Musings from the Journey
Enhance your life and fortify a deeper connection with your True Self.
 It's Earth Day this Wednesday April 22nd, and Arbor Day follows on Friday the 24th. This is a great time to deepen your connection with the Earth and the land around you. We are in relationship with all the living beings around us, and we rely on the earth for our needs.
What is one way that you can cultivate a loving relationship with the Earth this week? Some ideas:
Have fun, and delight in what you experience. Your Neighborhood Hippie, ;) Sarah P.S. Looking for a session? I still have a few openings this week:
P.P.S. The next round of Reiki training starts June 27th. Perhaps you'd like to join us?
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 So last week I wrote about a cycle I was caught in years ago with a person in my life. This person would lash out, offer a heartfelt apology, things would be calm for a while then the cycle would repeat.
I do genuinely believe this person felt remorse for how they showed up, and wanted to do better. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and I saw ways that they were trying to learn, grow and heal. At the time, this was enough for me to stay. I mean, I cared deeply about this person, and they weren't always lashing out, we still had good times together. I wanted to believe that they could eventually heal, and things would get better. Despite this, the pattern repeated itself so many times, I can't even give an estimate. It didn't stop until I chose to remove myself from the scenario. Before I worked up the courage to leave, I heard the phrase somewhere: The best apology is changed behavior. I held that idea for while, giving them a chance to do something different. Ultimately, they didn't. So I did what I needed to do to take care of myself, and let myself soak in the idea that I deserved to be treated better. (We all deserve this!) I left. Taking accountability for how we show up is a really important piece in having a healthy relationship with ourselves and others. While it usually isn't easy to make a change, getting the support that will actually help us get better is essential. The person in my life was making an effort, so it was easy for me to be encouraged by that. However, what I eventually realized was that all of the approaches he was trying were through self-study and reflection. He didn't seek out any third-party supports that would help him see his blind spots, and hold him accountable. As such, it was easy for him to bypass what was necessary. This doesn't mean that we can't make progress through self-work, we certainly can. However, sometimes we really do need outside support and perspective. There are limitations to how far we can grow alone. And, ultimately, in this situation, the efforts he was making didn't result in a change in behavior—not taking his stuff out on me. I invite you to reflect on this idea: the best apology is changed behavior. What comes up for you? Perhaps, you have found yourself on one or both sides of this spectrum. How did or could you take accountability for your part? Or how did or could you set a boundary if you need to? Need a little help on this front? Here for you, without judgment, and proud of anyone willing to do the work that is necessary. Hugs, Sarah  My compassion used to get me in trouble years ago.
I'd find myself in a scenario with someone I cared about and I knew well, and they'd be lashing out at me. Eventually the interaction would shift from dumping to apologies. They were so sorry. They were lashing out because of trauma that happened to them in the past. Then things would be calm for a while. Days would pass, and eventually the cycle would repeat. They weren't wrong. I could see why they were hurting, and behaving that way. That person had been cruel to them. They had been through something very difficult. It all made sense to me, and I let that be an excuse for how they would talk to me, even though it would leave me upset and discombobulated to be their dumping ground. I hoped they'd eventually find healing, and it'd get better. Eventually, I realized that this bounty of compassion I was extending to them, I wasn't extending to myself for being in this situation. Also, that this person was a grown ass adult, and capable of taking responsibility for the way they show up. By being so understanding of their wounds, and not setting the boundary that I would remove myself if they would lash out, I was enabling them to continue treating me poorly. I did set the boundary, and because the behavior continued even after, it meant I ultimately left that relationship. Finally, I let the scales balance so I had just as much compassion (and protection) for myself as I did the other person. My compassion for them didn't go away, BUT the way I took care of myself in that situation changed. I share this, because sometimes I hear clients recalling similar conundrums. It is a very difficult place to be. And perhaps you, or someone you know, needs to hear the words that I would become a mantra for me: An explanation is not an excuse. Years later, I still stand by these words. I have compassion for people who are suffering, and have trauma. It is real, and painful. AND, if you are an adult, in the vast majority of situations, you have access to free and professional resources (books, podcasts, support groups, therapy, classes, etc) that can help you heal. Part of healing is taking accountability for our actions, and ensuring that we don't let that cycle continue by harming others. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. Okay? Stay tuned next week for our next slogan. ;) Find yourself in this scenario, or another that you can use support with? Reach out! In Solidarity, Humility, and Strength, Sarah  Every week there is a new horrifying or gobsmacking event happening in the US. I try to write in ways that are relevant to current events and how to navigate them while tending to our inner world and the collective, but I don't have the capacity to respond to them every time. Now that my cued e-letters for Reiki training are up (we've postponed the start until we have more registrants, so let me know if you are interested!), I'm confronted again with what to write.
