If you are not familiar with the highly sensitive temperament, essentially, this is a trait that occurs in fifteen to twenty percent of the population. It means that HSP’s are highly perceptive of subtleties in their environment…they notice everything, whether they are aware of it or not. As a result, HSP’s can easily become overwhelmed in ‘normal’ environments such as classrooms, restaurants, stores, movie theaters, parties, and so forth.

This is a normal trait and is essential to the survival of our species. Unfortunately, it is a trait that is all too often ostracized, and HSP’s are left feeling as though there is something wrong with them. This can be very distressing and harmful to HSP’s resulting in physical and mental health issues.

It is important to note that not all HSP’s are created equal, and there is certainly a spectrum of sensitivity within this population. The level of sensitivity can range from being mildly sensitive, and as a result, high functioning, to extremely sensitive which can be debilitating. Many, but not all HSP’s can also be empaths, which can range from being empathic to being overly empathetic.

The difference between the two is that an empath can feel what others are experiencing, while those who are overly empathetic, actually absorb the energy of others. Empaths often have a desire to work in the healing and helping field, but the overly empathetic individual will often suffer from burnout and complete overwhelm.

Often HSP’s and empaths are not even aware they have these traits, and then try to live in the same way everyone else does. This can result in feeling as though you don’t fit in or belong, that there is something wrong with you, or that you can’t do the things you want to. It can also lead to mental and physical health issues. It is so important for HSP’s and empaths to honor and nurture themselves in ways to support this precious temperament.

To start, determine if you have this trait by taking the free quiz offered by Elaine Aron. Then, learn as much as possible about this personality type. Elaine Aron first identified the highly sensitive personality type. She has written several books including The Highly Sensitive Person, which is a must-read if you are an HSP.

Secondly, determine if you are an empath. Judith Orloff, the author of The Empaths Survival Guide, has a quiz on her website that can help you determine this. She also has a wealth of resources to help support you if you are an empath! Wendy De Rosa is another expert in this field and she offers courses, videos as well as a new book, Becoming an Empowered Empath. It will be available on April 9, 2021, and I know it will be a great resource. I’ve worked with Wendy and she is an amazing teacher!

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

Once you have a clear picture of what it is to be highly sensitive and also determined if you are an empath as well, then you can begin to design your life to embrace and support yourself! Here are some ideas…

One: Give yourself permission to decline invitations to events that you know are overwhelming. Often, we feel obligated to accept invitations because we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, even at the expense of our own health and well-being. This can be a difficult choice to make, but it will benefit your sensitive nature greatly!

If you do have to attend events, then allow yourself time before to prepare and time after to unwind. You can do this by grounding and protecting yourself. I created a ‘Golden Light Visualization Guided Meditation’ that is perfect for this. The video is 5:30 in length, but the actual visualization is only about 3:30 minutes, and once you know this practice, you can do it anywhere at any time.

Two: Give yourself some alone time each and every day! It is essential for sensitives to have some quiet time for themselves to be free from sensory input. This can be as simple as taking a few minutes in your car or the bathroom with your eyes closed. We take in approximately 80% of our sensory information through the eyes, so if you can simply close your eyes for a few minutes, this can give your system a wonderful rest.

It is even better to strive for at least 30 to 60 minutes each day as ‘downtime.’ This can be a walk in the park or in nature, some time alone reading or journal writing, perhaps doing some creative work, listening to an audiobook or doing a guided meditation…anything that is nurturing to you. I have a wonderful guided meditation especially for HSP’s and Empaths here. I don’t recommend watching television or spending time on social media. This can actually be quite overstimulating.

Three: Practice grounding and earthing. If you are not familiar with either of these, grounding is where you focus on grounding your energy and your body to the earth. Earthing, on the other hand, is a practice of connecting directly to the earth, free from the barriers of our shoes, our homes, and furniture. It is about taking off your shoes and walking in the grass, or laying on a blanket on the ground and just absorbing the energy of the earth.

There are also grounding products available like mats and shoes. We have become very separate from the earth in modern times, and rubber-soled shoes are one of the biggest barriers! If you want to learn more, I recommend Earthing, by Ober, Sinatra, and Zucker.

Four: Practice the Daily Energy Routine by Donna Eden. HSP’s and empaths can have a lot of issues with their energy bodies. There can be energy blocks, scrambled energy patterns, and more. The Daily Energy Routine can help balance the energy system, and energy medicine can be very beneficial for the sensitive nervous system. You can see the daily routine here and learn more about energy medicine in the book Energy Medicine by Donna Eden.

Five: Work on releasing trapped energy and emotions in your body with EFT Tapping or The Emotion Code. Trapped energy, which will almost always be trapped emotions, can cause all sorts of incoherence in the body. Energy can become trapped from physical trauma as well, such as surgery and physical injuries.

Both EFT Tapping and The Emotion Code are efficient and powerful energy healing tools that you can use yourself. The Tapping Solution, by Nick Ortner, is a great resource for EFT Tapping, and The Emotion Code, by Dr. Bradley Nelson teaches you everything you need to know about the emotion code technique.

I don’t want to offer too much information, because that can be overwhelming, but if you are doing ok with what I have offered so far, there is one more resource that can help support you in your life. This would be the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza.

He has written several books and offers online courses as well as live events. Basically, he teaches how to let go of old conditioned patterns and habits (that are likely causing limitations in your life) and learn how to create your life with intention. I would start with Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, then move on to You Are the Placebo and then Becoming Supernatural.

I hope you find this Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Survival Guide supportive in your life. There is a lot of information here, but as HSP’s and empaths, certain offerings will speak to you more than others, and that is where you want to start. Come back to this post from time to time and see if something new speaks to you.

I have several guided meditations on my YouTube channel, and I’ve shared a couple of them above, but I have recently created a new meditation that I absolutely love! You can check it out if you like.

If you like this blog post, then you may also like:

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I started doing these meditations for myself because, quite honestly, I had a difficult time finding meditations I liked. The most common issues I found were that many guided meditations have the background music too loud, or they use irritating binaural beats. The latter is a form of sound wave therapy that is supposed to be beneficial.

While I am sure this sound effect is helpful to many people, I actually find most binaural beats irritating to my system. I also found the narration of many meditations unpleasant. The voices were either too commanding, loud, irritating, and in some cases, just downright creepy!

As a result, I started creating my own guided meditations, with the background music at a comfortable volume. I found licensed background music with either no binaural beats or what I felt were comfortable sounds. I write my own scripts (with the exception of the Water Rising Meditation) and narrate the meditations myself. I use these meditations all the time and have found them very relaxing and healing.

My meditations are as short as 7 minutes and as long as 45 minutes. There is a nice collection of guided meditations to choose from and I will share some of them with you now and include a bit of a description.

The first meditation I will share with you is called The Inner Body Guided Meditation. This is based on the work of Eckhart Tolle and was inspired by his book, The Power of Now. He talks about focusing on the inner body as a present moment awareness practice and to use this as a portal to your ‘true self’. I was trying to do this on my own, but would easily become distracted, so I created this meditation. It is 15 minutes in length.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

The second meditation I have here is called The Water Rising Meditation. This one is based on the guided mediation of the same name by Dr. Joe Dispensa. I loved the script of this meditation, but Dr. Joe’s version drove me crazy! I reworked the script slightly and reduced the time from 70 minutes to 42 minutes, using my own voice and licensed background music.

This meditation is meant to go along with the workbook in his book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. If you are not familiar with Dr. Joe’s work, then this meditation would not be of any benefit, however, his work is certainly worth checking out and I can’t recommend his teachings enough! Please see the AIR-USE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER in the description box below the video.

On the subject of Dr. Joe, I created my own version of another one of his meditations. It is called The Blessing of the Energy Centers and is one of the meditations recommended in his book, Becoming Supernatural. I actually don’t mind his version, but I wanted one that spent time specifically clearing the energy centers (also known as chakras). So I created my own script and called it ‘The Clearing and Blessing of the Chakra Centers’ and it is 30 minutes long.

