couple different massage clients entered my office this week feeling unusually stressed and anxious. Normally neither of them harbor too much anxiousness nor palpably feel it physically, but have been lately. One briefed me about her general sources of anxiety, adding that she always appreciates my perspectives and would love any insights. Though this wasn't a coaching session, as she relaxed on the table, she started to open up about tense family dynamics she finds herself in the middle of. (This is the effect of massage, people relax and feel safe, and wish to unburden, which is why coaching after massage is so effective.)

I wondered if she does any 'prepaving' for her time with with the people who have the tense dynamic; prepaving being intention setting before meeting up with the people we're about to interact with. Because these are her intimate family members, the inner circle who she loves most dearly, it never occurred to her that she ought to. I confided that I often (whenever I remember, so, most days) prepave with some general intentions for harmonious and mutually beneficial interactions and experiences, even with my house hold members. Certainly this is useful with people I may have some tricky dynamics with, but I find that even with my closest loves. Empirically, I can attest that the interactions at home are more enjoyable and rewarding when I remember this tool.

Because home is where we let our hair down, sometimes we fail to enact on the tools that help us to tonify our behavior to be at our best. Actually our closest companions are often the easiest to slip up with, and so maybe require a little extra effort for. She liked that strategy, as most of my coaching clients do, because its easy and there's really no harm, but certainly potential for help.

Additionally we chatted about the unseen influences. While I promote radical responsibility for our lives, I also realize the importance of giving ourselves a bit of grace. Even people who aren't overly empathetic are, never the less, living in the soup pot of our world and the collective energies of culture, which, I'm sure you've noticed, can be very intense and varied. On subtle and not so subtle levels, we're entangling with these energies. Plus, Earth (and everything/one) on her, is in the cosmic soup pot of the celestial kitchen, taking on flavors from our near and distant galactic neighbors. (After all, if we concede that the moon effects the waters of Earth, why wouldn't we extrapolate that the other celestial bodies would also affect our planet in different ways?)

Yet, even these we can some what navigate with pre paving. Yes, of course we can verbalize intentions to harmonize with cosmic influences for our highest good, and the good of all. However, general practices that sturdy us up and render us mentally/emotionally flexible are also vitally important. I'm talking about spiritually tonifying practices, like (but not limited to) meditation, intention setting and Yoga.

These specific practices, and other similar practices, allow us to harmonize and even leverage, the intangible but intense energetic forces which may be overlaying influences on our planet, events, and how we feel. So, in effect, we may weeble & wobble but, we won't fall down! Falling down looks like upheavals in career, home life & relationships, finances, technology, safety and yes, mood, energy and stress levels. However, for those who fortify with good practices regularly, when the torrents of energetic storms rain down, you might get a bit wet, but you won't flood or sink. And if swim you must you'll have the tools.

So, keep up the good practices, or, take sustainable baby steps to begin. If you need a life line, reach out, like my client did. As she gratefully hugged me goodbye, she emphatically thanked me for the massage and the sage perspectives, stating how much better she felt. We need to do our own work, but let's face it, it takes a village to be a healthy person.