Yesterday morning, I received a phone call I get about twice a year. It was a loved one on the other end, begging for help. Addiction wreaks havoc on families, and the person in that situation genuinely wants help. However, I had to evaluate my own situation and determine if it was the best option for me to help at this moment. My nervous system screamed, "YES! Help! This is chump change for others." That's my hero wound, always jumping into the ring to try to win the title. But the reality was that our family was not in a financial position to assist. I had worked extremely hard in the past few months to plan out our family trips for the next four weeks. Giving away that money would not only affect me but also impact my family. And guess what? My nervous system would still be activated, prolonging the spiral of stress longer than necessary.

Saying no is one of the hardest things for family members in such situations. We can hear the truth in their voices, knowing they need help and genuinely desire change. However, after years of the same dance, we must stand in our truth and determine the best course of action for each person seeking help. Otherwise, we risk getting caught in a downward spiral of chaos, depression, and anxiety, alongside the person we are trying to save.

This storyline can be applied to various situations in life, even if we remove the addiction element. Where do you find yourself giving when you know you don't have the capacity to do so? What unexpected situation hits you out of nowhere and creates a nervous system disruption, unleashing years of stress upon you like a cannonball?

Being human means our nervous system will experience periods of dysregulation. This was my process yesterday when unexpected turmoil jolted me out of nowhere:

1. My nervous system instinctively jumps into fight or flight mode - it's a natural response. This alarm system ensures our safety. However, if I don't take the time to calm myself down, it can shift into cortisol and create anxiety. If you find yourself in a constant state of stress and anxiety, it's a sign that you're not taking aligned action. I used to be trapped in this cycle for years until I decided to break free from the spiral.

2. I allow myself to cry and check in with my heart to determine the aligned action for me and my family.

3. I express my needs. This step took me years to learn and is still one of the hardest for me. I became the person who saved the day for so many people in my family at a young age, and it's ingrained in my cells to not put myself first. But now I know that not taking aligned action for myself only makes me sick. I refuse to go down that path ever again.

4. I call @billygoatthebarber or another safe person to talk about the situation. My throat needs to speak. My body needs to release the energy through my voice.

5. I move my body. For me, movement is a must. It has evolved over the years, but today, I hopped on my Peloton. Walking, running, dancing, and biking are all grounding activities that bring you back into your body. In Human Design, I'm an active body type, so getting my heart rate up and sweating are both positive for me.

6. I take a 6-minute breathwork pause. I stop, drop, and engage in breathwork. This is my new slogan for myself and my clients.

7. I take a shower and write this blog. I teach through experience, and my pearl lies in the gate of the Storyteller. It's the way I process, and in turn, I hope someone else finds peace knowing they're not alone in their daily journey. Writing is one of the most healing things I do for myself.

8. I return to my regularly scheduled programming. The old me would have lost an entire day. But the new me gains growth, perspective, and gives myself time to step into my personal power with each lesson life throws at me.

If I had ignored my emotions, the rest of the day would have left me energetically drained and emotionally tapped out. I'm sure I would have unintentionally created some chaos of my own. We have the power within us to create calm. The world wants us to believe it's outside of us, in the next pill or next plant medicine experience. The answers to our problems do not lie beyond our bodies. The magic is within you. If the young girl who used to experience debilitating anxiety attacks every day of her life can learn to reconnect with her nervous system, so can you.

- Amanda (@luxhealingarts)

I Wish They Meditated More.

This photo was a rare moment in time when my children wanted to meditate and learn the things Mommy was doing. Sometimes I look back on the last few years and I feel like I dropped the ball for them. I couldn’t be everything to everyone, and the roles of caretaker and provider were non-optional. Life as a parent is a complete juggling act with moments of just praying you didn’t completely mess them up. One of the areas that weighs on my mind the most is meditation—a practice that has brought me immense peace and healing. However, I couldn't find the energy to actively cultivate their interest, and forcing them to meditate seemed counterproductive. As they get older, I am starting to realize the profound impact of leading by example and the impact our actions as parents have on their development.

