FINDING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE

After many years practice of meditation and connection to my guides and higher self, I have come to realise that my life purpose is simply ‘to heal’ – from emotional wounding in this life and even past lives. And the most simple and amazing thing of all is that your life purpose will be exactly the same as mine. ‘To heal’ is all that is required of any of us because when we heal all our natural strengths, talents and passions will come to the fore. Nothing gets in the way of this happening. No-one else hinders you. When you are healed you have no blocks, so life circumstances present no blocks to hold you back. When you experience negativity from others, this is actually a reflection of your own doubts and fears. When you are free to follow your passions, your life path naturally unfolds but, before then, if it’s not happening, you need to heal – to release and clear blockages.

 

Our life purpose then is actually very clear – to heal and to love. As part of our healing journey we learn to love ourselves through self-nurturing and honouring our own needs and to love those who have hurt us – lovers who have betrayed us, people who have let us down and those who have deliberately hurt us. Once this pain has been released through acts of forgiveness and understanding, we allow the space for a broader love and compassion for humanity to emerge.

 

Asking for Help

 

Most people waste hours, months, years worrying about what they should be doing. All this just puts unnecessary pressure on us and uses up valuable energy that would be better spent letting go of the past and living in the present. By all means ask your guides and angels to show you the way and guide you into your life mission but, if you do this, it is essential that you are able to recognise the signs of guidance. Very rarely will you be shown the bigger picture or told exactly what you should be doing. It is far more likely that you will be led first to the ‘next step’, ie what you need to do in order to heal and release any issues that are holding you back from moving into your life purpose in the first place.

 

Challenging situations and crises occur at some point in everyone’s life and these situations serve to reflect back to you the aspects of yourself that need healing. Bad things do happen and we all wonder why bad things happen to good people. Recently a friend of mine went through a horrendous ordeal of wrongful arrest after being framed for something she didn’t do. I discovered that she was carrying the energy of guilt in her aura from her relationship with her mother which had left her feeling like whatever she did, she could never do enough. According to the Law of Attraction we can only attract what we already have, for example happiness creates more happiness. Likewise guilt attracts situations where we are made to appear as the guilty party. The universe is not cruel but simply mirrors back to us the aspects of ourselves that need healing.

 

As part of moving into your life purpose, your guides, angels and higher self may also lead you to a healing modality that can help you release whatever needs to be released. These can include Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Crystal Healing or one of the many other forms of energy healing available today. I was led to Reiki 15 years ago when I first began my healing journey, then more recently I was led to Faery Reiki which cleared out my chakras at an even deeper level than before. I just simply know that this is preparing me for the next stage of my journey.

 

The Never Ending Journey

 

Personally I was very lucky when it comes to finding my life purpose because many years ago in meditation I heard a big booming voice, that sounded both within my head and outside of me, say “You will be a spiritual healer”. This felt ‘right’ at a deep level and this conviction has kept me on my path despite there being many occasions when I could have abandoned it for financial reasons!

 

Even when you feel that you are on the right path and have got to where you want to be, there is still further to go. It is still possible to move deeper into your life purpose and take your work to the next level. I want to help others heal on a deeper soul level. I don’t yet have all the answers regarding how I am going to do this but I have already seen the powerful shifts that can occur when you are able to heal the soul or spirit and this is my passion. Moving further into this kind of soul level healing is my goal for the future. And each time I release more of my old emotional ‘stuff’, the deeper I will move into it. Maybe it is time for you to start your own journey too…

 

Practical things to consider when moving into your Life Purpose

 

Your life purpose is ultimately about how you can best serve humanity based on your particular skills, talents, personal qualities and specific interests. To find your life purpose you must follow your passion, in other words, whatever inspires you and makes you feel like you are doing something worthwhile. Your life purpose is usually connected to that nagging feeling of longing which comes from your soul. Often people do have a good idea about what they would like to be doing – it’s more a case of addressing the ‘if onlys’ and moving past perceived blocks. A good indication of your life purpose is what you would do if you were totally free and left to your own devices if you didn’t have to worry about money, where to live, other people’s expectations etc. So identifying your passions is a good place to start. Then start to identify all the issues that prevent you from doing this including mental/emotional issues such as lack of confidence and fear of failure, as well as practical concerns such as lack of time or lack of money to pay for training. Try to determine how many of these issues are actually excuses the ego makes to keep you where you are, ie. stuck in a nice, safe little rut. The real blocks lie hidden underneath the excuses and these are the emotional issues that need healing.

