Tag: Healing

My Abundant Life 4-12-26

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April 12th, 2026

Learning to Love and Honor Your Body

“The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor.”

Martha Graham (American Dancer and Teacher; May 11th, 1894 to April 1st, 1991)

“Which comes first, learning to love our bodies or possessing a positive body image?”

“If you can learn to like how you look, and not the way you think you look, it can set you free.”

Gloria Steinem (American Journalist and Social Activist; March 25th, 1934)

“Don’t wait for the world to celebrate you. Carve your own niche. Focus on what’s great, forget what’s not. Find joy in your own reflection. Instead of obsessing about a body that’s impossible to achieve without a personal trainer, begin to discover how you can feel better about living in the on e you now inhabit.”

“A woman’s relationship with her body is the most important relationship she’ll ever have. More important than husband, lover, children, friends, colleagues. This isn’t selfishness–it’s just fact. The body is, quite literally, our vehicle for being–for giving, for loving, for moving, for feeling–and if it doesn’t work, it’s fairly certain that nothing else in our lives will work, either.”

Diana K. Roesch (Health & Fitness Expert; December 2nd, 1963)

“Today, instead of hating your body, make peace with it. Choose to consciously love and honor the sacred garment Spirit provided for this lifetime’s journey.”

“I am so appreciative that my genetics and health active lifestyle has yielded me youth beyond my years. I have always liked my body and valued the movement it has been able to experience. I have counseled many young teens to adult women on body image for over 30+ years. On this path, the main culprit preventing women from achieving their health and wellness goals has largely been their own invisible conversation in their head about body image and self-love. For those who were able to share honestly with me how they saw themselves, I was able to help be their advocate and accountability partner in changing both behavior and their physical appearance. For those looking for a gimmick or a quick fix, they largely stayed trapped in their own story and thus their insides tended to match there outsides. It is not magic, it IS self love and grace for the garment that the Universe gifted you to wear in this life journey. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Use it or lose it.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 116 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 3-16-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

March 16th, 2026

What Do You Like about Yourself?

“If you want to find the answers to the Big Questions about your soul, you’d best begin with the Little Answers about your body.”

George A. Sheehan (Physician, Senior Athlete and Author; November 5th, 1918 ~ November 1st, 1993)

“Like all of us, you see yourself in the mirror every day. But when was the last time you nodded your head in approval at what you saw? Today, I’d like to ask you to try something radically different: look at yourself lovingly and begin to appreciate what you see.”

“This exercise is more than just skin deep because I want you to take an inventory of what you like about yourself. Most of us are very quick to criticize ourselves. We’re always finding things wrong with the way we look. Today we’re going to discover and give thanks for what pleases us.”

“Tonight, set aside an hour to celebrate how marvelous you really are. …Ask your authentic self to bring to your conscious mind all the special things you should discover tonight. …In your most nurturing voice, tell yourself aloud how wonderful you are. …take a compassionate look at yourself in the mirror. Continue to gaze approvingly into the mirror until you find ten things that you absolutely love about your face and your body…Write all ten down in your gratitude journal. Now think about aspects of your personality that you like. …Write it all down. Do not stop until you have at least ten things about your personality for which to be grateful. Now record them all in your gratitude journal.

“And if you think you can’t find twenty things to love about yourself, go back to the mirror. Do this exercise every day until you can. …Today, be willing to search genuinely for your glorious possibilities and rejoice in your divine authenticity.

“Nature never repeats herself and the possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another.”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (American Writer and Activist who was a leader of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. during the mid- to late-19th century; November 12th, 1815 ~ October 26th, 1902)

“Before my story began…” (Heather 3-16-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

Ten Things I like About My Body: (Heather Houston 3-16-22)

  1. I love my blue eyes.
  2. I love that I have actual free hanging ear lobes.
  3. I love my hair color when it is dyed black and blue.
  4. I love my hands and fingers.
  5. I love my breasts…Epic!
  6. I love my nipples…Brilliant!
  7. I love my belly button.
  8. I love the ratio of my labia majora to labia minor…Perfection!
  9. I love my ass.
  10. I love my feet.
  11. I love the silky soft soles of my feet…no hard callouses.

