In praise of age

I have not withdrawn into despair, I did not go mad in gathering honey, I did not go mad, I did not go mad, I did not go mad. – Hoda Al-Namai

Thinking a lot about how our society views getting older lately.   

I’ve never had a huge concept of “age”, but I experience the unhealthy concept we have of getting olderin our culture of age-obsessed thinking. 

It’s everywhere we look.  

It’s in Hollywood, in politics, in social media.  

We think we should look 18 when we’re 80.  Or at least, 25 when we are 50 and “youth culture” tells us that we are no longer valid.  

Topically, in my experience, (and quantum theory backs this up) the degree that we age is very much based upon the degree that we accept what society tells us is true about age. 

I’ve been told that I look significantly younger than I am my entire adult life.  Part of this is because I believe my body is my temple, and I care for it well, but beyond that, I just don’t think about what I am. “supposed to” look, feel, or be like at any given age. 

I haven’t quite cracked the code on not aging at all; skin cells still break down, and the rate at which they replicate may not be the same at 50 as it is at 15, but our mindset can hugely influence just how rapidly our aging markers shorten.

From every other perspective beyond what we are told about our held value, getting older is an incredible experience.  

Because I have lived many years here on earth,I’ve had ample time and opportunity to learn, to grow, and to

examine the doctrines and dogma that I was brought up with.  

I’ve had years to recognize, acknowledge, and fall in love with those previously lost parts of myself that I had disconnected from out of shame, or guilt, or fear. 

I have had decades to sift through and discard any previous belief systems that do not serve my best, my most true, and highest self.  

Because of my years of experience; the joys and the losses, the challenges and the triumphs, the grief, and the bliss, I am so much more settled into the gorgeous, full and authentic human, be-ing than I ever have before.  

I can feel the strength of my foundation; something I certainly did not have in my teens, 20s, or even my 30s.  

I feel completely safe in exploring alternate ideas and ideologies from what I have learned to date. 

In fact, I have come to realize that this is the best way to keep growing – and having the stable foundation of what feels true to me keeps my value system intact while I approach new things with curiosity.

I have learned that my value is not in the constant need to be validated by others.  

I don’t have to “Do” to prove my worth.  I love who I am, exactly as I am.  

For that matter, I don’t have to prove my worth to anyone, and I don’t have to stay in a room where my care and value is not recognized or appreciated.  

I am not in any way saying I am close to whatever “perfect” is supposed to be, and being a little more aware doesn’t mean that I don’t make mistakes.  

But rather than judging or shaming myself, I have learned to take a step back, acknowledge the “mistake“ or misaligned behavior, and then look for the root of that sabotaging behavior.  

When I was actively teaching martial arts, one of my favorite things was those moments when one of my advanced students would get a good strike in on me in the sparring ring. 

It didn’t happen often, but when it did, I would always get a little thrill, because that little “zing” would show me an area of weakness that I may not have recognized otherwise. 

I’ve taken that lesson into every aspect of my life.

We humans are such beautifully complex creatures, and our past can influence our presence, but one of the most powerful lessons that I have learned is that it doesn’t have to be our identity.  

Like that kick to the gut, or punch to the jaw, (geared up, ofc) I may have an area in my psyche that I’m not paying attention to, or have a link to a past identity or egoic construct that I didn’t previously recognize.  

I can acknowledge the trauma, the challenges, the losses, and the accompanying patterns that grew as a result of those past experiences – but I get to decide the meaning – and how I frame – the emotions and residual vibration of those life experiences.  

I can allow the energy that lies behind me to be anchors that keep me tied to the past, or I can embrace them as lessons that provide ammunition for future growth and evolution.  

Perhaps the only real “truth” that I know for certain is that when I’m in the present moment, the past is no longer real.  

With each turn around the sun this physical and spiritual embodiment of my Self takes, I have become more deeply attuned to the world and other souls around me; able to “see” what keeps people stuck, but I have also lost any sense of judgment over where people are at in their personal journey. 

