Safety in Community

Recently, I spent some time with the amazing community of coaches, participants, assistants, and staff of the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching. And, of course, Debbie Ford, who always makes me smile and think with my heart. For four days, we immersed ourselves in the processes of revealing our individual “blueprints” of behaviors and actions, to uncover the gifts our habits, beliefs, patterns, and stories had to offer. To know my own story, and to know that I am not solely my story assists me to "step out" of my story, my limited perception in who I am and what I'm capable of, and I can understand the bigger picture of my part in the community of humankind. Allowing me to reveal my story, as well as opening up to others and hearing their stories by really listening with my heart, without judgment can unlock the shackles of limitation imprisoning us, keeping us stuck and small. When someone like a well-trained coach holds the global reflection to me of the “bigger picture” of my true potential, I am gifted with endless possibilities.

My blogs to come will reflect on thoughts and ideas planted and fertilized from the Blueprint Intensive. Four days of dwelling in many thought-provoking processes, allowing myself to feel connected to so many people (some on this journey with me since my first Shadow Process with the Ford Institute from September 2007) and having this family allow me to be a witness to extraordinary shifts in personal perception is both humbling and exhilarating. I love myself more, and I love all the people on this path. Internal reflection is, to me, a sacred journey, and I do my best to open that vast portal of sacredness in all I do. When even cleaning the cat litter box becomes a sacred act, there's not much to avoid, procrastinate on, or numb out to. (Maybe cleaning cat litter isn't my most favorite sacred act, but my sweet 17-year old cat Sturgis offers me such incredible unconditional love and fun, and he thinks it's a vital act, and so it is.) When we connect all the actions of our lives with deep holiness and reverence, every single act, sort of like connecting the dots on a piece of paper to reveal the visual picture that helps shape our understanding of this life, the shifts in perception become more noticeable and frequent. 

There are many people on this planet, walking this path of self-discovery, recovery, honoring their divine nature, and remembering. In this special community of the Institute for Integrative Coaching, safety and confidentiality is a paramount element, and hopefully my writings exhibit respect for those elements with humor and love. Debbie and her staff build a safe container of love, non-judgment, respect, and wisdom, and I have learned from my own "story", and other people on this path that feeling safe truly is the gift I can give myself, as well as hold the space for others and their safety.

Louise L. Hay's affirmation “I am safe, and all is well in my world” comes to mind. Allow that affirmation to become you in this moment.

My new web site

I have updated my web site. It's been a long time coming.

http://www.lorishin.com

There's still a lot of refining to do, but it's been more work and more fun than I thought it would be.

You Can Heal Your Life (The Movie)

In my last blog post, I mentioned the “free gift” when you join the Hayhouse Wisdom Community. When you join, your free gift is the movie about Louise L. Hay, founder of Hayhouse International. Check out the trailer from You Can Heal Your Life (The Movie).



There are two versions of the movie; one is the expanded version, (not the “free gift” version), with interviews from some of the inspirational and spiritual people seen in the movie. To order the movie without becoming a part of the Wisdom Community, click here.

Smack to the Present (as opposed the Back to the Future)

This morning I was making my bed, like I do most mornings. I guess I was in a rush to get on with my day, because I smacked one of my fingers against the brass and iron bed footboard. Something about intense, acute, physical pain snapped my attention, my body, my focus to the here and now. My hand hurt in the present.

Think about your life. What actions bring you to embodying the head, the heart, your full body, and presence? Are they pleasurable or painful experiences? Now, here's a deeper question... Is your head, heart, or physical body feeling the pain of the past, or the longing for the future?

As I stood there with my throbbing finger, I pondered that very thought.

Just for a short time, tune in to your body. Right here, right now. The fastest way to get present is to consciously notice your breath, and bring your awareness on how you breathe in and breathe out. Are you slowing down, with your thoughts and feelings? Can you feel your weight in the chair, or your back as it leans against the backrest? Are you feeling calm? Are you thinking “what’s the point”? Every experience could be your attachment to the past, or to the present moment and a pattern you've chose to accept in your life.