 

Helen Shortland is a Healer, Spiritual Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

 

Reiki Precept no. 1 - Just for Today, I will let go of Anger

Each month I am going to write a mini blog about one of the 5 Reiki precepts. The Reiki precepts were designed to give a structure or framework to your spiritual practice when you start to take responsibility for your own energies and ultimately your health and wellbeing on all levels. I hope this will provide some insight/guidance that may help my Reiki students and practitioners to understand their deeper meaning and integrate them better. Equally you don’t need to be attuned to Reiki to meditate upon these precepts as greater self-awareness can benefit everyone. Working with and integrating the Reiki precepts will speed along your own spiritual development, whether you are attuned to Reiki or not.

 

Reiki Precept No 1:   Just for today, I will let go of anger

 

Anger is corrosive; it has a negative, destructive effect on all areas of your life. Anger is futile and makes you feel impotent. It often proves embarrassing when we vent our spleen without thinking and we usually end up regretting those angry outbursts, especially when we end up looking foolish. We’ve all done this, you’re not alone. This feeling of foolishness however contains a lesson because it may just make you think twice next time… maybe. Even if you manage to contain your anger, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your anger should be ignored. Anger is there for a reason. Getting to the root cause is key. Anger stems from unresolved emotional issues – hurts and injustices from others, the perceived unfairness of life, anger at yourself for making wrong choices etc all contribute to a simmering underlying resentment.

 

When you meditate on this precept, keep asking yourself “Why am I angry?” Keep going deeper to find the original cause. It is like peeling the layers off an onion. What you find can be both painful and enlightening but ultimately it must be released.

 

For some people anger can also be very controlling so can appear to serve a purpose.  A difficult question to ask would be “What do I gain by being angry?” For some people anger can be a learned behaviour pattern that established itself in your earlier years. You may have seen this behaviour pattern played out among the adults around you and learned how it could be used to get what you want. After all, as children we soak up everything we see around us without question, both good and bad. If this is the case, does this behaviour pattern still serve you now? Some people will find that they are angry about something that happened in the past, such as abandonment, most likely when they were too young to understand.  A young child cannot process things and talk things through like an adult can – they just express emotion.

 

If you are angry with yourself for wrong choices or perceived failure, self-acceptance is essential. Don’t blame others; the responsibility lies with you. Maybe your expectations just weren’t achievable at the time. If you are angry at hurts and injustices inflicted by others, practising forgiveness and making peace with the past is the only option for the benefit of your emotional health and wellbeing. Forgiving others doesn’t mean you are letting them ‘get away with it’ – it is setting yourself free from pain. When you let go of anger, you let in peace. On the emotional spectrum anger is very near the lower end along with fear. On the other hand, peace is at the top end of the emotional spectrum along with love. Love and fear are therefore opposites. When you let go of anger you also let in love – love for yourself as you are allowing yourself to be at peace. This love is healing – healing from the hurts and pain of the past, allowing recovery and enabling you to energetically vibrate at a healthy frequency. You are valuing yourself enough to choose love. Anger carries a dark, low vibration. Peace and love carry a light joyful vibration. You always have the power to choose how you respond. It may not be easy but it is definitely worth a try.

 

 

You may like to set aside some meditation time and sit and meditate on this precept, asking yourself what anger means to you, where you hold anger, where it stems from and what purpose it serves, going deeper each time.

