When you wish upon a star

I remember that song from childhood, and I was always wishing on stars—for everything from a puppy to french fries for dinner. Remove the romanticism, and what it means is, "ask and it will come."

Today I once again had proof of how well this works. I opened my front door to go to San Francisco, and there was a package on the porch—a pretty large package, containing a new portable massage table for the Wellspring Women's Center!

Many thanks to the generous person who read about this wish in my last post. She prefers to be anonymous, but I wanted everyone to know that my wish was fulfilled faster than I could have imagined. I've seen so many instances of manifestation of this sort, and the people at Wellspring operate on the same principle.

I am hugely grateful for this gift, as well as her donation of soaps, shampoos and more for the hygiene bags Wellspring hands out to its clients, Sacramento women who are homeless. I'll be using the table for a new clinic I'm doing on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday mornings of each month, offering self-care tips and bodywork sessions.

If you'd like to support the caring work of Wellspring, please check them out—the link is right up there above the picture. They can use everything from hygiene supplies and diapers, to art supplies and fabric, as well as supplies for their children's corner. When they have classes or are providing services like counseling and chiropractic and body care, the children have a safe supervised play area with toys, books and more.

And now, they'll have a comfortable table to relax on for a few minutes of caring touch, something that's a rare thing in the life of someone without a home. Thank you for making this happen!

Brrrrr! The Lotus Pond isn’t frozen over, but…

The chill months of the year are here, and our natural response to cold is to husband our strength, let go of what is not needed, and renew our deep resources. Plants go dormant, animals hibernate, waters slow as the temperatures drop. Butt humans are expected to be equally productive and energetic no matter the time of year. It’s no wonder that SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is common in these months, or that immune systems get overloaded and people are more likely to get sick. The planet is in a low point of its cycle here in the northern hemisphere, and that's often perceived as a negative, a “bad” thing. A period of restoration is good for us, and finding ways to provide that for ourselves is a positive. When we restore our own reserves, then we can move more easily in the world around us.

Today this came to my attention, and set off a chain of thought.
“The antidote to negativity is not positivity—it’s warmth.
Positivity tells a sad person there’s no reason to be sad.
Warmth asks the sad person if they want to go get some ice cream.”

With the temperatures below zero across much of our hemisphere, we might want to opt for a cup of hot cocoa instead of ice cream, but remedies aside, what this recommends is to respond to the reality of the situation, to be present for that sad person, to meet someone struggling exactly where they are at the moment of encounter.

Warmth steps away from judgment, from comparison or advice, from “fixing” someone’s problem. As a bodyworker, it’s far too easy to fall into being the fixer, to think that I can change a muscle tension or a holding pattern or a trauma response by simply moving or touching the body, when what the body is asking for is to be heard and held as it is.

Humans are hard-wired to move toward healing; our bodies know what we need, if we take the time and attention to listen to them. The classes I've had recently reminded me again that my job is not to heal you, but to help you find the direction to move to allow you to heal yourself. Whether that’s a physical direction to be better aligned, or looking at a mindset that’s affecting your body patterns in a different way, or listening to your body respond to a sorrow or worry you are carrying, my role is to provide a safe space for you to find your own way.

An ideal way to provide that restorative space is with a Reiki session. For February only, I’m offering you an hour of Reiki combined with acupressure for only $60 here in Isleton. No fuss with getting undressed, just come be cozy on my heated table under a soft blanket, and be restored and rebalanced.

What’s New in Lotus Land

As you know, I’m building up a practice in Sacramento Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in addition to my Isleton practice. Right now, you can introduce your friends and family to me for half-price, via my current Sacramento-only Groupon deal.

60- or 90-minute sessions of Reiki combined with acupressure, Ortho-Bionomy® and other body work. What a great Valentine’s Day gift for someone special!

As part this process, I’m volunteering clothed bodywork in places where it’s needed. On the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays from 1-3 PM I’m at the Asian Community Senior Center (7334 Park City Dr., Sacramento) for a $10 donation to the ACC.

And beginning March 12, every 2nd & 4th Tuesday between 9:30-11:30 AM, I’ll be helping some of Sacramento’s unhoused women at Wellspring Women’s Center (3414 4th Ave, Sacramento) with some self-care tips and free mini-sessions. Wellspring does amazing work, and I’m hoping someone who sees this will donate a portable table to the Center; the space for sessions is up a steep and narrow stairway in a repurposed fire station, and lugging a table up there every time will be a little challenging for me.