I'm going to speak plainly today. If you haven't been paying attention, you need to now. If you listen to Fox News, it's time to find another source. They've been lying to you. It's time to find non-violent ways to respond, and repeat, ad nauseam. This is the necessity of these times. Minnesotans are brave. Resilient. Scared. Doing the thing anyway. In frigid, unsafe temperatures. I love them. I wish they didn't have to do this. I know many of you have Minnesotans in your life. Check on them. Send them care packages. Protest in solidarity with them (there are many ICE Out protests going on around the country.) Let them know they aren't doing this alone. Us Midwesterners are hearty folk. We've lived through the bitter cold and snow year after year. We care about our community, and that is showing in the unwillingness to submit to bullies who just want us to lay down and take it. Fuck that. The macrocosm is the microcosm. Imagine (or remember) an abusive family system. The emotionally and physically abusive parent hurts one of the children. The other is the golden child (immune to the physical harm, but also steeped in the emotional harm in different ways). The child who is being hit says something, speaks out about the abuse. "How dare that child say anything?" thinks the abusive parent or enabler. They should just sit there and take it. The abusers thinks the child is making them hit them, because the child upset them. It would all just be better if they were quiet. Well, that's the narrative for the US right now coming from those in positions of power. Historians and political scientists have a world for it when it's a government: Totalitarianism. From Britannica.com: Totalitarianism is a form of government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens. It is characterized by strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. It does not permit individual freedom. Traditional social institutions and organizations are discouraged and suppressed, making people more willing to be merged into a single unified movement. Totalitarian states typically pursue a special goal to the exclusion of all others, with all resources directed toward its attainment, regardless of the cost. My work is all about healing and releasing trauma. This administration is generating so much trauma it brings me to tears. Sometimes I collapse on my floor, head in my hands, before I rally myself. Alex. Renee. A baby that stopped breathing from being teargassed. An autistic woman carried away as she was on the way to the doctor. A peaceful protestor blinded. Oglala Sioux Tribal members detained (they are the only ones who never immigrated! wtf?!?!). People of color (citizens and those here legally) profiled, harassed, detained because of how they look, how they speak, how they dress. I could go on and on. All of these people, they need us. We need us. The Republican members of Congress have the power to stop this. There is still time to pressure them to rein in ICE. Congress: 202-224-3121. You don't have to have the perfect thing to say. You just need to call. Honestly, I find it rather cathartic hounding Ron Johnson. ;) What I do believe in is the power of the people. You and me. There are more of us than there are of them. We are fed up, and this doesn't have to continue. We just have to be willing to do something about it. Stand in your power. Don't give it away to them in complacency or fear. We are stronger together. Voces de la Frontera has resources to support immigrants, and rally to protect them in Wisconsin. Donate, volunteer, get involved. We need to be ready. Monarcha is the rapid response line in Minnesota. They need our support. Keep an eye on the 287g program, and speak up! This gives municipalities federal money for local law enforcement to collaborate with ICE. Because they've been deputized in this way, essentially any police officers in participating counties are also effectively ICE agents. They often also have beds reserved in their jails for detainees. There are numerous counties in Wisconsin that are currently participating at the time of this writing: Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Outagamie, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, Waushara, Winnebago, and Wood Counties Sheriffs' Offices, and the Palmyra Police Department. This is also reversible! So if you live in one of those counties, speak up and say you do not want your police department participating! Know that I'm doing what I can to stand with you in this. I've been standing up to bullies since 1987. Standing up to these bullies has become my new hobby. If you need help regulating your nervous system, or finding moments to recharge to keep doing the thing, I'm here. I'm also wanting to offer Reiki to immigrants and those being harmed by this administration. If you would like to donate funds to help sponsor folks, or donate your own Reiki skills to help, let me know. Hopefully, our little bits of effort will lessen some of the long lasting impacts of this harm. Keep showing up. Love ya'll and stay safe out there, Sarah  Mikao Usui was a seeker. Born in 1865 in Japan, Usui had a diverse array of experiences including oversees travel, and jobs as a civil servant, journalist, missionary, and counselor for prisoners. He studied history, medicine, Buddhism, Christianity, psychology, asceticism, prophesy, physiognomy (the ability to judge one’s character by their facial features), and more, in his quest to discover the meaning of life. He eventually received his answer: “attain a state of complete peace/stillness of mind.”
