Art

SEEKING COMFORT FROM THE WARMTH OF MY SPIRIT

FOUNDATION OF INNER STRENGTH

SELF-LOVE OR SELF-HATE
Which will you choose?

TRANSITION

BREATHE IN THE LIFE FORCE OF NATURE
“When I feel exhausted I go outside and sit with nature. I take notice of every thing living. People, animals, insects, plants and trees. I imagine everything breathing in the same rhythm And then I join that rhythm And breath in the life force of nature.”

CELEBRATION 2
“Let us join hands in Celebration of the Earth. We are stronger and louder united. Beautiful is the Sky, the Water, the Land. We are all the native dwellers of this sacred ground. Let us protect and nurture our home, our planet, our mother. And as we join hands, let us also Celebrate Friendship. Beautiful is the gift of Love, for Love is not a debt owed to us but rather a sacred voluntary action. Let us appreciate and nurture those who give to us so freely for their support and encouragement enables us to be stronger and happier.”

CELEBRATION
“Let us join hands in celebration of the Earth. We are stronger and louder united. Beautiful is the sky, the water, the land. We are all the native dwellers of this sacred ground. Let us protect and nurture our home, our planet, our mother”

CLEANSE
“When I become overwhelmed by the suffering of this world I take time out to acknowledge my sensitivity And then I move this overwhelming grief out through the souls of my feet into the nurturing energy of the sea and earth. By allowing this energy to move through Instead of damning up I become a more productive channel In my state of compassion.”

CLOUDED VISION
“Clouds of doubt intermittently pass before my eyes, hazing my perspective. In these moments when hope and courage seem to have vanished, I know, deep down, that they are still there before me waiting just beyond the mist.”

COMFORT
“When I am sad I allow myself to cry. I allow myself to feel what I am feeling. I allow myself time to process my emotions. I allow myself to express those emotions through writing and art. I allow myself the comfort of nature and friends.”

COMFORT FROM MOTHER EARTH
Mother Earth comforts me when I am feeling sick or sad. She is a dependable Mother figure in my life who is always there for me. She is a master healer who can transfer the healing energy from the earth into my body.

COMPASSION
“I open my heart to connect with the suffering of others. As my heart expands from this connection, a desire to help grows strong. From this desire to help, comes the searching inside, how can I make a difference? How can I make this world a better place? How can I contribute to peace and to environmental preservation? The answer lies within myself. Within my own passion and talents. And it lies within the answers to my questions – What do I do best? What do I care most about?”

COMPASSION, COURAGE, STRENGTH
In times of physical and emotional exhaustion I visualize an infusion of compassion, courage and strength pouring into my spirit, mind and body. In times of physical and emotional exhaustion, I visualize myself as a budding lotus rising above the muddy waters of fear, depression and self-doubt, to a higher place of peace, love and happiness.

DAWN
“I leave the familiar cocoon of darkness and neglect to explore a new world of self worth and empowerment.”

BLANKET OF EARTH
I wrap a blanket of Earth around my shoulders and head. I feel the solidness and security of its loving embrace.
 This blanket extends in front of me, behind me, to my left, and to my right. 
This blanket creates a barrier of protection between this world and myself. 
 I feel safe and protected.

EMBRACED BY MOTHER EARTH
“I receive from the tree the nurturing of a mother’s embrace. Rooted in strength she reaches out her limbs in sensitivity and concern. When I am with my trees, I am as a bird nestled in the bows of love and support.”

EMBRACE SHADOW SELF
“I embrace all aspects of Self, shadowed and illuminated. I embrace the illuminated Self for she is my spirit realized. I embrace the shadowed Self for she reveals to me the pain and fear still needing resolution.”

EMBRACE ALL THAT YOU ARE WITH LOVE
I embrace all that I am with love. With a love that is from my spirit. With a love that is compassionate and unconditional. With a love that heals and nurtures.

ESSENCE OF GOD
“As a ray of sunlight contains the essence of Sun so as I contain the essence of God. God is love and is a current of energy that flows to me, through me, and from me.”

