Lisa Peronne

What are the 7 Chakras of the body and How do they Influence your Health?

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“Each of the seven chakras are governed by spiritual laws, principles of consciousness that we can use to cultivate greater harmony, happiness, and wellbeing in our lives and in the world.” – Deepak Chopra

In Sanskrit (an old Indo-Aryan language), chakra means “disc” or “wheel.” Each of these discs or wheels are spinning circles of energy that align along the human body. They can be considered open or closed, aligned or misaligned, or balanced or unbalanced. Each of these energy centers correspond to different parts of the body.

Merriam-Webster defines chakra as: any of several points of physical or spiritual energy in the human body according to yoga philosophy, while GoogleDictionary defines it as: each of the centers of spiritual power in the human body, usually considered to be seven in number.

While some say there are a total of 114 chakras within the entire body, most only focus on 7-12 of these. Seven directly correspond within the body, while the other five correspond to energy outside of the human body. We will be focusing on the main seven chakras and how each one relates to certain body functions, needs, desires, and health.

In order to function properly, chakras need to be open (aligned, balanced) and free flowing. Any blockages can cause stagnation of the energy and creates emotional, physical and mental issues.

Chakra	Color	Location
Root	Red	Base of Spine
Sacral	Orange	Pelvis
Solar Plexus	Yellow	Stomach
Heart	Green	Chest
Throat	Blue	Neck
Third Eye	Purple	Forehead
Crown	Violet/White	Top of Head

Chakras and their corresponding color association and location within the body

Each one of these energy wheels is responsible from basic bodily functions to spiritual needs or desires, from the most base one of root chakra, to the most enlightened one of crown chakra.

Chakra	Location	Meaning	Needs/Desires
Root	Base of Spine	I exist	Safety, Security
Sacral	Pelvis	I desire	Passion, Sexuality
Solar Plexus	Stomach	I do	Courage, Confidence
Heart	Chest	I love	Relationships, Empathy
Throat	Neck	I express	Communication, Faith
Third Eye	Forehead	I see	Intuition, Insight
Crown	Top of Head	I understand	Spirituality, Universe

Chakras and their meaning

An interference of this energy flow can cause physical aliments, emotional disruptions or mental fog, and is often indicative of a blocked or low functioning chakra. Let’s review each one individually and dig deeper into what issues can arise and what we can do to improve the energy flow or “to balance” the chakra.

The Muladhara, or Root Chakra is located at the base of the spine and rules the most basic of needs, such as survival, security and safety. When this chakra is balanced, we feel grounded, healthy, abundant and safe. When blocked, we are unable to release basic emotions such as fear, grief, sadness or guilt. Psychologically, we feel stuck, lonely, anxious, depressed, indecisive or phobic. Its imperative the root chakra is clear, otherwise it will impair the other six. Physical problems associated with hips, legs, knees, ankles, feet or lower digestive will often present itself. Activities that can help open this chakra can include ballet or tap dancing, running or doing squats. The yoga pose for opening this chakra is Warrior I.

The Svadhisthana, or Sacral chakra, is located in the pelvic area and rules pleasure, desire, passion and joy. When this chakra is balanced, we feel sexually satisfied, connected to other people, joyful, and attractive. When blocked, we feel a lack of energy, unmotivated for life, sex or exercise. Psychologically, we have a low libido, co-dependency issues, jealousy, and unbalanced emotions. Physical problems associated with the reproductive organs, kidneys, urinary tract infections and chronic lower back issues. Activities that can help open this chakra can include any dancing that includes movement of the pelvis, like Salsa or Bachata dancing. The yoga pose for opening this chakra is Half Pigeon.

The Manipura, or Solar Plexus chakra, is located in the stomach/diaphram area and rules our courage, confidence and personal power. When this chakra is balanced, we feel confident, able to manifest, and willing to take risks. When blocked, we feel stressed and powerless, unable to gain control, and mentally or physically exhausted. Psychologically, we have difficulty listening to our gut instinct, poor concentration and memory. Physical problems are associated with indigestion, digestive issues, eating disorders, poor metabolism, bloated belly, and diabetes. Activities that can help open this chakra can include belly dancing, or Argentine Tango, which requires contra twisting at the waist. The yoga pose for opening this chakra is Boat Pose.

