How your focus shapes your reality

First off let me say DANG, it has been a while since I have posted.  Between running the shop, creating videos (I made a Youtube channel) and being a mom, this poor little ol page got neglected. 

I decided that TODAY I was actually going to give this blog the attention it deserves.  TODAY I am going to talk about what you focus on shapes your life.  This is also going to serve as a great little place to plug one of my videos.  Yay!

Okay so I gotta tell ya, I LOVE Abraham-Hicks material.  If you are not familiar, I suggest you check it out.  The easy way is to go on YouTube and search for Abraham Hicks and start there.  Many of the discussions I have on a daily basis in my shop and in my videos are based off of the A-H Law of Attraction teachings.  The reason why I love it so much is it has helped me transform my life.  When I find something that I love AND get results from, I feel like I have to shout about it from the roof tops. 

So lets get to the topic at hand and chat about how you are creating your reality.  If you are not familiar with the Law of Attraction, it simply states, what you focus on is what persists.  With that understanding, the things you give your attention to are the things you get the most of.  Watch this video for a quick explanation.

Your thoughts matter.  Where you choose to put your attention and energy to, matters.  You can choose to find things to appreciate or you can choose to find things to complain about.  When you start practicing appreciation, noticing all the good in your life, more good things and things to appreciate show up. You can shift your focus from negative aspects to positive ones at any time.  It just take a little practice.

I have lots of great videos already up on my channel, ready for your viewing pleasure.  If you find them to be helpful then go ahead and subscribe so you don't miss any new info. 

If you have any questions you would like me to answer in a video, please feel free to contact me via my facebook page or website. 

Salt lamp hullabaloo

Himalayan salt lamps are all the craze right now but did you ever wonder why?  What is the big deal about a chunk of salt with a light bulb in it?  Well, there are plenty of people claiming all kinds of wonderful benefits while on the other side of the coin, others say they are just pretty and serve no other benefit.  In my quest for knowledge I found information backing both sides.  Some I agree with and some I just do not.

This article is not to sell you a lamp or dissuade you from buying one either.  I do sell them in my shop and they are a very popular item. But the point of this article is to give you an understanding on the benefits Himalayan salt lamps from my perspective.

How I see these beauties is as follows... I lean towards believing in the benefits of Himalayan salt lamps rather than being a skeptic.  I know that salt has been used for thousand of years as a curative.  (Heck, people even "cure" meat with salt. Yeah I know, curing meat and curing a person of an ailment aren't exactly the same thing.  For a quick explanation on how salt preserves meat, click here.)  There is plenty of information regarding the history of salt and healing and I found an article that lays out that information in a concise and easy to follow manner.  If you want to read that article, click here.  It was pretty interesting.

One of the claims being made about Himalayan salt lamps is they are air purifiers.  They do this by creating or releasing negative ions (good ones) which attach themselves to positive ions (bad ones) making them very heavy.  These particles fall to the ground or surfaces where you can then vacuum or dust them away. This is one of the claims where I found conflicting information.  From what some of my customers and friends told me, it is true, at least for them.  I use these lamps in my own home and so far I have no complaints. If you are not sure, do some research or get a lamp and experiment for yourself.

As for health benefits, many people claim to find relief of various ailments such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis, pretty much most respiratory illnesses, skin conditions, stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, and migraines.  It all seems pretty impressive.

I am fortunate enough to be healthy and mainly stress free so I can not speak on those aforementioned improvements first hand.  I can tell you that for the most part, I am a pretty positive up beat person.  Yeah, I get stressed from time to time but I would not consider myself to be chronically stressed.

Himalayan salt lamps make me feel good.

I like the idea of these lamps as a beneficial health tool.  I like the aesthetics of Himalayan salt lamps when they are glowing.  I like the thought of them being a positive part of my environment. I like how I feel when I am around the lamps and enjoying the warm glow.  I feel good when Himalayan salt lamps are in use in my environment and isn't that the point?  To feel good?  Isn't that why you do or want certain things, is to feel good?  If feeling good is the only benefit you get from a Himalayan salt lamp then I say it has worked wonders.  Get one and decide for yourself.

p.s. If you have heard about the salt lamp recall from Michael's, please let this letter from my salt lamp source ease your mind regarding the safety of the lamps that I carry.

Dear Valued Customer,

Recently, Michael's Craft Store announced a product recall for their Lumiere Brand of Himalayan Salt Lamps.

It has been determined that the dimmer switch and plug can overheat posing a fire hazard.   No incidents have been reported thus far. 

We are pleased to confirm that our Salt Lamps are not part of this recent safety recall related to the wiring.