Healing Anxiety by Strengthening the Root Chakra

Around six weeks after my Faery Reiki attunement, when all the clearing had taken place, I began to be aware of definite improvements concerning issues connected to my Root Chakra. The 1st chakra, the Root or Base Chakra, concerns issues of stability, our sense of security in the physical world and sense of belonging, as well as practical matters such as work, home, finances, health and physical vitality. I realised I felt stronger, safer in myself, more confident. I realised I was no longer anxious in situations that would have made me nervous or anxious before.  “I can’t do that” had been replaced with “I can if I want to”. I had no qualms whatsoever about going off on my own exploring new places.

 

So, how had this actually come about you may ask? During my attunement I had been aware of energy pulsing at each chakra, clearing them out Root to Throat. Although I have done much personal healing on my own journey over the last 15 years, there were still some deep-rooted negative beliefs about myself that I had held since childhood and possibly from past lives. There had also been a spiritual crisis in 2014/early 2015 from which I was still building myself up.

 

The Importance of the Root Chakra in Healing

 

I firmly believe that all our issues stem from old hurts, pain and wounding in the Root Chakra. Good stability and a healthy emotional environment in our early childhood years are essential for forming successful relationships both within and outside the family and for healthy self-esteem. Unfortunately however most traumas start in childhood or early teens when we don’t have the emotional maturity to deal with them. So many people end up believing they are not clever enough, not pretty enough, not lovable enough, just not good enough in other words. When we don’t feel safe we form coping strategies that may help at the time but which don’t really serve us into adulthood, by which time they have become ingrained and habitual. Lots of negative emotions are tied up in these erroneous beliefs and these negative emotions cause energy blocks in the Root Chakra that alter and impede the flow of energy into this chakra. The Root Chakra is our connection to Mother Earth so, if not corrected, these impediments become blocks which limit the flow of energy we receive into the Root Chakra from the earth. This lack of connection to the earth results in us not feeling safe, secure and vital and makes us less effective in the physical world in terms of achieving our goals and dreams. We become ungrounded – we can easily ‘zone out’, live in our heads or be overwhelmed by our emotions.

 

What is anxiety?

 

The best definition I have come across for anxiety is this: Anxiety stems from being separated from your soul and your purpose. Anxiety is your body’s way of telling you that your current path is not in line with your soul path, life purpose or mission. Anxiety can be crippling; it is constant fear in over-drive. You may even have forgotten what the initial trigger or cause was but your physical response has become habitual and you are running the energy pattern of fear. I remember feeling a constant panic that time was running out and I hadn’t achieved anything like the amount of things I wanted to achieve after living so many years on the planet. When you are gripped with anxiety and panic you are not able to set goals, you don’t feel in control, you may not even know what your desires and goals are. If you ever had any, they have long since been abandoned. You have forgotten what it’s like to plan ahead and to look forward to the future.

 

How can we help heal anxiety?

 

There are many forms of energy healing that can help such as Reiki healing focussing particularly on the Root Chakra, Faery Reiki which increases your connection to the Earth or my Fairy Blessing Guided Journey where you release what is no longer serving you and request the help you need. This latter treatment also includes crystals to help unblock the Root Chakra. If you want to use crystals yourself, haematite, smoky quartz, black obsidian and red jasper work particularly well in this chakra – pop one in each trouser pocket to keep them with you all day or sit and meditate while holding a crystal on your lap.

 

Faery energy is particularly grounding because the fairy realm is so close to our earth plane. You can easily connect to the Fae without being attuned to Faery Reiki. To heal anxiety you must strengthen your Root Chakra so I would urge you to go outside into nature, either your garden or take a walk in a park. An area that is more wild is preferable to a perfectly manicured lawn. Sit near some plants and flowers, introduce yourself and ask the fairies to help you ground yourself and find inner peace and strength. Ask for the help (healing) you need and be open to any ideas and thoughts that come to you. You may be inspired to help the Fae in some way such as picking up rubbish in the local park. You will find sitting there surrounded by fairies and elemental energies very grounding. This is why people feel so much better after getting out in the countryside. If you are really lucky, you may sense sparkles in the air or tiny little balls of coloured light flitting around you. If you feel more uplifted and inspired afterwards, you have definitely made contact!

