Heidi DuPree

Monday, October 17, 2016

How to Reset Your Life

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." ~ Oprah Winfrey, What I Know For Sure

In September 2016 I took a week off from work and designed a much needed "retreat" for myself, scheduling activities each day that would contribute to my growth. These activities included communing with nature, meaningful social connections, activities from a self development online course I was taking, and meeting with both my healer and my coach by Skype. I playfully named my retreat "Heidipalooza" and embraced each day with zeal.

It was no coincidence that I scheduled this retreat to coincide with a full moon lunar eclipse and the fall equinox predicted to bring in another wave of ascension-level energies. (For more about ascension, click HERE. ) I knew I would need some space in my life to process and integrate what was to come. But I had no idea how profound the experience would be. Because by the end of the week, I experienced a complete reset of the way I work in the world-- from in-person, to online...from local, to global. This is no small thing, considering I have been working pretty much the same way in the same room for over 20 years.

I've written extensively about endings and beginnings in my award-winning books, and I've experienced them in my life. But nothing prepared me for how dramatic this change would be.

What is a Reset?

A reset is like an inner earthquake. It may seem that an earthquake is a single, isolated event. But an earthquake is the end result of many years of built-up tension along a fault line. The release of that tension produces the event. And once the dust settles from an earthquake, we can usually see that the ground has repositioned. It is the same for an inner earthquake. Immediately after a life reset, we may find our worldview repositioned. That shift will likely include changes in our mental and spiritual beliefs, a shift in our emotional state, and bodily changes - all for your highest good.

In physics a reset like I experienced is known as a "quantum jump" - a sudden leap from one state to another without any discernible process in between. One day I worked the same way I always have, and the next day I no longer had any desire to work that way. A quantum leap is by its nature unpredictable and unexpected. But when it happens there are some things you can expect.

After a reset you may experience the following:

Change in viewpoint. Overnight, you may see difficult situations in your life in a whole new light. Solutions to problems that you couldn't solve can seem suddenly obvious.
More in the present moment. You may become less preoccupied with the past and the future and find yourself more in the present moment.
Less judgmental and critical of self and others. Behaviors of others that were previously intolerable to you may no longer bother you as you become disengaged from drama and more accepting of yourself and others.
Health. You may experience a shift in your health with sudden positive changes in your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual states. Change is never isolated to one aspect of our life. We are mental, spiritual, physical and emotional beings and change affects every level. Along with my work reset, I also experienced a sudden positive shift in my eating habits -- and that's not a coincidence!
Irreversible. When you experience a reset, it will feel like you can't go back to your previous state - even if you wanted to. The change is "one-way."
Push-back. Change creates discomfort in those you are connected to. This is understandable and requires a compassionate response, not guilt that you have changed!

Create Your Own Retreat

Although I was largely unaware of it, I was apparently ready for a reset of my work life. Because these inner shifts that product dramatic outer change do not happen unless we are ready - whether we are aware of that readiness or not. In the same vein, you can't control a reset or decide when it will occur. But what you can do is create space in your life for growth, engage in healing activities... and let go of the outcome.

You don't have to take a week off from work to create a retreat. The important thing is to seek out activities that contribute to your growth. These activities will help you move toward the changes you want in your life.

Get help. See a professional who specializes in personal growth and healing, such as a healer or a life coach.
Detox. Drink more water and eliminate processed food from your diet. Eat more raw food.
Eliminate Clutter. Spend some time clearing clutter out of your home environment.
Unplug. Try unplugging from social media and disengaging from any social interactions that are negative.
Plug in. Choose to interact with positive people who raise your spirits and your energy. Spend time in nature, especially with your shoes off to ground with the Earth. Deep breathe for ten minutes at a time. Meditate.

Celebrate Life!

I started my Heidipalooza in the spirit of rejuvenation. The change it facilitated has not been easy for me or the people I am connected to. But life transitions do not have to be serious or heavy either. Change, no matter how uncomfortable, can be fun if we approach it as such. I choose to celebrate all the changes in my life, big and small!

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Saturday, October 8, 2016

The Power of Self Tenderness

"There is nothing as strong as tenderness. And nothing as tender as strength."
~ Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life

No matter how much money I have in my bank account, I tend to feel some anxiety when I'm checking my balance, or paying my bills. This morning was no exception. As I felt the anxiety creeping in, I began talking to myself out loud in the same soothing voice I would use for a loved one who was fearful. Almost immediately I felt myself relax. Amazing! Could it really be that simple? Well... yes and no. It is as simple as talking to yourself with kindness. But making the shift to doing so can be challenging. Because for many of us, negative self-talk is deeply ingrained.