EXPANSION OF LOVE
The expansion of love begins as a small seed from within. First I learn to love and nurture myself. And then as my spirit awakens I find that when I help others, I help myself. And from that awareness my love expands and overflows into the universe.

EXPRESSIONS OF SELF-LOVE
“I stand in the wholeness of self-love and acceptance. Refusing to no longer hate any part of myself. And now those parts of myself that use to rage in war with each other, Stand in agreement and face in the same direction. And in this unified direction I now move forward with purpose, potential and power.”

FLOATING AND RELAXING
“When I feel tense I take a mini vacation. I imagine that I am floating and relaxing On a gentle current of water. I imagine the sounds and the sites and the sensations. And as I imagine, my thoughts signal to my mind and my mind signals to my body R-E-L-A-X.”

FLOW
“I flow with the river of life. Eddies of concern swirl only momentarily in mental process. I no longer dam the waters in an attempt to reroute something that is more powerful than my own preference. I strive for a deeper awareness of truth so I can perceive correctly the difference between what is and what only appears to be real and unmovable.”

FRAMES OF REFERENCE
“I have a choice in how I view life. I can look through eyes that only see the negative. Or I can look deeper and see where there is love and hope.”

FREE YOURSELF
I free myself from self-inflicted suffering. In this moment of awareness, I allow only love to influence the way that I treat myself, speak to myself, and see myself. Why treat myself with actions that are less than compassionate? Why speak to myself with words that are less than encouraging? Why see myself with eyes that are less than confident? What will it accomplish? What will it gain? Only pain and defeat. Only wasted of time and energy. Life is too short not to live each day with purpose and with love.

GENERATIONAL WISDOM
I learn from those who are older than I am. I learn from their wisdom and I learn from their mistakes. I try to see what they were not able to see. I try to speak what they were not able to say. I try to listen in ways they were not able to listen. I try to give in ways they were not able to give. In hopes that with each generation, we become more loving.

LIFE IS A GIFT
“Life is filled with wondrous gifts of sensations, experiences and realizations. Like the voice of spirit, Life’s beauty is subtle yet abound. In Life’s constant state of humble generosity, I often take its wonders for granted and forget to wonder about them. Today I will remember to inhale life’s beauty and exhale my gratitude.”

GIVE LOVE
“Finally loved, finally understood, finally accepted, finally from myself. And with this love, understanding and acceptance I now have it to give.”

GROUNDED
“As a Woman, as a Nurturer, it is important for me to take the time each day to ground my energy. To do so, I imagine myself with roots that grow deep into the earth giving me anchoring support. Through these roots I receive nurturing energy And this energy draws my own energy Back into my body.”

HEALING ENERGY
“Closing my eyes, I visualize the healing of Mother Earth and Father Sky. Heavenly rays of sun stream through my body cleansing away all toxins and nourishing all weaknesses. The earth replenishes my lost energy with her own and draws out anxiety and other heaviness through the soles of my feet.”

BLANKET OF EARTH 2
From this blanket of Earth, I feel my body absorb the rich nutrients of the soil according to what my body needs to be healthy. These nutrients nourish all of the systems in my body, including my nervous system. As my nervous system receives these nutrients, it feels like a soothing salve is coating over and cushioning every nerve fiber in my body, allowing me to feel relaxed and comfortable.

HEALING FROM MOTHER EARTH 2
I receive healing from Mother Earth. She calms my heart and mind with a stabilizing touch. I feel the transfer of love from her heart to mine.

HEALING MY NERVOUS SYSTEM
When my nerves are feeling raw I imagine myself standing in front of an old wise tree that has strong grounding roots. This tree helps me to ground and to be more in my body. Then I imagine the hands of God over my head, healing me with a golden light that coats over and heals all the raw nerve fibers in my body.

HEART OF HEALING
“Healing is possible when we can gently and compassionately go inward and honestly examine, explore, question and understand who we are.”