And with thanks…

As always, I’m grateful that you take the time to read these notes, that you share your wellness journey with me, and that you give me your trust. As we hibernate and heal through the winter cold, we can let go of what no longer is in our best interests, and trust our body’s deepest wisdom to be moved into healing and health.

With love and light to all,
Beth

December 8, 2018

Heads Up! Read all the way to the end for a chance to win a free session!

Holiday greetings from Floating Lotus!

As nights get longer and days colder, we mark the turn of the seasons with festivities to honor and celebrate hope in the darkness. We crave warmth and light, and surround ourselves with comforts; a toasty fire, a cozy blanket, a pot of soup or stew, a shared smile, a hug. 

It’s also a season for sharing. It’s easy to feel grateful for what we have, and it’s even more satisfying to be grateful for what we can give. Is there some way you can give another person the opportunity to be grateful? How can we bring more abundance and gratitude into the world, even in the smallest of ways? Give a gift that brings gratitude and abundance—to the gift and to your wallet too! 

From now until midnight on Winter Solstice (Friday, December 21) you can purchase a gift certificate for this treat, and receive it in time to stuff in a stocking!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!

60 minutes of attention where you need it most. 

Pamper those toes, soles, ankles, calves and knees, relax and release tight shoulders and neck, and rejuvenate and liven your face and scalp. I’ll use all the tricks in my toolbox for gentle, clothed touch, perfect for busy people who don’t have time for a “real” massage, or for those who aren’t comfortable being unclothed.

Give a beautiful Floating Lotus gift certificate — $70 for 60 minutes (and save $10)

Just PayPal Me with your name and address. 

(If you’re a last-minute shopper, you’ll have to stop by to pick it up.)

The Spiral of Gratitude & Abundance

Have you noticed how being grateful brings us more to be grateful for? When we stop to give thanks for the gifts life has given us, it is a moment of being present with what is right before us. In taking that breath and stilling our thoughts, we open ourselves to receiving even more. 

Perhaps it’s a smile or a cheerful greeting as you go about your day, maybe a hug, maybe a friend who listened to you with compassion. Maybe the sunrise or sunset was spectacular, or you noticed a hummingbird in your garden. I invite you to take a few seconds to recognize the love you receive in so many forms, to be—for just 10 seconds—aware and alive and knowing that YOU are worthy of these gifts.

When I take those few seconds in my day, I’m grateful for you, and how you have brought abundance into my life. Your support for my work is a gift I cherish. You inspire me to learn more; your belief in me spurs me on to grow and expand my ideas and my hands-on work!

In recent months I’ve been given some much-appreciated educational support that’s let me attend three events to deepen my work and open me to new approaches: 

• In October, I participated in a multi-hands healing retreat that gave me new insights on the shape of my sessions and some skills in observation that are helping me be even more responsive to what is happening on my table. 
• In November, I shared a weekend of focused learning around impact injuries and trauma that gave me new tools to put in my toolbox; since I’ve had a number of these types of injuries myself, I was able to learn intellectually and experience somatically the changes and releases that can be the result of addressing these injuries with presence and awareness. 
• This past weekend, I took further training in cranial work, with a focus on various levels of touch (skin, muscle, bone, and fluids) that expanded my knowledge of head trauma reactions to injuries in this area. When I reviewed my notes after class, I saw that 90% of it related to client awareness and response, not techniques, primarily about providing safe space and attention to this very subtle work.

I love learning, and am eager to share what I’ve learned with you! If any of this sounds like it’s a perfect fit—or if you know someone who needs my kind of help—please let folks know about Floating Lotus!

And on that subject, you already know that I recently opened a space on Tuesday and Wednesday in downtown Sacramento at 1029 H Street, Suite 102. People are beginning to filter in and I’d like to meet and help more of you! I’m just waiting for some details, but wanted to give you a heads-up—there will soon be a Groupon deal available for a half-price hour session for new clients to give this effort a boost.

I’m also offering an acupressure/Reiki clinic at the Asian Community Center’s Senior Center (call (916) 394-6399 for an appointment.) Enjoy a 15-minute introductory session for only $10. I’m strictly a volunteer; the price covers ACC overhead and programs.

And last, but not least:

MY HOLIDAY GIFT TO YOU—WIN A FREE 90-minute session 

Enter to win this special holiday treat at Floating Lotus’ Facebook page, then LIKE & SHARE the FREE SESSION post. The lucky winner will be picked randomly from everyone who shared, and will be announced Monday, December 17. (Winner can also opt for a gift certificate.) 

Watch for more news as it happens—and remember, I take local checks, cards and PayPal, so it’s always easy to have a session with me!

Love and light,

Beth