Thank You All, So Much! From Astra

Hello all – Astra here!

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I just wanted to let you know, I am stepping away from my role at Abundant Heart Center to give my energy to my new business, EMERGE: Embrace Your Truth.

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Abundant Heart has been a very necessary segment of my road and journey. Co-creating all of the fascinating services that ClareShale and I channeled from the Universe last year was like nothing I had ever before dreamed or conceived of, and it has been absolutely instrumental in my own growth.

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I have equally enjoyed being a witness for ClareShale’s transformation in all of this – she is a powerful shaman and leader – and of course I have been so honored and blessed to enjoy the growth and forward movement of our amazing clients. Our clients, truly, have been more astonishing than I could ever have hoped for – and to you, dear clients, I also say – oh my goodness – from the deepest well of my heart….I could never thank you enough for being You. I love you! ♥

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If you like, you can reach me at:astra@emerge-embrace.com– or friend me/message me on my AstraSpider BizShaman page, https://www.facebook.com/astraspider.

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I would absolutely love to keep in touch!

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Again my new business, which I have been lovingly creating and growing, is EMERGE: Embrace Your Truth, where I support you in stepping into your power! http://emerge-embrace.com/

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I would love for you to Like my new FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/EMERGE-Embrace-Your-Truth/235849573166931

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And follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EmergeEmbrace

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Thank you all so much! ♥

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Astra Spider

Shaman and Mentor

http://emerge-embrace.com/

astra@emerge-embrace.com

Living the Happy Life

by ClareShale Mountain Star

That heartwarming feeling you get when you help another, even just holding the door for a stranger, is connected to a deep place within your very humanity. As it turns out, scientists are discovering that humans share the impulse to help with chimpanzees, our closest genetic animal friends – and that impulse is connected to a well-researched brain hormone.

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Recently I watched a small segment of the PBS series The Human Spark (hosted by Alan Alda, yessss!). The video clip shows an experiment designed to compare the altruistic response present in chimps and human 18 month-old infants.  As you can imagine, the cute factor is quite high! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK8rKKp-vP0

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Basically what they found is that both humans and chimps will go out of their way to help another. Felix Warneken at the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology sums it up well: “Potential altruistic motivation to act on behalf of others is something that is shared between chimps and humans, and therefore something that maybe was already a characteristic of our common ancestor.”

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There are many reasons I can think of that this makes so much sense. Being of support for others is simply what being in community is all about. We are a social species and the well-being of those around us directly affects our own well-being.

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Another super-cool factor in this realm is the hormone that helps us build trust: Oxytocin, also called the “cuddle” hormone.

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This hormone is released during important social occasions such as communal meals, breastfeeding, parent/child bonding time, physical contact with other beings (humans and animals) and not surprisingly during moments of altruistic behavior.

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It is actually possible to increase your oxytocin levels by being generous! Check out this article for more info: http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218393041

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There’s a bit of science for your day.

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Here’s a fun exercise to try:

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The next time you are feeling anxious, stressed out or frazzled, you may be in need of a dose of oxytocin! If you can, get yourself into a cuddle situation as quickly as possible. If animal or human friends are not close by, try letting someone go ahead of you at the store, holding the door for a stranger or even making a donation to a trusted non-profit.

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What are your favorite ways to connect? Let us know if this exercise is helpful for you in bringing you through to a state of Trust in the universe.

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Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Manifest Your Dreams

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

Quietude in Music

by Astra Spider

It can be seen as ironic that one of the things that brings me to stillness is music. Logically, music is the opposite of quiet – as it is made up of sound.

Energetically, however, everything is energy and has energy – including “quiet”!

And being brought into the energy of quiet allows for dreaming – and dreaming allows for creating – and music is one of the most innately creative things made by a soul.

So, intuitively, it doesn’t surprise me at all that the mesmerism of certain melodies often brings me deepest into the sound of silence.

A song which pops instantly to mind when feeling into the stillness of music is “Pandora” by the Cocteau Twins.

Listening to Pandora brings me directly into a state of feeling lightly blanketed by a sprinkling of snow in afternoon sunlight – only it is not a cold snow. It is tepid, healing, perfect; the illumination of the sparkle of each flake echoing through the mirrors of my soul.

This song performs a Soul Retrieval (a form of shamanic healing) on me each time I allow myself to fully relax into the harmonizing care of its trance.

I am snow. I am silence. I am the sun.

What brings you into your state of stillness?