IMAGINE TOUGHER SKIN
When I am feeling intensely sensitive to the words of others I imagine myself to have tougher skin. The skin of my beloved trees ~ Tree Bark. I imagine feeling it over my skin as my hands rub down my arms. I don’t feel my skin, I feel the strength and protection of the tree bark. I feel it on my chest and legs. I feel it on my back. Yet I am flexible and free. I am strong and protected yet still a safe place for sweetness to purch and nest.

INNER CHILD
“Afraid as a child. Still I am afraid. On edge as a child. Still I am on edge. Powerless. Scolded. Emotionally neglected. I grew. To scold and neglect myself. No other example to follow. But slowly I wake up to take responsibility. I give myself now the nurturing that I have always deserved. It is not the lack of nurturing from the past that makes me suffer now, but the self nurturing I deny myself of in the present.”

JOURNEY FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT
As I learn how to love myself unconditionally, that love creates a light within me that leads me through the darkness to a place of hope and healing.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
I wipe away this mud that covers me. This mud that has been layered on by my own self-hate And by everything that made me want to hate myself. For so long I thought that this mud was a part of me, but with the nurturing of self-love I am able to cleanse myself of this ignorant thought and allow my true spirit to shine through.

THE LIGHT OF MY PASSION LEADS ME
When darkness surrounds me and life no longer makes sense, I follow the light of my passion. For it is the passion to make a difference in the world that gives my life meaning and direction.

LOTUS WOMAN
I am like a lotus that rises from the muddy waters of life to blossom as a beautiful flower.

HARMONY INWARD CREATES HARMONY OUTWARD
As I learn to truly love myself, my ability to love others increases because true self-love heals and opens the heart to love.

MAKE TIME FOR JOYOUS MOMENTS
“I take time out each day to create joyous moments through humor, appreciation and love. And even though I may not be able to change the fate of a single day, month or year, as long as I am able to create joyous moments, then even in the darkest of times, life can still be beautiful.”

MASK
“At times I hide behind a mask, disguising who I am and the frailties that I possess. But then the voice of my spirit emerges and reminds me that we all fall short of perfection. And that those who appear perfect are wearing a mask as well. So, instead of hiding, I am prompted to embrace my imperfections with love. and with this inner shift of self acceptance, a radiance shines forth surpassing any physical adornment I could ever possibly hide behind.”

MEDICINE BEAR
When I am in need of strength, I imagine the medicine Bear behind me, placing her front paws over my shoulders. The weight of her paws makes me feel secure and protected. I feel her strength transferring into my body and mind. Just knowing that she is behind me, gives me courage and confidence.

MOTHER EARTH
“With the robe of earth over her shoulders, Mother Earth sits in her garden inviting me in for a visit. I once asked her if she was disturbed by all the harm people have caused the earth? With a sigh, she replied “I mourn not for myself but for my diminishing ability to give beauty and nourishment to those that I love.”

MOMENT OF PEACE
“I must take for myself a moment of peace. The peace from this moment will help me to pace myself throughout the day. It will clear my mind, focus my thoughts and put space between what I hear and how I respond.”

MOTHER’S LOVE
“One, Loved by choice. A decision made. A yearning inside to love… she craved. One, Loved by chance. A decision made. A yearning inside to love… she gave.” (about adoption)

MOVE IT THROUGH
“As thoughts flood my mind I have the choice to either let them go or to attach onto them as my truth. If these are thoughts of empowerment I will harbor them and allow them to strengthen my being. But if these thoughts are self-destructive, I will release them from my mind as water flows through a mighty waterfall.”

MOVE FORWARD WITH COURAGE
I move forward with courage. Even though life is hard and I feel thrown away sometimes. I refuse to give up. I refuse to let anyone stop me from where I want to go and what I want to accomplish. Sometimes we feel alone in life and some times we feel supported. I do know that the more we give to life the more we get in return. And that can fuel us. That can keep us going. Without love, I am not sure if life would be worth the journey. So I keep my heart open with the help of unconditional self-love. And I am grateful for all of those who have loved and supported me.

