Feng Shui & Beyond Blog

What I really think of the Release Technique!

Well friends, it’s been waaaayyyyy  too long since I’ve written. I apologize, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned, practiced and experience the past few years. 

I've been meaning to update my blog in regards to the Release Technique in particular. The gains I experienced were all from the Release Technique and feng shui. Because I had such terrific gains, I decided to delve deep. I set aside months to "dig in the dirt" so to speak because this is what Larry Crane of the Release Technique teaches. WHAT A MISTAKE! My dad and I both discovered that if you keep digging in the dirt, then you will not only find dirt but start manifesting negative situations in your life. Plus, I felt depressed and lethargic. The Release Technique (RT) is absolutely wonderful if you are feeling resistance or negativity, however, I would not use RT to go digging around for emotions and feelings that aren't easily coming to the surface. In my opinion, Larry really missed the mark on Lester's teachings here. My longtime spiritual teacher (who I have the utmost respect for and who has a very high level of integrity) confirmed that one should not be dwelling on negative things.

I think the biggest thing missing from the Release Technique is the focus on love and appreciation. Those big gains I experienced were a result of something I was doing intuitively. I would release on a specific thought, and then send a strong feeling of love out into the universe. Most people who have had extraordinary gains were focusing on feelings of love.  One of the RT teachers received a $45 million dollar gain simply by releasing and sending love to everyone in her life starting from childhood.

I would recommend using the RT if you have any negativity or resistance present. Otherwise, I would completely focus on feelings of love and appreciation. It feels much better too! After I started practicing this again, I've started to experience big gains again. Shakti Gawain's book "Creative Visualization" has many of the exercises that I was doing intuitively that brought BIG results.

I wish you well on your journey!

Jessica

 

And I always thought luck had to do with… well… luck. Not true!

Yahoo.com recently posted this fantastic article on what it takes to be lucky.

How to Get Lucky - By Richard Wiseman

For centuries, people have recognized the power of luck and have done whatever they could to try seizing it. Take knocking on wood, thought to date back to pagan rituals aimed at eliciting help from powerful tree gods. We still do it today, though few, if any, of us worship tree gods. So why do we pass this and other superstitions down from generation to generation? The answer lies in the power of luck.

Live a Charmed Life

To investigate scientifically why some people are consistently lucky and others aren't, I advertised in national periodicals for volunteers of both varieties. Four hundred men and women from all walks of life -- ages 18 to 84 -- responded.

Over a ten-year period, I interviewed these volunteers, asked them to complete diaries, personality questionnaires and IQ tests, and invited them to my laboratory for experiments. Lucky people, I found, get that way via some basic principles -- seizing chance opportunities; creating self-fulfilling prophecies through positive expectations; and adopting a resilient attitude that turns bad luck around.

Open Your Mind

Consider chance opportunities: Lucky people regularly have them; unlucky people don't. To determine why, I gave lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to tell me how many photos were inside. On average, unlucky people spent about two minutes on this exercise; lucky people spent seconds. Why? Because on the paper's second page -- in big type -- was the message "Stop counting: There are 43 photographs in this newspaper." Lucky people tended to spot the message. Unlucky ones didn't. I put a second one halfway through the paper: "Stop counting, tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $250." Again, the unlucky people missed it.

The lesson: Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they're too busy looking for something else. Lucky people see what is there rather than just what they're looking for.

This is only part of the story. Many of my lucky participants tried hard to add variety to their lives. Before making important decisions, one altered his route to work. Another described a way of meeting people. He noticed that at parties he usually talked to the same type of person. To change this, he thought of a color and then spoke only to guests wearing that color -- women in red, say, or men in black.

Does this technique work? Well, imagine living in the center of an apple orchard. Each day you must collect a basket of apples. At first, it won't matter where you look. The entire orchard will have apples. Gradually, it becomes harder to find apples in places you've visited before. If you go to new parts of the orchard each time, the odds of finding apples will increase dramatically. It is exactly the same with luck.