Listen to this excerpt from life coach Cheryl Richardson’s weekly call-in internet radio show, Coach on Call, taken from Hayhouse Radio.com. You can sign up to receive podcasts of each week’s show for free for seven days, or better yet, became a part of the Hayhouse Wisdom Community, and you'll have access to over 3,000 hours worth of archived shows, and I know something will pique your interest. And when you are a part of the Wisdom Community, those podcasts are commercial-free. Click on the Hayhouse link to get started. Hayhouse will even give you a free gift while supplies last. (You can check out your free gift with the blog post directly following this one.) You’ll also receive discounts on events and publications from the Hayhouse family of products.



My hand no longer throbs in pain, yet the memory of pain or painful experiences can bring me right back to that place of unwanted sensation in my mind and body. I have daily practices to bring me back home to my body, mind, and spirit. I still wonder; how often through years of habitual ways of being or thinking have we humans felt pain from our past? I know I don’t like smacking myself, yet I know I have had that thought pattern of beating myself up in the past. This morning, smacking my hand brought me to radical consciousness, but what patterns of internal “smacking” do I engage in on a daily basis?

Living my life from situations I grew up with, experienced as the years progressed, and with those opportunities from long ago and recent, I have schooled myself in unconditional love and acceptance. Those lessons weren't taught by my mother or my father. In fact, their offerings were of their own experiences; judgments and conditions they chose to adopt. I chose to believe more empowering ways of being, and living my life. It’s a recent practice for me to give that much love and respect to myself. I know you are loved and accepted by someone or something in your life, too. When you provide that gift of unconditional love to yourself, and you stop smacking yourself with your thoughts or actions of self-sabotage, you have the amazing ability to manage whatever life hands you, with grace and gratitude.

Water Crystal energized by the words
and thoughts Thank You (in Japanese)

We always have choice and we can repattern our lives to feel better than we ever could have imagined. Sometimes we need some assistance in feeling better about ourselves, and a certified coach can lend that helping hand to bring you back to the present. Then, the future becomes unlimited with potential.

Being Receptive to Nature’s Teachings

One of my daily practices to stay in balance is walking in nature. I’m blessed to live directly across from a lake, where I have a beautiful gift of glorious mountain vistas, plentiful vegetation and wildlife, and a path to walk within the magic of the natural world.

Do you walk in nature? What can the natural world convey to you?

Shamans receive messages from the natural world, and although the interpretations can vary, some essential and powerful elements provide the groundwork to integrate in daily life. The key is to pay attention. We humans are of the natural world, but with our busy lives, sometimes we forget. The spirits of the land and the animals remind us to slow down, take notice, and connect with the earth, air, water, and fire; the elements that make up what we see in the physical world. Our bodies are containers for those very elements, and when we recognize this connection, magical happenings take place.

Some of my sightings of animals and their totems (power gifts) and their messages to us humans are interpreted from the book Animal Speak by Ted Andrews published Llewellyn. Some are my interpretations after meditating on what the particular animal's message is for my life. You can check out those interpretations at the end of this posting. The messages I receive from nature come from the elements, directions, colors, natural behaviors, and internal knowledge that I'm experienced through six-sensory living.

I choose the early morning to walk in nature. The cool air of the morning reminds me that breath is essential for all life. I consciously fill my lungs with the fresh air of the morning. With the inhalation, I receive; with the exhalation, I give. The outer and the inner world meet in the pause between breaths. I greet the magic of the new day with this simple practice of conscious breath.

The water is alive. Water is the receptive element, and takes on its container. I usually see fish breaking the lake’s surface. Sometimes the lake is very still, like glass. Sometimes it’s choppy and full of movement on the surface. Water fowl of every kind make this lake their own watering hole. Today, I watched as a blue heron flew over my head, moving east towards a suitable landing. There is also a pair of white pelicans who are fond of resting near the western side of the lake. Sometimes in the mornings, I will see two sets of pelicans close to each other, near the shore, where the fish congregate.

The breaking dawn through the horizon (the fire element) moves me to walk a little faster (fire is a great inspiration element, and I choose to finish my walk before the heat of the day).

