TIME - September 2017

TIME, we cannot create it, speed it up, slow it down or stop it.  Time has a life of its own and it will not listen to even the strongest desire to control it.  I’ve learned that to become time’s friend we must live in the present, enjoying and appreciating each moment.  We make plans for the future and sometimes spirit has different plans entirely.  As a part of my daily practice I have been slowing down, tuning in and noticing life and the people I share it with in this moment of time.  As a result, I have become less rushed, feel more nourished, flexible and appreciative.  I sure have a lot to be appreciative of!

For the past three years my husband and I have been hoping for a child, we believed the timing was right three years ago.  As time ticked on, years went by and we still had not become pregnant, we experienced the ever changing range of emotions couples with infertility experience; sadness, disappointment, anger, denial, which then evolved into acceptance.  It was obvious that our child had other plans and maybe our family was supposed to begin in a different way.  We made the decision to adopt, and I accepted that I would not carry, nor birth another life into this world.  Then, an incredible thing happened, that same week we received a call that we had been approved for funding for one round of IVF!  It felt like time was standing still and moving at lighting speed all at once. 

Life can change in a moment, and really the moments are what make up life.  I can honestly say that over the past four months I have been fully present for each moment of IVF; the consults, the needles, the egg retrieval, the transfer, the ultrasounds, and the SWEETEST moment of all when we heard our child’s heart beat for the first time. 

Much can change in a moment of time.  xo

~Amanda

AUTHENTICITY - January 2018

I want to thank you ALL for allowing me the room and support to grow and be authentically myself this past year.  My goal for 2017 was to find my voice again, and this past year has far exceeded any expectations or manifestations I laid upon it.  When opened to receive what spirit and the world has to gift I am overwhelmed with generosity.  I feel honoured to work in such a kind and beautiful community of people.  In both my Reiki and yoga practices I am lit up daily by the people who show up, do the work and make change, in their own lives, the community and the larger whole.  The little souls who attend my camps, yoga classes, and special programs bring a sweet innocence contrasted with wisdom beyond my own, making my heart sing with joy every time.  We are all students and teachers of each other, and the special people who have touched my life this year have been uplifting, I have learned something from each of you.  We touch and change each other deeper than we could imagine or realize.  I am blessed and humbled to wake up and have the opportunity to go do what I LOVE every single day!!

My family has grown this year to include a sweet little fur baby girl Nysa.  She is the greatest teacher of patience and the sweetest sidekick.  I have been gifted the experience of pregnancy, a child coming in February, an expanding family.  I am bursting with gratitude to have the opportunity to raise a child within this rich community of souls, of which you are a part.  My hope for you this holiday season is that you continue to live in the spirit of gratitude with each interaction, each new beginning, each family member and friend; share the truest parts of yourself, listen to your intuition & stay authentic.

My intention for the upcoming year is to deepen into and expand all that has been gifted. Create space to stay true to my values, intuition, community, family, myself & my dreams.  Speak with integrity, shine love in and around me.  Expand and trust life. Create and encourage change for the highest good.  Step in and step up.  Listen to my body, my spirit, that wise inner voice.  Remain humble and kind. Love.

~Amanda

Receiving – April 2017

“Are you ready to receive?” This question is asked over and over.  Each time I feel a little bit more comfortable with my answer.  “Life want to give to you.  Let it!”

The abundance of blessing in my life is almost overwhelming when I really take time to be peaceful and notice.  Yet, allowing this to sink into my skin and touch and heal the little puzzle pieces out of place inside me has been interesting.  What do service and success really look like for me?  What does it mean to really and truly receive what life is gifting me.  There is the fear of attachment to all the wonderful gifts being given, the fear it could all be taken away, the fear of changing.  There is a responsibility that comes alongside my choices.  Responsibility to others to show up and do my very best, to reveal myself and trust myself and others.  The paper thin wall I falsely thought was protecting me, was in fact blocking my ability to receive.  I’ve now folded this beautifully woven paper into a crane and set it free.  In its place is a gracious and trusting acceptance of all the Universe sends my way, and a pledge to do my very best in each moment with all that I am given.