For sensitive persons who are awakening and growing, who are usually also empathic and have a lightworker purpose (read HERE to find out if you are an empath) learning how to talk lovingly to self is the mastery phase of the ascension process. This is because loving self-talk is a master key to health

Although we talk lovingly to our pets, children in our lives and other loved ones, it may feel "wrong" to treat yourself tenderly. You may have never even considered this before, the disparity between how you treat yourself and how you treat your loved ones. We tend to exclude ourselves from our circle of loved ones! But the truth is, in order to truly love others, you must align yourself with self-love. Because kindness is the healing salve for your wounds (more about that HERE)

How to Talk To Self With Tenderness

Here are some tips to learning how to be tender with yourself:

Tone and Energy. Talk to yourself using the same soft tone and energy that you would use for a child, a beloved pet, or a dear friend. Cherish yourself by showing tenderness.
Words. This self talk could be anything from "Sweetie" or "Honey" to "You can do this. I believe in you."
Know that it may feel awkward to talk to yourself this way - like trying to be affectionate with a stranger. Because many people are so estranged from themselves they do feel like a stranger! If you are just starting a relationship with yourself, it can take time - just as it takes time to get to know anyone new in your life.
Imagine someone you care about in distress. What do you feel? The caring feeling accompanied by an expansive feeling in your chest is compassion. Now transfer that feeling of compassion to yourself.

Tender Self-Talk Vs Narcissism

I want to make a point here that tender self-talk is not narcissism! A narcissist's self-talk would be more like "I am better than others." Being tender with yourself is about treating yourself as well as anyone else, not treating yourself as superior to others.

The Power of Self Tenderness

Self-love has a powerfully positive effect on your health and well-being. And here's why: Loving yourself aligns you with the truth of who you are. This is a universal truth - you are lovable and acceptable always and forever, no matter what. When you deny yourself love and acceptance, this produces a state of disharmony which disrupts the flow of your energy. And the state of your energy determines the state of your health.

When you are tender with yourself, your energy instantly shifts to a state of harmony, which is your natural state of health and well-being. This is why I immediately felt myself relax when engaging in tender self-talk during an anxious episode.

Tenderness is powerful medicine - energy medicine, what I refer to as The Other Medicine That Really Works.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

How to Deal With Your Inner Bully

"The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts."
~ Bryant H. McGill, Voice of Reason: Speaking to the Great and Good Spirit of Revolution of Mind

You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. ~ Louise L Hay, You Can Heal Your Life

Recently I saw a video on Facebook about how to deal with a racist bully verbally attacking someone in public. In the video, this was a man verbally attacking a Muslim woman. This is my interpretation of the video recommendations:

Do not make eye contact or engage with the bully in any way.
Go straight to the person being bullied and introduce yourself with a smile.
Do not treat them like a victim or act like a rescuer. Doing so just reinforces the bully in the victimizer role. Instead treat the person being attacked with kindness and caring by engaging in a pleasant conversation. For example, ask them about a movie they've seen recently or a book they've read. Focus on them exclusively and act like the bully isn't even there. This withdraws energy from the conflict and expands the energy of kindness.
If the bully does not leave, ask the person if they would like to leave, such as going to get a cup of coffee.

After watching this video, it occurred to me that this was excellent advice for any kind of verbal bullying - both internal and external!

Do you have an inner bully?

Do you have an inner voice that throws your fears in your face, questions your decisions and calls you names - like stupid, silly, ridiculous or crazy? That's your lower self, also known as your ego. It's the part of you that is controlling and fearful. It says it's protecting you, but it's really keeping you small. How can you tell if an inner voice is your lower self? Simply this: It's the voice that makes you feel bad about yourself.

To deal with this inner bully, you can use the same guidelines as the video:

Do not engage with your inner bully. Do not confront or argue with this inner voice. Don't focus on it or give any energy to it.
Go straight to the part of you that is wounded in the energy of loving kindness. Start a loving conversation with yourself, reminding yourself of all your positive attributes. Recall specific memories that empower you. As in...remember the time that you ____ and how good you felt about yourself...
Do not feel sorry for yourself or treat yourself as a victim. And don't view your lower self as a victimizer. Doing so just reinforces these disempowering roles. Instead, redirect the energy by treating yourself like your own best friend.
If the inner voice persists, immerse yourself in a pleasant activity. Focus on any sights, smells, sounds and the physical sensations of this activity. What you focus on grows. What you withdraw your focus from dissipates.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Why Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

"...you not only have a right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn By Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

It's been a rough week. I've felt rocked by a series of astrological squares, oppositional angles between planets that produce disharmony. Squares can bring to awareness the conflict of trying to reconcile opposing forces. Add to this a full moon lunar eclipse that brought fullness to fears and emotions.... and oh my -- what a combination!

