The Power of Journaling

“The most important promises are the ones I make to myself.”

- Maryanne Radmacher

• I use tarot & astrology as a daily meditation tool, to focus on my career, my relationships, and my creativity. They serve as moment in my journey where I look at the map of my life and decide which direction to take. But I don’t just stay stuck looking at the map - journaling is one of the steps I take to put into action what I have been contemplating.

• You can have many different kinds of journals, that you write in at different times of your life. Just as your checkbook is a record of your spending habits, journals can reflect your patterns and serve as a reminder of the positive “emotional deposits” Elisa talked about in her presentation.

• Kinds of journals: Business notes, daily affirmations, dreams (night and day), poetry, sketches, coloring books, blank books or notebook paper put into a binder, a photo album or scrap books, engagement calenders.

• Who is your audience? Well, you, of course, but it also could be your children, your spouse or lover, your business colleagues, your therapist, your best friend.

• Privacy: there is so much temptation to read someone else’s journal. When my lover read mine, I stopped writing for 5 or 6 years. When getting divorced, I read my spouses' journal and found out things I really didn’t want to know. Talk about Pandora’s box.

• There is a lot of power in writing in your journal (or on loose leaf paper) all your thoughts and feelings, and then burning or otherwise destroying them. Recently I drew a horrible picture of myself being controlled by my last lover - it was quite a relief to destroy it.

• Time: even just five minutes a day can grow into a disciplined practice (like flossing your teeth or exercise). This is time for YOU, time to focus on achieving something you desire. keeping a little notebook in your bag is helpful for those odd moments of standing in the bank line. Putting the TV on mute and jotting down thoughts during commercials can reactivate your brain waves.

• Your other favorite tool is your PEN: do you like blue or black ink? Pencil? Colored pencils? Markers? Paints? I highly recommend crayons...

• To quote from the 5 of Wands card - Keep your expression flowing. Stop editing yourself and let go of concern about what comes out. Be playful. The openness of play allows for inventiveness and newness in a way that high expectations do not. (from The Tarot of Transformation by Willow Arlenea & Jasmin Lee Cori)

• You are writing your story and you can change your story - one exercise I did was to divide the page into columns and in the first write a sentence that begins “I wish...” the second column is the same sentence that starts with “I will”. This takes you out of wishful thinking into your will power, because it pushes you to the next step of figuring out HOW to achieve your goal. Examples:

I wish I had more money to I WILL have more money

I wish I was friends with my ex to I WILL be friends with my ex

I wish I had more tome to write in my journal to I WILL have more time to write in my journal

• Other exercises:

- Goals in the next month, year, five years

- List what you are afraid of. Burn it.

- List what makes you happy. Keep it.

- Pull a tarot card, medicine (animal) card, or angel card. Sketch it.

- Cartoons of you

- Songs, poems, quotes by others that inspire you

- Same as above, go from “I fear...” to “I wonder...”

- Pure color (finger painting)

- Create a couples journal, or a friendship journal

- That letter you would never send

- Who am I?

- Love letters to yourself

• Some book recommendations:

Earth Art Critters coloring books by Sue Coccia

The Coloring Book for Big Girls by Sudie Rukusin

When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing by Susan Borkin

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity -- by Julia Cameron

The Creative Journal by Lucia Capacchione

“Turn your wish bone, daughter, into a back bone”

- author unknown

Tips for Transformation

• Drink water: no ice – you’ll drink more; same with using a straw. When you urinate, consciously let go of whatever has been pissing you off lately. Same when you defecate – say out loud, “I now release all this old crap.” Notice that as you release the accumulated emotional and physical toxins, the sense of well being and serenity that permeates your body.

• Breathe: take in what you need, and let go of what no longer serves you. Take deeper and deeper breaths until you feel the richness in your veins. Laughter is the best medicine – Breathe into your Buddha belly and feel a big belly laugh whenever you want to feel high.

• Purify: hot showers, hot baths, hot tubs saunas: release toxins naturally and effectively. Transmute old poisons, shed your skin, wash away the past to feel cleansed and renewed. Neti pots cleanse the sinuses & clear the head of congested thoughts.

• Cry: with a friend, a counselor, your favorite pet, a sappy movie, or yourself. Release grief, disappointment, guilt, heart break, frustration & the chemical compounds found only in emotional tears.

• Combine modalities: Chiropractic, acupuncture, traditional therapy, Reiki, nutrition and massage support the mind-body connection made during hypnosis. Ask for personal recommendations.

• Meditate: Start your day by simply stating your intentions, take a moment to visualize them as if they have already occurred, feel that in your body, and breathe it into every cell of your being. To further amplify this frequency, write in your journal, speak your truth, or better yet, sing your truth. Attract what you need in order to grow.

• Love your body: Feed yourself good, yummy foods that you truly enjoy to nourish your whole being; play with your body, dance, do yoga, go roller skating, get an exercise ball, stretch. Get rid of your scale – you’ll be surprised how much happier you’ll feel.

• Sleep: as much as you want to. Take naps. Remember your dreams. Your mind and body are doing the repair work. This is where deep healing occurs. Allow yourself to go to bed when you want to, and to wake up when you want to. Get rid of your alarm clock – you’ll be surprised how easily you wake up when you need to, feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and refreshed, ready for a new day.

• Laugh: all the way to the bank, in your car, during dinner. make people wonder what you are up to. Smile at strangers. Make eye contact. Make “I contact”.

• Have fun!

copyright kayla g. rose 2008, 2011