NURTURE SPIRITUAL GROWTH
“We nurture spiritual growth When we ask ourselves, how we can be more Compassionate, Loving, Understanding, Tolerant, Strong, Forgiving, Optimistic, Grateful, Mindful, with ourselves. And with each other.”

ONE DAY AT A TIME
I choose to live life one day at a time. I let go of yesterday’s regrets And tomorrow’s worries. I stand mindfully in the reality of now. The older you get, the more people you love, the greater our temptation to worry and to dread.

PASSING THOUGHTS
“My thoughts are like drifting shifting clouds. Sometimes dark, sometimes light. Only as real as I believe them to be.”

REFLECTION OF GOD
“As I clear and still the pools of my mind I am more able to mirror God’s loving reflection in my existence.”

RELEASE
“I release like a dove all burdens of my heart and surrender to God all expectations and control. I give life my best effort while detaching from any particular outcome. If predictions and worry carry no aid then I discard the fruitlessness of those thoughts, that I may no longer be drained by them. With a clear mind I journey life, with only the tools that bring power to my circumstance.”

SEARCHING
“I search for truth and love. I search for what is eternal. I honor the stumbles and falls of my journey for it is unproductive to expect a road never before traveled to be swept clear of debris. As I continue toward the light of love I realize more each day that its light has always been within me.”

SELF-DISCOVERY 2
“Searching for meaning, searching for worth, I am directed inward… to excavate through the layers of who I thought I was: resentment, anger, jealousy, guilt, sadness and shame. To find that my identity is none of these emotions but rather a beautiful spirit that waits just beneath. As I wondered why it took me so long to find my true self I heard my spirit’s voice say~ “Quietly I have waited for the rage of ego to subside, for my voice is gentle and not easily heard over the rant.”

SELF HATE
Self-hate is a vicious cycle, passed down from one generation to the next. But it must stop somewhere, so let it stop with me. For I now recognize the lies and ignorance that allows self-hate to continue. I now understand the disrespect for life it represents. And I refuse to carry its torch any longer. So I extinguish it flame to light a new path for myself and for the next generations.

SILENCE INNER CRITIC
“I silence the critical voice within. I choose instead to speak to myself with kindness and love. Why allow the words of my childhood spoken in ignorance, anxiety and exhaustion to echo as my truth. For in reality they were never intended to define my self worth. They were only a venting of my peoples’s frustration with life.”

SLOW DOWN
As the hurry of the day overwhelms me, I close my eyes and reflect upon the message of the turtle: Slow down. Stay close to the Earth. And carry your inner sanctuary with you wherever you go. When I reflect upon these messages, I am encouraged to become more mindful of my surroundings and my actions. I am encouraged to connect with the grounding energy of nature. And I am reminded that all of life is a sacred experience and should be treated as such.

SPEAKING FROM THE HEART WITH LOVE AND COURAGE
I focus not my attention inwardly on my own doubts and fears. Rather, my intention is to speak outwardly with love and courage in hope that my words will be received as encouragement and inspiration to others.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH
“The garden in which I stand was once a wild garden, With only thorns and weeds to show. But then I realized I had the ability to take control and make it what I wanted it to be. So I planted all that would produce love, healing, and success. And slowly, each year, with awareness and tending to, The plantings grow stronger And nourish me with their fruit.”

SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
“I exhaust myself no longer in physical battle with fear but rather go inward to gain insight and strategy. The less I resist and the more I observe the weaker the fear becomes. As I examine my opponent I find That its task is not to defeat me but rather to inform me. And my task is to understand what it has to say.”

TAKE TIME TO LISTEN
“I take time each day to stop and listen to the voices within. I hear the pain, and the disappointment, I hear the dreams and the desires. I then respond to my thoughts and emotions with compassion and examination. For compassion allows myself to safely examine without judgment. And examination allows me to understand and to evolve.”

