Find wisdom through daily rituals
Discover how your body spiritually engages in the world Nº 4 - WELLNESS
From eating locally to shrugging off stress
5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR WELLNESS
Learn how to strengthen your Soul
TUNE UP YOUR BRAND PROMISE
“Sorry, there’s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.”
– Morgan SpurlockAnd just like that… our wellness is indeed linked to our personal and professional accomplishements too. So, let’s focus on what matters to our minds and bodies the most: our good health!
In this issue, we are exploring a variety of incredible topics from daily rituals for health and wisdom to spirituallity to help strength ourselves and our souls, from crystal decks to help healing traumas to music for guided meditations. We also continue our conversation on branding and marketing and explore how you can achieve success in business by focusing on the people who you add to your team. Finally, we offer tips on how to eat locally, seasonally and mindfully this summer! I wish your summer is healthy and hot like mine with a lot of fun places to explore. ;)
Have an insightful reading,
Roberta G. Editor-in-Chief
Retailing Insight Magazine is a bimonthly trade magazine specializing in the conscious living retail market. The magazine is published exclusively for qualified retailers and small independent businesses in the United States. Our mission is to share one on business advice, product reviews, advertisement from top sellers and makers in the industry, and exclusive topics to help business continue to thrive.
Editor-in-Chief
Roberta Gazzarolle
Copyeditor
Sean Ruck
Designer Gisely Fernandes
Digital Media & Sales adsales@retailinginsight.com
Contributing Writers
Melinda Carver
Tracee Dunblazier
Dudley Evenson
Emily A. Francis
Dyan Garris
Megy Karydes
CJ Llewelyn
Linda Mackenzie
Inna Segal
Jacki Smith
Karen Stuth
Angi Sullins
©2023 New Way Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 2372-7977. Volume 37/ Issue 4/July-August 2023. The magazine is published bimonthly/ six times a year (January, March, May, July, September, November) by New Way Publishing, LLC. 4117 Park Road, 12252, Charlotte, NC 28220. Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to Retailing Insight Magazine, P.O. Box 12252, Charlotte, NC 28220.
WWW.RETAILINGINSIGHT.COM
Retailing Insight Magazine is published by New Way Publishing, LLC. P.O. Box 12252 Charlotte, NC 28220 circ@retailinginsight.com
22 Why We Need to Set Aside Time To Seek Answers
Knowledge is a wonderful thing and knowing how to tap into it is crucial
34 Four Pillars of a Successful Business, Part 2 - PEOPLE
Surrounding yourself with the right people can make all the difference
54 Soulfully Speaking
Introduce your customers to three new Oracle Decks available as modern healing tools
56 Editor’s Product Picks All Genders Best Beauty Brands
11 Insider Success Secrets, Part 2
Take a deep dive into branding, marketing, and sales to help grow your business
26 Spirituality: Understanding the Soul’s Power
Learn how to strengthen yourself and your soul
31 Your Crystal Allies Series, The Smoky Cathedral Quartz Unveil the power of crystals for healing trauma
45 Sharing Peace Through Music by Soundings of the Planet
A Year of Guided Meditations
48 Attunement
Take a journey with us as we explore how your body spiritually engages in the world
The stars speak to you. The trees sing to you. Stories are your friends. Flowers and crystals and herbs resonate so deeply inside you that you feel you might burst into bloom.
Bookstores and libraries are your salvation and the forest is your church. You’ve tasted magic and know it is kindred. It haunts your dreams and fills your imaginings, yet you can’t reconcile its presence with the world you’re living in.
You sense there’s something more. You’ve heard trusted women tell you as much. And yet where’s yours? You want bliss. You want magic. Am I not worthy, you wonder. Am I
not enough? You want to live in the practical magic house while deeply imbibing your wild, bohemian truest self. You wonder, why can’t I live my practical magic?
There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re not missing out. You’re right where this world has grown you to be. Without a guide, and the sacred teachings, you’ll never discover you’re really a witch. Think of Harry Potter. He couldn’t use his powers until Hagrid (guide) told him who he was and then took him to Hogwarts (for sacred teachings).
Welcome to the Witchery Academy, where we teach the ways of the W.I.T.C.H.
But what is a W.I.T.C.H., you ask?
A W.I.T.C.H. is a Woman In Total Control of Herself.
A W.I.T.C.H. dedicates herself to being the mistress of her own power.
To be a W.I.T.C.H., you don’t have to be Wiccan, Pagan, or know your way around herbs and moon cycles.
If you seek sovereignty over the sanctuary of your own sacred being, this is enough.
Becoming a W.I.T.C.H. does involve spell craft, though. Just not the kind
provide the teachings and support we all need to craft and strengthen our sovereignty.
Not everyone can attend the Witchery Academy, so I, along with my partner Silas Toball, have distilled many of its teachings into the W.I.T.C.H. Oracle Deck, published in partnership with U.S. Games Systems. Its 216-page lushly illustrated guidebook and 44 gilded edged cards will serve as companion to your sovereignty journey, catalyzing the relationship you have with the W.I.T.C.H. within.
that needs a wand.
Your sovereignty is your power and your spell craft. I developed the Witchery Academy workshops to
“The W.I.T.C.H. is the sovereign woman. She is our hope.”
In fact, all of the decks created in the Duirwaigh collection are dedicated to unchaining the woman in total control of herself. While each oracle is inspired by women for women, we at Duirwaigh Studios and U.S. Games Systems practice wild inclusion. We understand that all of us—women, men, transgender, non-binary—ache for the feminine. She is a force, not a gender, and she is present in all of us. It is the psyche we speak to, not the sex, and therefore all persons can awaken her inside themselves and bask in her great, generous wisdom.
It is the embodiment of her gifts, not the body that holds them, that is essential.
woman. She is our hope. I dare you to
The W.I.T.C.H. is the sovereign woman. She is our hope. I dare you to choose her above all else. She is calling you onward, calling you home. I hope you’ll answer.
In last month’s issue we learned about the four basic business practices. This month, we are going into the ‘touchy-feely’ side of business. This is where you put your business face out to the world.
People need to know about your business whether it is to come into your store or buy your product or service online. To have a successful business you need to use all three of these methods:
BRANDING: Gets your business/product/service known –that’s the “feel me.”
MARKETING: Maintains your branding identity – that’s the “know me.”
SALES: Sell your brand, products and services – that’s the “touch me.”
All of these things are needed and have to be continually maintained to put money in your pocket. So let’s explore the feel me, know me and the touch me side of business.
About the Author: Linda Mackenzie is the Founder/GM of Creative Health & Spirit, a media and publishing company, which includes HealthyLife.net, Positive Talk Radio www.healthylife. net. She is a globally known radio/TV psychic, bio-energetic healer and award-winning author who appeared on almost all TV networks and in several award-winning documentaries. Her fourth book Symbols of You: A Self-Discovery Reference Guide is now available from your favorite wholesaler such as New Leaf, Ingram, and more. To know more about Linda, visit www.lindamackenzie.net.
People learn to identify something from either feeling, seeing or hearing. Each person primarily processes from one of these senses the most. Then the other one or two senses play a secondary and/or tertiary role in determining whether to buy something from a business or not. So, to reach as many people as possible, and have the most people buy, it is important to plan and use your brand, marketing, advertising and sales from all sensory perspectives.
Let’s take a quick quiz — see if you can name these company taglines.
“You’re in good hands with...” “Can you hear me now?” “Don’t squeeze the…” “All positive talk radio.”
“Sorry. Not sorry.” That last one was an unabashed plug for my radio network... HealthyLife.net.
Whether you got HealthyLife.net or not, I am sure that you knew at least one name of the companies above.
That is an example of excellent branding.
A brand is your company’s identity which resides in your customers hearts and minds.
It is the product or company name, tag line and logo.
All successful companies develop and are consistent with their brand and use it in every public contact.
The more the brand is known the more people recognize and identify with it – so the more they buy.
Use your brand in marketing, print ads, on business cards, websites, flyers, banner ads… on everything.
If the reality is that the majority of people respond to what they perceive,
then branding is about your “aura.” In essence, your “business aura.” It is the feeling, the sense, the connotations of your brand which people respond to. Keep in mind branding is not about ego or “all about me.”