Walking a sacred path on the earth allows grounding and stability. The great mother Earth will always support me in this physical life, and I daily give thanks and gratitude, for each living being I come into contact with.

I always see young brown rabbits, with their soft, puffy cottontails, munching on grasses and predictability skittish when a dog and owner travel by.








Once in a while I will happen on a coyote. With plenty of rabbits as prey, the coyotes have no issues with going hungry.

All songbirds have the totem of communication and expression through sound. The morning air is filled with their beautiful songs.

Birds make their migration pit-stop at the lake, and I observe and enjoy. The most spectacular bird I’ve seen, color-wise, is the beautiful Western Tanager.

To me, the tanager offers me a message to say “yes” to passion and color in my life. I can reflect what tanager offers me by relishing in being seen, and even a little showy and flirtatious in the world.

Red-winged blackbirds and yellow blackbirds (black to me is the “shadow” color) remind me to look within my own energetic world to see how I can illuminate what beliefs, patterns, and habits I have disowned or disregarded. The male red-winged blackbird, has white bars, red, and yellow, reminding me that I can lighten up with each new day, and renew my passion any time I choose (white, yellow, and red).

• Black: the color of the shadow, and the hidden gifts to be illuminated, the ancestors
  
• White: the color of purity and integration; color of spirit
  
• Red: the color of passion; associated with the direction of south, element of fire; the healer
• Green: the color of fertile earth, the warrior archetype, the direction of north
  
• Yellow: the color of new beginnings, inspiration through inner knowing and intellect; associated with the direction of east, element of air; the visionary
  
• West: associations with the teacher; color association blue, element of water, the color of the sky, emotion;
• Pelican: Renewed buoyancy and unselfishness, coming up and staying on the “top” of the water (emotions) easily and effortlessly. Pelicans don’t lift off too easily from their watery habitat. Sometimes our emotions (when unexpressed) weigh us down. Pelicans work cooperatively with their kind to fish in tandem for the greater good of the community. Seeing two or more pairs of pelicans are common, and their ability to work without competition is a gentle reminder that our survival is dependant on common goals and working with teamwork.
• Heron: Self-determination, self-reliance. The long legs provide the stability in the deep waters where the heron feeds. The water element symbolizes emotion, and being able to stand on one’s own, in the middle of an emotional or fearful situation is a positive trait.
• Flying east: moving toward intellect and internal knowing.
• Brown: earth color, from the Mother Earth, maternal
• Rabbit: fertility, new life, fear, seeking protection, burrowing, quick to change direction, camouflage, adaptability.
• Coyote: Wisdom and Folly. Native American traditions refer to the coyote as the trickster, a fun-loving, playful predator. Coyote is intelligent and adaptable, and can be found easily in the city as in the wild, wide open spaces. Coyotes are social and cooperative when they hunt. Their family units are close knit, and often mate for life. The coyote totem is one of many contrasts. It reminds me to be focused, but not to take life too seriously.

Try It On Everything!

Deep down, you know that there's more to life than what you're living. You crave a sense of freedom, of peace, of joy that you know is your innate birthright. But how do you find your way there? In this topsy-turvy world, with all of its demands, responsibilities and pressure.... it sometimes feels like the pain, hurt and drama will never end.

There is a way to reclaim the joy you know you're meant to be living. There is a way to feel free of old hurts. There is a way to let go of things you never dreamed you could....

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a startling new discovery based on Ancient Chinese Medicine. Some call it "Emotional Acupressure." Other people have named it "Energy Psychology" Whatever you call it, one fact stands out: IT WORKS!

Order the DVD here!

The Practice of Everyday Forgiveness

“Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”

Mark Twain

So many spiritual teachings across the planet speak about the concept of forgiveness. For me, I have immersed myself in the waters of forgiveness, and know I have come home to myself.