The wiring component on our salt lamps are UL Certified (Underwriters Laboratory).    

Additionally, our Salt Lamps are assembled and inspected in the United States.

Product Safety is always our most important consideration.  Your Original Source Salt Lamps are completely safe. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and trust

Sincerely, Original Source

 If you are interested in purchasing a Himalayan salt lamp and you are local to my shop, please consider A Moment of Zen as your source for quality salt lamps.  Oohhh, that kinda did sound like a sales pitch.  Sorry about that.

What's the deal with all these rocks???

It is no secret that I love crystals… I mean come on… have you been in the shop lately? To say I have an obsession with crystals might be putting it mildly! Anyway, we all can see the beauty of these natural wonders, but can you feel it?  Yes? Great! No? That’s okay too.  

Eden & Chevron Amethyst

Sooo... In case you didn’t know, we live in a vibrational universe, which means that everything is a vibration, including you and me.  Yup.  There is not a single thing that isn’t a vibration and everything has its own frequency, including crystals.  We, as in humans, have a vibrational frequency too, but it's pretty unstable.  It’s not a bad thing this instability of ours.  If we were at a constant vibration we would never be able to experience higher vibrations, you know, those good feeling moments in life (or lower vibes that let us know we would like something better).  We would always feel the same no matter what.  Anyway, because of our instability we are also able to entrain with other energies.  In other words, we can change or blend our energies with other frequencies around us.  For example; did you ever go in to a room where there was just a major argument?  I mean really intense angry energy flying around? You can feel it. If you hang out there long enough you have the potential to shift your energy into that frequency.  Yuck.  On the other side of the coin, did you ever go into a room that was serene and calm? Chances are if you hung out there long enough you would feel the effects of that too. 

10' case full of crystals

So what does all this have to do with crystals?  Welllllll crystals have a nice stable energy frequency that they are constantly emitting.  Just having a crystal in your energy field will have a stabilizing effect (that’s pretty much how they work for us).  Put enough of them in a space (oh say like at my shop) and wow, you have some really nice feeling vibes going on!  Now does that mean you need to have umpteen million crystals lying around your house in order to make it feel nice?  No, but it would be interesting to experience I suppose.  In all actuality, you need only what you FEEL you need.  It could be a handful of tumbled stones all the way to a full on collection of every variety you could find.  It really is up to you, your own energy frequency and desire. 

Whether you believe in the ‘power of crystals’ or think they are just pretty rocks, either way it is having a positive effect and that right there is reason enough to have them. 

Would you like more information on crystals and how they can be of benefit?  Keep an eye on the shop facebook page for information on upcoming workshops.

Keep calm and vibe on...

I recently returned home from one of the most amazing weekends of my life.  Nestled in the quaint town of Old Fort, NC is a beautiful piece of property called Camp Grier.  This is where the magic was happening folks.  A beautiful group of people put together their 4th annual life changing event called 3 days of light. It even says in the promotional material that "one event really can change your life"... I felt the changes begin in the days before my arrival there. Let me tell you... it really did change my life! If you are looking for soulful connections and having profound spiritual experiences, then go to this event when it comes back around next year. 

I already consider myself to be a spiritual being, on the awakened path, continuously seeking to raise my vibration and to help others along their way. In order to be of service to others we must also be of service to ourselves.  What does that mean?  It means taking energetic responsibility for yourself.  Doing what is right, not because you will gain something from it, but because it is the right thing to do for all involved.  Gaining something is a bonus but having a positive impact to those around you, that is the real prize.

I had more than one reason for attending this event.  I was there representing my business, holding a  vendor space sharing the goodies I had in an energetic exchange for money.  I was there making connections (spiritual, friendship & business), and participating in some of the workshops being held.  I truly came out of this a changed person. Experiencing so much love and positive energy, even if all I did was sit in my booth I would still have left feeling a difference.

So, what does this have to do with anything and why am I rambling on? The point is, on the journey home and in the days following, I processed all that has happened (and I am still processing).  Even in my state of bliss, I am still aware of the "real life troubles" that are around.  There may still be folks that say or do things that one may view as annoying, or irritating.  There may still be things that threaten to take me out of my blissful state where I might want to shout out "go *bleep* yourself", but that would be totally harsh and accomplish nothing positive.  If anything, it would add to the lower frequencies I am trying to move away from. 

