Yoli Full of Gratitude

Welcome to the Mystical Intelligence blog where I share a story about my friend Yoli full of gratitude.

It’s 5 pm on Wednesday. The sun is outside of my window. Shining its rays. I daze off as I’m eating my dinner of mashed potato with chicken. All of a sudden Yoli appears in my mind's eye. I felt sadness but also gratitude.

Back in 2020, Yoli and I were classmates. We met during an oracle training. Separated by a laptop and an iPad we embarked on this training together. We learned about the moon, intuition, and healing.

At the time, Yoli was ill but as the years progressed her illness got worse. A year later, in 2021, on a summer day, Yoli sends me a message on Facebook. Asking if I could help her with shadow work. That she felt I could help her. Of course, I created a healing plan for her that would guide her to dive deeper into her spirituality.

For 3 months, Yoli and I met behind the Zoom screen since she lived in California and I in New York City. The screen kept us apart psychically but the beautiful work, struggles, realizations, and healing tears she experienced during our work together made us feel close in proximity. I remember speaking to her about forgiveness (I’m such an old soul). I remember her conversations about allowing things to be. Teaching each other vice versus. Words of wisdom bridging us together. Healing to be better. Healing to love. Healing to forgive.

When Yoli came to mind today, I couldn’t help to be grateful for that teaching experience. Specifically, I am grateful to have been able to work with Yoli during the last 3 months of her life. She crossed over towards the end of 2021 - possibly a month after our last meeting. I called her but she was going through a big transitional phase, which I understood.

Today She appears in my heart as a reminder of my great work. She reminds me to be present. Within that presence to be gratitude. She reminds me to take a pause to reflect. So grateful for my dear friend Yoli full of gratitude.

In loving memory of Yoli M.

Thank you for reading!

Intuition: Unveil the Big I

Welcome to the Mystical Intelligence blog topic ~ Intuition: Unveil the Big I. Intuition is beautiful, but the understanding of intuition can be quite mystical and fuzzy to a beginner or a bae going through their spiritual awakening. As a professional tarot reader, offering psychic readings in the community, street, vendor markets, and metaphysical shops, I have found that 20% of clients ask questions about intuition. Questions such as "How do you connect?" "How can I improve my intuition?" "I want to work with a deity; how can I start?" "These questions are multifaceted and abundant. Therefore, in today's blog, I define intuition, my story, and a few practical ways to start on the journey to unveil intuition for yourself. 

The Big "I" 

The word intuition, aside from its spiritual context, needs sustenance. So about three years ago, while I was upstarting a podcast episode on the Big "I," it led me into a rabbit hole of different ways to define intuition, which I share below. To be honest, they make sense. However, I felt there was more to these plain sentences. 

a.) "Known as an apprehension or cognition of knowledge without the direct involvement of the known physical senses; it may be described as knowing something without knowing how one knows" (Erickson, 2011). 

b.) "Knowledge from an ability to understand or know something immediately based on your feelings rather than facts." (Cambridge Dictionary)

c.) "The ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning" (Oxford Languages)

d.) "Denoting spiritual insight or immediate spiritual connection" (Oxford Languages) Late Middle English ( a combination of Latin, late Latin, and English) 

After reading this list, I got the gist of intuition and the focus on 'feelings,' but I needed to stir the pot a little more.

—Reading break—Create your definition of intuition. 

Okay back! The A HA! Moment 

So I proceeded to take off my oversize glasses from my sweaty cheeks. I pondered as my pen made it to my green velvet table until...I remembered an oldie in my book collection titled “Psychic Phenomena.” Slate (1988) studied psychic phenomena through extra sensory perception (ESP) - telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition. A ha! These concepts made sense to me based on my experience with intuition. Intuition doesn't exist in a vacuum; instead, it's enriched by these concepts and our receptivity to intuit. The biggest takeaway from the book is intuition is buildable and practical. Intuition doesn't come out of thin air; there are ways to practice and strengthen our Big I. 