Anahata, or the Heart chakra, is located in the chest area and rules our relationships with others and with ourselves, empathy and emotional healing. When this chakra is balanced, we feel love, compassion, trust and forgiveness. When blocked, we feel disconnected, self-loathing and hopeless. Psychologically, we are detached, uncommitted, vengeful, unfaithful, and distrustful. Physical problems can include heart problems, asthma, respiratory distress, shoulder and upper back pain, and pneumonia. Activities to help open this chakra can include modern dance, swimming, or push ups. The yoga pose for opening up this chakra is Camel pose.

Vishuddha, or the Throat chakra, is located in the neck area and rules communication, self-expression, and responsibility. When this chakra is balanced, we are able to communicate clearly with others, we speak well of ourselves, and are able to express our thoughts and feelings. When blocked, we feel unable to express emotion, thoughts or ideas, lack of belief in our creativity and unable to take accountability for our actions. Psychologically, we are isolated, nervous, anxious and fearful. Physical problems can be neck problems, sore throat, constant tickle or clearing of the throat, voice loss, jaw pain, sinus issues and thyroid problems. Activities that can help open this chakra can include singing, gargling with saltwater or screaming out where no one can hear. The yoga pose for opening up this chakra is Fish Pose.

Ajna, or the Third Eye chakra, is located on the forehead and rules psychic energy, ideas, thoughts, dreams, and higher intuition. When this chakra is balanced, we are able to process our thoughts clearly, hear our higher self, remember and interpret our dreams, and cultivate psychic tendencies. When blocked, we feel stuck intellectually, confused, clouded, and closed to new ideas. Psychologically, we can be prone to seizures, neurological issues, nightmares, personality disorders and learning difficulties. Physical problems can include headaches or migraines, eye problems, ear problems and scalp or hair issues. Activities that can help open this chakra up can include visualization or create a vision board, lucid dreaming and remote viewing. The yoga pose for opening this chakra is Child’s Pose.

Sahasrara, or the Crown chakra is located on the top of the head and rules spirituality, enlightenment, ascension, and connection to the divine. When this chakra is balanced, we feel a connection to god, source, universe and the collective. When blocked, we feel disconnected, with no path or purpose, lost and alone. Psychologically, we feel depressed, confused, faithless, and incomplete. Physical problems can include light sensitivity, dementia, and autoimmune disorders. Activities that can help open up this chakra are prayer and meditation. The yoga pose for opening this chakra is the Headstand.

At some point, I have experienced low functioning to completely closed chakras, sometimes multiple ones at a time. When my root chakra is impaired, I feel low functioning of the other six as well. Most of the time, for me, these were connected to acute traumas, but a couple times it was from chronic lack of self-care on my own part.

The four times I experienced massive stress and worry regarding my security and safety (root), I had two acute foot injuries and two acute knee injuries right in the middle of those episodes. When my husband, at the time, had an affair on me, where I felt “less than” sexually (sacral), I developed heavy, extended periods, an urinary tract infection and chronic lower back pain. The three times I experienced shocking betrayal and lost my confidence and courage (solar plexus), I developed either digestive issues, or rapid weight gain around the middle torso area. Every time I got my heart broken (heart), I got heart palpitations and chest pain. When I got into intense relationships were I feel I can’t speak my truth (throat), I developed a chronic, irritated cough and muscle knots in my neck (usually right side). When I have been hit a hard blow and am unable to hold faith in my beliefs (third eye), I developed sinus headaches, my nose bleeds increase drastically, and my hair gets thinner. Whenever I feel lost and alone and not connected (crown), I feel sharp shooting pains throughout my scalp.

It took almost my entire life to see the patterns of my thoughts and feelings, and how they related to physical and emotional issues and how they could easily become I repeating cycle. There are times when all my chakras are in good working order and my body and emotions are in a state of bliss. I take these moments to heart and do not take them for granted.

