Metaphysical Freedom

Psychotherapy/Counseling, Metaphysical Coaching (Life and Business), Counselor Consultation and Supervision, Mindfulness-Based Energy Work

Tag Archives: Personal growth


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Who Has Defined You?

Typical introductions in the United States begin with two questions:  1) What is your name?   2) What do you do?

I Am for Blog

Complete this statement.

Somewhere in our evolvement, we forged a false belief that our jobs, positions, and titles define who we are. We have come to believe that our income-based work defines our existence. Do not get me wrong…I appreciate the pleasures of a consistent cash flow. However, if I did work that I do not love, yet earned millions of dollars doing the work, then I would not be happy. The essence of who I am, and my purpose are far more important to me than society’s views of financial wealth. Without a doubt, I do feel very grateful because I earn an income while also doing an action that is in alignment with the core of who I am—A loving, giving, healing Being.

As a therapist, I am required to obtain continuing education credits to stay on top of latest theories, techniques, and trends. I recently went to an out-of-town training and met a very interesting person. He was an “elderly” man, approximately in his late 60’s. He told me that he was a part of the original movement in the psychology field. He talked at length, sharing his views about the ways the field has changed. He blatantly told me that it has transformed from men using scientific techniques into “housewives needing a hobby”. He expressed that he felt like “touchy-feely” stuff was just a fad and the mental health field must return to “hard science and assessments”. This gentleman also shared that he had read all the latest books, had the latest information, and he essentially came to the workshop in order to correct the presenter. He even said that he was known for his extra knowledge and challenging questions at trainings. I noticed that his conversations with everyone revolved around the profession. Even the guys he called long-time personal friends appeared to only be able to acknowledge the profession with him, but they talked about their personal lives as well. It was interesting and insightful at the same time.

I took no offense to anything that he said. I actually sat and began thinking about the positives of my contact with him. He was definitely passionate about the field and clearly had decades of experience, but I kept getting an underlying sense of emptiness from him. He seemed like he had to work so hard just to maintain an image. Many questions came to my mind such as: Who is he other than this work? Does he have anyone he calls family or loved ones? What does he do for fun? What was his life like during the generation that he grew up in? What is he telling me about myself?

Honestly, in some ways I could relate to him. In the past, I felt like I had to make straight A’s in school and that everyone had to like me. When I tried to share advice with friends, I was perceived as a know-it-all, even when it was not my intention. I also felt like I had to be one step ahead just so I could fit in.
These perceptions were all false. Being truthful to myself, I can admit that:
1) I like work that is challenging and rewarding, yet I don’t care for grades.
2) I know that some people will not like me, no matter how I act, and that is okay.
3) I only express my opinion when my heart leads me to do so, and I allow the words to come out however they come–which usually is with conviction.
4) I honestly like being laid-back and might even seem lazy or uncaring at times because stressing out is overrated to me.
5) These traits are part of who I Am, and I am okay with them.

Seeing this man helped me to see how much I have grown. I empathized with him as well, and desired for him to see his value no matter how much he knows about the profession.

I wonder if that older gentleman would be able to say that he is okay with who he is…even if no one else ever said anything.
Would you?

Who and what have you allowed to define you?

Know this Truth:

You are Not what you do. You Are valuable and unique as You Are. You Are a Powerful and Divine Spirit that expresses Itself through you–simply because You Exist.

