Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Peace and letting go

What is the ENERGY of PEACE?

Peace is more than just a word. It is a state of being that goes beyond the mind and transcends the experiences of daily life.

It is a commonly held belief that to feel at peace, everything must be going smoothly in one's life. That the trains and buses must always run on time, that one's bank account must always be filled with copious amounts of money, that one's body must be perfectly healthy without pain or discomfort, or that there mustn't be any disagreements or differences of opinion with one's partner, friends or parents etc.

This is negative ego consciousness. Ego cannot see beyond its own shadow and it believes that Maya or Illusion is real.

You have the power to invite peace into your lives now through acceptance. Despite the turmoil that surrounds you, you can practice letting go. Why are you holding on to the harsher life lessons when you can choose to accept life's circumstances as they are, right now?

Total acceptance will lead to a deep release of any tension that you are holding in either your body or mind.

If things are not as you would like them to be, acceptance is not equal to defeat. Acceptance doesn't mean that you can't do the inner and outer work to change the current order of your life. Acceptance frees your mind, so that you may see clearly and change your attention, energy and focus.

Your present thoughts, words and actions have brought you to where you are now. Your point of power is in the present moment and you need to change your thoughts, words and actions to re-create your future. The past and future are illusions of the mind. Valid reference points, but nothing more. You cannot exist in the past, nor can you exist in the future. You only exist NOW.

You can only feel the power of the pre-sent moment by letting go of all past hurts and bitterness and future worries and by bringing your attention fully into the NOW time.

Allow yourself to be fully present in your body. Keep your focus on the EN-ER-GY of peace and letting go. Breathe deeply from the abdomen, focusing on the navel and follow the breath in and out of the body. Become aware of any tension in your body or any dark, cold places in your mind and send it the quality of love. What is it like when you receive love? What is it like to give love?

Imagine, right now, a bubble of blue that surrounds your physical body. Imagine that colour to be sky blue, blue like the sky without any clouds. Feel that bubble surrounding you. How does that FEEL? Does it have a particular texture? Keep breathing and letting go... You may choose to say an affirmation to keep your mind steady in the light. Something like, "I now choose to forgive myself and every person and situation that has caused me harm."

It takes a little practice, so don't give up if your mind goes back to its usual, incessant chatter.

When we can all find inner peace, the world will change. The world longs for peace and it can only be found as each individual recognises that quality of peace within himself or herself. You cannot change the actions of another but you can change how you feel about any person, place or thing.

Find peace in your Sacred Heart, for there it exists. It has always existed there.

May peace be with you, always.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Key steps to look after your body

The body is a temple for our soul, our living essence. As such, it is to be honoured and respected and serve as a vehicle for our highest expression. The body is not the whole picture but we cannot build a life that serves us if our bodies are not functioning at their optimum level.

The basic components to look after the physical part of our being are:
  1. correct breathing and posture,
  2. adequate rest and relaxation
  3. healthy intake of food and water

Let us examine each of these principles in more depth, starting with the first - correct breathing and posture.

In this modern day world, many of us have developed incorrect habits regarding our breathing and posture, and yet breath is fundamental to life. Indeed, we have whole systems devoted to this aspect of our wellbeing, Hatha yoga being the most widely known in the West today. Hatha yoga is one branch of Yoga that is also a complete system in itself, dealing with care of the physical body in order to allow the higher mind functions to develop.

The importance of breathing cannot be underestimated. If we stopped eating, we would only survive a few weeks at most; without drinking water, a few days. If we stopped breathing, however, we would only survive a few seconds.

Firstly, it is important to breathe through the nose. The nasal passage has filters which filter out harmful bacteria in the air, and they also warm the air so that it can enter the bloodstream at the correct temperature. We do not eat through our nose and so, we should not inhale through our mouth. Just this practice of being conscious and breathing through the nose will strengthen the body's immune system and its capacity to fight against colds, flu and the like. If we choose to breathe through our mouth, then cold, unfiltered air enters our system and may cause us to be more susceptible to disease.

