Listening to gentle rain fall on the roof as you are drifting off to sleep or to feel the ahhhh as you soak in a hot tub of water you feel the comfort from the Spirit of Water. The Spirit of Water can be so soothing and relaxing. Here in Wisconsin we have had a little too much water as rain and severe weather has brought the cleansing and clearing aspect of the Spirit of Water.

My state has been in the national news this past week due to flooding and the failure of dams or levees. We have had a lot of rain in the past few days. The most watched video of the flooding is the result of the water in Lake Delton drain after exploding through an earthen levee. In the video there are houses being torn from their foundations and float away into the Wisconsin River as the lake drained into the river.

I grew up in Wisconsin Dells and know Lake Delton well. I heard about the disaster at Lake Delton within an hour of the levee failure. The news traveled much like the water draining out of the lake…fast and furious. My husband and I drove down to the city of Lake Delton which is about an hour south of where we currently live to see for ourselves. It was sad and surreal.

We have fond memories of Lake Delton. We both worked at a giftshop/museum called Parson’s Indian Trading Post. We met and fell in love here. Paul’s family owned a summer home not too far from Lake Delton near the Wisconsin River. I worked in the “Little Post” located in Tommy Bartlett’s Water Show. I learned how to waterski on this lake to impress by new boyfriend who was to become my husband. Seeing the drained lake felt much like a friend’s death. Their passing marks a new chapter and in this case a whole new book.

As I thought about all these memories and knowing Spirit of Water, I had to consider that maybe this “disaster” is really nature balancing it self. The Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton area changed so much over the last few decades. It went from a place where people vacationed to be close to nature to a place where people vacation to play in water parks, miniture golf and enjoy carnival type rides. There is a lot of concrete and black top. There is also a lot of hotel and motels to house all those coming to vacation. Once a long time ago, vacationers came to stay in lodges along the Wisconsin River and enjoy the quiet beauty of the sandstone bluffs, eagles, deer and of course watch the Native American dances.

The Spirit of Water is both gentle and powerful. As we can see it can be a major player in a space clearing. In the Medicine Wheel the Spirit of Water is one of the four elements and resides in the south winds or the west winds depending on the belief system of many Native American Nations. The spirit of Water represents or symbolizes emotions.

I pray that those affected by the recent flooding be blessed with a multitude of angels that can help them heal and find peace as they continue on the soul’s journey. I also pray that nature finds its balance gently and easily for the highest good of all.

Thank you for reading Between the Beats. Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, June 2008.

Come join us at a Spiritual Gathering in Olivet Michigan for the Great Lakes Retreat….Where Heaven and Earth Meet. I will be presenting Sacred Drum Making, overview of Medicine Wheel Feng Shui and the story of my Healing Dress at the Great Lakes Retreat this year.

The Great Lakes Retreat begins on Sunday, July 20, 2008 and ends on Friday, July 25, 2008. We are meeting at Olivet College in Olivet Michigan. (www.thegreatlakesretreat.org)

My good friend and collegue Minnie Kansman is also presenting at the Retreat. She is presenting on her book Spirit Gardens: Rekindling our Nature Connection,as well as Fairy Houses and Altars.

I am looking forward to teaching at the Great Lakes Retreat and to spend time with friends. If you are looking for a week where you can learn about spiritual topics, rest, relax and have fun….register by going the Great Lakes Retreat website. See you there!

Have you ever seen an Elk calf? We recently had the rare opportunity to assist our state Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) in their annual calf count and tagging. I was so excited to be on this outing. We volunteered to walk parts of the incredible Chequamegon National Forest in Northern Wisconsin to look for newly born Elk calf.

The Chequamegon Elk herd in Wisconsin is about 150 in number with about 20 new calves this year. Not all calves will make it to adulthood as the natural life cycle is honored.

Elk are one of the largest of the deer family, only the moose is larger than the elk. Calves are born at the end of May to early June and weigh on average 30-35 pounds. Calves are born with spots just like whitetail deer. Their spots fade by late summer. The spots help to hide them to keep them safe from predators. This camoflage works very well as the baby elk blend into the forest floor.