What works for me is getting a pendulum reading to determine which ones are impaired or not aligned, and then to receive a Reiki energy treatment to help flush the energy through my body again. This must be combined with actively acknowledging what the cause of the impairment is to clear it out, otherwise it will just become misaligned again in a couple days.

I have to actively work on a regular basis to keep them open and flowing, for life just keeps happening and in order to handle all those curve balls well, we must be in a free flowing state of energy.

If you are interested in receiving a pendulum reading and Reiki treatment, please contact Gina Zane.

Thank you for reading. xoxo

The Truth of Tarot

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“Tarot tells the truths we dare not tell ourselves. Tarot is a powerful way of revealing the truth about our lives.” – Unknown

Tarot is a card reading practice that answers specific questions through a series of interpretations.

The Urban Dictionary defines the practice as: A kind of card or set of cards used in divination for finding insight on the past, present, and future.

In the 1500s, the Italians played a game called “tarocchi appropriati,” where random cards were dealt and the players would use the symbolism of the cards to write witty prose about each other. The name later became tarot and practice of it was not considered mystical until the 17th century when it became associated with the occult.

Most people who have seen images of tarot cards are familiar with the Rider-Waite deck, which was originally published around 1908-1909, written by publisher William Rider and mystic A.E. Waite. The Thoth deck was derived from the Book of Thoth, which was supposedly written by Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing and knowledge. It is said that once translated, this book contained two spells, one is the capability to understand the speech of animals and the other one was the ability to personally perceived the gods.

In 1938, a modern day guru, Aleister Crowley, started a five year project to create a new tarot deck based on the Book of Thoth. This deck combines tarot images with Astrology symbols. It wasn’t published until 1969. The Thoth deck is what we will using for examples in this post.

Back in January 2017, I came across an opportunity to take a 10-month course on how to read the tarot. I arrived at the location, which was a small herbal shop located on the coast of Northern California. I didn’t own a tarot deck, so I decided to purchase one right before the introduction orientation started. I went to this free introduction to see if this was something that might interest me more. At the time, I was more curious than anything.

Upon arrival, I approached the tarot deck section of the store, and immediately a deck caught my eye. It wasn’t my typical style of artwork, but I couldn’t stop myself from looking through the cards. I was drawn into them and felt mesmerized. I felt someone watching me, and slowly turned to my right. There was a beautiful woman with long, thick, silver hair who said to me, “Are they calling you?” I nodded my head, and she replied, “Then they must be yours. We are drawn for a reason.”

I assumed she worked for the herbal shop, but it was someone else who rang up my purchase. I sat in a chair, continuing to look at these cards that held me in a trance. The lady that rang me up announced that the orientation was about to begin and she proceeded to introduce the beautiful silver haired lady as Carolyn, the tarot teacher. Carolyn was also about to become my mentor and had an intense impact on my life, teaching me to interpret and read the tarot.

Carolyn spoke about tarot and gave us some exercises to do with the cards. One of these was to spread out the deck and when you felt a pull to one of the cards, choose it. I spread my hand over the deck and went over the deck a few times. I suddenly felt my palm get hot and itchy, so I picked that card. It was the Lovers card.

The very first thing I noticed was the contrasting colors of the dark and the light, the feminine and the masculine, the yin and the yang. I have been fascinated with opposing forces for most of my life. Subjects like the arts and the sciences held a deep interest for me, where I always associated the arts (feminine) and sciences (masculine) as One, feeling like the two must be combined to create a complete union of understanding.

And while I really liked that observation, it wasn’t what shocked me the most. It was the images of cupid, the lion and the eagle that took my breath away. It was me on a card! Sagittarius (cupid) is my sun sign, Leo (lion) is my moon sign and Scorpio (eagle or “phoenix”) is my rising sign. I sat there amazed and understood this was more than curiosity, I had now moved into the realm of being guided.

Gerd Ziegler wrote Tarot: Mirror of the Soul, a companion to the Thoth deck, and this is an excerpt of the tarot symbolism of the Lovers card.