Love,

Astra

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Manifest Your Dreams

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

Being Myself in a World Full of Magic

by ClareShale Mountain Star

I emerge from bed at 6:45, and then it’s a two-hour dance of love bringing my children from home state of mind to school state of mind. From there my day unfolds in such a large variety of ways, each day of the week being different from the next, each week holding its own magic. It feels like my life is a grand and glorious improvisational aerial dance, complete with a flying trapeze (and safety nets of course, lots of them!).

This feeling, that my life is an aerial dance, began to emerge over this past summer and has been increasing in intensity and duration since then. I am still in observation mode, not sure I totally understand it yet, not sure if I like it or want it to dissipate. Can I attribute this to planetary shifts or is it simply a phase of life? Maybe both?

This new “dance” energy does feel important for me to master somehow – its lessons extend beyond the wisdom I am gaining from raising a family, strengthening my community and enjoying my career. My intuition tells me that the particular muscle I am being called to develop right now is: Faith. Faith in myself. Faith in the perfection of what IS. Faith that all my needs will be met in all situations if I follow my intuition, love myself enough to set and stand in clear boundaries, and follow the bright light of what brings me true JOY.

I have, out of necessity, begun to intentionally strengthen my Faith in the grand directors of this aerial dance, who I’m pretty sure are my own spirit in close cahoots with the mysterious workings of the Universe. I am finding that in order to move forward, I must trust that the platform will be there when I release my grip and fly through the air, grabbing lunch and dry cleaning as I gracefully twirl onto my feet. Sometimes I perform beautifully and gracefully, not missing a beat. Of course, there are also those days when I completely miss my cues and end up all turned around; but that’s the learning process in action, I suppose.

I so appreciate you taking the time to walk through this with me. I know that we are all connected in ways I don’t totally comprehend, so it is highly probable that you have danced though the air in your own life as well. I welcome your feedback and would love to hear about your experience!

ClareShale

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Manifest Your Dreams

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

Bringing in What’s All Around

by ClareShale Mountain Star

This New Year is bringing fresh hope to so many people – it seems as though everywhere I turn I see big plans, new adventures and revitalization. With each of these newly seeded visions comes an opportunity to engage with life’s boundaries once again. All over the world people are feeling, stretching and confronting what they had perceived as possible. They are preparing their vision seeds for germination by expanding their reality to include what once was unimaginable.

Here are a few 2012 visions that I have heard so far: People are inviting health into their bodies by giving up watching television, going to bed earlier, eating pure foods. People are starting brand new business ventures, expanding their existing businesses and changing fields completely. People are starting new families, having children and re-committing to their partners. Wow! That’s just a small portion of the people I know.

What is it that you want to create this year? What visions are ready to blossom and grow within you this time around the sun? Are you ready to open to deeper levels of Love? Relationship? Integrity? Health? Wealth? Contentment? What seeds have been planted in your mind?

As you orient yourself to the future – dreaming and creating the wonderful things you intend – do you have a sense of unlimited possibility? Do you feel the unique intelligence of all that exists within you? How about the universal abundance that exists in the world “outside” of your mind, emotions and body? The coming together of these forces are part the miracle of vision-manifestation – just as the coming together of seed, water, warmth and soil are part of the miracle of Life.

Your vision has its own intelligence, just like a seed, and has been kept safe inside your soul within its protective outer layer until conditions proved just right. Your vision-seed knows that outside of that protective layer you will find an abundance of all that is needed to grow and thrive.

Perhaps you have already broken through that outer layer, and are finding that opportunities for growth and success are indeed abundant and surround you continually. Or, perhaps you are finding that breaking through is a challenge for your mind – you wonder, is it really possible? Does what I need to thrive and be happy really exist in the world?

The truth is that you have your own specific vision because you are ready. If you are coming up against a limit that feels impossible to overcome (like that outer protective layer for the seed), it is a good sign that you are about to take on a new challenge and grow in ways that will ultimately support the future success of your vision-seed.

Opportunities for growth and newness present themselves on a daily basis. It is through identifying and willingly engaging with these special moments that your consciousness expands and breaks through to new levels of possibility, thereby creating your vision seed as a viable part of our beloved world.

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Congratulations and a big thank-you to all of you who are willing to nurture and hold your visions for the future. Bringing life to what is within you is truly the most important work of all. I wish you unlimited growth and success in all your endeavors this year.

