer the taste of healthy foods. Your mind and body will thank you for giving them the nutrition they need.

Try CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is growing in popularity because it can be used to treat issues like chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression without making you intoxicated. While oil is its most common form, many people find that it’s easier to beginwith CBD gummies. No matter what form you choose, however, always consult your doctor before making CBD or any other supplement a part of your routine. Also, do your research on all the different brands of CBD as well as the various concentrations and dosages. 

Exercise Each Day

Another way to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health is to exercise regularly. Along with helping you manage weight and reducing risks of chronic disease and other health conditions, physical activity can also increase your energy levels, boost your mood and self-confidence, and improve your sleep. So, find an activity you enjoy that gives you a good workout and make it a part of your daily regimen.

Sleep Well

Along with diet and exercise, sleepis the other pillar of good health. Out of the three, it’s also the one that most often gets neglected by people who are busy and overwhelmed. Nonetheless, a good night’s sleep is needed for you to recover from the day and reboot for the following day, so come up with a solid bedtime routineto make it happen.

Stay Organized

If you’re losing sleep and your home is a chaotic mess, you may be surprised to learn that the two are connected. Spending just a short period of time each day organizing your space can help you feel better in all areas of your health. A decluttered home can result in less stress, improved productivity, a more relaxing environment, and even better eating habits. Your home should be thoroughly cleaned after decluttering, as well, to get rid of allergens. If you’re too busy to do this, you can hire a cleaning service, which costs between $120 and $231in Charlottesville.

Stop Overcommitting

This is one of the most simple (and hardest) ways to practice self-care: stop saying yes to everyone and everything. Overcommitment leads to underperformance and burnout. Do your health a favor and be selectivewith where you dedicate your time and energy. For instance, sometimes declining to work over the weekend or saying “no” to a community function so that you can rest or spend quality time with family can be just what your mind and soul needs. 

Prioritize Relaxation

This is what many people think of when they think of self-care — relaxing. Most certainly, it’s an important aspect of reducing stress and caring for your overall health. Find a hobby or activity that allows you to unwind from your regular obligations, and try to do it each week. It could be rekindling a childhood interest in tennis, learning to dance (private lessons usually run from $50 – $85), or picking up a new hobby like bird watching. Just make sure you have something fun and relaxingin your life.

Self-care can become an everyday reality by taking simple steps. Be conscious of your diet, look into CBD, and work regular exercise into your routine. Be sure to get adequate sleep, declutter your home, stop overcommitting, and do something fun and relaxing each week. Once you start practicing self-care, you will likely notice a big difference in how you feel, and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing you are improving your overall health.

Innocuous Contours of Harshness

This material is copyrighted by M Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting! You can visit http://www.mkirbymoore.com to see what Kirby offers as far as Bodywork or Spiritual Astrology interpretations.

This post is about how the contours of harshness in our society / culture / family structures are pernicious and pervasive. You can find them everywhere. They even, or especially, come forward when we are looking to relax and move toward restful states of being.

What do I mean by contours of harshness? Think about all the euphemisms there are for working hard. “The only way to move forward is to push through.” Or “No pain, no gain.” Or “Gotta muscle through.” Or “No risk, no reward.” Or “The early bird gets the worm.” Our culture is chock full of these statements which reflect the rat race culture we live in.

I teach Zapchen Somatics – a system of simple exercises for getting back to well-being. There are basic moves for well-being, intermediate moves and advanced moves to well-being. But when I teach these to people (just the basics), I am shocked to discover that they try to push further and do more and more. Or they are most concerned with “doing it right,” rather than enjoying the new sensations or attempting something new in spite of possible “mistakes.” It really requires telling them several times, it truly is a somatic transmission – that sometimes requires hearing it / experiencing it several times.

I have to tell them, less is more. I must emphasize that. Seriously, just doing two or three of the intermediate or advanced techniques is enough. The I Ching, at least the interpretation I work with, also by the founder of Zapchen Somatics – Julie Henderson PhD, says, “better to stick with fullness, some people will encourage you to move to over-flowing, but fullness is just fine.”

