Expanding Awareness, Throat Chakra & Sand Dollars

Yesterday, on the first day of fall, I went to the beach with a friend.  Research on the fall equinox had revealed that it is a traditional time to reflect, release and receive. I figured a walk on the beach was a good way to reflect and release on the summer's passing while setting myself up to receive.

It was more like a summer day than a fall day.  It was warm, almost hot, and muggy. The water was the warmest it has been all summer. The tide was out, the fog just starting to roll in- a perfect day for beach combing and talking with a friend while walking. I was walking barefoot at just the edge of the surf, head down, looking for sand dollars.  For some reason, I was really on a hunt for sand dollars. No other shells or rocks were interesting me, and I really wanted to find a sand dollar. I walked the whole length of the beach without finding any. We turned around and just started to walk back, on exactly the same path, when I found 2 absolutely perfect sand dollars.  There wasn't  a mark or nick on them, the etching of the 5 petals was perfectly formed. They were very close to each other, almost in a straight line with my footprints. I'm not sure how I missed them seconds earlier when I walked that way.

I felt a real rush to find those "dollars" and I carefully carried them the rest of the way in the palm of my hand- like real treasures. Sand Dollars are very delicate and need to be handled with care. You can't just throw them in a bag with other shells, or put them in your pocket and expect them to remain intact.  You have to be thoughtful in your treatment of them.

At Pacific Essences Ltd. http://www.pacificessences.com/, they include the healing power of the sea in their vibrational or energy medicine. In her book, Energy Medicine, Sabina Pettitt, the founder of Pacific Essences explains the meaning of each of her essences.  Pettitt writes that the Sand Dollar is an essence that helps expand your awareness. It is helpful to create a disruption of the mirage, to come to your senses.  Pettitt defines the Sand Dollar as primarily a mental remedy. As we connect with our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes, we can bring healing to the physical body. Pettitt explains that we can only get effective results when underlying belief systems have been examined and released.  Hmm.. there's that "reflect and release" suggestion again.

The Sand Dollar is linked to the 5th chakra- our throat chakra, which is focused on self-expression of our truth. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2011/02/foods-for-throat-chakra.html The challenge of this chakra is to let go, or release, the illusions and imposed limitations ,so that you are freely speaking your truth, whatever you believe it to be.  This chakra really addresses the "freedom of speech", that ability to feel free to express what you are thinking and feeling.

Before you can release that information, you need to reflect on what it is that might be blocking your speech. Perhaps we too easily decide it is others that are preventing us from telling our truths.  Maybe the reflection of the season should be to identify what we are blocking ourselves from, and release those limitations. That's where the Sand Dollar essence may come in as a helper. Hmm...

Before I did this research on the sand dollar, I placed both of them very carefully at the base of my money tree.  It just seemed right to put sand dollars with my money tree which has been growing to incredible heights. Today, I realize that positioning may need some personal reflection!  I wrote about my money tree almost a year ago- in the fall http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2010/11/money-grows-on-trees.html Since that time I have re-potted that tree twice and had to move it  in order to accommodate its' incredible growth. For sure it's not monetary richness I have received in the past year, but maybe, just maybe, it's an expanded awareness...

We finished the walk and stopped at the coffee shop.  I sat in a deck chair at the very end of the wharf drinking a ginger beer. Ginger resonates with the root chakra  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2010/11/chakra-foods.html and I was thinking about that as we watched a sailboat, flying a pirate flag!, float into the fog.  The fog looked surreal, exciting, and very seventh chakra in nature http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.com/2011/02/seventh-chakra.html.  What occurs to me now, is that those sand dollars were encouraging me, not only  to bring that seventh chakra, somewhat foggy knowing, into the root chakra physicality but to express those thoughts clearly and without limitations. Hmm.... the blog, my self-expression, will continue for at least another season...