The next meditation I want to share with you is called Guided Meditation for HSP’s and Empaths. I am both a highly sensitive person (HSP) and an Empath, and I created this meditation to help me with grounding, clearing, and self-protection. I first learned that I was an HSP when Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person, literally fell off a bookshelf onto my foot! It was truly enlightening, and it helped me accept what I thought were quirks and personality problems, as gifts in myself. I wrote a blog post about highly sensitive people here.

I created the next meditation shortly after Covid 19 came into our lives. It was very evident that many people were experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety due to the many circumstances created by this virus. I am a certified EFT Practitioner (although I am not currently practicing), and I felt compelled to create a simple and easy guided meditation/tapping script to help people deal with their stress. It is just 14 minutes long and if you have not heard of EFT Tapping, it is a wonderful energy healing tool that can help deal with all sorts of negative emotions and experiences.

I have another guided meditation that is short but effective called The 10 Minute Relaxing Body Scan Meditation. This one is super helpful to help you shift the autonomic nervous system from the sympathetic state (the stress response) to the parasympathetic state (the relaxation response) in just 10 minutes.

Another short but powerful guided meditation is my 7 Minute Guided Meditation for Anxiety. This meditation uses body awareness and acupressure points to quickly release the anxiety that may result from any number of issues or circumstances.

The last meditation I am sharing with you here is the first meditation I uploaded on my YouTube channel. It is 31 minutes in duration and takes you through a body awareness and grounding process that includes the chakra system. It is very relaxing and grounding!

I have shared many of my guided meditations with you here, but I do have more on my YouTube channel. If you are interested, you can check my entire collection of guided meditations on this YouTube playlist. I hope you find a meditation (or two) that supports you in some way. Meditation is a powerful healing tool, however, it can be a challenge to commit to a regular practice. I wrote a blog post about why that is here. Enjoy!!!

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I generally don’t like to talk about this condition because I don’t want to focus on being unwell, but overcoming a chronic condition is a huge challenge. I have worked at healing my health issues for many years, with little success, and I felt compelled to write about it today because I finally figured out why I have never been able to overcome this chronic condition.

I suspect that many others may experience the same challenge, and I hope this reaches some people as a testament of understanding, of compassion, (both of self and of others), of transparency, and of inspiration. I have written another blog post called ‘Why Old Habits are Hard to Break’, that explains how we have an ‘inner protector’ whose job it is to keep us safe, and that inner protector doesn’t care if we experience discomfort, its only concern is to protect us from danger.

I have had success in overcoming some limiting and negative aspects of my personality using the advice I offer in that blog post, but I have not had success in overcoming the CSS. What I have come to realize, from doing the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza, is that this condition is a culmination of a series of unconscious habits and behaviors that add up to my ‘personality’, and what I have to overcome is…my whole personality, or as Dr. Joe would say…my personal reality.

In most of my blog posts related to healing, I recommend the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. He has written several books including Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, You Are the Placebo, and Becoming Supernatural. I have studied his work for a long time, but I wasn’t’ doing the work’ as seriously as I could have been.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

However, for the last several months, I have been doing the work, studying every day, and sitting in meditation at least twice a day. Practicing in this way is going against one of the suggestions I wrote about in my own blog post on ‘Breaking Old Habits’, which is to sneak up on the inner protector and make gradual changes.

The work of Dr. Joe is not gradual at all! I have come up against this fierce inner protector, and I have been in a full-on battle! I generally don’t use language like this, but ‘breaking the habit of being myself’ and overcoming my personality, (which is the self that created this chronic health condition), has been a fierce battle indeed.

Dr. Joe uses a couple of different analogies of what happens when people begin this work. He talks about entering the ‘river of change’ which is the void between the old self and the new self. Most people (myself included) will turn back when they begin to feel the discomfort of the unknown.

Another analogy is that of trying to get on an untamed horse, which is the conditioned version of the self that has become the personality(or the personal reality). As the person tries to get on this wild horse as the new self…the horse will simply buck them off. They may try several times to get on the horse, but never manage to stay on. So again…they return to the old self, a little battered and bruised, but at least they are familiar and safe.

I have done this so many times in my life, I have turned back. And I think the reason is that taming the horse, or swimming across the river while navigating boulders and swift currents, is the equivalent of a hero’s or heroin’s journey. There are countless stories of rites of passage or spiritual quests, all of which include overcoming some monumental challenge or adversity…often repeatedly (The Wizard of Oz, Moana, Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Matrix and so forth).

As I mentioned earlier, I have been doing this work very seriously for some time now, and I have stepped into that river of change…I have been taming the wild horse. It has been incredibly difficult and exhausting. I have been tempted to turn back and give up, but this time is different. I just can’t go back…no matter how challenging, exhausting, and painful it is…I simply cannot give up. I am determined to break the habit of being myself!

I know it is possible, I know this in my heart and in my soul, but I feel like this is truly my own personal heroin’s journey, and I want to focus all my energy on this quest. So, for the next couple of months, during July and August, I will not be publishing any creative content on my blog or YouTube. I am taking a break to focus on ‘the work’ as Dr. Joe calls it. I have already been through one dark night of the soul, and trying to keep up with my blog and videos during such a challenging time is simply unkind to myself.

I do have a great library of creative content both here on my Blog and on YouTube. I also have some other resources on my Offerings Page and in my Shop, so there is a great selection of creative inspiration here if you want to explore.

I will be back in September sometime…wish me luck!

If you found this post helpful, you may also like:

• Creativity and Healing
• Help-er-i-tis: The Act of Helping too Much
• The Sound of Silence: Teaching and Meditation
• Why it Can be a Challenge to Meditate: Especially for Women

The post Overcoming a Chronic Condition ~ Being Transparent appeared first on Create and Crochet.

We learn in many ways…through observation, through reading and studying, and through experience. We build an ‘inventory’ of knowledge and then we form our personality based on that. If some of those experiences happen to be negative, an emotional reaction and memory will always be connected to it, and this often creates limiting beliefs and negative states of mind. By the time we are thirty-five years old, we have memorized countless patterns and behaviors (mostly unconscious) and are living a very conditioned and predictable life.   

We only use 5% to 10% of our conscious awareness to make choices and decisions in our life…the rest of the time, we are running on automatic and conditioned programs. And, furthermore, 90% of our daily thoughts are the same thoughts that we had the day before (and the day before that…and the day before that…) As a result, most of our day is spent doing everything we already know…and 90% to 95% of those actions are unconscious!

You don’t have to think about how to brush your teeth, wash your face, drive your car, do the housework, or countless tasks you do throughout the day. This is by design because it would simply be too overwhelming to have to think through each and every task and action we do. So, essentially, we live by a set of memorized experiences…all of which we have learned in the past.

But have you ever considered that perhaps, some of those memorized experiences, behaviors, and emotions, are not in alignment with who you really are? Have you ever considered that you may have memorized limiting beliefs, negative emotions, and patterns that might not even be yours, and these are dictating your life experience? Have you ever considered that you have become a servant to all your unconscious thoughts, actions, and behaviors?

Unfortunately, this is how most people live their lives, making one unconscious decision after another, not realizing that they can (through some effort), become the master of their own thoughts and actions…and create their lives with intention. Most people end up just sitting back and letting life happen to them, living a very limited and conditioned life because they simply don’t know any better!

Well, I am here to tell you that you can create your life with intention! You can become the master of your own thoughts and emotions. You can choose to live the life you want because it is possible to reprogram unconscious negative patterns, behaviors, and emotions into conscious positive patterns, behaviors, and elevated emotions.

This is a huge subject, and I am not going to dive into it too deeply, other than to introduce the idea that it is possible to transform your life into any life you want!

I will also say right up front…it is not easy! The conditioned parts of yourself have been running on autopilot for your entire life, and the patterns and programs are well established. You will know this from trying to make positive changes in your life…times when you’ve gone on a diet, or tried to implement a new exercise program, or tried to give up an addiction or habit such as sugar or smoking…and failed.