Usui took up Zen Buddhism for three years hoping to reach this state, to no avail. He asked his master for advice, to which he replied, “Maybe you should experience death.” In March 1922, Usui gave up on life, and retreated up to Mount Kurama for meditation and fasting in preparation for his death. At midnight during his third week of fasting, Usui felt a powerful shock at the center of his brain, and lost consciousness. When he awoke at dawn, he felt refreshed in a way he had never felt before. Reiki energy had penetrated his body and soul. As the cosmic energy and his personal energy resonated together, he realized, “The Universe is me, and I am the Universe.” Overjoyed that he had attained enlightenment, Usui ran down the mountain. He tripped over a rock, and ripped off his toenail. He placed his hand on his toe, and the pain vanished and the bleeding stopped. He shared this experience with his master, who guided him to use this ability to heal others and lead them to enlightenment. This is where Usui developed Reiki as a healing method, which would be passed down directly from teacher to student. And so, Reiki as a healing art began. Many drawn to Reiki are also seekers. Seeking depth, meaning, healing, something they might not have words for. Are you a seeker? Perhaps, the Reiki energy calls to you. If you follow the call, you might be surprised where it might lead. We have a training program that starts in about a month. I invite you to join us, see where the path goes. Read more about the training here. It's super supportive and nourishing. Class size is limited to 3-6 students, and deadline to register is Jan 24th. I hope you'll join us. Reach out with questions. In the Highest Good, Sarah Setting intentions for the new year.  2025 is exhaling its last few breaths. Phew! What a revolution around the sun. We're still here.
Hopefully, you've been finding some moments for you to also catch your breath. While New Year's resolutions swirl in the air, I invite you to take a slightly different spin on it. What seeds of light do you want to plant for yourself in 2026? Friendship — Community — Understanding — Justice — Health — Spiritual Growth — Security — Ease — Creativity — Adventure — Love — Truth Perhaps, there are some qualities that were lacking for you this past year that you are yearning for? Some unmet needs you'd like to tend to? Narrow it to one to three qualities. Write them down. Meditate on them. Brainstorm some actionable strategies that you can play with to meet those needs. You don't have to know all the ways. Just something that can give you enough traction to start. When we hold qualities versus a resolution, typically, there are a variety of ways to meet those needs, and we can pivot amongst strategies throughout the year. It is more about cultivating the conditions for "love" (or whatever quality) to grow, than succeeding or failing at a goal. After reflecting, what seeds of light do you want to nurture this year? Share with us in the comments. Do healing, intuition, spiritual connection, community, self-care, or empowerment make your list? If so, I invite you to join this year's Reiki Training Program that starts Feb 7th. Learn more here, and register to hold your spot. Happy New Year, ~Sarah  While we prepare to slow down a bit, connect, and remember what matters this week, I want to shower a little love on indigenous folks. Their communities and families have been through so much over the last several centuries, and despite hardship and injustice, they are still here. They have stood for sovereignty, human rights, and clean air and water from the beginning. Thanksgiving isn't just a holiday about gratitude for them, it is a remembrance of all the trauma their communities have been through.
