READ: Harvesting Our Life Garden

Here we are just beginning the month of October and already the stores are displaying and advertising Christmas gifts and decorations. Our minds automatically start to race ahead to what to buy Uncle Joe, what and who will we have for dinner and where is the money going to come from to buy all the things advertisements tell us we just “have” in order to be happy this holiday season? Meanwhile, we skip past one of the most beautiful seasons in Canada – autumn. I am constantly amazed at how many people do not appreciate this time of year. How can anyone not notice what a glorious day it is with the crisp morning air, warm sunshine and the changing colours of the leaves. Instead they choose to jump ahead and think only of the upcoming snow, cold and long winter nights (which by the way can be quite beautiful as well).

By planning ahead we seem to have forgotten to live in the moment and fill our thoughts with worry about the future. It is as though the senses are shut down and all focus is on a time to come. October is special as it hosts Thanksgiving here in Canada. The small local farmers markets will be setting up their wares for the last time, gardens are all harvested and canning is at its peak. The landscape becomes Spirit’s canvas where the creator’s brush has gone wild with colour and all of nature’s sounds and smells of summer quickly merges into fall. Leaves are changing into their radiant garments of blazing orange, sunburst yellow and sensuous red. Even the air is different as early mornings and evenings brings with it a wisp of frost that invigorates the body, yet the sun is still warm on the skin. What is there not to love? Sure there are the rainy ,dark and windy days but doesn’t that simply finish cleaning up and clearing the earth? We can use this time to be inside, not only physically but mentally as well. A time of reflection on what it is we have harvested from the seeds we planted earlier in the year.

When we began this year’s journey we thought about what we wanted to manifest for 2011. Then in the spring, like our earthly gardens, we planted the seeds for manifestation. Through out the summer we watched what seeds took root and began to grow. There were no doubt many surprises as unexpected opportunities, situations and elements demanding our attention arose in our garden of life. If we were wise and listened to our own intuition we would have followed our higher self and cleared out any weeds that were blocking our growth and then nurtured the possibilities as they continued to grow. We are now in the season of harvest or a time to reap what we sowed. Before we rush off to buy wrapping paper, wreaths and Christmas trees let us take time to see and appreciate what we have brought into our life this year. Did our life garden produce what we thought we had planted? Are there things we would do differently next planting season? We need to examine where we are now in our life in order to know where we are going and to do so constructively we need to see where we started from to know how we got here. If we started out with a well planned garden then ignored it, allowing weeds to block our path then forgot to tend it and harvest it, we will feel as though our life has no direction, is unfurling and too rushed; we are then a garden gone wild.

It is not too late to get things in order. All it take is our willingness to live in the moment and it can be as simple as the following:

• every morning, and I mean every morning, begin your day with gratitude. The fact that you are awake and able to draw a breath is something to be thankful for.
• If you have never said grace before eating – start, if you use to but have been too rushed -start. It doesn’t have to be a long out memorized verse, but rather something as simple as silently giving thanks that you have food to eat and may it be used to nurture your body, mind and spirit. This helps to put you in the moment of eating, mindful of what and how much you eat
• Tell the people in your life that you love them, are happy to be with them, pass along a compliment to someone. Spreading love is a sure way of having it brought back into your life.
•  Regardless of the weather, step outside or throw open a window, breathe deeply and really feel the air as it fills your lungs. Notice what it smells like, feels like and be grateful that you are able to do so
• Close your eyes and listen. Do you hear the birds? The wind rustling the leaves
• Open your eyes and really, really look around. What colours do you see? What are the birds, animals doing? If you can walk near water, how has it changed since a month ago?
•  If you drive to work, try and take a different route to work or home and look around
•  Learn something new everyday – no matter how big or small
• Make a point of smiling more, showing random acts of
• At the end of your day, mentally or better yet in a journal, write down at least five things that were a blessing that day, write down at least one thing you learned or did
• Take time to meditate if only for ten or fifteen minutes
• Teach and encourage your children to do so as well. Remember, they need to learn to take time for themselves so they can be focused and calm as well.

Although planning ahead is what we need to do in order to manifest in our lives we also need to remember to live in “this moment or it will slip by and in doing so take with it any joy that was meant for us today. When we take pleasure in the little things soon all of life will unfold before us providing us with the contentment and happiness that we have been putting out to the future

So put that Christmas list away, at least for today, and enjoy the autumn! It is not too late to go out and harvest from your summer garden of life. You may be pleasantly surprised what is still left to be picked.