The patterns don’t want you to change, they don’t want you to overcome them…they want to remain in control and to be the master of your life. They want things to remain safe and therefore remain the same. They are very cunning and will say things like, “you can start tomorrow”, or “maybe just one treat…you have been so good”, or “this is too hard, you can’t do it”. I wrote an article about why this is and you can read it here.

The work then is to become greater than your conditioned self! The work is to become aware of the unconscious programs and patterns that have been running your life…and to become the master of them. The work is to overcome these programs and patterns and then, with intention, replace them with elevated emotions and create the life that you want!

So how do you do this you may ask? Well, there are countless paths and possibilities that can lead you through this process, and I’ve written about some of them before. EFT Tapping, Eden Energy Medicine, and the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza are the top three healing paths that I always recommend.

Today, however, it is the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza that I am recommending, as I believe this is the most powerful and effective tool to help you transform your life. The other two modalities can be used in conjunction with this work, but Dr. Joe has created a formula specifically designed to help break the patterns of your old self in order to create a whole new self! His work is truly transformational and I can’t recommend it enough.

He has a treasure trove of offerings…so much so, that it can be hard to know where to begin! I struggled with this in the beginning, and I even turned away from the work for a few years because I didn’t like the first meditations I got from him. I do regret this now, but I’m grateful that I came back to this work.  

Here are my recommendations:

First of all, start by watching some of his testimonials on Youtube. He has hundreds of them on his channel, and if these stories don’t show you what is possible for yourself…then I don’t know what else could inspire you!

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

If you are new to this whole concept, then I recommend starting with his book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. There is an audiobook as well. The last six chapters of this book consist of a four-week program designed to help you begin your journey of transformation. He has written out some suggested meditations, so you don’t need to buy any of his meditations, but if you do, I would start with the Morning and Evening Meditations.

The most important piece of Dr. Joe’s ‘formula’ is the meditations. They help you identify the negative patterns and emotions, and then guide you through the process of reprogramming and creating new possibilities. Here is the secret…it takes commitment and repetition! Some of the most amazing healing stories have occurred because the person doing the work was extremely diligent with their daily meditations. This is still one of the most inspiring testimonials I’ve seen.

If you are familiar with the idea that your thoughts create your reality, but have not had much success in applying it in your life…or if you are dealing with any sort of health issue or chronic condition, then I recommend You Are the Placebo. There is a written script for the Changing Beliefs and Perceptions meditation at the back of the book, but he has the guided meditation available as well.

This is the one I didn’t like when I first found his work, so I’ve recorded this script myself and added some background music. My husband, on the other hand, likes Joe’s version. Each to their own! Another meditation I would recommend once you’ve started the work is The Blessing of the Energy Centers. I actually like Dr. Joe’s version of this meditation (available on his website)

If you have a lot of experience in energy healing and you’ve been on a spiritual journey for some time, but have not been able to access a deeper level of awakening, then you may want to read Becoming Supernatural. This book also offers some tools and techniques that you can apply in your life. There are meditations available to go along with this book, and I recommend the Blessing of the Energy Centers and the Walking Meditation. You can find some of his meditations on Youtube as well.

Last but not least, if you are ready to dive deep into Dr. Joe’s work, he offers an online Intensive and Progressive Workshop on his website. All of his books and meditations are available there too. While I am an affiliate with Amazon, I am not affiliated with Dr. Joe Dispenza and his website in any way. I just want to provide easy access to all his content.

I want you to realize that you do not have to be a victim of your life circumstances and that you have within yourself the potential to create the life you want!

Also, I have created a guided meditation based on Dr. Joe’s meditation, Blessing of the Energy Centers. It is different in that I guide you through the process of cleansing each chakra center before moving on to bless that center.

I also have a Giveaway Contest going right now on Youtube…make sure to enter to win one of three lovely prizes! The contest ends Thursday, May 14th at 10 am PST and the winner will be announced the same day.

Have you had any transformational experiences? Are there any other teachers or work you would recommend? Leave a comment below…I’d love to hear from you!

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If you like this post, you may also like:

• The Power of Walking Meditations
• The Kerplunk Analogy to Spiritual Awakening
• The Sound of Silence Teaching and Meditation

The post You Can Create the Life You Want! appeared first on Create and Crochet.

I have another recipe for lotion bars which is slightly richer than this blend. I also added rose petals and lavender flowers to those bars, but I found the flowers, while very pretty and aromatic, were not very practical. The essential oil blend I use in that recipe is different as well, and that blend could be used in this recipe if desired.

The ingredients you will need for the Lavender Heart Lotion Bars are:

• 1/3 cup (80mls) Shea butter
• 1/4 cup (60mls) Beeswax (pellets, shaved or pieces)
• 1/4 cup (60mls) Coconut butter
• 1/8 cup (30mls) Jojoba oil
• 40 drops Lavender essential oil (or oils of your choice)
• 3 drops blue food coloring
• 5 drops red food coloring
• Candy or soap mold

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

Melt the shea butter, beeswax, and coconut butter together in a double boiler. I have an old pot and glass bowl that I use for this purpose because beeswax is nearly impossible to clean up completely. You can use the microwave to melt the ingredients together as well, but if the beeswax pieces are too large, they can explode. And let me tell you…that makes a real mess in the microwave!

Once those ingredients are nicely melted, you can add the jojoba oil and essential oil. Keep the mixture on the heat while doing this (I’m showing mine off the stove because the light was better for the photos).

A few other possibilities for the essential oil blends are:

• 20 drops lavender, 15 drop frankincense, 5 drops rose geranium
• 20 drops lavender, 10 drops cedarwood, 10 drops sweet orange
• 20 drops lavender, 16 drops rose geranium, 4 drops rose absolute

As with any natural ingredients, it is important to test for allergies or sensitivities. Even though the ingredients are natural, they can still have adverse effects. Also if you are pregnant or have immune deficiencies, you want to make sure anything you use is safe for you!

Once you’ve melted all your ingredients together, you can then start to fill your mold. If your double boiler doesn’t have a pouring spout, then you may need to transfer the lotion to something like a pyrex measuring cup. Again, I have one dedicated to making candles and natural products because the beeswax can be so hard to clean.

You should have about 1/2 cup (125mls) of lotion, so fill your molds about 80% full and reserve about 1/8 cup (30mls) for the food coloring.

You may need to return the lotion to the hot water (just set the pouring container right in the water) to melt the lotion as it begins to harden. Add 3 drops of blue and 5 drops of red food coloring to the remaining lotion and blend in well. Fill the molds with the remaining lotion, right to the very top. The light-colored blend will have set slightly, so the two colors won’t mix together.

Let the mold sit for about two hours for the bars to set up nicely. Then you can put the mold in the fridge for another hour or so to make the bars nice and hard.

Remove the lavender heart lotion bars from the mold and celebrate how beautiful they are! I just love this mold with the pretty swirly pattern on top.

As mentioned before, lotion bars are suited for very dry or mature skin because they are quite rich and would be best used at bedtime. I wouldn’t use these bars directly on the face because of this, but they are perfect to use on the chin, neck, chest, elbows, knees, back of the hands and any other dry area on the body. The warmth of your hands will melt the bar enough to spread on your body, but you can add a bit of water on to your skin to help blend the lotion in as well.

Use just one bar at a time and store the remaining bars in an airtight container in the fridge. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Please share this post by clicking on the social share button and choosing an image from below to share! Leave a comment below as well.

If you like this tutorial, you may also like:

• DIY Sugar Scrubs ~ Three Blends
• DIY Natural Dryer Sheets
• Reuse Old Beeswax Candles to Make New Ones

The post DIY Lotion Bar ~ Lavender Hearts appeared first on Create and Crochet.

Unfortunately, modern life has become quite stressful, and many people are already living in a state of chronic stress, anxiety, and tension.

