There is no denying it. The state of our world is intense right now. A rising of lots that has been swept under the rug. We are in the midst of a massive shift, and as the state of our world is up in the air, each one of us too is arriving at the crux of our own evolution. Reflecting, pausing, healing, wondering, wishing, grieving, growing. And we are all asking ourselves, and each other, how do we show up now? What is the right thing to do? How do we orient to preserving our health, and our future? What is our responsibility to to each other? And, how much agency do we really have to influence the world around us? We are looking at our impact more than ever. And in turn, we feel the reality of how truly vulnerable and fragile we are to the forces of nature. You are not alone if you have had moments of questioning your capacity. That’s the nature of the unknown. Nothing was as it once was. As scary and unsettling as it can feel, there is immense potential to begin a new. And it really all boils down to adaptability. Are we able to meet the moment? Adjust and tend to what is?Our adaptability has everything to do with our perceived agency and capacity. We form our sense of resilience based on how we have been able to or unable to handle the circumstances of our past. Out of our history, we have a story about how strong we are, healthy we are, smart we are, powerful we can be. And we have shaped our nervous systems based on our perception. Stress and trauma come out of a perception that we do not have the capacity to process fully what is happening. We stress our system the instant we believe we don’t have the skills, resources, or strength to take care of ourselves. In these moments of defeat, we ignite a sympathetic nervous system response where our body kicks into defense mode. We take energy from all our vital organs and redirect that energy to fighting, fleeing, freezing, and if we really feel we are in danger we leave our body completely known as dissociation. Now because we believed we couldn’t handle the moment, and ourselves in it, we never fully processed that experience. Instead, we shelved it, and thus store this stress chemistry in our physiology. We essentially live stalled in many aspects of our growth due to giving our power away to stress as opposed to rising from it. Our psyche remains preoccupied, and unsettled, in holding this unfinished business. And so, our psyche recreates scenarios similar to the situation prior where we were not able to make sense of reality so that we can address and reach resolve. Until we face fully the learning lessons that we’ve been given, we will continue to live in cycles of the same relationships, same power dynamics, and setbacks. Until we see the point. Until we rise to the occasion and step into the situation knowing it is our destiny. Each moment has a growth point, and only when we make contact with that edge do we expand into more of our true capacity. Collectively we are in the midst of a massive growth point. Where all of our past unfinished business has crept out of the shadows. So, the only thing to do is face our edges, and dance with our darkness.  Spinel helps us be with our edges. The energy of this crystal calms the link between our mental + emotional processing so that we can orient. If we can orient to our experience, we maintain access to our pre-frontal cortex. This is the higher center of our brain which keeps us in a healthy nervous system state. Our prefrontal cortex is the center of our brain that governs how we make sense of our experience. As opposed to falling prey to the overwhelm and kicking ourselves into sympathetic unrest, we can walk ourselves through it.  Spinel influences us to stand anchored in our capacity in this way. This is paramount. As opposed to looking externally for protection, we must believe we are strong enough to withstand stressors. It is only in this belief that we move into a new paradigm of relating with ourselves + the world around us. Only we can empower ourselves. And as we claim our full potential, we create a new paradigm within our own ecosystem. A way of existing not out of our coping mechanisms, but out of response—out of bringing ourselves to engage with the moment. Beyond projection, victimhood, fear, shame—all dulling vibrations to our health—we get to experience ourselves in our natural state of robust vitality. This is really just an ability to be with and in relationship to what is.Spinel is most effective when worn on our inner forearm, three fingers width above our wrist crease. This is why we created our “I am vital” spinel bare bracelet. It directly accesses a meridian in the body that connects to our thyroid gland and the nervous system. Because spinel regenerates energy, placed on this point it allows for a healthy flow to be restored through our hormonal system. It has a yin influence on our hormones, cooling excess heat in the body. Yin translates to that rest and digest parasympathic nervous system state. The state that is most optimal to our state of presence—the state that directs our energy back to all our major organs so that we can exist in our fullness. Energetic flow of these yin pathways nourishes our heart, calms our mind, opens our chest, and improves blood circulation. Simply put, spinel energetically nudges our system to fortify itself as opposed go into reserve. It is not a cure all, it simply influences us to take the power back. To begin to experience ourselves as capable of processing unknowns, overwhelm, and become our own healers. To exist vital, full cup, is our natural state of being. And that is true immunity. We want to emphasize that crystals are not magic. They work similarly to acupuncture, and other energy medicine modalities, to restore a healthy flow of energy through our body. They work with our body, to empower our own system to restore and optimize itself. We hope this blog post emphasizes the healing potential influenced by spinel during these times. Remember the universe never gives you more than you cannot handle. It’s a matter of believing in your potential, and we hope spinel helps you own your own agency. You are vital to the extent you claim it.