Relish the Upside

Another important principle revolved around the way in which lucky and unlucky people deal with misfortune. Imagine representing your country in the Olympics. You compete, do well, and win a bronze medal. Now imagine a second Olympics. This time you do even better and win a silver medal. How happy do you think you'd feel? Most of us think we'd be happier after winning the silver medal.

But research suggests athletes who win bronze medals are actually happier. This is because silver medalists think that if they'd performed slightly better, they might have won a gold medal. In contrast, bronze medalists focus on how if they'd performed slightly worse, they wouldn't have won anything. Psychologists call this ability to imagine what might have happened, rather than what actually happened, "counter-factual" thinking.

To find out if lucky people use counter-factual thinking to ease the impact of misfortune, I asked my subjects to imagine being in a bank. Suddenly, an armed robber enters and fires a shot that hits them in the arms. Unlucky people tended to say this would be their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery. Lucky people said it could have been worse: "You could have been shot in the head." This kind of thinking makes people feel better about themselves, keeps expectations high, and increases the likelihood of continuing to live a lucky life.

Learn to Be Lucky

Finally, I created a series of experiments examining whether thought and behavior can enhance good fortune.

First came one-on-one meetings, during which participants completed questionnaires that measured their luck and their satisfaction with six key areas of their lives. I then outlined the main principles of luck, and described techniques designed to help participants react like lucky people. For instance, they were taught how to be more open to opportunities around them, how to break routines, and how to deal with bad luck by imagining things being worse. They were asked to carry out specific exercises for a month and then report back to me.

The results were dramatic: 80 percent were happier and more satisfied with their lives -- and luckier. One unlucky subject said that after adjusting her attitude -- expecting good fortune, not dwelling on the negative -- her bad luck had vanished. One day, she went shopping and found a dress she liked. But she didn't buy it, and when she returned to the store in a week, it was gone. Instead of slinking away disappointed, she looked around and found a better dress -- for less. Events like this made her a much happier person.

Her experience shows how thoughts and behavior affect the good and bad fortune we encounter. It proves that the most elusive of holy grails -- an effective way of taking advantage of the power of luck -- is available to us all.

Read the orginal post here: How to Get Lucky

 

“Why don’t I get what I want, damnit?”

Well, if you’ve been following this blog then you know that I am not a millionaire yet.

I’ve spent weeks releasing on what I thought were all of my aversions and attachments to money. I’ve had some amazing breakthroughs—so why the hell haven’t I struck the mother load yet?

I think I’ve discovered the answer.

My dad recently got back from a release class and learned that many of our serious hang-ups—the things that keep us from getting exactly what we want—hide out in our aversions. Aha!

I had been working on my goals and eliminating any obstacles that keep from achieving them. I had gotten so darn good, that it was never a question in my mind of whether or not I would get a million dollars, it was only a question of when.

You want to know a good way to check and see if you have any aversions hiding out in the deep, dark crevices of your subconscious? Imagine never reaching your goal. Never ever. Can you still feel peaceful and happy then?

You know what happened to me when I tried this exercise? I imagined the possibility of never receiving a million dollars. I took it even further and imagined living the rest of my life in utter poverty. And out of the clear blue sky (or rather the dark pit of my mind) my ego announced that it would rather die than live without abundance.

Whoa! That seems stupidly extreme. I never knew how attached I was to getting what I wanted… unbelievable. I felt like a two-year old who believes it’s the end of the world because I didn’t get the pink lollipop.

Well, now I know why I hadn’t received a million dollars yet—I had a slight (*wink*) aversion to being broke. I’ve literally been pushing abundance away.

You’ve got to be hootless about your goal. It must be okay whether you get it or not.

Several of the Release Technique teachers have proven this by becoming multi-millionaires. One teacher even received $45 million dollars and still runs her own business and volunteers a ridiculous amount of time to helping others.

So, could you be happy and peaceful even if you don’t get what you want? Could you?

The IRS and tax season… no big whoop when you’ve got the Release Technique.