Ten Things I like About My Personality: y: (Heather Houston 3-16-22)

  1. I love my sense of humor.
  2. I love that I am kind.
  3. I love that I am generous.
  4. I love that I am thoughtful.
  5. I love that I am integral.
  6. I love that I am intelligent.
  7. I love my appreciation for all music.
  8. I love that I feel fulfillment from being of service to others.
  9. I love that I am loving.
  10. I love that I am logical.
  11. I love that I am warm and approachable to others.

I read the above list and still feel the same about what I love about my physical body and my personality. (Heather Houston 3-16-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 82-83 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 3-11-26

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March 11th, 2026

Sending and Receiving Personal Signals

“If you will resolve to work each day for self-realization, your whole world can change…The two women you are, they can make you over.”

Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, December 1947)

“Each of us transmits personal signals about our self-esteem very day in myriad ways.”

“But there is an important reason why we should give a second thought to our personal appearance, even when we’re alone: the inner joy we experience when we look our best.”

“Many women feel in their hearts that they have missed full realization. Yet they need not accept this–help is within themselves. You can feel it within you–an inner drive for happiness. The close interrelation between this Inner You and this Outer You, the almost uncanny power of each to change the other–can change you from drabness to joyous self-fulfillment.”

Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, March 1949)

“…one of the most marvelous lessons you learn on a path of personal transformation is that when your heart is open to change, you’re able to recognize the personal signals of encouragement your authentic delf is constantly sending, no matter how unlikely the source.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“It is do coincidental, the Pond’s cold cream reference to a beauty tip my paternal grandmother shared with me. Grandma Houston had the most porcelain of skin well into her 70s. She shared that all she ever used was Pond’s cold cream at night. Amazing!” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)

“I found I took on another beauty technique from my Grandmother Houston, witch hazel. I have never been able to use an astringent as it always stripped my natural oil and made my skin shiny and irritated. The witch hazel is forgiving and still cleans the bacteria and surface oils without stripping my face. Thank you grandma!” (Heather Houston 3-11-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 78-79 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 3-2-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

March 2nd, 2026

Meditation: Many Paths to the Present Moment

“Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely the path that is your life.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn (American Professor Emeritus of Medicine and the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; June 5th, 1944 ~ )

“…there are compelling physiological, psychological, and spiritual reasons why we should engage in regular meditation. It is the mortar that holds mind, body, and Spirit together.”

“…meditation is intentional concentration on one thing, which can be either secular or spiritual.”

“In this state creativity flowers, intuition leads to a deeper wisdom, the natural healing system of the body is engaged, our best physical and mental potentials manifests itself and we feel psychologically satisfied.” …Spiritual meditation, on the other hand…”will help you become aware of the presence of the divine in nature, in yourself and in other people. The love and joy that are inherent in Spirit–that are the very essence of Spirit–will begin to permeate your life.”

Dr. Joan Borysenko (Author; October 25th, 1945 ~ )

“…many different ways of meditating, depending on my inner needs: the golden mirror meditation, writing my daily dialogue pages, gazing into the flame of a candle, concentrating on a sacred word in a centering prayer, focusing on a poetic phrase to find deeper personal meaning, or setting out on a walking meditation.”

“…all-time favorite meditation is a small, moist piece of chocolate cake eaten with exquisite attention and tremendous gratitude. Any time we are fully present in the moment we are meditating.”

Dr. Joan Borysenko (Author; October 25th, 1945 ~ )

My Bucket List

Meditation
Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-2-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“I have a meditation practice I follow: 10-minutes in the morning and at lunch with a 5-10 minute Spiritual time-out to reflect on my day before bed. I also commune with nature daily for 30-minutes which consists of a walk or quiet sitting outdoors. Putting meditation in small chunks throughout my day reduces stress and keeps me centered.” (Heather Houston 3-2-22)

“If being present is meditation, then my life is mostly meditation. How magical is that?” (Heather Houston 3-2-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 68-70 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 2-28-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

February 28th, 2026

Creating a Sacred Space

“You must have room or a certain hour of the day or do where you do not know what was in the morning paper…a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are, and what you might be…At first you may find nothing’s happening…But if you have a sacred place and use it, take advantage of it, something will happen.”