Additionally, I find the connection to the solar plexus (Manipura) meaningful. The solar plexus is the 3rd primary chakra in Eastern teachings. The solar plexus sits right below the breast area- the pit of the stomach. This sweet spot is referred to as the celiac plexus in human anatomy. The CP is full of nerves connected to the sympathetic nervous system- our "fight" or "flight" responses and to essential organs such as the liver, stomach, kidneys, and adrenal glands (which sit on top of the kidney and release hormones). Your connection to the solar plexus is essential in familiarizing yourself with the Big I.   

Big I and I 

I want to clarify that everyone, even you, can tap into intuition. It’s essential to be flexible, willing, and open to practicing intuition. From a little girl visiting Espiritistas in Puerto Rico to having an auntie who read the cards and a mother who allowed me to pick my spiritual path, I was exposed to the intuit I was to become in my adult life. Nevertheless, intuition wasn’t always a comfort zone for me- sometimes I felt afraid of ‘it”. As I got older, I let go of the fear and, thus, decided to consistently practice my Big I. My goal was -and still is- to connect deeper with my inner compass, where my intuition stems from, and allow external senses of clairvoyance and precognitions through dreams to flourish. I connect to my Big I through my body (11 min morning stretches & 23 mins of Full Body strength workouts on the Nike Training Club App), mediating, going inward, and trusting my abilities. Feeling, hearing, and seeing all simultaneously is my Big I. Below I share a quick guide to intuition based on my practice. Take what resonates and leave behind what doesn't for a later time. 

Quick- Guide by Shayla 

Morning or Before bed or whenever the fuck you feel like doing it! 

1. Do a clearing and protection ritual for your physical space 

2. Declare a sacred space by setting an intention 

3.  I put on solfeggio or brainwave frequencies to calm + activate my brain  

4. If you like, have a journal and something to write nearby

5. Take a nice deep, cleansing breath 

6. When you feel ready, close your eyes 

7. Imagine your third eye or the space in between your eyebrows going inward 

8. Bring awareness to your solar plexus - pit of your stomach 

9. When ready

10. Begin to build your inner space with ease- how do you want the inside of your body to look like and feel - if this is a challenge, know you can change and adjust the things within 

11. Notice any colors, sensations, sounds, or scent 

12. When you feel ready, wiggle your toes and fingers and come back to your physical space 

13. Journal away

14. Practice daily 

*Deck: The Field Tarot by Hannah E. Fofana

I wrote this piece on intuition over 2+ years ago: 

It was 4 am when I wrote this piece. At that time, I was visiting my father in Florida. That night for some reason, I felt so inspired and woke asf - the same feeling I have right now. In the writing process, I channeled the message: Talk with Intuition [Original writing: The message that came through me this morning was "Talk with intuition." I wasn't sure what that meant, so I dug a little deeper….] That morning I happened to pull the Page of Cups. The Page of Cups is a court card - it's the inner child with no ego, no identity, and no fear of the unknown. They are true dreamers. Not afraid of judgment. Not shun away from using their imagination. They listen carefully to the inner voice without limits. 

[Original writing cont'd] 

… .there's a need for a profound relationship with our intuition that is honored, acknowledged and nourished. When intuition is nurtured, we are more likely to feel deeply connected to the self. Meanwhile, remembering we have lived experiences, struggles, and solutions that become our inner knowing. 

If you have a tarot deck available, take a closer look at the image on that card. I am currently using the Waite-Smith deck. What stood out when I received "talk with intuition" was the small fish in the cup. This card is associated with play and inner child but looking to understand the card outside the traditional associations. The fish is symbolic of how intuition works. Even the person's posture in the image indicates some conversation happening- they are talking to their intuition. From the picture, I feel a relationship happening or maybe a flow of the subconscious that nourishes, acknowledges (whatever needs awareness), and honors (give intuition, which is your inner knowing a "Thank you").  

When the fish spirit animal appears, "it brings a message of hope, and it empowers you to make the right decisions. The fish also brings the power of the water depths" (Clifford, 2021). Connection to the fish's spirit as a guide can lead to feeling through decisions and flow like the element of water. 

My wisdom to you, beautiful spiritual bae, is to call upon your intuition like the Page with the little fish in the cup.