We should also breathe from the belly, which can be termed "low breathing". A lot of us are prone to mid and high breathing, with our shoulders drooping and chest in a concave position. Often we breathe from the center of our chest or, even worse, the upper part. This is not efficient for the lungs as it has to work three or four times as hard to get the required amount of oxygen and prana (chi) into the bloodstream.

If you can imagine that your lungs are like a pair of balloons, that will help you imagine how to breathe. When you blow up a balloon, the air enters the bottom of the balloon and then rises to the top. Likewise when you breathe, air should enter the lower abdomen and then rise to the middle and higher part of the chest. Daily practice should help correct any bad habits.

Posture is vital too. If we can keep our shoulders back and keep our chest sticking out, then we have a greater chance of maintaining correct breathing habits. Moment to moment vigilance is required and it takes practice. However, the benefits far outweigh the price.

It would be good to imagine a hook at the back of the crown pulling your head up; it should be a gentle, relaxed pulling which will help you to keep yourself correctly aligned.

The next principle we shall briefly examine is rest.

Rest and relaxation are essential for both our minds and bodies. Have you ever tried to do anything after having a bad night's sleep? Have you felt moody or irritated, argumentative with virtually everyone who crosses your path, lacking the inner strength and desire to accomplish minor tasks? We each sleep approximately eight hours every day, which equates to one third of our lives. This is a key insight! Nature has designed us this way so that we may recuperate and regenerate.

The infinite intelligence that created us is perfectly capable of restoring us to full and glowing health but we must allow ourselves that possibility by ensuring that we get enough sleep. Whilst we are asleep, the powerhouse that we know as the subconscious mind orchestrates an intricate dance between the trillions of cells in the body and will faithfully restore us to radiant health, if we will allow it.

The reason we do not always return to radiant health immediately is because the subconsious mind is a faithful servant and will always obey the commands of our conscious minds. A lot of us unconsciously give our subconscious minds commands that adversely affect our health. We should, however, not beat ourselves up because of this but rather realise it is a process of awakening.

We move through each and every day passing through a variety of 'states' - happy, sad, moody, joyful, etc. The key is to know when we are tense, irritable, moody or any other disempowering state and let it go. Learning how to let go of the past, how to let go of worry and get in touch with the peaceful, all-knowing, wise part of yourself is a critical step in acheiving a healthy body and life.

Finally, we will merely touch upon the last principle of nourishing our bodies through food and drink.

Quite often when we eat food that is not particularly healthy (crisps, chocolate, sweets etc.) it is mainly because we are not listening to our bodies. We are listening to our minds - to the programmes running there which have come from clever advertising, or because our mental and emotional bodies are out of balance and we need a quick fix. If we always need to eat sugary foods, it might be apt to ask ourselves, why does life not taste so sweet to us? What "hole" or "gap" are we trying to fill?

Generally, we should try to eat lots of high water-content food. That is, lots of fruit and vegetables. It is not really advisable to drink excess amounts of water (the usual saying touted about is to drink "2 litres" a day) because it passes straight out of body. It makes no sense to drown our systems in water.

The best way to drink water is to sense when your body is giving you signals to drink water or eat more fruit and vegetables. The mouth will often feel dry or parched, yet we have become so accustomed to ignoring or misinterpreting that signal that we fail to act in timely manner. In a lot of cases, we confuse thirst with hunger and actually eat more than we need to.

A good tip I learnt the other day was to eat fruit separately from your meals. Apparently, fruit goes straight into the small intestine and the fructose is immediately converted into glucose for the brain and nervous system. You should allow approximately 15 minutes before consuming other foods, so that you do not feel bloated.

You can also try to eat meat/fish and vegetables together, and starchy carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes etc) separately from meat and fish. This comes from the principle of food combining and allows the body to process energy from food in a far more efficient and beneficial manner. Try it and see if this is your truth.

There are endless books and conflicting pieces of advice. As such, it is vitally important to begin to listen to your body again and honour your intution. "In"-tuition means to be taught from within. It is a gut feeling and a sense of knowing that cannot be shaken. Too often today we give our power away, so stop and listen to your body!