THIS DARKNESS SHALL PASS
This darkness shall pass. It always does. Not every moment in life is meant to be comfortable. Sometimes in life there is no other choice than to hurt. And then we slowly heal. And become wiser versions of ourselves. Maybe we are scarred. Maybe we are lefty weaker. But always we can be wiser if we choose to look for what we can learn. And we can become more compassionate because now we understand more clearly the pain that others feel.

THOUGHTS FLYING EVERYWHERE
Thoughts are flying everywhere. Worry. Fear. Doubt. Grief. Panic. I allow myself time to process these thoughts and to consider all my options. I know in time, I will know what to do and how to respond. But for today, I allow myself to just manage the best way that I can without judgment or guilt.

TRANSFORMATION
As I learn to love myself, I transform from a crawling caterpillar to a soaring butterfly. And I am grateful to the darkness of the cocoon that guided my transformation.

TRUST YOURSELF
“I trust my mind, my body, my spirit. I trust Life and the Creator of Life. I trust that people are basically good and will come to the aid of those in great need. Created in the image of God, I know there is no obstacle that I can not handle and learn from. I trust that we are here to love, learn, teach, help and evolve. I trust that my body and mind can meet all situations with greater purpose and ability when guided by a healthy balance of spirit and ego. I trust the messages and warnings of my body and mind. And I trust that the chaos I pass through in this life, will make better sense to me one day when observed from a distance of space and time.”

UNCLENCHED FIST
“Like a blooming lotus opening to peace, I slowly unclench my fearful and nervous fist. By practicing moments of calming breath, by reflecting upon words that bring me to peace, and by grounding my energy into the earth, I am able to do what fear tells me I can not.”

VISUALIZE HEALING

EMPOWERED 2
My power is revealed when I can accept that I am only human and can do nothing perfectly but still choose to make a positive difference anyway.

PATHWAYS
“We all carry burdens on this earth journey. What we have experienced, and how we have perceived and interpreted those experiences, colors our response to life. Each interpretation and path is unique. That is why I take not personally harsh words from others, For those harsh words only reflect the journey of the traveler who has spoken them.”

OLD SINGING WOMAN
“I listen to the wisdom of the old singing woman. She sings of life as sacred. She sings of life as precious And deserving of our reverence. For when life is perceived and experienced with sacred reverence it connects us to the magic of heaven and earth and miracles occur.”

DON’T YOU KNOW YOU CAN FLY
“Like the eagle, rainbow and butterfly, I too was meant to know the heights of heaven.”

IN A RUT
“Veering off the forward path of life, I wander at times in a circle. In a rut constructed by the unproductive patterns of my actions, I am now open to examine my belief system in order to attain a new perspective. I realize that I am where I am because of choices that I have made and have found a comfort of some sort within their restraint. I am now willing to sacrifice the hidden comforts of this refuge to live a fuller and more satisfying life. “

DUAL EMOTIONS
“Sometimes I see only the darkness and I think nothing else exists. Sometimes I see only the light And then I am thrown when the darkness reappears. Can the two ever unite into one? Can two halves become whole? What if my light could give hope to my darkness and the darkness could give awareness to the light?”

NURTURING ENERGY
“The earth is filled with nurturing energy. She gives food, water, medicine, shelter, beauty and inspiration. May we appreciate and protect her always. As she has always nurtured and protected us.”

AWAKEN
I awaken to the light of unconditional self-love. I no longer want to dwell in the darkness of self-hate. Today is a new day, and I will look for the good that is within it. I will let my feelings of appreciation expand inside of me So I can feel happy with an open heart.

YOU ARE BIGGER THAN THE PROBLEM
When life overwhelms me I like to imagine myself as a giant, sitting on top of a mountain range. No problem is bigger than I am. All problems are tiny and I can squish them with my feet.

CENTERED AND GROUNDED
I center and ground myself to help me clear out all of the intrusive thoughts in my head. As I close my eyes and breathe, I breathe into the earth, and the earth breathes into me. The earth is my protector, She is my refuge. The earth grounds me and supports me. And these stones that encircle me, remind me to always have boundaries.