Most people break into a cold sweat (and maybe even a bottle of vodka and some Vicodin) when they think about taxes and the IRS.

Thankfully, Larry Crane and the wonderful teachers at the Release Technique know the knee-buckling, migraine-inducing, potato-chip-binging terror that most people have when it comes to tax season. As a result they offer some pretty wonderful release sessions in their workshops and classes.

At the class that my dad and I took in Lake Tahoe, Larry had us release our fears about taxes and in turn had us practice showering the IRS with love. Larry explained that we are all One. And if that is true, then we are the IRS and vice versa. “They got it wrong!” he explained in his characteristically corny sense of humor, “It shouldn’t be spelled IRS, it should be IRU.” Larry and the teachers cunningly convinced our overactive egos that the IRS is a service — they are here to serve us — and that if we are all One, then the IRS certainly isn’t going to tax themselves… hehehe.

This is the point where you are probably thinking “bullsh*t” right? Maybe you think there is no way the Release Technique can be some sort of super accountant capable of refund miracles. Well, you’re wrong.

Two gentlemen in our class (not 1… 2!) owed the IRS over $1 million. After releasing, the IRS admitted that they had made a mistake and as a result both men owed absolutely nothing.

My dad sold a huge chunk of his investments last year with significant capital gains. He assumed he would owe about $50,000 to the IRS. After releasing, he got his tax return from his accountant and he only owed $1000!

I also had about $10,000 in capital gains last year. Guess what? I owed absolutely nothing this year.

The Divine Wow strikes again!

What you can do right now to have more abundance and prosperity.

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
The universe loves gratitude. Start a gratitude journal. Not only will this make you feel more positive, but it also opens you up to receiving even more from the universe. Just like when you give a gift to a friend, if she is grateful you want to give to her even more.

Create an illusion or feeling of luxury
Fake it until you make it. Okay, so you might not be the next Donald Trump, but you don’t have to live in a space that constantly affirms your lack of abundance. It is much better to surround yourself with your idea of abundance. Maybe it is luxurious fabrics, lavish houseplants, opera music, or a china tea set from a thrift store that makes you feel like a queen. For me, it is richly textured textiles and big bunches of flowers.

Incorporate images of abundance into your home and workplace
Again, you want to create a home that assists in attracting wealth. Use accessories and artwork that depict wealth like fresh flowers, lush landscapes, goldfish, or financially successful people. For more feng shui wealth tips click here.

Enjoy and celebrate the luxury you have
Well, what are you waiting for? You want to experience abundance now, don’t you? Pull out your special china and display your valuable possessions. And if you are one of those people who have covered your furniture in plastic, then for God’s sake remove it and let your furniture breathe! You are worth it. You deserve to experience the finer things in life right now.

Use good solid furniture and durable materials in your home
This relates to environmental psychology. Flimsy furniture and cheap materials scream, “I have no money!” Make sure your furniture is stable, solid, secure, and well-built. If you have no money to replace that Ikea table you bought for your kitchen, then do what I did — nail, glue, epoxy (whatever it takes!) to make your table appear solid and stable. I once even anchored my flimsy shelving to the wall with toggle bolts. Nothing a little spackle couldn’t cover later. *wink*

Make home repairs
A shabby, unkempt home equals lack. Enough said.

Create a vision board or what I like to call an “intentional collage”
A vision board is a great tool for manifesting money. For instance, you can create a vision board out of images from magazines or printed from the internet representing the kind of abundance you want. It can be an image of a beach house in Maui, an Audi, or a $1Million check made out to yours truly — whatever it is, make sure it represents your idea of abundance and prosperity. If you want to take it to a deeper level, create your own unique piece of art that portrays the essence of what abundance is for you.

Use water features or symbols of water in your space
Water is a feng shui symbol for abundance. If you don’t want the hassle of a water feature, incorporate the water element into your home.

