Category Archives: Meditation

Meditation

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Getting Out Of The Way

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So, I haven’t blogged in a long time, but recently felt a really strong pull to share with all of you reading this right now!  As a student of A Course Miracles, the course has brought so much peace and joy.  A constant practice of mind training, and having the courage to fully embrace  and look at all of the things that come up that do not feel comfortable or peaceful.  These are forgiveness opportunities.  No matter how icky and gross they may feel in the moment (and boy they can feel disgusting).   Underneath that discomfort, is a deep sense of gratitude at being able to see in a new way.  To exchange a seeming grievance for peace, to make the transition from fear to love.
 
There is always deep peace beyond any fear, because as the course says, “Only Love Is Real”.  “Nothing real (eternal) can be threatened, nothing unreal (temporary) exists.”   Recently, while filming a video for the upcoming  Miracle Share Virtual Conference. there was opportunity to revisit many false beliefs  that no longer serve.  Filming video of “me” “the projected self” was completely new, having never attempted  a video before – ever.  At the time I felt I just couldn’t get it right, couldn’t position myself correctly to look natural and straight on into the camera lens.
 
Prior to choosing the path of “A Course In Miracles” I didn’t have photos of “me” out in the open or on social media.  Have come to love and appreciate photos in a new way which is why filming this video felt like a kick to the stomach.   The discomfort stemming from knowing that the projected image in the camera in truth is NOT me.  But fear and worry behind the concept that what the body’s eyes see and what I was making that concept mean WITHOUT love was the issue.  In my mind, I used the symbol of the body  as a means of attack rather than a means communicating love.  There was that loud vicious voice in the mind again –  
“You aren’t beautiful, you are ugly. ”  “All anyone is going to see when they watch this is the label you hate, the label that makes you ugly and separate, unworthy and un-lovable, “disabled person.” The voice was so loud, so vicious  and so unbearable, there was a moment where it felt like all power was being sucked to it.  Shrinking did feel more inviting then.  If no one ever saw the video, there would be safety in that, wouldn’t there??
 
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NOPE.
 
Choose again.
 
Thank god A Course In Miracles teaches to run toward whatever feels uncomfortable and yucky as an opportunity for forgiveness, to see in a new way when that discomfort is transmuted with true vision being peace and love.  The practice of running authentically toward whatever feels scary has been truly invaluable. We are spirit, we are love itself.  We are not guilt ridden beliefs that may arise about the projected image of the body.  “Not for one moment does the body exist at all.”
 
 The body is outside you, and but SEEMS to surround you, shutting you off from others, and keeping you apart from them. It is not there.There IS no barrier between God and His Son, nor can His Son be separated from himself except in illusions. This is not his reality, though he believes it is.”  A Course In Miracles Ch 18 The Dream & Reality pg 438.
Processing the experience meant being willing to look at my discomfort, feel it and become still and quiet enough to look at it differently.  All the while acutely aware there was a part of the mind that did NOT want to be here looking at this.  Instead wanted to stay in the place of loathing and judging the  projection of the concept of the body.  Once quiet and sill the truth unmistakable.
 
Get out of your own way, strong and beautiful,one you are already the international speaker and beacon of light you think you are still becoming. No one sees your perceived flaws but your misperceiving mind. Put it all aside.Be bold, be vulnerable, be seen. Move forward in gentleness, accept your True Beauty.  You are Light.  SHINE.” 
 
Instant Peace.  Often we let things stand in our way, and the only thing that keeps us stuck is the meaning we don’t know we’ve given.  Peace and love is all we truly want.  Nothing is worth the absence of it, and we get out of our own way allowing the voice of Spirit to transmute and replace anything that isn’t the truth.  All that is left is love, and love is all there is to communicate.

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Asking For What You Want

There was a time in my life prior to my exposure to A Course In Miracles; when I once believed that being a “good” spiritual person, meant waiting for God to deliver whatever I desired.  I thought my faith was demonstrated by how patiently I waited, how much I prayed, or made sacrifices by placing my needs below those of others. I acted as though God was some mysterious force outside of me, that knew what I wanted without my asking.  I treated God as an entity I looked to for guidance, but I had no idea of my power as a creator.   So years would pass and nothing would change.  I convinced myself I must be doing something wrong (listening to fear).   It wasn’t until I registered in Lisa Natol’s A Course In Miracles  40 Day Transformation program, while I was engaging in one of the homework assignments that it finally hit me.   All that time, I had been WAITING for what I wanted to show up!  I hadn’t actually been specific in ASKING for what I wanted. I hadn’t really ASKED with purpose.  I had only truly manifested anything in my life because the desire for it was much bigger than my fear of not receiving,  Yes. I had co-created desires  before, but never with quite as much purpose, always indirectly without having  clear knowledge about how to tangibly create my reality with Spirit.  I studied the Law Of Attraction, but my belief in myself and my abilities as a creator didn’t match my desires.