-Amanda

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION FOR CHILDREN - May 2016

The Dalai Lama once said, “If every child in the world would be taught meditation we would eliminate violence from the world within one generation”.  This quote captures the powerful benefits of this mindful practice for children of any age.  A peaceful heart and existence can go a long way in helping children learn some building blocks to assist them in living a balanced life. Meditation helps children feel what it is like to be still and quiet.  It helps them tune into their inner wisdom to feel safe and secure in the world while learning ways to breathe and to feel their own breath.  

Some of the many benefits include:
1) Promotes inner peace and compassion, greatly reducing stress that leads to anxiety. Children learn to become aware of their bodies and their reaction to stressors on an emotional and physical level.If they feel threatened or scared in their world, they may feel things like headaches, stomach aches and body pain. Meditation helps bring awareness to different fears so children can learn how to choose different thoughts to slow their minds and the physical symptoms in their bodies.

2) Improves attention, memory and concentration. Meditation helps children develop the ability to focus and concentrate improving their ability to control impulsive behaviour.A study completed at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney Australia revealed that children with ADHD who learned meditation when compared to the control group showed a significant reduction in hyperactivity, impulsiveness and inattention.  www.meditationresearch.co.uk

3) Builds self-esteem. In a relaxed state, children can tap into both their positive and negative experiences in a day, all of which help them learn and become resilient.In a world full of technology and distractions at the touch of a screen, children are quickly losing opportunities for free play and learning in silence.Meditation allows them an opportunity to use their natural inherit creativity which promotes a healthy and strong sense of self-esteem.

4) Improves sleep. This can benefit both parent and child!By learning the art of relaxation children can transition soundly from a state of movement to a state of alpha induced sleep. Parents can use guided meditations at bedtime as a part of their routines.

Parents often are unaware of what to do to promote meditation in their children.  Start simply and make it part of your family routine.  It can be as simple as sitting in silence for five minutes or taking a silent walk in the forest and building on that.  Become the change you wish to see.  Children copy their parents’ behaviour so if you want to get your children interested in meditation, begin to meditate!  Invite your children to breathe into their bellies and enjoy watching their bellies shrink as they exhale.  Another fun breathing exercise is alternate nostril breathing.  Creating a peaceful space together that incorporates natural calming elements helps encourage regular practice.  Supporting your child’s meditation practice evokes an ability for them to connect with the soft spots of their hearts and bodies.  It allows them a different perspective on their own energy and that of others.  Happy meditating!!

-Amanda Tyler & Maureen Sullivan

FEMININE SPIDER ENERGY – July 2016

To keep balance requires equal attention to our masculine and feminine sides.  I have been guided to work with my feminine energy this month.  In our busy society today, more weight seems to be given to the masculine doing and thinking self.  We are ever pushed to move forward, figure things out and advance whether it is in our careers, our finances or the quest to constantly be “working” as an action of worth.

It is through the spider that the message to pay attention to and bring back into balance the feminine side of myself came.  I’ve been wrapped up in the thinking/masculine tasks and I am grateful for this gentle reminder.  Spider medicine is that of the creative and of the teacher.  “Grandmother spider brought people the sun and fire, she taught them pottery, weaving and how to make ceremonial blessings.” (Michael Babcock)  She is a lightworker, bringing us white light and reminding us of our powers to create and teach.  This feminine, fluid energy balances us and feeds our souls.  Our feminine selves are the receptive, emotional parts.  Allowing ourselves to receive the blessings life is gifting us and fully enjoying them strengthens our feminine side.  Taking time to create whether it’s a poem, a painting, a drawing, a song or a garden is also a wonderful expression of the feminine.  Her energy is flowing like the ripples of a lake or the wind in the trees.  It is gentle and loving and kind.  I invite you to join me in celebrating your light and bringing your feminine energy back into balance.

-Amanda

CONNECTION - December 2017

Our emotional connection to our physical body is outstanding.  How we feel emotionally directly affects how our organs function.  We store emotional baggage and heaviness many places in our bodies including the liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, intestines, stomach and gallbladder to name a few.   Over the years this exploration of which organs store and retain which emotions has become fascinating to me.  Watching clients come into the Reiki treatment room with tangled energy inside their bodies and working through the emotional attachments that keep that energy stuck is truly a magical experience! 