I look back on my life and realize how much energy I directed on blame, resentment, and anger. As I look at those feelings and emotions, I see the results of what I brought into my life. Those outcomes were not pretty. My childhood wasn't ideal. I felt someone was "doing something" to me and I had no choices. It made me angry to believe I didn't have choices, and was powerless. That belief in itself created a victim mentality, and a pattern that was a challenge to me. I attracted people to me with the same angry energy. I realize now how I created just the thing I believed. I know now that beliefs are a choice, and I choose more empowering beliefs.

Each day I practice forgiveness. It’s a fairly recent practice of a few years now, but the practice is now habit and deepens my connection to peace. I have healed so much through the lovingkindness of forgiveness.

As I practiced forgiveness of myself and others, I saw relationships that were once important to me disappear. Do I love those people any less? Not at all. I realize that each and every day, I choose to not put anyone outside my heart. Do I wish I chose to do things different with some of those people? Of course, I do. When I could, I expressed to them (verbally or in a letter) the feelings and forgiveness that I hoped for from those cherished ones. But in the end, for me, I had to let go of any outcomes, especially when the letters went unanswered or even came back unopened. I couldn’t control or manipulate a situation. That was an old pattern. I couldn't make anyone wrong. It was with deep faith that I learned to let go, and let the Universe manage the outcome. Some relationships deepened more fully when I allowed people to be perfect just as they are. I hope those relationships will continue to blossom in my life.

I also couldn’t beat up or berate myself for what I had done. Sometimes I didn't even know what I had done. And I learned it didn't matter what I had done. I did my best to make things right and live in integrity. I sensed I needed to heal, and move forward. Forgiveness was the only practice that made sense. The vibration of forgiveness is one of power, even though it is often a practice of surrender.

It’s oh so important to feel the feelings and emotions that one feels. Being able to express those feelings and emotions in a safe environment can keep the body and mind from taking on those “beliefs”. I’ve said many times emotion is “energy in motion”, and like a river that flows effortlessly, until some obstruction dams the circulation, our emotions need expression. When emotions become stagnant in the body, we experience pain, sometimes physically, and many times spiritually and mentally. For me, I move the energy with dance and exercise. I also meditate and pray, and take on something creative, like writing, journaling, or painting.

Anger can be an amazing catalyst for change. Have you ever had a job you actually hated but resigned yourself to go to day after day after day. One day, though, there was one galvanizing moment when that emotion of anger motivated you to finally take action to move toward something else. The anger or hate wasn’t really about the job, it was about how you "allowed yourself" to experience something that didn’t “fit” for you, and your desire for something else spurred you onward to another choice. When anger gets stuck, though, that particular emotion can have devastating effects. Turned inward, anger turns into depression. If you ran into your office to quit your despised job and "burn bridges" behind you, that’s when anger is out of control, and self-sabotage occurs. No one wins in that situation.

I think anger can become an amazing teacher with a lesson. When we experience anger, there is a feeling of powerlessness. We get angry when we think a situation “should” have been different. I can make the situation different when I choose to take action and see a situation as a new opportunity. I can choose empowerment.


Anyone who has ever observed a baby has seen the full range of emotions, quite possibly in the span of five minutes. Babies can reflect the nuances of joy, bliss, anger, and frustration in the matter of a few minutes. Adults can take some lessons from infants on letting go of emotions quickly. This world is full of opportunities to practice releasing emotions in a positive way. Holding onto emotions can’t literally happen in our hands; as water drips and drizzles through our grasping fist, emotions can move through and out the body as easily, in a healthy way, with practice. For me it takes mindfulness and being at ease with whatever comes up in my life. I don’t always succeed. I do always get lots of practice. I get better and better at it with practice.

As I deepen my practice of forgiveness, I set aside or dissipate blame, resentment, anger, complaining, and judgment. I realize that insisting on being right doesn’t allow for expansiveness. My need for knowing and controlling situations is surrendered to more openness, where anything could happen, and I look forward to a better situation. Often, miracles show up. Then I get to practice gratitude. That's also a daily practice of mindfully seeing everything (absolutely everything) with gratitude.

I’ve learned forgiveness isn’t about anybody else. It’s about deepening my way “home” to myself. I've learned forgiveness is about forgiving myself and letting go. Then there's more room for the fun things in life.