In the presence of a supportive group of women today, I finally got to the bottom of what has dried up my creativity and flattened my energy. It was the conflict created by following rules that don't fit me. When someone with more experience in a particular area offers me a helpful "rule," my own rule is to follow it. This is especially true for me when it comes to business rules that dictate and govern business actions. Clearly following these rules was not working for me!

When rules don't feel right and don't produce results, its easy to go to the place of "what is wrong with me?" When rules don't work for us, it doesn't mean there is something wrong with us or something wrong with the rule. It means the rule is simply not compatible with our unique way of being in the world - our unique energy patterns. This incompatibility creates disharmony instead of harmony in our energy, and that blocks creativity and the flow of ideas -- which is bad for business! What works for one person simply may not work for another.

So here are my "rules." Feel free to break them:

Rules are only guidelines or suggestions.
Rules should never be substituted for your own intuition. Even if someone has more expertise than you do in a particular area, you are the expert of YOU!
If following a rule makes you feel tense, low energy or anxious, throw it out.
If following a rule makes you feel relaxed, expansive or joyful, keep it.
The best rules are unique and made up by the individual, for the highest good of the individual.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

How to Heal Adrenal Fatigue With Energy Healing

    "Beliefs are vibrational forces that create the physical basis for our individual lives and our health." ~ Christiane Northrup, MD, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

    Do you feel tired all the time, even after a night of sleep? Do you feel overwhelmed, unfocused and have difficulty just getting through the day? Have you had food cravings with weight gain, especially in the abdominal area? You might have what's known in holistic circles as adrenal fatigue.

     Adrenal fatigue is the inability of the adrenal glands to respond appropriately following a sustained period of maintaining high cortisol levels, usually the result of severe, ongoing stress. Although there are nutrition and supplement recommendations that can ease symptoms, as an expert in energy medicine I can tell you that ultimately this syndrome has energetic origins. In my work, getting to the root of adrenal fatigue involves correcting the underlying energetic imbalance.

The Evolution of Adrenal Fatigue

     The basis of all of life is energy, including your thoughts, beliefs and emotions. As such, the state of your energy determines the state of your health. All biochemical processes in the body are initiated by energy - including adrenaline release. The energy-belief that a situation is a threat to your safety releases adrenaline, whether you are actually in danger or not.

The job of our adrenal glands is to produce adrenaline in response to danger. This is a mammalian response that works well in the animal kingdom to maintain safety and preserve life. But unlike humans, animals live in the moment. Once the danger has passed, an animal will return to its pre-danger state of being. Humans generally do not return to their pre-danger state of being once danger has passed. This is because humans are the only species on the planet with a thinking mind. We remember situations where we didn't feel safe and keep replaying them in our mind and projecting them onto the future. This creates a perpetual state of not feeling safe.

Adrenal fatigue happens when we use adrenaline for daily living because we are living in a state of fear. Healing this involves shifting from living in a state of fear to living in a state of love. How do you do that? Simply this: love the part of you that is afraid.

The Healing of Adrenal Fatigue

Your heart is 5,000 times more powerful than your brain. A brain-centered state means fear-centered and running on adrenaline. But as we have seen, adrenaline is a limited source of energy that will eventually burn out. A heart-centered state means love-centered and running on universal energy. The universal energy field is an unlimited source of energy that you can tap into at any time through heart-centered emotions: unconditional love, acceptance and compassion.

Choose to feel compassion for the part of you that is afraid and accept it unconditionally. Every part of you is worthy of love and acceptance, no matter what. Here is an affirmation to help you make the shift:

Even though I have been in a state of fear, I am willing to love, accept and forgive myself completely and deeply.

Connecting to your heart is the path to health and happiness. Accept your fearful parts and receive the light of healing.

Friday, July 29, 2016

How to Use Feng Shui for Healing

"Where attention goes energy flows; Where intention goes energy flows!" ~ James Redfield, The Celestine Vision

    If you are a highly sensitive, empathic person, likely you worry about others. It can be a helpless feeling when someone you care about is going through difficulties and you can't "fix" it. We actually aren't supposed to. Each of us has our own path in life and learning experiences that move us along that path and toward our purpose. When others to try fix us, they just interfere with our growth.

     Worrying is frankly bad for your health. You can read my story about letting go of worry HERE. But you don't have to watch helplessly as someone you care about suffers. I want to share with you a Feng Shui tip that has helped me.

What is Feng Shui?

     Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese study of the movement of energy in one's environment. Our homes can be just as much a mirror of our inner energy as the people in our lives. Although I am not an expert in Feng Shui, I am an expert in energy medicine and how the state of one's energy dictates the state of one's health. And from my limited study of Feng Shui, I know that making changes in the home environment can produce positive changes in health, happiness and relationships.