In a recent conversation I had with my mate, I said to him, "you know when we argue and we want to say 'go *bleep* yourself '(either to each other or someone else), why don't we start a new phrase, a new higher vibrational way to say 'hey, I do not like what is going on' but has a higher frequency than the expletives we are so used to spewing out".  So this is when the new phrase was born.  That phrase, and please feel free to use it, is "go awaken yourself".  It is perfect!  AND it is a reminder to the person saying too to keep your vibes up. 

I can not speak for all enlightened beings on this planet but I can safely guess that there are plenty of awakened folks out there that might lose their cool from time to time.  How nice would it be to hear "go awaken yourself" instead of the crass alternative? 

Does saying something in a fit of anger make you any less awakened?  No, not necessarily.  Most of us are programmed to be reactionary.  To act first then think about it later.  Part of the awakening process is learning to think first, then take a calmer reaction, if you would even call it a reaction at that point.  However, for those times of weakness, when the moment gets intense and you want to tell someone to shove it where the sun don't shine, try saying "go awaken yourself" instead.

See what happens.  Check out if the energy shifts, if the situation is then suddenly diffused.  Of course if this is said to an already awakened person, it might end up causing unexpected laughter at the reminder of how silly it was to be that "pissed off" in the first place.  Who knows.  Maybe it will catch on, maybe it wont, but if anything it gives you something to think about.  Words are powerful, they are energy and need to be used carefully and lovingly, so why not say something that is a gentle reminder to bring your vibes up.  Give it a try and let me know how it works.

Much love to you!

EVERYTHING is energy

If you've ever had a conversation with me, then chances are at some point I have mentioned that everything is energy.  EVERYTHING.  Some of you "got it" and some looked at me like I was a loon but smiled with polite courtesy.  My friend Vinnie Straub posted something on facebook that addressed this energy topic.  I am copy & pasting his post just as I found it so proper credit can be given. 

For those of you that already "get it", it's a nice refresher, for those of you still struggling to understand that everything is energy, this article might be helpful for you.  Enjoy!

EVERYTHING is energy.
Science shows that everything is made up of energy. The same energy that composes you is the same that composes me, your parents, your daughter, someone living in another country, the bricks of houses, trees, rocks, everything.
We are all made up of atoms but you can go deeper than atoms and find that atoms are made of nothing but pure energy.
Just like televisions and cell phones convert energy into sights and sounds, your brain converts this energy into the sights and sounds of your reality.
Since everything is energy, there is no distinction where this energy begins and ends. Therefore we are all one.
Everything and everyone are one. But that does not mean you are not unique. You are like a wave in the ocean. You are the individual wave but you are also the entire ocean. Everything you do affects everyone and everything.
There is what is called the “collective unconscious”. You can kind of consider it a library of information containing everything knowable. Here is the incredible part. You have access to that collective unconscious. We access it all the time but many times are unaware that we are doing it. What this basically means is if one person knows it then be assured, without a doubt, that information is available to you. If one person can do something then so can you.
All the thoughts that go through your head in a day and everything that you are thinking and feeling are not you. Notice that you can observe your thoughts. You can notice your thoughts. But that which is being observed can’t be that which is doing the observing. If you are observing something, the thing you are observing is not you.
If you observe a dog, the dog is not you. If you observe a house, the house is not you. If you observe your thoughts, your thoughts are not you.
The true you is that which is doing the observing. That is your higher self.
I know that is hard to grasp at first.
But what you need to do is learn to quiet your thoughts and quiet your mind. Try and clear you mind of all thoughts.
That is very hard to do.
Just sit still and try to eliminate all thoughts.
You will notice that thoughts keep popping into your head. The secret is to just observe the thoughts, don’t judge them, don’t fight them, just experience them and let them pass.
The ultimate goal is to completely quiet your mind. Again this is very hard to do at first. The thoughts will want to keep coming and coming.
As you do this more often, it will get easier and easier to quiet your mind.
As you do this you are drawing yourself into what is known as the NOW. You are bringing yourself closer and closer to your higher self we talked about earlier.
The benefits of your higher self are unlimited. You will begin to learn that as you access your higher self there is nothing you can’t do be or have.
You are in this world to create. We are all creators. You are here to create your world anyway your want.
Consider this quote from a very good author Neale Donald Walsch who wrote books called “Conversations with God.”
“The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore, not to find out Who You Are, but seek to determine Who You Want To Be.” – Neale Donald Walsch
Paradigm Shift is here

You can visit Vinnie at his website by clicking here or join in on his facebook campaign to share smiles by clicking here.

Mirror mirrror on the wall

There are several articles that have been written about how we mirror each other.  When dealing with other people, be it friends, family or random folks you come across, each person has something to show you.  Sometimes the reflection is wonderful, beautiful and loving, and sometimes not so much.  It is when the reflection causes inner turmoil you need to take a moment and figure out why.  Why is this reflection so bothersome?

