A different take on gratitude

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. We live far from family, so we often spend the holiday a few hours away in a small mountain town. We eat at a restaurant, soak in hot springs and hike (no crowds at Hanging Lake on Thanksgiving!). The next day, there’s big Christmas season kickoff celebration complete with food, drinks, Santa, and an evening concert that ends with a tree-lighting and fireworks. 

But in true Mercury-retrograde form, our travel plans went sideways at the last minute. There’s a huge snowstorm directly in our path. We wouldn’t dream of even trying to drive through that. So, our festive plans are canceled. We have an invitation to join some friends, and we live in a city with plenty to do.

Modern notions of gratitude suggest that we find the good in things, we determine what is worthy of being happy about, and by default, what isn’t worth being happy about. If I created this kind of gratitude list now, I might say things like I’m grateful for safety, for alternative plans, and so on. I’d determine what is “good” and, by default, imply what is “not good.” Taking time to reflect on what we’re grateful for is a positive activity, but honestly? I’m not a fan of this brand of gratitude, and here’s why.

Spiritually speaking, there is no “good” and “not good.” In genuine gratitude, it’s all “good.” Gratitude is loving what is, not picking out a list of our ego’s favorite things.

An authentic practice of gratitude is one of observation, not judgment. It’s an act of noticing. Within the act of noticing, there may be pleasure: I notice the snow-covered trees, and they are beautiful. Making a conscious effort to notice brings pleasure. Not the act of categorizing things as good or not.

It is okay to list the things you observe. In fact, studies show that a ritual for gratitude increases brain activity related to empathy and intuition. But there does not need to be judgment in our list. 

So as you sit and reflect on all you are grateful for, consider this mantra: I am grateful for all that is, as it is. With that, I wish you a peaceful holiday season full of observations that bring a little bit of pleasure.

Election Day Vibes

“Mission: to be where you are. Even in this absurdly serious role — I am the very place where creation works on itself.”

Thomas Transtromer, The Outpost

Today is election day in the United States. Even though there’s a good chance we won’t know the final outcome tonight… or tomorrow, many people will watch the nail-biting results as the night progresses.

As part of this morning’s meditation, I did an energetic scan of the planet, which, like any living organism, has a chakra. Energetically speaking, the United States is energetically bonkers right now. This looks like lasers of blue energy zipping around all over the place - and blue is the color of the throat chakra, communication and having a voice in things (voting!). Energetically, the U.S. is a kid on Halloween candy: wired and tired. Can you feel it?

Tonight, my husband, the extrovert with an energetic shield of steel, is taking Brandy Old Fashioneds to the neighbor’s watch party. I am not. I’m getting Chinese takeout with my daughters and protecting my psyche from being tossed around like a tugboat in a storm. If you’re sensitive to chaotic energy like me, I recommend doing your own version of energetic self-preservation.  

A good way to do this is to stay present.

In the literal sense, staying present means distracting yourself. But the key is to distract yourself with things that fill you up and make you pay attention in the moment. 

For me, it means working out with my gym friends. Doing art. Engaging with my kids. Sometimes it involves having a glass of wine while I watch episodes of Jeopardy and shout answers at the TV.  

In the larger sense, staying present means resisting that urge to make up stories about the future that cause stress in the present. This could be “If __ wins then _____ will happen and [insert disaster here].” In a single election night, the predicted outcome can change every 30 seconds, sending you on an emotional bender for nothing.

Even if whoever wins, we don’t know what will happen. As someone with psychic abilities, I’m here to tell you that no one can tell you the future with certainty. When psychic people make a prediction, they aren’t seeing the outcome, they’re seeing the trajectory of energy as it is right now, a probability, which can change up until the last moment. Schroedinger’s cat paradox and quantum physics theory of superposition agree: All outcomes exist until observed.

In other words, call me when someone’s about to give an acceptance speech. After all, avoiding the election night roller coaster will reserve energy. I may need it when the dust settles and I can take action for positive change.

Meditation after Grief: A Personal Journey

The Healing Power of Meditation

My sister on her 50th birthday, six months before she passed away.

Last year was tumultuous to say the least. In the span of a few months, my father had heart surgery, my mother had a bone-breaking fall, and my sister became ill and died of an aggressive, relentless form of cancer. 

When it was all over, I was exhausted, heartbroken, and needed to step back from my mediumship work to heal. Meditation, usually a daily ritual for me, became a struggle. Each time I tried, I was flooded with tears.