This is my little "secret" to my Big I. May this blog post assist in your spiritual journey to unveil your Big I. Thank you fr reading. If you have additional questions or want private 1:1 lesson(s) on intuition, please feel free to contact me

Reference

Cambridge Dictionary 

Intuition, Telepathy, and Interspecies Communication

Oxford Languages 

Slate, Joe H. Psychic Phenomena: New Principles, Techniques, and Applications. McFarland, 1988.

WTF? Pelvic Steam

Welcome to today's Mystical Intelligence topic: Pelvic Steam. My name is Shayla M. Rose; I'm an Intuitive Latinx Healer guiding others to heal through metaphysical and holistic wellness.

WTF is Pelvic Steam?

Pelvic Steam (aka Vaginal Steam, Yoni Steam, V-steam) is an ancient practice that consists of water, herbs, and Steam to help with stagnation in the pelvic area and genitals. Pelvic steams are helpful for cramps, missed periods, residue, hemorrhoids, fibroids, postpartum, infertility concerns, and contractions. Before you read, please know that the field of medicine has not done much research on pelvic steams. However, Stanford Medicine has studied treating benign prostate enlargement using Steam. I will discuss this along the way. Furthermore, I will dive into alchemy, the interconnection between pelvic steams and spirituality. 

Where TF does Pelvic Steam Originate? Questions to my mother

I get this question a lot! The origin of pelvic Steam is obscure asf! You may ask why it's so mysterious. Well, the ancient practice of using herbs and water to Steam is folk medicine and has been found worldwide. Many of our ancestors, in one way or another, incorporated steam for gynecological health. I was intrigued by the mystery behind pelvic steam and the reasons why. So I investigated and asked my mother a few curious questions about pelvic steams in Puerto Rico. Here is how it went:

{ES} (1) Mami, cuando estabas en Puerto Rico ¿recuerdas si alguno de tus familiares hacía baños de vapor? Cuando yo era niña mi recuerdo ver mi tia-abuela haciendo bajos

{EN} Mom, when you lived in Puerto Rico, do you remember if any of your relatives used pelvic steam baths? I remember seeing my grandmother's sister doing steam baths when I was a little girl.

{ES} (2) ¿Recuerdas si su tía-abuela usaba hierbas para los bajos? ¿Qué tipo de hierbas? Cuando era niña, recordaba a la hermana y las tías de mi abuela hirviendo hojas de malvavisco creando vapor para hacer sus "bajos.” Le pregunté sobre los tipos de plantas medicinales que su tía-abuela usaría para los bajos, su respuesta fue cualquier planta que estuviera cerca para usar y todo tipo de plantas.” 

{EN} Do you remember your grandmother's sister using herbs? What kind did she use? When I was a little girl, I remember my aunts and grandmother's sister boiling marshmallow leaves and creating steam for their "bajos." So I asked about the kinds of medicinal plants her tia-abuelas would use, and her response was "any plant that was around to use and all kinds of them."

Fun fact! The term bajos is used in certain parts of Puerto Rico to describe pelvic steaming. Let’s break it down - Bajo (base) + baños (bath). Base + bath + steam= pelvic steam. Let me know if you can think about a word used to describe pelvic Steam in your culture! But back to the point, pelvic steams are prevalent in all these beautiful continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America - to name a few. Thus, making pelvic steam a universal practice.

Medicine + Research

The continuation of the obscurity of Pelvic Steam trickles down into the field of medicine. In recent years, the field of medicine has researched the benefits of Steam for enlarged prostrates and cardiovascular disease. According to Pandiaraja et al. (2021), they were the first to study the effects of a single steam bath on cardiovascular function. The results of the study point to a decrease in volunteers' high blood pressure (HBP). It was reported that after a single steam bath, there was a decrease in HBP and reduced heart rate, diastolic ( bottom number -blood within arteries between heartbeats ), and systolic ( top number- the pressure when blood goes in the arteries). No adverse effects of a single steam bath were found in the control or experiment group (Pandiaraja et al., 2021). Steam works well to heal the body.

Another piece of research I came across is the Rezum treatment. Rezum is a minimally invasive therapy using Steam to aid prostate gland enlargement (Westwood et al., 2018). In 2015, the FDA approved the study of Rezum. Results show that Rezum is a short-term treatment for restoring and preserving sexual function. However, the therapy excludes individuals with specific urological health concerns. I highly suggest considering how novice this research is, plus the advantages and disadvantages of the results. There's a lot more research to be done! But for now, Steam is making a change in some way or the other in people's health.

