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Summer’s all around us in its glorious splendor. What beauty! The lush green crowns of the trees sway in a breeze while heat lightning crackles in the distance and lights up the evening sky. Gardens are bursting with the colorful gifts from the season – bright yellow squash, juicy red tomatoes, and crunchy orange carrots. What a lovely celebration of life and growth!  Slowly the sunlight is beginning to fade earlier in the evening, and I even saw the first yellow leaves on a tree near my home. It won’t be long until autumn is upon us. Now, in this final exhalation of the warmth of summer, we can turn inward to see if there’s anything we need to leave behind this season as compost for Mother Earth. It’s a perfect time, in self awareness, to realize any errors we have made and to rectify them through forgiveness. Like the afternoon rainstorm that cleanses the dry, dusty roads and clears the thick humid air, acknowledging and releasing what we don’t need will leave us feeling crystal clear, light, and unburdened to enter into the season of autumn, the time to bring actions in the world.  What do you need to release? Who do you need to forgive or ask for forgiveness? Although you may choose to speak directly to the person, it’s not always necessary or possible. “The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.” Louise Hay When you engage in the practice of forgiveness, it can transform hurt and anger into peace and healing. Often it’s about deciding to let go of the hurt so that you no longer feel burdened by the pain. It’s not about forgetting the past or condoning or accepting hurtful actions of another. It’s about freeing yourself so that you can move forward in your life. Forgiveness means letting go of the suffering that we experienced and the chains that bind it to us. It’s releasing our story that exists in our mind about it. It’s giving ourselves an opportunity to move toward a place of greater freedom, health, and happiness. Out of the work of Howard Wills, here are 2 ways to help you begin to release what you need to from your life. Use what words make sense to you for God or the Divine in the first prayer. Personal Cleansing Prayer God, please help me forgive all people and all people forgive me. Help us all to forgive ourselves. Thank you, God, Amen. Thank you, God, Amen. Forgiveness Affirmation I bless this day and give thanks for my life I forgive completely all people who have hurt me (repeat 3 times) I ask all people I have hurt to please forgive me (repeat 3 times) I apologize to myself for my wrongs to myself and my wrongs to others (repeat 3 times) I apologize for all hurts or wrongs to all life forms (repeat 3 times) I apologize for all my hurts or wrongs to the earth and the life of the earth (repeat 3 times) With this release, freedom, peace, power, and new life, I bless all creation in the universe, and I fill the entire universe with my love I love and bless the earth, all life, and all humanity I love, bless, and respect the visible and the invisible I rejoice and give thanks for this new life, power, and health, and give complete blessings and love to all life and all creation always  You might want to repeat this prayer or affirmation a few times a day for the remainder of August and enter into the autumn feeling lighter and more energized, ready to bring your gifts into action in the world.
Check out the many resources available to support you in clearing your chakras in my Free Healing Library here.
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Awwww…. Summer. The flowers are blossoming, bees are buzzing, and fruits are ripening. You’ve probably enjoyed the sweetness of a summer crop of strawberries or a dip in the cool water of a lake. And the sunlight as it stays longer with us in the evenings.  If we think back just 6 months ago, we were at the depths of the darkness of winter. After experiencing the promise of rebirth and renewal in spring, we’re now at the height of the summer, the counter to those cold days of winter. The earth seems to be breathing outward toward the heavens even as the heavens radiate warmth and light toward us. Ancient traditions in the summer often included celebrations around a great bonfire with dance and music, honoring this time of growth, life, and purification. Nowadays, you’re probably enjoying time outdoors with family and friends at a barbeque or bonfire. Or you venture to the water to swim, boat, or fish. I’m sure you also experience the joy of nature through gardening or hiking or other outside activities.  As you expand into the warmth of the summer, midway through the year 2019, this is a good time to check-in with yourself. Remember back to January of 2019 when you were contemplating what you wanted to create or birth in this new year? How the Divine was calling you to shine forth in 2019? Was there a creative endeavor that you were being called to manifest in service to the world? I often speak of the next creative endeavor in my life as my Rupertsberg, in honor of St. Hildegard. I’m always inspired by the courage and strength St. Hildegard found to bring forth her visions into the world. She helps me find my strength to keep on my path to manifest my own visions. One of her greatest visions was when she was called to leave her home of 40 years and build her own abbey, which she named "Rupertsberg". St. Hildegard’s commitment to bring this project to fruition was fueled by the inspiring work she saw from St. Rupert in the 7th century.  In her words, Feel the Living Light! Feel the Beauty! Feel the Spark of God! Feel the Warmth which heals. Hear Love calling: “Peace, Peace, Peace.” So, how’s it going right now, part way through the year? Are there steps on your journey toward your vision that you can celebrate? Big steps or little steps – honor each one. All are worth celebrating! Are there any adjustments that need to be made? Additions or revisions to the vision? That’s not unusual once you get going. Our vision as we picture it in the ideal, often needs some adjustment to land on the earth. What more needs to happen to continue forward in manifesting this vision in the second half of the year? How can you gather the warmth, light and strength to fuel your energy in bringing forth your vision this year?  Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here.