This has resulted in an ever-increasing number of people living with chronic health conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain and a myriad of ‘syndromes’.

Cancer rates have continually increased over the years, and it is well known that there is a direct correlation between stress and increased chances that the immune system can become compromised. We know this can lead to health problems.

So it has never been more important to implement strategies to reduce stress and take care of your body. And this is not just the physical body…the emotional and spiritual bodies also need to be addressed. This can be done in two ways; first by reducing your exposure to stress, and second, by boosting your immune system with a variety of self-care practices.

To reduce stress in your life, it is important to sensor information. While it is important to stay informed, it is more important to avoid a constant barrage of negative news and information. Go on a minimalist diet of media, and this includes television and social media. There is a lot of misinformation on social media, so don’t hesitate to block ‘friends’ who share fear-based content. Choose a reliable source of media information and view that just once a day.

If finances are a source of stress, then this can be a good time to look at spending habits and see if there are ways to simplify your life and become more creative with the resources you do have.

There is a lot of information on the internet and I really like this YouTube channel ‘Living on a Dime to Grow Rich.’

Another possibility is to look for new creative ways to make money online. Sara from Wholesale Ted has a lot of great ideas on how to do this and she even has a video on how to supplement your income in some innovative ways.

Take an inventory of stressors in your life and see if you can make some changes to negate some of them. Many people spread themselves too thin with obligations and commitments and sometimes you just have to ask, “what is more important, this obligation or my health?”

EFT Tapping can be a powerful tool to help reduce stress in your life. This is an energy technique that uses tapping on certain meridian points on the body while acknowledging the problem and then using calming affirmations.

I have directions and a diagram on my website here, but I’ve also created a guided tapping script on Youtube that you can follow along with, that addresses fear specifically. Check it out below.

If you want to learn more, you can check out EMO Free with Gary Craig and EFT Universe with Dawson Church. These are rich resources! The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner is also a great resource.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

Now, this is a bit of a touchy subject, and if you have a lot of stress in your life, you may not like to hear this. But…many people actually become addicted to stress and negative emotions. This can be a very unconscious behavior and it can be hard to detect it in oneself. A big clue is if your life seems to be a never-ending barrage of problems, illness, drama, and stress.

Dr. Joe Dispenza’s book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, explains how this happens and offers ways to overcome negative patterns in your life. His work is very powerful and can transform your life in ways you can’t even imagine!

Energy medicine is also a great resource to help support your physical and emotional body during stressful times. The Daily Energy Routine by Donna Eden is wonderful for supporting the physical health of your body. She has also done a couple of videos specifically on helping to boost the immune system. If you are interested in Donna’s work, her book, Energy Medicine, is an encyclopedia of valuable knowledge.

Good self-care includes nurturing all three bodies. Taking care of the physical body with good nutrition and exercise is a must to build a strong and protective immune system. If you are experiencing a lot of stress in your life, then this is not the time to reach for comfort foods and stay in your pajamas all day!

Your body needs to be nurtured and fed with great care to keep it in the best possible health. Make healthy food choices and avoid processed, high fat, high sugar foods.

I’m not a nutritionist, so I can’t recommend a healthy diet, but all-natural, whole foods are the best choice.

I have a great recipe for Persian Noodle Soup, which I think must be one of the healthiest soups ever! I also have a recipe for Keto Pizza and Cream of Broccoli and Cheese Soup.

There is a lot of information out there, but a healthy diet can be very simple…just eat real food and listen to your body! Not all people can be vegan or vegetarian, and some people can only be vegan or vegetarian. Do what is right for you, not what may be ‘socially acceptable.’

Exercise is essential! If you can, get out for at least a half-hour walk a day…more if possible. If you can’t get outside, then check out Youtube for some fun cardio workouts or some yoga practices…there is so much available! I have a guided walking meditation that could be practiced in the house as well as outside. Just get moving! Dancing is also a great idea because it not only gives you a great cardio workout, but it lifts your mood as well!

Nurture yourself with a nice relaxing herbal-salt bath while reading a book or listening to some gentle music.

Meditation can be very helpful as well because it can help to calm your mind and break negative thought patterns which can help to boost your immune system.

I have a few guided meditations on my Youtube channel including this Body Scan Meditation. It is 30 minutes in duration and very relaxing.

I also have this 7 Minute Meditation for Anxiety which is great to help reduce stress in the moment.

Your mental health is so important, especially during stressful times. This is why taking an inventory of stressors can be helpful. But in addition to that, you can support your mental health by choosing activities that raise your mood. Watch funny shows, do some creative projects, read inspiring books, do some journal writing, or watch inspiring shows. All of these activities can help raise your mood. Also, reach out to friends for a phone or online chat, and if needed, seek emotional support from a trained professional.

If you don’t have a spiritual practice, now may be the time to consider exploring what life really is about. Is there perhaps a deeper meaning to life? There are countless books worth exploring and some of my favorites are, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zin, Loving What Is by Byron Katie, and Everything is Here to Help You by Matt Kahn.

Good quality sleep helps your body repair and restore, so having good sleep hygiene is very important. Reduce screen time and turn the lights in your home down two hours before bedtime. This allows the natural chemistry of your body to work for you by producing melatonin. This recipe for a relaxing bedtime herbal tea is wonderful to have before bedtime.

This may sound odd, but don’t keep your phone by your bed…ever! Leave it in another room and better yet, turn it off. Some people are sensitive to wifi and electromagnetic fields, and in that case, it could be helpful to turn all devices off at night and even the router.

I have a lot of creative tutorials such as Dot Painting for Beginners, How to Make a Wire Wrapped Pendant, How to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket for Beginners and so many more! Take a little walk through my website to see what inspires you!

My intention with Create~Nurture~Heal is to provide inspiration and resources to live a balanced, creative, and healthy life. So I have a lot of resources to support you in all these ways.

What is most important, however, is that you take control of your own life, your own emotions and your own health! Don’t allow your environment to control you! You don’t have to be at the mercy of ‘what is happening in your life.’ You can choose to be the creator of your life by taking care of your physical health, your emotional health, and your spiritual health.

Live your life not from fear…but from fearlessness!

Blessings to you all!

This information can be so supportive to others…so please share this post on FB or Pinterest! Click on the social share icon and pick an image from below. Thank you!!

The post Keep Your Immune System Healthy & Strong! appeared first on Create and Crochet.

The percentage of sensitives mentioned above is true amongst all species, and it is the sensitives in the wild who first hear or smell approaching danger. The sensitive animals within a herd will be the first to lift their head and assess the situation. Then, if needed, they will be the first to run…..and the rest of the herd will follow!

In our society, highly sensitive people tend to try and hide their sensitive nature because it is considered weak. HSPs are encouraged ‘to fit in’, and in order to do so, they often try to override their sensitivity. This is a real shame because sensitives are highly gifted and creative individuals.

Highly sensitive people are the inventors, painters, writers, photographers, and visionaries. Many individuals with this nature have the wonderful gift of being able to easily tap into the Source of Creation and express their ideas in beautiful ways. Being sensitive is an innate and wonderful quality once you understand more about it.

HSPs are often ridiculed by others with comments like “you’re so sensitive, just suck it up, don’t be such a wimp”, or “aren’t you a delicate thing.” These comments are very hurtful to sensitives because they also tend to worry about what people say or think about them.

Sensitives often, but not always, have an empathetic nature. The difference between an HSP and an empath is that empaths can actually sense and feel the energy and emotions of others. But empaths don’t necessarily have a sensitive nervous system. A good example of this is Mother Teresa. She was the epitome of an empath, but she was not a highly sensitive person. She was tough and lived in very difficult environments.

Empaths can also be extroverts, whereas sensitives are almost always introverts. Within the empathetic spectrum, some individuals can fall into the ‘overly empathetic’ category. In this case, rather than just sensing, knowing and feeling the energy of others, these empaths actually absorb the energy of others. This can cause a lot of discomforts and even illness within the body.