I love it when my experience and ability to heal or empower can be a catalyst for healing or growth in others, but my years of living this life have taught me that I don’t need to be a “savior” to those around me. 

I may be able to guide another soul who is ready along the path a bit; the reason I got trained in and and started my healing “business“, but I have learned that it has never been my place to try to change any other soul who doesn’t want to change, no matter how  “good” I may have thought my intentions to be. 

I have also learned that the law of equal exchange is both real and valid. I used to give my services away for free, or ask very little in exchange for my lifetime of experience in empowering, healing, and coaching others – then be hurt when the teaching or training I had given away was neither valued or implemented. 

 I have come to realize that if someone truly wants the help that I can provide, the equal exchange of energetic currency is incredibly important, and devaluing myself also devaluates their experience.  

When I was very young, I had a bit of a “Cinderella” complex.  

 Because of the lens that we are taught through fantasy and fairytale, I associated my childhood trauma with the idea of some prints or Savior who would sweep in to save the day, making all of my dreams come true, and fulfilling my every heart’s desire.

In gaining both years and experience on this earth, I have realized that there is no fairytale hero who will save me.   I have to be the hero of my own life, as we all do.  

I believe this is the primary lesson of this existence, here on earth.  

If we learn to love and heal ourselves, and in doing so, experience firsthand our incredible power and ability to shape our individual reality, the magnetic resonance of that love, healing and self-creation is projected into the Field, and may provide the spark for someone else to find wholeness, too.✨

This is how we save the world. This is how we heal our planet; one beautiful soul awakening to their incredible value, beauty, and power, becoming a ripple that spreads into the ocean of this reality.  

We are the new Christs, creating heaven on earth.  

This is the importance, and immeasurable value of each additional year we spend on this planet, in this time space reality. 

So darling, the next time you look in the mirror and see the physical evidence of your time here, celebrate that shit.  

Own your age, in your completely unique perspective. 

Trash whatever opinions someone else tries to force down your throat in what you or your life is supposed to look like at any given age.  

Wear the flowers, or the stripes, the sparkles or the tie-dye, or whatever suits you, Boo.

Keep your hair long, or rock a mohawk.  

Follow your bliss.  Follow your heart.  Listen to the whispers of your soul.  

Love yourself, and recognize your incredible contribution and value on this planet. 

Be gorgeously, gratefully, fully what you are.

But please, beloved, for the love of All That Is, stop thinking that your value ends at whatever perceived age your culture or society may tell you is valid.  Let go of old and outdated identities that no longer serve your highest self. 

Cast them off like an old coat that is three sizes too small and horribly outdated.

Step into the glorious version of yourself, as you are, right now.  

It’s more than enough, I promise.  

Big love.💖

  • Terah 

Pray for peace

Mother Nature seems a bit pissed off atm… Not just here in America but just about everywhere – 

👉United States: Flooding and severe storms have impacted the Northeast, with flash flooding in New York and New Jersey, and devastating floods in Texas. Wildfires have also been a concern in California. 

👉Japan: Deadly floods have occurred in central Japan. 

👉Africa: Flooding has been reported in several countries, including Chad, Morocco, Algeria, Tanzania, and Kenya. 

👉Asia: Typhoon Yagi caused significant damage in Asia, and Southern China has been devastated by deadly floods. 

👉Central Europe: Storm “Boris” caused widespread damage. 

👉Papua New Guinea: A landslide flattened a remote village, killing hundreds. 

👉Taiwan: A massive earthquake caused casualties and trapped mine workers. 

👉Hawaii: Kilauea, a Hawaiian volcano, has erupted dozens of times in the last 28 days.
👉 Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted again July 7, sending an ash plume 11 miles into the atmosphere.😬
👉Mount Etna in Italy recently erupted
👉Mount Rainer in Washington State has seen dozens of seismic swarms over the past week

👉Panama: A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific.  

These are just some of the recorded natural disasters that the Earth has been experiencing over the past few weeks.