The creation of a mind-body awareness is the key to understanding this system of healing.  Loving ourselves means loving ALL of ourselves: the parts that hurt, the parts that are sad or angry and the parts that feel damaged or lost.  Healing and growth are about accepting where we are at and loving the present moment’s journey.  Allowing ourselves to let go of clinging to an outcome, or resisting the inevitable changes life brings our way daily, make for healthy emotions and attitudes.  Our physical body is meant to house our beautiful spirit, the bright light living inside each of us.  It is important that we honour this light by nourishing our bodies and listen to the body’s needs and wishes.  If you are tired - rest, hungry - eat, cold - create fire, hot - create cold, in pain - let go, tense – breathe, anxious - slow down & ground. By listening to our bodies’ signals and respectfully taking action we can change our emotional state and vice versa when we are able to shift our emotions we can change how our physical body feels. To quote Louise Hay, “the point of power is in the present moment”, changing our minds really can heal our lives.

~Amanda

LETTING GO – November 2016

“When I run after what I think I want, my days are a furnace of stress and anxiety: if I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without pain.  From this I understand that what also wants me, is looking for me and attracting me.  There is a great secret here for anyone who can grasp it.” –Rumi

It is the season to let go of the tight grasp with which we hold onto whatever it is that we wish we could change.  It is a time to accept life, even if it feels unfair or we are struggling.  This does not mean that we give up and go sit in the corner.  It means that we let go of the things that do not serve our highest good.

I have learned a few lessons through recent experiences.  As we evolve and let go of past behaviours or even people that harm us we will encounter resistance.  I have been feeling this resistance to my own evolution and I have also encountered resistance to speaking up for myself and setting healthy boundaries.  I have discovered over the past little while that sometimes we need to teach people how to treat us.   Honouring and trusting ourselves, sticking with it, and moving forward through the resistance to a place of ease are the great lessons this time of year brings.

Keep living and speaking what is true for you, let go of the rest!

~Amanda

WHITE LIGHT MOTH TRANSFORMATION – September 8, 2015 

When least expected, change falls upon her.  The white moth representing transformation sits and waits quietly on her window sill as the mist of the morning begins to dissipate.  This is a time of going within and listening to the voice that resides there.  She is wise, she is patient and she is ready!
Wings…she is ready to shed all the fear that has been holding her back for so long.  She is ready to embrace the giant love inside her, to go deep into it, to surround herself and her world with it.
She takes a deep breath, fills her belly and leaps!  She will fly.  She will soar.  She will trust that the very thing that gives her breath every day, that gives her life, will be there with her supporting her, blowing her ever so gently as she transforms on the next leg of her beautiful journey.
She is light.  She is love. She is all things good and beautiful.
~ Amanda

GRATITUDE – September 2016

Gratitude is defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”

I don’t think I ever fully understood the meaning of this word until now.  I knew what it meant to show appreciation and to act in a way that is loving and thankful.  But this quality of being profoundly grateful has moved to a whole new depth in my life.

Last week I could have lost my favourite person in this world…but I didn’t.

I am grateful to wake up each morning beside such a loving and beautiful man.  I am grateful for modern medicine and the doctors and nurses that fixed his heart.  I am grateful for our connection to the spirit world and the reassuring signs spirit showed us of their work during our time in the hospital. I am grateful for the friends and family who have showered us with love and prayers.  I am grateful we are here, to experience it all, to learn, to love, to play, to laugh and to cry.

So what now? Now we wake up, move through our days and rest our heads at night in a sea of gratitude.  We are here and we are loved.

-Amanda

BALANCING THE HEART - March 2016

A balanced and coherent heart chakra is reflected in the ability to accept ourselves, other people and all types of situations. 

Our heart chakra resonates the theme of balance at all levels.  Making conscious choices that create balance in our life aligns us with the abundance of the Universe and the fulfillment of our highest intentions.  

The element associated with this chakra is Air.  Air flows from areas of high pressure towards areas of low pressure, always seeking a state of balance. 

Like air, the heart chakra strives to bring harmony between external stimuli and internal emotions.  