Do not blindly follow advice. Listen, try something new out, see what works for you.

Disclaimer: The information in this article constitutes neither medical nor nutritional advice. Please consult your doctor or nutritionist if you are at all unsure about what you may or may not eat.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Letting go of judgement

If you find yourself feeling particularly hostile towards another, it is a good idea to remind yourself that ugly thoughts create ugly situations and beautiful thoughts create empowering and loving situations. What are you choosing to create, right now?

We cannot change the outer circumstance without doing the inner work first. It is even more important to heal the relationships with those we are closest to. Quite often we run away from these challenges or put up a "brick wall" with the justified response "well, it's their problem, and if they can't change, then I certainly won't". This is negative ego speaking and it is important to recognise it, laugh, and forgive yourself and them.

Catch your thoughts. It is quite often because we wish to convince the other that we are right, that we get dragged into negative ego consciousness and the illusion of separation... we're right and they're wrong!

If someone you love and care about is looking at you with yesterday's eyes, judging you for a actual or supposed wrong committed in the past, you do not have to react with anger and judgement about how they are seeing you. Whilst they may be wrong, they are not responsible for how you think and feel about them. Only you are responsible for how you think and feel.

In the bible, Matt 18:21, Peter says to Jesus "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" and Jesus replied "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (Matt 18:22). Forgiveness, letting go, and moving on is key.

It is difficult sometimes because we all want our friends, family, colleagues and even strangers, to love us and we can easily get caught up in their perceptions. The best remedy is to say "I forgive you" and to remain detached. Perhaps, if you can remain detached, they will begin to see you differently but they may not and this is where the challenge lies.

You may ask what is the quickest way to reach forgiveness and move on? Send love!

You may ask how can you send love when they have hurt you, but if you do not, then you have fallen into Maya (i.e. Illusion) and are forgetting that they are really a part of you.

If a part of your body is hurting, you do not disconnect yourself from it. You want to know what's wrong, you want to heal it. You cannot do this by pretending that the hurting part is separate from you, that it is not really you. So, if you send love to them, you send love to yourself. The question to ask in every single life situation is "what would LOVE do now?"

We all have chances to re-create ourselves anew in the present moment. We do not have to repeat destructive patterns and it is only through loving action that we can create the life experience that we want. Remember that the only true belongings you have are your thoughts, words and actions. I invite you to consider, what are you thinking, right now? What are you saying, right now? What are you doing, right now?

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Short meditation for connecting to Spirit

Cultivate the daily habit of connecting to Spirit/Source/Higher Consciousness. Recently, whilst attending a spiritual healing course I was reminded of the importance of this. Here are a few key steps to help you, which I suggest you do first thing in the morning and during the day, whenever you feel off centre.

  1. Close your eyes and breathe deeply from your belly, focusing on your navel. Sitting within the golden area of the body, two inches above your navel and a little way inside, is your Incarnational star which determines your incarnation into the physical plane. It is at the point of the first cell. Within that first cell is all of the potential we have as a divine being.
  2. As you breathe out, let go of the past and let go of the future, bringing your attention fully into the present moment.
  3. Make sure your feet are firmly placed flat on the floor which will help you ground the spiritual energies you are connecting with.
  4. Imagine that the sun is shining on the top of your crown and feel this warmth. Know that this is Spirit.
  5. Draw the warmth of Spirit down through your body to your navel, then to your hips, legs and all the way down to your feet. Bring in energy and information in the form of light from the Soul star, which is above your crown chakra, down towards the Incarnational star and the Sacred Heart. Allow the warmth of Spirit to flow down to Mother Earth, to her molten core.
  6. Now draw the energy up from Mother Earth (Gaia) through the Earth Star, which is underneath the soles of your feet.
  7. Feel for a two-way energy flow. Remember to keep your feet flat and keep yourself grounded. Part of the unfolding and growth of your soul essence is reliant upon consciousness moving towards the Earth star. It is not possible to open the Sacred Heart unless one is grounded. If the Sacred Heart opens, you come into synchronicity with the earth.
  8. Say a simple prayer of your choice. For example, “My father and I are one” or “Spirit and I are one. It is the only presence, power and consciousness. Nothing else can interfere now or ever.”
  9. As you continue to breathe deeply, feel the connection and remember this feeling as you bring your attention back to the outside world. Open your eyes, smile and give thanks. God is peace, God is everywhere, therefore peace is everywhere in truth.
  10. Finally, put a shield of protection around you. The easiest way is to visualise a bubble of golden white light around you and then fill it with images that make you feel good. This can be as simple as imagining lots of beautiful stars. If you cannot easily see a circle or sphere in your mind, then try to get the feeling of having one around you. The main thing is to make it as real as possible.