I recently had this experience.  I was so irritated, aggravated, fed up and ready to throw in the towel. To make matters worse, it is Mercury Retrograde AND Aries in Full Moon.  What does that mean? It means you can only hide from your shadows for so long, you can only ignore those parts that need attention until they are thrown in your face making moments very uncomfortable.

Anyway, knowing that if I didn't do something about it I wasn't going to get the rest I so very badly craved.  I needed to figure out what I was ignoring. So what did I do?  It was simple and you can do it too.  I took a moment to meditate.  As irritated as I was, I needed a guide.  I am lucky enough to get YouTube on my television so...yup, I put in Unified Chakra Meditation in the search bar, hit play and got myself centered.  Once the meditation was over I sat quietly and asked myself, what about this situation has me off kilter?

It didn't take long for me to realize that the comments that had me acting like a wet cat being shaken in a paper bag was a reflection of my own seeds of doubt.  I thought, well, what happens with a seed?  A seed can grow and take hold and can become a beautiful thing...if it's a seed you want to grow.  This was a seed I did not want in the garden of my mind.  I plucked those suckers out.  Really, I did.  I visualized these thoughts as seeds that I then energetically pulled from my head and visualized myself tossing them into a purification fire.  When I felt all the seeds were gone, I filled the holes with Reiki energy. (Not a Reiki? That is okay, just imagine those holes filled with positive energy.) As I was Reiking my head I mentally said "I only allow positive thoughts and ideas to grow here".  After a little while I felt much better and was able to fall asleep with ease.

 Now that I have become aware of the situation I am no longer bothered by it.  Paying attention to the subtle and sometimes not so subtle cues you are given in life can help you make improvements, heal old hurts, and become the best You that You can be.  Being on a Spiritual journey is not always easy but it doesn't have to be hard either.  Read different spiritual texts, join in on group discussions, spend time with folks on the path to enlightenment, and, in time these seemingly hard and harsh lessons will get easier.

Peace be with you, always.

Pietersite, how I love thee

I recently received a new shipment of stones and I really want to write about this new beauty that just arrived.  I am talking about Pietersite (pee-ter-site), also known as the Tempest Stone.

According to dictionary.com tempest means 1.a violent windstorm, especially one with rain, hail, or snow. 2.a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumult.  So why is Pietersite known as the Tempest Stone? The only information I could find on that aspect was pretty brief, in saying it has a connection to the storm element. If you have more information in regards to the tempest qualities, please feel free to share. This is a somewhat new discovery in the mineral kingdom, first being discovered in Africa and then again later in China.  

So I've spent the few days with this stone and have become quite enamored. Its look varies from grays and blues to golden brown shades and in some places almost clear.  It is quite beautiful really. I do not have a whole lot to report on my experiences with this stone as I've said its only been a few days, however,  I did sleep with it under my pillow.  Upon researching this stone, one of the sources says placing it under your pillow at night makes your dreams seem almost real.  For me it caused restless sleep and managed to slip all the way down into the corner of the pillow case and stay hidden until morning.  I woke up several times trying to find it so as far as almost real dreams, I don't know, I didn't get to sleep well enough to experience. Not fun.  I will have to try again some other time, maybe with it near my pillow instead.

Anyway, let move on, shall we... Pietersite helps to foster the connection between beings, removing the illusion of separateness and getting rid of other peoples beliefs and conditioning imposed on you.  I think that is so important and is probably why I am loving this stone so much.  When you can remove these beliefs and blockages that keep you from following your own truth, you can really blossom and shine!  Pietersite helps you do just that.  Get rid of that garbage and grow! 

This really neat stone also has the remarkable ability to help you remain centered in your spiritual being.  Instead of grounding you to the earth, Pietersite grounds you to your etheric body, keeping you spiritually centered if you will.  For those of you that prefer a moving meditation (yoga, playing singing bowl, etc) this stone can help you access a high state of altered awareness in a very short time.

Lastly, and I got a kick out of this tidbit of info, Pietersite is like natures bull shit detector.  It not only promotes you in living your own truth, but by linking you to the source of your own inner guidance, it helps you to recognize the truth and or lies of other peoples words.  

There is much more to learn about this stone and each individual may have different experiences.  As always you are invited to share your experience here in the comments section of this blog or by visiting my shop facebook page.  Need some Pietersite of your own? No problem, I've got them in stock, available to pick up or have shipped to you.  Just let me know.  
~Namaste