 

Live Freely as Yourself.
Intuitive Dana
http://www.metaphysicalfreedom.com


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Music: The Universal Healer

What would this world be like without music? I cannot imagine. I grew up with a passion for music. My earliest memory of it is when I was approximately 2 years old, hands held high for my mother to pick me up, but she wasn’t able to because she was hand- washing dishes. She looked down at me and said, “Not yet, wait one moment honey.” She began humming and singing a soothing song as she cleaned. I recall slowly putting my arms to my side and listening to her while feeling peace in my heart.
During my early childhood, my two oldest siblings took piano lessons. They would come home and play the songs that they learned. I would ask them to play the songs, laugh contentedly, and then ask them to play the songs over and over again. Eventually, they became annoyed or exhausted and stopped. There came a time when I asked them to play a song again (for the one hundredth time I’m sure), and they declined, walking away from the piano. Instead of being upset, I remember being curious and determined. I desired to hear the song, and could almost feel it within me. I timidly walked over to the piano, hummed the tune loudly to myself, and began playing notes. I played the song! This was how I started playing by ear. I felt overjoyed because I now had the opportunity to play the song as much as I wanted to. I used this same technique to play some of my favorite radio tunes as well.

The piano was my first instrument, and soon my voice became my second one. I grew up listening to artists such as Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle and Mariah Carey. I sang often (at home) and performed mini talent shows for my family members. I freestyled, made mix tapes, and created my own songs, too.

My teenage years were the most challenging times for me. I was socially awkward and self-conscious. I became extremely introverted, almost reclusive. I mostly listened to Rap, R&B, and alternative music. When I felt upset, I locked myself in my room and sang and cried until my heart seemed to burst with relief. I also played saxophone and percussion in the marching band, and continued playing piano by ear. Some days, I remember sitting at the piano for several hours, getting lost in the melodies and harmonies, becoming one with the myriad of vibrational tones. Music helped me to express myself, to cope with challenges, and essentially to heal.

Currently teaching myself to play guitar 🙂

In regards to healing—-right now I work as a licensed psychotherapist in a facility. I am integrative in my approach, meaning that I incorporate various techniques to support my clients’ wellness. I believe in holistic health, so I address the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of recovery. I have worked with clients with ‘severe’ mental health issues such as Schizophrenia. I have found that music can bring forth miraculous results. One day, I led a group on coping skills and chose to incorporate music into the material. During this group I witnessed an almost non-responsive schizophrenic client go from being completely detached to being very lively, smiling, laughing, and even dancing with the other group members. All I did was play a song that he recognized.

It never ceases to amaze me to see how my “severely mentally ill” clients respond to music. Most of them smile, their eyes light up, and many of them begin having lucid conversations with me. It is as if they are brought back to the present moment, revived from the abyss of their psychoses. Other therapists have expressed similar experiences. Many are using music to revive those who suffer from the symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and even Autism. Researchers have found that musical memory is stored in a different area of the brain than other types of memories; it is believed to be tied to emotion, thus making it easier to access.

Music is ageless. I listen to artists such as Donny Hathaway, The Beatles, Bob Marley, and Earth, Wind, & Fire. These artists are from generations before mine, yet their music will continue to live on.
Music is amazing. As a healing force, it can be used to tone chakras, aid in meditations, and call in the angels. Not only is it a healer, but it is also Universal. Think about this: There are thousands of concerts held worldwide where people from different nations attend in order to experience the music–even if they do not speak the same language.

Music is a Universal Language. Dare I say, it is inter-universal. Music touches the vibrational frequencies of peace, love, and harmony. It is a Divine Language that the hearing impaired, “mentally ill”, and young children alike can all understand.

Let’s add more positive music to this world and see how easily we remove the barriers that create wars.

 

What does music mean to you?

Check out this story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX-xToQI34I

 

In Harmony,
Intuitive Dana
http://www.metaphysicalfreedom.com


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Forgiving and Moving Forward

I have done a number of workshops on forgiveness. I came up with these workshop ideas because I noticed that across the board, many of my clients had underlying resentments. These issues were preventing them from receiving what they really desired. I chose to do these workshops also because I did some extensive forgiveness work with my father. I experienced some amazing and mind-blowing results. (I will share the story with you about my father in a later post.) In this post, I am addressing forgiveness because once again I was put in the place of doing so.

Many people will admit that it can be hard to forgive a former romantic partner. I definitely can.
I was in a long-term relationship with someone who, in the end, realized that he did not want the relationship, noting that he was not ready for it. I became upset with him because I felt that he should have known this before we had been together for as long as we had been. I also was upset because, based on some of his behaviors, he seemed like he already knew that he didn’t want the relationship well before he spoke up about it. When he ended the relationship, he expressed to me that we should be friends, but I was just not ready to hear those words. This was disappointing to hear because I was expecting more to develop in the relationship itself at that time.

We had a set of mutual friends who had a habit of asking me where he was whenever they saw me. I became angry, defensive, and would fight back glaring looks as I haughtily remarked, “You know we’re not together right?” They would look at me and gently say, “But you two are friends.” I thought they were insane. This type of pattern went on for several months. I grew angrier because he seemed to be nowhere around to deal with the mess he had made.

One day I decided to seek a neutral spiritualist perspective, so I spoke with a Tarot reader about the situation. She looked at the cards and said, “You’re holding a grudge against him. You two can’t be friends if you are holding a grudge.” I was a little surprised that she said that to me (being that I am a Healer and could heal myself and others), but I knew it was true. The surprise was moreso that the grudge itself was upset because it could no longer hide in the shadows of my subconscious. I reflected on her words and the nature of the grudge.
Every time that I looked at him post-breakup, I viewed him with eyes of criticism, judgment, anger, and hurt; looking for all his faults. Before the breakup, I saw him with more clarity. I saw his spirit, appreciated his compassion, his kindness, enjoyed his talents, and admired his quest to bless many by shining his own Light. That is what I loved about him. It was not his behaviors that I loved, but him as he is. It was time to let go.

Thus, I had to begin the journey of forgiveness again. I thought to myself, “If I can forgive my dad for the abuse growing up and for not being there for me the way that I needed him to be, then I can truly forgive a guy that I have only known for a few years.” Yet I struggled. I felt as if I didn’t have to forgive him because he was the one that did something wrong. In reality, we both played a part in what happened between us. (More on that later in this post.)

What does it take to forgive? One of the most important things is the willingness to do so. Before I could get to the place of saying that I forgive him for his behaviors, I had to at least say, “I am willing to forgive you for them.”
From the willingness, grew the readiness to forgive. Once I was ready to forgive, I was able to look at the entire situation from the lenses of Love. This was not human, conditional love, but unconditional Divine Love.

I sat down, took out a sheet of paper, and wrote out all of the wrongs that I felt happened in the relationship. I wrote them vigorously with serious intention to let go. I then took out another sheet of paper and wrote out all of the things that I loved about him. Holding that loving feeling in my conscious awareness, I went back to the list of wrongs. I drew a line under them, and wrote the sentence, ‘I forgive you for…’ as I went through each item. I tore that paper up, saying out loud, “I set myself free.”
I looked back at the list of things that I loved about him. When I looked at those things again, I saw that they weren’t conditional at all; they were the Essence of who He Is. I chose to appreciate his presence in my life, even though it wasn’t in the way that I desired. He played a role that sparked me to grow as a person.

Then, a deeper knowing struck me–I needed to forgive myself for allowing things to continue in a way that I did not desire or deserve. I needed to forgive myself because I love me as well. I did the same ritual that I did for him, but for myself this time. It was insightful, yet freeing. All of those things that happened between us began to seem so small. I knew that none of it really mattered. I could see that Ultimate Love remained present through it all.

This is what I hope you take away from reading this post:
Although forgiveness may be challenging at times, it is extremely powerful when done from a place of Love. Forgiveness empowers you, sets you free, and releases the old energy tied into something that really has no power in your present life. It opens up the doorway to live more beautiful and desirable lives.

Now that I have chosen to forgive, I am ecstatic to see the beauty that is allowed to grow because of the loving space that I have created. You may do the same for yourself as well.
And so it isLily Pad Pink Lotus Flower.


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Let Go of (linear) TIME

IMG2445Why do we believe in the concept of time? The sun rises and sets and repeats this pattern with certainty “daily”. Meteorologists attempt to predict the hour and minute that this life-supporting mass of energy and light arises and disappears from our awareness, but even they aren’t exact with their timing. We also attempt to categorize ourselves as ages, time spans, and phases. Consider some 80-somethings who run marathons and are in better shape than many 20-somethings. Are they defying age and time, or are they more aware that time is irrelevant?
What is an hour, really? Does it matter? During springtime in the USA, we change the time to “spring forward” an hour. During autumn, we “fall backwards” an hour to save daylight. All it takes is a simple press of a button, and then time becomes different. Obviously linear time is not concrete. In Georgia (in the United States) when it is 7:00, it is simultaneously 4:00 in California. Both times seem accurate if we think about the sunshine; however if someone called from Georgia to California, would they be going back in time? Of course not.
It takes over 24 hours to fly to Africa from the USA. While you are on the plane during this flight, what time is it?

I used to be so caught up in the concept of linear time–thinking that I had to reach certain milestones by a certain age. When I embarked on my mid-twenties, I struggled with intense feelings of disappointment. I already had my undergraduate degree and was pursuing a graduate degree. Yet, by my 26th birthday, I thought I would be married, have my PhD, and possibly have a child on the way with my happy husband. I believed the lie that I only had a specific set of years to accomplish these things. I believed the illusion that I was “running out of time”. I cried, feeling like I was off track and falling behind. (It didn’t help that my close friends were married and having children too.)

I sat and reflected on why I felt such despair. I enjoyed grad school, liked being on my own, and couldn’t imagine taking care of anyone else but me at the time. I asked myself where the feelings came from. I couldn’t come up with an answer other than the fact that everyone else said that I should have those things by a certain age. I felt silly. I knew better. (I was always a rebel, anyway.) So, I let go of timing, milestones, and deadlines. Whenever someone asked me, “When are you going to get married?” I laughed and sarcastically said, “At the right time.” I didn’t feel a rush to be something that I wasn’t ready to be, or to do something impulsive. It was such a relief! I appreciated where I was at in my journey, and remained open to the mystery of Divine “timing”.

Linear time is a funny thing because it isn’t real. Think about this: Even as I post this blog, I notice a different time on the post than what is on my clock. Nevertheless, both times are incorrect, because our Real time is this Moment.

So, why do we as humans buy into the concept of linear time? I think that we believe in linear time because it allows us to feel as though we have control. It is the illusion of predictability in a dynamic and fluid universe.

We must realize that all that time is, Is Now. The present is All.

We are Eternal Souls, thus we are timeless.

Take this moment and appreciate your journey.

Realize that who You Are is Infinite in nature.

Love, Light, and Infinity.
Intuitive Dana


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How Loving Another Reflects Self-Love

Relationships are very dynamic experiences that, by far, are one of the most important aspects of Life. We are always in relationship with someone or something at all times; including our Self. Some of the most profound interpersonal relationships that we experience are related to those who parent us (grandparents, biological parents, step parents, adopted, guardians, etc.), those whom we call family, those whom we have romantic interests, and those whom we view as allies.

When I was 15 years old, I read the Bible verses on the nature of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for those of you who are curious). In summary, it says that love is patient, kind, forgiving, selfless, always victorious, and is Eternal. For some reason, I felt a strong conviction in my heart and made a vow to myself that I would learn to love others just like it is written in those verses. I had already believed that love was a powerful force, and I was becoming more aware of the misuse of the word in every day society and media.

Little did I know, this vow seemed to be the precipice for increased difficulties in all of my relationships over many years. I had problems with my family, was isolated from my friends, changed jobs often, and faced painful romantic failures too.
From my point of view, I loved others unconditionally, but was only being let down in return. I wanted to blame everyone else, but I couldn’t. I forgave easily. I didn’t hold grudges. I let people walk in and out of my life as they pleased. I had the misconception that this is how I could show others love. While everyone else received such forgiveness, I secretly got angry with myself for being such a pushover.

It didn’t dawn on me that I was missing Self-Love until I went through a period of time where I was forced to live alone, with no television. I had a spacious home, but no furniture, and no bed. I was single and dateless. I ate my meals cross-legged on the floor, and I slept on an air mattress during the night. I spent most of my time reading religious books and spiritual texts, doing energy healings, and meditating. Life was very simple, but fulfilling.

During this time, I reflected on my understanding of love and relationships. I realized that I had fallen prey to associating love with pain and drama. All of my challenging relationships essentially showed me how much I needed to look within. I was only experiencing what I subconsciously believed. I discovered how important it was to know myself, express what I need, and to let go of relationships that were not healthy for me. I learned what it meant to take care of myself and love who I Am. I finally understood that it was okay to say no and to set limits with others. With this new knowledge, my desire to embody unconditional love did not change; however my understanding of what it looks like did.

These are my valuable lessons on love:
Loving someone means allowing the person to be exactly who he or she is, even if that person is not what you desire. It does not necessarily mean putting that person’s needs over yours, but respecting yourself, your needs, and compromising in a reasonable way. Loving someone is appreciating the experience that you share, while also letting go of expectations.

Loving someone stems from first knowing yourself, loving who you are, and allowing Life to flow as it may.

What lessons have you learned?


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Why I use the name “Intuitive Dana”

Welcome to the first post on the Metaphysical Freedom Blog!
I am Dana; however I choose to use the name Intuitive Dana. Let me share with you a little bit of information about who I Am.

I have always been very inquisitive about human behaviors and thoughts, and how they relate to mental, emotional, and physical health. I grew up in a small town in South Georgia. I was raised in a traditional Southern Baptist Christian home where the Holy Bible and the Baptist church were the major parameters of our religion and spirituality. From my youth into my early adult years, I struggled with making sense of some of the unsaid things happening in my life, and things that happened within the Bible as well. I wondered, “How was Daniel able to interpret dreams?”, “Who told the Three Wise Men how to find Jesus?”, “How did Jesus heal people without being near them?”, and “What was it like to actually communicate with the angels?” I pondered these things because I was having some “paranormal” activity in my own life. I had dreams that were premonitions, sensed when other energies were around me, and I knew things that I shouldn’t have known for my age. Every time I tried to communicate my experiences to others, I was given weird looks and told to stop whatever voodoo magic that I was doing. Yet, I wasn’t ‘doing’ anything. The events happened naturally, and often unexpectedly. But, just like any person who does not want to be viewed as an outcast, I began to conform. I stopped talking about what was happening, and dealt with those events in silence…for several years. Of course, the silence did not work because I wasn’t being true to myself. I could not ignore such powerful revelations of information, unusual synchronicities, and life-saving occurrences.
I built up enough courage to begin seeking others with similar experiences as me. As soon as I started the search, numerous doors opened. I was introduced to various meditative practices, and I found centers where I could further develop my spiritual-intuitive gifts. Many people may use the terms “clairvoyant” or “psychic” to describe these talents. I simply prefer to say that I am ‘Intuitive’ and everyone has the ability to dig deeper and access their True Knowing.
Not only did I learn about healing modalities, but I also found philosophies that were more in alignment with what I innately believed. I learned about the power of the Present moment, the power of Intention, and the limitless power of Unconditional Love. I now have a deeper understanding that each one of us needs the other because we learn lifelong lessons from each other.
I am growing in my journey, and continually evolving in the mastery of my unique gifts. I am deeply passionate about using these gifts to bless the lovely Beings in this universe (like you), and I find fulfillment in helping others to gain clarity in their own lives.
So, here I am. Allow me to share these blessings with you, and in return, be blessed by you.

Love, Light, and Infinity.

DD
Intuitive Dana