“Gemini; union of opposites through Love…This card shows the marriage of the Emperor (masculine) and Empress (feminine). The ceremony is performed by the Hermit, one of the forms of the god of Mercury (rules Gemini)…The Lovers represent two opposites which yearn for and are attracted to one another…Every attempt at approach, union, connection, is an expression of the passionate urge to re-establish this lost Oneness. Every individual, every man and every woman, contains the duality of the male and female. They express themselves in different, often contradictory, personal characteristics”.

Now without going into details in this post as to why this interpretation is so important to me, let’s just say this was hugely related to a Twin Flame journey I had been on for years at this point. Three years prior to pulling this card that fateful night, I had met my Twin, who is a Gemini. We are opposing forces and yet exactly the same. My “soul mirror” (also notice again the name of the book), who “forced” the union of the yin and the yang, the female and the male, the dark and the light, within myself. We will describe deeper the Twin Flame journey on another post.

Now the astrological aspects representing myself was also described as: “There are three other symbols from the zodiac to be seen; Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius. The lion (Leo) represents the male principle in nature, and indicates the creativity which may grow out of the union. The white eagle represents Scorpio, the scorpion in its transformed state. It mirrors the feminine component, the surrender to one’s own emotional depths. Cupid, as Sagittarius, shows the need for direct, honest interchange.”

Indications of this card: “Drawing this card may indicate a wonderful and exciting love relationship. Current relationships either deepen or end. New methods for personal growth and integration of your own opposing aspects present themselves as you turn toward and interact with a partner or group.”

Well, that was a hell of a lot to take in, but I signed up for the class anyway.

But if that wasn’t enough, about half way through my weekly course, I discovered each Astrological sign had a corresponding tarot card. And this is where things got really weird.

Sagittarius is associated with the Temperance card. In Thoth, its called the Art card.

The Art (Temperance) card in the Thoth deck

The Temperance card in tarot is also known as The Alchemist. The Oracle’s Library defines this card as: “a harmonization [that] balances the masculine and feminine forces that materialize the actions and perceptions we carry with us down the road throughout our lives.”

The card that represents my Twin’s sun sign (Gemini) is the Lovers card, as two opposing forces about to become merged, while this card that represents my sun sign (Sagittarius) has the dark and the light merged as one, within. The lion is now white instead of red and the eagle is now red instead of white as shown in the Lovers card. The merging of fire and water into the cauldron is the complete and total unification of opposing elements. Gemini and Sagittarius are opposites in Astrology and create an axis on the zodiac wheel. I needed my Twin (Gemini) to be in opposition, in order for me (Sagittarius) to merge and become The Alchemist.

This is truth of my tarot.

Return for more on tarot where we explore the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana and the Court cards.

Thank you for reading. xoxo

Numerology Basics: A guide to finding the Life Path, Expression, Personality and Heart’s Desire Numbers of your Natal Chart

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“Number rules the Universe” – Pythagoras

Numerology is, in fact, a science and is the study of how the alphabet and events are closely associated with a corresponding numerical value. It is the significance of numbers in a person’s life.

Most people associate the Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras (~ 570-495 BC), with the right angled triangle in Geometry. Not only was he a mathematician, but he was also a Musician, Astrologer, and Numerologist. He became known as the Father of Western Numerology.

Numerology translates literally as: the study of numbers.

When constructing a numerology chart for a person, their full name at birth and birth date are used to find out different aspects of a person’s life. Similar in some ways to an Astrology chart, where it can be looked as a map or blueprint to one’s life, it differs because there is no use of stars or planets. It all just breaks down to numbers.

Your birthday breaks down to numbers very easily, but letters also have corresponding numbers. Each single digit number has associated letters.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R
S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

When you take the letters of your name and assign the corresponding number to it, you now have translated your name into numerical values.

Using my full name at birth as an example, I will translate my name into numbers.

	9		1		1		9	5		5		6			5
L	I	S	A	M	A	R	I	E	P	E	R	O	N	N	E
3		1		4		9			7		9		5	5
3	9	1	1	4	1	9	9	5	7	5	9	6	5	5	5

Vowel numbers are placed on top and consonants are placed below to determine two different aspects.