Joseph John Campbell (American Writer; March 26th, 1904 ~ October 30th, 1987)

My Bucket List

Sacred Spaces
Explore New Zealand

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-28-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“The request is to create a sacred space. I use my whole house as a sacred space with heartfelt and gratitude inspired trinkets, babbles and pictures throughout it to remind me wherever I am, that I am thankful and loved.” (Heather Houston 2-28-22)

“After reading ‘Rediscovering Your Sacredness.’ I endeavored to create a sacred space in my home where I could concentrate all of my spiritual energies. I choose the quiet of the morning after cleaning the kitchen from the previous nights cooking to sit in the candlelight of my alter to remind myself of my sacredness and to center myself spiritually before my day unfolds. This quiet early morning solitude fills my soul. Even my dog Kiva looks forward to my intentional breathing and words speaking into the sacredness of all beings. The days I miss this devotional time, I feel the energy of the world beginning to build up within me. Similar to Buddhist teachings, I welcome in the world energy and slough it off daily and return it to the Sacred Whole.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 61-63 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 2-27-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

February 27th, 2026

Committing to Your Spiritual Awakening

“I don’t believe; I know.”

Carl Jung (Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst; July 26th, 1875 ~ June 6th, 1961)

“If you consciously work to bring more gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy into your daily life, your world will be transformed whether you believe a Higher Power is guiding you or not. But if you commit to your spiritual awakening as the most important part of the process, something marvelous will happen. Life will not feel as fraught, as frazzled, or as fragmented as before because you’ll realize that the spiritual, the creative, and the practical can’t be separated. They each count. They each mean something. They’re all connected.”

“…ready ourselves with spiritual openness. …Spirituality is the sacred center of which all life comes, including Mondays and Tuesdays and rainy Saturday afternoons in all their mundane and glorious details.”

Christina Balwin (Author; April 16th, 1946 ~ )

My Bucket List

Spiritual Awakening
Hike Toketee Falls in Oregon

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-27-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“I am excited to discover myself newly while at the same time love the being I already am. My thoughts today are on the people of Ukraine. I also have a pang of fear wondering if my son has been deployed to bolster the Ukrainian cause. If so, I send him all my protective motherly love to keep him safe. I love you Porter!”💝 (Heather Houston 2-27-22)

“Seems full circle as we began bombing Iran and hoping my children are not deployed anywhere near the Middle East. The “Sacred Center of Life” is the BEing present within the moment. My husband made Pho and the gloriousness was not just the first bite. It was the intentional shopping, the smell of the cooking beef bones, the cooking of the aromatics, and the final boil of the broth…all leading to the first sip of soup that unfolded the sacred beautiful creation. Relish the daily routine intertwined with the beauty of living in the moment.” (Heather Houston 2-27-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 61 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 1-30-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant Life2 Comments

January 30th, 2026

The Golden Mirror Meditation

“Almost always it is the fear of being ourselves that brings us to the mirror.”

Antonio Porchia (Argentinian Poet; November 11th, 1885 ~ November 9th, 1968)

“I have used a special meditation I call the golden mirror meditation. I visualize in my mind an enormous mirror the size of a room, with an elaborately carved, 24-karat gold frame. This is my materializing mirror. Those dreams I wish to materialize in my life are first viewed here.”

“…whatever we visualize in our minds can come to pass in the physical world.”

“Today, find a few minutes to get quiet and journey within. Close your eyes. Visualize a beautiful, large golden mirror surrounded by shimmering white light. This light is Love and it surrounds you, enfolds you, enwraps you, and protects you as you look into the mirror. See the reflection of an extraordinary woman. She is beautiful and radiant. She possess a strong, healthy, vibrant aura. Her eyes sparkling and she is smiling warmly at you. Do you know who this woman is? You feel as if you have known her all your life. And you have. She is your authentic elf. Spend a few moments with her now. What is she doing? How is she doing it? Visit her as often as you like. She is waiting to help you find your way as you make the journey of self-discovery.”

