You can learn a lot from children. I know I do. I was babysitting my nephew and it was time to change his diaper. Well truthfully I wasn't sure, but apparently he was, because when I walked up to his diaper bag only contemplating exploring its contents, I turned around to find him on the floor, in a docile position, ready to get his diaper changed. I was shocked. This was the kid that was just running around and dancing in a circle non-stop for the past 20 minutes. He is a very active child unless he is tired, so to see him stop in the middle of his party, perfectly calm and on the ground, baffled and amazed me. I changed his diaper, he gave me a hug, and the party continued.

In order to heal, you have to be open to it. You have to be willing to receive the healing. In my nephews situation, he knew that he needed my help and he allowed himself to receive it. People will pray, beg, and plead for a miracle but then won't be open to receive it. They are too strong or independent. Internally what is really happening is that your "independent" conscious mind or ego is blocking your own internal magic from materializing in the form of healing and/or balance. Instead you are strongly and independently walking around with a soiled diaper and everyone can smell it. Eeew!

So try this out...
Before you go to bed at night. Imagine you are a thriving toddler who needs to be changed. Lay down and imagine you are being changed by a much wiser version of yourself. Do this for 7 nights and tell me if you didn't notice a change! <------ Ha ha ha! Get it?! I crack myself up....But really try it and tell me what happens.
Oh and happy full moon!

 Are you having issues with your mother? Do you resent her for not being supportive? Maybe she was too supportive? Do you feel she wasn't a good role model for you? Was she addicted to drugs or alcohol? Was she abusive? Was she weak? Do you have mother issues?
Have you confronted her and shared your feelings and still there no change? If you are reading this, then I am sure that you have seen how these issues have affected your relationships with women and you are ready to make a change. Mother issues have been coming up a lot recently in my Reiki sessions and since I know this issue resides in many, here is a tried and true way that you can begin to heal....
Get a plant...
Yup that is it. Get an indoor plant and learn how to take care of it. Get familiar with the soil. Put it on your feet, get your hands dirty. Make sure this plant isn't illegal or fruit-bearing. One because healing mother issues shouldn't put you in prison and you don't want something you are hoping to harvest. Ideally, you want a simple plant that does nothing except offer oxygen. You can take care of an outdoor plant but there is something special about taking care of a plant inside of your home. Take care of it, nurture it, give it water, give it food, talk to it, sing to it, caress it, love it, and see what happens.
Can anyone guess why this is so effective? I will give you a hint...Mother earth.

When I was about 7 or 8 (probably younger) my family had already began serious conversations with me regarding which college I would attend. Both of my parents were college educated and held Master degrees and my mother and Aunt were both teachers. I grew up with the idea that school wasn't over until I received a Master degree. I remember all of the excitement of high school graduation that I didn't share with my peers. In my mind, I was thinking, "Don't they know this isn't over? This is like graduating from kindergarten. Not. A. Big. Deal. Why are they crying?" Prior to high school graduation, I thought everyone was raised the same way. Don't get me wrong, I was happy at graduation because I never liked school, much less high school, and I couldn't wait to leave. However, when I saw their glee in contrast to my internal reality, I realized something was different.

This continued when I got to college. I went to a very prestigious HBCU, a school that I planned on attending at the age of 9. When I arrived on its glorious campus, although I knew I was where I was supposed to be, I couldn't help but notice something wasn't quite right. Essentially, there were young women wearing "business casual" attire like it was the most comfortable clothing ever invented. They spoke of lawyer, doctor, and corporate dreams that I truly didn't understand. I was there as an Art major. The majority of my classes were probably very different from most, because it was all about me exploring my creativity. I didn't get tested on how well I knew the history of lines or color. I was graded on how much I pushed my creativity and developed my skill. I even found a women's studies class like that. As the years went by, I realized that my peers were in college to have a career and make money. Call me slow, but it never really clicked within me that THAT was what a college education was for.  This carried on to grad school which I entered because I wanted to develop my art work and after undergrad, I truly didn't know what else to do. I liked the stories all of my professors had of their grad school experience so I knew that getting my Masters in Fine Art was how I would get my final degree. The world didn't make sense but I loved learning and creating... and I was a filial daughter.