Of course, there is a wide range of personality types within the sensitive-empath spectrum, and not one will be the same! On the positive side, people with any combination of these traits will be the creators, helpers, and healers. They are the problem-solvers, peacemakers, and mediators of the world. They have the ability to see both sides of a situation and can help others come to a place of understanding and agreement.

On the negative side, these same people are more likely to suffer from anxiety, stress, depression, physical pain, and fatigue. This is because they ‘feel’ everything. They are easily overwhelmed by other people’s energy, by noise, light, odors, chemicals, heat, cold—everything! They are literally modern day “canaries in the coal mine”. Because of this, highly sensitive people and/or empaths may avoid exposure to various stimulants and social situations as a protective measure. People who don’t understand this may become frustrated or judgmental of them.

If you know anyone who has these traits, then recognize their gifts and support them in any way you can! If you are someone with these traits, then honor these gifts and bring them forth into the world in your own unique way. This may be in the form of creative work, supporting others, or by simply holding a quiet presence in the world. Most importantly, be kind to yourself, love your unique qualities and don’t conform to what you “think you should be”. We need the sensitives of the world now more than ever!

If you want to learn more about being highly sensitive, then I would recommend ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’ by Elaine Aron. It would be a wonderful gift for your highly sensitive self or for a loved one.

If you want to learn more about being an empath, then I recommend ‘The Empaths Survival Guide’ and ‘Thriving as an Empath’ by Judith Orloff. Another interesting read is ‘Quiet’ by Susan Cain. This book is about introverts and how they are silent but powerful contributors to society.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

I have also created a guided meditation that is designed to help individuals become more grounded, to cleanse their energy field of unwanted energy, and to provide protection.

If you liked this article, then you may also like:

• Helperitis~The Act of Helping Too Much
• Anxiety and The Highly Sensitive Person
• The Evolution of Creativity

Please share this article by clicking on the social share button and choosing an image from above. Thank you!

The post Understanding Highly Sensitive People appeared first on Create and Crochet.

If you are not familiar with hand-blended incense, I wrote a blog post about it here. This form of loose incense is made with aromatic resins and plant materials and is most commonly burned on charcoal discs. Burning incense in this way is very powerful and is wonderful to use for cleansing and ceremonial purposes.

Some people, however, are sensitive to the smoke emitted from the burning incense (eh-hem…like me). Using an oil burner is a perfect solution for this. You can line the bowl of the burner with a layer or two of tin foil and place the incense blend on the foil. The heat from a tea light gently releases the aroma from the fragrant plants and emits a beautiful, natural scent into the room. I love burning incense in this way!

I do have a video on how to burn incense on a charcoal disc as well as on an oil burner. This is the first video I ever made (about 5 years ago), so please forgive the imperfections! It offers great information, however, which is why I’ve kept it. You can check it out here. It is important to know how to do this properly because the charcoal discs are more flammable than incense sticks.

I have also created a video for this tutorial which is at the bottom of the post.

The supplies you will need for this project are:

• 3 parts Frankincense Resin
• 2 parts Sweet Myrrh Resin
• 1 part Copal Resin
  • Here is a sampler with a few different resins including the ones above.
• 2 parts Lavender Flowers
• 1.5 parts Chamomile Flowers
• 1 part Anise Seeds (check your pantry!)
• 1 part Red Sandalwood Powder
• 1/2 to 1 part Liquid Honey (also…check your pantry!)
• Three Kings Charcoal Discs or Bamboo Charcoal
• Morter and Pestle
• Incense Burner
• Oil Burner (these are a perfect size)
• Surgical Gloves (optional)

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

You can make any quantity you like, as I have given the recipe in ‘parts’. For this demonstration, I am using one teaspoon (5 ml) as one part. I will first give the instructions on how to blend the ingredients together for this meditation blend. I have also written about some of the healing and spiritual properties of all the ingredients for this blend below.

Before I begin, I like to smudge my tools and bowls with sage as a way to energetically cleanse everything. This is totally up to you!

Start by breaking down some of the larger pieces of resin in the mortar and pestle. Be gentle, as the resin can easily turn into power. Perhaps you like this, and that is perfectly fine, but I like to keep some of the resin in small pieces. I find this is very nice when burning incense on the charcoal. A finer consistency is nice when using the oil burner, and you can easily grind the finished incense before using it on a burner.

Once you are happy with the size of the resin pieces, blend all the ingredients (except the honey) into a bowl.

I recommend wearing a surgical glove when blending in the honey. Add about a ‘half part’ of honey and blend it into the dry mixture with your hand. You want to sort of ‘knead’ and roll the mixture between your fingers. Add a little more honey as needed until the red sandalwood powder is nicely blended in. The mixture should be soft but crumbly (the video shows this nicely).

Place the incense blend on a flat surface and leave uncovered to cure for about two weeks. It is nice if you can have it in some direct sunlight for a period of time to infuse the blend with the energy of the sun. Once it has cured, store the incense in an airtight container.

I like to bless my incense after I have blended it all together. This is totally up to you and you can offer any type of blessing you like. I use the following blessing:

“I offer my deepest thanks and gratitude to the Creator and Mother Earth for these beautiful and sacred offerings. May the spiritual and healing properties of these plants support myself and anyone who uses them in deepening the experience in our meditation practice. Thank you, thank you, thank you.“

The spiritual and healing properties of the ingredients used in this blend are:

Frankincense Resin: Increases oxygen to the brain by up to 30 percent, improves concentration, relaxes the mind and stimulates the immune system.

Myrrh Resin: Improves negative states of mind, enhances the feeling of spiritual connection and is very grounding.

Copal Resin: Enhances intuition, receptivity, and inspiration.

Lavender Flowers: Increases a sense of well-being, reduces cortisol levels, is mildly sedating and very relaxing.

Chamomile Flowers: Helps with relaxation and to become more centered in meditation.

Anise Seed: Helps to improve negativity, invokes blessings and deepens your insight and psychic powers.

Red Sandalwood: Also known as ‘false sandalwood’, this variety is more sustainable than white sandalwood, which has become endangered. Red sandalwood is not quite as potent as the white, however, it still has many of the same properties. Red sandalwood stimulates the seventh chakra, removes negative energy and relaxes the mind.

I hope this post inspires you to make your own hand-blended incense. This really is a beautiful art, and there are countless blends that you can create! If you want to learn more about this, I recommend these following books:

I also have a few other blog posts that may be of interest:

• Why it Can be a Challenge to Meditate, Especially for Women
• Relaxing Bedtime Herbal Tea Recipe
• DIY Bath Salts

The post Hand-Blended Incense-Meditation Recipe appeared first on Create and Crochet.

This is because the concept of Central Sensitization (CS) is a relatively new field of research. What this area of science suggests, is that most chronic pain and autoimmune disorders may fall under the umbrella of Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS).

Central Sensitization is when the body has a hyperactive response to any type of sensation. This could be pain, light, sound, smell, chemicals and so forth. Even positive sensations such as excitement, massage therapy or acupuncture can cause a hyperactive response. It is a dysfunction in the brain and seems to be triggered by some sort of trauma such as an accident, surgery, a virus, or a devastating loss of some sort. It doesn’t matter whether this is physical or emotional trauma.

For reasons unknown to the scientific community, the sensory alert signal in the brain becomes amplified, and the switch that normally turns sensory signals off, once the trigger has passed, doesn’t work. As a result, the amplified signals continue to send warning messages to the central nervous system.

In time, the signals become more amplified and more intense, and that can lead to Central Sensitization Syndrome. This is a term used to classify a group of overlapping chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Irritable Larynx Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and so forth.

I was diagnosed with FM and CFS in 1990 and there was very little support at that time. Then in 2014, I was simultaneously diagnosed with Irritable Larynx Syndrome and CSS. My specialist only offered some neck exercises at the time, and I must say, I was actually miffed to be diagnosed with CSS because I thought, “great, now they are making the fact that I am highly sensitive a disorder!”