And honestly… I feel myself speeding up just writing about this topic… time to create some space… to slow things down… to take some deep breaths… look out at nature… think of people who really support me and make me feel nourished…

This is a culture of extremes and pushing the envelope. If a little bit is good, then more must be better! Nope! The nervous system can only digest so much new information. And somatic information is often novel for most people. It needs to be enjoyable. If it seems like work, we are recapitulating the old patterns. Only do enough for it to be enjoyable. Even if that means I yawn twice and then have to take a nap – perfect!

Each month, I am realizing more and more how Zapchen is a somatic transmission. Being kind to yourself is a somatic transmission. We must work with someone who has done this work themselves. Someone who has spent years practicing compassion with themselves! Then we can get the somatic transmission from them. 🙂

And let me be exacting in my assessment of my own patterns, while on this complicated topic. I am seeing some contours of harshness creep in, even following me to my meditation cushion. When I don’t do “X” number of mantras in a day, I might get a little hard on myself. If I don’t do “X” prostrations daily or every other day, again a little harshness.

I am noticing though that the amount of screen time I log correlates to the amount of buoyancy in my nervous system. The more time I sit out on my porch staring at, listening to the song of the river, the more resiliency there is in my CNS. The more I walk down by its gentle gurgling rapids, the more resources are at my beck and call. It is very subtle, but I am starting to pick up on these things (as I sit here at my computer typing away…).

Therefore I am intending to take 7 – 10 days away from miscellaneous screen time (no youtube, no prime video, no sports highlights, etc) and do an hour of Zapchen to start my day. Zapchen Somatics is almost exclusively designed to playfully, sneakily and gently eradicate harshness to self. Of course it has other benefits, but it is very difficult to be hard on yourself when you are lying in bed yawning (yawning is the first Zapchen exercise and it is extremely beneficial). At least at my stage, having been practicing Zapchen since 2005, and having some transmissions directly from Julie Henderson herself, I am going to be gentle on myself at least with some of its wonderful methods.

Hopefully this feeds me, moves me toward kind motivations, gentle intentions and softer concentration. 🙂

May all beings move toward enjoyment, ease-full abundance and having settled nervous systems which laugh at the mistakes we make because we are human! ❤

Thank you for reading!

KM

Quantum Leaps in Consciousness part 2

Thank you for visiting my blog! The material is copyrighted by M Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for reading! You can visit http://www.mkirbymoore.com to see more of what Kirby offers and / or to set up an astrology or healing facilitation session.

This is a continuation of a post from earlier. I would highly recommend going back and reading that previous post first. Otherwise you will miss helpful context.

In the previous post, I discuss what a Quantum Leap in Consciousness looks like. An example might be, “for years I was worried about money, rarely ever having abundance, and occasionally living from paycheck-to-paycheck, but then after doing some work on myself and being well aware of this issue, I work with a teacher / coach / mentor / therapist / Guru who helps me to realize that A. this pattern is an inherited pattern from my ancestors (meaning it isn’t specifically mine) and / or B. that when I relax and do spiritual practice to connect with Source that abundance is all there is (and / or C. there is another cause of this deep fear-of-lack belief and I am willing and able to devote the time to do the work). Once I realize that and begin putting that advice into practice, then the Quantum Leap in Consciousness has occurred. I can rest in ease and grace and abundance on a more regular basis (keeping in mind the work that was done earlier which laid the foundation for this shift).

In the previous post, I discussed one container in which I see Quantum Leaps in Consciousness occur fairly regularly – that is the Womb Surround Birth Process Workshop. Go back and read the previous post if you have not done so yet 🙂

Next I will discuss how I am fortunate to have met a secret yogi. Defining what a secret yogi means could be an entire other post… so keeping it simple, let’s just say I met a fellow spiritual practitioner who has done a ton of work on themselves. And enough work to be able to see the energy (kundalini) move through chakras, and to have a very sophisticated divination system such that they can tell exactly what one is working on and give specific advice regarding it.

In every post in this theme of Leaps in Consciousness, I believe I will always come back to this fact: we must put the causes and conditions into place to achieve results. Even if those results seem “magical” or “immediate” or “surprising and serendipitous,” there is a good chance we put in the time and effort in the past to achieve those results now. What does this mean? What I am saying is that if you just state an intention saying, “I want to change this pattern which has been around a long time.” This is a good start. Because it shows you are willing and ready to make a shift. However, it might be better to say, even if you are skeptical of receiving assistance, “Wisdom beings, angels, guides, healthy ancestors, and / or wisdom company… please give me assistance and support for working through this pattern. Please have the support that I need manifest swiftly in my life.” That is a powerful prayer. This prayer is already beginning the process of putting the cause of change into effect. Then the conditions would need to be met – meeting a skillful guide or practitioner who can competently and compassionately point you in the right direction, or who can point out why you might have that pattern and how you can change it, etc.

