Shirley Lynn Martin

08/08/2025

Happy Friday! We can often forget the grand size of our Earth, the communities who inhabit it and the histories that have shaped us all, even if we live on the other side of the planet.

“80 Years After Hiroshima
A Time to Reflect and Act

This week marks 80 years since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, a solemn moment for the global community, especially as we face a renewed and dangerous era of nuclear risk.

New arms races are emerging. Some states are expanding their nuclear arsenals, while arms control agreements continue to erode. At this critical juncture, remembering Hiroshima is not only about honouring the past but confronting the urgent choices of the present.

Project Ploughshares remains committed to advocating for nuclear disarmament and ensuring that the lessons of Hiroshima are not forgotten.

Testimony Rooted in Silence and Stigma

Terumi Kuramori was a year old when the atomic bomb fell on her home city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. She and her family evacuated to an air raid shelter behind their home, located 5.8 kilometres from the hypocentre of the explosion.

In the quiet auditorium, Ms. Kuramori spoke of how, at the time, doctors were unaware of the long-term effects of radiation exposure. Many illnesses, such as cancer, went undiagnosed or were misunderstood. She said that the survivors “were not told it was cancer until later” and many died without adequate treatment.

She also emphasized the discrimination faced by hibakusha, particularly when seeking employment or marriage. Because of public fears about the effects of radiation on human genetics, survivors were often seen as unsuitable marriage partners. Women who did marry often experienced social stigma when they were pregnant, could not conceive, or miscarried. As Ms. Kuramori’s testimony shows, these struggles were experienced even by those who lived outside the officially recognized radiation zones.

Ms. Kuramori spoke frankly about the lack of public awareness and the pain of being excluded or silenced; her testimony served not only to recreate the past but to prevent the recurrence of such suffering. She showed clearly that the consequences of nuclear violence are not limited to the immediate destruction caused by a bomb but extend to often invisible, long-lasting damage to human bodies, reproductive health, and the ability of individuals to participate in society.

Her closing remark was simple and powerful: “I don’t want anyone else to experience what I did. Nuclear weapons and human beings cannot co-exist.”

https://ploughshares.ca/a-fading-memory-a-rising-threat/

Much more is available at this site about nuclear arms research and policy

08/07/2025

Happy Thursday!

Wishing everyone an extra day of blessing. If you are having a vacation, enjoy the gift of time away and time “relaxed”. And I also want to remember those who are working today in the frontlines, whether it be in fire protection, health care or hospitality, your work and commitment to everyone's safety and wellbeing is deeply appreciated.

When we work with people in need, whether it be mental, health, financial or spiritual need, we will soon discover that there are those who have more than us and those who have less than us. What we will also discover is that everyone is carrying some degree of pain and suffering. Trauma and life disappointments seem to flow like water--meaning we are never immune from the challenges and pain and deep grief that life brings in unexpected events and tragedies. We have all been denied some part of our dream, a part of a heart felt dream that has been taken away.

I'm aware when working with clients that I cannot change what happened. I cannot alter the events of their past, nor even of their present situation. What I do know is effective in supporting people to make life transformations is an open heart, grounded in compassion and a genuine, unconditional positive regard for their human dignity and wellbeing. I no longer consider having compassion and 'doing compassion' as a soft skill. It takes incredible discipline and cultivation to remain compassionate towards others when their pain and trauma expresses as their relational pattern everywhere.

Cultivating compassion for a deeply hurting, unbalanced, scared, angry world is challenging. To get up every morning and commit to this kind of compassion requires my daily practice. I am deeply grateful for my daily Reiki practice that gifts me a pathway to cultivate and grow my compassion. It's an organic path, a sincere and dedicated path. There are no gimmicks, no shortcuts, or no magical pill that will make me (or you) compassionate for all beings as a daily practice.

And cultivating compassion requires having empathy and kindness towards ourselves and others in the experience of not having lived, not having chosen, not having given, not having acted in our true nature. The last precept of Reiki calls us to "be kind". The more kindness I cultivate within, the more generous I become and the deeper my compassion for the whole world grows. In a deeply hurting world, remaining compassionate is a huge gift. It's a vibrational healing flowing where its needed. That is what i can become. That is what I can share in these deeply troubled and hurting and crisis times.

May we all strive to walk in someone else's shoes for a month or two before we demonize, scapegoat or deny them their beauty, their ultimate humanity and the security of the love their inner self has always needed, but often been abandoned.

Cultivating this way of kindness and compassion is not a passive way of being. It does not grant a 'free pass' on ill-intent behaviour, violence or toxic relations. The soul work of healthy boundaries remain and do apply. And that work of healthy boundaries is also the work of compassion, of kindness.

Wishing you an extraordinary day of vacation, blessing and compassion. That's a colourful day! Peace.

08/05/2025

Happy Tuesday!

We have come through another long weekend here in Canada. This is the week where we typically see the eaglets learn the art of flying thermals or flying over the water learning hunting these days. I’m already hearing their screeching this morning reminding me of their presence.

