Have you ever felt helpless?

And did that experience warp your ability to trust yourself and others?

Concerned that you can't tell the difference between self-care and self-sabotage because of what happened to you?

Sometimes bad things happen to good people... I know.

Yet Source wants you to know that all things can - and do - work together to form greater good in our lives.

Watch this week's 11-minute Love Letter to hear my story of overcoming a very dark time in my life and how I healed from cycles of self-sabotage to embracing a lifestyle of self-care and healing.

"I only smoke because it helps me cool off."

We're continuing the series, sourced this time around has asked to continue you and I building a deeper relationship and a deeper understanding about certain concepts that come up in our spiritual lives.

This series is going to be a five week series around the dark side of self-care. Woohoo. I'm so excited.

I am so excited to bring you to the dark side of self-care. What that basically looks like is self-sabotage.

Now this first week in particular the guides have asked me to share more of my story.

I just finished a session with a new client. I'm so excited for her. It's amazing what inspires people to begin their healing journey. She's beginning a new six month healing journey, Sojourner healing journey, which means she's coming in for an hour, a private hour a month for me. She also gets unlimited meditation classes here at the dojo.

It's so interesting to hear people's stories of what inspires them to begin to heal. What motivates you to really begin healing.

It was just fascinating sharing with her some of my story of what caused me to get into all of this in the first place.

Believe it or not, it comes from actually my pain.

Simon Sinek, very beautifully says that your big why comes from your pain more often than not.

For me, it was a series of three breakups that caused me to break open. The first one was someone that I thought I was going to be with. The whole soulmate situation that you think you have and then turns out sleeping with your coworker and calls you on your wedding day to ask how are you? One.

Two, the next one broke me open again because of the color of my skin. He had decided that we couldn't be together because of the color of my skin. That also compounded my perspective.

Then unfortunately the third one that really broke me open was when I got date raped. Yes, I'm sharing that with you.

No, I'm not happy about what happened to me. I honor the fact that these were the events that grabbed my attention that something is not quite right.

Now maybe you grew up with a history of abuse or maybe you grew up with alcoholic parents or that sort of a thing.

Something happened in our lives that forced us to take a stand and say, "Wait a minute. I don't like this. I don't like this." Right?

It's those moments where you put your foot down and say, "No more. I'm not going to be beaten anymore" or, "I'm not going to select people who would do these kinds of things to me anymore."

One of my first spiritual teachers her question to me, that changed my life, was: "what is the pattern in you that's creating this situation?"

This is where we get into our five week deep dive around self-sabotage.

When I look back into those dark times in my life where I would have suicidal thoughts and would be sleeping at around 22 hours a day, only getting up to go to the bathroom and have a sip of water, trying to escape, escape, escape there were things that I was doing to self-soothe that within my compressed mindset I thought were good for me.

When you have a compressed, like as in a really limited mindset, bad stuff you can't really tell that that's bad for you.

Some of the ways that I used to self-soothe but actually turned out being self-sabotage ... Well, one it was the constant sleeping. Also, I used to chain-smoke Clove cigarettes, the black ones. Like talk about breathing death. Emotional stuffing. I used to live on Twix and Chex-Mix and nothing else except for Captain Morgan's spiced rum and Malibu coconut rum. I remember. I'm so happy that I'm sober now.

There's these things that, "I'll just have a drink so that I can soothe" or escape, get rid of this negativity, or, "Let me go have a smoke. Let me cool off." Or, "Let me just check out." There's so many things that we do to soothe ourselves that within a limited and a compressed point of view feel pleasurable and we interpret them as good even though they're working against us.

Now there was also another form of self-sabotage I would do at the time. I would work around 12 hours or so a day at a really, really toxic job. Like screaming bosses that were financial abusers as in dangling your pay check over your head in order to get you to do things that are completely outside of your principles.

Be kind to yourself if as I invoke the darker side of my story that this is resonating for you like, "Ooh, ooh, I still do some of that, Victoria" ... This is not to say like, "I'm good and you're bad." No.

I want you to know that I've been through some things and when I'm going to talk to you over the next few weeks around self-sabotage versus self-care there's some history there. I'm only tapping on the tip of the iceberg here with respect to your energy.

