Archive for April, 2009

What’s a Cuddle Party?
Cuddle Parties are facilitated gatherings where adults come together to cuddle. Far from being a free-for-all, Cuddle Party facilitators start with an orientation where rules are set and exercises bring connection and feelings of safety. Want to get a hug? Just ask. Want to give a hug? Just ask. Cuddlers wear PJs and congregate in a living room or other comfortable space to touch, talk and cuddle. And Cuddle Parties have been going on for the past 5 years. From ‘s Cuddle Party’s Website: "Cuddle Party is a playful social event designed for adults to explore communication, boundaries and affection. The brainchild of two relationship coaches, Cuddle Party was conceived in February 2004. Since then, Reid Mihalko and Marcia Baczynski have sought to bring clean, safe, welcomed affection to the world through these events."

My experience
Arrival and set-up
I’ve known about Cuddle Parties since Edie Moser told me about them a couple of years ago and I always wanted to go. It never worked out for me to go until just recently. I arrived to find a snack buffet and people dressed in their jammies, ready to cuddle. We all signed in, got name tags, were told when we would start and that the process would be explained once we started. I felt well-informed and comfortable. After everyone arrived and signed in, we proceeded to our cuddling location. The living room of the house hosting the event had been set up with mattresses, pillows and blankets, in addition to the couches, chairs and rugs already in the room. We were given an orientation of the house, what the house rules were, where the bathrooms were, where to go for snacks, that it was okay to get up, walk around, go to the bathroom, get a snack or leave if we had to. We introduced ourselves, said why we were there and what we hoped to get out/bring to the Cuddle Party. Then we got into the Cuddle Party rules. Set perfectly within the explanation of the rules were exercises specifically designed to make people feel comfortable in addition to sharing with each other and practicing saying, "no". Being able to say, "no" is so important that we each got to practice it 6 times. We told each other what our boundaries were, what type of touch we like and what type of touch we don’t like. After everyone understood the rules and had started connecting through the exercises, we were ready to cuddle!

The Cuddling
Our cuddling blossomed out of the last exercise in the orientation where we were all falling into each other. But I found myself asking someone if I could massage her shoulders and while I was doing that someone asked if he could massage mine while I was massaging hers. We had all said, "yes" so we started massaging. There were requests for many different types of touch during the 3-hour cuddling session, including hair stroking, hand holding and foot massages. Every time someone wanted to move on to something or someone else, they were very considerate of the person they had been cuddling with before moving on.

I was surprised that there was so much talking during the cuddling, but I just hadn’t thought about it much before I went to one. It makes sense, though, and lots of interesting conversations were had and overheard.

What I especially liked
Everyone was responsible for themselves, asking for what they wanted, being honest with saying, "yes" and "no" and everything else. This took a lot of pressure off those of us who feel a need to be reciprocal when someone does something nice for us. Therefore, I knew if someone was sitting off to the side, and wasn’t asking for anything, that they would ask when they needed or wanted something, or when they got over whatever was keeping them from asking for what they needed or wanted. It was freeing for me because I realized I wasn’t responsible for everyone’s happiness. (I think a lot of mothers have that feeling of being responsible for keeping the party moving and making sure everyone has a good time.)

Added benefit
One thing Edie told us was that this is also therapeutic. She was right. I got over several fears I had along with a lot of beliefs that weren’t working for me. It raised my level of awareness of how touching can affect someone’s mood and outlook on life. I can also imagine how great this would be for people who have intimacy problems they are ready to get over.

After affects
As I was driving home I found I was more forgiving with drivers and the people around me. It was amazing. And when I got home that night I found myself wanting to touch my family more and finding more opportunities to touch. I had this happy glow and felt wonderful.

I became more aware of touch. I saw a friend of mine in a store a few days afterward and noticed how it positively affected me when she stroked my back in greeting when she saw me.