Do you have rituals that you enjoy in your life? What do you honor and celebrate with intention? Of course, you probably honor birthdays during the year and special events such as a graduation or an anniversary. You may even have a smaller ritual that you include in your week or day. Lighting a candle at dinner time. Saying a prayer with your child before bed. Rituals make sacred a special moment in our lives. We take time out of our daily rhythm to celebrate and honor this moment in a meaningful way.  A Daily Rhythm Of course, all of us have some type of rhythm in our days that helps to provide a framework for our time and energy throughout a day. This gives us strength and even nourishment as we relax into the repetitive nature of doing these actions every day again and again. After we wake up in the morning, we typically shower, get dressed, brush our teeth and do other things that prepare us for the day. During the day, we have specific times where we pause from the day to eat meals and maybe even share them with family or friends. We wash our face, brush our teeth, and prepare for bed. Creating Rituals Within your daily rhythm, you can also take time to create rituals that imbue meaning and sacredness into a moment of your life – big or small. It’s quite easy to do! Maybe you’re starting an adventure such as a new job or moving to a new house, or even embarking on a new year. Or possibly there’s something coming to completion such as a graduation, a school year, or the end of the first year of a new business. All of these are wonderful times to celebrate in a way that honors that moment. A special verse or poem can be read. A blessing spoken or a song sung. What’s needed in the moment will come to you, helping you to create a clear intention with a celebration that’s perfect for this time.  Ritual in our Daily Lives Creating rituals can also be a part of our daily rhythms. When you do this, your days are sprinkled with moments that are infused with gratitude and awe. As you engage in them with intention and care, your energy shifts in a positive way for that moment and even for the rest of your day – bringing more joy and love into your life and to any others who participate with you. Here are 4 simple ways you can bring ritual into your daily life. 1. Set an intention for the day. As you wake up and enter into your day, take a moment to pause and set an intention that has meaning and purpose. A good question to ask yourself is “What will I create today?” Then at the end of the day, pause and ask yourself, “What did I create today?” 2. Express your gratitude. At the end of the day, before you go to sleep, take a moment to bring awareness to at least 3 different things for which you’re grateful. Challenge yourself to not repeat anything you’ve said in the past. Choose something new. Spend a few minutes and bring to mind each one, filling yourself with appreciation as you think of it.  3. Get out into nature. Find 10 minutes in each day where you can be outside in nature. A walk or run is great, but if that’s not easily done, then you might sit under a tree on the ground or take off your shoes and put your bare feet in the grass. As you do so, slow down your breath and breathe in deeply. Feel gratitude for all that Mother Earth does to support you. Let your worries and thoughts from the day drift away as you experience the beauty and nurturing of nature. 4. Eat mindfully. Before eating a bite of food, take a moment to appreciate the food that you have today and how it nourishes your body. How Mother Nature provides the nutrients that your body needs to survive and to thrive in the world. Appreciate the glass of fresh water you have to quench your thirst and keep your body healthy. With this mood of gratefulness, care, and attention, enjoy your meal!  These are 4 simple ways to bring sacredness and meaning into your daily life through ritual, without a lot of planning or preparation. It just requires your intention and attention to honor and celebrate that moment in time in your day – a new day that has been given to you today.