I’ve been inviting you to explore the theme of abundance this season as that’s much of what the medicine it brings in these areas when fruit and vegetables are grown. The banquet feast of Mother Earth is on full display. When we really eat from our very local soil, the foods that are manifest with local soil and water, our bodies know it. The tastes are richer and deeper. I wonder if this doesn’t nourish us better. It brings us more deeply into oneness with the community where we live. If we are mindful of all these subtle, yet dynamic relationships from seed to soil and water, to food, to farm hands to our hands and stomachs, perhaps we will feel more connection to our community. When we feel connected and nourished we begin to more deeply care and protect what gives us life. This is an Anishinaabe teaching I’ve more deeply appreciated and integrated over the years.

Think on these things for a moment—the power of this abundance. Feeling connected, nourished and rooted to what’s around you. You then have place. With these gifts, our spirit can come alive and strong. All this supports mental health and reduces stress.

What’s your relationship with what’s around you? With what’s local to you? Do something that helps you discover your place, perhaps by starting with eating the food grown in a 20 mile radius if you’re lucky. Just notice that this food you are eating is from the same soil area your feet walk on and the water you drink. What changes. Minimally, May you feel deep gratitude for these gifts. And in this gratitude, may your spirit be lightened and your day brightened. Peace.

08/04/2025

Happy Monday! What do we do with our 'bad' feelings?

The first thing we usually do when we are having a bad feeling is to make the feeling wrong and make ourselves wrong for having it.

You'd think the bad feeling itself would be quite enough, but, no, for some reason we need to make it worse.

So, we tell ourselves we should NOT be feeling this bad feeling, that the feeling is bad, and that WE are bad and wrong for having it!

Well, first of all, you ARE feeling it, so telling yourself you should NOT be feeling something that you are actually feeling is to argue with reality, which is a shortcut to suffering. (As Byron Katie says, when you argue with reality you suffer, but only every time!)

However, the judgement of the feeling as bad, or the fact you are having it as bad also does something else. It makes you feel worse! One of the reasons for this is inner resistance which prevents the feeling from processing and moving through.

What you resist persists.

Even worse, what you resist gets stronger.

I say your judgement about your feeling is like putting a lid on the feeling, which holds it in. This usually means you feel it more AND you now feel worse because you also feel bad about it, and bad about yourself for having it.

A LOT of research shows that feeling bad about your feelings reinforces those feelings and is linked to worse mental health outcomes; just as feeling bad about your behaviour tends to reinforce that behaviour, especially addictive behaviours.

That’s right, guilt and self-judgement has the opposite effect to what it should have! It makes us feel and behave worse.

Instead, start with acceptance and self-compassion:

First, start tapping as soon as you notice the feeling and your judging thoughts about it.

If you think ‘I should not be having this feeling’ change to ‘I AM having it, even though it is uncomfortable.’

And try ‘I am having a triggered reaction. I SHOULD be having it because I AM having it. If this is a triggered reaction, then there is a reason for it to be here.’

Now, let’s work with it and see where that goes.

Put your attention on the feeling, notice how and where you experience it in your body and use this intention:

I restore the right energy flow to this feeling.

This is not about getting rid of the feeling, it's about allowing it to move and flow however it needs to move and flow.

Of course, it is natural to want to resist bad feelings. If you find yourself doing that, try this intention:

I release all my resistances and aversions to this feeling.

If you keep tapping after using this intention and stay open to whatever you notice, you just might start to uncover the source(s) of your resistance to this feeling, and if so you can tap on that.

You can also try:

I release all my emotional attachments to this feeling, to all it’s triggers, and all the meanings I’ve attached to it.

Now you might start to recall memories of previous encounters with this feeling, where you learned to attach negative meanings to it, and where it became attached to certain triggers for you.

If you follow wherever this leads you, you will begin a journey of self-discovery where you ultimately realize that your feelings, rather than being your enemy, are actually your friend.

At the very least, you'll start to become more comfortable with your feelings, and less frightened of them.

Aldous Huxley said change is only possible through movement. Moshe Feldenkrais said movement is life. And I like to say let life move you.

In your inner world, this starts with your feelings. Let’s see what happens if we release the resistance to them and allow them to move.

As you work with your feelings and allow them to move you, and move through you, you start to discover that the capacity to be moved by life IS life.

Let life move you.

©Steve Wells

If you want to learn more.....
https://intentiontapping.com/intention-tapping-level-1-workshop/

08/03/2025

Happy Sunday! A blessing for you today !

A Friendship Blessing

May you be blessed with good friends. May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them; may they bring you all the blessings, challenges, truth, and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.”

“Sometimes, it is easy to be generous outward, to give and give and give and yet remain ungenerous to yourself. You lose the balance of your soul if you do not learn to take care of yourself. You need to be generous to yourself in order to receive the love that surrounds you.”

― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

08/02/2025

Happy Saturday!

A beautiful morning opens up into a beautiful day! The first thing I do is to offer Reiki healing energy to myself. I awake into awareness of newness of the day, the gift of breath, of connection and of joy.