In other words, there will always be a “reason” for receiving divine assistance or unexpected support or magical serendipity! We put the causes and conditions into place previously and now we are reaping the rewards. It is a cosmic law – if we create the causes, then when the conditions are ripe, the result will follow. This is true about virtuous conduct leading to happiness and non-virtuous conduct leading to suffering. And true about making changes on a deep belief or attitudinal level.

As an aside… to support the author… Feel free to become a subscriber if you enjoy reading my blog! This will go to pay for tea and support my spiritual practice as well. If you want to email me a name of people to say prayers for, I will do that once a month – saying healing mantras such as Green Tara, Medicine Buddha or others. Thank you for your generous support!

$5.00 Contribution

Back to the story from above. So I am fortunate to have met with a secret yogi in this lifetime (and not to mention the countless public yogis who I count as my heart teachers – namely Tibetan Lamas and a few Western teachers as well). Why do I mention the Quantum Leap of Consciousness when thinking about this secret yogi? Because he showed me some things I really can’t explain any other way. I realize the word Quantum is cliched and vague… Perhaps a better word will begin to emerge.

Not exactly knowing what to expect the first time I went to chat with this spiritual friend… I was sitting across the table from him. We discussed Dharma practice, Qigong and more. And during my conversation with him, he explained two things, blessings as it were, and then conferred them upon me.

I had not received a Shaktipat previous to that meeting. I had heard the term tossed about regarding Indian Yoga Gurus, but hadn’t put much thought into what it meant. The first blessing my spiritual friend gave me was a Shaktipat – like a big download of light and love in the form of an energetic blessing. Keep in mind he was sitting across the table from me and never actually touched me.

I just relaxed and allowed what is to be (in other words I was doing my best to surrender). And the blessing definitely came across! It only took a few minutes. My eyes were closed, so I’m not sure what exactly (if anything external at all) he was doing. But when we was finished, I was in a wild altered state. I literally was light headed and a little woozy. It took me about 5 – 10 minutes to find my feet. It was an incredible, ease-filled, effortless blissful experience. And in spite of him giving me the Shaktipat a couple hours before I was going to be driving again… I missed my exit on the way home and drove an hour out of my way! In spite of that part of road being normally very familiar to me! He definitely filled my container though and I felt that blessing for weeks afterward.

Then the second blessing he gave me was to assess the kundalini flow through my chakras. I don’t want to say too much, but from across the table again – about 30 – 45 minutes after giving me the first blessing, he adjusted and cleaned out one of my chakras. And I literally felt like a chiropractor was adjusting the spine at that level of my body! It was crazy! How could he do that without touching me?! I am still amazed months later.

Then he gave me advice as to how to tidy up negative karma on a daily basis (Vajrasattva or Dorje Sempa mantras). He said doing 21 mantras before going to sleep would eliminate the interest accrued on my negative karma for that day. And doing 108 mantras would purify the negative karma from that day.

Next he explained the countless benefits of doing a Tsok feast offering, a.k.a. the Ganachakra feast offering. Especially for people who have taken certain initiations in Tibetan Buddhism. So I started doing those practices on a monthly basis (and I felt the benefits pretty quickly!).

Finally he gave me some suggestions of asanas to work on – specific asanas for each chakra. And I’m pretty sure they have helped to open them, and allow the kundalini energy to flow smoothly through them. I’m not sure when they will be open all the way, but I’m certainly looking forward it! And honestly my mind is already beginning to shift (another Quantum Shift) – I find myself with less worries, more spontaneity and greater presence in the moment!

Thank you for reading!

KM

Offering Dynamic Shiatsu

This material is copyrighted by M Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting! You can go to www.mkirbymoore.com to see more of what Kirby offers or to set up an astrology / bodywork session.

Shiatsu is a form of Japanese Acupressure which runs Chi and energy (light) through the client’s meridians leading to relaxation, harmonious energy flow and greater vitality. The pressure used is more firm than traditional acupressure (which primarily works with light touch focusing more on the Chi transfer than the pressure).