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Know this: Be kind to yourself. What motivates great healing is usually great pain.

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My story is my story and it's made me who I am. Here's the light in the darkness is that when you start self-soothing you can choose to raise the vibration of the forms of self-soothing that you do.

For example, I remember even when I was still chain-smoking I started learning more about crystals and oracle cards. "Well, you know, maybe this will help me feel better." It was something positive about these cards or I feel the energy when I'm holding this crystal. I don't know what the heck it is. I'm going to get into that in the next few weeks.

That was the turning point. It was following things that brought me joy and uplifted me in the self-soothing cycle. It's natural.

I want you to know this and watch this in yourself this week.

Watch the way that you soothe yourself, whether it's positive or negative. Just notice how do you soothe yourself when you're feeling bored, when you're feeling depressed, empty, anxious, angry, unacknowledged, lonely, et cetera. How do you soothe yourself? It is positive things? Or negative?

Most of us have a mixture of both. By the way, at the filming of this video I still have some not so good things, such as eating chocolate and ice cream, that is harmful against my body. As well as doing hours of meditation, grounding out in nature, doing reiki. I have a mixture.

This is called being human. I want us to have a deep dive now for the next five weeks around honoring that self-care versus self-sabotage dance that we're all doing.

I know that you're doing it. If you clicked play on this video chances are you're a natural empath. You're already sensitive to the energy and trying to figure out how to cope with all this energetic overload. We're going to confront this head-on.

We're going to dive deep together. I can't wait to see you next week and hear what you think.

Comment below. Tell me what's coming up for you around this.

Do you have a story that you wanted to share, by the way? Did my story bring up some of yours? I would love to witness you in sharing your story, privately, just to honor you. We don't want to post all that out in social media and all over the place.

Send me an email back and let me know and I'd be happy to set up a share your story call so that we can hold space for you speaking your truth for the first time.

I know it's tough. I feel you but we're going to get through this together.

Are you ready for this? Five weeks. Five weeks. Let's do this. Self-care versus self-sabotage. Going to the dark side. Whoop, whoop. Shining light so that we can all grow together. I'm sending you so much love and I'll see you next week. Bye.

VictoriaWhitfield.com
Facebook.com/SenseiVictoriaWhitfield

Just for Today...

Watch the way that you soothe yourself.

Track what you do to soothe negative feelings, to observe if it’s positive self-care or negative self-sabotage behavior..

Notice how you feel at that moment - you're already healing!

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Hello there. I am Sensei Victoria Whitfield, your business reiki master. And it's my joy to get to support empathic entrepreneurs and business owners like you in getting and staying grounded and clear in mind, body and business.

Welcome back to another installment of your weekly love letter from the dojo at naturalintuition.com and victoriawhitfield.com, my blog. These are your sources for channeled holistic stress management techniques and guidance for developing your natural intuition. Whether you're looking to improve the quality of your personal and professional life, let this love letter be your reminder that you are not alone and that together we can make that happen.

Let's schedule a chat, and see how I can help you...

The post Love Letters | Self Care vs. Self Sabotage – Part 1 of 5 appeared first on Sensei Victoria Whitfield.

The topic that my guides have asked me to cover this time in particular is: losing faith. What to do when you feel like you are losing faith.

Now, I want to be clear, I am not a business coach, I'm not a marketing guru, I'm not your run-of-the-mill reiki master, and I'm not even a massage therapist or any of that. I'm not any of those things. I'm a Business Reiki Master. So what does that mean? That means I help empathic entrepreneurs and their teams, burnt out business owners, uncertain CEO’s, C-Level executives and their teams to get and stay balanced and clear in mind, body and business. So, although I am not the person who's going to tell you how to write a business plan or how to get your first client, I *am* the person that's going to support you with the energy *behind* doing those tasks - making sure that your vibration, emotion, and your energy is balanced and managed well. That's when these people call me in, specifically during times of transition, when they're losing faith.

In the coming posts we're going to be talking more about the experience of losing faith in yourself, losing faith in your business or the economy, and losing faith in your mission and purpose on Earth, and we will be covering what to do in each and every situation.So, if you haven't yet, make sure that you subscribe on YouTube so that you get these Love Letters first every single week, and also make sure that you take my quiz so that you have an opportunity to self-assess around where are you at, so you can jumpstart your unique healing journey.