Use moving objects to call in energy (aka “chi”).
Moving objects like wind chimes, banners, flags and mobiles will bring more life-enhancing chi into your home. (As will mischievous, rambunctious pets, for that matter! When my cat is arching her back, fluffing her tail and bounding sideways at me, at least I know she is calling in prosperous energy.)

The kitchen is a symbol of abundance and wealth in feng shui, so make sure your kitchen promotes prosperity.
Use bright and cheerful colors, potted herbs, fresh fruit, etc. Make your kitchen a space you want to be in — a place that radiates vitality, health and happiness. Always make sure your kitchen surfaces are clean and free from clutter.

Include “abundant” colors like purple, red, gold, green, blues, and yellows.
Color always carries visual, symbolic, synaesthetic, emotional, and physiological effects with it. When you understand the meaning of colors, you can begin using them to your advantage by applying them in your home appropriately.

Add specific enhancements to the abundance and prosperity area of the feng shui bagua.
I love using the feng shui bagua because it allows me to focus on a specific intention. Okay, so you may not believe classical feng shui masters who believe that an environment has direct correlations to specific situations in life. However, it is really hard to dispute that where intention goes energy flows. Don’t take my word for it; prove it for yourself. I have had amazing gains from working with the bagua map.

Use the Release Technique or Sedona Method to rid yourself of attachments and aversions — feelings of neediness repel abundance and prosperity.
The Release Technique or the Sedona Method is the icing on your big fat cake of abundance. Feng shui and other environmental metaphysics create a sanctuary that fosters personal growth and freedom. The Release Technique is the finishing touch. Don’t believe me? Read my Release Technique gains here.

**Avoid dirt, dust, clutter, broken items, reminders of bad times, or dead plants.**

The Release Technique is my knight in shining armor—when it comes to abundance and prosperity anyway.

After learning the Release Technique at the weekend “Abundance Course,” I had stripped away a lot of my fear about the economy, my financial situation, and my future.

After taking two weekend abundance courses about 3 months apart, it came time for me to really get a job—I needed to start bringing in some income. As I searched through the job classifieds reviewing the 7 available jobs in the County (like I said, I moved to a County that had suffered the worst of any in Colorado) I started to get a bit worried, but started applying for jobs anyway.

This is where it gets weird.

For the life of me, I couldn’t get a job — not even a menial gig for $9/hour tuning skis or shoveling snow! I felt like I was in Bizarro World. What the hell was I going to do? I thought those were my fallbacks if I couldn’t manifest money.

Good thing I didn’t get a job, because out of the blue came an opportunity to attend the “Seven Day Final Step Retreat” in Lake Tahoe.  And since I didn’t have a job, I had free time to go.

The retreat was amazing. I had a major breakthrough that encouraged my commitment to go free in a BIG WAY!

I came back from that retreat with an unyielding promise to myself to go free no matter what. It was just a decision.

Good think too, because when I got back I didn’t know how I was going to pay my credit card bills or my student loans that were due in a few weeks and my checking account had gone into overdraft. If I hadn’t made a firm commitment, I would have immediately started looking for a job.

Instead, I locked myself up in my house and released for a week straight (12-14 hours a day) on money. By the time I was finished I was as carefree as daisy in a meadow.

I had no fear. None. Zilch.

A few days later I got an unexpected check for $8000.

All I can say is “wow!” This stuff works! Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Release Technique.

Stop working and start living! How I used the release technique, art, and feng shui in the home to attract abundance and prosperity.

Okay, so I’m not the Warren Buffett of the Mystical School of Abundance and Prosperity (yet!), but I have gratefully stumbled upon some techniques that have liberated me from the bonds of the “time = money” myth.

I always had a fairly easy time finding jobs that were satisfying, paid well, and had great people—thanks to both the “shut up and get over it” and “don’t rain on my parade” schools of thought. So when I moved to Philadelphia I had no problem finding a decent job as a designer at this quirky landscape architecture firm.

I added feng shui enhancements to the abundance and prosperity area of our new apartment, which included one of my “intentional collages”, a tabletop water fountain, and some jade plants. I bought fresh flowers weekly to remind me of my abundance and also to thank the universe for its divine guidance. Needless to say, I always kept this area clean and clutter-free.