Harmony begins with the self and then resonates outwards towards others.  We are in harmony with ourselves when we nurture ourselves with love, acceptance and respect, always taking responsibility for our actions.  It is then that we can be in harmony with others as love is the central force that aligns us all.  One way to balance our heart chakra is through a loving kindness meditation.

It is helpful while using this style of meditation to hold the intention of surrounding ourselves and others with loving kindness.  This meditation also can be effective for lessening the charge of negative emotions.

As arms and hands are the executors of the heart chakra energy, begin by placing your hands over your heart.  Next, breathe gently and think silently to yourself, or say aloud,

May I be filled with loving kindness. 

May I be well.

May I be happy.

May I be peaceful and at ease.

Bring someone into your mind (someone you love &/or someone who you are feeling challenged by) and repeat,

May you be filled with loving kindness. 

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

 Next, bring all of humanity into your awareness and send out the same intention.

May we be filled with loving kindness.

May we be well.

May we be happy.

May we be peaceful and at ease.

When we are able to achieve some kind of balance between ourselves and all things outside of ourselves we open the way for openness and acceptance of the world.

~ Amanda

CHANGE - October 2016

Sometimes we must GET IN THE BOAT.  It does not matter if we know exactly where the boat is going.  If we don’t get in we miss the adventure.  When spirit whispers “get in the boat”, you bet I’m going to listen up!  But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t uncomfortable to leave the shore, where all things are safe and familiar.  Moving through the uncomfortable pieces with courage, ease and trust are all a part of the journey.

Change can be experienced as a piece of life to be feared or a piece of life to be embraced.  As I move towards embracing change as an essential and magical part of life, I have come to realize that it is the special ingredient in growth.  That doesn’t mean that growing pains are not very real, or that lessons don’t come in painful forms.  But it does bring a deeper understanding and clarity to the essence and true purpose of change.

I look to the natural world to learn of the movement of change. I observe the snake who sheds his skin as he grows, the butterfly who transforms out of her cocoon, and the bird who flies from her nest for the first time.  The skin, the cocoon and the nest are all beautiful and have served the creature very well.  It is with much gratitude that we leave these parts behind as growth has gifted us with new skin, new wings.

So gather up your courage, gratitude and excitement and join me in the boat!

-Amanda

CYCLES - February 2018

Beginnings and endings and all that in between.  Change really is the only constant.  We start new projects, set out on new adventures, and create.  In order to make room for all this newness we must also shed some old.  Purge the pieces that no longer fit, clean out the closet, say farewell to the old way of doing things, and create space and room to grow.

As I sit here in the "in between", between life as it exists in this moment and life moving forward as a mother I cannot help but feel the energy of pushing and pulling.   The strong desire to move forward filled with excitement and unknown paired with the desire to remain in the comfort of that which is familiar, known and safe.  The in between, the present moment, the place where we make plans for the future and where we say goodbye to the past.  I embrace this part of the cycle with gratitude, this moment, this in between. Pulling forward and pushing back.

~Amanda

COURAGE - June 2016

Marianne Williamson discusses in her book “A Return to Love” how we can come at life in one of two ways – In Love or In Fear, there is no real in between.  Sometimes we are so conditioned to come at life in survival (or fear) mode that it happens almost like a reflex!  I see my fear as a little girl inside myself stepping out onto the diving board for the very first time.  How terrifying the unknown is! What bridges us from that fear to the love we are advised to live by?  Well, I’m quickly realizing the answer to this is COURAGE!  How do we develop courage?  We have faith in something larger than ourselves and in doing so we develop faith in ourselves.  There are a thousand reasons not to jump and if we lived our lives controlled by those reasons we would never do anything.  Yes, it might hurt, or feel different, we might get butterflies in our stomachs on the way down but these are experiences and isn’t that why we are here?  To live and have experiences!  So, I choose to live with and through courage.  I choose to let go of my fear and embrace every experience in love.  Won’t you join me?

~Amanda

THE BEAUTIFUL ROAD - April 2016

My heart is bursting with gratitude as I look forward to the beautiful road ahead.  I reflect upon the many roads I’ve travelled down to lead me to the one I am now blessed to be on and am reminded of all my journeys. 