We found only one male elk calf that weighed 39 pounds and was two days old. I was able to take a couple of pictures but not touch the baby due to leaving human scent. The DNR staff were very gentle with the calf as they took weight, age and gender information. They cover the calf’s eyes so not to cause more trauma and fright.

We also were graced with seeing a herd of 17 adult elk. In the picture you can see the tracking collars that the DNR uses to manage the herd. Seeing these large animals crossing in front of me in my home state was exciting and humbling all at the same time. I felt a surge of energy being so close to Elk Medicine.

According to Ted Andrews, Animal Speak, Elk medicine is of strength and nobility. Elk also teach us how to pace ourselves. Elk are vegetarians eating mostly grasses and vegetation. Those with Elk medicine do well with vegetarian diets as they may feel stronger, stress levels lessen and stamina increases.

We find deer in the Medicine Wheel at the Southeast winds from May 21-June 20. This is known as the Flowering Time. Elk and Deer give birth during this time frame so this part of the Medicine Wheel has the birth totem of Deer. Deer blend into their environment and are sensitive to sound and to movement. This sensitivity makes Deer people sensitive, alert and fast moving. Those with Deer Birth totem can be compassionate and understanding. Although, they may not always be attentive listeners as their minds race so quickly and jump from one subject to another. Deer also tend to herd with the same gender so they feel more comfortable in a community of their same sex peers.

According to Ken Meadows author of Earth Medicine, Flowering Time is the last cycle of the spring season. This part of the Medicine Wheel is compared to the time of youth growing into adulthood. This is a time of information seeking to gain knowledge, but understanding the knowledge comes at a later time in the Medicine Wheel. Flowering Time is a time of expanding awareness and to exercise intuition in order to comprehend things beyond the physical senses. This is a time of transition from spring to summer when trees are in full leaf and flowers are blossoming.

Thank you for reading Between the Beats. Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, June 2008.

We just finished Two Feathers first Instinctive Feng Shui certification course of 2008 on Monday, May 26. As a Master Teacher of Interior Alignment, I divide the 14 day certification course into two sections that are 7 days long — instinctive feng shui and space clearing. This first course went very smoothly and the students knew they attended an information rich course that also weighs heavy in the application of the information.

The students did an outstanding job on their practicum. They had a real feng shui client to consult with and to prepare a feng shui consultation report. The client is a business owner who is currently going through a transition from a partnership to a sole proprietorship. The client was looking for assistance to balance out the remaining energies.

The students worked diligently with the client and prepared a well thought out report that will help the client balance the flow of chi, balance yin/yang energies and balance the five elements. The client is very pleased with the students and with the work they did for her. The client has already begun implementing the suggested enhancements.

As their teacher, I help the students prepare for the consultation, I begin the consultation so that the students get an idea of how a consultation begins. I then turn the consultation over to the students. I am in the background available for questions and support.

In Interior Alignment we suggest that new practitioners have up to 10 practice homes or business before they begin to charge their clients so that they can build up their experience level. I am available to those practitioners who study with me as on going support. I have had new practitioners email floor plans or pictures of areas that they have questions about. I even have had new practitioners come with me to my own client consultations when the practitioner needs just a little more confidence building.

Two Feathers Interior Alignment certification course have a maximum of four students per course. I love small groups because we can have detailed and specific discussions about their own homes and their practice. I also expanded the building your practice section of the course. I have a marketing expert, Tami Gulland of Graceful Marketing, come to the last day of the course. Graceful Marketing helps a studnet to build to lay the foundation of a spiritually based business. Tami talks about the very basics of beginning a business and career. Tami specifically works with the students with Law of Attraction (having a clear intention). One of the biggest highlights is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to clear issues surrounding success. Graceful Marketing will also be joining us for the Advance Course in August as we support Two Feathers students build a spiritual business.