I paused giving mediumship readings and allowed myself the space to heal. When I finally felt ready to return, my meditation practice was still off track, and my readings were just okay — but that was a start. I likened it to getting back on a bicycle after a crash; I wasn’t aiming to win races, just to find my balance again.

As I continued to meditate, eventually, I could get through a session without breaking down. I gradually increased my practice, meditating twice a day, and soon, my readings became more accurate than they had been in over a year. 

Meditation as a Tool for Everyday Intuition

Meditation, specifically a practice called Sitting in the Power, is a powerful tool for enhancing intuitive sensitivity. While it’s a well-known technique among spiritual practitioners to improve mediumship accuracy, its is also a great tool for enhancing the everyday intuition you need to navigate routine life. 

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your everyday intuition or seek guidance in your daily life, Sitting in the Power can help you achieve your goal.

Meditation for Everyday Intuition

Mediumship may not be your goal, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t benefit from practicing Sitting in the Power. It is a powerful tool for any type of intuitive or spiritual connection. How? When you’re deeply meditating, you’re switching your brain wave state from beta, the normal awake/alert state, to gamma or delta, the state of relaxed awareness. Studies show that the relaxed awareness state is associated with enhanced intuition and creative insight.1

Simple Steps to Boost Your Intuition

Good news: you don’t need to dedicate hours each day to see results. Ideally, 20 minutes daily is perfect, but even a few minutes can make a difference. I created a simple three-minute, nine-breath meditation for those who, like me, sometimes let time constraints be an excuse not to meditate. You can download the meditation for free. Three minutes—everyone can find time for that! I call it my “mini-med.”

I encourage you to give it a try and share your experience. In a couple of weeks, I’ll dive into the science behind why meditation is such a powerful tool for boosting intuition.

Here are two sitting-in-the-power meditations that I love:

Guided Sitting in the Power with Helen DaVita (28 minutes)

Sitting in the Power with Tony Stockwell (12 minutes)

Week 2: Trust Your Gut challenge plus a free mini-meditation

The Trust Your Gut challenge starts week 2 today, and I’ve had some interesting results and a few tips.

One great thing I noticed? The morning meditation routine only takes TWO MINUTES. Two! I knew that if I expected myself to commit to a long meditation, I’d never do it. But anyone can do two minutes.

If you’re struggling to stay on the morning-meditation wagon, I created a free meditation for the 9-breath exercise. You can access it below. Just follow along and you’re done.

It’s normal to want to drop off or give up after a week, but I’m telling you, the intuitive sensitivity improves over time, and it’s just gaining momentum.

Here are a few tips that might help you stay on track.

1. Acknowledge your progress.

   Even if you only lasted one day, so what? That’s one more day than you would have meditated otherwise, right? Give yourself credit, recommit, and hop back on the wagon.

2. Work with distractions.
   If you have children I don’t even need to tell you how commonly interruptions happen. We’d like to get our candle lit, our yoga-music going, arrange our crystals or whatever but listen: You don’t need any of that. I once gave a reading to someone in the side office of a CrossFit gym with Metallica blaring in the background. If I can do that, you can take 2 minutes to breathe with a lawnmower blaring out the window.

3. Take the nap.
   Guess what. If you fall asleep every time you meditate, that’s a sign your body needs sleep. Take the nap.

4. Accept frustration.
   If you try to focus on your breath, then your mind races with thoughts. You aren’t doing it wrong. Instead of thinking of meditation as mastering the art of silencing your thoughts, think of it as the art of setting aside your thoughts over and over and over again.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed that every day I do these exercises, the louder and clearer my intuition gets. One day, for example, I was feeling like I’ve been mired in my own daily dramas. I was watching too much TV, not getting out into the world enough. So in my morning meditation, I asked for guidance on what I can do to get out of this rut. That afternoon, my husband told me about an organization that needs volunteers to help with a new refugee population in our city, a population near and dear to my heart. Right away, my gut responded with the feeling that volunteering for them is my answer.

I want to mention that sometimes the answer isn’t super clear, and sometimes the answer sounds more like “You really don’t need to take action on that right now. Let it go.” Those answers count too.

Staying aware and observing during the day is crucial to seeing these answers as guidance. You’re being given the help you ask for. If you don’t have that ah-ha moment during the day, the evening or weekly reflection should help you see the answer you’re looking for.

How’s it going for you?

Challenge Starts Wednesday!

Friends, it’s just a couple more days until May 1st, the day I’m starting the Trust Your Gut challenge and documenting it here. You’re welcome to join me, or do the challenge on your own. The downloadable guide is free, over here.

So why learn to trust your gut?

