I am going to be completely honest with you. I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have a kind of inner knowing that there was much more to life than what I was experiencing on the outer surface of things. I’ve always known in my bones that there was a kind of thin veil between what I was seeing and experiencing in my outer reality and a magical internal world that was endless and which was actually the real world. I know that may sound kind of crazy and “new agey”, but then again I was born in California in the 1960s! Besides I said that I would be totally honest with you.
Don’t underestimate the value of doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.
-Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne
I tell you this because as a kid around 8 years old I started having stomach problems that almost turned into bleeding ulcers… yikes! I guess it was because I was one of those “sensitive” children…lol So, I was taken to the doctor who said that he didn’t want to prescribe medication to someone so young, but instead he suggested that I try meditation. California 1970’s…. 😉
To my surprise the meditation actually worked and it was the end of my stomach issues to this day. I tell you this story because not only did my stomach feel better, but something began shifting within me because of the meditation. It’s hard to put in words, but all of me just “felt” better. Mind, Body and Soul felt relieved and safe. In many ways that initial exposure to meditation was the start of my journey and me actively searching out what lay beyond that thin veil.
“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever
bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.”
-Marcus Aurelius
Cultivating a way to get beyond what your mind is telling you and reaching the deeper more peaceful realms of your heart and soul is where true Magic comes from. I want to address something here right away, from my experience many people have a negative or religious connotation to the word meditation and I totally understand that. I think that it’s easier to think of it as LISTENING instead of meditation. Meditation is used in a variety of ways by many people and cultures for thousands of years. At its core, basic meditation is about LISTENING and being completely present in the now. That’s all, I swear!
Are you aware of your thoughts? Can you hear your thoughts? Are they in your head just living their own lives and running the show, while you are on for the ride? I can’t stress to you enough the importance of taking the time daily specifically designated for you to LISTEN. In many ways that’s what meditation is, listening. When I say listen I am talking about quieting the minds endless chatter for just a little while. It doesn’t need to be a long time, 5-10 mins. a day consistently will yield amazing results. And if even that’s too much then at least being able to get the point where you can notice the endless chatter in your mind and be able to say to it, “Thank you for sharing…” will really help you get clear and know what you want and not what your thoughts tell you that you want… There is a difference.
When, for example you get to the point where you can really listen for even just a few minutes, most days of the week, you will begin to feel or sense a very subtle, energy just underneath your conscious mind. But as I said, I’ll always be honest with you; at the beginning of listening or meditation it can be very hard, possibly confusing and frustrating. If for example, you are getting the hang of it, you are very quiet and you think you hear or feel that voice and the voice is saying something like: “What the heck (or something worse! LOL) are you doing?! This stuff is crazy! Wake up!” If you hear or feel ANY version of that, then that’s more thoughts and not the subtle, ever-present energy that connects you with the Universe. That’s the voice of your ego, which is doing its job and trying to keep you safe from the unknown. After all it’s scary to let go of control and just LISTEN… That is the situation when you would say “Thank you for sharing…” and keep LISTENING. It is in the listening that we can get in touch with our intuition and it is from there that you flow with life.
Cultivating the Art of Listening
Letting go of your constant mind chatter for a little while and Listening to what’s beyond helps you “Feel” better on every level.
Much has been written about ways to hear and LISTEN to our intuition or our internal guidance system. I want to share with you 1 very basic way that I have found has worked for me and my clients, especially if this is new to you, but first here are the guidelines that I recommend:
- Start off with 3-5 mins. At least 4 days a week
- Be kind to yourself and don’t worry about results. Just be.
- Think of this as going on a vacation from the craziness of your mind. Who doesn’t want and need a vacation?!
- It is best to do this sitting up either in a chair or cross legged. Do not lie down because you will be tempted to fall asleep.
Breathe– This is the most simple of all methods, but do not be confused; this can also be one of the most effective ways to quite your mind and begin to LISTEN to what is beyond your thoughts.
This is how it goes: Close your eyes and first take 3 deep breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then begin to notice thoughts coming and going in your mind, as you do consciously let them go and remember and focus on your breathe. Keep doing that over and over and over and over and….
Variation: If you find closing your eyes leads to sleep or it’s too hard then you can focus on a candle flame and do the same process.
Written by Max Ryan
Join Intuitive Life Coach, Max Ryan on Monday afternoons as he shares many Spiritual & Metaphysical tools and how you can apply them to live in The Magic of Life. From A Course in Miracles to Meditation to working with Angels, Max’s show will teach you many tools for your spiritual toolbox! Max will also do LIVE readings and have great Guests who are experts in their spiritual or metaphysical fields.