 

 

Helen Shortland is a Healer, Spiritual Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

We All Have Intuitive Abilities

We are all born with intuitive ability. Have you ever noticed how children seem to be so much more open and aware than adults? They are less questioning and trust what they intuit, whereas adults tend to over-analyse and convince themselves they’re just ‘making it up’. As children grow older and start to develop the left side of the brain through learning at school, the intuitive abilities become less noticeable in the majority of cases. Creative, artistic types are generally more in tune with their intuitive right brain.

 

Intuitive abilities can be traced back to our fight or flight response. Thousands of years ago humans had to be constantly on the alert for predators. Humans were close to nature, lived a life in harmony with the land and were concerned mainly with survival. Nowadays in our modern life, survival issues are less important and we tend to fill our minds with worries, concerns and ‘busy-ness’, work, relationships, computers, televisions etc. Our minds are so full that there is little room for intuitive guidance.

 

Some people find when they are in a stressful situation that their senses are heightened: your body has gone into survival mode and your reactions become more instinctive. In my researches I have discovered that children and teens whose nervous systems have been on high alert due to trauma are often the ones who show psychic ability into adulthood. Their senses have become habitually heightened as if they are constantly on the alert for trouble, just like our ancestors many years ago.

 

Thankfully we can all develop our intuitive abilities to a greater or lesser degree by setting the intention that we wish to do so and then by practice, practice and more practice. Ironically the way we develop our psychic abilities these days is to relax both body and mind and let our auras expand rather than work to deliberately heighten our senses through stressful situations!  So, if you are interested in developing these abilities, it is perfectly safe to do so and you will be in a calm relaxed environment where you are encouraged to trust your own inner knowing.

 

Do You Have Intuitive Ability?

 

Maybe you are already more psychic than you realise? Have you ever thought about someone, only for them to ring you shortly afterwards? Maybe you have thought of someone you haven’t seen in years and then bump into them in the street or hear some news related to them soon afterwards? Have you ever had a gut feeling about something that later proved to be correct? Have you ever dreamt about something that ended up happening in real life? Have you ever walked into a room and felt uncomfortable either with the room or with the people in there? Have you ever felt inspired to take a different route and avoid danger?  All of these are examples of intuition, psychic ability or ‘sixth sense’.

 

Ways to Develop Intuitive Ability

 

Although some people are naturally more tuned into their intuition than others, we all possess these abilities, whether we are consciously aware of them or not. After all they are honed into our DNA despite thousands of years of evolution! If you wish to develop your intuition, you will find that it greatly benefits every area of your life.  Here are some ways in which you can develop your intuitive abilities:-

 

• The first step is to actually want to develop and strengthen your intuitive ability. State an affirmation several times a day; something along the lines of “I have excellent intuitive abilities which I honour and welcome into my life”. In this way you are stating to the universe and to yourself what you want to happen.

 

• Practice predicting (to yourself!) what other people will do next; guess who is on the other end of the phone when it rings; or try using ESP cards to guess the shape drawn on the back of a piece of card.

 

• Become aware of your own intuitive hunches about situations in your life and follow them. The more you pay attention to your intuitive guidance, the stronger it will become.

 

• When you feel a little more confident, practice ‘going within’ in meditation. Close your eyes and ask for an answer to a particular question you have. You may see the answer visually on your mental screen, your may hear the answer clairaudiently in your head or the information may simply come to you as a sense of knowing.

 

There are many fun ways to develop your intuitive abilities but the key is to want it to happen, become more aware, follow your intuitive guidance and practice, practice, practice.