“…there is never a time when you should hesitate to encounter the woman in the golden mirror. She is the highest reflection of your soul, the embodiment of the perfect woman who resides within and she sends you Love to light your path.”

My Bucket List

African Safari (2022)
Cape Town, South Africa (2026)

“I watched my partner come a bit unraveled as he thought he had lost a podcast recording that he saved last week. Lot’s of under the breath cursing and angst. It bothered him all evening. My initial reaction was empathy and frustration for him. Then when he became a bit snarky, instead of owning his behavior, I just committed myself to nothing being wrong. In that space I was able to listen and support him in his moment. We ended up having a lovely evening relaxing with one another after a super meal. This was new for me. I often own and fret over others issues and that only leads to more stress for me. All emotions are okay…even frustration. So I let him be there and I stayed in the empathy/helpful space. Truly a big moment for me.” (Heather Houston 1-30-22)

“Today was a huge relief. I had a biopsy on Monday and today I received my histology results. Good new! I have no evidence of cancer. PHEW! During the 3-months it took to get to my 2nd mammogram and then finally to the biopsy, I was chronically worried a a low level. I also knew that worrying does no good at all. Each time the bubbles of worry came to the surface, I greeted the thoughts, acknowledged them and then pushed them to the side. Today’s news was a relief and felt great! I am pleased I didn’t stay in a high stress state for months and instead kept on LIVING.” (Heather Houston 1-30-26)

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 30-32 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Sacred Life 12-29-25

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

December 29th, 2025

Chapter 9: Living In Gratitude

“Life is not that of a hierarchical chart, or a straight line where you go from start to finish, winner or loser. Life is a circle in which we attempt to get closer to that sacred place of spirit within us, which connects us to the sacredness of who we really are. This movement allows us to fulfill our sacred purpose, complete ourselves with a sense of harmony and peace, collectively move to a better place, where our relations are filled with more light, love integrity, respect, trust and dignity.”

“I am sacred and part of the sacred We of the universe.

I have a sacred purpose that is essential and interconnected to the universal sacred story.

I have sacred ancestral wisdom within me that guides and can re-ground me throughout my life.

I have sacred medicine and blessings in me that can heal others and myself, which I can share with the world.

I give thanks to the Creator, the ancestors, and all my relations Tlamish Tonatiuh (May the light of the Creator shine on you always.).“

Jerry Trello (American Author)

–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 152-172.

I challenge each of you to post comments to this blog series so we all can grow together.

My Sacred Life 12-28-25

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

December 28th, 2025

“The secret to living well and longer is to eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.”

Tibetan Proverb

Chapter 8: Living Sacredness As A Daily Practice

In Tloque Nahuaque: Sacred Connectedness

“This first sacred practice of sacred connection is taking time to honor the Creator, praying/meditating and connecting to your sacredness every day. …Do so in quiet, listening and paying attention to your inner voice. …In connecting with the Creator/God/Spirit, you are really honoring yourself, reconnecting, and plugging yourself in.”

“To strengthen your daily practice, it’s good to have a sacred space (alter) in your house or wherever you spend this sacred time. Have a sacred space that you use regularly, so that it collects this energy.”

Flor Y Canto: Living Your Life To Flower And Sing In Gratitude

“Give thanks and have gratitude for what you have, not what you don’t, for where you are and not where you want to be, or where you have been. Being grateful is a sacred energetic act. This practice is about watering what you want to grow. …But if you take a moment every day to be thankful, and express gratitude for what you have, who you are, and for those around you, then joy will surround you.”

Todo Se Paga: Be Of Service And Advocate For The Needs Of Others

“Serving others is a powerful way to grow, learn and heal. There is sacred medicine in service to others. After you take care of your own basic needs, do for others. …You will be surprised that in serving others, there is joy and healing that will be manifested.”