For many years, there has been very little support and understanding of this umbrella of complex disorders from the medical community and the public in general. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told to “suck it up”. I’ve also been shamed and treated as if I am crazy and this is all in my head.

It is true that CSS and any other chronic health issues are very complicated, however, I am glad to say that now, there is much more supportive information that can help deal with these sorts of conditions. Earlier this year, I came across this article on CS, and it totally changed how I looked at my diagnosis. It now made total sense, and I started to look at different ways to deal with this condition, and I’ve come across some great information.

If you are interested in learning more about CSS, this video gives an overview of the condition. I also found this video, and at 7:20 point, Dr. Sletten from The Mayo Clinic explains that CSS is not a psychological disorder, but a brain dysfunction! If you or anyone you know suffers from any chronic condition, you need to hear this.

I would also recommend this article by B.C. Women’s Hospital as well as the book by Amy Titani called Central Sensitization and Sensitivity Syndromes. They both offer very helpful resources.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

Because this condition is so complex, the conventional medical establishments don’t seem to have any definitive methods to change this dysregulation in the brain. They offer processes to help reduce the symptoms, but there doesn’t seem to be a cure for this condition.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) seems to be helpful, but I think there could be more focus on Energy Medicine to help change these well-established patterns in the brain and central nervous system.

It would make sense that the key to resolving this ‘dysregulation’ of the central nervous system would be to find a way to settle down the persistent state of heightened reactivity. The chronic nature of the condition means a pattern has become established, and it is this pattern that needs to be changed.

The field of neuroplasticity is offering powerful evidence that the brain can be changed. Energy techniques such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) and Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) are just some of the processes that could help change the patterns in the brain. (see resources below)

There are forward-thinking professionals who are exploring the idea of combining therapies such as CBT with energy techniques such as EFT Tapping. Gary Craig, the creator of EFT Tapping shares a letter from the psychologist, Dr. Galina, who writes about how he does this very thing.

While this is a complicated condition, and it is advisable to work with a trained health care professional, there are some practices one can do on their own, that would cause no harm and may be very beneficial!

The first would be to understand neuroplasticity; the brain’s ability to change itself, and for that, I would recommend the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. His books Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself and You Are the Placebo are a great place to start. His premise is basically that we can change any patterns we like, but it takes time, dedication and practice, practice, practice!

One of the main problems with changing unwanted patterns is that we are not patient or persistent enough. I know I am guilty of this for sure!

Here is a story of Yerlin, a woman who overcame astounding injuries and trauma by practicing the work of Dr. Dizpenza. I think the key to her success was, in her own words, “all I had was time…I was in bed, I couldn’t move, so I thought I would see if all the things I learned (from Dr. Joe) would work.” She was diligent in her practice, and she baffled everyone with how fully and quickly she recovered. You have to listen to her story, it is really amazing!

The second recommendation I have is to look at the work of Donna Eden and Energy Medicine. This area of medicine deals with balancing the body’s energy system. If Central Sensitization is a case of the central nervous system being ‘dysregulated’, then it would make sense that balancing the energy system through a daily practice could be beneficial.

I have been doing the Daily Energy Routine (DER) for several months now and I definitely notice subtle improvements and changes. This is where patience and persistence are important. My system has been dysregulated for over 40 years, it will take some time to change these very deeply engrained patterns.

My third recommendation is EFT Tapping. This technique is fabulous for changing unwanted patterns, but again, one must be persistent if dealing with very old and deeply engrained patterns. I have a video tutorial on how to do basic EFT HERE. This is an unlisted video, so you will have to save the link. I also want to apologize for the quality of this video, I made this a few years ago and wasn’t so tech-savvy! The wooshing sound was actually rain falling on the roof.

Tapping works best if you can find a specific event, like an accident, the break up of a relationship, the loss of someone or something significant…situations like that. But those are often ‘big T traumas’ and need to be processed with a trained professional. This is where you sometimes see ‘one-minute wonders’, where a practitioner finds a specific event and then releases the energy of that event with the tapping.

You may know of specific events and can tap through those, so long as they are not traumatic events. In Tapping, there is an acronym called UDIN. This asks the questions, was the event Unexpected, Dramatic, Isolating and with No resources? If any of these apply, then you want to seek help with that event.

You can use Tapping more globally for yourself, but it will take dedication and more time. For example, you could tap on “this tightness and tension in my body”, or “this constant pain in my hip and knee”. If you’re dealing with a very old and ingrained pattern, you may have to tap on the issue every day or even a few times a day for a few months before you start to see results…but it does work!

If you want to learn more about EFT Tapping, I recommend EFT For Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, as well as EFT for the Highly Sensitive Temperament. You can also check out EFT Universe which has a tonne of free information.

Lastly, I recommend trying, to the best of your ability, to redirect the focus of the pain and discomfort you may be experiencing. I know from personal experience that this can be a huge challenge! How do you not notice the feeling of a sharp knife poking you in various parts of your body? How do you not notice that you don’t have enough energy to make a meal, to do errands or to see friends? How do you not notice that your words get scrambled or your speech is slurred at times? (which some of you may notice in my Youtube videos)

Just do your best! Try to think more positive thoughts, maybe watch some funny shows and do anything that evokes a good feeling…whatever that may be! Have a daily gratitude practice and make time to do things you enjoy. I’m a big fan of doing creative work, which is why I started blogging about all things creative, nurturing and healing!

Meditation can also be very helpful and I have a few guided meditations. The Guided Chakra Meditation below, in particular, is very good because it guides you through the chakras in the direction of a figure eight, or the infinity symbol. This video is 22 minutes long and goes through three sequences of the chakras. I also have a shorter version which is 11 minutes long and goes through just one sequence.

If you read the work of Donna Eden, you will see that she recommends incorporating any movements in the direction of a figure eight because the energy in our body moves in this cross over pattern. Often, when we are dealing with health issues, the body’s energy system moves into a homolateral pattern, meaning the energy isn’t crossing over.

Dealing with any sort of chronic pain or autoimmune disorder can be very challenging. Again, I do recommend working with a health care provider to get a proper diagnosis and guidance. The practices I have recommended here can be beneficial and empowering, so there is no harm in trying them!

More Guided Meditations:

• Ten Minute Full Body Scan Meditation
• The Sound of Silence~Teaching and Meditation
• Guided Body Scan and Chakra Meditation (30 Minutes)

These are just some of my guided meditations, you can check out my Youtube Channel for more.

If you liked this article, you may also like:

• Creativity and Healing
• Why Old Habits are Hard to Break
• Anxiety and The Highly Sensitive Person

The post FM/CFS or Central Sensitization? appeared first on Create and Crochet.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

The ingredients for these bath dissolves are very soothing and nurturing. Baking soda, in particular, is very good to use after you’ve had a bad day, been tangled up in some negative energy or if you’ve had some healing work done. It is great for cleansing negative energy. Both Epsom salts and Himalayan pink salt help to detox and relax the body and are good for sore muscles.

Below is the recipe as well as a list of additional items you’ll need to make these lovely bath dissolves. If you want the mixture to have more of a pink hue, you can use the Himalayan pink salt only.

• 1 cup (250mls) baking soda
• 1/4 cup (62.5mls) fine salt
  • I used 1/8 cup (31.25mls) each of fine Epsom salt and pink Himalayan salt
• 1/4 cup (62.5mls) corn starch
• 5 tsp (25mls) distilled water
• 5 tsp (25mls) pure witch hazel
• 30 to 40 drops essential oil (see below for different blends)
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• spray bottle with distilled water and witch hazel (optional)
• Soap or cookie mold (I recommend a rigid mold, I tried a silicone mold and it didn’t hold the shape of the mixture very well) or bath bomb mold

For this recipe, I used lavender essential oil, but you could use any blend you like. Here are a few ideas. As with all natural ingredients, make sure to test for sensitivities or allergies. Even natural products can cause an unwanted reaction.