GRATEFUL HEART
I walk the path of life with a grateful heart. Gratitude is a powerful companion. It transforms my feelings of emptiness into feelings of abundance.

GROUNDING AND PROTECTION
When I am feeling like I am not fully in my body I pull my spirit back down into my body. I fill my body with my spirit all the way down to my feet. Then I place myself inside a protective bubble and I put a blanket of earth over my shoulders for grounding and protection.

LISTEN TO THE LOVING VOICE WITHIN
I listen to the loving voice from within when I am feeling lost and broken. When comforting support is no where to be found I go inward…gently… quietly…opening up a space inside myself to listen and to speak. I speak to myself as if I were my own precious child. For I am my own precious child. And I tell myself… You are safe and loved. You are seen and you are heard. You are important. You matter. I love you.

SUMMONING STRENGTH, WISDOM AND COURAGE
I summons strength, wisdom and courage to surround me and support me as I walk down this difficult road of life. I summons the Lion for courage, the bear for strength. and the owl for wisdom. I also stand with the mighty oak And I ask her for grounding and stability as I walk this path with love and determination in my heart.

WHAT BLOCKS YOU FROM SELF LOVE?
What blocks you from self-love? Are you too busy? Does depression shut down your motivation? Has someone or something convinced you that you are not worthy of it? Do you lack an understanding of what self-love is? Do you judge self-love as wrong? Do you place others before you and have no energy for yourself? Do you feel that you don’t deserve it? Are you so busy surviving that the concept hasn’t occurred to you?

GROUNDING AND PROTECTION 2
When I am feeling like I am not fully in my body I pull my spirit back down into my body. I fill my body with my spirit all the way down to my feet. Then I place myself inside a protective bubble and I put a blanket of earth over my shoulders for grounding and protection.

JUST BE ZEN ABOUT IT
When life is stormy and the skies are gray, don’t let fearful thoughts take you over. Recognize what thoughts are. Our brains are like clocks that are always ticking, we are always thinking. Just like the 24-hour news channels, the constant commentaries in our heads are rarely saying anything new or helpful in the cycle of a day. They are just repeating the same old fearful story because they don’t know how to be quiet. And just because a thought crosses our minds, doesn’t mean that it is true.

THE LIGHT OF MY PASSION 2
When darkness surrounds me and life no longer makes sense, I follow the light of my passion. For it is the passion to make a difference in the world that gives my life meaning and direction.

MOTHER EARTH WELCOMES YOU
I feel the love and support from the earth. She generously gives us food, water, medicine, shelter, beauty, and inspiration. I honor her with mindfulness and respect; remembering that all of my actions have consequences.

SELF-DISCOVERY 3
Searching for meaning, searching for worth, I am directed inward… to excavate through the layers of who I thought I was: resentment, anger, jealousy, guilt, sadness and shame. To find that my identity is none of these emotions but rather a beautiful spirit that waits just beneath. As I wondered why it took me so long to find my true self I heard my spirit’s voice say~ “Quietly I have waited for the rage of ego to subside, for my voice is gentle and not easily heard over the rant.”

SELF-REFLECTION
I look into the mirror and I see a face that is always changing. Can I love her? Can I accept her? Will I reject her? But the face that I see is what a kind and caring person looks like. No matter her age. No matter her flaws. No matter her mistakes. Hello face. You are beautiful… I love you.

VACUUM OUT NEGATIVE ENERGY
Before I visit any place stressful I place protective bubbles over myself and anyone else that I will meet, so that any negative energy that they might have doesn’t effect me. I then vacuum out the excess negative energy, in each room, room by room. Next, I open the widows wide to let in the light, love and beauty of life. And then, I see each person breathing in the light, love and beauty of life as if a delicious aroma or a refreshing breeze. And, lastly, I see the building rooted in love.

EMBRACE YOUR TRUE ESSENCE

LOVE YOURSELF UNCONDITIONALLY