It has been one week since the end of the first certification course and I do miss the students, but I also know that they are consciously beginning their new careers.

Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, June 2008.

Have you ever prepared for a special gathering? A gathering that you just know will be full of special moments that create opportunities for personal growth. Well, that is exactly what I am in the midst of doing. I am preparing for a special gathering. This gathering is an Interior Alignment™ feng shui professional certification course.

This is the beginning of my fifth year of teaching Interior Alignment™ professional certification courses. The professional certification course is designed to certify others as professional feng shui practitioners.  I love teaching and all the preparation it takes to conduct a course.  I have a checklist of items for the course, the students, and the venue. There are a million details, but it is the details that make the time together special.

My favorite part is selecting the different meditation music. I have lots and lots of cd’s for selection. The synchro alignments that are done through out the course help students to become familiar with this unique tool of Interior Alignment. Synchro alignment is similar to a guided meditation and meant to bring together our conscious self with our higher self.

The day before the course starts it is very busy as the chef brings in the food and fills both refrigerators and both pantries. The cleaning people are in and I am working on flower arrangements for the students bedrooms, the bathrooms, and the dining room. I also put the finishing touches to the special altar for the course.

The morning of the first day of the course has the energy of anticipation. I go from room to room double checking to make sure that everything is in place. I go out to the front walk to sweep and spray it down with water as this gives the walk a fresh appearance. I make sure the fountain is running and the potted plants are watered.

Finally, the students begin to arrive. I meet them outside at the front door with a smile and hug. As they go into the house, they meet the chef who has a yummy snack and beverage waiting for them. We get comfortable in the living room to discuss bedroom assignments and go over housekeeping items.  The students then bring their luggage in and begin to settle into their rooms.

When it is time for us to reconvene in the living room, we begin the Interior Alignment™ feng shui journey. A journey that will be life changing for some of the students and an introduction to a new career as a feng shui practitioner. I am truly honored and grateful that these feng shui students chose me for their teacher and to share this part of their soul’s journey.

Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, May 2008.

How many books have you read about feng shui? If you read more than one chances are you were confused by contradictions.  You are not alone. When I first started studying feng shui I read my first book and was excited and then I bought my second book and then I was confused. When I began my study of feng shui there were not that many books available on the subject.

I can help you clear up some of your confusion. There are several main schools of feng shui and most feng shui books do not tell from what perspective the author is writing the book.  As I went along with my informal study, I came across the book Sacred Space by Denise Linn. In this book she wrote about Instinctive Feng Shui.  Sacred Space became the Interior Alignment™ system, which combines instinctive feng shui, space clearing and synchro alignment. When I read about instinctive feng shui, I felt a solar plexus connection with the information.  I chose to study this form of feng shui with Denise.

Denise wrote that we each have a deep and vast wellspring of intuitive knowledge about the power of placement.  Instinctive feng shui taps into that knowledge.  A great example is, when you move into a new home and begin to arrange your belongings or just moving furniture around in your current home.  Many times we move something then stand back to see how it “looks”.  We then decided if it “looks” good or not. If it doesn’t “look” good, we move again and again until it “looks” good. 

This “looking” good is our connecting or tapping into our intuition. We are actually “feeling” the change in the room. This “feeling good” is the basis of Instintive Feng Shui which is intuition. 

Instinctive feng shui is the blending of the best of feng shui from Black Hat feng shui, Compass feng shui and Form School feng shui.  These types of feng shui share and agree that harmony with the universe is important in feng shui.  Harmony is the balance of the flow of chi, the balance of yin and yang, and the balance of the elements.

The field of feng shui is enormous. Finding the school of feng shui that “feels” good to you is important and finding the teacher that you feel good about is just as important. Take time to investigate each school and teacher of that school, but rely on your intuition to make your final selection. 

Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, May 2008. 