We will go into what this all means as we go along but for now, we will just learn the mathematics of it. Adding up the vowel numbers together: 9+1+1+9+5+5+6+5=41, and adding the two digits (4+1) together gives us 5.

Adding up the consonants numbers together: 3+1+4+9+7+9+5+5=43, and adding these together gives us 7.

When we add the entire name together: 3+9+1+1+4+1+9+9+5+7+5+9+6+5+5+5=84 or 12 or finally 3.

So I have a 5, 7, and 3 that breaks down my name numerically.

The same can be done with my birth date. When there is a master number (11,22

11	24	1967
1+1=2	2+4=6	1+9+6+7=23 or 5

2+6+5=13. 1+3=4.

Four is how my birth date translates into a single digit number.

Each number corresponds with a meaning.

Meanings of each number
(www.soultruthgateway.com)

Now if you include Master Numbers (11,22,33), then my life path would be calculated as follows: 11 + 6 + 5 = 22 or 22/4, which is a master number and means we have been brought to this life time for a higher purpose. We can go into Master Numbers on another post.

So now we have these numbers and meanings, what does this all mean?

The vowels that made up my name added up to 5. This is called the Heart’s Desire number. Heart’s Desire, or Soul Urge, is the inner side of a person. It’s their true motivation and the intent of actions that influences their choices. I have a 5 and that corresponds to change, challenge and freedom. Those traits reflect the soul that joined me at my birth. It’s the spiritual side of who I am. It’s what I need (change, challenges, freedom) to continually grow as a person.

The consonants add up to 7. This is called the Personality number. The Personality number is what I feel comfortable sharing with other people when I first meet them. My 7 corresponds to withdrawal, contemplation, metaphysics ( or philosophy). When I first meet someone, I usually do more observation than speaking. I attempt to gauge a person and if I want to continue to get to know them by what they express to me. I often ask someone their birthday right away to get a calculation of their sun sign, as it helps me to understand their personality better.

My entire name at birth adds up to a 3, which is my Expression number. Expression numbers are a person’s potential. Potential being important, as in what you can accomplish in this lifetime. It is a combination of my soul and the personality of this body. The number 3 corresponds to self-expression, creativity and outcomes. These are often the things that a person finds most challenging within this lifetime. These are the things I need to become comfortable with in order to reach my highest potential. Self-expression has been difficult for me, creativity has been frightening and outcomes have been a challenge. Until recently, self-expression caused difficulty because I always hid beneath a mask of protection, finding it hard to be authentic. Creativity has been stifled. Afraid of being judged, I have always been severely attached to outcomes, creating numerous challenges in my life. I am reaching my potential by learning to become authentic with my thoughts and feelings and expressing them, especially not being as afraid of putting my writing or other creative pursuits out there and understanding that we cannot become attached to outcomes, as they rarely turn out the way we actually picture them.

My birth date adds up to a 4. This is the Life Path number and it is the direction of a person’s life. It is made up of three Period Cycles (month, day, year). These are supposed represent the early, middle and later part of life. We can go into the details of the Period Cycles on another post, but for now we will focus on the corresponding traits of a 4 Life Path. These are foundations, hard work, and pragmatism. I am not one for flights of fancy, for I believe that hard work and perseverance is the way to build a solid foundation. I honor justice and honesty, but I can also be rigid in my ideas and quick to judge myself and others. I am reliable, loyal and committed, but I have difficulty being flexible, often being overly cautious about new things. While I can be part of a team, I need to have independence and my own area of expertise, and have to always keep myself in check for being rude or bossy. But I am always courageous and a true survivor and do well as the foundation of any enterprise. Ref

We have covered the basics of the name and birth date and how they correspond to each person. We will go into more details regarding Karmic Lessons next. Stay tuned for more information on Numerology!

Thank you for reading. xoxo

Astrology: How do the Planets influence your life?

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“Anyone can be a millionaire, but to become a billionaire you need an astrologer.” —J. P. Morgan

From my youngest memory, there has always been Astrology in my life. I am often surprised when someone will ask me, “What is Astrology?”