Want a deeper dive? Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. As human beings in the world, we’re very sense-oriented – always taking in the world through our sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. But, how often are we fully present in the moment to the gift of our senses during the course of a day? The call of the mourning dove as the sun rises from the horizon. The crunchy sweetness of juicy watermelon on a hot summer’s day. The buzzing of a bee around the fragrant blossom of an apple tree.  You can mindfully engage each of your senses by bringing them into your spiritual practice. It’s a stimulating experience that will leave you feeling invigorated and fully alive! If you have a special place for your spiritual practice in your home, this is a perfect place for you to give it a try and awaken your 5 senses. First, take a moment to focus on your 5 senses and how you might actively engage each one. Which sense is most active for you – that you enjoy and prefer? What way could you enliven that sense? And how about the other ones? What resonates with you for each sense? This may help you decide. Here are a few ideas for each of the 5 senses to get you started. The Sense of Sight – Choose a color related to the mood you’d like. Blue or deep violet are relaxing and calming like floating in the tranquil waters of the sea. Yellow or gold radiates warmth and light like the shining sun. Maybe you choose a pillow, cloth, or flower of the color you desire.  Another possibility’s to burn a candle and awaken your sense of sight through watching the flickering flame. Or you might sit near a window or sliding glass doors to see the beauty of nature outside – the trees, sun, flowers, birds. Of course, you can also sit outside with the beauty of nature all around! The Sense of Smell – To enliven your sense of smell, you might choose an essential oil to diffuse or burn incense in the room. Lavender’s calming and pine or juniper will leave you feeling surrounded by the beauty of a forest. For a more subtle experience, consider a fragrant plant or a sprinkling of a spice. A rosemary plant can clear and refresh your mind (and room) much like a thunderstorm does to the air on a hot summer afternoon while cinnamon will comfort and warm you within like the smell of cinnamon cookies baking in a warm kitchen on a cold winter’s day. If you light a candle, a pure beeswax one will bring the sweet smell of honey wafting through the air.  The Sense of Sound – To awaken your sense of hearing, you could have peaceful background sound such as a water fountain flowing or birds chirping outside the window. Or you may choose to play meditation music or speak a mantra softly. If this is a sense that you resonate with strongly, you may want to explore a variety of sounds to see what works best for you. Also, don’t forget the sound of silence! We hear silence so rarely in our daily lives, so you might want to try to create silence in order to stimulate your sense of hearing. Sense of Taste - Of course, you don’t want to have a meal or snack while you’re meditating! But, maybe you consider the smell you’ll choose and connect the taste to that. Our sense of smell and taste are very related. A cup of herbal tea such as lavender or peppermint will support a calming environment. A taste of a touch of cinnamon or a mint leaf may enliven your mouth. Or even a sip of water flavored with fresh fruit. There are so many choices here! Just remember your intention of awakening your senses - which means something small, yet flavorful, is your best bet. It’s not meal time!  Sense of Touch- As you sit in your chair or on the floor for your spiritual practice, you immediately feel your body come in contact with the material of the cushion underneath you. The air, whether cool or warm, dry or moist, caresses your exposed skin and gently floats in and out of your nose. You may add a warm, soft blanket around your shoulders if it’s a cold day. Or a small pillow to support your back.
Settling into your sacred space, you can take a few moments to massage your hands slowly one finger at a time starting at the palm of the hand moving toward the tips of each finger. You might also want to massage your feet! These gentle yet intentional movements will not only enliven your sense of touch in your hands and feet, but in your whole body! Now that you’ve contemplated how to engage your 5 senses and have settled into your sacred space, as you enter into your meditation or prayer be present in the moment with your 5 senses. What do you feel touching your skin? What are the sounds you hear? What taste lingers in your mouth or smell in the air? Focus on what is in the moment and given to you as a gift to experience the world through your senses. As you complete your practice, express your gratitude for your body that allows you to experience the world. Feel how you’re invigorated and fully alive as you enter back into your day! Don’t forget to check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. We’ve all heard about the benefit of living our life with a sense of gratitude. And, how much happier and healthier we’ll be with an attitude of gratefulness toward what’s in our life each day. It’s pretty easy, I think, to be grateful when life is going smoothly! You’re grateful for your loving family and friends. You’re finding joy and meaning in your work. The blossoming flowers and shining sun bring beauty in your life. Your health is strong. All’s well and you’re filled with gratitude for everything.  