In addition, I diligently practiced the technique of surrendering — which basically entailed quieting my mind completely, letting go, and bringing in the highest levels of energy I could easily handle.

That’s when things got interesting.

I noticed that when I space cleared, unexpected checks would come in the mail. $1000 here, $2000 there. It became so predictable that I didn’t even question it anymore. If I needed some cash, I would simply doing a formal space clearing. (One interesting thing I observed is that if I hadn’t been surrendering completely, nothing would happen. Surrendering seemed to be the yeast in the feng shui bread of abundance.)

Feeling overly confident, or maybe in a state of complete naive idealism, I decided to quit my job. I was going to start freelancing.

I still remember the overwhelming feeling of primal terror I had as I put my letter of resignation in my supervisor’s inbox. My ego turned Woody Allen on me… my thoughts became a stifling quagmire of pessimism, nervousness, and anxiety.

Somehow, I had the courage to do it anyway.

You know what? The universe likes courage. I ended up getting a freelance gig with the same landscape architecture firm, making the same amount money but only working half the time. Yes!

I eventually moved to Colorado. I got a house for free and started renovating it on my own. Unfortunately, I did what many people do — I got so busy I stopped surrendering, stopped gratitude journaling, couldn’t use feng shui (I didn’t have a home yet!)  and started living on automatic.

BIG MISTAKE!

I ended up having an epic amount of financial (and personal) problems. I had to buy a new furnace, a new chimney, a new car, and a new timing belt. And to top it all off, I had septic and plumbing problems as often as Joan Rivers has had plastic surgery. I ended up spending every dime I had in savings. And the worst part? I couldn’t surrender anymore because I was in a blind state of fear and I couldn’t get my mind to shut up! I was single, I was penniless, and I was unemployed in a County that had suffered the worst economic downturn of any in Colorado.

I was desperate.

I have this wonderful Hawaiian Mana Card deck (kinda like tarot cards) and I pulled the “release” card about 14 times in a row (out of 44 different cards). I think the universe was trying to tell me something. *smile*

Here is what the “release” card says:

“We sometimes travel the same paths over and over again, unable to change our route. We often walk trails that lead us to repeat undesirable experiences, because unresolved regrets, anger, and disappointments act like ghosts that overshadow our ability to explore new routes and experience new outcomes. Insanity has been described as doing the same thing over and over again while hoping things will turn out differently. When the release card appears, it is time to release your burdens by replacing them with positive affirmations and actions. Let go of anything or anyone that does not support your higher purpose.”

After drawing the “release” card 14 times and receiving a postcard in the mail for an abundance weekend workshop on the Release Technique, I finally got the hint.

You want to know what I found out? The Release Technique is the missing key. (Read some of my release technique gains here.)

After learning the Release Technique, I have attracted over $20,000 in 6 months and haven’t had to get a “job” to make ends meet. I’m now working on my first $1,000,000. Not bad!

As one of the release teachers explained — and I agree — the Release Technique (aka “The Method”) is like the finishing school for any path of personal growth you may be on. Using the Release Technique has helped me achieve that essential state of surrender, regardless of what my monkey mind might be chattering about. The Method has also shown me how to drop all attachments and aversions — the barriers to successful manifesting.

Because I’ve found the Release Technique to be so incredibly valuable, I’ve started this blog for your benefit. It is ultimately about my commitment to releasing and becoming completely free and limitless.

Is feng shui in the home irrelevant? No.

Feng shui helps to create a positive environment that helps you to release more successfully and consistently. Feng shui also helps you to focus on what you want in life and to create a physical template for your goals. In my opinion, feng shui and the Release Technique are perfect companions (addressing both your inner and outer world).

I believe in the techniques I share and I will continue to post my progress, experiences, gains, top tips, things to avoid and all things relevant. Like I said, I’m going all the way to freedom this time.

I am honored to have you on this journey with me.

Be well,

Jessica