ClareShale

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Manifest Your Dreams

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

Creating Your Life With Love in 2012

by Astra Spider

As Abundant Heart practitioners and Empowerment Shamans, it is our deep desire to support you in creating a life you love, with love. Part of this process is to love everything in your life today, as it is right now – even the elements which you may find discouraging, less-than-optimal or downright frustrating. By loving these challenges, as well as the awesome and fabulous pieces, you create a field for yourself in which it is way easier to dream up, build and manifest your life as you truly desire it to be – as well as giving yourself the pathway forward to flow into the future with effortlessness and grace.

As I sat meditating on this subject, loving my present, and imagining myself flowing effortlessly into the future, a powerful exercise came into my consciousness. It is called:

“What Do I Love About 2012?”

I was able to perform this exercise since, during my meditation, I had already slid effortlessly into the future! And it made me remember something very cool I once read about how the best way to ensure a happy future is to create it for yourself.

I invite you to participate in this exercise (have a notebook and pen handy for after the exercise).

Ready?

Close your eyes for a moment, and take a few deep breaths. Focus on your heart center as you breathe, and feel it expanding and glowing with warmth.

Next, love your present circumstances – especially the challenges, as rising to meet these challenges breeds strength, and loving them transmutes them into the love they are.

When you can feel your present life buzzing with love, go ahead and flow effortlessly into 2012. Cascade into the new year with grace. Open to the new and amazing experiences that are happening, and notice your energy flowing all around you. How does that feel?

Bring your awareness to all of the fabulous things you have created for yourself in 2012. Feel what it feels like to have these things in your life, both in your heart, and physically around you. What are these things? How do they look, feel, taste? How do you feel while honoring yourself as the heart-centered creator that has manifested these things?

Now ask yourself: “What do I love about 2012?”

Allow your answers to flow in, taking notes on all the amazingness and beauty that is there for you, flowing from your Heart.

I share with you now that the future I’ve created entails a strong and fabulous support system, both for myself and for our always magical and bountiful business!

We’d love to hear about the future you have created! Feel free to share by emailing us, posting it on our Facebook page, or leaving a comment on our blog here!

Love,

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Breakthrough Success in Your Life and Art

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

Love Each Day as a “Holy Day”

by Astra Spider

Here are my holiday thoughts – and many of you already do this – but, it crossed my mind today that we can give ourselves permission to celebrate each day – love our lives in each moment.

I observe people who stress being happy on the holidays, so much so that they are stressed out over being happy on the holidays!

I encourage you to think of every day as a holi-day, or Holy Day.

Rather than be grateful on Thanksgiving, be grateful each minute.

Rather than celebrate fellowship, friends and family on your “holiday of choice that falls nearest to the Winter Solstice,” have a daily party in your heart and dance with love for your BFF’s and your favorite blood kin and your soul mates all year round!

Rather than celebrate new beginnings at the start of the new Year, why not re-birth and re-define yourself daily, even hourly as you see fit – and as feels great in your heart, soul and Whole Self.

I am not dissing the holidays – if you love them and celebrate them, that is fabulous! Definitely include them in your dance of Joy!

I’m just saying – integrate that joyous cornucopia of happiness into your very cells, so that it weaves continuously into the daily quilt of your life – the gorgeous quilt you are creating every fantastic minute of each superb day.

Sweet Love!

Astra

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Breakthrough Success in Your Life and Art

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

To Judge or Not to Judge…I Choose Not to….

by Astra Spider

I have been “accused” of, and judged about, seeing only what I want to see.

This makes me smile. The statement is not accurate. But I do understand how it may seem this way!

The reason for this judgment is due to the Order in which I perceive things – it’s not that I see some things and do not see others; it’s that I first see the essence of a person or situation. And this essence is always beautiful.

This does not mean that I don’t notice underlying “issues” or darkness – it means that I am not bothered by these things. One of Earth’s “rules” has been: There can be no light without darkness. We would not know what to call light, had we not also witnessed the dark.

I embrace the beauty of both.

Now as the Universe is shifting and expanding, and more light is coming in, I feel it in my body – there is an almost constant vibrational buzz. I am told by the Universe this will be calming down a bit after the new year begins…that the shifts will continue, but that we will be feeling them in a more slow, flowing manner – rather than these almost shocking jumps and starts that I have heard many folks talking about – and that I myself have been experiencing.

With these Universal shifts come new perceptions.