There are many types of Astrology, but the three main ones are: Vedic Astrology, also known as Hindu or Indian Astrology, originating about 5,000-8,000 years ago; Chinese Astrology, whose origin goes back to 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD; and Western Tropical Astrology that originated in 2nd century AD and is derived from Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos (Alexandrian scholar Claudius Ptolemy’s four books/texts). We will be focusing on Western Astrology, for the sake of this post.

Merriam-Webster defines Astrology as: the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as: the study of the movements and positions of the sun, moon, planets and stars in the belief that they affect the character and lives of people.

Astrology literally translates as “the study of the stars.”

Carl Jung probably best described it as:

“We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.”

Most people are aware of their Sun sign because someone just needs to know their birthday.

Zodiac signs with corresponding birth dates

But to create an accurate natal chart, the birth time and the place of birth is also needed. (If the time of birth is unknown, then 12:00 noon is used to calculate).

A natal chart is a blue print completely specific to each person at the exact time they were born. Think of this blueprint, as a map of the Universe and the placement of the planets around the sun at that time.

The natal chart determines the sun sign, rising sign-or ascendant, moon sign and where the planets of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were all located at the time of birth. It also determines many other details, but for this post we will start by focusing on just those aspects for the time being, avoiding getting too complex.

In Astronomy, there are constellations of stars that are associated with each Zodiac sign. And each planet is also associated with Zodiac signs. When someone is born, it’s where all of these were arranged in the sky that becomes their map or blueprint.

Constellations associated with each Zodiac sign

The 12 zodiac sign have 4 elements assigned to them: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Each element has three signs. Each sign is ruled by characteristic traits of that element.

Water: Intuitive, emotional and ultra-sensitive.

Earth: Slow, stable and grounded.

Fire: Passionate, dynamic, and temperamental.

Air: Action, ideas, and motion.

Elements associated with the 12 Zodiac Signs

So let’s now get into some details.

Using myself as an example, I was born on November 24th, 1967 at 6:10am in Loma Linda, California. When this event happened on that date, at that time, at that place, my map was created. And this is what it looked like.

Astrology Chart with placements and transits

Sun ASC	Sagittarius Scorpio	1°37′ 26°38′
Moon	Leo	26°18′
Mercury	Scorpio	13°45′
Venus	Libra	15°42′
Mars	Capricorn	24°27′
Jupiter	Virgo	4°38′
Saturn	Aries	5°51′	R
Uranus	Virgo	28°27′
Neptune	Scorpio	24°22′
Pluto	Virgo	22°36′

Planet placements with degrees

As we can see, I am a Sagittarius sun, Scorpio rising (ascendant), and a Leo moon (double fire, single water) as my Trinity effect. It shows that my Mercury is also in Scorpio, my Venus is in Libra, my Mars is in Capricorn, my Jupiter is in Virgo, my Saturn is in Aries, my Uranus is also in Virgo, my Neptune is in Scorpio-again, and my Pluto is in Virgo-again. Each one of these placements is a snapshot of my characteristics in relation to what that planet stands for.

Each planet stands for a different part of a person’s life. Whatever sign is in that planet reflects on how each person deals with that part of their lives.

Sun	Self, Characteristics	Who I am
Moon	Emotions, Instincts	How I feel
Rising	Appearances, Traits	How I look to others
Mercury	Communicate, Intellect	How I think and communicate
Venus	Love, Beauty	How I love and appreciate
Mars	Action, Desire	How I respond to life
Jupiter	Expansion, Abundance	How I attract luck
Saturn	Restrictions, Limitations	How I self-discipline
Uranus	Rebellion, Upheavel	How I deal with chaos
Neptune	Dreams, Imagination	How I dream and imagine
Pluto	Power, Obession	How I transform

So what does this all mean?

For me it means this.

Who I am generally speaking is ruled by Sagittarius, how I feel inside is ruled by Leo, how I look to others is ruled by Scorpio, how I think and communicate are also ruled by Scorpio, how I love (and want to be loved) and appreciate are ruled by Libra, how I respond to life is ruled by Capricorn, how I attract luck is ruled by Virgo, how I self-discipline is ruled by Aries, how I deal with chaos is also ruled by Virgo, how I dream and imagine are again ruled by Scorpio, and how I transform is ruled Virgo, again.