 

 

If you would like to develop your intuitive abilities within a group setting where you will have other people to practice on, you may be interested in attending my Developing Intuition workshop on Sat 3^rd September 2016 2pm-4.30pm at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre, cost £20. If you would like to book a place, please email me at helenshortland@live.co.uk as soon as possible as places are limited to 10 people.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Faery Reiki Master, Spiritual Coach and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

An Introduction to Faery Reiki

Fairies, also known as the nature angels, are part of the elemental realm of air, fire, water, earth and ether. They reside in a dimension very close to our earth realm where they perform their divine mission of protecting nature and the animals. Faery Reiki strengthens your connection to the faery realm and the elements. It helps to cleanse and release negative emotions (Water), connect to your higher self for inspiration (Air), release negative karma and aid manifesting of dreams and goals (Fire), provide grounding, balance and stability (Earth) and helps release doubt, fear and anger (Ether/Spirit). Faery Reiki balances the emotions, improves inspiration and motivation, increases your sense of wellbeing and helps clear blocks in the root chakra to improve creativity and manifesting of success and abundance. Each session includes a short Fairy Oracle card reading to give insight into a particular area of concern in your life.

 

How Faery Reiki has changed me

 

Connecting to the Faery Realm has probably been the biggest development on my spiritual journey since I was first attuned to Usui Reiki in 2001. Since my attunement I have noticed subtle but strong prompts: all my make-up, toiletries and skin care products must be totally cruelty-free from now on. I now feel a much closer connection to animals and have an even greater appreciation of nature than before. I’ve also found a new hobby or mission of buying the most sorry-looking plants I can find and reviving them with Reiki, water and lots of TLC, as well as an urge to pick up litter when walking round my local park. I can just imagine the kind of caring, compassionate world we could live in if large groups of people all over the world all felt the same.

 

Client Experiences

 

Having performed several treatments now, various patterns or similarities are emerging in terms of clients’ experiences during a Faery Reiki session. People usually report seeing their own visions of fairies, nature spirits and/or power animals. Many go on their own journey to the Faery Realm, often receiving their own guidance or sense of knowing regarding current matters of concern. One lady I treated had a very powerful visual experience: I will let her describe her experience in her own words in this extract from her testimonial:-

 

“I then lay on her couch where she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise.  I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into the universe.  My fairy … opened a door into the natural world and I had a front row seat.  For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artists’ paints. The words whispered were “Look after our Earth”.  If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or just want to tap into this faerie realmI then lay on her bed as she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise. I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into our Universe. My faerie from 32 years ago opened a door into the natural world and I had front row seat. For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artist paints. The words that whispered was "Look after our Earth." If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or you would just like to tap into this Faerie realm go onto Helen Shortland's Facebook page to read all about what she offers. It's not to be missed.I then lay on her bed as she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise. I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into our Universe. My faerie from 32 years ago opened a door into the natural world and I had front row seat. For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artist paints. The words that whispered was "Look after our Earth." If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or you would just like to tap into this Faerie realm go onto Helen Shortland's Facebook page to read all about what she offers. It's not to be missed.I then lay on her bed as she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise. I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into our Universe. My faerie from 32 years ago opened a door into the natural world and I had front row seat. For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artist paints. The words that whispered was "Look after our Earth." If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or you would just like to tap into this Faerie realm go onto Helen Shortland's Facebook page to read all about what she offers. It's not to be missed.I then lay on her bed as she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise. I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into our Universe. My faerie from 32 years ago opened a door into the natural world and I had front row seat. For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artist paints. The words that whispered was "Look after our Earth." If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or you would just like to tap into this Faerie realm go onto Helen Shortland's Facebook page to read all about what she offers. It's not to be missed.I then lay on her bed as she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise. I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into our Universe. My faerie from 32 years ago opened a door into the natural world and I had front row seat. For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artist paints. The words that whispered was "Look after our Earth." If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or you would just like to tap into this Faerie realm go onto Helen Shortland's Facebook page to read all about what she offers. It's not to be missed.I then lay on her bed as she took me through the most creative journey of colour, texture and what I can only describe as pure magic. For an artist I can only describe this as paradise. I was cleansed with air, fire and water and felt them all right from the core of the earth up into our Universe. My faerie from 32 years ago opened a door into the natural world and I had front row seat. For 30 minutes I was transfixed by light and the most amazing colour that I would struggle to replicate with any artist paints. The words that whispered was "Look after our Earth." If this is my job then I will abide. Whether you feel there is a vocation or you would just like to tap into this Faerie realm go onto Helen Shortland's Facebook page to read all about what she offers. It's not to be missed…… this treatment is not to be missed.”