I have trekked down roads full of pain only to realize when the road ended that I was somehow different, somehow better for it.  Many times I have stumbled, tripped, fallen down and gotten up.  I have ran at lightning speed, and crawled on hands and knees but always the road continued on.  Some roads required much courage, some required trust and others were so grand it felt like I was soaring.  

Down every road I have been given a companion to share the adventures with.  I am still amazed how this company, whether a friend or a stranger, seemingly appears out of nowhere and we help guide each other along.  

Each road has gifted me with an abundance of lessons.  They have all shaped me, challenged me, opened my heart and led me to this new and beautiful road ahead.

~Amanda

Embracing the New - February 2017

“We have no idea what is going to happen.  Once you start falling in love with the free fall, you start to really live.”  -Tehya Sky

I flipped my new calendar to February and this was the quote.  Falling in love with the free fall, releasing the illusion of control and listening to the whispers of spirit.  This is a time all about trust.  Trusting that we are completely supported in our journeys, and trusting ourselves to act and serve in a way that is in alignment with who we are at a soul level.  As so much around us changes moment to moment, when we really sink into the free fall and trust that we are supported it is truly amazing what is in store for us.

I am deeply embracing and falling in love with all that is new in my life at the moment.  I am blessed to have a new little fur baby puppy, Nysa, she is teaching us more about ourselves and life every day. The stars have aligned and I am so honoured to be a part of the dream team at the brand new and beautiful Medicine Bird Healing Centre.  Also, I’m stepping into myself as a yoga teacher, learning new skills and touching my edges.  In all of this newness there are some moments of uncertainly and discomfort.  It is in these moments where centering down deep and trusting the whispers within to be my guide has given me permission to embrace all that is new and allowed me to relax into free fall.

LOVE - April 2018

“Mirror in the sky what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?” - Dixie Chicks

Motherhood is pure love like nothing I have ever experienced. It is a degree of joy that can bring you to tears and a level of worry that can be crippling, all at the same time.  There are no words for the feeling when my son looked up at me and smiled for the first time…Pure Joy.  There are also no words for the feeling you get the first time your baby is sick and you don’t know what is happening in his little body…Pure Fear.  How these two feelings contrast and exists inside a mother’s body so intensely at the same time without us exploding is a miracle.

Entering into the world of motherhood has been both magical and challenging for me.  A birth story that needs healing both emotionally and physically and a beautiful baby boy with allergies that needed healing is how motherhood has made its entrance for me.  Gentleness is the way we exist.  Moving in a calm, soft way, knowing all is perfect as it is in this moment.  We cannot go back, only forward.  I am gently inching forward into this new physical body, with a newly layered emotional awareness and identity as a mother.

The kindness people have shown over the transition into motherhood has been so genuine and caring.  Friends and family have provided meals, hugs, gifts, cards, words of encouragement and breaths of fresh air.  I am so grateful for the cluster of souls in my life.  We look forward to seeing you all again soon as we continue this season of our lives steeped in love.

xoxo

-Amanda

The Little Things – December 2016

As I spend more time watching and honouring the slower, quieter rhythms of the winter season, I find myself noticing and loving the magic that lies in the little things.  While out for my hike in the forest yesterday, I stopped to feel the sun on my face, something I had not felt in a while.  I found myself very present, listening to the woodpeckers and looking at the tree trunks ahead of me.  I quietly admired the bark covered in blue and green moss.  The longer I stayed, the closer I looked and the more I began to see.  The moss was like its own little forest, soft and vibrant with life.  On top were two beautiful miniature snowflakes.  I could have stayed there all day, it was so peaceful and filled with beauty.

This got me thinking of all the little things in life and of their greatly large importance.  The little things that we do for each other, though simple acts of kindness. The little looks or smiles or thank yous spoken.  The brand new babies (or puppies!) so pure and bursting with love.  The way the lights twinkle, the way the birds soar, the smell of a home cooked meal.  I hope we can all stay long enough to notice and appreciate.

Do the little things, say the little things…they matter!  It all matters.  You may never know how much influence you have on the world, on the people you love, and on those you have never met.

Let’s stay honest, stay true and take the time.

~Amanda