Each sign has positive traits and negative traits. I call this evolved and unevolved.

So how does this make me as a person?

When I was younger, I exhibited many of the unevolved traits of my signs. And easily still do so, if I am not conscience of my thoughts and actions. With age and transformation, I have seen more of the evolved traits emerge within me fairly regularly, and so I will use the evolved, more powerful side of me as an example.

My main traits and characteristics are that I am optimistic, freedom loving, honest, straight forward, and philosophical and I love intellectual stimulation (Sagittarius).

What I feel and need inside are generosity, loyalty, creative and enthusiastic (Leo).

How other people see me, how I communicate and how I dream are determined, passionate, emotional, and magnetic (Scorpio x 3). Notice that how I dream and communicate are directly linked to how others view me, with these three planets being tied to one sign. Then tie that into being honest and straightforward from my sun sign (Sagittarius), and what does that mean about me? What you see is exactly what you get.

How I love and want to be loved is based on romance, charm, peace and balance (Libra). Libra is the sign of equality, so my relationships must have a balance.

My actions and how I deal with life are practical, ambitious, disciplined and careful (Capricorn).

My restrictions and self-discipline are courageous, adventurous and confident (Aries). Aries in this planet always goes after what they want, sometimes too quickly. I have disciplined and careful Capricorn, thank god, to balance my quick actions (Aries).

My luck and abundance, the way I react to upheaval (uniqueness), and my power and transformations are meticulous, diligent and analytical (Virgo x 3). Again, notice that with this combo of three planets ruled by one sign, means that upheaval, power and transformations are all directly tied to luck and abundance for me. Every challenging, chaotic and transformational event in my life has always made me more powerful and abundant or lucky, because they are ruled by the meticulous, diligent and analytical sign of Virgo.

So this my friends, is a snapshot of who I am. I say snapshot because this is only touching the tip if the iceberg. The natal chart is like a web of intricacies that just keep looping around and connecting back to each other.

Stay tuned while we dig deeper into the natal chart and how it defines us.

If you would like to see what lies in the stars and planets for you, click here and go to chart drawing for a free astrology chart.

Thank you for reading. xoxo

Journey to becoming a Yoga teacher

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear…” – Unknown

I started my yoga journey 14 years ago. It started with a free community class offered within walking distance of my home. I had two small children, a husband and worked from home. I did nothing for myself except drink some wine while watching TV with my family. That was the extent of my self-care.

We lived in a teeny tiny town on the Northern California coast and I knew this community class would have scores of people that I knew from my neighborhood. But the drive to do something, anything for myself outweighed any awkwardness that might entail. So off I went.

And awkward it was. Seeing the mayor, council people, town shop owners, the newspaper editor and many other townsfolk just made for strange bedfellows when dealing with doing yoga for the first time. But honestly, I think everyone felt the same way I did.

I continued to go every week until the teacher suddenly disappeared and the students tried to continue on our own. This faded away after sometime and that was it. But I had fallen in love.

Time went on, we bought a house, opened a wine shop business, and I continued to work from home. Once again needing an outlet, I tried out the local community college yoga class for two semesters and then moved to a private studio where I learned of all the different types of yoga.

I loved the atmosphere of the private yoga studio. I instantly felt at home. We were required to remove our shoes at the door and walk into an incense burning lobby where we could drink tea and sit on the overstuffed couches waiting for the classes to begin. At this studio, I tried Gentle yoga for the first time and something unexpected happened.

This Gentle Yoga was based on Yin Yoga where you hold poses in a seated position or prone position for extended amounts of time. At the time, I had not taken Yin Yoga before, so I didn’t realize this was a form of yoga that gets into the deep fascia layers where memories and emotions are stored and when stretched open, these memories and/or emotions can be released.

At the time, my husband and I were going through a very stressful period of trying to help our youngest daughter get off of drugs and off the streets. These yoga classes were the only thing that seemed to keep me sane. I was sitting in a pose for an extended amount of time and suddenly this flood of emotions and flashes from my childhood came rushing through me. Tears started streaming faster than I could stop them and snot came dripping out my nose. This was one of the worst forms of ugly cry possible. And I was in a room with a bunch of people I didn’t know and I couldn’t stop.