As you continue to practice this short meditation, you will be able to close your eyes at any point during the day and take a couple of deep breaths and re-connect. It really is that simple.

Be aware, this is a powerful meditation and will accelerate your own healing.

Om tat sat.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Committing to self-mastery

The first step to self-mastery is to constantly remind yourself that you are the cause of your present reality. The second important step is to commit to taking positive daily action to change any aspect of your reality that is not meeting your needs. Remember that it is your Divine Right as a localised expression of the creative principle to experience joy, peace and harmony every day.

You are a droplet of water in the vast ocean of consciousness. There is no difference in the quality of power that you can call into your life, only the degree. Waking up and bumbling along in life is not going to serve your long-term goals. It takes committed, dedicated action, along with a sense of humour.

The first thing to realise (and constantly remind yourself of) is that you cannot attract into your life that which you desire if your vibration does not match it. If your dial is set to 100FM, you will not receive the broadcast from 106FM. The inner work must be done first to achieve your desired frequency.

Prayer is a most effective tool for attracting what you want but you need to learn how to pray first. Asking in an insipid way is not going to cut the mustard because the universe does not respond to this way of being. If you say to a dog, "please sit down", it would most likely ignore you and continue to frolic around. If, other the other hand, you say "SIT DOWN" with complete authority in your voice, then it will obey you.

The same is true of the universe. If you ask, believing that you will receive or, better still, that you have already received it, then it will manifest in your life. The key is keep your mind ‘steady in the light’ and not to self-sabotage. We live in a dimension where time and space exists, so it is important to maintain a positive attitude that your desire will manifest at the right and perfect time.

The second thing to bear in mind is that you must celebrate any match that demonstrates that the universe is listening to you. If you want money and you affirm “Abundance is a feeling and I love the feeling of abundance all around me, therefore greater and greater prosperity is coming to me now”, and you find a penny on the ground, celebrate your good fortune! It is your chance to affirm that your receiving channels are open. If you choose to deny the match, and curse your “bad luck” that you have only received a penny, then you will be saying to the universe that you do not believe in yourself, in your prayer, and ultimately the power of the universe to deliver wealth to you in perfect timing.

If, when saying your affirmation, you feel any negative thought arise from your subconscious, demand that it leave your consciousness immediately. Reject it and replace it with a life affirming thought. It is crucial to weed out negativity from your subconscious and you can do this through the practice of asserting your personal power over it.

Through prayer you are speaking to God. You are part of God and vice versa, so how can God not hear you? Do you honestly think that a force which is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient cannot hear your requests? If you replace the word God with the word Life you will form a more accurate picture of "who" God is.

Through meditation you are listening to God. Instead of letting your mind run amok, still your mind and allow your intuition to guide you. The best way is to put your hand on your heart and wait. The language of the soul will speak to you through your deepest feelings and thoughts. You may also see images and/or hear voices or other sounds. If your mind is noisy at first, be an observer of the clutter that is within and let it go. Watch it as you would watch a film at the cinema where you see the scene once - you don't replay it over and over again.

The daily practice of prayer and meditation is the way to bring yourself into alignment with your Higher Self and God.