The weight of parental expectations can fill us with self-doubt. The self-doubt comes from a space of love and wanting the best for our children, but it does not serve our own hearts. Would I have loved to do more to instill in them the love for meditation that had been so transformative in my own life? Yes, but deep down, I knew that I couldn't force my children to embrace something they weren't ready for. It would be counterproductive for their development and our relationship.

Everyone Finds Their Path in Their Own Time.

As the saying goes, "Everyone comes to meditation and learning about what calms them down in their own time." I know that their journey is their own, and they will discover the benefits of meditation when they were ready. Rather than focusing on my negative thoughts of non-existent shortcomings, I am shifing my perspective and beginning to appreciate the subtle ways in which they are showing me they have learned through observation.

Children are incredibly perceptive, often absorbing information and experiences through observation. I started noticing the words my children chose, and I was amazed at the knowledge they had absorbed simply by listening. I know they are sponges, but I it was like I thought they tuned out when I was discussing work, or anything to do with calming the nervous system. Realizing how much they were absorbing made me giggle. I tell clients all the time that things happen when they are meant to happen but here, I was thinking I can control the outcome. They are on their own path of self-discovery, and it isn’t meant to align with my expectations.

Leading by Example.

Our actions as parents hold tremendous influence over our children's lives. They see us in our daily routines, utilizing the tools we've learned to navigate life's challenges. Whether it's meditation, mindfulness, or any other practice that promotes well-being, our children are silently observing and learning. Instead of coercing them to embrace these practices, we can engage in open discussions, sharing the tools that have helped us, and allowing them to explore them in their own time.

Want to know the real-life hack? The best thing we can do as parents is to heal ourselves. When we embark on our own journey of self-improvement and self-care, we become beacons of inspiration for our children. As we cultivate our own well-being, we indirectly influence theirs, setting them on a path of self-discovery and personal growth. By prioritizing our own healing, we create a ripple effect that extends far beyond ourselves, positively impacting the lives of our children.

Parenting is a constant learning experience, filled with moments of self-doubt and reflection. Yet, through it all, we must remember that our actions speak louder than words. While we may feel compelled to guide and mold our children's interests, it is crucial to trust in their own journey. By leading through example, we provide them with a blueprint for personal growth and self-discovery. So, let us embrace the power of healing ourselves, knowing that our children are watching, learning, and finding their own path in their own time.

- Amanda -  @luxhealingarts

Amanda @luxhealingarts

"From the standpoint of wisdom, there is no such thing as failure, only experience." - Richard Rudd

What are you ready to create to find abundance in your life?

The New Moon is always a great time to set intentions and find awareness around what you want to create in the next month. This energy is feeling extra abundant and exciting due to the planetary shifts this week. On May 15^th Mercury retrograde ended, May 16^th Jupiter moves into Taurus and today’s New Moon in Taurus feels like the push of ambition I have needed after such a crazy eclipse season.

Does anyone else feel like they were thrown into a washing machine, spun around a million times, rung out to dry and then put back on their feet in a completely different place on the map than you ever expected to be in the month previous? My month was INTENSE. As I write this, my mind went to using the statement, “my life was a hot mess this month” but that vocabulary and mind set doesn’t work since I know I asked for it. When you are embodying the planetary energy and asking your guides to put you on the path for your best intentions, you better believe if you are not listening, they will create a dynamic that is a blow horn in your face to listen.

As I have been consciously embodying the energy of the moons and planet placements more and more, I am continually asking my guides to help me align with the healthiest and most abundant path there is for me. This means that in times of shake up when I am not aligned the energy is going to really let me know. So that washing machine feeling was crazy and out of the blue, but it happened FOR ME. I didn’t fight it, I only leaned into what the best course correction was for me. It was uncomfortable and there were pieces of it that hurt my heart, but I had to learn my lessons and my part so that I can step into my aligned path.

This is life. Blissfully thinking you are aligned and where you need to be just to find out you took a wrong turn somewhere. The wrong path was not a waste of time, it taught you something. You can lean into the lessons learned on that path and course correct at any time.

The shakeup of eclipse season is over and now we are in an energy of abundance, passion, and extreme potential. The Taurus New Moon represents a time of planting seeds and setting intentions related to stability, abundance, and material well-being. It is an amazing time to focus on everyday matters like finances, your career goals and building the foundation you need to build the future you dream of.

