Yesterday I came across an Instagram post from somatic bodywork expert Kimberly Ann Johnson (see here) about how psychedelic experiences don’t lead to change. She stated in her post that the overuse of psychedelics leads to numbness and insights “not earned”. She went on to further say psychedelic experiences mimic nervous system responses of “I think I’m going to die” followed by “I’m so glad I survived.” She argues that the desire for so many to take psychedelics is to escape this physical reality, which isn’t “as good” as the intense psychedelic experiences. Many don’t seem to integrate what they’ve experienced from taking psychedelics, and she stated that many of these insights and spiritual experiences are not “hard-earned”.

The comments were generally supportive of Kimberly’s viewpoints, although there have been a few valid counterarguments. Psychedelics include “magic mushrooms” which contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, MDMA (also known as "ecstasy" or "Molly"), LSD ("acid"), peyote, and Ayahuasca. Taking a fraction of a recreational dose (aka microdosing about 1/5-1/20 of a regular dose) has gained popularity, yet there is currently no way to regulate or know for certain the exact dose you’re taking. For example, the potency of magic mushrooms can vary greatly. Here are my thoughts on this matter: I largely agree with what Kimberly said, with a few exceptions. I don’t see the use of psychedelics or microdosing in such black-and-white terms. I think psychedelics can be a helpful tool among one’s toolbox (in conjunction with other mind-body-spirit healing practices) when taken in a supported, ceremonial setting that can actually helps the person move through trauma, integrate the teachings, and take meaningful action, HOWEVER:

When you have a chronic health issue, sometimes healing at the atomic level can make seismic shifts in your health because we are electromagnetic beings.

Swedish radiologist Dr. Bjorn Nordenstrom’s cancer research discovered electrical currents in connective tissue, blood vessels, and the central nervous system. He found that damaged cells and cancer cells had an electrical or magnetic balance, which could be balanced with either electrical or magnetic energies.

Do you want more? If not, why? Nature promotes growth and expansion, so why do we deny ourselves from wanting more and growing?

Women are biologically and spiritually designed to create and receive. Just look at the physiology of women and their wombs. Unfortunately, most women deny these innate divine gifts and it can be detrimental to their health.

I’m currently taking a year-long energy healing certification with Cyndi Dale, and it’s all kind of magical and intense at the same time.

In one of the classes, a question arose about how can Source be the divine light, love, and the Sun while also being the dark, empty Void? The Void is a space of unlimited potential, but it can also seem dark and like a scary and lonely place. I thought this question was really thought-provoking.

How many of us womxn have been taught to hate our menstrual cycle, especially our periods?

At school, or at least in the US, they teach you a little about sexual maturation and reproduction in biology class followed by a lot of giggles and awkward moments as well as Sex Ed in P.E. class or some other elective if you’re “lucky”. The information is very superficial, they pressure abstinence, and NO ONE talks about how the menstrual cycle works. All they mention is that at some point adolescent girls will get their period and end of story.

This post is related to my previous post titled Reclaiming your menstrual cycle as your superpower. Working with the distinct energies of the phases of our menstrual cycle can help you increase your creativity and productivity, which is NOT what we were taught in sex ed class.

The Maiden is perhaps one of the most well-known female archetypes.

She’s young, flirty, innocent and just stepping into womanhood. The Maiden is full of potential and creativity. Since she’s not burdened with family or work responsibilities, she takes risks and can have fabulous adventures. The world is her oyster.

Typically this archetype is most dominant in girls and young women before they marry and have kids, but adult women can sometimes revert back to Maidenhood— you know those women in their 40s or 50s who act like they’re 20 again.

The word mother is pretty charged.

It can bring up uncomfortable feelings about your own mother if you have a challenging relationship with her, guilt for not being a “good enough” mother or for not having human babies of your own, or the feeling of unconditional love.

Whether you like it or not, all women are mothers in some capacity and we all have mothers.

Femme fatal, seductress, siren.