I learned Shiatsu in massage school – as I went to a very Chinese Medicine focused massage training program in the sacred Sangre de Christo mountains of Colorado – the Crestone Healing Arts Center. It was interesting though – in massage school Shiatsu was my least favorite modality.

It requires a sharp mind, mindful focus and focused energy work. In Shiatsu we are pushing little spheres of light into the client’s meridian system, which is what leads to such incredible relaxation and in some cases, enhanced chi sensations (more on this later). And Shiatsu is very rhythmic – inhale, shift hand / acu-point positions, exhale, firm pressure in, find a still point, count one-one-thousand, inhale, shift… etc. And we do this for 50 mins or more straight! Running all the 12 Principle Meridians!

So let’s just say in massage school I got nervous and I had trouble maintaining that pace and rhythm for more than 5 or 10 minutes. If the mind of the practitioner starts to drift off, the rhythm changes and the client will probably notice (unless they are in a healing trance which happens quite often these days).

When I got back to Virginia over a year ago, I wasn’t sure if or how much I would use Shiatsu at all, especially considering my cantankerous relationship with it in school. Then I started experimenting with muscle testing my clients to see which modality would be most beneficial for them in that session (consider I offer about eight or nine modalities, this created a quick easy method for assessing what might serve them most). And if I wasn’t sure what modality they would need that day, it invariably nearly always came up as Shiatsu!

So now I offer Shiatsu at least once or twice a week. And it is not my specialty! I would say working with the Vagus Nerve – the Polyvagal System – the Autonomic Nervous System settling and resourcing is my specialty. Along with offering Craniosacral Therapy. Plus I offer Deep Tissue and Hot Stones massages. And if you are regular reader, you would know I have been doing astrology for years (since 2004). So Shiatsu is a little bit lower on the pecking order, and yet I find it to be the most settling, integrating and harmonizing of everything I offer.

If I do a deeper session with someone in the Vagus work, then I usually do one or two sessions without emotional process involved, meaning I will do a pure Craniosacral session (less talking involved) or I will muscle check them to see if Shiatsu or Acupressure would be ideal.

In other words, if someone needs to calm down, I offer Shiatsu. If someone is feeling stressed and anxious, I definitely consider offering Shiatsu. If someone has just gotten back from a long journey and they are jet-lagged, I offer Shiatsu… You get the picture!

Recently, with a few clients, when I do Shiatsu, toward the end of the session, I am sending positive well-wishing toward their pituitary and pineal glands (in the brain). And this means I am imagining light streaming from my hands down into their endocrine glands. And with a couple of clients in particular, who have done a lot of their own personal growth work, something amazing happened!

With one, who has done a ton of yoga and energy work, when I did this, their pituitary gland lit up like a prism and it cascaded the light I was sending to it down in a rainbow colored shower throughout their body! It was incredible! Definitely first time I witnessed that! They commented later that it was the most amazing Shiatsu they had ever received…

And another person, with whom I did a similar type of technique toward the end of the session, I was aware that their Brahma aperture was opening. Afterward I actually commented saying, “You know at the end there, when I was sending light and Chi into your endocrine system, it felt like your skylight was opening. The crown chakra was opening.” And they said, “Yes, that was a weird sensation. I’m glad you mentioned it, it wasn’t just me imagining things.” !!!

Pretty incredible for a modality I almost abandoned! I love Chinese Medicine, in school we had to memorize more than 120 acu-points and I use most of those during a Shiatsu session. First we do the head (face down), then the back, arms, hips, legs – including all the 12 Principle Meridians there (the Lung meridian, the Heart, the Kidney meridian, the Spleen, Stomach, Liver, etc etc). There is even an abdominal portion called Masunaga (named after the creator of it). This can be very powerful as well because most of us sweep uncomfortable emotions under the carpet… and it turns out the abdomen is where those unexpressed emotions end up! Better to shine some light on those shadowy areas than to let them fester and ferment behind walls of repressive psychic energy… (in my humble opinion).

So give Shiatsu a try sometime! It is an amazing modality with therapeutic results. At worst you will be more relaxed. At best, the sky is the limit as far as what you might experience!

Thank you for reading!