In the so-called real world, I never liked working for someone else, I didn't like wearing specific clothes, and I wasn't interested in moving up the ladder. To me, the only boss I have ever had was myself and I have always found a way to make that clear at any place I have worked at. You can imagine I didn't work at many places for too long.  I never really looked up to anyone and there wasn't anyone that I wanted to be like. My mother raised me to like myself. Even as much as I admire, love, and respect my mother, I never wanted to be like her. I wanted to be like me. This notion proved problematic for me in a society where people tend like being in groups, cliques, organizations, sisterhoods, systems. So over the years, I had to really begin to know myself in order to understand what was really best for me.

What I found is that I didn't know my worth. I wanted to do things that I felt the people around me didn't see value in. I didn't know how to value what I had to give to the world. You see whether people acknowledge it or not we have allowed external things and people to determine our worth, our level of education, certificates, salaries, grades, evaluations, your "boss", your teachers, your parents, your environment, etc. We rarely truly take the time to know ourselves to truly know our worth. I often use the metaphor of slavery to drive my point. When a male slave stood on an auction block his worth was determined by his body structure, age, how shiny his muscles glistened, obedience level, and skill set. Isn't that about the same formula now? I am not saying go quit your job, but I am saying maybe you should think about it a little. I have never seen slavery as a race based institution because in almost every work environment I have been in, I have seen happy slaves in every shade. In fact, I think the only reason it was talked about so much in school was to trick everyone into thinking that it was over. Is slavery a horrible institution? I don't know. Answer that for yourself. I don't waste my time judging it. I do know it doesn't work for me.

Let's get back to knowing your worth. I am doing everything I am doing now because I love to do it. I always wanted to be a healer. I love writing and telling stories. I love creating. I love connecting with people (especially children) all over the world. I love to help people see greater possibilities for themselves. I love to laugh. I love to travel. After being unemployed for a long period, I started to look at my life and examine my talents, my interests, my dreams, and then I entered a system one more time. When I rebelled against "the system" for the final time(and it was quite a show), I realized that it was time for me to truly be me. I had to do my own thing. I did use that time in the system wisely to lay out my plan. I immersed myself deeply in my quest to truly know myself and love myself. It was and continues to be an all out love fest. From there I started creating, telling stories, connecting with people, loving people... Essentially, I was being myself.

Doing all of that was the easy part (sort of- as I said before, "It takes ovaries to be the boss!"). The hard part was understanding what it was all worth. What was I worth? The question that helped me answer that question was "Who am I?" I knew my purpose even when I thought I didn't. Our purpose is to share who we are with the world, but who are you? What are you? When I was able to answer this question, I realized that the only person who had the responsibility of determining my worth was me. All of those years, that was the part of the world that I didn't understand. I didn't understand how anyone else could determine what I was worth through salaries, education, social status, job positions, etc.  And since I know who I am, I know my worth. I know that when I honestly share who I am, I will be compensated and that compensation will reflect my worth. Well what is my worth? Don't worry about it, just KNOW yours. It is solely your responsibility. When you look outside of yourself to know these things, you have given away your power. At that point, you might as well strip down, break out the vaseline, and find the nearest auction block.

My beloved drawing and sculpture Professor, Mr. Martin had a wonderful way of grading. At the end of the semester, you would have an individual meeting with him, show all of your work, and then give him YOUR grade. I can tell you now that my worth goes beyond any rubric, grading scale, money scale, or any limitation, that I have ever known. Who are you? What is your worth?

Say you were in a relationship and you feel betrayed by your mate because they cheated on you with 11 people and they videotaped all of it on your bed. How do you forgive that? You first use emotional intelligence and allow yourself to grieve the relationship and set up clear boundaries for yourself. Next, after you have properly address your emotions, it is time to forgive. As we know, it is never about them. When you are forgiving you are giving YOURSELF a greater vision of what's possible. I feel forgiveness is hard for people because they are afraid to enjoy or want more because it means they have to grow. Many have a fear of growth or change. I know I did. I felt like I would no longer be in control if I forgave. That somehow they won. That is really the ego making everything a competition, not wanting to give up control, wanting everything to stay the same; it isn't you. Forgiving is a great ego killer. 

