Please join me in welcoming Cyhndi Mora!

 

She is a wonderful person whom anyone is lucky to call “friend.” I’ve known Cyhndi for eight years now. She never fails to inspire me with her creativity, knowledge, sense of humor, insight, writing, compassion, or her music. I could go on, but she is also humble, so that would embarrass her.

Cyhndi: Thank you Gina! (Grins and blushes) The pleasure and honor are all mine.

Gina:  See, she’s humble. Cyhndi. I’ve prepared a set of random questions for you. If you’re ready, let’s go!  She’s ready!

Gina: Cyhndi and I connected strongly because we traded my holistic nutrition consulting for her Reiki treatments and trainings. Cyhndi, can you share your Reiki story with us?

Cyhndi: Well, my journey with Reiki has been a long one! It began when my good friend Diana Briscoe introduced me to SpiritWind about 20 years ago. They are/were both amazing healers and artists and hugely helpful and inspirational to me. At the time I was going through a lot of ‘stuff’ and sought out SpiritWind for healing. She noticed that part of my problem was that I was picking up the ‘stuff’ that I was helping others to heal and she felt that Reiki would help me with that. She was absolutely right about that and I studied with her up to the Master Level. She also encouraged me to get my Master Teacher attunement from Tina Carey. SpiritWind passed away a few years ago but she ran Native American/Celtic healing circles as well as doing traditional healing sessions and Reiki right up to her passing. Diana is now running spiritual and healing circles and is an Opera singer.

My Reiki journey continues here in Montana both as a way of life and continued study. I have been a bit shy about connecting to the local Reiki community, but am meeting more folks recently that practice as well as connecting with the Buddhist community. It’s a bit of a tight circle here due to the strong ‘right’ presence in this area. There are still many folks who feel Jesus has sort of cornered the market on “Laying on of Hands.” It’s complicated, many practice in relative secrecy.

Gina: What advice do you have for any of our readers who are going through tough times right now?

Cyhndi: Go with the classics: Breathe. Breathing causes you to pause, gives you an opportunity to move from the reactive to the proactive and it’s something you can control with practice. It’s more difficult to come up with a solid, thought-out plan when you are in fight or flight mode. Finding a positive affirmation to repeat to yourself while you are breathing is good, too. If you can associate the affirmation with a beautiful visual, that is also helpful. And once your mind is clear and focused, tackle the problem or let it go.

If you can’t fix it, there’s no point in giving it energy. (Emphasis, mine)

Gina:  I like the last part of your response so much I italicized it.  This is an example of the wisdom I am privileged to learn from you.

Gina: Please complete this sentence in your own words. The best things in life are __________.

Cyhndi: always with you.

Gina: Excellent answer!

Gina: What are some things you wish everyone knew?

Cyhndi: This may sound funny, but I wish everyone knew themselves well enough to entertain themselves and love themselves completely, that they already have all they need and that we are all more alike than not.

Gina:  It doesn’t sound funny to me.  I think many challenges may never happen if people had these qualities in place reliably.

Gina: What do you love to do with your downtime?

Cyhndi: Honestly, I love to watch movies. I’m not as fond of rom-com’s and dramas as I am fantasy and science fiction. I really enjoy silent films and films from the early days of cinema (pre 1970). I also enjoy reading, crocheting, gardening, music, cooking and baking. I’m big in to DIY and ‘up cycling’ projects, but that’s a book unto itself. I’ve also been working on a novel…for more than 20 years…it’s complicated, lol.

Gina:  About that novel, lol.  Yes, we will all be happy when the novel is finished and in the hands of readers.

Gina: Who, and/or what, has inspired you to become the inspiring person you are today?

Cyhndi: Honestly, I find inspiration everywhere and just about everyone I meet inspires me in one way or another. We’re all in this together, right?

Gina:  We are.  As the saying goes, the time of the lone wolf is over.