According to quantum physics, everything in the world – and the universe at large – is connected.✨

We are all microorganisms in a larger macroorganism, much like individual cells in a human body. Or perhaps, we are more like the bacteria residing in a human body; a population even greater than human cells. 

Given all of the negativity in the world right now, it makes perfect sense that our physical environment would be a reflection of the stress, strife and unrest that so many are experiencing.   

If the negative emotions that we hold in our magnetic field are projected into the unified field, perhaps the mass of anxiety and strife is contributing to the upheaval of the Earth. 

If this is true,  we should also be able to influence the Field positively – to set our differences aside, allow our anxieties and hostilities take a backseat, and focus on the positive.  On healing ourselves and the planet.  On building a better future for ourselves and future generations.✨

Skeptical?🤔

Here’s something to consider➡️

In 1993, a three-week experiment was held where 4000 participants gathered to pray and meditate in Washington DC; at that time the most crime-riddled place in the nation.  (I can attest to this – I lived in DC for several years at that time, and though I absolutely loved it, there were areas where I would not have gone for fear of being shot on the spot).  

The Maharishi Effect in action

The intention of this experiment was to significantly reduce stress and increase coherence(peace), lowering the crime rate in our nations’ capital. 

👉 A 27 member project review board monitored the experiment and weekly crime data gathered from the DC police department.  

👉 During this time, crime decreased by nearly 25%!  The decrease could not be attributed to outside factors such as weather, additional police staffing, etc.  

👉 the probability of this drastic of a decrease happening by chance was estimated to be impossibly low –  (p < 2 x 10-9 )!

This experiment became known as the “Maharishi effect”.  

There are hundreds of other examples of how we influence our environment every day – most of us have had the experience of thinking about somebody and then they call or text, or we meet them at some random and unexpected place.  We have a song in our heads and turn on the radio to find it playing.   We need healing and it happens.  Or we are desperately in need of something; be it money, health, a partner, or just a kind word, and it shows up in a way that feels like a miracle.  Like prayer answered.  And it is.  

✨In most world religions, it is called Prayer.

✨To the spiritualists, it is manifestation. 

✨To the Wiccans, it is spellcraft.  (Spelling=magic✨)

✨In spiritual philosophy, it is coherence with All That Is.

✨In quantum physics, it’s vibrational alignment.

How are you “spelling” your reality?

At the root of our belief systems, it’s all the same, regardless of language, belief system, or philosophy.  We are in constant communication with everything that is, or God/Allah/Shiva/Goddess/Unified Field, etc.  As my favorite “guru” Wayne Dyer once said: 

Our futures are formed by the thoughts we hold most often. We literally become what we think about, and we are all given the gift of being able to write our own story.

✨We can change our story, individually and collectively.  

✨We can make the earth a place that we all want to live in. 

✨We do not have to accept as norm the destruction or downfall of our civilization and the strife, upheaval, divisiveness and warfare we are currently experiencing throughout the world.  

Here’s how we can change things, from the inside out: 

✅Start with gratitude. Before you fall asleep and when you wake each morning, take a few moments to acknowledge all of the good in your life.  This not only projects into a magnetic field, but also sets our neurobiology to release happy chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin, rather than stress hormones. (cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine) 

✅Request good in your life.  Every spiritual tradition has the equivalent of “Ask and ye shall receive.”  It works. 

✅ Focus on the good.  Spending too much time focusing on the negativity of the past and present, or holding anxiety for the future only decreases our personal power.  Perhaps one of the reasons why there’s so much focus on it in the media; a term called hijacking the amygdala.  The amygdala is the area of the brain responsible for emotional regulation.  When we are in a place of stress or fear, the amygdala overrides the rational thought and decision-making part of the brain; the prefrontal cortex.  This can create a vicious cycle of stress and anxiety.