KM

P.S. Not to brag too much… You may not get all of these benefits above from all practitioners of Shiatsu… I bring a daily meditation practice, a weekly Qigong session and years of doing personal growth work – cleaning and clearing my meridians and energy channels, allowing a powerful circuit for Chi life-force energy to flow to my clients.

Are Quantum shifts in consciousness possible?

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What is a Quantum Shift in Consciousness? I would define this as a leap forward – probably looking like a giant leap forward for the person involved.

It is fascinating – I am going back through and reading older (as in starting from the beginning) blog posts from here… and ten years ago I was skeptical about the possibility of these Leaps of Consciousness being able to happen.

As an aside, I should mention that I still believe we have to have the causes and conditions in place to have what seem like “magical” shifts in consciousness or leaps of awareness. However, some of these causes and conditions might remain unknown to us, so when a significant leap forward does occur, it can seem like it happened quite suddenly and surprisingly. But maybe, just maybe, we put in the hard work previously.

Are they possible though? Well, now I am a lot less skeptical. Why is this? Because I have had some experiences which make me realize significant leaps forward in consciousness are not only possible, but when the causes and conditions are in place, they could actually be likely!

I will discuss the Birth Process Workshop or Womb Surround setup which is the safest container I have ever encountered for doing personal growth work (and I have been to numerous Buddhist retreats / workshops / teachings etc). I will talk about working with a secret yogi and how giant leaps forward in consciousness might be ready to happen immediately but they are just awaiting the proper conditions to emerge. And occasionally meeting the right people / person will trigger a yearning, a strong desire to grow and shift quite rapidly. Finally I will talk about meeting with an experienced and skillful practitioner can assist with taking a Quantum Leap Forward – in particular I will reference my Somatic Experiencing session that I had three months ago. Okay this is a lot to cover! But here goes…

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First the Womb Surround or Birth Process Workshop. This is from PPN work or Pre- and Perinatal Psychology type of work taught primarily by Ray Castellino and Myrna Martin, although thankfully now more people are beginning to teach in their lineage. This type of workshop is always a small group – usually 5 to 7 participants along with the facilitator / teacher and an assistant. If you can find a workshop with multiple assistants or multiple facilitators that is even more support! And as I mentioned above, this is the single more powerfully supportive structure I have encountered for doing personal growth work.

Why is this high level of safety and containment the case? Two reasons: because there are a series of Principles that everyone involved agrees to abide by and because the facilitators have done their own work and comes with a high degree of knowledge of birth and developmental psychology. These Principles discuss how to achieve high levels of trust and safety and when the group does stick to them, I have seen complete strangers baring some tender and vulnerable material within hours. These groups are very private and very confidential, so that is all I am going to say about what gets processed. However, I am able to speak about my own personal experience in them, which I will mention here:

Just three years ago, I was struggling with an unconscious issue (and now I am a lot clearer about it) involving wanting to be here. Disclaimer: these Process Workshops (with high levels of support and containment) ask some difficult questions at times, when the participant is ready… For instance, Did I want to be born at all? Was I wanted by my parents? Were there some hefty interventions at my birth which disrupted my natural instinctual urges and impulses? (And if so, these disruptions often stick with us for decades until they are named, repaired and processed.)

I attended Myrna Martin’s Summer PPN Intensive Workshop – two weeks of steeping in this profound and potent work. Each week was like a separate Process Workshop – so I attended two back to back! And sure enough, in my turn, I went through acknowledging the difficult topic of not wanting to be here, of experiencing a challenging birth situation and more. My turn lasted for three hours total (including nap time afterward to integrate it all). And I would say that those two weeks were the single most profound time in my life, on in which I took a Quantum Leap Forward in my understanding of my own patterns, where they came from, how to move forward through them and using this information to benefit others. Just Wow!

I should point out that I have been on this spiritual journey since 2002. And since 2005, I have been pushing relatively hard to grow, mature and move through deep uncomfortable tangled suppressed emotions etc. In other words, I have put in significant time on a meditation cushion, in other forms of spiritual practice and in giving / receiving emotional-process-oriented bodywork. I think the more of this type of work we do, the easier Quantum Shifts in Consciousness become. (So keep at it! Gently, kindly, gradually.)

This post is getting a bit long.. so I will add more later in a follow-up post with a similar title.

Thank you for reading!

KM