Technorati Tags: gratitute, manifestation, Meditation, Personal Growth, Thanksgiving

Walking Meditation: Just You, Nature and The Universe

We realize fall is soon upon us as children and teachers return to the classroom, local fairs are coming to a close and cottages will soon be closed up for another year. The morning air carries with it a crispness only an autumn day can bring and the sun, although still very hot, seems to have calmed down in intensity to feel more soothing and healing to the skin. Perfect weather for a walking meditation. Take to the streets, the woods, park or a stroll along the river or lake and enjoy the beauty of the season. Raining and can’t get out? This meditation can even be done throughout your home, around a room, as a group in a large centre. It is your intent that matters.

 Many find walking easier to do than sitting, especially when they first begin to meditate. It is a wonderful way to introduce all your senses to the sights, sounds and smells around you. When was the last time you stood or sat outside and with your eyes shut really listened and identified all the sounds? You will be pleasantly surprised at how much you actually take in but equally amazed at how little you really acknowledge in your busy and hectic life. The great thing about this type of meditation is there is no special equipment necessary, only your willingness to get out there and allow your intuition to guide you, your senses to awaken and your soul to become one with nature and the Universe. This exercise can be done during the day or under the stars and moon. Try both and see what a difference it makes in your stillness.

 Walking Meditation Tips:

• Purpose is to wander slowly enjoying the journey rather than your eyes and mind set on the destination. Allow yourself to be guided to touch a plant, hold a rock, hug a tree, sit near the water.

• Can be done outside or indoors but being one with nature multiplies the experience a hundred fold.

• Begin by walking at a fast pace, slowly down and finding that comfortable gait just above the spot where you feel you could lose your balance if you were to walk any slower.

  

• Place your attention on your breathing. Whenever possible it should be from your diaphragm. As you walk slower, your breath will become slower as well.

• Once breath and walking have slipped into a regular pattern you may wish to count your steps per inhalation. With some practice you will find you are able to adjust your steps to 2-4 per inhalation and the same per exhalation. You will discover once this rhythm is set your breathing and pace will go hand in hand naturally, with no effort. After a while you may increase the number of steps but keep your breathing comfortable.

• Imagine that you can “smile” with your eyes. Take time to look around you, taking in everything without really focusing on anything. As you do this, image every cell of your body is absorbing this beauty, relaxation and happiness.

• Give gratitude as you walk for the colours, the sounds, smells and the mere experience of being able to be in this place at this moment in time.

• Walk in silence..no iPod or conversation internally or externally. Just allow your mind to absorb everything around you. It is during this time that you “listen” and really “hear” the sounds around you. How many can you distinguish?

• Make it your true intention that each step is one of learning, gratitude and grace, leaving behind a footprint filled with the energy of love and peace.

• If you are desiring to release negative energies from your body (physical, mental or spiritual) you may wish to stop and visualize these leaving you and being absorbed by the earth to be purified. Feel your body drawing up the positive life force of the earth – a form of cleansing . Do this with every breath and soon you will feel yourself becoming lighter.

• Should you be near water, you may wish to wade into the water just enough to feel the water flow around you feet. You can image the water washing away any negative feeling and leaving you feeling cleansed and purified. If you are lucky enough to be by a waterfall or dam, sit with eyes closed and listen the the continuous flow of water. Allow your body to absorb all the negative ions which will cleanse and purify you.

 Above all, remember to be in the moment of the walking meditation. Take this time to connect with the beauty of nature, the vastness of the universe and your own oneness with the Divine.

Technorati Tags: fall, nature, universe, walking, walking meditation

The Power of Prayer

My personal definition of prayer is it is a time when we call upon the Divine and the angels or the greater unseen powers and usually ask for something; assistance to completing a task, food, money to pay the bills, improved health and often forgiveness.  If we are being very good we will remember to give thanks for another day, good health and food on our table.  Meditation for me is an extension of prayer as it is a time we mindfully set aside to bring our mind, body and spirit in union with the Divine.  It is during these moments of silence that we demonstrate our intention for inner peace, healing, love and enlightenment.

Often in prayer we quickly put in our request, say amen and then we are on our way.  When we meditate, we purposely wait for an answer, a sign or simply allow that peaceful feeling to flow over and through us. Emotions can become unleashed, forgiveness can be released, love and healing sent to others and ourselves.  With practice and patience we will come to realize that every time we meditate we increase our own vibration and that of those around us.

That is why a group meditation is so wonderful as each one of us benefits from the energy of the others. Everyone has his or her own personal journey and yet we also share a group experience.  By talking about our prayers and meditations we help each other to learn and grow, teach others and ourselves to be less judgmental and by sending healing, increase our love and compassion.  As well, by remembering others in our prayers, whether they are alive or have already crossed over, we assist them in raising their vibration.

Prayers (and your meditations) should be from our heart, what we are feeling right now, what wedesire: the song of our soul. We should never be  afraid to say, think, chant or sing what we are feeling. We may find ourselves humming a song, a chant or mantra or becoming emotional when listening to or reading certain poems and prayers. Nothing wrong with that!  We are just allowing the right side of our brain some equal time and our spirit an opportunity to blossom.