You understanding your customer
Your customer understanding you
Your customer understanding that you are the only solution to their problem
“ Your customer understanding that you are the only solution to their problem”
So what are the objectives of a good brand…
Deliver a clear message
Confi rm your credibility
Connect with your customer emotionally
Motivate the buyer
Cement user loyalty
How do you find your brand? This is where you have to define…
Your company mission and core values
Your company’s personality
What makes your company special
The product or service you offer
Your target market
Your tagline
Let’s take a look at how to identify your target market. This is about who
buys your product. First look at your demographic This includes whether your customer is male or female, whether they are single, married, divorced; their age, education, occupation, income levels, religious and ethnic background.
Next, go to the geographic: Do they live in the suburbs or the city? Do they rent or own? What groups, associations or clubs do they belong to? What are their hobbies and leisure activities? Do they shop in stores, online, from catalogs? Do they use cash, debit or credit cards?
Lastly you go to your customer’s pyschographic This includes their lifestyle, perceived social status, personal attitudes/values/beliefs and knowledge level of your business, product or service. When that is done ask yourself the questions, “How are they like me?” and “How are they different from me?”
Now take all this information and make one or two sentences describing those customers – and that’s your target market!
‘Know
People respond to what they know. Since marketing is about recognition
it gets your business known. Keep in mind marketing is not about ego, “all about me” or how good your product is.
Knowing your customer needs
Acquiring new customers
Maintaining old customers
Presenting a customer with an opportunity to:
know you and…
~ buy your product or service
Develop a marketing plan to meet your customer’s needs
Develop your solution message and materials
Find your target market
Have frequent communications to that target market
A successful marketing mix has the “4 Ps”:
PRODUCT: Features & benefits. Are they what the customer wants?
PRICE: Pricing strategy. How much will the customer pay and what discount, special offers or promotions can you afford?
PLACEMENT: Distribution. Do you have enough product inventory available and in place?
PROMOTION: Recognition. How will you get your message out there?
The web
In print
In-person
Advertising
~ In print media
On television
~ On radio
Let’s go into a bit more detail on each of these. Let’s start with the web. You need to have a website, get into search and directory listings, join social media, do press releases, email campaigns, newsletters, web advertising, plus link and banner cross-promotion. You can also be a star by doing a teleclass, get a TV or radio guest appearance or even host a digital radio or TV show. A word about podcasts — although they are the rage, per an article from Libsyn, a 20 year old podcast network and one of the biggest podcast syndicators — to be in the top 50% of the millions of podcasts out there all you need 124 downloads a month. That means 124 people listening. Per Edison Research, when people do listen to a podcast, they listen for about 5 minutes at the top of the hour. Internet radio is different. People listen 2-3 hours at a time and at HealthyLife. net radio we get 2.6 million listeners a month in 137 countries over 75 distribution channels. So, there is a big difference between a bonafide radio network and a podcast.
Let’s take a look at marketing with print. This means business cards, postcards, flyers, posters, write an article for an ezine or magazine or get an article in newspapers or magazines by contacting a writer or journalist. Make sure your logo, business name and tag line (no more than three to five words) is on or in all of these.
How about marketing in-person? You can do lectures, seminars and workshops. Join your local chamber of commerce. Join like-minded groups and associations. Attend or do an expo or event. Start a meet-up group or even do a radio or TV interview.
Successful businesses know the value of advertising. Unfortunately, most times in a recession most people will stop advertising to save money, but the big brands don’t. This is how they stay ahead of the market and have ongoing sales. So, if you are a small business and you continue to advertise you will be associated with and perceived as one of the big guys. The rule of thumb in business is that 10% of your gross (not net) profit should go to some form of advertising every month.
Where should you advertise? Let’s start with print. There’s classified ads and display ads in magazines, newspapers and trade journals. These work, but you have to be in it for the long term and not just one or two times. Why? Because people need to see or hear your name between five to eight times, before the average person buys. Plus, the more sources potential customers see you in the better. You could try direct mail pieces, but remember these days few people are opening unsolicited emails. There’s specialty advertising like pens, mugs, shirts. Finally, there are outdoor ads on billboards, buses and benches. Interestingly enough, latest industry stats say outdoor advertising is number one for results followed by radio and OTT (over the top) TV which is anything over network and cable TV like Hulu and Netfl ix. Outdoor and TV ads are rather pricey, but radio and display ads do a great job for their price point. If you are going to try TV advertising, I suggest an experienced media buyer (who has been in the business over 10 years) who can make sure your ad buy is on the right channels to reap you the most rewards.
“If people don’t know about your service or product, how are they going to know to buy it?”
Sales is not a dirty word. You need to reframe the word “sales” into “service.” Let’s get something straight — sales is about building relationships. Sales is not about beating the competition, money, winning, getting something over on someone or forcing people to buy.
Mutual relationships
Giving benefits
Sharing truth
Using good business practices
Being yourself
So, your road to sales success is paved with the same things that make a good relationship. Sales is a numbers game and requires persistence. Contact qualified leads and again it usually takes five to eight contacts before someone buys. Sales is 80 percent listening and 20 percent talking. Practice overcoming objections. All in all, successful sales is about connecting. If you believe in your store, product or service, your customer or client will see the value and buy it. Remember there is no competition. Does this mean you ignore your competitors? No! You still have to research them, know what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, what’s working for them and what’s not. Why? So, you can do it better! Also, there is abundance for all. Remember you’ll always get what you need…maybe not what you want — but you will always get enough. Sales is important so remember this one thing – do it!
So remember: Feel me, know me, touch me. If people don’t know about your service or product, how are they going to know to buy it? That’s where branding, marketing, advertising and sales come in. And yes, to be successful you have to do all of them...consistently.
The rule of thumb is that you can expect that 10 to25 percent of your clients or customer base will go away every year. So j to stay financially even
you have to do the “feel me, know me, touch me” approach just to keep your business the same as it was the previous year. It is a never-ending cycle so just get used to doing it. Also remember a little planning will go a long way — so don’t forget to plan ahead.
Now one last thing if you are not willing to walk your talk and put your money where your mouth is by helping other people and other businesses — how do you expect to energetically reap the return? Remember there is always enough. We have to help each other. It starts with your family and friends, then extends to the community, the state, the nation and the world. Learn to balance your giving and receiving. We can turn this world around economically and support each other in the process. If we support each other we can and will turn this world into a positive place filled with abundance for the greatest good of all. Let’s do It!
About the Author: Karen Stuth is the founder of Satiama Publishing. She is also the award-winning author of A Speckled Stone, The Wisdom of Tula Card Deck, a co-author and co-developer of the highly awarded board game Quintangled: A Game of Strategy, Chance & Destiny, and an author-contributor to Life Wisdom Word Search: Yoga for the Brain . She provides business and marketing consulting to a variety of businesses and to self-published authors. To learn more, visit www.satiamapublishing.com.
In today’s retail environment, nothing is more important to your marketing program than the promised experience your brand makes. The performance of your brand promise is not just a catchphrase that trips off people’s tongues, but a fundamental and foundational part of the success of your retail business. Your brand promise is the experience new and prospective customers expect to have when interacting with your brand at each touch point. Unfortunately, some brands have fostered a very negative brand promise, and we inherently expect a lousy encounter when doing business with that brand based on our personal experiences or word-of-mouth information.
The key to a successful brand promise is your ability to deliver the same experience consistently and continually every time anyone interacts with your business through multiple touch points. The more and more often you can deliver on that promise, the stronger the value of your brand in the mind of customers and employees.
Customers and prospective customers should have the same experience
with your brand when visiting your store, interacting with your staff, making a purchase, attending a store event, visiting or shopping on your website, following your brand on social media, reading your customer newsletter, even lodging a complaint, or making a request, and more. Most business owners cannot articulate their brand promise in terms of values or ethics, instead reciting who they are regarding their inventory, events, local or regional standing as a business, or fi nancial success. A brand promise should be a statement of ethics and unique values stating the clear advantage to customers of doing business with you. It is rarely consistent with a company tagline. Your brand promise should distinguish you from your competitors in your market.
Remember that a brand promise is not a mission or vision statement. Mission statements tell an internal workforce what a company does, often to inspire and motivate them. A vision statement generally recites tangible goals a company plans to achieve. A brand promise, in contrast, is externally focused and should hold your business accountable for
delivering a consistent customer experience to create loyalty and trust among your buying public.
What should you do to tune up your brand promise or create the retail experience you want your customers to have with your brand?
1.
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WANT YOUR BRAND PROMISE TO BE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE. What would be the ideal experience you want your customers to have when bringing you their business? It might include new and inventive inventory, a consistently beautiful or welcoming
atmosphere, a comprehensive selection within a particular category, knowledgeable and helpful staff, personalized service, events that are not ‘more of the same,’ loyalty programs, personalized recommendations from staff based on past purchases, inviting communication with your customer base, or other attributes can be delivered consistently across your customers’ experience.