Because gut feelings are a real, tangible source of insight.

There's solid scientific backing gut feelings. It's not just a hunch; there's some serious brain-gut communication going on.

Research shows that our gut, equipped with its own network of neurons and neurotransmitters, communicates bidirectionally with our central nervous system. This enteric nervous system, often dubbed the "second brain," might just be the source of those gut feelings we often overlook.

The Gut-Brain Connection is a thing

Studies have shown that our gut can offer insights that our conscious minds might miss. For example:

A couple years ago, my day-job decided to reorganize. It’s a huge company, and do the math, a couple years ago was the start of the insane pandemic. I had been working for two different teams for a while, splitting my time between Group A and Group B.

I liked them both well enough, but they did very different things. The content of the work was different, the personalities of the teams were quite different, and whatever choice I made could change the trajectory of my career at this company. I was given a choice, and it was kind of a big deal: I had to pick one group to move with, today.

On paper, it make total sense to go with Group A. I was doing the most work for them, I like them, they liked me. They needed me to keep doing my work.

But my gut pointed elsewhere. Group B, it said, even with its unknown future, morale-upheaval, and state of dissarray was the way to go.

I surprised a few people by switching tracks, and in short order, it became clear why: the structure of Group B shook out over time, and I was 100% in the right place for me.

On paper, it was the wrong thing to do. But my vibes said otherwise, and the vibe was right on.

If you’ve ever made a decision based on a gut feeling that turned out to be right, that's your intuition at work, my friend. Our gut is closely linked to our emotional responses. It's rich in cells that produce neurotransmitters and hormones associated with our feelings. So, when we get a gut feeling, it's not something to ignore—it's our body's way of signaling something important.

So, how do we tune in to these gut whispers?

1. Notice when it’s happening

   It starts with being present and receptive to our body's signals. Practices like meditation and mindfulness can help us quiet our minds and listen to our intuition.

2. Document and reflect

   It's not just about tuning in; it's also about reflection. Pay attention to your gut feelings and how they play out in your life. Notice when they lead you in the right direction and when they might be off-base. This reflection helps us understand our intuition better and distinguish it from other mental chatter.

3. Discern

   It’s not about blindly following every gut feeling; it's about discernment. By getting to know our gut feelings and how they manifest, we can learn to trust them as valuable guides in our decision-making process. As you document your experiences, you’ll see trends that will teach you the difference between your intuitive voice verses your “ego” voice. (I define “ego voice” as your mortal, biased, “I want this not that” self.) Your intuition is neutral. Your ego-voice has an agenda. Discernment can help you tell the difference.

Next time your gut speaks up, take a moment to listen. You might just uncover some valuable insights that lead you in the right direction.

Get the guide

If you aren’t sure where to get started, this free download will help you with daily exercises you can do to kick-start your intuition.

Hello! Let me introduce myself

I’m Mary, I’m an intuitive practitioner and author, which means I teach people how to discover, train, and use their own intuition for guidance in their everyday lives, and I offer intuitive readings, chakra readings, and mediumship readings.

But, my work in this field didn’t happen overnight.

My first memory of a precognitive event that I could verify happened when I was in middle school and had a dream that predicted the death of an acquaintance.

A few years later my grandmother passed away in the middle of the night. I woke up and I had a  visitation from her; she had come to say goodbye. It was incredibly vivid – I could feel her presence and an indescribable feeling of love pass through me.

It wasn't until several years later that thing really started to shift. When I was pregnant with my first daughter and started a meditation practice I started sensing information about people or events, including verifiable details that I had no way of knowing. I was becoming psychic, and not on purpose. These moments were becoming disruptive, and I really wanted to learn more about what was happening, how it was happening and how to control it. After I had my second daughter these impressions just intensified, and I started to find it disruptive.

I started to study intuition – the science of it, the practice of it. I wanted to learn what was happening, how it worked and how to control it.

And what I learned was both powerful and simple: You're just sensing and interpreting information in the energy around you, and anyone can do it with practice.

Fast forward to today, and I've been studying intuition, energy reading, and mediumship for about 15 years.

Because here's what I've learned: Everyone is intuitive, more than they know. And you don't have to understand it for it to work. There's subtle information all around us that can answer hard questions – it's not spooky, woo-woo, or fluffy. It's quite practical.

Now, I'm here to share what I've learned with you.

I offer educational tools and downloads, often free, to anyone curious about using intuition as a tool to get clarity and move forward with confidence. And yes, I do offer 1:1 readings, but usually, I prefer to teach people how to find answers for themselves.