Daily devotions are quite possible…none of us are too busy.  It is all a matter of practice and making it a priority of your day.  Like all things, it will become part of who we are. It is wonderful if we have a sacred space somewhere in our home or outside where we can go and perform our meditations but don’t feel we have to create a shrine before we can pray or that we can only meditate in a group or in our own space.  Taking five minutes in the lunch room at work, a walking meditation on our way to the compost bin (don’t close your eyes for this one!), breathing deeply then silently giving thanks while sitting in a waiting room are all ways to bring Spirit around us. Prayers and thanksgivings can be and should be found everywhere. They are your connection, sense of security and protection so use them often!  We can never over do meditations or prayers. Simply recognizing the beauty of the world around us and the goodness in the people we meet is a form of thanksgiving.

If we incorporate these things in our daily routine, before long we will find our inner energy increasing. This new found energy  can be used to raise our vibration in our daily meditations and prayers.

Don’t put it off any longer! Begin by finding one new way of devotion this week.  It could be:

• Writing in a journal about your meditation
• Creating a prayer and recording it in your journal or on audio
• Try new things such as drumming, chanting or using a mantra
• While outside take a moment to give thanks for the day
• Even if you are not feeling well, think of the blessings in your life, ones you love and those who love you…you are sure to feel better
• Send healing and don’t forget to heal yourself
• Say a blessing while preparing your food or before eating even if silently to yourself
• Light a candle, incense, smudge your house, hug a tree

Be creative and find Spirit in everything and everyone you meet! Allow the Divine to flow freely through you and out to the world around you until you truly become love.

Namaste

 

Technorati Tags: Divine, Meditation, prayer, raising vibrations

Finding Stillness in a Not So Still World

It seems we move from fast to faster as we travel through our lives. The world around us is quickly advancing and changing in ways many of us could never have imagined.  With discoveries about our Universe and planet being revealed to us on a daily basis we may find we are more confused about life and our very existence than ever before.  It would appear that questions are never really answered only uncovering another mystery, giving birth to numerous theories, research and studies.  After all, that is what mankind and universal consciousness is all about: expanding of the mind resulting in humankind evolution.

So where does the stillness fit in?  There was a time when I would wonder what the saying, “silence is golden” could possibly mean.  Boy, have I gained understanding about the importance of being silent and still.  All the technology we have today is to “free” up our time but we actually feel more stressed, rushed and discontent than ever before.  All instant messaging and texting do not replace a cup of tea with a friend.  All the ipod music, computer programs, TV shows do not comfort us like a walk in nature or relax us like the sound of birds or a babbling brook. We have distanced ourselves from nature and the wonder of the universe by analyzing everything and its reason for being here.  We seem to think we have to know the “why” for everything and everyone.  Perhaps it is time we go back to acknowledging that it is okay not to know, at least for the moment.  I am not saying all research should stop and we don’t evolve anymore but if just for a few moments each day, we tell ourselves it is okay just to be.  Through all the studying and dissecting we often lose sight of the beauty of this earth, its people and that invisible force that unites us all. How can we reconnect and find our place in this fast paced world?

Regardless of the advancements in science and medicine, artifacts that are uncovered from ancient civilizations, designs for futuristic technology, as spiritual beings we still need to find our own inner peace and contentment in order to be truly happy in this life. There is a longing to experience the oneness with all living things and a greater life force.  This can only be felt during those times of silence and reflection.   Though our minds average over 60,000 thoughts per day we can put them aside for a bit and allow our spirit to flow freely throughout us.  It is during these times that we discover who we are, what we really want out of life and what our purpose it.

There have been studies done on meditation to find out the “why” we do it, what happens when we do and where we go during these extended times of stillness.  I have lead many classes and found each participant has their own story, experience and reason for meditating.  It is one of those things that are better when left without explanation and simply enjoyed.  You can walk in the park and enjoy the beauty of the flowers, the warmth of the sun and grandness of the trees without understanding how they came to be and what will become of them tomorrow.  The same is true of meditation; be in the moment and feel its positive light and energy embrace you.  Go in with no expectations or demands but simply allow yourself to truly feel the soul within. Listen to your own voice, sense the workings of your body and free yourself of anxieties, regrets and remorse as you welcome in the warmth of love, gratitude and understanding.

It is very possible to uncover stillness in a less than still world but only if we look within.  Begin today to practice meditation if only for a few moments.  Practice and patience will bring you the inner peace and health benefits otherwise unattainable.  Don’t look to the world for your contentment for you have it already deep within just waiting to be revealed.  Meditation is like receiving a beautifully decorated gift; you won’t know what the box contains until you take the wrapping off.  Only then will you discover the priceless treasure hidden inside.  Through meditation, we can uncover our own inner gifts and bring them to light in our daily lives but we are the only one who can do this.  It is up to us to take the time to be silent and to recognize the stillness found only between our inhalation and exhalation and the timelessness of space.   There is a warning, however, that once you begin this journey you will never want to go without it.   The feeling of spiritual freedom and sense of calmness that transpires is one you will never want to be without.

