January 26, 2018 by simple living

Clearing and Healing Your 7 Chakras

I saw this video posted on one of the facebook groups I’m in. I thought it was so cool.

It talks about how to heal and clear your 7 chakras. Chakras are energy fields in our bodies that can become stuck, stagnant, or blocked.

The 7 chakras are like 7 pools of water, that need to be unstuck so the water can flow between them easily.

Chakra 1 – Earth Chakra – This chakra is ruled by Fear. What are you most afraid of? Surrender those fears. Let them flow into the creek.

Chakra 4 – Love Chakra – Rules the Heart. Blocked by Grief. Lay all of your grief out in front of you. Release all of your sadness and loss.

You had indeed felt a deep loss – a great loss. But, love is a form of energy and it swirls all around us. Their love for you is still inside your heart and is reborn in the form of a new love. Let the pain flow.

Chakra 5 – Sound Chakra – Rules The Throat. Your truth is blocked by lies. The ones we tell ourselves. Release your denial and the lies you tell yourself.

You cannot lie about your own nature. You must accept yourself.

Chakra 6 – Light Chakra – Rules by the center of the forehead/Third Eye. Deals with separation, insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world – is the illusion.

Metal is part of the Earth – that has been purified. If you open your mind you’ll see even separation of the 4 elements is an illusion.

Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. Collective consciousness. We’re all connected. Everything is connected, not divided.

You cannot lie about your own nature. You must accept yourself.

Chakra 7 – Thought Chakra – Crown of The Head. Complete Control and Awareness. All of your thoughts and actions. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachments.

Let go of all you’ve grown to love. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. Let them go. Let them flow down the river. Forgotten. Learn to let him or her go or you will not let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe.

Many are unable to release this chakra. You must learn to let go. To master this state you must surrender yourself.

The Invitation

This poem has significantly touched my soul from the very first moment that I read it. We should all ask ourselves and others in our lives these deep, profound and meaningful questions…Are you willing to be vulnerable and raw and real with someone?

Are you willing to let down your guard, your walls, your defenses, and be open to letting someone really in — all the way in — to see all of your light and dark places, the shadows and the mysterious parts that you try to hide?

Relationships should be full of emotion, and a fierce, fiery passion to deeply know each another. We have a soul-deep yearning inside of us all to connect on a level that makes us feel free to admit our biggest fears and to be there beside one another through all of life’s glories and sorrows. Connection is what we need. To understand and to be understood. Do you feel safe to be completely real and not be judged or shamed for who you are at your core?

No one wants a lukewarm relationship. It must feel like you are coming alive together. Intimacy is a beautiful energy and when we allow ourselves to surrender to the feelings of intimacy we allow ourselves to go deeper and really open up we will be living our truest life — an awakened life.

Most people have in instinctual fear of intimacy. Especially after being hurt in relationships in the past. Betrayals and being hurt when you were vulnerable with someone may have caused you to retreat into your wall of protection. But, there is no way to truly love again unless you take the risk to open up to someone again.

If you are afraid, it’s time to face the fear and let someone in. Invite them in.

Because when two souls connect – heart, mind, body, and soul – it is something truly magical to behold. Seek it. Don’t settle for anything less, folks. Let yourself be stunned by the beauty of a true, soulful connection. Let yourself come alive again. Let love in.

The Invitation

by Oriah
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved

June 29, 2017 by simple living

Sweet Sunflowers in a Vase, Just listed on Minted.com

sweetsunflowers

Just listed this art print, Sweet Sunflowers in a Vase, in my minted store. You can buy just the art print in the sizes 5×7, 8×10, or 11×14; or, you can have it shipped right to your door in the frame of your choice! I love the one pictured – the distressed white cottage wood frame. Each print has my signature on the back and comes with a certificate of authenticity. I’m so excited to be offering art prints, photo prints, inspirational art, and more through my minted store.

I remember the day I painted this piece – it was a plein air painting that I did from start to finish in one day while painting outdoors.

IMG_0112 (9)

Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to get specials just for mailing lists subscribers! And I will be hosting giveaways on my Instagram soon!

June 29, 2017 by simple living

Get on The Mat. And Just…BE.

Get on the mat.

The yoga mat is the place we learn—

to surrender, to pause, to stretch, to relax, and to grow.

We come to the mat — ready — eager to remember, how to breathe deeply again.

To remember how to slow down.

And. . . . . . b r e a t h e. . . . . . . . . .

