When we quiet the mind, we can hear the voice of god.
How to meditate
Step 1 Sit down and relax.
Make sure your spine is straight. Relax your face, relax your hands, relax your jaw, relax your back, relax your legs. Relax your eyes, your eyebrows, your stomach, your shoulders. With each exhale relax your whole body, while still keeping your spine and head straight.
Step 2 Quiet your mind and observe your breath.
Breath naturally. Feel your breath go in and out of your nostrils. Imagine that there is a string holding your head up. Stay focused on your breath.
Step 3 Notice your thoughts and body sensations.
Focus on your breath and when your mind wonders notice this and then return to the breath. Do not linger on the thoughts or get lost in your thoughts, simply observe benevolently and return to watching your breath. You may feel pain, itching or tingling in your body. Notice this and then return to watching the breath.
Step 4 Don't judge yourself.
Your mind may wonder a lot. You may only last 10 seconds watching your breath before getting lost in an avalanche of thoughts. This is normal. Just notice it and return to watching your breath. You may have dark, annoying, disturbing, happy, distracting, or day dreamy thoughts. Do not judge yourself for this, just notice it and return to the breath. You make experience physical pain, do not fight it, just notice it and return to the breath.
Step 5 Dedicate the benefit of your meditations to others.
Spend the last five minutes of your meditation wishing joy, peace, contentment, and self awareness to someone besides yourself, whether it be a loved one or all beings.
“The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.”
Meditation to REmove a block
When I feel blocked about a certain issue, something I have been praying about for a long time and it has not resolved, or something that I am worried about that I cannot come up with the answer the answer to, I do the following exercise. It can be used for anything that we feel stuck, stagnant, blocked, or blind about: money, jobs, relationships, family, ethics, ego etc.
1. Sit down in your regular meditative position with your spine straight, head suspended, and body relaxed.
2. Take a few moments to let your mind and your body settle.
3. Starting from your toes, I want you to carefully sweep your attention through your whole body and imagine that as you sweep, you remove everything you know about whatever issue it is you are stuck about. Whatever your beliefs, experiences, judgments, family patterns, past traumas, good luck, bad luck, patterns are around that topic, imagine that all of this is being swept away.
4. Now when you get to your heart and your head, I want you to fling your arms in the air as if throwing all of your gunk, baggage, structure around this issue up into the cosmos. You may want to repeat the flinging motion a few times until you feel light and free of the gunk.
5. Now hold your arms up in the air in an open "V" shape with your face pointed diagonally up and your chest strong and open.
6. While in this position imagine the rest of the gunk around this topic floating up out of your body and into the cosmos.
7. Bring your arms down and rest in this emptiness. Feel the freedom from your relation to your problem. You have given it over to god to be sorted out.
8. Over the next few days, weeks, allow the universe to show you how to interact with this issue. Let yourself be reprogrammed according to god's will. The universe will provide the answers so be open to them.
photo by erik grow https://erik-grow.squarespace.com/
“There is a crack in everything. That is how the light gets in.”
Shadow Work
1. Notice your triggers. ie. What do you hate? What do you not understand? What do you find repulsive? Who are your enemies?
2. Visualize these things. In what ways do these things exist in you? Have you shut out parts of yourself that you are ashamed of? Are these things that have caused you pain?
3. Allow yourself to stay with whatever feels present for you while in a calm and open state of mind. See what emerges.
4. Stay. If you stay with the uncomfortable feeling long enough you will cut through it.
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. ”
Here is an assignment I had to complete in Therapy school:
(Rachel Vaughn's Class) Rachel is amazing find out more about her here: http://www.smallgreensprouts.com
CONTEMPLATING CRAVING
1. Fast for the first part of the day.
2. When you are hungry, sit with your hunger. Contemplate craving, desire, lust, possibility, potential, nurturance, addiction, sustenance, and dreams.
3. Feel your emptiness. Contemplate the dark fertile unknown, lust, libido, drive, want, the void.
4. When you eat again, feel gratitude for your food and sustenance. How is it nurturing your body? Make an act of mindfulness out of each bite.
Getting to know your shame
Brene Brown has done some amazing research about shame (and many other important topics. Check out one of her books or her website for more info about this: https://brenebrown.com/.
The following is a helpful meditation to access blind spots or stuck energy that you may not be consciously aware of. Practice this by yourself or contact me to lead you in this and discuss with you what you discover through the meditation process.
Everything is a blessing, always. Every open door, closed door, joy, and pain are gifts from god and opportunities to learn and grow. Trust in good and evolve your consciousness.
“THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAUMA AND INITIATION IS THAT THE TRAUMA HAS BEEN HEALED. ”