As I step outside with River, I look to the sky, the sun, the flowers, listen to the birds and take in the miracle that is today. I’ve been practicing releasing the burdens and turning one degree towards joy each day. I’ve found myself stepping into new activities this summer, from watching the wildflowers blooming to learning a water sport with River.

The last couple of weeks I’ve been helping clients see where energy is being drained—old habits, old activities no longer enjoyable, shoulds that dampen and discourage, burdens that weigh them down. It’s hard to turn towards joy and be present to the miracles of the day when your life force is being drained or suppressed. Find one way to free yourself of that which drains and engage in one small connection that brings joy today. Make it a practice. Peace.

08/02/2025

Happy Friday!

It’s a civic holiday weekend here in Canada. A holiday just because it's summer and it's a good time to have a long weekend. Sometimes life is like that. We need a rest just because. We need a pause just because. We want to break free and play just because. Gift yourself with a pause, a rest, a vacation day, a holiday from the worry or anxiety or stress that often fills your mind on other days!

Or like River, sometimes you just need to sniff and take pleasure in what’s wafting through the breeze!

07/31/2025

Happy Thursday!

Just for today, focus on the good. Start and end your day with gratitude.

Enjoy this summer day and all the opportunity to get outside, rest on the lap of Mother Earth, swim or play in her waters and listen to the songs and sounds of her children. Focus on the good and abundant. Focus on what sparks hope within your heart. Notice what aspirations seek to be given voice, colour and attention. Touch the hand of another. Share a hug with a dear friend. Breathe deeply the gift of life. Today, focus on the good and abundant and restore your body, mind and soul.

You will have so much to be grateful for at the end of this day by opening your heart and engaging fully with life that seeks to flow through you!

07/30/2025

Happy Wednesday!

Today is a wonderful day to bring healing into your life in some way. Maybe it’s just a small letting go that lightens the load or eases the constriction of breath and muscle. Maybe it’s about opening and allowing a genuine vulnerability where defences and armour veiled something deep and true about you. Maybe you make a choice to get outside and walk longer in your environment, lean against a tree, watch dogs and children play, watch water flow and you let yourself relax and soften your heart, aware of a gratitude or an appreciation for the moment. Maybe you make a choice to respect your body and reach for the apple instead of the chips.
Or maybe your healing takes a bigger step today—a letter to someone with whom you need a chance to say what you need to, but it has never been safe to say it. Maybe today you finally release your resentment towards someone or even an organization, taking forward with you the lesson and wisdom you have gained. Or maybe today you reach out to someone you hurt and with all the courage you muster, you say “I’m sorry for what I did”.
Whatever big or little healing you seek or need today, be brave, be kind and grant yourself it’s gift.....health, happiness, inner freedom and peace. It will bring the sun out in your heart, mind and energy! Peace.

07/29/2025

Happy Tuesday! Indeed, we need to know the cause of suffering AND daily tend to the wonderful in life. We need to know our limits and also feed our joy!

"Suffering is not all bad. It can have a therapeutic power. It can help us open our eyes. Once we start facing the suffering within us we shall want to search for its cause, which means finding out what we have been feeding ourselves, what kinds of nutriments we are consuming that have brought about our suffering. We also want to find out the causes of the suffering in our society, but with this we need to be careful and exercise moderation. Being overwhelmed by too much suffering can destroy our capacity to love or to take appropriate action. We have to know our limits and find a healthy balance between being in touch with what is terrible in life and what is wonderful. We need to know how to water the good, positive seeds within us so we can bear the more distressing things."
-Thich Nhat Hanh, "Interbeing"

07/28/2025

Happy Monday!

Deep healing is incredibly challenging because it invites us to accept ourselves in the moment as we are without fleeing, avoiding, numbing or arguing against the feelings and experience happening in the moment. I would say that’s a very brave and strong way to be.

In these days, it’s never just one wave of pain and suffering we are experiencing, it’s often layered with simultaneous stressful events compounding the suffering and overwhelm. Sickness, job loss, death, rising interest rates at the time of renewing mortgages or buying cars, environmental disasters, etc.

Staying present to ourselves rather than fleeing and avoiding is the task of a grounded and contented human being. It’s a strange yet real phenomenon that to gain inner peace, we have to accept the places of pain and suffering and grief allowing them to pass through as we acknowledge them, release our emotional attachments to it and be transformed by the wisdom of the process.

We are being given ample opportunity to show up courageous and compassionate for ourselves. As things unfold, I’m sure this practice will only become more important and necessary. For those who want a way to build this inner peace in a supportive community, I will be offering a level one Komyo Reiki in September. This is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

Wishing you a wonderful and brave day to be with exactly what is in your life. Accepting what is is the first step in changing what is. Peace.

07/27/2025

Happy Sunday! A blessing for this hot and very humid summer day!! Walk slowly and gently today. A wisdom I heard this morning at Anishinaabe water ceremony as part of the Voice of the Grand River community play and project, is that walking is a way to comprehending. It’s slow enough to take in our surroundings, to really see, feel , smell and taste what is happening here and now. So ho slow today and comprehend both the “bitter humidity” and the fresh pasture of promise. Peace