We create space in our day to just be. To listen to what speaks within. We silence the to do list, and the busy, hurry. and worry of our day.

We close our eyes and listen to our breath. We marvel at the beauty of the human body and all of the gifts that it generously gives us. The strength we have that holds us in authenticity with our core.

Our hopes and dreams and values ground us like our feet planted firmly into that mat. Holding us steady in this world which tries to keep rushing us around.

But, the secret to peace in the frantic pace of our culture is found in letting go.

We come to the mat to let things go.

We let go of the worry.

We let go of the hurry.

We let go of the busy.

We let go of the coulda.

We let go of the shoulda.

We let go of the woulda.

We just sit. In stillness with our breathe. And we just are.

June 6, 2017 by simple living

Stand Up Desk from Brixton Banks

Stand up desks are a new trend right now that benefits our health and wellness. It’s been proven that sitting all day at our desks is contributing to many health problems. The new Stand Up desk from Brixton Banks is a wonderful solution to that problem.

When I saw this cool new desk, I knew I had to start using one! Sitting at the desk creates so many problems with our health: namely, back problems. To alleviate lower back pain, standing at your desk instead of sitting forces your muscles to be working while you are working.’

On the Brixton Banks website we learn the health benefits of standing and working:

Scientific studies claim that sitting all day is bad for your health. While that seems to be common sense you may not realize exactly how bad sitting behind a computer all day truly is.

There is more going on than just fatigue and back or neck pain or simply being uncomfortable. A sedentary lifestyle deactivates the hormone lipase which slows down your metabolism and causes you to gain weight.

This can happen within 20 minutes of being inactive. Meanwhile your red blood cells clump and thicken inside of your blood vessels slowing down circulation, insulin production slows down, energy that has not been expended from food, also known as fat, begins to deposit on your internal organs and LPP1 – a gene that suppresses inflammation and clotting shuts off.

I LOVE this desk! It’s beautiful, first of all. And it’s very lightweight, so it can be easily moved from room to room or even outside if you are using your laptop. It worked perfect on our kitchen table for my son to use it, and it works great for people of multiple heights sharing it. It’s perfect for active families that are looking to decrease their time sitting, and trying to incorporate more healthy options like standing.

You can get your standing desk at Brixtonbanks.com and be sure to follow them on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram! 🙂

(*Disclosure – Post Sponsored by Brixton Banks, product given. All reviews are my own opinion. I only review products that I use, and that my readers will benefit from.)

June 1, 2017 by simple living

I’m a Minted Artist!

I’m so excited that I am now a Minted Artist! I won an Editor’s Choice award in the West Elm Art on The Big Stage competition with my fine art photograph, “amber waves of grain.”

There were so many wonderful artists in the competition. 6223 submissions. I am proud and honored to be in such good company.

I can’t wait to share my minted store with you once it’s ready! I will be filling it with: fine art photographs,watercolor art prints, encouraging notecards, stationary, inspirational art, journals, and more!

You will be able to purchase my art and photographs at any size you want and you can even select from a variety of wonderful frames: including rustic barn wood, modern white or black frames, and more!

Here’s the full list of Editor’s Picks!

Minted Editors’ Picks
These pieces will be sold online at minted.com

Be sure to come follow along on Instagram and facebook!

And if you want to learn about how to take soulful photographs + express yourself through creative writing + seek the light through photo activities and photo walks with guided themes and self-care activities, then join the next class – illuminate: the art of soulful photography!

Did I mention we have a special private Facebook group to share our work in, get feedback, make friends, and build a creative community together?! 🙂

You also get a lovely pdf workbook that you can print out and journal in.

If you’re a Minted Artist – you can take 33% off the class investment!!

And take 20% off if you are a Mama! 🙂 My gift to you all!

Just email me and ask for the Minted or Mama special!

October 7, 2016 by simple living

Woodland Wild + Free To Do List Printable

Just sold another digital download of my new Woodland Wild + Free To Do List Printable!

I love this printable. It’s so easy to print multiple copies and have them on hand to write down all the things you need to do – and it’s so cute! I love the vintage paper with the nature theme and the arrow! Very boho. 😉

Get yours today! >>>——> shopcloud9.etsy.com

If you are looking on Etsy.com for a cute bohemian-inspired to-do list, then look no further. This cute printable can be printed over and over and will keep all of your projects and to-dos organized in a pretty way. 🙂

Great gift idea, too! Perfect for the DIY gal who LOVES homemade, handmade, and gifts with heart. Download yours today!