We can be a part of the healing from this history and patterns. It doesn't come from sweeping it under the rug, and moving on. It comes from real repair of the harm, showing respect, love, and care. This Thanksgiving, I invite you to think about how you can give back to the native people that are local to your area, and across the United States. This might be support through uplifting their work, voices, and art. Perhaps it's by pouring resources into their communities, or supporting land back campaigns. There are many layers to such wide spread intergenerational healing that will require acts large and small. A couple indigenous authors I am grateful for include: Robin Wall Kimmerer: A mother, scientist, professor, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Robin is author of Braiding Sweetgrass, one of my favorite books. Her writing is soothing, compelling and honors the land, and many of the stories of native people. She recently published The Serviceberry which I am eager to read. James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw: A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, a renowned international speaker, digital creator, and author of 'The Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings. James is passionate about preserving and sharing the Ojibwe language, and wisdom teachings of native elders guiding us towards Minobimaadiziwin, "the good life"—a life of harmony, free from contradiction or conflict. Birchbark Books is a native owned bookshop in The Twin Cities that features indigenous authors, speakers, and artists. Do you have other indigenous folks that you would like to uplift? Share with us in the comments. ~Sarah P.S. If you are looking for gift certificates for our services, you can find them here. Prices will be going up in 2026 (more on that soon), so this is a great time to stock up at the current rate. Though there is not a rush, you can purchase these until the end of the year. Enjoy the week. Connect with yourselves, your loved ones, and the land. Focus on what matters. :)  Last Friday, I had just wrapped up with clients, and decided to log onto Instagram briefly before heading home. The first thing on my feed was a video of the most traumatizing and disturbing ICE encounter I've seen yet. My survival mode kicked in, and I messaged some people I follow about the need to speak up. Why are they staying silent when horrible things are happening? I got home, and I was essentially in a freeze state the rest of the night on my couch, staring at my wall while my kitties purred and tried to soothe my nervous system. The encounter I saw online didn't happen in my neighborhood. It's hard to know how to respond when the threat isn't immediately in front of you. It's hard when you try to say something, and the people in power don't listen, and are the ones actively causing the harm. It's hard when you see people suffering... not just suffering... being brutalized and dehumanized, and you don't know what you can do. I can see the deep scars this moment will make on these individuals, and the help they'll need to heal if they are fortunate enough to access those resources in the future. I know you see it too. At minimum, you know this is happening out there somewhere. Some would say, "Sarah, this is why I don't watch the news. It's too distressing, and I can't do anything about it anyway. You just need to stop watching." Yes, current events are distressing. I'm really disheartened by the decisions many humans are making these days. Some would say, "That's just how humans are! You can't do anything to change it! People will always hurt other people, be selfish, ignorant, etc." Yes, humanity has shown violence, thirst for power, greed, and lies for thousands of years. Guess I should just give up. It's not worth it. Let it all devolve into even greater chaos. ... That last line was so disingenuous, it was hard to type. In my personal life, I'm someone that needs the elephant in the room acknowledged, otherwise I end up feeling pretty gaslit. My life experience has shown me that pretending something isn't happening when it is, not only doesn't stop it from happening, it can also cause more harm. It also makes it harder to address the problem, when you are ignoring the presence of it. While there are limits to how I consume the news (I might need to manage how, when, and how much I take in), avoiding it isn't the solution. About humanity doing dastardly things... yeah, maybe. But that is only one side of the potential of humanity. The other end is full of revelation, compassion, creativity, resilience, service. That's the side I aim to live on. The fact that I feel things when I see injustice and cruelty is a sign my heart is still open. I can use those feelings as fodder to propel actions that bring healing, liberation, growth, etc. I know many of you are walking with me on this path. And, I know it's not easy. I wish we didn't have to do it. And if you aren't already walking with us, I invite you to join us. So, what do we do? I don't have all the answers, and I think it's going to vary depending on what's happening in your communities right now. That being said, here are a few ideas:
One upcoming piece of (non)action: MASS BLACKOUT Wed Nov 25–Tues Dec 2nd (Yes, that's over Black Friday and Cyber Monday) Avoid major retailers, travel, restaurants. Cancel streaming and digital subscriptions. If you must spend: support small, local businesses only. Pay in cash if you can. Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30 is exempted from the blackout To stay engaged for the long-term, we need to be regulating and taking good care of ourselves. You might find our healing work and meditations to be supportive in this process. If so, reach out.