• 20 drops lavender, 5 drops rose geranium, 5 drops rose absolute
• 22 drops lavender, 5 drops vetiver, 3 drops patchouli
• 15 drops lavender, 5 drops clary sage, 5 drops cedarwood, 5 drops ylang-ylang
• 10 drops frankincense, 8 drops peppermint, 8 drops sweet orange, 4 drops lime
• 10 drops frankincense, 7 drops lavender, 7 drops rose geranium, 6 drops ylang-ylang

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together, then mix the water and witch hazel together (don’t add the essential oils yet). Using a spoon, gradually add the liquid, mixing well between each addition.

Continue to add the liquid until the mixture begins to hold together. At this point, you can add the essential oils and mix them in.

Using the spray bottle, mist the mixture to evenly distribute moisture until you can form a ball as shown below. If you don’t have a spray bottle, add the liquid just a little bit at a time until you get the desired consistency.

Roll the mixture into balls or press firmly into a soap mold. Let dry completely, for at least 24 hours.

Once the bath dissolves have dried, you can remove them from the mold. This can be a bit tricky and you have to be very gentle.

I found the square shapes in the mold didn’t do as well as the round shapes. The corners crumbled on a couple of them.

You can see that in the image below, especially the bigger mold shape with the leaf in the middle. In retrospect, I would just use the round shapes or form the mixture into balls.

There you go! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I have created a video to go along with this, and you can check that out below. Happy creating!

If you like this tutorial, you may also like:

• DIY Sugar Scrubs~Three Blends!
• DIY Moisturizing Lotion Bars
• DIY Bath Salts

The post Bath Dissolves~Bath Bombs without Citric Acid appeared first on Create and Crochet.

The recipe contains a lot of legumes, onions, and garlic as well. Overall, this is a very nourishing soup, and as a result, supports the body in the healing process.

My husband was recovering from gall bladder surgery when we first experienced this soup. His colleague dropped by with a pot full of Ash Reshteh, and it was garnished with a whole bulb of garlic cloves, saffron yogurt, and mint oil. We had never tasted such a wonderful soup and we believe it did indeed help in his recovery process!

Healing and celebration properties aside, this soup is simply wonderful to have any time! It does contain a lot of ingredients and takes some time to make, but the quantities I give here will yield about 12 to 14 servings of soup. It freezes very well and is nice to have on hand for a quick lunch or dinner.

The traditional way to make Persian Noodle Soup is to use chickpeas, navy beans, and red kidney beans, but I’ve adjusted my recipe to include different legumes (to agree with my digestive system). You can use whatever combination of beans and legumes you like.

The ingredients you will need for the soup are written below, but you can make some substitutes. You can use canned beans instead of dried and you can use chard instead of spinach. You can also get frozen chopped spinach to save time. Persian grocery stores sell blends of frozen chopped greens for convenience. It can be hard to find fresh dill at times, so you can substitute 1/4 cup dried dill if necessary.

For the soup

• 1/3 cup dried adzuki beans
• 1/3 cup dried mung beans
• 1/2 cup dried split peas
• 1/3 cup dried brown lentils
  • (or 1 ½ cups of assorted legumes)
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• ¾ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper
• 1 bouillon cube (or more to taste)
• 12 to 15 cups of water
• 6 oz Kamut or whole-grain spaghetti
• 1 cup leek, chopped
• 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
• 10 cups fresh spinach or chard, chopped

Start by soaking the beans and split peas in cold water for at least two hours (adjust the soaking time if using different beans). Drain and rinse the beans when done. Slice the onions and saute in olive oil until soft. Add diced garlic, spices, salt and pepper and saute for another two to three minutes.

Add water, beans, split peas, and bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, chop all the greens and set aside.

After 45 minutes, add the lentils and simmer another 20 minutes. Then add the noodles (I break them up into smaller pieces) and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Then, add the chopped greens and more water if needed. It may seem as though the greens will flow over the top of the pot, but they will cook into the soup very nicely. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for another 30 minutes or until the beans are done.

For the garnish

• 1 bulb of garlic, divided into cloves (cut cloves in half if needed)
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp dried peppermint leaves

Saute the garlic cloves in 1 to 2 tbsps of olive oil until they are golden brown. Set aside.

Grind the saffron threads in the sugar until you have a fine consistency. Add the yogurt and blend together well. Set aside.

Warm 2 tbsps of olive oil in a small pan or in the microwave. Do not overheat…just warm up! Crush 2 tbsps dried peppermint into the oil and gently heat a little bit more. Serve the soup and garnish it with a drizzle of the saffron yogurt, peppermint oil, and add some sauteed garlic cloves. Enjoy, or as they say in Farsi… Nush-e-jan!

I can honestly say, this soup is so nurturing and will make you feel good whether you need it or not!

If you liked this recipe, you may also like:

• Light Cream of Broccoli and Cheese Soup
• Low Carb Keto Pizza

The post Persian Noodle Soup appeared first on Create and Crochet.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

Sugar scrubs work so well to exfoliate and nourish the skin. Just apply them to your body in the bath or shower, work into the skin and then rinse off. Use your choice of scrub once or twice a week.

While all these blends are made from natural ingredients, it is important to check for allergies and sensitivities.

The first sugar scrub blend is Lavender and Chamomile. This blend is perfect to use on the face and all over the body. It is very gentle and soothing.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup jojoba oil
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops chamomile essential oil

Add the essential oils to the jojoba oil and blend well with the sugar. Store your sugar scrub in a pretty jar…it’s that easy!

The next blend is Rosemary and Mint Sugar Scrub. For this blend, I first suggested to use either rosemary-infused olive oil or add rosemary essential oil to the olive oil. I find I prefer the regular olive oil with the rosemary essential oil This blend is wonderful for the whole body, but is especially nice for the feet!

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 drops rosemary essential oil
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil

Blend the essential oils into the olive oil and add to the sugar. Mix well and store it in a pretty container.

In the video, I suggest using rosemary-infused olive oil, but I don’t actually recommend that now. Just use olive oil with rosemary essential oil.

The last blend is a Coffee and Vanilla Sugar Scrub. This blend works very well for exfoliating. It is a bit stronger than the other two blends and may not be suited for sensitive skin, especially on the face. With a touch of vanilla extract, this scrub smells so good…you may want to eat it!

To make this blend, you will need:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp ground coffee
• 2 tbsp coconut oil-melted (about 1/4 cup dry)
• 2 tbsp jojoba oil (not shown)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Simply melt the coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove and mix with the jojoba oil and vanilla extract. Then add the wet blend to the sugar and coffee and mix well. The aroma of this blend is so scrumptious! You can store in a pretty container and use it for yourself or give it as a gift.

WARNING: The oils used in these body scrub recipes can increase the danger of slipping in the bathtub or shower. Use extreme caution if using these products in the mentioned circumstances.

I have also created a video if you want to check that out!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial…I am always grateful when people share my work, so please do! If you liked this tutorial, you may also like these ones too.

• DIY Moisturizing Lotion Bars
• DIY Natural Dryer Sheets
• DIY Lavender and Rose Bath Salts

Sharing is caring! Click on the Pinterest Share Button and choose one of the images below!

The post DIY Sugar Scrubs~3 Blends! appeared first on Create and Crochet.

Some of the most harmful ingredients include Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), DMDM Hydantoin, Parabens, Retinyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine and the one that causes me the most grief… Synthetic Fragrance and Perfume. If you want to learn more about these ingredients you can read this article here.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

So, my question is…why would anyone want to put chemicals all over their body, when there are so many natural and healthy options available? There are many choices on the market these days and one of my favorite natural skincare companies is Sea Wench Naturals. I am not affiliated with this company at all, I just love their products!

But what is even better, is that it has never been easier to make your own natural body and home care products! Today I have a simple recipe for DIY Body Lotion Bars with lavender and rose. It can be made with just four ingredients, but there are a few options as well.