#organization #todolist #printable #etsy #etsyfinds #etsyprintables #etsydesigner #diy #shopcloud9

October 7, 2016 by simple living

#Giveaway on Twitter – photography workshop – illuminate

To celebrate #WorldSmileDay on Twitter I’m giving away a FREE spot in my self-care ecourse: illuminate: the art of seeking light

Go here to retweet the link and enter to win!

We explore 6 weeks of themes, slow down, learn to be present and mindful and intentional with our time, and use the creative elements of: photography, writing, and self-care to awaken your creativity.

Taught by an award-winning, published writer, photographer, artist, and teacher.

Good luck and I hope you WIN!! Bonus entries if you follow me on ALL of these: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – BUT you must come back to this post and comment – followed for it to count!

September 16, 2016 by simple living

Calling all Dreamers: Your Must-Read Book Has Arrived

Dreamers, unite! I am beyond thrilled to announce that I am one of the 100 to be selected for the @JunkGypsyBook Launch Team!!!

I got to read an advance copy of this amazing book, and I couldn’t. put. it. down.

So good.

This book starts with such a beautiful story that any female entrepreneur who has set out to blaze her own trail will connect deeply with. You’ll love these ladies even more after you read their story.

This book is full of heart, soul, grit, adventure, DIYs, glitter, road trips, trailblazers, family, and free-spirited wisdom.

This is the anthem for those who – in the words of Robert Frost – choose instead the The Road Less Traveled, to go ahead and blaze their own trail.

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

If you haven’t already pre-ordered the book – you should.{You will even be entered to win all sorts of Junk Gypsy prizes too!}

>>—> http://www.junkgypsybook.com

And, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the first Book Signing during the Antique Show on Sept. 24th! There will be butter + biscuits, live music, and books! Come meet the Gypsies and get your book signed!

Question of the Day:

What is it that is calling to you? What sets your soul on fire? What is your purpose? What is your dream?

Leave your answer in the comments below. Tell me one thing you can do today to bring yourself closer to your dream.

#JunkGYpsyBook #JGBLT #junkgypsies #dreamBIG #thecrossroadsofwonderandwander #dowhatyoulove #inspirationalquotes #inspiration #girlboss

August 3, 2016 by simple living

an ode to gardening – Bella Grace Magazine – published

An-Ode-to-Gardening

words by Amber Bartek / photo by Brooke Cagle

Imagine a lush garden in your backyard teeming with growth and abundance — full of life. You grow your own fresh ear of corn you can pick right off the stalk, your children can climb up your apple trees and pick juicy, sweet apples right off the tree, and you can pull crisp cucumbers and squash right off the vine for your supper.

There is something about growing my own food and working in the garden, getting my hands deep into the earth — that makes my spirit come alive. My soul awakens when I grow the very food that will nourish me and my family.

> Read the rest of the article over at Bella Grace magazine. {Please share and comment!}

I’m so excited to be a Contributing Writer, Artist, and Photographer at Bella Grace Magazine! It’s a dream-come-true.

I adore this soulful magazine that speaks to the heart and soul about embracing the slow, savoring the simple, and celebrating everyday magic.

P.S. – If you LOVE Bella Grace Magazine – stay tuned. There are some giveaways in the works. More details to follow on my instagram >> @cloud9photographer / @simplelivingwriter and on facebook >> @photosbycloud9 .

cloud9 musings – inspiration for heart + soul

simple living / explore / nature / simplicity parenting / adventure / art / inspiration

Clearing and Healing Your 7 Chakras

The Invitation

Sweet Sunflowers in a Vase, Just listed on Minted.com

Get on The Mat. And Just…BE.

Stand Up Desk from Brixton Banks

(*Disclosure – Post Sponsored by Brixton Banks, product given. All reviews are my own opinion. I only review products that I use, and that my readers will benefit from.)

I’m a Minted Artist!

Woodland Wild + Free To Do List Printable

#Giveaway on Twitter – photography workshop – illuminate

Go here to retweet the link and enter to win!

Calling all Dreamers: Your Must-Read Book Has Arrived

an ode to gardening – Bella Grace Magazine – published

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(*Disclosure – Post Sponsored by Brixton Banks, product given. All reviews are my own opinion. I only review products that I use, and that my readers will benefit from.)

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