✅ Reset – when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or dysregulated, your amygdala is likely in control of your emotions.  Take a moment to center.  Breathe deeply into your lungs and diaphragm.  Hold for a few seconds followed by a slow exhale. Put your mind’s focus on your heart rather than your head.  This resets the parasympathetic nervous system from flight or flight into rest and create.  👉You can also use havening or anchoring techniques to create greater peace and calm – cross the arms and gently stroke down the length of the arms from shoulder to fingertip.  Alternatively, gently stroke the tops of the thighs.  Feel into your body and really notice the sights, sounds, and feel of the body and environment of your immediate vicinity.👈

✅Connect.  Spend time with others who make you feel good and raise your vibrational frequency. Hug often. Physical touch not only increases serotonin and oxytocin (the “love hormone”) but lowers stress hormones, increases immunity, and just makes us feel good.🥰

✅ Spend time outdoors.  Henry David Thereau said “We need the tonic of the wilderness.”   The disconnection from our natural world and into one of rampant technological use is one of the reasons why we are becoming more sick and unhappy as a population.   Being outside reminds us of the beauty of our natural world, but it also exposes us to negative ions, which increases positivity and immune function, decreases stress, increases cognitive function and creativity and can even prevent disease.  

✅Empower yourself.  We have all heard the adage “knowledge is power”.  Pay attention to what is happening in the world, but don’t involve yourself emotionally to avoid the “amygdalic hijacking” I referenced earlier. (Stay frosty😉) 

  • 📰 If you wish to be involved, crossreference everything! Truth has become more and more subjective and even that which should be true must be questioned with the advent of AI, deepfake technology, and increasingly sophisticated psyops employed by governments, tech giants and individuals looking to influence the population to one particular mindset.  
  • Look to your values.  Whether it is a personal relationship, spiritual leader or political figure, the people you spend the most time with should be a reflection of your personal value system.  If you are seriously questioning the alignment of your values with someone else, there is probably not only an energy drain but a potential future disaster. 
  • 🥋As a martial arts instructor and longtime practitioner, I highly recommend at least rudimentary self-defense classes as an excellent way to gain confidence, a deeper sense of personal empowerment and self knowledge.  I also teach and practice yoga and can not recommend it highly enough for the deep sense of calm and connection it creates in the mind and body. 
  • 🖌️🎨Self expression through any form of art – painting, sculpture, dance, writing, cooking, fashion, etc., is an excellent way to not only create greater authenticity and self empowerment, but also can dramatically escalate the level of joy we feel on a daily basis.
  • Power Pose! Tune in to your stance and walk.  How are you resting in your body?  Are your shoulders hunched and back curved, decreasing range of motion and putting you into “prey” mode?  Or is your spine long, shoulders back and head high; all signs of confidence, strength and power? If you are needing an extra dose of confidence, try taking a Wonder Woman/Superman pose – back straight, feet wide and hands on hips.  Studies have shown this to reduce stress and improve cognition and new research indicates decreased cortisol and an increase in levels of testosterone when we “step into our superhero”.  Here’s another interesting fact – our primitive brain does not know the difference between reality and what we create in our minds, see on a screen or dream up on ChatGPT.   A fun tool is to use  AI to create a superhero image of yourself and put it somewhere you can see it daily to remind yourself of how amazing and powerful you are, and to begin to rewire your neurocircuitry to build a more confident, radiant version of yourself.  Here’s one that ChatGPT built for me using one of my favorite photos:

Cool, right?  Here’s the prompt I used: “Please create an image of me, using my photo, as a superhero in a classic hands-on-hips pose.  My chest emblem should be a heart with a sunburst radiating outwards.”  And I’d say AI absolutely nailed it! I’m thinking I might use it as a future book cover…😉

How is your field potentially affecting the mindset of our population – and Mother Earth herself? 

Big Love. 

  • Terah 

Equations of the Heart and Mind

Did you know that the heart thinks?  

A human heart contains 40,000 neural cells that form a complex nervous system.  

This “heart mind” sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart.  Just as the brain produces hormones/neural chemicals, the heart also produces its own adrenaline, oxytocin, dopamine, as well as ANF, (atrial natriuretic factor) a peptide that helps regulate healthy heart and kidney function.  The heart also keeps the energetic signals of the body and brain regulated through the physical contraction and expansion of a “heartbeat”.  