I realized the other day that my entire life I had dreams about who I would become. I knew what I wanted to do and what that looked like. In the chaos of life, the last few years, I have been hyper focused on following what I want to do in my career and what the role of mother looks like, but I haven’t had a clear vision of what I want my future self to look like. I can take all the classes and learn all the information, but how am I going to align with who I want to be without a vision of this woman and who she is.

What lens are you looking at yourself through? What would bring you abundance to live the life you want to live?

- Amanda ( @luxhealingarts 💕)

Aries New Moon - Spring is here! 

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Hello Aries season and new lunar cycle of the energetic New Year! Did anyone else get so excited for spring equinox and then immediately want to hibernate for another month??? Only me? I have a feeling I am not alone.

Spring is exciting! We hear so many people say, I cannot wait for Spring to finally be here. The days are longer and Aries season brings this fire that ignites us into action. Then I looked out my window saw the snow, and my body was reminded of how tired it still is. Again, I have a feeling this is not just me feeling this energy.

We welcomed spring, Aries season and the Gate of Innocence all at once. This is an amazing energy shift but can also be an overwhelming one. We live in a world of instant gratification and hustle culture that tries to disconnect us from our bodies. It wants to distract us from our own energy flow and convince us that “we need to spring clean”, “shed the layers”, “work smarter not harder” …. blah, blah, blah. I honestly am so sick of the same messaging I see so much of.

Everywhere we look it is some kind of programming that is trying to convince us that we “need” something outside ourselves. Aries season reminds us that is all within us. There is a fire that burns inside each one of us and the Aries energy is going to bring attention to the things we want and the things in our life that we may need to address.

The energy of the Gate of Innocence in Human Design is in our Identity Center. This is our heart space. It is asking us to connect with whatever source we believe in and trust that we are in alignment for our highest good. This energy may make us question if we truly are in alignment and may allow us to see where we may want to pivot. This is a great time to ask yourself; who do you want to be? What do you want to do? Where would you like to see growth and action in your life?

This New Moon in Aries is here to spark our fire! Sparking our fire all begins with healing our thoughts. If we are stuck in a place of victim mindset, this will never work, we will always stay stuck. If you feel this intense energy pull you to do more, this is the energy igniting you. Just a reminder to take it slow. As we move from Winter to Spring, we tend to jump into that instant gratification and try to move too fast and this is old programming.  I would empower you to realize that you are moving out of the rest phase and just like a flower blooms, you will slowly start to grow and blossom.

Affirmations for the Aura Types:

Reflectors: I am going to take this time to dive into my feminine, trust my wisdom, and have patience about my goals.

Manifestors: I honor my rest cycle while also trusting the next impulse is coming. I trust my authority and allow myself to take up space and ignite those around me.

Projectors: I pause to honor my wisdom and vision. My perspective is powerful, and I trust those that align with my guidance will find me.

Manifesting Generators: My energy is impactful and I embrace all of the ideas and paths before me.

Generators: I trust that my gut instinct will guide me to right the people, places and opportunities.

With love and trust in the universe,

Amanda - @luxhealingarts

Cancer Full Moon

With Mars in retrograde and Cancer being the most sentimental sign in the zodiac, the first Full Moon of 2023 brings some intense emotions with it. Cancer as a sign is ruled by the Moon. The moon represents our intuition, emotions, and our unconscious minds. Such a gentle reminder that if we embody the energy of the universe, we can find alignment and rhythm deep inside our bodies on a cellular level.

Cancer asks us to communicate our needs to those around us. Be vulnerable without hesitation to truly dive into what your “needs” are. How often do hide your needs because you are scared to say out loud what they truly are? Where can you find forgiveness? Where can you find softness? Where can you find the space in between truly going for your desires with full ambition and aligning with the pieces of you that are not quite ready yet?

We are in the energy of Gate 54 in the Human Design Chart. Karen Curry Parker refers to this as the Gate of Divine Inspiration. This is the energy of inspired action that asks us to wait for the right timing. Although this energy can feel confusing when we are not in alignment, we can use it as a tool to tap into what inspires us. Are you feeling an extra pull of inspiration right now?