If you do everything “right” and you do not receive the expected answer to your prayer, then perhaps what you desire is not right for you. When making demands of the universe, you can say “God, this or something better” or words to this effect. Be open and listen to any inner guidance.

Have preferences but let go of your attachments. If you desperately desire something in order to be happy, the universe may not give it to you because it is a life lesson to be even minded and joyful no matter what the exterior circumstance is. This is a tough one but we are constantly given opportunities to practice detachment.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Thought forms

Whenever we think about something, we immediately form a mental image of it called a 'thought form'. If we have the same thought over and over again, it gains strength and may actually appear in our reality in some way. This process of thinking about something and then seeing it in our lives is called manifestation.

Our consciousness, or mind, then is responsible for producing the results we experience which we label as either good or bad. If we are fearful in some way, the energy tends to produce a negative outcome and if we are harmonious and loving, the energy we carry tends to produce a positive one.

For example, if a man is constantly jealous of his wife and fears that she will cheat on him and nutures that fear every day, week after week, eventually through the law of vibration a sequence of events will occur that will cause his wife to find another partner and leave him.

If we are constantly anxious and fearful in our heart about what may happen, then uneasiness pervades our consciousness and it works to create that which is bothering us.

If a man is looking for employment and strongly believes he is worthy of a suitable position for his skills within a good company and confidently plays the imagery of finding the perfect job in his mind, he will eventually be guided to such a position.

If we are quietly confident and grateful in our heart about the hidden potentialities of the future, then peace and power permeates our consciousness and it works to create the perfect outcome to match our vibration.

Thought forms can become very powerful but once a firm decision is made by the conscious mind not to entertain future similar, disruptive thoughts then the thought form rapidly loses its vitality and strength. Just as a flower or leaf withers and dies when it is cut from a plant or tree, a negative thought form dies when it is no longer nourished by additional negative energy, which stems from fear-based thinking.

With regard to sending out negative thoughts to another person, this is rather like writing an email using a mail client where the email is automatically stored in your sent items. The person sends the email but a digital copy is stored on their hard disk. Fortunately, the intended receiver of your email does not have to download the email to their inbox and can bounce the email back to the sender.

The cumulative effects of practising mind control are enormous and the daily practice of being self-aware makes holding positive thoughts easier. Meditation, prayer and writing in a journal are effective tools to help us observe any discordant mental thought patterns and change our negative behaviours into positive, harmonious ones.

Friday, March 02, 2007

A brief introduction to Reiki

Reiki is a powerful, non-invasive system of healing which was discovered in 1914 by Mikao Usui on the holy mountain of Kurama in Kyoto, Japan.

Usui Reiki, commonly referred to as Reiki, is spiritually guided life force energy which is channelled by the practitioner from their High Self. Reiki energy usually enters through the practitioner’s crown chakra and passes through the upper chakras to their heart and solar plexus chakras and is then passed through the arms and hands to the recipient.

Reiki releases energy blockages at their root and allows healing and integration on all levels from the physical body, through the mental and emotional bodies to the spiritual body. It can help the body recognise and release old patterns and habits at a cellular level.

Usui Reiki, and Karuna Reiki ® in particular, which evolved out of the original Usui system, both allow these unhealthy patterns, known as somatic memories, to be released and replaced with new healthy ones.

Reiki treats the whole person and creates many beneficial effects including relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well-being. Many have reported miraculous results from receiving the loving energy that is Reiki. Occasionally people might not seem to feel much at all but Reiki is working nonetheless and positive results occur.

It may, however, take several sessions to obtain lasting relief from symptoms, especially if there is a long-standing disease or imbalance. Many changes may have to take place before the root cause is reached and the symptoms completely disappear. Reiki does not suppress symptoms the way many drugs do, so it can seem slower.

It is also important to remember that although Reiki facilitates healing, it does not do the healing. Ultimately, the Reiki energy assists by giving information to the body’s systems and allows healing to take place from within the person. As the adage goes, “The doctor dresses the wound, and God heals it.” The same is true for Reiki.