How to Spot a Healing Scam

          "Good things take time, as they should. We shouldn't expect good things to happen overnight. Actually, getting something easily or too soon can cheapen the outcome."                                                    ~ John Wooden, A Game Plan for Life

     Recently a reader reached out to me asking my opinion on whether a healing organization was legit. Perhaps you would also like to know more about how to spot a healing scam. 

     From my decades of experience working as an energy healing practitioner, and authoring two award-winning energy healing books, I personally would be leery of any organization or individual that...

• ...is organized around the healing abilities of a single person who is elevated to guru level or saint-like status. These can be personality cults promoting an idealized image of a healer.
• ...claims miraculous cures that they alone can provide.
• ...creates exclusivity by requiring one to become a financial donor to qualify for "advanced" membership for access to "elite" healing classes.
• ...has attracted a huge social media following through flashy pictures and trite messages with little substance behind it. 
• ...causes disempowerment by suggesting someone or something outside of yourself holds the power to heal you.
• ...claims their way is the only true path.
• ...sells objects or spells purported to have magical healing powers that require no action on your part. 
• ...incites fear and urgency over what will happen if you don't purchase their product or service.

     If you are suffering, the idea of a passive, miraculous cure can be very appealing. But the promise of miraculous healing is akin to a "get rich quick" scheme. Do people get rich quickly? Yes, if they win the lottery or their product goes viral -  both highly unlikely. Do people experience miracle cures? Yes, but that is also unlikely. Sometimes healing can happen in the form of a quantum jump -- a sudden leap from one state of being to another, with no discernible process in between. But usually a quantum jump occurs within the context of a longer process, similar to the saying, "It was an overnight success ten years in the making!" 

     Here are some basic premises of how healing works:

• Healing is a transformational process, not a destination.
• Healing is the process of shedding the lower self and shifting to your higher self - who you really are.
• Becoming your authentic self can be a lifelong process.
• Healing is governed by natural laws. 
• Healing occurs through consistent action over time.
• Healing unfolds in a safe space facilitated by a trusted guide.
• Healing works best when you are an active participant in the process.
• Healing happens from the inside-out when your natural inner healing forces are activated.
• Healing is a function of raising energetic frequency and enhancing energetic flow, which can require releasing belief patterns and self-concepts that disrupt your energy and lower your frequency. 
• Healing is a process that often includes exploring your shadow. 
• Your healing process is unique to you and may not look like the process of anyone else. 

Popularity Does NOT Equal Legitimacy!

     It is human nature to assume that if your friends and family members trust a certain person, organization or product -- then it must be legit. Peer pressure is real, a fact that scammers count on it.  It can be very challenging to NOT join in what others are flocking to. But what is drawing your friends and family to unscrupulous individuals and organizations can be an appeal to their lower self, or ego. 

     Developing your power of discernment by listening to your intuition is often a trial and error process. We learn from our mistakes. Many times in my life, people have recommended an individual, a program or a product that I didn't get a good feeling about. In each instance, something felt off, but I joined in anyway. Years later -- when these individuals, programs or products were exposed as not being who or what they claimed to be -- my initial intuition was validated. I have found one of the keys to happiness is trusting your gut instincts. Your instincts come through your higher self and help guide you to what is authentic and of a high vibration. 

      Healers are often highly sensitive empaths, and roughly 70% of sensitives are introverts. But even though the majority of healers (and writers) are introverted, they can be overlooked in favor of popular extroverts. Individuals and organizations that are popular don't necessarily offer higher quality, they are simply more successful at getting attention! If something feels off, trust that feeling. 

     For more energy healing solutions for sensitives and creatives, go to my website to opt-in for a monthly energy report, to receive a FREE recording "3 Keys to Removing the Blocks to Getting What You Want in Life" and a power-packed Energy Medicine Resource Bundle with handouts for my most effective energy healing skills! While you are there, check out my award-winning books, oracle cards and guided meditations that can teach you everything you need to know to live a healing way of life and awaken your greater health!

  Thank you for supporting this blog by using the Amazon link embedded at the top of this article for ANY purchase. Your support is greatly appreciated! 

Why I Quit My Public Social Media...and 4 Ways to Take Your Power Back From Yours

         "Illuminate the things that are vying for your time, your energy and your love that leave you feeling empty. Seek liberation from the bindings that are keeping you trapped and untether yourself."                                    ~ The Devil Card, The Light Seer's Tarot by Chris-Anne

      I use oracle cards and tarot cards as divination tools, conducting readings for myself on a regular basis. These tools are an ancient practice for facilitating spiritual guidance used by those seeking knowledge and inspiration.

     Last year the Devil card began consistently appearing in my card spreads. In Tarot, the Devil card is associated with addiction -- the vices we use to escape the mundane like alcohol, drugs, work, codependent relationships, etc. I don't engage in any of those vices, so I wasn't sure what the card was speaking to. Nevertheless, the Devil card continued to show up in my readings. And then it dawned on me...

• Addictive & Time Draining. The truth is, I had become addicted to social media and its empty promises of business success and personal connection. I would lose literally hours of my day scrolling through feeds in a numbed-out trance. Social media is designed to be addictive. The more time you spend on it, the more advertising you are exposed to, and the more money the social media platform makes. 

• Energy Draining. I have to admit that the first thing I did when I woke up in the morning, before I even got out of bed, was check my social media feeds. What you do in the first moments of your day sets the direction of your energy. By going straight to social media, I was setting my day in a direction of energy drain and low energetic frequency. 

• Distracting. Social media scatters your energy and can keep you stuck on the surface by distracting you, feeding your ego or playing on your fears. By doing so it drowns out your inner, intuitive voice and diverts you from your purpose. 

• Compare & Despair. Social media creates peer pressure, invites comparisons, and fosters insecurity. I felt continual pressure to post, and at times was triggered into feeling "not good enough." 

Take Your Power Back

     Whether or not you decide to delete or quit your social media accounts, you can take your power back by restructuring your time and undoing the negative energetic effects of social media. 

• Set Intention. The first moments of your day are a precious time for meditation and intention-setting. You can take control of your energy and your life by making a list of what you are grateful for and saying affirmations. Here are 4 Steps to Setting Intention.

• Seek Depth. Instead of maintaining a large number of superficial relationships on social media, try focusing on quality over quantity by deepening one relationship in your life, or going deep with one spiritual practice. 

• Focus your Energy.  If you don't delete or leave your social media accounts, try deleting the apps you use to access your accounts. If you have to sign in manually, you are less likely to use them, leaving more energy available to invest in your growth and evolution. Here are tips for How to be More Focused and Present.

• Raise your Energetic Frequency. Using practices such as deep breathing for ten minutes at a time, engaging in healing movement, and spending time in nature all raise your energetic frequency and offset the low-frequency effects of social media.

     In the months since I quit my public social media accounts, the Devil card has not appeared a single time in my tarot card spreads! It's amazing how much more productive I've been, and how much my growth has accelerated once I was untethered and liberated from the addiction of social media. 

    

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For more energy healing solutions for sensitives and creatives, go to my website to opt-in for a monthly energy report to receive a FREE recording "3 Keys to Removing the Blocks to Getting What You Want in Life" and a power-packed Energy Medicine Resource Bundle with handouts for my most effective energy healing skills! While you are there, check out my award-winning books, oracle cards and guided meditations that can teach you everything you need to know to live a healing way of life and awaken your greater health!

  Thank you for supporting this blog by using the amazon link embedded at the top of this article for ANY purchase. Your support is greatly appreciated!