Without further ado, let's get a little bit more into this. Why are we talking about losing faith in particular? Here’s why: my guides have magnetized to me so many people who are brilliant experts who are talented, generous, loving givers, givers, givers. We’ve been taught that “givers gain.” If you know what I'm talking about send me an email back, comment below wherever you're seeing this, type it in, givers gain, if that's something that you live by.

But here's the thing: eventually, if you are not giving andreceiving - or if you're not receiving asyou give - you will dry out.Think of it this way - think of yourself as an oil lamp. If you've ever seen an oil lamp, it's this beautiful glass receptacle which has a cotton wick that runs through it, and it's bound at the top so that the wick doesn't fall in, and that receptacle is full of oil, an incendiary flammable substance, but when it's wicked up, or absorbed up the wick, it then becomes fuel for our burning fire. If you light that wick the fire will continue to burn in the oil lamp for as long as there is oil in there.

So for us as empathic entrepreneurs, as spiritual business owners and conscious CEOs, we're giving, giving, giving. We want to take excellent care of our people. Being in charge means taking care of the people who are in our charge. You know this already. And what can happen along the way is that you give to the point where your oil lamp, so-to-speak, is running out, and your light begins to dim.

My guides are asking me to urge you, this week in particular, to ask yourself: “where is my light dimming? Where have I begun to lose faith?”

Are you losing faith in yourself? Are you losing faith in your business or the economy, or your ability to receive and pay out money? Or are you losing faith in your mission, your purpose here on Earth? Those symptoms usually are accompanied by feelings of exhaustion, crankiness, resentment, smiling but behind your smile there's like a sense of “I can't stand this anymore, I don't know how much more I can take,” or feelings of avoidance, procrastination.
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Be kind to yourself if this is what you are going through, this month in particular.I don't know when you'll be watching or reading this. Maybe you're watching and reading it when we first debut these love letters, maybe you'll happen upon this in YouTube or wherever, or someone shared it with you because they love you, but regardless of the time of year you've landed on this video series please know that it's time for you to refill your oil lamp, it's time for you to feed your faith.

We want to honor you wherever you're at if you happen to be losing faith. No judgement here; all love. Perhaps you're watching and reading this because someone that you know and love, or who you work with that who you care about and have seen as a powerhouse before - they've been amazing, but their light is starting to dim. If that’s the case, lets begin to send some healing to them, ok? Let's surround you and your loved ones, your dear coworkers and colleagues in healing white light and positivity, this week, this day in particular.

And without further ado let's get to the oracle cards of the week from Healing with the Angels, the very first oracle deck that Doreen Virtue ever made.Okay, Angels, what do we need to know right now about this topic of losing faith? Is it okay? What do we need to know in order to begin to restore it? “Nature.” Gorgeous. I'm going to read to you:

“Spending time alone in nature is important for you, even five minutes in a garden would be healing for you right now. By drawing this card the angels ask you to interact with nature more often, every day if possible. This card also signifies that you may be happier living in a more rural setting. If you have thought about moving away from city life consider this card as additional validation. Also, this card may be encouraging you to choose an occupation involving plants or animals. For instance, you may enjoy gardening, nursery or veterinary work, pet sitting, or delving into the world of animal communication. Your angels and the nature elements are helping you discover and give your gifts to the world. Help them to help you by spending more time in nature.”

And here's where we're going to leave off for this week. As we enter into this more vulnerable topic of losing faith, one way that you can begin to rebuild already before we start talking about more specific ways, is by reconnecting to nature.Reconnecting to nature. Nature is so healing, right? Maybe you lost a loved one, or maybe a major client fell through. But one simple way that you can begin to restore your faith in yourself, in life, or in business is to step back and appreciate nature. The beautiful thing about plants is that they continue growing. And how animals, they have this beautiful wonder and awe for life, they have this essential beauty and innocence to them. Mountainsides, forests, the beach and the water are all so healing - connect to the beauty of nature and allow it to begin to replenish and refill your soul.

So if this topic is on time for you, if it's speaking to you, make sure that you comment below, send me an email back at Info@VictoriaWhitfield.com and subscribe on YouTube so that you get these Love Letters first every single week.