This recipe is for a small batch of lotion bars and you can double or triple the quantities to make as much as you like. Once all the dry ingredients are melted and blended together, the volume equals about 3.5 oz (100mls). The ingredients you will need are:

• 1/4 cup (60mls) beeswax
• 1/4 cup (60mls) coconut butter
• 1/4 cup (60mls) shea butter
• 2 tsp (10mls) jojoba oil
• 20 drops essential oil (optional)
  • Lavender
  • Geranium
  • Rose Absolute
• dried flowers (Update: I no longer recommend adding dried flower. As pretty as they look, they are not practical in a lotion bar)

You can use any blend of essential oils you like, but the coconut butter and beeswax give this recipe a nice aroma on their own, so it isn’t even necessary! I love essential oils, so I used 10 drops of lavender oil, 8 drops of geranium oil and 2 drops of rose absolute oil. This makes a lovely blend!

As far as supplies go, you will want to use old pots and utensils. Beeswax is impossible to clean off completely, so you may want to dedicate these items to DIY projects. Silicone molds can be super fun to use for the lotion bars because there are so many pretty options. I just used some containers I saved from take-out sushi. Plastic ice-cube trays would work as well. The supplies you will need are:

• Double boiler (I used an old pot and pyrex bowl from the thrift store)
• Container with a spout (if the double boiler doesn’t have that)
• Stirring tools
• Silicone or plastic molds for bars.

Add the beeswax, coconut butter and shea butter to the top container of the double boiler. Put some water in the bottom pot and bring to medium heat. Melt the ingredients together. Add the jojoba oil and essential oils and blend together very well.

Prepare the molds and add some crushed dried flowers if you like. I added lavender and rose petals. On a practical note…while this looks very pretty, the flowers do rub off on to the skin when you use the bars.

Quickly pour the melted lotion into the molds. It will set up very fast, so you may have to return the blend to the pot to liquify it again. Once you have filled the molds, do not move them! Let them sit undisturbed until they have set up completely (about 2 hours).

Once they have set up, you can pop them out of the molds and they are ready to use! You can store the unused bars in the fridge, especially in warmer climates. It is that simple!

I absolutely love these lotion bars, but what I didn’t expect was…that my husband loves them too! They are quite rich (which is awesome for my dry skin) and I find it helpful to run the palms of my hands under some warm water after applying the lotion bar to help it melt and absorb into my hands. The difference between a lotion bar and lotion is the water, so it makes sense to add a little bit.

I hope you give this recipe a try…I think you will love it!

If you like this post, you may also like:

• DIY Natural Dryer Sheets
• Relaxing Bedtime Herbal Tea
• Reuse Old Beeswax Candles
• DIY Bath Salts

Please pick a pin and share on Pinterest or Facebook!

The post DIY Moisturizing Lotion Bars appeared first on Create and Crochet.

Some (but perhaps not all) of the links in this blog are affiliate links to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains some affiliate links. Please see my policy page for details. I look for the best possible option for your convenience, however, I encourage you to support your local shops!

However, before I begin, I have a little story to share with you.

I had the great fortune of experiencing pure silence in 2005. I was backpacking on my own through England and Scotland, visiting sacred sites. This trip was inspired by the tragic and sudden death of my cousin. Her death was a great shock and I realized that I, like her, had lived a very responsible life, working hard and doing all the things I ‘should’ do.

I had also been reading a book at the time called Crossing to Avalon by Jean Shinoda Bolen. It was about the authors’ spiritual journey to sacred sites in England and Scotland. I decided to take a few months off work and travel to some of these same places, and also explore the homeland of my ancestors.

During this trip, I went caving at the Cheddar Gorge, which is in the Glastonbury area. I was guided into the Cheddar cave system by an experienced guide. We were deep within these caves when he turned off the lights, and we sat in complete silence and darkness. All I could hear was the sound of my own heart beating and the movements of my own body. It was amazing!

The whole journey was awesome and I found my time in Glastonbury very enlightening. I am so grateful that I gave myself this wonderful experience. I did another caving trip to the Horn Lake Caves on Vancouver Island a few years later. There were several people in this guided tour, and the silence wasn’t as supreme as it was in the Cheddar Caves.

Since then, I have wondered if I could experience that same level of silence in a world that is just so noisy. It was the teachings of Buddhism, Eckhart Tolle, and others, that helped me find this place. You see…silence is everywhere! We just don’t pay attention to it!

You may think this silence can only be found deep in the forest or in unpopulated areas, but wherever there is sound, there is always the end of that sound. And it is in that space…that gap when the sound ends where silence lies.

Life is busy and our thoughts are on many things, but if you stop and notice…you can find silence in the pause between words. You can find it as the chime of a bell disappears into nothingness, you can find it as a car drives by and then the sound of it disappears into the distance.

You can find silence just after a leaf falls to the ground, as the wind stops blowing the leaves in the trees, or as a drop of water dances and then disappears into a pond or puddle. Silence is in between each breath, in between each thought and at the end of every noticeable sound. Wherever there is sound…there is silence.

There may be background sound, and often we can be distracted by that. But if you choose to just notice the background without judgment and then focus on a sound that comes to an end, such as the examples above, you will experience the silence that follows. Even if it is just for a split second…for a very small moment…the silence is there.

When you begin to notice this silence in-between sounds, you are practicing present moment awareness. Your mind is quiet as you focus on the silence. Now you are experiencing inner silence!

This can be a very powerful practice and it can lead to a more calm and peaceful state of mind. I have created an exercise to help you practice this way of listening to find silence.

If you like this article, you may also like The Power of Walking Meditation or Why it Can Be a Challenge to Meditate, Especially for Women.

The post The Sound of Silence appeared first on Create and Crochet.

Within this group of individuals, there is a whole range of perceiving abilities. Some may have an empathetic nature and can work in a variety of caring and helping fields, while not being affected by the suffering of others.

On the other hand, some individuals may be overly empathetic, and not only sense the suffering of others, but actually absorb pain and suffering. They can also be very sensitive to their environment and pick up energy frequencies, react to chemicals and toxins and have psychic tendencies.

HSP’s and empaths with this higher perception need to actively learn to manage and protect their energy systems. They are quite literally like a sponge and absorb everything around them. There are three important practices that can be incredibly helpful for these people.

The first practise is one of conscious relaxation. Because HSP’s and empaths often experience higher levels of stress and anxiety from feeling so much, using soothing techniques can be helpful. I wrote an article about that here which also includes a short guided meditation.

The second suggestion is to have a grounding practice. It is so important for HSP’s and empaths to be well-grounded. They are often well developed in their higher chakras (from the heart up), but lack balance and strength in the lower chakras. There is often wounding in the lower chakras as well, and that could be explored with an energy healer.

Wendy DeRosa has a lot of wonderful free teachings, as well as some online courses that help individuals with sensitive energy systems learn how to become more grounded and empowered. There is a lot to know…more than I can write here, and she is an amazing teacher with deep insights. You can check out her offerings on her website.

I have also created a Guided Grounding and Body Scan Meditation, which includes the chakras. This is a practice that helps you become aware of your subtle body and focus on grounding to the earth. You can check it out here.

The third practice that I think is very important, is to learn how to protect your energy system. There are a number of techniques, and shielding is a common practice. I don’t actually like the idea of shielding as this is an old masculine paradigm. It is based on fear, and creating a shield around yourself may block out everything… good and bad!

I prefer the idea of radiating divine golden light from within…a light that radiates love and is so powerful that no negative or dark energy can penetrate its field. And…positive and loving energy can come into this field because the frequencies are in alignment. So you don’t miss out on the good stuff!

I have created a new guided visualization called The Golden Light Meditation. It only takes a few minutes, and once you have practiced this technique for a period of time, you will be able to invoke this energy quickly and easily. Enjoy!

The post HSP’s and Empaths: Energy Protection appeared first on Create and Crochet.