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

Ollin: Blessings And Abundance

” The Creator send us blessings in abundance, and people to help us every day. …Take off the limits, and recognize that there’s nothing wrong with being blessed with goodness of health, positive emotions, and comfort. …What I have found is that the more that you share, the more you receive. It’s the interconnected circle of giving and receiving, Ollin.

In Lak’ech – Tu’ Eres Mi Otro Yo – You Are My Other Me

“In essence, the concept speaks to our fundamental interconnectedness. When you hurt, we all hurt. When you heal, we all heal. When you grow, we all grow. And when you get closer to your sacredness, we all get closer to universal sacredness. Peace in the world starts one piece (peace) at a time, and each of us has a part to fulfill.”

Living Your Sacred Circle

“Intuition is a sacred gift you were born with, innate in every cell of your being. Follow it and allow your soul to carry out your highest expression of life.”

Melinda Rodriguez

“We all are born with a deep spiritual voice – that grandmother/grandfather spirit that give us signals when things are right or not. Blessings are a part of life that we deserve. If we can heal and move forward with a sense of face and heart in balance, then we can find peace in ourselves. When we arrive, there is a sense of face that looks backward but doesn’t live backwards, a sense of face that looks forward after having shed the need to know ‘why.’ releasing anger, resentment, and shame, and seeing fear as a teacher and not a bully in our lives. We must shed the anger and resentment, transforming the shame and fear so that we can once again live in happiness and harmony.”

“And finally, forgiving ourselves and others. The internalized sacred teachings also give us a heart that doesn’t lead by fear, but is guided by faith. It is a heart that allows us to pay attention to our intuition and the spiritual, ancestral-voice deep inside us. This allows us to continue along a path of integrity, hope, vision and the true fulfillment of our sacredness, allowing us to recover our sacred purpose.”

“The Creator and life’s teachers give us opportunities and the medicine to release those burdens and open a path for us to step into a new day. Grandfather sun has shined its light on you this new day to water today’s light in you. And I remind you that: today, right now, with all your dark and light, the light lessons that you carry and the shadow lessons that challenge you, you are sacred, you are a blessing, just the way you are.”

“The greatest wisdom is simplicity. Love, respect. tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It is not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It’s encoded in our DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart and you will find your way.”

Carlos Barrios (Mayan Elder)

–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 145-151.

I challenge each of you to post comments to this blog series so we all can grow together.

My Sacred Life 12-27-25

On By Heather HoustonIn My Sacred LifeLeave a comment

December 27th, 2025

“Surrender simply means keeping God’s will before your own.”

Radhanath Swami (Gaudiya Vaishnava Guru and Author; 1950)

Chapter 7: Surrender To The Creator In You

“As we move on this journey of life, we begin to recognize that life is a circle. It is a circle that can bring us many blessings and many gifts. Life is also a cycle. I describe circles as those things that create movement and connect us to our sacredness, and cycles are those things that stagnate and disconnect us. A cycle includes wounds and patterns that have come to us in painful or difficult ways… The circles are the elements of nature: the earth, water, wind, sun and moon that are always available to us; our positive ancestral teachings, values, traditions, and life enhancing relationships.”

“So now we move to the fourth lesson; one that is so significant for completing this circle of healing. It is the teaching of ‘Xochitl in Cuicatl,’ that of Flower and Song. This teaching points to us being able to surrender to the totality of who you are, past and present, and allowing your future to flower in growth and sing in beauty.”

“If we don’t get stuck in the old wounds and the expectations of what we thought should be, we can create life from whatever has been presented to us that can flower beautifully and sin g with joy. ..The practice of surrendering is one’s willingness to give up our need to control life’s journey, while knowing that there is a greater plan in place.

“You need to trust to surrender, to ask for guidance and go within for the answers. All you need to do is ask.”

Karen Hackel (Author; September 2nd, 1956)

–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 125-144.

I challenge each of you to post comments to this blog series so we all can grow together.