 

Clients also seem to receive their own particular fairy blessing, whether it be creativity, emotional stability, peace etc. This energy is truly powerful and life-changing. A Faery Reiki session is a truly fascinating experience – ideal for anyone wanting to reconnect with the nature kingdom and the magic of life.

 

Special Introductory Offer

 

This unique 1 hr session, including short fairy card reading, is available on special introductory offer of £25 until end of July, after which it will be £30. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to try it for yourself!

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Faery Reiki Master, Spiritual Consultant and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics.

Recognising and Receiving Guidance

For several months now I have been asking the angels for guidance and clarity regarding my direction and how to create greater abundance and success in life. I’ve been meditating and reciting mantras but mostly feeling like I’m going over old ground and getting nowhere fast.

 

As the weeks went by with no apparent real improvement, I began to think my efforts and prayers were going unanswered. However, over the last couple of weeks I have been strangely drawn to find out more about and connect with the faery realm … Yes, that’s right, fairies! Now even though I love the countryside and being out in nature, I have never seen fairies or felt a strong connection to faery/elemental energy. I have now discovered that fairies, being closely connected to nature and the earth plane, can help you attract abundance and success as well as create more joy and fun in life, all of which are exactly what I need! I have now done a short meditation to clear away stagnant energy and blocks to manifesting that I held in my aura and could feel energy swirling around my knees and lower legs. What’s more amazing was that I could see tiny flecks of different coloured lights dancing around like fire flies in my aura!

 

In a further example of coincidence or synchronicity, for my birthday a few weeks ago one of my good friends gave me a Black Amethyst crystal. I was amazed to discover that this crystal helps ground spiritual energies in the physical world, clearing any blocks in the chakra system that may prevent spiritual energy flowing down to the root chakra. If spiritual energy cannot flow down to the root/base chakra, you will struggle to manifest in the physical plane.

 

So, it just goes to show that our prayers are being answered and we are being guided towards what we need even when we don’t realise it at the time. I would never have thought I would be connecting with fairies but I understand that I need their assistance at this time in my life. We just have to trust that our guides and higher self really do know best.

 

Asking for Guidance

 

I would definitely encourage you all to ask God or the Universe for whatever help you need, saying something along the following lines:  “Thank you Angels for guiding me to the perfect job/home/relationship for me and for enabling me to clearly recognise the signs of guidance”. Say this a few times throughout each day. The key then is to be open to receiving and following the ideas that come to you. Remember that the solution may not be what you expect but it may be just what you need!

 

Recognising Guidance

 

Guidance can come in various forms but here are some examples to look out for:-

 

• The same idea comes to you at least 3 times – it may be something mentioned by other people or you may keep seeing the same information on the internet, social media, in magazines and books etc.
• You are drawn to connect with someone who can help you.
• You are given a book by a friend with a message or some teaching you need.
• You are given a crystal whose energy you need.

 

Once you start following your guidance and have started on your new path or new project, you will feel a bit of a buzz about it. You will feel inspired and uplifted as your course of action resonates with the promptings of your soul and higher self.

 

Helen Shortland is a Spiritual Consultant, Reiki Master Healer/Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics.

Activating the Higher Heart Chakra

In my healing work I have encountered just a couple of people who appear to have their higher heart chakra open but there is very little understanding about the nature and purpose of this special chakra. I have therefore done some research and found some very interesting connections between the big spiritual leap forward that so many people have made in recent years and the sense of being stuck and blocked that still holds them back in their habitual patterns of 3rd dimensional thinking.