But what about when things aren’t going so well? Your health is suffering. Or a relationship is strained. Work is difficult. It’s cold and rainy outside and driving conditions are challenging. During times like these, we sometimes lose sight of what’s still good in our lives. Thinking back to a time when things were difficult in the past can help us gain insight for the present moment’s difficulties. Remember a time where you struggled in the past. Maybe an illness? A job that you weren’t offered? A divorce or falling out in a friendship? Now, looking back on that difficult time, think about how far you’ve come. What did you learn from that situation that helps you now? How were you able to get through that situation – what resources or gifts did you call upon within yourself? What positive circumstances are in your life now that might not be there if it hadn’t been for your ability to move through that challenging situation? We grow and learn over time from our painful experiences. It’s not that they’re not painful while they’re happening. They are! But we gain wisdom and strength having lived through them.  You may have something difficult that’s happening in your life right now. Where are you able to find gratitude even though it’s difficult? Can you be grateful for your courage and perseverance to move forward? Can you be grateful for finding the strength to get up each day? And the fact that you wake up to a brand new day? Maybe you feel gratitude for the help you are receiving to move through the difficult situation? There’s always something in our lives for which we can be grateful, even in difficult times. It’s not about ignoring our feelings about the challenges or pretending they don’t exist. It’s realizing that we all have challenges in life and they too shall pass. Just as our moments of happiness and joy pass, so do our moments of pain and suffering. Life doesn’t ever stay the same. I’m reminded of a Zen story that’s a favorite of mine. A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!" "It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!' "It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly. In every moment, whether that moment’s filled with joy or with suffering, there’s something to be grateful for. And in doing so, we become more balanced, centered, and calm – and even healthier and happier. Yet, I know, in the midst of a difficult time, it’s sometimes hard to be grateful or even imagine that there could be something that we appreciate. If it’s too difficult, then let go of something in the present for right now and continue to cultivate gratitude by considering something in the past. Think of what happened in that difficult situation from the past and how you navigated it in the best way possible. In a quiet, relaxed state, contemplate these questions.
 Once the wisdom that you gained is illuminated for you, shift back to the present moment. Trust that through the current difficult situation, you’ll also gain wisdom even if it can’t be seen right now.
Feel gratitude for the opportunity to see more deeply the events in your life and the Divine that lives within your life, even when it’s not easy. “If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” — Rabbi Harold Kushner Don’t forget to check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. Are you having a hard time sticking to your spiritual practice? Do you get started on your path – whether it be meditation, prayer, or contemplation (or all 3!) and have intentions to do this regularly and then after a little while you realize you haven’t maintained your practice? You’re not alone! Many of us do this too! Creating a sacred space in your home for your spiritual practice can support you in sticking with your intentions. An inviting and meaningful place, dedicated just for this sacred work. It can help you to pause during the day and enter into a calm, relaxed state, more quickly releasing the stress and tension of the day. Each time you use this sacred space, your body will have a memory of its use and your intention.  Need a little guidance in creating a sacred space in your home? Check out this blog post 3 Tips for Creating a Sacred Space within Your Home. But what about when you’re traveling and not home? While we might certainly benefit from having a sacred space in our home, when we’re traveling, this becomes even more challenging! But don’t let that interrupt your practice. With a little creativity, you can still continue forward with your practice.  When you are away from home, look around and locate a space that’ll be quiet and without distractions. Maybe outside near a tree or in a room by yourself. But if those aren’t possible, don’t despair! Think out of the box. On a bus or subway with the background noise of commuters isn’t out of the question! With your eyes closed and a foundation of spiritual practice that has been built at home, you’ll probably find that you can transition easily into your practice. It could work well for you! You may even consider traveling with something meaningful from your sacred space at home that you can hold in your hands. Mala beads or a rosary. Maybe a small crystal. Something that speaks to you and will support you in entering into your spiritual practice.  Are you thinking a bus or subway is too noisy? It’s not going to work for you. Maybe the bathtub with no water and a request to family members to not disturb you. Seem strange? It could work if you need it to! Remember to set your intention for this sacred time. This will help you to slip into the rhythm that you established at home wherever you happen to be traveling. While you’re traveling away from home, don’t forget to also consider a visit to a sacred place. There are many places in nature in the world that have powerful energies that’ll support you in expanding your consciousness, reaching higher levels of vibration, and maybe even finding answers to deeper questions you have held. There are also many churches, synagogues, pilgrimage sites and other sacred places where people have come together in worship of the Divine and these places also resonate with a powerful energy that has deepened over the years. This can exponentially magnify the power of your spiritual practice.  What a gift this could be to give to ourselves - to go to one of these places as a special time to connect with sacred energy.