And by the way, if this is really resonating and you're thinking of someone in particular, will you please send them this video?Let them know that they're not alone. And if you are new to the Love Letters because you received this and someone shared it for you, I want you to know you're not alone in what you’re going through. Faith can be restored. Connect to nature this week, go for a walk, soak it up, be gentle with yourself, and I'll see you next week so that we can continue this conversation. Mwah! Sending you so much love.

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Just for today...

Be kind to yourself and notice where the inner light of your faith and drive may be dimming.

Instead of avoiding or glazing over the truth, pause for a moment and acknowledge where you feel drained or dismayed.

Notice how you feel in that moment - you're already healing!

--

Hello there. I am Sensei Victoria Whitfield, your business reiki master. And it's my joy to get to support empathic entrepreneurs and business owners like you in getting and staying grounded and clear in mind, body and business.

Welcome back to another installment of your weekly love letter from the dojo at naturalintuition.com and victoriawhitfield.com, my blog. These are your sources for channeled holistic stress management techniques and guidance for developing your natural intuition. Whether you're looking to improve the quality of your personal and professional life, let this love letter be your reminder that you are not alone and that together we can make that happen.

Let's schedule a chat, and see how I can help you...

The post Love Letters | Healing Lost Faith – Part 1 of 4 appeared first on Sensei Victoria Whitfield.

Are you scared to go to work?

Secretly angry that everyone doesn't take care of you like you take care of everyone around you?

Do you hide the fact that deep down you actually expect others to *not* have your back behind always preparing for the "worst case scenario"?

Feeling emotionally safe in life is foundational to experiencing grounded health and wellness.

However, most of us have been taught from a very young age to be circumspect by harboring mistrust in others: we expect the worst, and not the best.

Watch this weeks 8-minute love letter video to explore Source's high-vibrational version of "safety first" and upgrade your mindset!

"I don't trust people."

This week, the guidance from Source is safety first. Safety first.

Did you know that one of the most important things that you can have as your emotional set point is an internal center of safety?

Let me explain.

When we don't have an internal set point of safety, we look to our external world to feel safe.

If we do not create our own safety by having an internal set point of safety, the external world, if she is unsafe, which unfortunately, more often than not she is, the external world is unsafe, we will then identify as being unsafe.

Example, going to work in an environment that you do not feel supported in or comfortable in. Because of that, that will create in you an identity, a self identity of, "I don't trust people" or "I'm not trustworthy" or "My life is hard" because the external environment creates the sense of unsafety, and then because you don't have your center, it's outside of you. You, therefore, identify with your environment instead of with your center.

This week is all about centering, finding your alignment, in particular, strategically generating your version of feeling safe. It starts with you first.

If you've ever meditated here at the dojo with me or on one of the conference lines, etc., one of the mantras, we have many mantras that come through the dojo, but one of the main mantras, especially during meditation time is, "I am safe here. I am safe here."

Telling that to your inner child. "I am safe here."

The reason why we assert that as our mantra is to bring that feeling, that strategic feeling of safety, into you and assert that that is up to you. It's not dependent on the environment, regardless of your space.

You are safe right here. Take a deep breath in and exhale.

Know this:Don't blame your circumstances. You can create your own sense of emotional safety in the world.

Can you imagine if only just for now what your life would be like if you felt safe, and I mean this emotionally, if you felt safe wherever you went?

Rather than looking and searching and searching in other places and other people and other groups and organizations and food and wine and cigarettes and technology, rather than searching externally for an assertion of, "I feel safe. I feel connected. I feel centered."

What if, no matter where you went, you felt safe? Here, in healing journeys with my students, that's what we really practice is bringing that and learning that, bringing that into us, that feeling of safety and then learning strategically how to generate feelings of safety no matter what because in spiritual truth you are safe, even if you decide to transition.

You're still safe right here no matter where you are.

This week in particular, Source wants you to know that, that before you go out into your day, remember safety first.

What that's going to mean for you, and I'm hearing the oracle cards right now coming in the energy, what that specifically means is that safety is something I generate. Safety first. I create my sense of safety, and then from there, I enter the world.

Wouldn't it be amazing to be with people who felt and generated safety no matter where you were?