So how do you forgive your porn-star dreaming mate (more likely ex-mate)? In this case, you would create a vision of a healthy relationship filled with commitment, honesty, and trust and you would give energy to that. You get your imagination in full gear and start envisioning or writing exactly how a healthy relationship looks to you. What can come up for people is realizing that they never felt worthy of that vision. They start to realize exactly how they got in that particular situation in the first place. They start to see all of the ways they have been dishonest with themselves, all 11 ways. That is the hard part, because you realize that you also are forgiving yourself (another ego killer). Often times the person you have criminalized becomes insignificant as you have to take responsibility for yourself and your experiences. Then, eventually, the whole concept of truly having a healthy love-filled relationship with yourself isn't so far-fetched. If you go all the way, you may even feel gratitude for that "horrible" relationship that prompted you to fall in love with yourself and to create greater visions to give to.

That is the real power of forgiveness. You give forward so that you can be greater than what you were.  But once you get there, to that beautiful land, do you then "give back" to those who are where you were? My answer is no. You realize that you are always growing and learning. The gift of forgiveness taught you that you can create greater visions, greater moments of understanding, greater personal growth. Your growth isn't something that you put aside so that you can go "back". That doesn't make sense and is counter-productive. Instead you know that every person and experience offers you a chance to grow and expand. You realize the world is your teacher and you are the faithful student ever-learning, ever-growing. There is no peak are plateau to reach. Your brother or sister ain't heavy because you are walking beside him.

If you take on that mind-set, who is benefiting from who? Who is less fortunate than who? If you go in an  "impoverished" area and see that people who have less than you materially are happy, joyous, and grateful, shouldn't you be at their feet with pen and notebook in hand learning and reveling in their wealth like Papa Scrooge in his money pool.  Then you in turn can share with them how they can use their wealth to create their OWN desired environment. You see it's an exchange. You aren't "giving back" or helping the less fortunate at all, unless you consider yourself "less fortunate" as well and why waste your time with that concept. I have to admit, in the past I have been more of an observer and judge than a student and lover, but ever since I started to truly know my own wealth and worth, I naturally began to know it in others. Forgiveness taught me that. Love taught me that. Forgive so that you may give yourself something greater to be greater.

One of my recent pet peeves is the term "giving back". I have also never been enthralled by the concept of volunteering or giving charity to the "poor".  These concepts are based under the idea that you have more than someone else and now you are "helping" them by giving your services for free.  Nothing is really free. Energy is always being exchanged and you can choose to be ignorant to that or benefit greatly from that exchange. What people may not have monetarily, they have in talent, insight, joy, wisdom, and intellect. Furthermore. you don't have to be happy, talented, insightful, emotionally balanced, or spiritually aware to be monetarily wealthy. All it takes is you knowing you are abundant in something. That "something" can be anything. Even thinking you are abundant in poverty can bring lots of money to you. Ask a drug dealer. Ask a loan shark.

So what does this have to do with forgiveness and "giving back"? Looks like this will be lengthy but take this ride with me. I knew my next post would be about forgiveness because it kept on coming up in my Reiki sessions but I wasn't sure about my approach. Well this past week I was shown the way in countless ways but especially in two special car rides.  The first ride I spoke with a woman who could clearly see the value in the kind of work I do and she expressed her desire to do more than what she was doing. She felt she had achieved so much in her life and that now she wanted to "give back". Immediately, I cringed when I heard the term. If I had two words to describe what I'm doing, it would be "love reveling". The love in me meets the love in you and we revel in its magic (some call that "healing"). Back to her...She volunteers to help children who have been taken from their homes in cases of abuse or suspected abuse. I am very protective of children so I listened to her like any protective mother would, very carefully. I could sense that she really had good intentions for the work she was doing with the children but I also noticed that these kids were considered "low-income". During our conversation I pointed out that similar things are happening in "affluent" homes as well but these things just don't get reported. And because they are seen as "affluent" we assume they don't need anything we have. When we see people as "less fortunate", we think that what we have is what they need. We have been conditioned to see certain people and conditions as "less fortunate" and others as "affluent".  That is exactly how a missionary can go into a country with full confidence and work to dismantle a group of people's beliefs and way of life under the premise that they are doing something "good" and "needed".  I think the concept of connecting with children in those situations is beautiful but the idea that one is "giving back" brings the taste of vomit to my tongue. Some would say it is a matter of semantics but we also know that words have power. A few words can traumatize someone for years. I have been taught and can personally attest to its validity, that to forgive means to "give forward". When you forgive you are giving forward to a greater vision of what's possible. You are no longer dwelling in the past, holding onto dead weight. You have given yourself a greater picture to love and be in.  So if that is forgiveness, why would you need to "give back"? If you are in such a great place in your life, why decorate a dead weight?