Many of us have read or heard the Native American phrase, “All my Relation”. When I first began my Interior Alignment™ training, I found this same sentiment in the space clearing tenant, “You are not separate from the world around you”.  The founder of Interior Alignment™, Denise Linn, reflected on her native heritage to put the phrase “All My Relation” into her own words. I connected with her words on so many levels. I recently read an the article, All Together Now, in the May 2008 issue of the “O” Magazine, which about how we are all interconnected.

The article All Together Nowis about how Dr. George E. Vaillant brought together science and spirituality in his book Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith. Dr. Vaillant describes the use of language to describe emotions, which is near impossible to find a word that accurately describes exactly what you are feeling.  The same line of thought is how we describe spiritual people, finding the words to accurately describe them leads us usually to what they do such as serving others. They are not totally focused on themselves but spend time focused on others.  This service to others is the bedrock of a community.  It is a way to describe the social doing and being.

For me this means we are not only in service to other human beings but also to the plants, animals, water…we are in service to the planet. What we do and be affects everyone and everything else – All My Relation and We Are Not Separate From the World Around You.

The other item I found fascinating in this article was Dr. Vaillant’s theory about brain’s limbic system. The limbic system is the site of positive emotions, the site of spirituality.  It is also the site where mammals know how and why to care for their young. The limbic system is also the site that makes experiences memorable and important. It is also the site in our brains that hold the neurotransmitters for addiction. Addiction is the attachment that is an out of balance attachment to something. 

This “addiction” stimulates our feel good in our brain.  We use this in balanced healthy ways too such as when we meditate, interact with someone we love and for some the runners high.  The article stated that “positive emotions work better than negative emotions in an evolutionary sense.” Positive emotions have a higher rate of survival than negative emotions.

I found this article profoundly thought provoking about how we affect others as we evolve our positive emotions and allow our negative emotions to meet their end or rather transmute to a positive emotion as they are released.  This gives rise to another layer and understanding of space clearing.
 

Migwiitch (thanks) for reading Between the Beat.  Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved.  Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, May 2008.

Spring and The Growing Time  April 20 to May 20

The Medicine Wheel holds and reflects earth energies all through the year. The Medicine Wheel is an energy map that is intricately connected to the energies of the earth. Within these earth energies are animal, plant, mineral, water and air. We walk the Medicine Wheel and experience those energies represented around the life wheel. As in Western astrology there are energies that represent a time of birth.

We are at the cardinal direction of the East. Of course each tribal nation has slight differences as to what energies are represented in each direction.  My Interior Alignment™ training and understanding of the East is that it represents the Spirit of Air.  This is also the area of mental thoughts. The East is spring time, new and rebirth.  It is a time when plants and trees are budding their leaves and spring blossoms and reminds of the color green. From my cultural understanding the East represents the Creator as this brings the sun and a new day.  The East represents the new and rebirth. The direct cardinal direction of the East represents the element of earth, a time of consolidating and the color yellow.

Understanding your birth totem and your clan totem can help you to understand how your home can support you and balance your energies. If you are born between April 20 and May 20 your energies are represented by Beaver as your birth and animal totem. The Beaver is a land mammal that can swim and stay underwater for long periods of time. The energy of Beaver is one of productivity and practical. They are an engineer and architect who can transform the environment to provide comfort and safety. The essence of Beaver is a hard worker, they are always busy with the purpose of security and contentment. Beaver people are adaptive and creative and good at constructing and reconstructing both on the physical and emotional planes. Beaver people are quick to learn and good with their hands and minds.

The Beaver’s elemental clan is Turtle and represents the earth. People of the Turtle clan feel a strong need to establish a stable base or home from which to operate from — to put down roots. The Turtle clan is persistent and tenacious when in balance they achieve great progress and establish solid achievements.

In Medicine Wheel Feng Shui an earth home is natural and organic. It is a home that honors the earth.  You might find natural fabrics, oversized cushions, Native American blankets or a drum hanging on the wall. An earth home is the most sensual home of all the elements. It is a home that satisfies all your senses (sight, hearing, smell and touch).  You may want to have a picture or statue of a beaver or turtle to honor your totems.