As your brand promise should be unique, taking an inventory of the promise offered by those most likely to share your customer base is a crucial first step.
3.
2.
CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS OF YOUR CLOSEST OR MOST IMPORTANT COMPETITORS, asking yourself and others their experience with your competitors’ brands.
NEXT, COMPARE YOUR DESIRED BRAND PROMISE TO WHAT YOUR COMPETITORS OFFER AS THEIR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. Where is there an opportunity for your brand to fill a gap in needs, to do something better or different, to create a distinct brand personality, or even to better meet the needs of your shared market? Add any values or ethics to your brand promise list.
4.
IDENTIFY OR TUNE UP YOUR WRITTEN BRAND PROMISE WITH YOUR STAFF MEMBERS and a few longtime customers through a group conversation that invites candor and creative thinking. Hold the functional equivalent of a focus group where all ideas are invited without judgment. Be careful not to respond defensively if you disagree with their assessments. You are there to learn and to grow the health of your business.
5.
ONCE YOU AND YOUR GROUP ESTABLISH A STRONG BRAND PROMISE STATEMENT, ASK YOUR MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS where they believe your new or emerging brand promise is well communicated and where it might be lacking. As part of this, check each customer touch point and assess how you can improve in any area. This includes examining your advertising, store layout, employee training, pricing, inventory, shopping experience, purchase process, the content and management of your events, newsletters, and especially social media messaging. It might include store hours, your return policies, and even how you handle complaints or disgruntled customers. What are your customers and prospects experiencing in these touch points, and does it match the experience you desire them to have?
6.
FINALLY, IMPLEMENT ANY CHANGES YOU NEED TO MAKE TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR DESIRED BRAND PROMISE. Examine how you are doing along each customer touch point by regularly asking your customers and employees their opinions and experiences with your business. Using your brand promise as a yardstick to measure your performance will increase the trust and loyalty of your customers over time, who will surely share
that through word of mouth with their family and friends and the rest of the world.
Once you begin to incorporate your brand promise into all elements and areas of your business, always asking yourself if your decisions support the experience you desire for customers, all decisions about inventory, staffing, advertising, language, and core marketing activities will become easier, as you have developed a robust set of values as your yardstick and a consistent way to make decisions to support the prosperity of your business every day.
INSPIRATION
About the Author: Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based writer. Her new book 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress: Scientifi cally Proven Ways to Relieve Anxiety and Boost Your Mental Health Using Your Five Senses will be available December 2023. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter to receive more self-care tips at www.megykarydes.com.
Growing up, my grandmother would often read coffee cups, a divination practice dating back thousands of years. Many people today turn to tarot cards, numerology and stream-of-consciousness writing as a form of divination. Divination is a form of energetic communication. It’s a practice of seeking guidance, insight or inspiration from a spirit or higher consciousness.
Of course, not all believe in divination or they might not seek it out intentionally, but it’s worth recognizing many are drawn to the process for various reasons.
As business owners, we realize our customers come in all shapes and sizes, believe and support different things and often seek answers to questions. How they get there and how you get there will differ and no one way will work for everyone.
Every morning, I start my day with Morning Pages. This is a daily ritual and I honor the time and space with a beautiful journal and writing instrument.
I don’t always approach the day seeking answers through the journaling process but what I’ve learned over the years is when I’m struggling with something, writing it out helps. It helps me focus on the issue at hand and allows me to work through ideas, options and possible ways to approach a solution.
A solution doesn’t always come easily or the same day. Sometimes I need to write it out and think about it throughout the day or the week but, more often than not, I fi nd the answer I’m seeking.
Journaling is a tool more people could benefit from practicing on a regular basis. There is no need to be precious about what you’re writing or feel that it needs to be perfect. It’s not writing meant to be read by anyone. It’s simply a way for you to write it down so your mind can get it out of its headspace and allow more clarity of the issue at hand.
What you write about doesn’t even have to be an issue at all. You could journal about how your day is going, how things have been going all week, share gratitude for something that’s been going well or a project you’ve completed and happy about how it came together.
Research has shown that the practice of journaling helps with mindfulness because it allows the writer to remain present while also offering perspective.
Another powerful way to uncover answers or insights is through retreats. Being in our daily grind can be a slog. No time for introspection, opportunity to consider new ideas, ruminate new projects or approaches. Yet we all know how necessary getting away is and how refreshed and ready to tackle things we feel when we return from being gone from the daily work — whether it’s visiting a new trade show or going on vacation.
Taking time to retreat, in whatever capacity is available to you, is not time wasted. One could argue it’s necessary to run your business well and will benefit you personally, too.
Every season, I allow myself a one-day retreat. Depending on the season, I might use the opportunity to visit an art museum or take my laptop to a new coffee shop to consider ideas I’ve been setting aside for the retreat. It’s planned in advance and while it’s somewhat structured, it’s not so overly structured that ideas can’t percolate or be allowed to surface. Sometimes ideas come to us when we least expect it.
While a retreat might not be the time new and exciting ideas show up, setting aside that time and being intentional with your approach can be the catalyst for things to appear when they’re ready. I’ve never once had a retreat that didn’t benefit me personally and professionally at some point in the months that followed. Had I not set aside that time to take stock of my situation and landscape, I wouldn’t have allowed myself to dream and see more possibilities that just aren’t possible to see when you’re in the thick of things.
Running a business is demanding. While it seems counterintuitive to set aside time to reflect when there is not much extra time in the day, it’s actually the time you need to perform at your best. Whether you’re turning to divination or some other way to seek answers or insights, give yourself permission, time and space to explore. You never know what might appear at the right time.
Adoctor is someone who helps one by providing healing elements or techniques to an ailing or ill system. In the modern, western world this usually takes the form of providing medication for our physical body. But in the past, this role would have fallen to the community’s healers who recognised that illness can be more than just a physical reaction to harmful stimuli.
Illness also comes from the soul’s reaction to harmful spiritual and energetic events and inputs. Those healers from long ago understood that to truly transform and heal, one must move beyond thinking that we only consist of a physical body and heal our spiritual self as well.
We are indeed more than just physical beings. We have an energetic spectrum, an astral body, a soul. None of which can be seen or measured through normal scientific processes, but they do indeed have an effect on our physical wellness. This is where the concept of wholistic wellness comes in. In fact, it’s our non-physical elements that can provide some of the most beneficial healing when our physical and spiritual systems are ailing or ill.
This is not to say that science does not have a role to play in healing the physical body, but when one truly understands the principle of the soul’s role in wellbeing and works diligently on embodying it in their life, one’s physical health can improve dramatically. On the other hand, if one resists or ignores the signs that come from the soul’s struggle, one can experience exhaustion, emotional imbalance, illness, and even pain.
It is only when our “I,” our core soul self, makes a decision to realign with health, positivity, and right action that the really lasting transformation occurs, flowing from one’s soul into your body. This is why it is so important to understand our spiritual self in light of our modern times.
About the Author: Inna Segal is a bestselling, award winning author of several books and cards on wellness and healing. Her new book is called Understanding Modern Spirituality. For more info about her work and free masterclasses, please visit www.innasegal.com
Let’s dive deeper into the exploration of the true role our soul plays as a healer for our physical self. Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get ill from being outside in the cold for even short periods of time while others hardly ever get sick? Or how a certain family member always gets ill while others don’t? Part of this may come back to our soul’s karmic burden and the notion that our spiritual self comes back again and again and again in order to learn higher spiritual lessons and purify one’s soul.
Our soul contains within it our emotional body, filled with sensations, desires, passions, likes and dislikes. It is believed to carry these from lifetime to lifetime. If we do not give our soul the attention or work it deserves, it will cease to accomplish its most important tasks correctly. If energy from these sources is blocked due to past trauma, it may affect us physically in the form of deficiencies and illness.
For example, if there is an energetic deficiency or block around love due to trauma from this life or a past one, it may cause unhealthy substances to be sent to the heart. This unhealthy substance, which we will call refuse, then gets sent throughout the body by the action of the heart.
The refuse dissolves in the waters of the body as it moves around and affects any parts which are weak and can even damage those that have previously been strong. As this refuse continues to circulate, it returns to the heart, and the process starts again weakening the body over and over until disease develops.