I briefly mentioned a missionary earlier. Would you be surprised if I told you my second car ride was with a Jehovah Witness missionary? I was. She captivated me with stories of her travels and since I love to travel and live with the people as well, I listened very carefully. While in parts of East Africa, a place I've yet to go, she helped to build schools and offer "education" to the people there. She saw the challenges they were faced with and saw true hunger and sacrifice. Of course she also went to areas that were very developed and were like any other city but we talked about the "third world" a lot. When she spoke, I could feel how confident she felt about the work she did there and how good it felt for her to "give back". I could tell she felt good that she was able to see men learn trades and even some being hired for future work. It all sounded great. After she told me about all about what the people learned from the missionaries and volunteers I asked her what she learned from the people. She told me she observed that they were very happy, intelligent, didn't complain, and were jovial regardless of their environment. This was a fantastic observation but I noticed that she didn't answer my question. She was able to tell me how great the well was constructed and the beauty of the water it held but not its taste, its feel, its origin or how it worked. People are so obsessed about being happy, smarter, and younger and there she was at the well and just looked at it. What was she "giving back" to, when she was at the well of exactly what this western world is in feverish pursuit of? Why didn't she ask the keeper of the well for a sip? Where was her cup, bucket, or bathtub? The mindset of "giving back" can dramatically block ones ability to see the wealth of knowledge that stands before them.  The humongous continent of Africa is filled with wealth in its people and its land. But history tells us that people didn't invade Africa because they wanted to "give back" to the people. They came because it is a endless source of natural resources and wealth that they wanted control over. Somehow the wealth of its people became relegated to a spectacle and not worthy of the humility, respect, and love it takes to be a student.

I don't judge her in the slightest. In fact both women were full of love in their hearts and I felt it strongly and I definitely recognize their work as valuable. They both had qualities that I studied and learned from in our limited time together. I felt their worth in my experience. I shared the wisdom I have gained through doing my work, and I knew I wasn't "giving back" as I shared it. If anything I was giving to the greater vision I hold about what is possible in my interactions with them. I have shared before that I only deal with fellow presidents, queens, kings, emperors, and empresses when I connect with people. Because of this I can't "give back"; I live in an entirely new world because I gave a greater vision to myself. What if when we interacted with people that have been labeled as "less fortunate" or "poor", we chose to see their wealth? What if we sat at each others feet and became students of each other? How greater could we all be if we greeted each other with love in our hearts instead of pity? What if we didn't waste our time judging people, places or things as good or bad and instead sought for understanding? This is the vision I am giving to. This is how I have forgiven.

To conclude, I am not saying that to share your time and energy with someone in a "volunteer" capacity is "bad" but what I am suggesting is to recognize it as an energy exchange. I am suggesting that you forgo the notion of charity and realize you are giving yourself the chance to grow exponentially when you can see someone else's growth potential.  I am suggesting that if you are attracted to a certain group of people, recognize like attracts like and that you are with your equals. If you then choose the see the wealth in someone you are sharing with, what will be returned to you is even greater wealth, and possibly a new friend. I suggest that you understand that what works for you, may not work for someone else and conversely what works for them, may be heavenly for you. What if you encouraged and supported them to make their own magic in the way that feels good to them? What if they did the same for you? Finally I am suggesting that you seek to learn and love than judge and change. You are neither "giving back" or "paying it forward", you are sharing in a greater vision. That is what forgiveness is to me.
For more on forgiveness go to ----->Part 2

My uncle took me to the train station one evening and waited with me for the train's arrival. There were a group of women waiting as well that he seemed to be focused on. Suddenly he asked me to come closer. He had a strong look of concern on his face so I obliged. He spoke firmly, "When you get on the train, I don't want you in the same car as them." "Why?" I asked. "Because she is a crack dealer," he answered in a serious voice. I was shocked and even felt a little anxiety. I looked over at the women trying to figure out how he knew. My eyes traveled down to the woman squatting in her super low-rise jeans...CRAAACK!