The oracle cards for this week are the archangel oracle cards deck, another Doreen Virtue deck, one of 19 and counting as we enter the new year. I'm so excited. If you ever want to donate, by all means, send me an email back or comment below. I'd be happy to receive.

Angels, what do we need to know about safety first? 

They just said, "Don't shuffle any further." This is powerful. Courage. Isn't this gorgeous?

Courage. Archangel Ariel says, "Be courageous and stand up for your beliefs."

This is where we'll leave off this week.

The guides say that safety is actually a belief, and you can choose to believe.

Stand up for believing that safety is within you and something that you can choose to create and generate for yourself. It takes courage to decide that this is your center rather than going with the tides and going with convention and saying, "It's outside of you."

I don't know who this message is for, but I'm sharing it because the guides have said so.

If this is for you, send me an email back and comment below. Let me know. Is this speaking to you? What's been coming up?

Have you been putting the responsibility of your safety on others or on your job or on the government or on organizations outside of you? How do you feel safe? Let's take this apart and talk about it.

Make sure you subscribe on YouTube so that you get your Love Letter first every week, and I'll see you next time. Muah. Bye.

In Love and Light,

Victoria.

VictoriaWhitfield.com
Facebook.com/SenseiVictoriaWhitfield

Just for Today...

Tell yourself "I am safe here" as you go about your day.

Then act as if you believed that were true.

Notice how you feel at that moment - you're already healing!

SHARE THIS! You’d be surprised how many people you know right now are in desperate need of healing and could use this information to change their life. If you can read this, you know someone who needs this Love Letter!

Want spiritual support on your healing journey but don't know where to start? Tell me!

Click the grey button below to book your complimentary 30-minute Share Your Story Call  to start your healing journey, today!

The post Love Letters | Safety First appeared first on Sensei Victoria Whitfield.

Hate the thought of public speaking?

Often find yourself hiding your feelings and downplaying your achievements when around others?

Known as the "good listener / friend" do you cheer on everyone else around you to keep the attention off you?

Source says you have a story to tell, and that your story can help people.

But it takes courage to speak up, at the risk of being judged.

Watch this weeks 9-minute love letter video to learn why you should share your story!

"It's been hard for me to talk about that difficult situation."

This week it's time for you to share your story. It's time.

In the energy I'm hearing that you had a story that you've been burying in you heart. Holding close to you, one that is the story of who you are, how you created who you are. From a personal development standpoint, right?

There is a story of how you overcame and also what you're going through now, right? What your challenges are now.

That story, you've been burying down, hiding from others to make sure that others feel safe in your presence that they feel like they can shine while you watch them and shine vicariously through them.

You're not going to let your story out because it's hard to tell the truth.

It's hard to own your story, or even see your story as something that is a consistent string that has a moral to it or a message to it.

It's said, perhaps we're at the moment where we're seeing our stories just like a system of events and random experiences that have happened to us instead of a string of pearls that have been arranged for us.

Source says your story, should you choose to share it, can heal someone. In fact not just one person, but many.

You have permission to shine, permission to speak and permission to be contagious. Yeah. Permission to be contagious.

It's important that you speak, share your energy.

Know this: You have permission to shine, to speak and to share your story! 

We all need to hear about your gift, how you overcame because when we hear the perspectives of others, speaking from the perspective of the community. When we hear others stories it's inspiring, it's intriguing, it's connecting, right?

We all have a story and this week in particular some how in some way you are going to be challenged, the opportunity is going to come to you to share your story. I'm behind you saying, "Go for it! Go for it! Go for it!"

The oracle cards this week are calling in the energy to weigh in also on this topic.

Several decks wanted to come forward, so we had to like say, "All right, one at a time, who is really going to speak this week?" The one that shone the brightest in the energy was actually the Crystal Oracle. Our stone family is coming to help ground your ability to speak with some good Earth energy.

Speaking of grounding, Red Jasper, oh my gosh!

They didn't even let me shuffle. They said, "Pull the bottom card." Red Jasper. Let's see what this has to say. Holy Moly.

The root chakra is red, red like Jasper, so this is a perfect card for the root chakra.