Enjoy the warmth and fun of summer and any travel plans you have! May you access your inner strength to maintain your spiritual practice during this time that pulls us out in the world! Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. Do you struggle with finding time to meditate? Are your daily activities keeping you busy? Are you wondering how you could possibly squeeze in time to meditate too? We know, of course, that meditation is one of the best ways to reduce our stress levels and foster peace of mind. We also know how we can experience our interconnectedness to all when we meditate and that challenges that we have in life begin to dissolve when we meditate, bringing a deep sense of peace and harmony. We even know that meditation can open the door to experiencing higher states of consciousness.  And yet, sometimes we still struggle with finding the time to meditate, don’t we?! If we think about it, most of our time during a day is spent with our minds engaged internally in stories about our lives – work, health, family, friends, finances, events, and more. Often we’re not even aware of this. We’re out for a walk and see a rosebush growing in someone’s lawn and it reminds us of the rosebush at our grandparents’ house when we were young. Suddenly we’re remembering the argument between our parents that we overheard during a visit to the house. Our feelings of that situation bubble up again, as they did as a young child in that situation.  Although our mind’s certainly capable of creating positive stories, it has a tendency to pay more attention to negative experiences – which results in stress in our daily lives. We know meditation’s one of the best tools we can use to release this accumulated stress and foster a peace of mind. And yet it still may be difficult to actually do regularly! Even if we commit to engaging in regular meditation or another spiritual practice. We still can’t seem to put it into action and DO it. Why is this? Many obstacles interfere even with the best of our intentions. They distract us and then we once again arrive at the realization we’re not doing what we intended. We may get annoyed or upset with ourselves. Or feel inadequate, incapable, or that we’ve failed yet again. Awareness is the key! By understanding some of the main obstacles that interfere with your best intentions to meditate regularly, you can be prepared ahead of time. You’ll be easier on yourself, less judgmental, knowing that these obstacles are common for all of us. You’ll be able to intercept them earlier so that you can recover and return to your practice more quickly. Supporting you to be successful in following through with your intentions! Here are 5 obstacles that can get in the way of your best intentions to meditate regularly. 1. Stress – When you’re in the middle of stress in your life, meditation may be the furthest thing from your mind. Stress may make you head in the direction of a fight-flight-freeze response that’ll interfere with your ability to access higher levels of awareness in the moment. You’ll need to work to come out of this primitive response through a calming activity such as deep breathing or a walk in nature in order to be able to follow through on your commitment to meditate. 2. Being Tired – When you’re exhausted, your body and mind just need rest. That’s the top priority for your own well being! So, give yourself permission to rest, even if it’s for a short time before you enter your meditation practice. 3. Being in Pain – Any kind of pain we have – whether it is physical or emotional – can be overwhelming. Our whole being can become absorbed in the feeling. Once again, meditation can be the furthest thing from our mind. Pain may need to be managed in order for you to be able to be present for meditation, although some wisdom traditions encourage you to enter into being with your pain in order to relieve your suffering. A challenging path, but one you may consider. 4. Not Enough Time - When your days are filled with more activity than the time you have, you feel rushed and stressed. You try to squeeze in more, in the hopes of saving time. You can’t see where you could possibly take time for your spiritual practice; you’re far too busy! Take a closer look at your day and schedule your meditation time first before the rest of your day, if needed.  5. Distractions of our Culture – We’re all familiar with this one in our current times. Yet, with all of our good intentions to do our meditation, we may still be pulled into scrolling through social media on our cellphones or the busyness of the various activities of our children. Of course, those may be worthy activities in your life! You just may want to bring awareness to them. Are they taking over all of the time you may have to care for yourself and meditate? How often do they interfere? Take a closer look. And when you begin to see that you cannot do so, it is then that you lose heart. That is the point my dear friends – do not lose heart: know that it is not the momentary success that matters, it is working on and on with iron perseverance. R. Steiner  Remember don’t lose heart! Just begin again and persevere, knowing that’s what we all do on our spiritual path – a step at a time.
Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. Do you wonder if meditation is for Christians? Meditation is a spiritual practice found in many great wisdom traditions, including Christianity. It can be practiced by anyone, regardless of a religious affiliation or not. In Christianity, the tradition of contemplative practice is reemerging in our current times, whether it be in the form of contemplative prayer or meditation.  For Christians, meditation is a daily practice that creates a quiet, reflective space to cultivate a sacred connection to God. Some Christians also use sacred text from the Bible as a focus of meditation. Here’s one method of meditation rooted in early Christian teaching that you may be inspired to try. 