Hee hee hee! Okay but really I am not talking about that kind of crack and really I am not talking about the kind that Whitney said was "Whack"...but lets use it as an metaphor for experiences we don't need to have. I think it is safe to say that most of us who have seen the effects that Crack cocaine has on people would never touch the stuff. It isn't something you need to negotiate or think over. It truly is common sense, crack is clearly whack. People on crack look horrible and their lives look completely undesirable and inside you say that there is no "high" worth that kind of outcome. So it is pretty easy to say no to crack on the streets but how about the rest of  the "crack" in your life?

The "crack" I am talking about are those glaring red flags and blaring warning signals that come up for you that you ignore, those alleys you have already been down, the people you have already tumbled with, or those disasters you have already  witnessed. All the signs are there but you put the blinders on because you must know for yourself. It is like a pregnant crackhead inviting you over to her "mansion" for dinner and you never seeing that she is pregnant and a CRACKHEAD! Your friends can see it and try to remind you of  the reality of pregnant crackheads but you never figure it out. You have tunnel vision and are refusing to see the full environment; you must have YOUR experience. You walk right into the crack house and ignore the filth and take what she serves you, CRACK. You experience euphoria like never before and are immediately hooked. You smoke searching to feel as good as you did the first time but that never happens. Eventually you reach rock bottom and barely recognize yourself. You reach out for help and you get it.  You put the pipe down and then go through the pain of detox. And even though you recover, the smell of crack still stays with you like a lust-filled temptation and it is with your will that you never pick up the pipe again. Don't get me wrong, some of the most wise and amazing people I have met have been formerly crack-addicted and so in some way I see the value of the experience. But is it really necessary to experience crack? Can't you use some wisdom and discernment to just say no?

When I was young my mother who worked in an inner-city school took me to parent teacher night. One of the students parents was addicted to crack. That night my mother had me study her and showed me how crack had affected her body, mind, and spirit. A year or two later, during summer school, the same student came to my mother to seek refuge. I happened to be there that day and I watched her eat a small can of sauerkraut because it was the only thing the drug dealers who raided her home earlier that day left in the cupboards. I learned quickly that it was not a favorable substance. Life shows us many lessons just like the one I had, about a myriad of experiences. Can't we agree that we don't have to experience everything or at least learn from the experience enough not to repeat it?

We often have patterns that we repeat, paths that we walk over and over again, until we learn the lesson. Along this journey, there are situations and people that represent the "crack", the powerful substance that is attempting to pull you back into the loop. I am proposing that instead of dating him, working there, or smoking the "crack", you use discernment and wisdom to just say no.  Know that even though it may have been awhile since you last touched the pipe, crack is still crack and it is whack.  Everyone's "crack" is different. What is crack for me might be your ambrosia.  Know yourself, it is up to you to step back and become the observer to be able to see the crack. In the great words of Johnny Cochran, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Don't waste your time building a case to judge because all that really means is that you are still smoking that crack. Detect the crack and then step the hell back.

So I ask you, can you detect the "crack" in your life?
Here is a small sample of my crack...
a guy who takes bathroom pictures of himself = crack
institutions and hierarchical systems = straight crack rock
modern hip hop = a big fat bag
certain body odors = garbage rock
a victim mentality = cookie
smokers = base
a particular use of language = roca (espanol)
certain writing styles = hard rock
conditional love = Devil's dandruff

Life is a dream and if you can recognize the signs and symbols put forth for you, you will be well on your way to a crack-free existence.

Whether you take a scientific, psychological, or spiritual approach to dreams, I think it is clear that in someway they are significant. I understand dreams to be a way that my subconscious communicates with my conscious mind but I also am aware that I astral travel and go to all sorts or parallel realities. I also know that my ancestors and those who have transitioned come to visit me sometimes just to say hello and other times they give me important messages or encouragement. For the most part, I do believe that everything and everyone in the dream is really me. I think this is the hardest way to understand dreams because then that means the lion hunting you is really you hunting you ;/. Then there are the dreams that you don't want to admit you have. The odd sexual dreams, that hunger game dream (you know what I'm talking about), the bathroom dream, or how about that reoccurring one?

