An Asphidity Bag is a Self-Care Health Boost we all Need
When I’m at the weekend Mower’s Meadow Flea Market in Woodstock, I always take a short walk around the grounds to see what treasures and goodies are available. Last weekend, I found several handmade asphidity bags in the back corner booth.
They were just sitting there on a table among the Western Boots, Turquoise jewelry, pre-owned furs, and pillbox hats.
WOW! – I haven’t seen one of these in years. No, I correct myself. It’s been decades. I immediately bought three. I’ll fill them with herbs and spices and give them to my daughters this coming December.
Actually, I shouldn’t wait until December. Summers are really hard on everyone. Maybe I should give these bags to them now. After all, today’s challenges are very real and December’s worries aren’t yet on the horizon.
When I was growing up – a long, long time ago – my grandmother had an asphidity bag. She filled it with herbs and spices which she changed to meet the needs of the season, or the situation. She kept her bag tied to her underclothes.
Fasting forward to today, my daughters are having trouble sleeping this year. An asphidity bag can be created just for this situation.
Do you have trouble sleeping? Well, make an asphidity bag just for yourself and your situation. Here’s how:
Begin by describing exactly what a perfect night’s sleep means to you. How long do you want to sleep? How deeply do you want your sleep night to be? What do you want to dream about? How do you want to feel when you wake up?
In Step 2, you select the herbs which smell fragrant and calming. For me, these herbs include lavender, chamomile, rose petals. I also include peppermint and lemon in this list. Your list may be different. (That’s the beauty of the asphidity bag).
Now, make a cloth square measuring about 5 inches.
When your square is cut, place your herbs in the center of the square. Using a ribbon, tie the herbs as well as your good intentions in this bag. Visualize all the good things you need for a successful night’s sleep. Draw these elements toward your sleep as you tie them in your asfidity bag along with your herbs.
Place your asfidity bag inside your pillowcase. Or keep it in a pocket in your clothes. Wherever you keep your bag, when you go to bed at night, close your eyes and visualize the details you’ve gathered for your best sleep. Focus on your breath and the scent of your asfidity bag to launch you into your intentional sleep.
Finally, embrace your sleep!
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Both the blog and the show are a means to healing for viewers and healers.
Thanks for joining in!
P.S. Whenever I use an aspifidity bag, whether it’s for sleep or combating an infection or offering solace to my intestinal system, I schedule reflexology and reiki sessions.
Find out more at thurmangreco.com.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter.
Seriously, are you getting enough rest? Sometimes, getting to the heart of the matter needs rest.
Frankly, I don’t know anybody who will admit to getting enough rest. Actually, that’s okay. At least, they aren’t lying.
The thing is…when we rest, we recuperate, recover, and heal. Right now, we’re coming off of a three-year stress-a-thon. For some of us, this was a nightmare that didn’t end.
A story in the local newspaper tells me that Biden is about to declare the end of the Pandemic. HURRAH! That’s wonderful. But what about the fallout?
Millions died of Covid-19.
School closings, masks, and vaccines upended and disturbed our children’s education, possibly permanently.
Careers and employment situations changed. Work will never be the same again. For some of us, employment was then, and is now, a horror and nightmare we may never recuperate from.
We watched a black man die as an officer kept a knee on his neck for nine minutes while he cried out he could not breathe.
Social isolation changed our culture, maybe long term or forever. Some of us are unable to leave their homes yet. Others of us experienced loneliness, distance, and abandonment.
For many, this pandemic brought heartbreak, pain, sorrow, and loss. Truths we held strong were changed or lost. Our emotions are raw and we need healing.
The pandemic turned our emotional world upside down and inside out.
During this time, political division drove apart families, religious communities, and committees.
School shootings and mass shootings occurred seemingly every week. They continue.
Finally, we watched tanks and planes attacking Ukraine.
Has the time come for you to rest up and recuperate after the past few years?
Are you ready? Frankly, several people I know aren’t. They are not yet prepared to leave the safe space they created during the ordeal.
Your soul will tell you whether you are ready, not ready, or whether you are somewhere else in between.
If you are not yet ready to move forward, you have received a sign that you still need to recuperate and contemplate. A message for you may be to examine your options further. Meditating on your situation a bit longer may be a good path for you right now.
Now is not a good time for you to rush to a decision.
Now is a good time to schedule some regular reflexology and Reiki sessions. When you make your appointments for these sessions, think clearly about your intentions.
You may want to select a special intention for each session. Or, you may want to set one intention for all the sessions. Either way, use these sessions as a platform to quiet your mind and give yourself permission to explore your possibilities.
Ultimately, you will explore peace and healing.
You may also want to choose a day in which you do nothing at all. Sit around. Catch up on your sleep. Drink some calming tea or water. This can be a day of spiritual convalescence.
.Do you feel that the storm is over and the air is clear for you? Do you feel your wounds are beginning to heal?
This is a good time to assess the damage and move on.
Do you feel you are not ready to move on. Was the experience too painful? Are you afraid that moving on will hurt even more?
Take some deep, cleansing breaths and send yourself love – as much love as possible.
If if seems comfortable for you, visualize yourself back in action. See your life getting busy again. You’ll know you are ready to move forward when You’re ready to get back into the world.
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Please forward this article to your favorite social media network. Share it with your friends and family.
You can find more information in previous articles in this blog.
You can also find more information on YOUTUBE at “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco”. New installments are loaded every Tuesday.
Thanks again for all you are doing.
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COMING SOON!
Your Crown Chakra
When you connect with your spiritual center – your Divinity – you activate your crown chakra. Likewise, when you feel a connection to the Divine, your crown chakra is open.
That’s what it’s all about.
I believe we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. As such, I feel we spend time and energy throughout our lives longing for a return to the Divine.
This is where we remember who we are.
The crown chakra is linked to your endocrine system, an important thing to know
because a balanced endocrine system supports your chakra system.
When you are connected with your crown chakra, you should experience an ease
and flow in your daily life.
Are you trying to deepen your connection to the divine through your crown chakra?
A good thing to do is to construct an altar.
Begin with a vessel of clear water to represent mercy and healing energy.
You may want to select a goddess to teach you. When I first began my search,
Kwan Yin introduced herself to me. Kwan Yin has served me well. I love her
story. I love her energy.
You may want to select herbs for your altar. You may already have an
attachment to some specific herbs. If not, try to find some herbs that will support
your capacity to grow, align you to the energies you seek.
When you feel motivated, add 1 or 2 crown chakra gemstones. Again, you may
already be using amethyst or selenite or some other gemstone. It’s nice to
already have items for your altar which you know and understand. I found
Herkimer diamonds before I really understood their connection to any chakra.
As time passes, you’ll find essential oils, crystals, and yoga postures to help you
connect with your crown chakra. They wait for you along your path.
Crown chakra meditations are important. I’ll post one on my next blog post.
Meditation calms the chatter and allows your mind to stay focused.
For me, regular Reiki therapy, reflexology, or other healing sessions can be part
of your spiritual practice. Different people are drawn to different healing
techniques. The choice is large. On your journey you may include yoga,
massage, dietary changes.
You may select a modality and then, after time, change to another one. Time and
journey indicate different modalities.
Each chakra offers a different focus on our spiritual journey. All of them work
together to enhance health, happiness, and harmony.
More information about chakras in general and your crown chakra in particular is available in “A Healer’s Handbook”. You can order a copy of this book at www.thurmangreco.com.
Thank you for reading this article. Please forward it to your preferred social media network. Share it with your friends and family.
More information about your crown chakra is located on early blog posts: www.reflexologyforthespirit.com.
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Send comments to thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Thurman Greco