What part of your home resides in the East? Were you born in the Growing Time? Does your home balance your energies? These are good questions to start understanding how Medicine Wheel Feng Shui can assist you.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, May 2008.

I recently had one of those ‘ahhh ahhh” moments. I am one of the millions of people reading and attending the Eckart Tolle and Oprah Webinar – A New Earth. Last Monday night we went over chapter 8, Discovery of Inner Space.

I found this chapter title and information so interesting especially from a space clearing point of view. The total amount of empty space between the molecules of our body is 99.99%. I had to sit with that statistic for awhile.

I thought about how that compares to the empty space in a home. Without any scientific measurement, I would bet it is very close to the same percentage. In the belief system of Interior Alignment™, we believe that our homes are a metaphor for our lives and that we are closely interconnected with our homes and all of Universe. So why would the amount of empty space be different within our homes?

This question led me to think about space clearing. In space clearing, we move stuck and stagnant energies out of a space by using clear intention and divine energies flowing through our tools. I remember one of my clients stating that she could feel the beat of my drum in her body as I was clearing her home. She told me the beat of the drum like her pulse as I drummed. I realize now that I was also clearing the inner space of my client. The sacred sound of the drum moving any stuck and stagnant energies that in and around the client’s body(s).  Was I clearing the 99.99% of “empty space”? The empty space may not be entirely empty as we have energies that linger, such as thought forms.

This uncovers another dimension to my space clearing. I had never stopped to think about the “empty space” of our bodies. The importance of having a clear intention in a space clearing is even more critical.  As a space clearing practitioner, I assist clients to clarify what kind of energy do they want to fill their home once the stuck and stagnant energy is removed.  The question then becomes, “What kind of energy do you want in your empty spaces?”

The discovery or rather the conscious thought of inner space, that quiet place that some tribal nations call, “going into the silence”. Going to our quiet spaces, our quiet inner spaces that are clear of unwanted debris.  A new and broader definition for sacred space.

Migwiitch, thank you for reading Between the Beats.  Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved.  Copyright, Yvette Neshi Lokotz, April 2008.

Spirit Drum Making                           

The rhythmic beat of a drum is like the heartbeat of our Mother the Earth and our Soul all wrapped up into one.  
 
In Native American tradition the use of a hand drum for ceremony is well known, yet the use of drum for Space Clearing is done by only a select few. Space Clearing with a drum is Big Medicine, with power that comes from the blending of the essence of the animal hide, the wood of the frame, the maker of the drum and of course the energy and intention of the person using the drum.
 
A drum can be even more powerful if it is made by the person who will be using the drum.  Native American tradition tells us how the maker of such tools embed their thoughts, prayers and energy into the drum knowing that it will be used for the good of the people.  It is a privilege and honor to make such a tool.  

To birth a drum is a gift handed down from the Creator.  And, as a very special part of the Advanced Space Clearing course “Beauty Space and Balance” you will have the extraordinary opportunity to make your own Spirit Drum.  In a unique blessing ceremony you will be initiated into the circle of Sacred Drummers.  Sacred Drummers are distinctive, as they are personally connected to the Spirit who brought Medicine Drums to the Potawatomi people.
 
I will be co-teaching this advance space clearing course with Minnie Kansman, author of Spirit Gardens, and Deb Swingholm, Master Reiki.  All three of us are Master Educators of Interior Alignment™.  Deb and Minnie wrote this about me, “We are very excited about this part of the course!  Neshi Lokotz, a gifted drum maker, has been crafting and teaching others how to make beautiful elk hide drums for several years.  As ancient Medicine Women have done for centuries, she brings her Native American heritage and all she has learned to help others walk in balance, and live life in health and harmony.”  
 
I invite you to be with us for this unique and Spirit-filled course.

As a reminder, space at the Inn is limited, so register soon to reserve your place in the course.  Register today by going to the Two Feathers workshop course listing where you will find the listing for Beauty Space and Balance.

Many Blessings, Neshi.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright, Yvette Neshi, Lokotz, April 2008.