The full moon energy is a great time to release and let go. This Cancer full moon is especially a great time for release and forgiveness. Cancer is a water sign, and you may feel the emotional water of your body, tears, begin to flow. Let them. Let your tears cleanse your spirit and release what you need to set yourself free.

What inspirational pull are you feeling after allowing yourself the freedom to feel?

- Amanda ( @luxhealingarts )

We continued the tradition of the messy Christmas Tree in our household again this year. This is the third year we have done this, and it has become a tradition that will continue every year in some capacity. The reason for the messy tree was to rectify a situation that my daughter was having a hard time with. I asked her what she needed to work through the emotions and her response was “I want a messy tree! Nothing can be perfect”. So, the Messy Christmas Tree in the Hill/Murphy household was born.

We throw the garland, the ornaments and anything we can get to stick at it. All the while laughing, giggling and mommy praying nothing shatters with the full pitch style throws at the tree. This is a memory my children are going to remember their entire lives and the best part of it for mommy is the lesson it carries.

There is no perfectionism. Perfect does not exist.

I share this with you today so you can remind yourself that your kids don’t want perfect. They don’t even know what “perfect” is. That is a fake goal that we teach them is possible through our actions and words. Guess what happens when you reach your so called “perfect” goal? The goal line moves and perfect always ends up being an unattainable goal, down a road that never ends.

Your kids want you. They want your messy. They want your smile and your love. Take a moment today to look in the mirror and say, “I am perfectly, imperfect and my love is always enough.” Christmas is not about the things; it is about the energy. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the commercialism of it all, but our kids just want our time and to feel like they are seen.

I hope everyone can pause and connect with their heart this holiday season. Sending love and heart felt energy to anyone who feels, overwhelmed, sad or not enough this year. You are always enough.

 - Amanda ( @luxhealingarts)

The more I experiment with human design, the more I am aware of the underlying currents and energies that affect us from day to day. Just like the placement of the moon and the astrological signs we use to forecast the energy of the collective, as we move through the I-Ching chart in Human Design, the energies of the gates, either activate us on a deeper level or give us a flavor of that energy as we move through it.
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For example, we were just in the energy of the Anja, in gate 11, which is the gate of ideas. I was downloading so many ideas this last week!! Rather than panic that I was supposed to do something with them all right away, I made note of them for later. I honored that this was the energy we were in and used it to my advantage. I was empowered by the flow and didn’t get overwhelmed by it. I was conscious of this extra energetic push and I was able to assist my clients in a unique way, knowing they would be feeling this energy as well.
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Today, my energy switched. My body intuitively knew the energy was coming yesterday. I spent the entire day cleaning my house and even went to the store to buy a new rug to replace the one I hated in my living room. I giggled when I checked the transit report last night as I was falling asleep. We moved into Gate 10 in our heart center today, which is the energy of self-love. Due to the fact, I have this channel activated in my chart (the 10-57 channel of perfected form), I am going to feel the pull to create a space that I love that reflects the energy I am pursuing. A cozy home…. which is exactly what I need today for security in the 1st line of this energy.
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We all have little nuances in our chart, so understanding the layers, helps us understand how the transits will uniquely affect us. Being that I am a Manifestor, with a cave environment, I need my space to reflect what I love in order to be in my full power of the love of self and aligned with my creativity.
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For those of you without Gate 10 in your chart, you may feel the pull to tap more into a self-love practice, or on the low end of the energy, you may find yourself questioning your worthiness.
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If you notice yourself slipping into victim mindset this week, try to switch your perspective. I know it can be hard but if you can find a way to see yourself and fulfill your needs, this is the most important thing you can do with this energy. Be curious about questions that come up involving self-worth. Go with the flow and find power in the understanding that you are your ultimate resource.
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I am sure you have heard the saying put yourself first! Well, this is very true right now. Honor that you are the main resource you have. You deserve everything you need. If you don’t tend to your needs and make sure your love for yourself is strong, you won’t be able to give to those around you.
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If you want to learn more about your personal birth chart and energy, reach out!

- Amanda (@luxhealingarts)