The Higher Heart Chakra is situated between the heart chakra and throat chakra, behind the upper breastbone, and is said to vibrate at the colour turquoise (a combination of green and blue). When it is open on a higher, 5th dimensional, level it is said to vibrate at a beautiful combination of rose pink and gold. This chakra activates higher consciousness and carries a white spiritual fire which is associated with healing and grace. It is also known as the Thymic Chakra due to its associations with the thymus gland which plays an important role in the immune system.


This chakra is the source of our intent and acts as the link between the emotions of the heart and our speech. It is where the intent behind our words starts to form. It is therefore a bridge between emotion and reason. This chakra is also linked to dreaming as it connects us to our astral body. If this chakra is open, you may find you dream about someone you later meet in real life.


The Higher Heart Chakra is the doorway to our inner spiritual centre, the source of meaning and spiritual longing in life. If it is clouded or blocked, you are unable to know your purpose in life and life can appear empty and meaningless. It can open naturally through compassion and unconditional love for others and through practising non-judgement of self and others. It is the most important chakra on the path to spirituality and enlightenment. It enables us to have compassion for others, empathy and understanding our of situation. It enables us to put others first when needed and understand that such service is often necessary. On a personal level, it allows you to forgive yourself and accept your own life journey.


The Higher Heart Chakra opens the gate to Christ Consciousness. A person with this chakra open is usually engaged in some form of healing work as a means of expressing their unconditional love and compassion for others. When open, you are connected to the guidance of your Higher Self, which will always be for your highest good and at the right time.


Spiritual Function


The opening of the Higher Heart Chakra moves you from 3D to 5D awareness. You have learned your life lessons, which are always love-based in nature, and moved away from the cycle of reincarnation and the wheel of karma as this is no longer necessary to your spiritual evolution. You are now moving forward on the path of Ascension. Don't resist it and be tempted to stay stuck in 3D reality with people who no longer share your beliefs. When open, people usually feel the need to heal people and the world en-masse instead of individually as before. Ascension can be frightening, especially when you feel the need to 'move on' in some way but parts of you are still fearful and resistant. Your energy body has shifted up a gear in vibrational frequency and is now waiting for the physical body to catch up. I am recognising patterns of resistance in myself, such as indulging in low vibration, heavy food which prevents my physical and energy bodies coming into alignment and making a big leap forward and a big change in life.  I guess the only solution is to let ourselves be guided by our Higher Self and have faith in our abilities to make the changes we wish to make.


Finding Balance


Open/balanced:  Higher spiritual awareness; love and aspiration for the Divine; selfless love for others; ability to trust innermost feelings, take emotional risks and share feelings.


Over-active: So open to higher levels that lacks grounding on a mundane, physical level.


Closed/blocked:  Fearful of and rejecting of higher spiritual realities; unable to express emotions; feels bitter and betrayed; doesn't trust self or others; weak immune system.


Methods to Open and Strengthen the Higher Heart Chakra


Crystals


Kunzite - release from negative patterns of behaviour, especially addictive behaviour; helps find detachment; connects to universal love; promotes willingness to serve and tolerance of self and others.


Dioptase - promotes higher levels of consciousness; overcomes sense of lack; helps fulfil potential; can help indicate direction if you don't know what to do next.


Rose Quartz - opens chakra; promotes spiritual growth, compassion and forgiveness; promotes trust and universal love.


Pink Petalite - provides reassurance and helps remove deep-seated guilt and grief.


Foods to energise chakra


Avocado, kiwi, cucumber, courgette, marrow, kale.


Essences


A Higher Heart Chakra Essence can be bought on line (see www.crystalherbs.com)


Natural Remedies  (available from www.all-ages-vitamins.co.uk)


Low energy - spirulina
Fatigue - Ginseng, valerian root
Boost immune system - Echinacea, cumin

Helen Shortland is a Spiritual Consultant, Reiki Master Healer/Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics.