A Few of My Favorite Things
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…”
Actually, I do like those things and “The Sound of Music”, but I was thinking I should write a blog about some of my favorite things of the last year or so. My last post mentioned the app Insight Timer. I absolutely LOVE that app and I use it everyday, sometimes several times a day. Insight Timer offers more meditations and music than a single person can ever listen to in a lifetime. It has a daily check-in (and a place to journal). It’s the first thing (usually) I do on my phone each morning. It then suggests meditations for my mood. How awesome is that? Pretty awesome, but if I’m trying to do the same meditation for a number of days in a row, I go to my “bookmarks” and select that meditation. I also choose music I can have playing in the background while I do my self-reiki and send reiki to loved ones who might be sick or hurting. When I first learned Reiki, I used the guided reiki meditations. It’s more recent that I started listening to music instead. I also make sure to pick music that’s over an hour when I’m giving a Reiki Session to someone. I find that it’s helpful in making people feel comfortable and relax, and I can find music with a frequency that will best aid in their healing. The bonus of Insight Timer music is that it’s curated for specific purposes, and unlike Spotify or Apple Music, the songs are always long enough and there are NO COMMERCIALS. Finally, Insight Timer is a resource for whatever interests me. When I wanted to try automatic writing, I searched and found lots and lots of meditations and talks to get me started. When I wanted to find a specific prayer, the Explore button took me right there. If Insight Timer had any idea how many times I had recommended it to people, I would have my own personal sponsor!
Speaking of Insight Timer - it introduced me to another favorite; Beautiful Chorus. Whenever a song by Beautiful Chorus comes up in my queue, I make sure to listen. As it so happens, there is not a song these tight-harmonied women have released that hasn’t given me goosebumps. I often end up singing along and repeating mantras by chance. So Beautiful Chorus, I want to say; “Thank you for your blessings. Thank you for your blessings. Your guidance is what I need.”
Besides Apps and Music, I have a few podcasts I dearly love. First; Spiritual Shit by Alea Lovely. This podcast really helped me understand a lot of things along my spiritual journey. Alea had solo shows and shows with guests and I loved them all! It was through her podcast that I learned about some of my favorite books (see below) that helped open my heart and mind to things my soul has always known. She had shows on awakening, manifesting, angels, defining the “clairs”, crystals, dreams, astrology, and even aliens. I have learned so much from her, and she’s super humble and has amazing gifts and talents and asks questions from the skeptics point of view, which is a fantastic way to dig deeper and get to the root of things. She introduced me to an array of different spiritual people like Ainsley MacLeod, Debra Silverman, Kyle Gray, and lots more.
Another podcast favorite is Julie Jancius’s Angels and Awakening. She was recommended to me by Audible, but she’s also on other major Apps. The thing I like about Julie is her down to earth conversations. She interviews person after person about their own angel stories, and then will often channel in messages from their loved ones and the angels. She says prayers and meditations to help you get in touch with your angels, and last January she had a 31-days of guidance to put you in touch with your angels and guides and get your life on the path your soul is here to live. It was very powerful. Recently, Julie started a new podcast for children who have spiritual gifts and are looking for a place to be listened to and reassured that they are not crazy. It’s called Intuitive Kids. Also, Julie has been very forthright about her struggles with anxiety and depression - and I respect and applaud her encouraging others who are struggling to seek therapy.
The thing about listening to podcasts is that you often find other podcasts that are worth listening to. Along my journey, I recently became acquainted with my new favorite: Intuitive Girls Guide. Jamie and Heather are two gals from Boston who are funny and smart and really do their research. They are both intuitive and Jamie, like me, is a Reiki Master Teacher. They talk freely about all things spiritual, and many things in pop culture. They have detailed episodes about the Archangels, and have talked about a million different things from celebrities to ethics and social justice. They LOVE coffee. (Heather’s husband owns a couple coffee shops in Boston.) Listening to them feels like sitting down with your best friend and “spilling tea” for an hour. You always leave with a good feeling.
My favorite spiritual books? It’s hard to choose. I believe I did a blog on how “Conversations with God” by Neale Donald Walsch and how that book spoke to my soul about Spiritual Beliefs I’ve always had, but didn’t quite fit into my religion. Ainsley MacLeod wrote a couple books that affected me deeply too. He’s an expert on past lives and the first book that I read of his was, “The Instruction”. It really helped me to be less judgmental. I was so grateful for his perspective. His latest book, “The Old Soul’s Guidebook” is also really good, but I found it helpful to have read “The Instruction” first. Sonia Choquette wrote, “Ask Your Guides” and it’s a primer on everything from your Guardian Angel to Sprites. I had a couple pages bookmarked that I referred to everyday as I got to know the Archangels and their identifying colors and functions. She also showed me how easy it is to always get rock star parking! Kyle Gray has myriad books too, but my current favorite is “Raise Your Vibration”, where he gives practical advice and daily reminders to raise your vibration and keep it high. It’s something I think we all need to practice. And last, but not least, everything written by James Van Praagh. James is a Medium and most of his books are written from the perspective of those who have already passed. He wants to get their messages to us, and it’s all so very comforting. If you’re looking for one to start with, check out “Talking to Heaven”.
My brother, Ted, is incredibly talented, and I was fortunate enough the last two Christmases to have him draw my name. Last year, he got me a beautiful leather-bound journal and hand-crafted three pens for me. I use that gift every day, and have re-ordered journal and pen inserts twice because of all the ink I’ve used on all the paper. It’s truly one of my FAVORITE things.
Also, I would be remiss if I neglected to add my love of oracle cards and crystals. I have seven oracle decks and one Tarot deck and, while they are all my favorites and I choose which to use based on which is calling to me at the moment, they have truly helped me tap into my intuition with regular use. The same goes with my “rock collection”, whether they are in my pocket, on my wrist, in my ears, or under my reiki table, they each have different vibrations/different purposes and I love them all.
I guess the common theme of all of my Favorite Things is that they directly or indirectly have an effect on who I am and how I’m living my life today. I feel so grateful for this journey and I’m grateful to the people, the apps, the podcasts, the books, the crystals, the cards, and the Spirit Guides that have helped me get here. I am more at peace than ever before and my quest is to help others to feel this peace too.