When the next Saturday rolled around, I wanted to have the experience again and considered how nice it would be to have a weekly cuddle practice. I guess if I lived in an intentional house like Trellis House, (where we had the cuddle party), we could cuddle every day to our mutual benefit. Maybe we’ll plan a family cuddle each night before bedtime. That would be nice. Or maybe I’ll just have to become a Cuddle Party Facilitator to get enough cuddling.

Conclusion
I really enjoyed the Cuddle Party and plan on going to more, taking my husband with me. I think that going alone and going with your partner can be both healing and opening for the relationship. This can be a really wonderful experience for many people, positively altering their experience of touching and being touched.

The End
At the end of the Cuddle Party, Edie announced, "You’re no longer strangers. Now you’re just strange!" And strange we all are: in our society to be willing to reach out and touch someone, honoring values and boundaries while still nourishing ourselves and others in a loving, thoughtful way. Now that’s strange, and wonderful and beautiful.

Cuddle on! and let’s change the world, one cuddle at a time.

Visit the Cuddle Party‘s Website
Find a Cuddle Party in your town

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Happy Earth Day to you all!

Earth Day Report
I’m happy to report that the earth is healthy, strong and getting more evolved every day. Humans are becoming more conscious and being responsible for their actions and their emotions. Animals are starting to feel safer and prosper.

You see what you want and you get more of what you see 
Many spiritual teachers agree that you get more of what you look at. Look at what you do want and you will get more of it. When I say, "look at" I mean, "give your attention to".

Picture a world that works for everyone
If everyone would spend some of their time visualizing a world that works for everyone, that’s what we would get. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Happy Earth Day!

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Examine your feelings
When the time comes to let something go, be it a job, a relationship, a home or something else, we can get the most out of the experience by letting it go gracefully and peacefully. When we are feeling uncomfortable emotions about the letting go, then it’s time to examine those feelings. Those feelings can be many things including issues that are unresolved, lingering emotions from the in-between adjustment as our energy realigns itself, anticipation or fear about what is to come, etc. The list goes on. Examining them will help bring you to an understanding and thereby release them, getting the most out of the experience you had.

See life as helping you
Being at peace with life comes from looking at it from a place of seeing all things as leading toward our evolution and growth. If the Universe is conspiring to help us in all things, as Amanda Miller tells me, then everything is leading us toward our greater good. Find the gift in the experience you had, thank it and let it go, being willing to move on to the next segment of your life ready to receive those gifts from the new segment.

Paving the road
Paving the road before you to help you on your path is something you can do right now. As you go throughout your day pay attention to your feelings. When you have feelings that don’t feel good to you, give them your attention. Write it down to examine it later if you don’t have time to do something about it right then. When you can, spend some time realigning the energies of those emotions by using the Neutral Heart Technique, Focusing, or something else that helps you resolve the emotions. Sometimes I just give it my full attention asking why I’m feeling that way and what about the situation is making me feel that way. Sometimes that’s all it takes and the energy shifts and I suddenly feel differently. I believe it was Anthony Robbins who talked about a technique of replaying a situation in our minds changing elements to make it ridiculous in our minds, like slowing it down and speeding it up, so we no longer think of it so seriously.

Other benefits
Being willing to let things go gracefully will also help keep you happier and thereby positively contribute to the Collective Human Energy Field, which helps bring Humanity closer to its evolution.

Grandest Version of the Greatest Vision
Now that you are looking at the experiences of your life as benefiting you, and you can process your emotions and move on, you can look back and see the perfection of where you have been and where you are now. Trust that the Universe is leading you toward the next Grandest Version of the Greatest Vision that Life has for you and “Make it so”!