I have always had some of the most craziest and vivid dreams. I see colors, critters, awesome cities, amazing architecture, and have even been to the land of Big Birds and Snuffaluffaguses (you can't tell me Jim Henson didn't go there too). There are even times that I have confused my dream experiences with my waking experiences. Over the years I finally started to write them down and currently I have a journal solely dedicated to dreams and messages I get in meditation. Oftentimes I will wake up in the middle of the night with a cough that won't subside until I write down the dream I just had. But the real question is...

How do I decode my dreams?
First I will replay the dream and pick out the main theme and elements. For example if I am in a Classroom and I am having a hard time with a overactive student. I know that the Classroom means that I am in a learning place. If I am the teacher, it means that I am learning to teach myself. I also know that the overactive student is an overactive part of me. I then look at how I feel in the dream. I am frustrated with the student for not participating with the rest of the class. So the means there is a lesson I am teaching myself but there is a part of me that I am frustrated with, a part of me that is messing up the party for myself. There is a part of me blocking my joy. Then I have to figure out what part of me the child represents. Well what does he remind me of? Oh he reminds me of my rambling mind. So Aha! My rambling mind is getting in the way of the joyous atmosphere I am teaching myself to be in. In this particular dream, which actually did happen, I asked the student what he needed to calm down. He said he likes to look at pictures. I gave him a whole set up of pictures with silly faces that would change and he calmed down. From this dream, I learned that a healthy dose of images I find intriguing will help my mind calm down when it is out of control.

That dream was pretty clear, but I will have to admit the clarity comes from lots of practice of decoding my dreams. It seems that the more work I do with my dreams, the clearer and more informative my dreams become. Let that be incentive for you to start figuring it out. But how about those dreams that are so disturbing that you don't want to even write them down and leave evidence that they even happened? Or they seem too bizarre to decipher? I definitely have a few of those dreams and for those I use a different method.

This is the super spiritual woo woo hocus pocus and boogie woogie method. First I go over it in my mind to keep it fresh and remember some key players or elements. Then I Reiki myself to relax enough to go into meditation. Before I go into meditation I choose which spirit guide, ancestor, or loved one I want to help me understand the dream. I then choose where I want to meet them. This location is a neutral place somewhere in the dream space, like a bench, or on the bus before I get to the location where the main action took place. After it has all been decided, I then go into a deep meditation, literally. I feel myself sinking deeper into myself. I keep going until I reach what feels like solid ground. When I feel this, I know I am where I am supposed to be. I have a number of friends and critters that usually greet me when I arrive and they help me get to where I want to go. Then I go there and I see the person I intended to meet and then I start asking questions and then they start answering. After I have gotten my answers, usually hugs and love are exchanged and then I rise out of the meditation. I quickly write down everything we discussed and that is it. This method is amazing every time. The dream space is just as vivid and I am able to navigate it from a more investigative perspective without fear or anxiety...and I always get the clarity I need.

So what are you waiting for? Go to sleep and wake prepared to learn something. I could go on and on but think about it like this...when we approach life from a victim perspective, dreams are something that happen to us and when we take responsibility for our lives, dreams are a useful tools to learn about who we are even more. I love the wisdom and insight I gain from dreaming and I hope you feel more empowered to love it as well.  I specialize in sleeping and dreaming (for real), so if you have any questions or need a few tips, don't hesitate to ask at kikicinza@gmail.com or comment below.

I write about love a lot. I can talk endlessly about love, and being that this is the season of romantic love, I thought I might share a bit about the type of man I love, my kind of Boo-peice.  This is for all of you who think women only like a certain kind of man or for those who think that there is no such thing as a "good" man. I am fixin' to create one right now. Don't believe me, just read.