But here’s where things get even more interesting:  The heart produces its own electromagnetic field that is 5000 times greater than that of the brain.  

This magnetic field is a signal network that extends around us in a range of fifteen to twenty-five feet (!) and interacts with other living beings as well as the earth’s own electromagnetic field, feeding us information about the world around us and broadcasting our own information to everyone and everything we meet.

This also ties into the Enteric Nervous System – a network of 100 million nerve cells that line the esophagus down to and through the gastrointestinal tract, which also communicates information back to the brain.

This complex system of heart-gut-brain relation and communication is much more the “knowing mind” than the brain as a segregated entity, which largely makes decisions for us based upon past experience and neurological patterns rather than the full picture of each moment.  

So cool, right?  

As many things that were taught for thousands of years but discarded with the dawn of the Industrial Age, I believe our ancestors were on to a fundamental truth with adages like “You will never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart.”   Or “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.” 

J Krishamurti said “Intuition is the whisper of the soul.”

 One of my personal favorites – “At the center of your being you have the answer, you know who you are and you know what you want.”  

If we wanted to get a little deeper into the quantum physics of the magnetic field, all of the information that we gather in the “quantum field” – that field that extends beyond us and into everything and All That Is, is also feeding us information.

It is the aggregate of information that is gathered between our brain, our heart/magnetic field, and the gut in the “field” that gives us the 11 million bits of information that humans process each second. But the problem here is that the brain has to translate all that information into roughly 40-50 bits per second for us to function and think without shorting out.

This is where unconscious bias comes in. The brain uses a system called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) to filter out anything it screens as impertinent.

Unfortunately, this can be a huge detriment to helping us to achieve a happy life.

Because the human brain works largely on programming and patterning, it often filters out the information that we actually need to find joy in favor of the information that the brain thinks will help us to survive best based upon our past programming and experience.

So if following the crowd, people pleasing, shutting down, fighting, accepting less-than treatment, (or even abuse) or any other trauma-based behavior were childhood subsets, there is a good chance that those early programs will be dictating your adult behavioral experiences, too.

As we have discussed before, the brain is wired to survive, not to thrive.  So ouch.😣. 

But awareness of this can help us to recognize and bypass what is past programming and what is actually truth and the best solution for not only our greatest happiness, but also for the greatest expansion of who we are in the evolution of our souls.

That just makes me wanna shout “hellllll yeah!”😁.

Because this means we don’t have to be a slave to our past programs. We can begin right now to steer our own ship and navigate our destiny for a greater joy than we ever dreamed possible.

I know this from personal experience.🥳

Even in the times of my greatest sorrow and heartbreak, I can’t help but go back to the feeling of joy – what is now my personal preset of “baseline happy”, which is pretty damned amazing.

I may have moments, or sometimes even hours where I feel unhappy, or I need to allow myself to grieve for whatever the unhappiness of my circumstance is – but here is the absolute truth of my existence – the vast majority of the time, regardless of whatever that circumstance may be, I am dance-in-the-fields-when-I-walk-my-dogs or in-my-kitchen while-cooking happy. 💫💃🏼

I don’t get bored. I feel a huge amount of gratitude for this big beautiful life. I smile at nearly every stranger, and go out of my way to help others feel a little of my joy – because I believe the world would be a much better place if we all understood these truths about ourselves and chose to live happy. I wish we all would make the conscious choice to fully live, rather than existing or waiting to die.

So, the next time you have a dilemma or a problem you can’t solve, perhaps the best question to ask is this: what is the consensus of my heart and gut/intuition telling me?

Then, bring the brain into the equation to ask – “Is this my truth/wisdom, or is this the voice of my parents/peers/societal norms that are giving me these answers?”

Intuition+heart intelligence+past experience and programming = answers. 😎

Today and all days, please remember – You are loved. You are worth every joy. You are amazing.💖

Sending big, big hugs your way, beautiful one.🥰

– Terah