I want to sing the praises of the animated film Inside Out 2 this week.
 
Now before you tune out or dismiss me, hear me out…
 
Starting with the original, the writers did a brilliant job showing the personification of each emotion to help anyone watching recognize that while we have all the emotions, we’re not whatever emotion we’re experiencing. It’s temporary.
 
In the second version, the character of Anxiety is introduced. I know anxiety is a big issue for many of us, myself included, and I have to share with you something profound from that movie so spoiler alert, if you're going to watch, stop reading!
 
In the movie, Anxiety is showing the main character Riley all the worst-case scenarios that could happen. Anxiety is so amped up in terror over the worst possible outcomes, that she begins moving so fast, she blurs. The character of Joy comes over and puts her hand on Anxiety to begin to calm that frenetic energy. Then Joy says, “You don't get to determine who Riley is.”
 
That line made me burst into tears. Why? Because when we’re in an anxiety attack, it feels like that's who we are. It feels like we can't slow down or calm down. All the catastrophic scenarios, conscious or subconscious, are ruling us. And yet, anxiety doesn't get to determine who we are. It's a state of being that’s amplified from fear.
 
I find it fascinating that it's Joy that can alleviate Anxiety. And I get it, it's almost impossible to jump from fear to joy on an emotional scale during an anxiety attack. But, what if you do imagine something uplifting- either a memory or something you’d like to experience? Even if you’re making it up! For me, that can pull me out of the spin- imagining something fantastical in my reality.

Then, put your hands over your heart and as much as you can, breathe. Let your exhale be slightly longer than your inhale, to begin to calm the internal cyclone of thoughts and feelings. Feel your feet on the ground and come into present time. As you do that, remind yourself that you’re not your anxiety. This is temporary. This state of being doesn't determine who you really are.
 

As this goes out, I have many clients anxiously awaiting the path of the current hurricane or dealing with the destruction from the last one.

While wrapping all of them in support and protection, I want to remind you that when tragedy strikes an area of the world and you’re feeling compassion for all the people going through the trauma, never underestimate the power of sending light to the area impacted. To the people, the animals, and the land. 
 
It can feel like that's doing nothing, but everything is made up of energy. By your intention to support those in need, the uplifting energy flows to them beautifully. 
 
If you’re feeling great fear or worry, pause and release those energies first. You don’t want to add to the discord. Think of it this way, if you were in the dark and somebody offered you a hand with a light, it would be a soothing, hopeful balm to your system. But if they were scared for you, you’d both be in the dark, feeling fear.
 
So, for all those negatively impacted by the hurricane that just went through and the one that's coming, for all the people in war torn areas, for the people struggling with famine, and any other world issue that speaks to your Soul, send them all some light today. Be the conduit for The Light.
 
May they be elevated, even on a subconscious level, knowing there are those who care.

I remember the first time I felt shame around being a female. It was the summer after third grade, and I was developing early. At summer camp, other girls made fun of me. It was so confusing because up until then, I loved being in a girl body. I wore dresses all the time, I wore pink, I celebrated being a girl. But suddenly, I felt shame. I felt unsafe. I didn't fit in with anyone else and was ostracized. And then ultimately, I was bullied in fourth grade. It seemed that overnight, I went from loving dresses, to wearing baggy sweatshirts and anything to hide my body.
 
That theme continued, teaching me to rely on my masculine energy, rather than my feminine. Ultimately, this led to intense feelings of rage and an eating disorder in high school, most likely because I was denying a part of myself. I pulled out of my heart and body and went into head; it felt safer that way.
 
This is one of the reasons I'm so good at working with rage, I know that energy firsthand. And I know how it can proliferate when you are either suppressing a part of you and being “good,” or when it's the only way you know to be heard.
 
In my early 30's, I came to the channeled work of Lazaris. In one of the first lectures I heard, Lazaris spoke of The Goddess. And not one of the goddesses that I was obsessed with in my 20's such as Aphrodite, Athena, or Isis. No, this was The Divine Co-creator with God. As equals.
 
Now, for some of you that concept isn’t unusual, but when growing up Catholic and being taught that priests (men) were the only ones who could be the intermediary to God- who was a singular male- plus all the church and societal messaging of women as less than, suddenly hearing someone speak of The Goddess as being the ultimate creator and God being her co-creator, that was pretty mind blowing.
 
This started a deep dive into wanting to heal those feminine wounds.
 
I still remember sobbing during the first meditation in which Lazaris had us meet and be embraced by The Divine Feminine energy. I felt so shameful, as if I wasn't worthy to receive that beautiful love. That is a wound of the patriarchy.
 
It took me a long time to heal the shame from this lifetime, as well as from lifetime after lifetime of being persecuted as a woman or having no say in marriages or in one's life.
 
Those scars are still evidenced in today's world. There are still arranged marriages. In many places, a woman is secondary to a man and less than. In some places, under the control and whims of her father. And yet, The Divine Feminine is rising again. But this time, to be in balance with The Divine Masculine. Not the distorted view of the masculine we’ve been taught- the Divine Masculine. So that together, we can co-create a new paradigm. And in order to do that, we need to heal from both the personal and collective scars and wounds of many thousands of years. But we’re doing it already. Because it's not just women who have suffered. Men are also at the sufferance of the patriarchy and the rigors of chauvinism. But for today, I'll speak to the women.
 
Because of this, I paired up with my dear friend and fellow healer Elizabeth Hyer Rose to create a course to help women connect to The Divine Feminine and their own feminine. The beauty of their feminine. Because I know personally that as you begin to welcome in that energy and you feel the healing aspects of it, everything changes.
 
I'm still healing it; it’s a work in progress. But I can tell you that my connection to The Divine Goddess has absolutely transformed my life in beautiful ways. The most profound is that there's no way I would have been able to meet my husband if I hadn't done the deep healing of releasing old female wounds. As I did, I was ready to be an equal partner in total balance with somebody who owns a beautiful frequency of The Divine Masculine. Connecting to my Divine Feminine has also expanded my heart and helped me to heal my rage to ultimately come from a much more loving place.
 
If this sounds appealing to you, join Elizabeth and me next Wednesday October 9th at 5:30 Pacific for a free introductory class in which we connect you to the Goddess. Then if you want to dive deeper, we have a four-week course coming up. Click on the links below to learn more about both.

FREE Class

4 Week Course