This is why it’s vital to understand and work to balance your astral
(soul) body as well as your physical one. To work with one’s astral body means you have to start to think about what is healthy and unhealthy for you and make courageous decisions towards spiritual and emotional health. You must forgive yourself and others so as not to carry the karmic burdens of the past, forward into the future.
The challenge we repeatedly run into is that many of us tend to be professionals at creating dramas and refuse in our lives. We hold onto karmic burdens even though they do not serve us and our wellbeing. It may be true that we cannot change the past, but we can certainly make choices to improve our wellbeing in the present, which will improve our future. Thus, how we act in this moment, what we feed our souls, and what our soul in turn feeds us, matters.
If we only think of illness in a physical sense then when the pain releases and the issues seem to disappear, we are likely to stop exploring the karmic journey associated with that issue. In that way we may miss an opportunity to grow. When we begin to understand the karmic work of the astral body and the soul, we can then thank the illness and pain for assisting us to start on our healing journey. This allows us to continue to transform in a way that is truly lasting.
Here are some transformational steps that you can begin applying to your life now in order to refine your astral body and soul and improve your physical well-being.
1. “Our soul contains within it our emotional body, filled with sensations, desires, passions, likes and dislikes.”
Understand your own spirituality. Take steps to explore your beliefs and understanding of your soul in this body.
2.
Make a daily practice of releasing negative and unhealthy emotions from your physical and spiritual body. This can be done through exercising, meditating, movement practices such as yoga or tai chi, or even screaming into a pillow. The main goal is to get them out of your body and soul so that they cannot cycle and block up any physical systems.
3.
Start a creative activity in order to start re-nourishing yourself. Creative activities are wellsprings of positive energy and add to the fabric of our lives in meaningful healing ways.
4.
Write down any physical conditions you may be struggling with. Ask yourself what beliefs are stored in this part of your body. What feelings are stored there? What experiences? What perspective have you taken on? Is it healthy or unhealthy?
5.
Ask yourself what could be a lesson that this ailment is trying to teach.
Write down all the answers that come to you without judgement.
Rub your hands together. Place them slightly apart over the part of your body which is experiencing pain and discomfort. Imagine holding a green healing light in between your hands. Focus on infusing it with healing energy and positive intentions. Send this healing energy to your body and be open to really receiving it.
Keep working with these simple exercises to strengthen yourself and your soul. If you are ready to go deeper, you can work with the processes outlined in Understanding Modern Spirituality to further this healing transformation
Published by Rockpool Publishing
ISBN 9781922785121
240 Pages $16.95
Understanding Modern Spirituality explores many themes of life, death, soul and spirit and examines all the numerous old, outdated, ambiguous teachings that have dominated the new age industry. When we think deeply, we have an opportunity to connect the pieces of our life in a profound and inspired way. Inna Segal, best-selling healing author will challenge you to understand the differences between physical and energetic bodies.
Your CrYstal a llies series
The Smoky Cathedral Quartz
Every day we experience emotional triggers or upheaval, whether feeling it for ourselves or witnessing it in another — it is everywhere — and gems and minerals are the best companions for our healing journey. Some folks think of this clarity of human suffering as something new uncovered in the last several years, but in fact, it is the reality of our collective trauma that has been unveiled. In addition to the deeper cultural and personal wounds coming to the surface to be healed
for all of us, we must contend with the added layer of seeing them publicized everywhere on social media for all to experience.
We become a witness to one another’s pain; we see it on the faces of our friends, family, and strangers alike. This purging of our collective emotional body, through grief, is a blessing on many levels. It is through the shedding of tears that our brains are required to shift, right along with our perspective, beliefs, and experiences, one sorrowful tear at a time,
About the Author: Tracee Dunblazier, GC-C is a Los Angeles-based empath, shaman, and 31-time award-winning author, has spent decades working with crystals. She was born multi-spirited, with a profound innate awareness of the multi-dimensional world and deep compassion for all who hurt. Tracee’s down-to-Earth style embraces the humor of reality and has helped thousands to find radical acceptance, empowerment, and joy in their lives, no matter where they begin. Her national and international award-winning GoTracee Publishing creates spiritual tools that have become game-changers for those who suffer. Tracee is a charismatic keynote speaker and enjoys podcasting from her CHAT-Cast platform and currently serves as president of the Coalition of Visionary Resources.
bringing us closer to the common ground we share.
Rock crystal is with us every step of the way. The beautiful matrix of quartz makes up approximately 20 percent of the Earth’s crust and receives and transmits the messages of light and love through us and to us— from the planet to the cosmos. In, Your Crystal Allies: The 12 Best Gems and Minerals for Healing Trauma and Navigating Change, I explore different members of the quartz family and the ways they help us to process grief, mourn our loss, and change our lives; one peaceful or turbulent transition to the next.
Pictured here is a smoky cathedral quartz, also referred to as a smoky cathedral lightbrary. I love the latter name as it reflects the beautiful nature of this stone which has many magnificent cascading crystal faces that look like doors and windows to the library of ancient wisdom of the cosmos. The greatest salve to sorrow is knowing that we are not alone in the aff air with our consciousness.
Grief is a relationship with our higher selves, to which we call on, to cleanse our mind, body, and spirit of outdated understanding. A smoky cathedral quartz helps us to integrate the knowledge we have and to open and clear other pathways so that new information can take root.
This stone’s unique quality and vibrational frequency is a profound community healing-resource. When used in meditation,
ritual, or with group intent, smoky cathedral quartz is a beacon of historical knowledge to assist in the reconciliation of cultural and spiritual trauma. Each of us has our own connection to the learned biases we carry, and it is during this extensive shift of the Earth and human consciousness, that we are relinquishing our fear and greed, to learn the ways of cooperation with each other, the planet, and all beings with whom we share our space.
Take a moment to gaze into the smoky cathedral quartz and receive its message for you.
In Your Crystal Allies Series (GoTracee Publishing, Oct. 2023), most of the stones chosen are from my personal collection. I wanted them to work with a wider audience, which now includes you. Your Crystal Allies: The 12 Best Gems and Minerals for Healing Trauma and Navigating Change, offers you the opportunity to get to know each stone explored in the chapter from its own “channeled” point of view. In addition, you’ll receive the insights I have gleaned from my — sometimes decades long — relationship with each stone.
The book is designed to deepen your relationship to crystal energy, no matter the level of knowledge with which you begin, through meditation with the crystal images and use of the crystal layout grids included in each chapter. In the fi rst book of the series, you will discover or enhance your relationship with Zambian citrine, barite, blue lace agate, Botswana agate, smoky cathedral quartz, dendritic quartz, kunzite, phantom quartz, relationship quartz, rose quartz, self-healed quartz, and Andara quartz glass. Crystal specimens are not required. May your life be illuminated with the profound guidance of crystal wisdom.
Published by GoTracee Publishing
ISBN 9780999362365
194 Pages
$18.95
Your Crystal Allies: The 12 Best Gems and Minerals for Healing Trauma and Navigating Change allows the wisdom and structure of the Quartz based stones to help you emotionally process grief, access guidance from your spirit guides, angels, and the Cosmos, shift your spiritual and karmic imprints, connect with your ancestors, and transmute physical patterns and habits to help fi nd peace. It can also help you cultivate your ability to discover the ancient wisdom of the Earth, learn the art of mindfulness and selfawareness, and transform your grief into forgiveness.
Fostering a team of “A” players in your business is the second article in a four-part series that explores the four pillars of a successful business. These pillars, based on the book, Scaling Up by Verne Harnish, helped me increase my revenue and profits tenfold. It’s business magic! With the business roller coaster ride of the past three years combined with the unsteady retail economy, this is the perfect time to get back to basics, and I am bringing you with me.
The African proverb “ if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” is the core to the secret to unlocking new levels of business success. In other words, creating a successful team will take you farther than trying to build your business on your own. “A” players are not the people you quickly hire to fill an immediate need. These exceptional individuals possess a unique blend of qualities that can transform an ordinary company into an extraordinary one. Diving into the people process in Harnish’s book, there is a clear guide that reveals three elements to fostering
About the Author: Jacki Smith is the co-owner of Coventry Creations. Her passion for personal empowerment and small business has been the driving force in her success and her journey of lifelong learning. Jacki is a regular contributor to the magazine and loves sharing her experience, successes, and cautionary tales.
your own high quality team and using that talent to propel your business towards unprecedented growth: Leadership, team, and managers (coaches).
relationship
and
There is a culture in your business and if you don’t defi ne and foster what you want it to be, the lowest form of it will become your default culture. Leadership is the heart of your company and the heart of how you foster a team. This is also where you have to step outside of your comfort zone and become a vulnerable leader.
Your culture is driven by your core values, which we dug into in the previous article, “Living Your Business Strategy.” When you apply this to the team you are cultivating, it looks a little different and drives your definition of an “A” player.
Think about it this way, you are manifesting your future thought your team. Your team members are not just employees. They are the heart and soul of a high-performing team. Harnish defi nes these individuals as people who exhibit exceptional performance, unwavering commitment, and alignment with the company’s values. These are also the people who will carry out your vision and defi ne your future. Making sure they are in alignment with the culture you are creating, helps ensure your path to manifesting is the one you envision.
When you lead with culture, you are also leading with your vulnerability showing because you are coming from your heart and deepest desires for the company. Without these things leading the way, you may hire
Take psychosomatics one step further and move into the fascinating world of psychoacoustics. Through the use of hypnotic states and sound healing, Tom Kenyon has developed methods that accelerate therapy and behavioral changes.
“Kenyon shows us with numerous examples and vivid imagery how properly guided, focused intent is one of our most powerful allies in the journey of personal transformation.”
– Mark Woodhouse, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy; Georgia State University)
“For those exploring the frontiers of consciousness either for personal growth or for the development of methods to help others, this book provides a valuable map and delightful insights into the journey.” – Susan Kolb (Surgeon)
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great employees that are a terrible fit for your desired culture.
Define your culture before you define the positions that you want to fill. The OPPP (One Page Personal Plan) worksheet Harnish writes about takes you through defining the relationships you want in your life. Then you target the non-monetary achievements that will make an impact through your business. To manifest these achievements, you define the rituals or routines that will get your there and finally you define the wealth or financial goals as a resource for supporting this plan. Through this personal plan you define the culture that you envision and how to align your team. You want them to work with you and not against you.
Define what a quality team member looks like by defining what additional qualities you need in your business for it to grow. This goal is to fill in the gaps on where you are not strong. When you are manifesting something you don’t have, you use new tools and ideas. The same advice goes for the team you are creating.
Each position you are filling will have a unique makeup. Your sales floor team looks very different than your financial and marketing teams. When you build a FACe (Function Accountability Chart) the qualities that will make the best fit in each position become clear.
In small businesses, there is often the same name in many positions of that chart and that’s normal. The power of the list and chart is that it helps you step out of certain roles as you grow. It also helps you see when you have overloaded yourself to the point of failure. Determine who sits in each of the positions below, what defines success in each role and what results you want each role to achieve.
HEAD OF COMPANY — sets the direction and vision for the company
and is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the organization.
MARKETING — clarifies the message of your company for external and internal audiences.
R&D/INNOVATION — tracks trends and innovation as well as finding new products to keep your business at the top of their competition.
SALES OPERATIONS — is responsible for growing sales through repeatable processes in your business.
— is responsible for tracking your cash flow, profitability, and accurate accounting as well as interacting with your accountant.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY — is responsible for designing and maintaining your IT footprint, protecting your digital assets, organize your file storage and ensuring it is working and protected.
HUMAN RESOURCES — makes sure you are in compliance with all applicable laws, manages your payroll, and supports the needs of your team.
— ensures all training is effective, productive and helps grow the talent within your organization, keeping your team engaged.
CUSTOMER ADVOCACY — is the person who ensures the customer experience is in alignment with your culture, goals, and values.
Starting any internal job description with the qualities of the ideal fit clarifies what the accountability for that position will be. The key roles of your company may seem easier to define, and don’t forget about the supporting roles that get the work done. Your store clerks, inventory, maintenance, and more. Finding the people who align with these roles will bring positive energy and exceptional work ethic, thus creating a harmonious work environment that leads to increased productivity and enhanced customer satisfaction. This ripple effect touches the entire organization,
fostering innovation, promoting effective teamwork, and cultivating resilience in the face of challenges.
The journey to building your team begins with the hiring process. It is crucial to seek individuals who not only possess the necessary skills, but also align with the values and culture you have defined. Before you write that job listing, Harnish recommends you define the job first, he calls this topgrading Once that is fine-tuned, the job posting writes itself and helps you understand how to market the position in today’s environment where there are more job openings than candidates. A well marketed posting will attract those who already feel aligned with your business and then you are in a position to test drive applicants before committing to the hire. Harnish says, “the cost of a bad hire is 15x (their) annual salary… so it’s important to get the recruiting and selection process right.”
This tool is a part of Brad and Geoff Smart’s topgrading How to Hire, Coach and Keep “A” Players process. They start with a job scorecard where you define the mission or purpose of the job, accountability, metrics, and key components of the position you are filling. You then use this scorecard in the interview process, assessing and rating the candidate’s ability to meet and exceed the measurables.
Once you have the job scorecard, you are ready to write your job posting
and start marketing the job. If you already have someone in that position, this is a great time to get their input on the topgrading job scorecard so everyone is in alignment and future reviews are easier.
POSITION: Simple name for the role
MISSION/PURPOSE: Short paragraph of the goal of this position.
“The mission of is to . The (role) will be expected to with t (Resources) and results.
3 or 4 Core Accountabilities for the position
Measurable that defines success A, B, C
*$50 per hour average sale within 1st three months
Example: Floor Salesperson
Customer Support
*$100 per hour average sales within 12 months
*Greets every customer that enters the store within 2 minutes of them arriving
*Knows the product lines to be able to guide the customer
*Can ring up sales, returns, gift certificates, etc.
Bullet pointed list of the qualities and competencies of an “A” player in this position requires
• Integrity
• Results oriented
• Customer focus
• Problem solver
• Self-directed MARKETING
The times of the Sunday classified job postings are gone. Today’s best hires want to know why he/she should commit to your business and what they will
get outside of a paycheck for that commitment. To fi nd your perfect fit, marketing is required. When you default to hiring who comes along, you inevitably compromise on the quality of the hire and hope for the best.
How the job posting is worded can make the difference between attracting two B or C grade candidates and attracting 100 “A” players. Getting your marketing team involved in this process ensures your message not only fits the job and is enticing, but it also communicated the values and mission of your business. When you are writing the job posting make sure to address the following information your best candidate will be looking for:
JOB TITLE to hook the candidate that is clear, upbeat, to the point and catchy.
COMPANY OVERVIEW that will create a picture of your work culture
POSITION SUMMARY that is three to five lines to give an overview of the tasks they will encounter on the job.
LIST OF THE BENEFITS of the role. This is not only the salary, but product discounts, vacation time, and other non-cash benefits awarded for working with you.
JOB DESCRIPTION in bullet points. A list of all the duties your potential employee will perform.
LIST OF QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE. A bulleted list where some qualifications can be mandatory, and some can be preferred.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION to get your potential candidates all the tools they need to choose to apply to your company.
YOU CONTACT INFORMATION is critical. Be transparent with an email address, website, phone number and other contact info with clear instructions on how you want them to apply.
Many companies are expanding upon the traditional interview and inviting the top candidates for a test drive in the position they are hiring for. Harnish talks about executive management positions in his examples, but in the case of a smaller independent retailer, your test drives may be a bit lower stress and less of a time commitment. What could a second interview/test drive look like for the position you are hiring for?
In our business we invite candidates in for a paid two hour test pour of our candles. This allows us to see the dexterity and ability to pay attention to the details needed in making candles. When we hired a marketing team member, we asked them to create a fake pitch on a new product. When we hire the office or sales staff, we have them answer the phone, take an order, and call on a customer.
Embrace the magic of people, unleash the power of a stellar team, and let your business soar
For many of the independent retailers, the owner is the manager as well. The owner is concerned about the bottom line, inventory level, customer traffic, cash flow, strategy, etc. To add in coaching your staff can often mean something else will not get the attention it requires.
Servant leadership is the hot topic in management training and simply put, that means you are engaging and growing your team from the moment they are onboarded in your business. As your business grows and evolves, having an engaged team will put you in a position to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you.
Scaling up has five best practices to keeping your team engaged. In descending order of importance:
5. Hire fewer people, but pay them more
4. Give recognition and show appreciation
3. Set clear expectations and give employees a clear line of sight
2. Don’t demotivate, “de-hassle,” and
1. Help people play to their strengths.
This seems like a lot to integrate in your already busy week! Hang in there with me and let’s review what this can look like in a smaller business. It’s not as daunting as it looks.
HIRE FEWER PEOPLE, BUT PAY THEM MORE . Ignore the cost of products at the moment and think about what an amazing salesperson on your floor will gain for your business. Or a crack social media guru. What salary would you be willing to pay a person who can increase your average sales by 50 percent? Do the math and when you fi nd that person, make that a part of their goal. An ideal hire will come in with ideas they can execute and now they are excited about how they can have an impact on the business.
GIVE RECOGNITION AND SHOW APPRECIATION. This one is easy. Say thank you when things go right, take them to lunch every now and again. Employee of the month is easy, as is putting a powerful bio of them on your website or social media. You can easily incorporate this in your week or month by setting a digital calendar notice to remind you to do something for someone.
A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT. This is where you have to do the pre-work. If you created the job scorecard, that is the anchor of the clear expectations for your team. When your staff knows what is expected of them, when it is due,
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where you want them to demonstrate it, how you want it done, and what the reward is you can clarify 90 percent of their job. Knowing that there is a line of sight for promotions and increased pay, can get employees excited about their future with you. The return on investment for this can be tenfold. As the team grows in their job, you can delegate more to them and get a little more space in your own brain.
DON’T DEMOTIVATE, “DE-HASSLE.” One of your main jobs as a servant leader is to keep the path to success clear for your team. That means not allowing customers to abuse them, making sure you have a team of high level performers and not allowing a B and C player to make their day miserable, making sure they have appropriate tools in working order, and making sure they have the resources to do their job. A weekly one-on-one with a repeating agenda and time to chitchat gives you insight into your business that you could otherwise overlook.
HELP PEOPLE PLAY TO THEIR STRENGTHS. This is the most important thing you can do for your staff. Make sure your team is in the right seat to take advantage of their strengths. The time this takes is already accounted for in
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the one-on-one coaching sessions you are already having. You can see what your employees excel at when you talk to them and keep them accountable for their work.
Staff enrichment is a benefit the average company does not invest in, and it can be the activity that takes you from a demotivating culture into an empowering one. Growing your talent does not need to kill your profits if you start with the basics and watch your bottom line grow. These basics are onboarding, orientation, coaching, and continuing education. All growth companies are training companies. The only way to grow a company is to grow the people fi rst according to Harnish.
ONBOARDING. It’s like throwing a party when people start, rather than when they leave. Onboarding is an opportunity to get the fi rst impression of your business right. This is where you control the narrative of your culture, mission, vision, and values. This is also the time where you celebrate the arrival of your new high quality hire and start them out as a welcomed member of your team.
ORIENTATION. As an extension of the onboarding process can be looked at as the fi rst 30 to 90 days. This is where you share the details of the position, the training, accountability, who they report to and any other employee handbook things that are critical for the success of the job. Many businesses look at this part of the hiring process as the business and rules only. Instead, turn this part of your onboarding into a game of rewards as the new hire progresses through your training process. Oh… and a training process is critical here. Expecting your hire to build the plane as they are flying it can scare off an excellent candidate by giving the impression that you are disorganized and have unreasonable expectations.
We talked earlier about the one on one sessions with your top employees as the foundation for a coaching mindset. Expand upon this with giving a bit of autonomy and coaching them into success. When a team member feels heard and valued, loyalty grows.
EDUCATION. You can do online learning as a team, have your staff search YouTube for specific information, watch TED talks together, take advantage of your local SBA office or chamber of commerce offerings. Nurturing a specific talent in a team member and showing them how to grow their knowledge base give them the encouragement to do it on their own.
Don’t worry about your team member learning too much and moving on to a higher paying job. You get the reward of that talent while they are there. Even if that star employee moves on, you have an already proven path forward for your next team member.
Building a team of “A” players is a journey and example of being dedicated to the growth of your company. It does require dedication, and intention. It can also be made a bit easier with the guidance of Verne Harnish’s “Scaling Up.” By embracing the power of “A” players, businesses can create a culture of high-performance that propels them towards growth that makes your life easier. As you embark on this magical endeavor, remember the importance of leadership, effective communication, hiring for cultural fit, empowerment, training, recognition, and feedback. Allow the magic of players to transform your business and watch as your organization thrives in ways you never thought possible. Embrace the magic of people, unleash the power of a stellar team, and let your business soar to new heights of success.
Many know and follow us for our music and for this we are eternally grateful. Yet in the half-century since Dean Evenson and I first met, our spiritual and media journey has also interwoven videography, photography, written books, guided affirmations, and community activism along with the music. In this column I will be sharing stories and lessons behind some of our many projects and introduce you to a few of the artists, musicians, and wisdom keepers we have met along our path. We have learned so much from them and know it can be helpful for others in navigating this current age of mass confusion and personal stress. I also hope to share a few business tips we have picked up over the years as we have built up Soundings of the Planet from our own sweat and with the help and ideas of others.
One interesting project we did has appeared in multiple forms over the years. I mention this to alert entrepreneurs, producers, and creators to get your project and your message out in as many forms and platforms as possible. For much of our history, we have released peaceful instrumental in music which people have used for meditation, relaxation, and healing. I play my harp on some of the music but I also love to create guided affirmations. A few years ago, a project evolved that would fulfill my intention to provide tools to help people shift their consciousness by offering short, positive principles based on practical wisdom to deeply focus on regularly. The project came about as I considered the values
About the Author: Dudley and her husband Dean Evenson are sound healing pioneers. Their motto of Peace Through Music is reflected in their music, videos, and books. A Year of Guided Meditation: 52 Weekly Affirmations is available in paperback. Find more information at www.soundings.com.
Expanding on techniques featured in Supercharged Self-Healing, RJ Spina shares new high-frequency metaphysics made simple and practical.
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and principles that Dean and I have lived by since we met in 1968. We attribute our long and loving relationship and our successful music business to understanding how the universe works and putting awareness of those principles into action.
I decided to present the ideas in a form that could be shared with others who are looking to live the life of their highest dreams. We have come to realize that if we want to change our lives, we need to dedicate a good length of time to reprogramming our negative inner dialogue. With this in mind, I built a program around a yearlong affi rmation practice. Once I identified the principles to include, the words flowed out easily and smoothly, and 52 separate principles followed naturally into a program of weekly affi rmations. I recorded my voice and with a background of our music, we fi rst released it as a CD called Meditation Moment: 52 Weekly Affirmations. Then it morphed into A Year of Guided Meditations, a nature music DVD and a popular DailyOM online course. More recently, it has become my second book which just last year was a monthly book club and now is shared on our Soundings Mindful Media Podcast!
When we honestly listen to what we are telling
ourselves through our inner conversation, we may be surprised to see how much we sabotage ourselves with uncontrolled negative or random thinking. By repeating negative snippets of thought that too often roam our interior, we deepen their hold on us. Affi rmations are one way to break away and reprogram our own inner world. From the beginning, Dean and I have been fascinated by the commonality of universal principles in faiths across the world. We knew there was truth in them, and we wanted to understand more. We read ancient spiritual texts from all the religions, and we discovered that beyond the cultural and historical stories, the same universal principles and teachings permeated all religions.
What Jesus taught when he said “What you sow you shall reap” is reflected in the Buddhist concept of cause and effect and the Hindu understanding of Karma. What you send out comes back. The seeds you plant in the spring will become your harvest in the fall. What goes around, comes around. From our travels and interactions with Tibetan lamas, Indian gurus, Native American elders, and our own
Judeo-Christian background, we came to understand the universal principles that are shared by all faiths.
It was from this wisdom that I created the affi rmations for the project. The affi rmations reflect the ‘Universal Principles’ which are in essence the foundational laws of how the universe works. Just as the physical world operates on principles of physics, so too our inner spiritual world has principles that govern it. When we understand them and incorporate them into our consciousness, we can operate in harmony with them and are better able to achieve the life of our highest dreams.
attunement
FEATURES
Attunement is the intention you bring to balancing your physical and spiritual system. Being attuned to your body and tending to its needs calls for you to be present to the moment. It requires you to engage your five senses and apply a knowingness about what your thoughts and feelings are. When you can tend to your physical self, you can respond to what your soul needs in a gentle way.
Understanding that your body is the vehicle for your soul to experience this world allows you to be psychologically kinder. A sense of who you are, why you are here and your place in your world comes more easily when you see your body in this way. Simply put, your soul needs your body to engage in this world.
If you let it, your body can be your life compass. It will not lie. It tells you when you are safe to engage and withdraws when you’re are not. Your body becomes your home and
a haven. Being present is what helps your soul manage its human involvement.
Hold space and listen. Respect what your body is telling you. The energetic flow both inside and outside of your body will guide you. Through your physical experience, you can work more intuitively. When you catch yourself in a harsh internal dialogue about yourself or others and choose to redirect this, you can hear your authenticity more clearly. When you pay attention to how you are thinking and where you are feeling the results of that thinking in your system, you develop an acuity.
Part of attunement is to know when your nervous system and chakras are in appropriate sync with the present moment reality. Your nervous system picks up rhythms from another’s system. Your chakras hold messages that reverberate to the central nervous system. This is the roadmap to connect with others. How do you feel in your body as you spend time with others? How does your body carry on
About the Author: CJ Llewelyn, M.Ed., is a licensed professional counselor, trauma therapist and reiki master. Her book, Chakras and the Vagus Nerve: Tap into the healing combination of subtle energies and your nervous system , was released by Llewellyn Books April 2023. This article is edited from the chapter on the Root Chakra and the Vagus Nerve. CJ can be reached at wwww.cjllewelyn.com
in the world when you are in groups or alone?
One of the keys to answering these questions, is to recognize the people in your life reflect yourself. Are they kind, respectful and honor your boundaries? Are they chaotic or worry about what others’ think? Do they need to dominate others, or do they have a sense of themselves enough to know where they end and another begins?
You draw in a similar frequency that matches your own vibration. People can only love you on the same frequency that you are able to love yourself. How does your frequency burn? What are aspects of you that need healing?
Does anxiety and a need to manage situations outside of you keep you
from being present? What occurs within you when you perceive a lack of control? What fears arise? Loneliness? Lack of safety? Uselessness? Where do you feel them in your body?
When you are locked in a narrative of “not enough,” you work from a premise of wanting to control situations around you. When you feel a need to keep things the way you believe they should be, then your body constricts and engages too frequently with your sympathetic nervous system. That fight or fl ight response tightens muscles, increases blood pressure, and restricts your root chakra. You are not present to yourself because you are scanning for things to be the way you think you need them to be.
Whether you believe you have plenty or none, your perspective shapes your reality. ‘’Not enough’’ puts you in a mindset of control over others. A mindset of lacking creates tension with the people around you because you see them as competition for resources. Controlling things you cannot really control is a misinformed
belief that you can soothe yourself from the outside in.
This dance is done in a misled attempt to keep from feeling pain. Fearing the idea of pain leads to many heavy layers of protection, including refusing to believe you even feel fear. Ironically, denial creates so much more pain than it attempts to avoid. It allows harmful attachments to continue. It permits dangerous behaviors to escalate. It permits injury to self and others through passive-aggressive actions and words.
Like a ripple in a pond, the attempt to deny sends out negative consequences that affect people and families for years and generations. When it’s done in governments and businesses, it destroys lives and the planet. Fear is short served, but the outcome is long term. The only way to manage your world is from the inside-out. When you trust your inner world, you can attune to yourself and leave others to their own path.
If you are uncertain about when to slow down and what to release, try this journal prompt below. This gives a visual to what feels overwhelming and helps you see a way through to peace.
This is an exercise you can go back to regularly. It’s especially helpful during those times when you feel things are chaotic or you have a big decision to make and are struggling with doing so. You can also do this when you want to explore your basic outlook on life. The two major questions here are, “What can you control?” and “What can’t you control?”
In your journal, draw a line down the center of the paper. As a header on the left side of the line, write CAN. On the right header, write CAN’T.
Think of a situation in your life that is bothering you. In the CAN’T column, write all the things about this situation you cannot control. In the CAN
column, write all the things in it you can control. Write everything you can think of for both sides of the columns. Continue writing until you have exhausted all thoughts about this. What is in your CAN control column? What is in your CAN’T control column?
Healing happens over time. Nurturing and growth are a life long consciousness. Intention to heal needs to be developed and that requires trusting who you are in your present moment. Understand that with each level of growth comes a new one.
An incredible flow of energy works through you when you’re doing things ‘’right.” Right is not what others think you need to be doing. Right is what you need to be doing, and the only way to be ‘’right’’ is to attune to your own needs.
Being gentle and responding in kindness is the way to honor your body.
Self-care is not selfish. No one will care for you better than you should care for yourself. No one will ever love you more than you should love yourself.
Attune to the messages in your body, even if you believe they hurt. Just breathe. This calms the vagus nerve and engages space and safety in your system. You then open space for these chakra centers to be heard. Your body feels heard. Your soul feels heard. You will learn that attuning actually keeps your safe. And safety is the start to spiritually engaging with your life.
Oracles provide the bridge between our world and the high vibrational healing one of Spirit. When a seeker is lost, indecisive, angry or upset, guidance from Spirit may support them and highlight the path forward through their life issues. Most people require a way to “hear” these messages of hope, direction and love. You can build that bridge for your customers by sharing these sparkling new oracles!
by Selena Moon, Author & ArtistPublished by Rockpool Publishing
ISBN 9781922579638
36 cards + 96 page booklet
$24.95
Modern people, featured in vibrant high defi nition digital artwork with listed keywords pull the seeker within themselves for a journey of self discovery and empowerment. This deck drives one on an intuitive and soulful journey through our shadow and light selves. Moon’s guidebook also offers affi rmations and practical tips for everyday living. Promote this deck to customers of all intuitive levels!
WHEN MY SOUL WHISPERED ORACLE
By Melissa Selvaggio
Illustrated by Jess O’Connor
Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
ISBN 9781646710775
44 cards + 164 page booklet
$23.95
Gentle guidance, mantras and affi rmations (“My Sacred Words”) assist the seeker to journey into deep soulful reflection for insights into personal healing. O’Connor’s attractive minimalist watercolors, featuring nature and spiritual symbols, are magnets for intuitive insights. Showcase this chakra-based Oracle to Reiki practitioners and students!
SOUL HELPER ORACLE: MESSAGES FROM YOUR HIGHER SELF
by Christine Arana FaderIllustrated by Elena Dudina
Published by Earthdancer Books
ISBN 9781644114681
43 cards + 128 page booklet
$19.99
This is an Oracle that provides a 21-day program to unlock soulful wisdom about the seeker’s life path. The multihued artwork ripples with energy that attracts the eye. Cards also feature quick meanings, while the book offers additional helpers for each card: animals, crystals, essential oils and numbers. Customers that feel “lost” on what to do next in life will fi nd this deck helpful!
About the Author: Melinda Carver is a Spiritual Business Expert and an award-winning author, psychic medium, and speaker. She has appeared on TV, radio, podcasts, corporate events, expos and stores. She is also the president of the Church of Radiant Lights located in Cleveland, Ohio. To know more, visit www.psychicmelinda.webs.com
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Ibecame a local writer for a tourism magazine in Malta focusing on the healthy food and lifestyle of the island (a GMO-free country) since I moved here in 2020. For almost three years I have followed every food that comes into season and learned from the farmers the way they harvest their seasonal foods. I will share what I experience here first and then add a tip for how you can make it your own.
First, The Mediterranean diet is not actually a diet. It’s a way of life and it does not come with a set of rules and restrictions the way that we have translated their wisdom to be. Here, they eat locally, seasonally and mindfully as much as possible. They eat real (full-fat) foods without guilt.
About the Author: Emily A. Francis has a BS in Exercise Science and Wellness with a minor in nutrition and a master’s degree in Human Performance. She now writes a column for the tourism magazine, Oh My Malta titled Emily in Malta and also has a column with a world-renowned chef A Chef and a Foodie On Tour to review local family restaurants. She is also a contributing writer for Malta’s Gourmet Today magazine. To know more about the author and her latest book The Taste of Joy: Mediterranean Wisdom For a Life Worth Savoring, visit www.emilyafrancisbooks.com
“Stop counting calories and start treating each meal as an experience. Use those healthy fats and let them nourish your brains out!”
Everything about the Mediterranean approach to life goes with the flow, not against it. They take each course of food as a complement to our body’s natural digestive process. They give our bodies the foods in smaller quantities but in a larger number of courses. They finish with a coffee to aid in digestion.
TIP: INVITE FRIENDS FOR EITHER A HOME-COOKED MEAL OR AT A LOCAL PLACE that serves the kinds of foods that make you close your eyes and hum when you take a bite. Sit there for as long as you want and order all the courses (and stop feeling guilty for enjoying every moment of it).
Eating locally means something very different to me now. I look for olive oil that was grown locally and I buy it direct from the growers. I can taste such a difference in the fruits and vegetables I buy right from the farm trucks that are parked in every local town on the island. Food is so much purer when you get it locally sourced.