So go find a quiet place, sit or lie down comfortably and allow yourself this time to simply be. Begin by being aware of your breath and the moment in between your inhalation and exhalation. It is here you will discover you stillness.  Imagine all your muscle groups relaxing and you are releasing your stress with every breath out. Give thanks for all the blessings in your life and take time to release negative emotions and stress. If you are having trouble staying on task, join a meditation group, use a guided meditation CD but allow yourself this time. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you for discovering the stillness in a not so still world.

Technorati Tags: calmness, finding peace, mediation, stillness

Uncovering the Past, One Life at a Time.

With the excitement of a child about to open her birthday present, my first client of the day enters my office. Jane* has been looking forward to this hypnosis session with mixed emotions since we talked two weeks earlier. Making the appointment was her first step to uncovering the reasons behind her low self-esteem and a major advancement in her own self-empowerment.

For years Jane has felt unworthy to have good things in her life. Over the past year she started to read more self-help books and forced herself to attend workshops, take part in activities that she normally would avoid in an attempt to make positive changes in her life. After much reflection Jane was still mystified as to why she should feel this way about herself. Her childhood was a good one, her family supportive and to the outside world all was well. She would appear to others as a sweet, quiet woman with a generous nature; so why did she not like herself? Jane explained to me that just making the phone call to ask me questions about hypnosis was a big step for her and to admit how she felt about herself had been even more difficult.

Like many of my clients who are experiencing a hypnosis session for the first time, they come with the excitement of trying something new and perhaps a bit out there for their “normal” way of thinking and also a fear of the unknown; a fear of what I may do to them, but more often a fear of what they may discover about themselves. However, it is in this same discovery that their issues may be resolved. By uncovering the problem, we find the solution and thus dissolve the fear. So it was with Jane. She couldn’t recall any event in her life that would have created this impression of herself. Today we would be doing an age regression and past life regression to see if she could put together the pieces of her past to heal the present and move forward with a positive and empowering future.

During her age regression she recalled a couple of events as a young girl of about four and five where she felt very alone. She said that was funny because she had not remembered that when not in hypnosis. Still, there was no words spoken to her or events that happened to place this feeling in such a young child. Back we went and she quickly went to a past life, many, many years ago where she lived in the middle east. She didn’t know the name of the country but could tell by the climate, her clothes and the home she lived in that is was somewhere like Persia. Her family was very poor and being the eldest she was expected to help provide for the others. Her father made her prostitute herself in order to do so. This was not what she wanted and as a result was shunned by the community. As we went through this lifetime, she found herself running away and meeting a soldier, they fell in love and were married. No one knew of her past not even her new husband. She was careful never to let her guard down as she knew if anyone found out about her secret she could be killed. I had her move ahead in time and she found that her husband was killed in battle. Now she felt very alone and rejected. Eventually she died, alone and in great sorrow. It was here that Jane would need to do some healing.

While still in hypnosis I guided Jane through a self healing where she went back in time and observed this lifetime, offered forgiveness to various people involved and most importantly, gave herself the love, compassion and forgiveness that she inwardly longed for.

Wow! Jane was amazed at all of these revelations! She said in her wildest imaginings she would never have thought that one up. As we went through this life time we could easily see how her feelings of low self-esteem were planted into her cell memory. Without having been healed these emotions were carried over into this lifetime. As she entered the phase of her life where she was getting married and starting a family, her feelings of self-worth and love were being challenged. By letting go of the past and more importantly healing the past she was able to release the chains of self-doubt that were holding her back from becoming all she could be.

Jane continues to grow in mind, body and spirit in order to increase her own awareness and be one with Spirit. We all need to go within first in order to make changes in our lives. Regardless of what material things we acquire, where we live, who we live with, our job or our financial situation we will never feel contentment until we discover inner peace. Through meditation we begin this journey by becoming aware of our own breath which is the source of life. By becoming open to the oneness we have with nature, God and each other a new understanding of all things is born. But when there is a block in this, hypnosis can be the answer that will jump start our cleansing and growth by taking us deep into our own memory to unlock the mysteries of our past. Only we know what they are and only we can experience them. If you are feeling “stuck” and truly desire to move ahead, perhaps this is the time for you to allow yourself to take a trip of a lifetime and you won’t even have to leave the chair!

*note, the name of the client was changed to protect the identity.

Technorati Tags: forgiveness, forgiving, hypnosis helps, love, loving yourself, Past Lives, Spirituality

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