Gina: How does being a singer, writer, and guitar player effect the way you listen to music? For example, the first time you hear a song, what goes through your head?

Cyhndi: That’s a really good question. Unfortunately I don’t really have a point of reference. I started playing piano when I was 7 or so years old and was singing and ‘writing” songs even before then. My Grandmother, Mother and Uncle are all musicians so music was always on when I was a child…so I’m not sure if what I hear is different from what other people hear. It seems to me that I pay attention to lyrics more than most people. I find it interesting when something is appealing to me when it’s technically ‘incorrect’ in it’s construction, but I never studied music long enough to get too annoyed with technicalities. As a healer I also often notice what a piece of music could be used for, how it could be helpful in someone‘s healing process. One person’s nerve-jangling cacophony can be another’s purge before reset. I usually ‘feel’ the music first and if it’s pleasant I’ll take it in…if not I move on to something else. I try not to dissect it too much unless I need to play it or recreate an element of it or if I can’t figure out why it’s so popular.

Gina: We can talk for hours, about any subject. My favorite is spirituality and intuition. Have your read any books on the subject that you recommend?

Cyhndi: I would totally recommend your books, of course  I enjoy both your fiction and your Keep It Simple workbook. I would also recommend anything by the Dalai Lama, especially his book on ethics. Heaven is for Real is on the top of my reading list, but I haven’t cracked it yet, so I can’t really recommend it.

Gina: Wow, thank you for the compliment and the recommendation. Maybe you can visit us again if you enjoy “Heaven is for Real” so we can talk about it.

Gina: You own your own business, Blooming Clean Housekeeping, which follows an environmentally conscious model of non-toxic cleaning products. Could you share a tip with us about which cleaning products you truly trust? Or perhaps a recipe?

Cyhndi: Unfortunately I can’t recommend anything mass-produced as that whole process does more damage to the ecosystem than helping it. I totally recommend making and using your own products, however. It is so easy and inexpensive you’ll want to laugh. For example, to make your own glass cleaner and disinfectant: Fill any spray bottle 1/3 of the way with plain, white vinegar. Add a couple squirts of your favorite dish soap, 10 drops of Lavender essential oil and top off with water and replace the nozzle. Agitate gently to mix the ingredients and clean what ever needs cleaning. You can also fill a jar with rags and pour this mixture over them. Use as you would a ‘disinfectant wipe’ and toss in the laundry when you’re done. I post tons of recipes like this on my facebook and am always happy to share if you’re having trouble finding what you’re looking for on the Internet. I mostly just use the disinfectant spray and baking soda when I clean for my clients plus a homemade air freshener and a steam mop. Easy peasy. A gallon of vinegar costs $3 and change, the dish soap is already there and a bottle of lavender will last a long time…you get the idea 😉

Gina:  Fortunately, I do get the idea when it comes to making our own cleaners.  I use your recipes all the time.

Gina: What do you have going on your project table lately?

Cyhndi: Hmmm. Well my workroom, ironically, is always a work in progress. I am also working on a sweater, my potted garden and crocheting dryer sheets. I am in talks with some former bandmates about recording a couple of songs that we never got on to disc back in our ‘punk’ days, but not sure whether that will pan out or not. And of course the novel…everything else is still in my head so I’ll hold off on mentioning for now.

Gina:  If you want to guest post about a DIY project here with us, let me know.  We would love it.

Gina:  Thank you, Cyhndi, for visiting with us today.

If you have any questions for Cyhndi, I urge you to ask them in the comments below.  She is always happy to share.

Next month’s inspiring person is Lynn Burton, my co-author, editor on “Desert Sunrise”, and published author.  I hope you’ll join us.

Follow this blog to see all of my posts, and sign up for my newsletter for exclusives and exciting announcements.  There are new features coming in the August edition, and a brand new short story from “The Dreaming”.  Yes, we all get to see how it went “When Dana Met Joe’s Family”.

Thank you for reading,

Gina