I had to leave the best for last on this one! A fascinating study I came across for midwives, doulas, and birthing queens is the research I am about dive into. Recent research conducted by Sholekha et al. (2021) studied the effects of hydrotherapy on pregnant with hypertension. The treatment consists of pregnant women soaking their feet in 37-39C degrees and 40-43C degrees water for 20 minutes. Results show pregnant women who underwent hydrotherapy with higher temperatures (40-43C) had decreased hypertension. To conclude, Sholekha et al. (2021) hope midwives can gain new knowledge and suggest hydrotherapy as an alternative to pills/medicine for pregnant clients with hypertension.

I found these pieces of research helpful in reframing the benefits steaming has on the physical body. My hope for the near future is more research on Pelvic Steam. But, most importantly, for people to have access to such beautiful alternative and holistic medicine.

WTF does Alchemy have to do with anything?  

Now let's talk about the alchemical process. On May 2, 2022, I wrote a blog post titled: The Alchemy of Pelvic Steam. I wrote the blog based on my training as a practitioner and my observations. You may wonder wtf does alchemy have to do with pelvic steaming. Imagine the following…

Let's begin by separating each element, water being the primary source of healing. Water -like our feelings- need a container to sit and brew. The pot (earth) becomes a vessel, which can contain heat (fire) and water. The stove or burner flame we see at the bottom creates a flame that fuses/separates different elements together and heats the pot (earth). The pot (earth) rises to a high temperature to create movement in the water. We then begin to see bubbles and hear the whistling water. When we are captivated by the sound, we lift the top, and Steam (air) begins to rise. Then herbs (earth) are sprinkled. With the moisture (water), we can start to heal by sitting over steamy healing waters for our body, pelvic area, reproductive health, and emotions that bring us to a state of oneness (alchemy) and connect us all deeper to earth. 

WTF does Spirituality have to do with Pelvic Steam? 

As a Pelvic Steam Practitioner, I am honored to merge both mediums of spirituality x pelvic steam as an avenue of healing. This is a continuum of my alchemic practicum. The spiritual side of pelvic Steam has many benefits; I find divine and sacral connections most important from my practice and client observations. These kinds of connections are unique to every individual. The merging of Spirituality and steams is not a "cookie cutter" or a "quick fix" to health concerns/issues. Instead, pelvic Steam is a sacred space to connect with the self in profound ways. There's a need to be patient with the process. Pelvic steam aid in balancing the nervous system. Also, it helps clear away the old (literally old residue), transmutes the past, and reinvigorates creativity within. Remember, spiritual oneness and health are alchemy. 

One of the avenues of healing I provide is Pelvic Steams and Pelvic Steams with Intuitive Readings. To schedule an appointment, contact or book here. 

Reference 

Pandiaraja, M., Vanitha, A., Maheshkumar, K., Venugopal, V., Poonguzhali, S., Radhika, L., & Manavalan, N. (2021). Effect of the steam bath on resting cardiovascular parameters in healthy volunteers. Advances in Integrative Medicine, 8(3), 199–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2020.06.001

Sholekha, L., Jubaedah, E., & Nurcahyani, L. (2021). THE EFFECT OF HYDROTHERAPY ON THE REDUCTION OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH HYPERTENSION AT THE PRIMARY HEALTH CAREASTANAJAPURA CIREBON DISTRICT IN 2019. International Seminar of Gender Equity Maternal and Child Health, 1(1), 109–121. https://doi.org/10.34305/gemic.v1i1.318

Westwood, J., Geraghty, R., Jones, P., Rai, B. P., & Somani, B. K. (2018). Rezum: a new transurethral water vapour therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Therapeutic Advances in Urology, 10(11), 327–333. https://doi.org/10.1177/175628721879308

Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is not intended to provide medical advice. 

Note: Pelvic steam as folk medicine is criticized and undervalued. Pelvic steaming is activism against the oppressors and nay-sayers. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. May it bring you health and knowledge!