The Enchantress is one of the most stigmatized female archetypes.

She represents the woman who owns her sexuality and creative power, and at her highest expression is a force to be reckoned with because she doesn’t give a damn and doesn’t tolerate BS.

She is the Sage, Wise Woman and grandmother.

While she may not embody female sexuality like the other main female archetypes, but embodies the divine feminine. This is unfortunately the least respected female archetype due to society’s importance of beauty and youth above all else, but at her highest expression, she is what every woman strives to become.

The Crone, also called Wise Woman or Sage, has lived through all the other main female archetypes and therefore brings with her the “been there, done that” insight and life experience that younger women do not have. Although she represents winter and menopause, she is still creative and a valuable member of her community for her wisdom.

I’m going to ruffle some feathers here— I have a lot of problems with veganism and I strongly believe it’s not a healthy way of living for most people like many claim, nor is it the golden ticket to preventing climate change or disease.

If this really presses your buttons, I encourage you to keep reading. This post is not to slam vegans or the diet in general but rather the dogma of veganism.

The problem with diet culture, that’s largely influenced by the agricultural industry, is that popular diets often become a religion. This is especially true with veganism.

What are boundaries?

I think most people think of boundaries as either clear or imaginary lines that differentiate what’s “in” and what’s “out.”

Earlier in my energy healing training, I used to think of energetic and personal boundaries like thick brick walls: nothing can come in and nothing goes out. I thought they had to be like fortress walls around me for me to be protected.

My concept of boundaries has changed dramatically.

Most ancient cultures and spirituality believe that we all contain a life force— qi, prana, ki, mana, ch’ulel— that help link the physical with the spiritual world. The concept of using elements for healing and to balance the mind, body, and spirit has existed for thousands of years.

Most are probably familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine's five elements: earth, fire, water, wood, and metal.

In 1960, the FDA approved the use of oral contraceptives, colloquially known as “the Pill.” Alas, female sexual freedom had finally arrived!… Or had t?

Since its inception, more than 300 million women worldwide have taken the Pill. At face value, the Pill seemed like the Golden Ticket for women worldwide who didn’t want to risk getting pregnant and wanted to focus on their careers or just didn’t want to be a mother like society pressures women to be. However, and this is a big however, what are the physical and societal risks of taking the Pill?

No, this is not the most glamorous topic, but judging from the response from the videos I posted on Instagram about this, I’d say there is a lot of interest in this topic and few people are talking about it.

It seems like digestive issues are the norm these days. Everyone is chronically stressed, eating processed, chemically laden food, and not exposed to nature or adequate sunlight. Our gut microbiomes are very imbalanced and this can lead to a whole slew of digestive issues.

Most women are chronically constipated, which I define as having less than one bowel movement a day. This is a big deal.

Clairvoyance is the art of clear seeing. It’s when we use our third eye capabilities to see mental image pictures, energies, colors, and sometimes future possibilities.

There is a quantum nature to clairvoyance and it’s tied to what quantum physicists call the Observer Effect.

What happens when you’re able to access your own answers and no longer “need” your spiritual leader? This is a big deal among psychics, light workers and healers.

What’s the energy of certain infections? Why does one person get sick but another person doesn’t when they’re exposed to the same microbe? What’s going on from an energetic perspective?

We are walking ecosystems. We have microbes all over our body-- on our skin, in our intestines, and on all of our mucosal surfaces from our mouth to our anus. In fact, we have far more microbial cells than human cells, which begs the question if we should be calling ourselves “me” or “we.”

I’ve noticed two trends that seem to permeate the spiritual and physical healing circles that represent two sides of the same spectrum and are missing the overall picture.

The trend to ignore the physical body

On the one hand, some spiritual practices are encouraging people to stay way out of their bodies a lot. That's great, don't get me wrong, but let's not forget we still have to eat, sleep, poop, and pay the bills. No transcendental meditation or hypnosis can make us avoid the fact that we inhabit human bodies on Earth.