TIP: START SHOPPING AT THE LOCAL CO-OPS OR FARMER’S MARKETS. Changing to foods grown by hand, in healthy soil, by people you know and can count on will be one of the biggest healthy game changers of your life.
Physical activity is a way of life in the Mediterranean. People get out and about without thinking “I have to get my steps in.” They mostly say “I want to play under the sun!” There is pure joy to be found in moving the body. It isn’t forced. When we eat out, we have learned to walk around following the meal before heading back home and the change feels so much heathier.
TIP: DO SOMETHING ACTIVE THAT YOU ENJOY and do not watch for the time, number of steps or number of calories burned. Just move to move!
One of the biggest things I have observed that is the healthiest of all is the interconnectedness of the communities here. The island is small, and people live close. Homes are rarely without another home on either side of them. People show up for each other in completely different ways here and it has been one of the most refreshing parts of our new life. The
community way of living is an ultra-game changer. You can show up at someone’s door and be welcomed with wide open arms. Love and meals made with love still runs the show over here and I am here for it!
TIP: JOIN A GROUP, MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS, DO SOMETHING THAT CONNECTS YOU WITH like-minded, loving and healthy people. It doesn’t have to be daily, but make it a part of your life in a way that you can show up for and benefit from.
Quality sleep, naps and rest are all key ingredients to the lives of these hard workers — especially the farmers who are up at insane hours and then get home and go to sleep for as long as their bodies need to rest and recover. Another example is the fisherman who leaves home around 3:00 am every morning to go out on the boat. He arrives back when the fish are done biting. He walks right to bed and sleeps until dinner time. He eats dinner with his family every night and then goes to sleep again until it’s time to get on the boat. Other local farmers are up at 4:00 a.m. to hand pick and then deliver the morning picks to the fresh markets. Their body clocks are different and yet the amount of sleep might be more and the quality is very good. Not everyone needs to sleep in an 8-hour session, but it is important to aim for at least 8 hours however that works with your personal schedule and body clock.
TIP: WHEN YOU ARE TIRED, TAKE A NAP! Do whatever you can with your daily schedule to carve out time for rest or for a nap if necessary and to get to bed at a decent hour. Follow your own body clock for the proper hours to sleep.
Published by The Crown Publishing Group
ISBN 9780593580424
128 Pages $16
A beautiful visual representation of personal growth and healing based around striking affirmations, mantras, and ancient wisdom, from Lao Tzu to Rumi and beyond. When it seems that you have been left behind, in a moment of stillness you might realize that the infinite stars, the restless sea, and the patient moon are all traveling along with you. In this beautiful collection, artist Iulia Bochis pairs visual storytelling with timeless wisdom to take you on a voyage of self-discovery through the seasons of life. Following a traveler as they face the changes of fall, the loneliness of winter, the hopeful nature of spring, and the happiness of summer, these pages capture the grief, transformation, healing, and growth we all experience on the journey toward self-love. Guided by Iulia’s insightful words and punctuated with Zen proverbs and quotes from prominent thinkers from Lao Tzu to Rumi, this vibrantly illustrated book will inspire you to trust the process, find comfort in new beginnings, and reflect on the beauty and magic that exists in the world around you.
By Amanda Gorman, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Published by Penguin Random House
ISBN 9780593203255 40 Pages $18.99
Presidential inaugural poet and New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor Winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope. Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change. Intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations Something, Someday reveal how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.
Published by Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
ISBN 9781324020059
240 Pages
$24.29
An offering to be with, and to turn toward, the feelings from which we instinctively recoil. We have learned how to suppress our pain and deny its presence, but when we fight against our internal turmoil, glimmers of peace are short-lived. Rejecting our suffering is not a sustainable solution because trauma is held in the body. In this book, Nityda Gessel invites readers on a journey toward lasting freedom, with insights and experiential practices that marry the wisdom of Buddhist psychology, yogic teachings, and Indigenous understanding with somatic psychotherapy and neuroscience. When we heal, our actions and attitudes are not hijacked by our nervous systems as easily. We begin to feel more comfortable in our bodies, more at peace, awake, and free. With Gessel’s invitation, readers will learn to look out into the world, and see more than their own trauma reflected back.
YOU ARE-BROKEN, BEAUTIFUL, AND SACRED
by Katie SilcoxPublished by BenBella Books
ISBN 9781637743720
256 Pages
$21.95
Today, we’re dealing with high stress levels, anxiety, and a deep sense that something is missing from our overly technologized lives. We long for community, spiritual authenticity, and a feeling of belonging in the body. You are not alone, and you are not permanently stuck. Glow-Worthy’s powerful framework combining modern science and wisdom from global spiritual traditions will help you live a fuller, more authentic life—no matter your background or faith. It’s possible to live from a place of deep connection to something that is far sweeter, far more powerful, and far wiser than you ever knew. To feel aligned in your mind and heart with a sense of purpose that resonates all the way to your soul. And to recapture an authentic relationship with your physical, breathing body that, in turn, can deepen your engagement with the world around you.
Published by Adams Media
ISBN 9781507221310
240 Pages
$16.99
Identify your aura and use that unique energy signature to unlock who you truly are with this informative guide from new age influencer and author Mystic Michaela. Your aura tells your unique story: and this book can help you understand and embrace the colors you shine out to the world.
In What’s My Aura?, aura expert and psychic to the stars Mystic Michaela teaches you everything you need to know to “see” and identify your aura colors and to learn what each color means and how they represent different personality traits. She provides insight about how these aura colors show up in all aspects of your life, from how you interact with the spiritual world to how you communicate with the people around you — and even in your personal style.
Christina Tourin, Emerald Harp Productions
www.playharp.com/christinatourin
Christina is one of the world’s most renowned harp educators. There is something truly magical about a harp. And there is something special about geodes, with their hidden crystalline light emerging when you open them. Aptly titled, one of Christina’s goals with this album was for the music to “create a place to find the center of one’s being, allowing each listener to let go of tension and rise into the cumulus of their own imagination.” A host of stellar musicians join Christina here, bringing synth, guitars, more harp, and vocals into the mix. The result is ultra-relaxing, uplifting, and effortlessly therapeutic. Brilliant.
Michael Whalen, MWM/Spout
www.michaelwhalen.com
The new album release from Emmy® Award-winning composer and multiinstrumentalist, Michael Whalen is an amazing collaboration between Michael and four other world-renowned artists. Bassist Michael Manring, guitarist Michael Brook, trumpeter Jeff Oster, and percussionist/remixer Karsh Kale join Michael here for this high-level musical collaboration. Here we have seven instrumental tracks, adding up to about a half hour, which defy any particular genre, in an engaging and emotive album. With its lush, textured arrangements and impeccable production values, the album is a true testament to the musical talent and creative vision of these five composers and musicians. Invigorating and exciting.
Michelle Qureshi, Music as Metaphor
www.michellequreshi.com
Award-winning composer, Michelle Qureshi is a multi-instrumentalist and classically trained guitarist who brings a contemporary, yet timeless aesthetic to listeners through her music. This brief (13-1/2 minutes) five track guitar-centered album creates a sonic landscape that encourages reflection and inner exploration. Here we are transported effortlessly and immediately to a place of serenity. We find ourselves mesmerized by and completely immersed in these melodic and flowing acoustic guitar compositions, which are focused on elements of “home.” And, therefore, time simply melts away and ceases to exist. It’s a wonderful escape from the stresses of daily life. Home, we are.
About the Author: Dyan Garris is an award-winning New Age recording artist, award-winning author, and music reviewer, who has recorded and produced 14 albums. Garris’ recordings include a series of independently tested music and meditation CDs that earned The National Health & Wellness Stamp of Approval. Her music is found on Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, SiriusXM, Muzak, Music Choice, airlines, website, and more. To know more, visit www.dyangarrismusic.com
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Llewellyn Publications
877-639-97-53 www.llewellyn.com
New Leaf Distributing
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Oceanic Linkways
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Quanta Distribution
888-436-7962 www.quantadistributionus.com
Raiders of the Lost Art
800-527-4367 www.raiderocks.com
Rockpool Publishing
+612 9560-1280 www.rockpoolpublishing.com
719-487-0424 www.satiamapublishing.com
888-773-8680 www.srfpublishers.org
800-867-4344 www.starlinksgifts.com
Soundings of the Planet
800-937-3223 www.soundings.com
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
800-544-2637 www.usgamesinc.com
Zen and Meow
717-229-1138 wholesale.zenandmeow.com