     The practice of Feng Shui is governed by the bagua, an energy map of any given space. The bagua has nine "houses" that each govern a different area of your life. Making changes and enhancements in a given area can create positive movement in the corresponding area of your life. In this post, I am focusing on the center house of the bagua.

     If you look at the image of the bagua below, you will see the yin-yang symbol at the center. This is the area of harmony, health, well-being and life force. If you want to reduce your worry about loved ones, this is an area to put your attention. There are other areas of the bagua related to family and friends, but in this post I'm focusing on this one area.

Activating the Health Area

     The area of health and well-being is easy to find in your home, because it is at the center of your home! In my home, that's the foyer. First of all, make sure that area is clear of clutter and clean. To lessen worry about my loved ones, I have placed a small table in my foyer with objects and intentions. When we do something with purpose and intention, energy will flow with that intention. For example, if you place an object with an intention of love, the energy of love will flow.

     On this small table in my foyer I have arranged photographs of my loved ones. To lessen worry, I keep a light on this table 24/7, because my intention is for light to guide the lives of my loved ones at all times. This light comes from a small, candlestick-type lamp that takes a 15 watt bulb. In addition to light, the color yellow and the square shape activate this area. So I wrote affirmations for my loved ones on a square piece of yellow paper that I put on the table. Although it is not necessary to do this, it does enhance energy flow. I have also placed objects that have spiritual meaning to me and represent unconditional love.

     Here's a sample affirmation: Moment to moment, my loved ones are watched over and guided for their highest good. All is well.

     Each time I pass by this table, I feel a sense of reassurance that my loved ones are watched over. Doing this is not only good for them, but its good for my health because it lessens worry. I hope this tip will help lessen your worry as well.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

3 Tips to Understanding Your Dreams

"To understand the real meaning of dreams we must delve beneath the surface to the purpose of it all. " ~ Betty Bethards, author of The Dream Book

Do you find dreams strange, confusing or frightening? Do you have trouble remembering your dreams...or understanding them when you do remember them? Dreams may seem jumbled up nonsense, but they are a virtual treasure trove of unconscious information and suppressed emotions. By working with your dreams you gain access to deep healing.

Here are 3 tips to help you understand your dreams:

Remembering Dreams. To understand your dreams, you need to be able to remember them! Before you fall asleep each night, make an intention to remember your dreams that night. Put a journal and pen near your bed and take a moment to write down your dreams as soon as you wake up, before you even get out of bed. I never remembered my dreams until I started doing this, and now I remember them almost every night.
Releasing Fears. Looking at what you have suppressed in your dreams can be a frightening proposition. In the West, suppression is practically a way of life! And that suppression is at the root of most health issues. The rewards of giving yourself permission to look at what you've suppressed are greater health. If you are afraid of looking at the suppressed material that is revealed in your dreams, ask spirit to support and guide you. Approach your dreams as a detached researcher, observing dream material for deeper meaning without the overlay of your emotions.
Understanding Dream Symbols. Dreams are in metaphor. Everything that appears in your dreams is a symbol. Here are some suggestions to guide you in interpreting your dream symbols:

People. Each night you in effect become a playwright. In your dreams you create a "play" with a cast of characters who act out whatever issue you are currently dealing with, working toward resolution. You can greatly enhance that resolution by taking a look at who is playing the different parts and what they represent in you. You will usually use someone from your recent memory to play the characters. But if there isn't someone that fits the part, you will go into your long term memory to cast that character. This is why we sometimes dream about someone we haven't seen in years. The question to ask is - what part of you does each dream character represent? Think about the qualities and characteristics of that person. What do they remind you of in yourself? What does this part of you need to express to heal? A child or baby that appears in your dream represents young part of you, your inner child.
Numbers. You can look up the meaning of numbers that appear in your dreams on the Internet, or learn more in Messages in the Numbers by Alana Fairchild. You can also use numerology to understand dream numbers by adding together all the digits of a number that appears in the dream, until you reduce the number to a single digit. Dream Sight by Dr. Michael Lennox is a dream symbol dictionary to look up numbers and other symbols to help you understand your dreams. Before you fall asleep, you can ask for messages in your dreams in the form of numbers. I had a dream that I was driving in traffic and the license plates on every car around me changed to the same number! You can be sure I looked up the meaning of that number as soon as I woke up.
Animals. In Native American spirituality and in other cultures around the world, each animal species is believed to have a collective spirit. When animals appear in your dreams, they deliver spiritual messages. You can look up the symbolic meaning of specific animals in Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer, PhD. Read about the meaning of crow, snake and spider HERE. And the meaning of butterfly HERE.

By taking steps to understand your dreams, you are becoming an explorer. You are bringing light to the murky depths of your subconscious, making self discoveries that awaken your greater health.

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