As I was leaving, and trying to hide my puffy, red face, the kind instructor said to me, as I passed by her, “It’s normal, don’t worry”. I shyly nodded and thanked her. At least I now had some knowledge that what happened and what continues to happen-no longer ugly crying each time though, just a gentle flowing of the tears-is normal. But I still didn’t know why it happened, until years later when I learned holding a pose for an extended time can cause this emotional release.

Some of my favorite yoga memories were at that studio: the peaceful tranquility of the studio, the post-yoga saunas, the yoga teacher who became my massage therapist, and my good friend, Mary, who would join me once a week for a class. We would grab a beer and a salad after class at the pub next door to the studio, and that is when I learned that yoga can become a lifestyle. It was 2012 and when my spiritual journey began.

After Mary and I followed our favorite teacher, Gabrielle, to two different gyms, she decided to stop teaching so she could focus solely on her massage practice. It was then that I met Christine. Christine taught a Vin-yin style class and this is when I learned how to incorporate meditation into yoga. She invited me to a meditation class she taught weekly with her husband and the world of mediation opened up for me exponentially. Christine created a major shift in my life.

I took a job on the Southern California coast and became married to my work trying to restore a dysfunctional environment to the detriment of my health. For the first year, I had given up all the pursuits of happiness and felt myself sink into a deep pit of despair. Another good friend, Pam, was visiting me from Northern California and she asked if I would consider going back to some of these pursuits for my general well-being. I had noticed a yoga studio next to my apartment, so I went in to check out a class. I read all the descriptions and chose to take a Yin class.

Now mind you, while I had experienced components to Yin yoga before, I hadn’t ever truly experienced Yin in its true form or potential. I started taking a Sunday morning class with the studio’s owner, Monica. She called the two Sunday morning classes she taught “Yoga Church”. It was truly that. She would incorporate readings from various spiritual personal growth books, chakra aromatherapy, soundbath and meditation. I felt myself connecting with the Divine again. While I had been continuing on my spiritual path since 2012, making sometimes painstakingly slow progress all the way to sudden, rapid, unexpected emotional purges, this was the first time my personal growth was becoming directly linked to my yoga classes. Up until this point, it was just an extension of it.

After about a year of doing Yin, not only did it accelerate my spiritual growth, it also increased my physical flexibility by another 50%. I thought I had reached my peak of range of motion by the time I was in my mid 40’s, but here I was at 51 becoming almost as flexible as I was in my 20’s. This is when I realized that while I enjoy various types of yoga and will continue to do different forms, Yin Yoga is my calling.

My teacher, Monica, was about to become my mentor when she asked if I would be interested in attending her teacher training. This caught me off-guard, since I had never considered being a yoga teacher before. She said she felt I would be a natural at it. I considered what she said. I had never really seen myself as a teacher before, but I was running and overseeing a teaching wildlife hospital where I taught technicians, interns and pre-vet students everyday. And I loved that part of my job, more than anything.

So after a lot of consideration and talks with Monica, I took a leap of faith and signed up for the teacher training. I was only doing it to further my personal growth, since I didn’t want to commit to teaching with the demands of my job at the time. But two weeks after graduation, Monica contacted me and asked if I would teach a Yin (Stretch) class. I agreed, without hesitation.

Teaching Yin Yoga is as natural to me as breathing. I model my classes from Monica’s themes. I learned chakra aromatherapy and soundbath to include in my classes, along with a spiritual theme to read each time. My students are amazing, grateful humans and the overwhelming love I feel during and after class, when I see how they look and hear how they feel, confirms I am on the right path.

After years of contributing to the healing of beautiful animals, I now see the beauty of helping to heal the human collective.

Thank you for reading. xoxo Namaste.

**If you would like to join me on the mat, please visit Hard Yoga to have a look at the schedule. If you are not a Southern California resident, Monica also offers an online library of classes.

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MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP
starting at $169!