Love, Peace, Blessings and Grace to you all,

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Reiki?
Kwan Yin Magnified Healing?
Gestalt Therapy?
Massage?
Holosync®?
Talk Therapy?
Body Talk?
Hypnotherapy?
Healing Touch?
Energy Healing?
Therapeutic Touch?
Therapeutic Massage?
Process Acupressure?
Living from the Heart?
Heaven on Earth Workshops?
Seven Rays Workshop?
Drumming with Native "American" frame drums?
Kinesiology?
Meditation?
Raw foods?
Self analysis?
Practicing the Power of Now?
Self-help books?
Sweat lodges?
Event Temples?
Making a drum?
Portrait reflections?
Heart breathing?
Others?

Dawn’s healing
Have you ever wondered how I got to where I am? Like many people that are incarnated at this time, I have walked the path of the wounded healer and become a healer myself. I’ve had many healing experiences over the years and they have built upon each other to bring me to the place where I am today: leading a healthy life in mind. body and spirit. I like to refer to myself as a Constantly Healing Individual (C.H.I.). When things come up that don’t feel good to me (unresolved emotional issues) I use one of the many techniques I’ve learned to clear the energy within me until that issue is completely transformed.

What I’ve done
Since I started my healing and spiritual journey in 1989 I’ve made amazing strides toward that end. I’ve done all of the things listed above. I’m sure there are some that I’ve forgotten and certainly "self-help books" covers a lot of territory but this is a good list to start with.

The resultant healing work
The result of all this work over the years is that I now consider myself called to start working as a healer and offer healing sessions for what people can afford at this time, in this world. I’ve always said that a healer can only take you as far as they have gone themselves, so in your search for a healer to work with, you want to make sure they are still working on themselves and that they have gone further than you.

Your healing
If you are ready to incorporate a healer into your journey then consider whether or not it feels right for us to work together. Sessions can be done in person, over the phone or remotely and incorporate whatever you need, as all healing comes from Source. I get myself in alignment with Source, The Universe (whatever name works for you) and get out of the way so the Universal Energy flows directly to you.

Buy one, get one free
During the month of April, all healing sessions are buy one and get one free. That’s a $50 savings as sessions are $50 for an hour. Yes, I know, that’s well below what others are charging now and it isn’t reflective of the healing work that’s happening for you. It’s simply what I’m being guided to do now, for humanity to propel us all further along the way toward our evolution and enlightenment.

About the healing sessions
Healing sessions are done clothed can be in person in the Phoenixville, PA area, over the phone or remotely at a pre-scheduled time (you just relax and let me do the work from afar).

Healing sessions are $50 for 1 hour and $75 for 2 hours

Email Dawn for more information or to schedule an appointment

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Want a pep talk?

Want to be heard?
 
Need to talk?

Just want someone to listen?

Looking for answers?

Looking to see the world from a different perspective?

Looking to see the perfection in the Universe and in your life?

Want a paradigm shift?

Want a pick-me-up?

Just want an excuse to spend 30 minutes focusing on you?

Want all this at a reasonable price?

Well, you got it!
If you ever wanted to sign-up for my more intense (and more expensive) Living a Harmonious Life in Body, Mind, and Spirit or Helping You Find the Next Step on Your Journey Coaching sessions but, for whatever reason, weren’t ready to make the leap, I’m now offering 30 minute phone sessions where you get just what you want, for $25 a session. And it’s not just a warm body on the other end of the phone, I can actually help you shift the energy of where you are and whatever is happening for you so you can move along more freely in your life, toward your goals and dreams.

Benefits
The benefits of spending time talking to someone who’s really listening (listening with the whole body, as Eckhert Tolle talks about in The Power of Now) can help shift your energy, release unresolved emotions and move you toward wholeness. Besides that, it feels really good!

How I got this idea
The other day I was thinking how nice it would be just to have someone to talk to for 30 minutes to discuss an issue I was having and then it hit me, the Universe was suggesting that I become the "someone to talk to" and be there for other people! Well, sometimes things just have to "Dawn" on me.

Recap:
30 Minute phone session
Talk about what you want
Get the response and feedback you ask for
$25 for 30 minutes
$40 for 60 minutes

Email Dawn to schedule your 30 or 60 minute phone session and bring more light into your life

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