My experience for some time, as I said, has been to see the essence of a person or situation – and love it for its beauty. However, the “old earth” aspect of my perception was that there was often still judgement attached. I would see and love the beauty, but then would fall into the old mind-chatter of judging the reasons why a person did what they did, or why something happened a certain way.

The new way that has been blossoming in me is that I no longer identify with the old way of judgment. This doesn’t mean I don’t “care” if something unhelpful is happening, or that I allow unhelpful people to enter my domain. I take care of my energy. But, no matter what is happening around me, it is not for me to judge. Judgment is a block to abundance – so I will no longer have judgment in my life or in my heart. This is my choice.

And when anyone judges me, it makes me smile – for I see that I am being a mirror for whatever they need to work out inside themselves – and that is their responsibility.

 

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Breakthrough Success in Your Life and Art

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

How My Mind Learned to Love Simplicity

by ClareShale Mountain Star

I’ve been interested lately in the more simplistic elements of life; I love that they are so easy to achieve and enjoy. A simple meal of soup and bread, a simple gathering with a few friends, a simple melody, my favorite jeans. Those are all pretty basic, but so deeply enjoyable.

On a spiritual level, Simplicity is currently my quest. I’m finding that walking my path with Simplicity is a very interesting challenge. In my experience simplicity at its core consists of being in the Present Moment. Nothing is required of me in that place but to be aware. No doing, thinking, planning – just awareness. This seems like it should be easy to achieve and enjoy (like the jeans), but wow – it’s so much more of a journey than that.

Being Present is of course an experience that connects all seekers on the path of “enlightenment”; practices to support experiencing Present moment awareness have been handed down from teacher to student for centuries. I love thinking about how this state is our birthright and as children we are just there already – it reminds me of that story about Jesus telling his followers that they needed to be as little children to enter the “Kingdom of God.”

About 8 or 9 months ago I came to a new level in my process of consciously creating my life. I realized that I had not taken the time to really deeply consider what my inner being actually wanted to create; it was like there was a dis-connect between my Heart and Mind. When I finally checked in with my Heart to find out what was there and ready to be brought into the world I received an answer that was very simple; my heart wanted my being to “Be Present.” Up until that point I had been endeavoring to create a life that resonated only with what my mind and personality wanted – it was very external and not Simple at all!

I wanted to be in Maui, I wanted to create a sustainable community, I wanted to have chickens in my yard, etc. It seems funny to think about it now, but that was what I was making my whole life about. Those very external things. The truth is that without looking within to find the true desires of my heart and soul, I would still be searching for the next thing and the next, no matter how awesome my sustainable home in Maui was. True happiness would have been just out of reach.

I’m so glad that I took the time to find and consciously connect with the Intention of my heart. My dream home will still be built, my vacations in Maui will be great and my chickens are going to be amazing, but enjoying those wonderful experiences is no longer what my life is all about.

My simple Intention for living in each moment is to Be Present – a challenge to be sure – but an Intention that I find deepens each day. Thank you Heart for sharing your deep wisdom with my dear friend: Mind.

Please add your comments here, we’d love to hear from you!

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Breakthrough Success in Your Life and Art

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598

Honoring Yourself

Your Truth is your Abundance.

How do you connect in to your Abundance? Do you give yourself time and sacred space to go within?

Do you give yourself the space you need to feel into the desires of your heart, soul and whole self?

So often the “old ways” of society have taught us to always be active – always do something – reach outside one’s self, connect externally – be a full time care-giver for others.

All of this is important, and has its own place and special gifts – but truly we cannot be there in our most helpful capacity if we do not first take care of ourselves.

We are able to be of the highest service when we not only are seeing to our basic needs, but when we are carving out time and space to cultivate and become our highest selves – our most conscious, expanded and aware versions of our already magical beings.

The more you honor your Self, and carve out that time and sacred space for your dreamtime, the more you feel your connection to All – and the more you allow your creativity to flow. From being in a relaxed state of abundance, you are opening to the epiphanies that are ready for you to tap in to.

You are your own well of abundance.

What will you do to create your space today?

Please add your comments here, we’d love to hear from you!
 

Astra Spider & ClareShale Mountain Star: 

THE EMPOWERMENT SHAMANS

Abundant Heart: Breakthrough Success in Your Life and Art

www.abundantheartliving.com

Blog – www.abundantheart.wordpress.com

Twitter – www.twitter.com/abundantheart

Facebook – www.facebook.com/abundantheart

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/astra-spider-clareshale-mountain-star/35/a05/598