The guides are saying we're bringing forward and infusing your life with more root chakra energy, so that when you speak you speak in a grounded way. You're not wandering around and trying to make sense of your story, but instead when you share your story, it has a message to it. It's grounded, clear, not, "Oh, I don't remember... blah, blah, blah."

One way that you can clear your story for yourself first is to write it down.

It's much more grounding to do that. To write it out before speaking it. Let's see what's going on with Jasper here.

"Red Jasper represents nurturing caring, protection, energy flow and life force. You may soon find yourself drawn into a situation in which you feel compelled to care for and protect someone who is in need of help. This may be a person or a pet that has recently suffered some kind of trauma and is suffering from anxiety or depression. Your love and attention, your story will help them heal and simultaneously you will subconsciously heal an aspect of yourself that is also yearning to be nurtured. What is being healed is an emotional trauma you experienced in the past, possibly in your childhood, or it may even stem from a past life. There is no need to recollect the past or to try to figure anything out, remember that we each mirror one another and self healing automatically occurs when we care for another's needs. Trust in the healing power of love."

It looks like this is where we'll end.

It's not that your sharing your story necessarily with the world. Someone in need of the healing wisdom that only comes through experience that you have. Someone in need of the healing wisdom that you have is going to come across your path this week.

I urge you to have the courage to share your story with them so that both of you may be uplifted.

Them being uplifted in the hearing of your best practices and being able to learn before their situation gets worse. And you healing because you get to take what was originally a very difficult and trying situation for you and transmute it into love, encouragement and healing by sharing it with another.

Send me an email back, comment below, let me know what's coming up for you.

Or share your story with me. I have a free share your story call with is a half hour session where you get to tell me what's going on with you and see perhaps in the sharing of that story how we can help and make it even better.

Please, open your heart, open your throat chakra. Open your root chakra. Open them all!

Share all that lovely energy that you've been blessed with. I believe in you, I know you can do it.

All right, sending you so much love and healing, and muah! See you next week!

In Love and Light,

Victoria.

VictoriaWhitfield.com
Facebook.com/SenseiVictoriaWhitfield

Just for Today...

Be on the look out for someone who is experiencing your "before."

When you find them, ASK if you can share your story with them, and if they say yes, do so.

Notice how you feel at that moment - you're already healing!

SHARE THIS! You’d be surprised how many people you know right now are in desperate need of healing and could use this information to change their life. If you can read this, you know someone who needs this Love Letter!

Want spiritual support on your healing journey but don't know where to start? Tell me!

Give us a call at +1 (732) 903-8573 or click on the blue BOOK NOW button to start your healing journey, today!

The post Love Letters | Share Your Story appeared first on Sensei Victoria Whitfield.

The Medicine Wheel

Part 1 of 3:

Part 2 of 3:

Part 3 of 3:

The Medicine Wheel - or more properly translated, "sacred hoop" - is an ancient symbol that has been used for guidance, healing and balance by Native Americans for in excess of 10,000 years. In this informational video series, you'll learn how to understand and use the Medicine Wheel, according to the Lakota (Sioux) tradition. The narrator for this video is unique as he is a trained doctor in conventional Western medicine, and is also a Lakota medicine man, who has descended from a long line of medicine men.

I chose this video for this week's Saturday Spirit Movie Series because the season has shifted from winter to spring at last. This particular time of the year can be ungrounding because Earth in our area is waking up from her winter hibernation, and to do so she is detoxing, creating a state of upheaval - old patterns of thought, behavior and resources that no longer serve us in the new vibration we are waking up to are being detoxed and thrown off of our energy. As result of the environment around you shifting, you may feel like you are on a rollercoaster physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

The Medicine Wheel provides an ancient, complex and deeply spiritual tech for achieving balance, centering and grounding in life. Stumbling through the transition from winter to spring, we need to embrace the philosophy of the Medicine Wheel now more than ever.

Food For Thought:

Are you feeling imbalanced in your life right now - perhaps because of the seasons, workload, or a draining relationship?

How do you think the Medicine Wheel sheds light on why you feel this way, and what will you do to center yourself?

Comment below and let me know how it feels and what you think of the movie!

The post Saturday Spirit Movie Series: The Medicine Wheel appeared first on Sensei Victoria Whitfield.