I'm here for you, and walking with you, Sarah P.S. A little palate cleanser and chuckle for ya, from the Canadians. What do you want to grow?  If you know me, you know I am a sucker for a good metaphor. As I've been gardening over the years, the process has revealed how it is very much like healing, and personal growth.
When we first come upon a parcel of land upon which we wish to grow flowers or food, we don't always inherit a pristine plot that's been well-tended by previous stewards. It might be overtaken by weeds, had poisons or debris that have seeped into the soil, or be a monoculture and the lack of diversity shows in the dullness of soil life. Our lives might be like this. We don't have control of what we've inherited from our families, culture, or communities. There might be many blessings you've received, perhaps this garden was well cared for in the past, and you have many healthy perennials or trees to enjoy fruit, shade, and fragrance. Though many of us who find our way to healing practices often need to clean up what was left to us, even if it wasn't our fault, because if we don't, it may poison us, or keep us from cultivating what we wish to enjoy. Just like gardening, healing is an ongoing process. We need to continue to check in with our plants making sure they are getting the water they need, nutrients, aren't been crowded out, and are in harmony with the other plants, insects, and beings around them. By making small or big tweaks along the way, what you want to grow gets the support it needs. Sometimes, there are other things beyond our control. A stretch of drought, a wave of pests that eats up your peppers, a huge wind storm that uproots your sunflowers. Some of these scenarios can be curbed, or recovered from. For other events, we just have to accept our losses, and that we won't be able to continue as planned this year. My favorite parts of gardening are when I see the bright little shoots of new growth in the spring, or tasting a cherry tomato warmed from the sun, or catching glowing the sunset as the songbirds fly while smelling aromas of sage and sweetgrass. Gifts from just being out in the broader web of nature, and the sweet little wonders from having a very personal relationship with the soil, the plants, the pollinators. There are so many ways that our healing can surprise, and sustain us in simple, profound and grounded ways. How is the garden of your healing looking today? What do you want to grow? What does it need? Cheers to you, and the green and growing ones, ~Sarah What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?  Have you ever watched Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.? I always find the threads and ancestral stories that are revealed fascinating. We have all sorts of characters in our family line. I have to remember, these aren't just characters. They were real people just like you and me, and they didn't have the 20/20 hindsight of how things were going to turn out. Whether you know your family history, or its a bit a of a mystery, you probably have noticed some of the ways the generations before you have impacted your life, even if it's just how your parents and grandparents shaped your life experiences.
But have you ever thought about the kind of ancestor you will be? I imagine those of you with children have probably thought about this. I know if you're reading this, you are part of a mindful bunch. Even if you don't have progeny, you will still be an ancestor to the humans and other creatures on this planet yet to come. What are the stories that you want told about auntie or uncle _______? How do you imagine your descendants will be impacted by the ripples of your life? Certainly, we are not perfect, and we can't clean up all the messes or fix all the problems in one lifetime. But we can choose how we respond to the moment that has come before us. There are a couple aspects of this that I think of: 1) How do we deal with the patterns that we've inherited within our family? Do we do our part to untangle that knotted ball of yarn or do we pass it on? This might be patterns of illness, dysfunctional relationship, addiction, etc. On the contrary, what gifts do we carry forward that we've been blessed with? 2) How do we respond to the scenarios that are unfolding in the collective? What kind of a world and community do we leave behind for everyone? So... what do you think? What kind of ancestor do you want to be? Share with us in the comments. As you do your best to live that intention out into the world, remember you are not doing it alone. Somewhere in your line, you likely have ancestors who found the courage, cleverness, creativity, healing, etc. that you are wishing to embody who can walk with you and guide you along the way. Even if you can't find them in your family line, there are people in the history of humanity who've likely forged that path before. They are cheering for you. Here's to having the fortitude to leave something good behind, Sarah |
Sarah Barlow
Reiki Master Teacher and Owner of Embrace Your Essence Sign up for our E-Letters Here
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