The Victim Assistant 🐼

 Hello everyone! It's that time again for another round of innovative self-care practices. For those new to my blog, in an effort to support crime victims through their healing, I often explore and offer information on self-care practices that are unique and can be done in conjunction with traditional therapy. This time let's explore Reiki healing. So like all alternative forms of thought, beliefs, and behaviors, let's open our minds and hearts to the spiritual method of energy healing, Reiki. Now, to be really honest, the jury is still out for me on this practice. Through my yoga and meditation practices, I have been learning more about this spiritual practice. According to reiki.org, Reiki is defined as a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement. I enjoy working on myself, so I felt compelled to explore the benefits and unveil the mystery behind this Japanese form of alternative medicine. Stay with me, this is going to throw you off if you...

Yesterday, I vlogged about healthy eating which promotes your overall wellbeing and assists in the healing process. Through self discovery and growth, I started dedicating time to improving my health with yoga, meditation, exercise, and eating clean. These recipe shares are good, clean food that can feed your soul. I am not a vegan but I am inspired on occasion to cook compassionately. I also find simple recipes. I was a busy mom and I understand the demands on family, so I continue to share recipes that can be prepared in an hour or less. Here are some of my go to recipes: Vegan Crispy Cauliflower Wings https://veganheaven.org/recipe/cauliflower-hot-wings-with-vegan-aioli/ So, I don’t like the suggested Panko breadcrumbs, my friend makes gluten free, dairy free crumbs for me. 😄 That’s what I used. There are recipes on Pinterest for that and Whole Foods has a brand. Also, for a dipping sauce I used traditional blue cheese. The suggested sauces for vegans are dairy free aioli sauces...

Yesterday, I decided to get in my VW bug and take a mini adventure. I drove to Sedona, Arizona and hiked Cathedral Rock. Cathedral Rock is considered one of Sedona’s spiritual vortexes. Spiritual vortexes are powerful and transformational energy centers. Sedona is known for them. The land surrounding the vortexes are often very beautiful and inspirational. Trees and rocks take different formations. The scenery is absolutely amazing. I felt so drawn to this hike for a long time. I just believe in my journey of self discovery, this was the perfect time to do it; despite the gross heat. Part of engaging in self-care during healing is to honor your needs. My inner self has been begging me to get out and do this and I would always talk myself out of it. It’s too hot, crowded, blah blah blah. In fact, all my excuses had no relevance because the trail was not crowded and the breeze kept me cool. If you feel adventure or the desire to do something, do it! Practicing self-care means honoring yo...

Hello everyone, it's that time again to explore another innovative self-care practice that I find absolutely amazing and comforting. I am always ready to introduce healthy practices that can assist crime victims in their healing. We all know that there are numerous science-based (for doubters) benefits in practicing daily meditation; for example, reduces stress, anxiety, promotes emotional health and enhances self-awareness.  But, what if we consider exploring the inclusion of meditation music into your meditation and self-care routine? So what is meditation music specifically Solfeggio frequencies? When we talk about Solfeggio frequencies, we are dealing with vibration. Every vibration has it's own frequency. There are six main electromagnetic musical tones that the Gregorian Monks were said to use when they chanted in meditation. These frequencies are said to deeply penetrate the conscious and subconscious mind and stimulate inner healing.  In addition, the tones are compris...

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Wrong place, wrong time?" Forty years ago crime victims, especially sexual assault victims, were viewed as passive targets. There were a lot of societal views that placed responsibility and shame on crime victims. This weekend, I watched three episodes of a documentary on HBO, I'll Be Gone In The Dark. This documentary chronicles the East Area Rapist in the seventies and eighties, later identified as the Golden State Killer, and is based on a true crime book by Michelle McNamara. This documentary highlighted what was absent in crime fighting forty years ago: cooperation, inclusiveness, equality, compassion, and understanding of victimization. I'm a crime story buff; however, I was specifically drawn to the interviews and experiences of the survivors. I listened to survivors share their pain, trauma, and secondary victimization. Secondary victimization refers to "victim-blaming" and behaviors that members of society engage i...

On the eve of our country's independence day, I write this. Reading about people using racial injustice and the misfortunes of others to commit crimes, destroy statues or learning about young adults purposely challenging each other on social media to infect each other with COVID-19 makes me question humanity.  I feel the need to reflect and question our societal plight, poor condition, and instability. No better time than now to think about our pursuit of happiness. It leads me to ask the question, Where the f*ck is humanity? Did someone lock humanity up in a closet somewhere? YO, let humanity out please! Have we completely lost our minds? The human race is mankind; the understanding and kindness towards other people. Where is benevolence? Where are our qualities that make us human: love, compassion, and understanding towards others? As a collective, we have completely lost touch with humanity. Instead, we have become a culture of selfishness, malevolence, brutality and hostility. ...

Do you sometimes feel out of sorts, grouchy, out of balance, or in a funk? Life brings us challenges and stressors that cause our bodies to react and sometimes hold on to energy. Yes, we are made up of energy and sometimes that energy gets backed up like a dirty drain. As part of my self-care series on innovative practices, I want to introduce you all to chakra cleansing and energy release or clearing.   Let's be open- minded right now and consider that we do in fact have energy bundles throughout our bodies called, Chakras. Formally, chakras are swirling wheels of energy where the physical and consciousness meet. This energy is called Prana, the vital life force which keeps us vibrant, healthy, and alive ( https://www.holisticharmonyhealth.com/blog/view/what-are-chakras ). There are seven chakras and each chakra corresponds to certain nerve centers and organs in the body. The ideal for inner peace and health is to make sure that all chakras are aligned and open. The practice of yo...