I love a playful man, a man who knows how to have fun in any situation. There is nothing worse than seeing a grown man be serious about everything. Yuck. I find it incredibly repulsive actually. See the man I love has a set of gold teeth on hand just in case we need to make a quick fake music video.  He has jokes about preachers, spiritual folks, career folks, and anyone who is a little too serious. He gets me a thong that he knows I will never wear just to dance around in it and make me laugh. He sings me silly songs when I am in the bathroom for "support" and "inspiration". He laughs while waiting in long lines. He will dance slow to fast songs, fast to slow songs, and grind to country music (ow!).  I love an imaginative man. I give him a word and he gives me a fantasy. He is friends with the orange dragon that flies me around at night as well. He sees that the sky is red and that the moon smiles. He is always creating something, never without ideas, and full of magical solutions. He wakes up ready to bring something new into the world and goes to bed knowing he has accomplished it. The gorgeous world he lives in, started in his mind. I love a gentle man. His strength isn't in "fronting" or acting like he is "hard", it is in walking tall in his gentleness. His nature makes people trust him and want to be around him and because of this, he is protected. Because of this, he can protect others. Oh and his massages are painless and transcendent. I love an intelligent man. He knows if he starts quoting other people, I will not be impressed (unless it is the late, great Johnny Cochran). He knows that if he is afraid of something and doesn't address it, I will remind him of emotional intelligence. He knows that when it comes to complaining and being the victim, ain't nobody got time for that. He knows that it feels great to take responsibility for his life. He knows I love a man courageous enough to be who he truly is, no matter how "crazy" that may look. I love a courageous man. He dives into the mystery. He reads something like this and doesn't flinch. He rises to the challenge to follow his destiny. He doesn't need the armor that a large ego provides. He lets his heart lead him. He serenades me with a mediocre voice in a crowded room but his courage and focus makes it sound angelic.

I love a man who loves himself. He doesn't claim to be perfect but because he truly loves himself he likes where he is going and how he is growing. He faithfully commits to expressing who he his. He loves himself because he knows who and what he is. He loves himself so that he may truly love others.

I love a childlike, magical, kind, confident, daring, loving man because that is the only kind of man I am willing to travel this world, create, and live on a farm with.

This love-filled outpouring was brought to you by meditation, Reiki, talking with my ancestors, listening to my heart, and Whitney Houston (again). Now go out there and dare to love what you know you truly love!

Ahhh Reiksperiences!!! Some of you may know that I just had an amazing Friday yesterday and now I want to tell you all about it. It was my first ever "Free Reiki Friday" and it was a beyond awesome screaming success. I had no clue as what to expect since I had never done anything like it before. As soon as I put out the announcement on facebook, twitter and spiritual networks, people were responding. To stay organized, I began to make a list of everyone in my little notebook. Most people didn't know what to do or what to expect once they responded but I knew experience would be their greatest teacher. After all that was the point of "Free Reiki Friday". I wanted to give people who were curious or in need, a chance to experience what I have been posting and talking about all of this time. It was also a awesome opportunity for me to gain even more experience and knowledge and boy oh boy did that happen!

How did it all happen? What did I do? I decided that I would send energy out to everyone individually because that is how I like to interact with people anyway. Sure it was going to be time-consuming and extra work but when you are doing something from your heart, time and work don't exist. I didn't know what time I was going to do it on Friday exactly; I felt my way through that part. I ended up doing it in the evening after I had some amazing carrot, ginger, kale, apple, and spinach juice. I sat down and focused on feeling the love within and started with the first person on my list. I was able to sense their presence and then I began to give Reiki to the areas that I felt intuitively inclined to go to. I am able to know where I am on their body or auric field, so if I am focusing on love or a body ache I know that and can sense the difference, and everyone was different. Some people flat out surprised me. One person had me giggling for five minutes, love was swirling all around. Another person seemed to have a serious ailment that evoked a more nurturing side of me. Essentially I was experiencing  some of the many ways of love. One of the awesome aspects of doing this work is that when you give Reiki, you also receive it. By the time I was done with my whole list, I was flying high. I was giggly, giddy, and bubbling with joy. Talk about a super-charged Reiksperience.

After I was finished, I sent everyone individual messages about what I did and what areas I was drawn to. I didn't have to do it but I thought it was important and besides they gave me such a wonderful gift by simply redeeming my offer. I truly wasn't expecting that it would be as magical as it was but it also taught me a lot. One is that I absolutely love what I do and I am so grateful that I tapped into this aspect of myself. Another big lesson was learning the amount of personal responsibility you have to take to do this kind of work. Essentially I have to practice what I share. I give myself Reiki everyday but I realized it is more than that, I have to be it. That means ego and judgment have to take a backseat. What a path! What a task!...but I am willing because I truly love what I am doing and the love I am bringing forth into my being. I also learned that I really love Free Reiki Fridays. What a gorgeous treat! For those who took part, good for you, allow yourself to take it all in, leave a Reiksperience if you feel inclined, and thank you. For those who missed it, there will be more to come. Yay for Free Reiki Fridays!!