“May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 104:34)  You may wonder what makes it Christian meditation and not just meditation? As a Christian, the faith that is the basis of your meditation provides you a connection to Christ. The sacred word you choose is from the Holy Bible, the foundation of your faith.
In the Christian tradition, contemplative practice such as this meditation is seen as a grace and work of love. You may find that you become more loving as a result of meditating - in your relationships, your work in the world, and towards those in need. Truly a gift! Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. Do you ever wonder about listening to music or not during meditation? I know that I have.  Music is such an integral part of my life, as is meditation. Music has many benefits for stress management, helping to alter a person’s mood becoming calmer and more relaxed. Meditation can also calm the mind and the body, building resilience to stress and bringing a sense of inner peace. I personally have experienced that listening to calming music while meditating helps me to focus and calm my body, supporting my meditation.  “The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness. But if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions.” Kelsang Gyatso Give it a try and see if calming music supports your meditation. Here are some tips to get you started.
 Use of music with meditation can support you in several ways. It can….
Give it a try and let me know how it goes. What music do you use? How does it support you? What changes do you see in your meditation? Check out the many audio recordings available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. Meditation has been used by many cultures as a spiritual practice for thousands of years. But what is meditation exactly?  It’s often experienced as a journey from outer awareness in the world to inner awareness. You settle in and focus on what is in the present, setting aside thoughts of the past or the future. Slower and intentional breathing typically helps to relax the body and quiet the mind. As you experience a deep state of rest, your mind begins to feel open and spacious. Your body can enter into its natural state of healing itself releasing any stress and toxins. This can set you on a path for greater health and happiness in your life. There are many ways to enter into meditation. You may choose to focus on a spiritual text, verse, or image. Or you may choose to be in silence.  Whatever form of meditation you choose, as your body and mind calms down and your awareness turns inward, you may find that you enter into the space or gap that exists between the thoughts. It may appear as silence, but it’s a silence filled with infinite possibilities. It’s there that you connect with your Divine Self – in the space between your thoughts. And as you come out of your meditation into the outer world once again, you bring with you a drop of that experience - of who you really are and the infinite possibilities that exist. By repeating this journey regularly, you strengthen this sacred connection and you’ll experience that you can bring this silence and sense of possibility into your daily activities, even in the midst of noise and chaos. You more clearly see your divine path and what choices are best for you. After establishing a regular practice of meditation, you may experience you begin to have a higher spiritual awareness beyond your usual daily thoughts. You more deeply discover the highest aspect of yourself, connected in unity with the universe – a feeling of oneness and perfection. At times, you may gain insight into parts of your life, but that’s typically not an intention for meditation. Meditation is to cultivate a state of to silence where you can listen for what may arise out of this silence. You may wonder, What are you listening for? And who is actually speaking?  In the silence, you may hear your inner voice, your eternal voice, that speaks to you out of the wisdom of your eternal spirit, your essence. As you listen, you experience your interconnectedness to all and challenges that you have in life begin to dissolve, bringing a deep sense of peace and harmony along with understanding and compassion. This opens the door to experience higher states of consciousness.
The true value of meditation is this spiritual awakening it brings. Why not start today? Here are 3 easy steps to bring meditation into your daily life. 1. Schedule it. We all tend to lead full lives with busy schedules. So, to be sure to find the time to meditate, schedule it. Put it on your schedule for a block of time and commit to it like you would an appointment at your dentist’s office or a meeting at work. 2. Start small. You’ll be more successful if you start with just a few minutes. Then after you’ve been successful in this, slowly increase your time. 3. Be open to what arises. Your experience will vary from day to day and over time. Don’t consider it a failure if one day you seem to be distracted or struggling more than others. You’ve been present to the moment and what arises in that space, so you’ve succeeded! “Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.” Saint Francis de Sales Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here. |
About JeannineI was born in London, England, educated in Switzerland, and am fluent in English, German, Spanish, and French. I hold a Doctorate in Ministry Degree and Masters Degrees in Counseling Psychology and Education. Also, I am an accomplished artist and educator. I use all of this and much more when helping others heal their souls. Archives
August 2019
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