Socially, we often pick up these limiting beliefs that it is selfish to ask for what we want.  We buy into those limited fear-based  beliefs encapsulated in the roles we choose to take on, so that we can play small.  True spiritual growth comes from being willing to go to deep places of self examination, and admit to ourselves that we get something out of littleness.  Admit we’re actually afraid to be great.  It is confronting to learn to accept that we are the creators of our own reality,  I can honestly say, there have been days where I have thought “WTF-ever, I didn’t create this!!! I’m not taking responsibility!  Forget that!!”  Yet, every time I really commit to the inner work of truly and deeply looking, I would find, that yes I did create it, or it wouldn’t be my reality  I can choose to stay in littleness and, continue to beat myself up over my creation choices, or I can choose magnitude; ask for the miracle, receive a shift in perception, and awaken as a result of that shift given from Spirit.

I want to share with you a story of how I was guided to the place which I am currently living.  I want to share it, because for me,  it has not only been a powerful example of Divine Intervention, but it is also a practical example illustrating that physical miracles are not metaphorical. they are God’s true gift for all of us.  I am not special.  Everyone is entitled to experience miracles.  This is a right bestowed upon all of us by God.

 

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I had been searching for a new place to live, and each place I looked at,  just didn’t feel right energetically. I had a list of things I knew I wanted to have in my new place,   One night, I sat in meditation and I asked God, my Angels & Guides to help me visualize the new location where I would live.  I saw in my minds eye a brightly lit suite, with beautiful white walls, white appliances, wooden linoleum floors and, a full bathroom with a bathtub.

 

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A few days later while browsing online rental listings, I saw the photos of the place I had seen in my meditation.  I laughed immediately filled with intuitive knowing that this would be my new home.  

When I called the landlady to see about the suite, we had a lovely conversation.  she even remarked that I sounded as if I would be a wonderful tenant.  Next came the part where I mentioned I had a very small dog, one that would fit in a purse I asked if they had a pet policy?  She preceded to tell me that they really didn’t want to have someone with a pet.    As I was listening to her speak, I heard the voice of Spirit in my mind guide me to gently let go of any attachment I had to getting the suite.  So, I thanked her very much for her time, and for considering me, and said goodbye.  I caught myself in a fleeting moment of feeling like I might have lost something wonderful, and immediately remembered my intuitive knowledge that this was to be my new place.  I also remebered the promise I had made with Spirit to let go of attachment.  I didn’t think about the suite again until a week and a half or so later, when the landlady responded to one of my previous emails stating they were going to be having an open house and inviting me to come take a look at the suite.  When I reminded her that I was the woman she had spoken to on the phone – the one with the very small dog –  she exclaimed she was very happy I had responded because she had spoken with her husband, and they were now willing to allow my dog.  They were even willing to accommodate my viewing the suite on a different day than was planned which worked better with my schedule.  

In addition to all of this,  on the same day I had the appointment to view the suite I received all the resources I needed to secure my tenancy there.  When I arrived to view the suite, the landlady informed me more than once that she would have to check the references I provided her.  I encouraged her to do exactly as she needed to do.  I wanted them both tot know I was honest, authentic and upfront.  We continued our walk through as she pointed out potential flaws and “problems” that might cause me to rethink choosing to live there.  

I told her everything looked wonderful, trusting beyond anything I was seeing with my bodies eyes, leaving behind any doubt and trusting my intuitive knowing that this was the next place I would be living.

 

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The landlady told me she would be in touch with me in a few days with her decision.  As I was leaving the driveway, the landlady cane into view waving her arms to stop the car.  She said she no longer wished to check my references, and if I wanted the suite, it was mine to take!  “This is God!”  I thought.  Observing the synchronicity as everything unfolded – I was reminded of what my beautiful friend Lisa Natoli teaches “God is never late, and when something is truly meant to be yours there is nothing that can stand in the way of it coming to fruition.”.  The move I practice co-creating  with God, the more I learn the importance of asking.   Being specific about the desire.  Knowing what you want, and being unapologetic in asking for it.  Letting go of all attachment  and completely trusting that everything will come – even if that means the desire comes in a different way than the images or ideas preconceived in your mind.  Being willing to accept whatever happens, and being open to receive what comes, because it will come.  When you place an order, God always delivers with perfect timing!

Love, Deedre xo

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Never Underestimate Your Unique Impact

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A Few weeks ago I had some beautiful friends, Julia & Kianna come to visit me.  In that time loving forces brought us the gift of a unique experience  that began with a trp to the post office.  My friend offered to drop off a package for me which was a great help since at this moment I’m currently not driving a car.  I googled tha address to the postal outlet and wrote the address on a slip of paper.  Off my friend went, saying she would be back after she made an extra stop at the grocery store to pick up some food.  While she was away, her daughter and I began preparation for dinner.

 More and more time passed  until my friend had been gone well over an hour and a half.  My intuition told be she had taken a detour and lost her way.  I sent her a text message and she confirmed my intuition was on target.  A few seconds later my phone rings. I hear a man’s voice introducing himself, and my friends laughter like music to the background of our introduction

“Hi Deedre, my name is David Boulder I’m here with your friend who has taken a wrong turn and she’s been telling me what n amazing person you are.”

David continued to tell me he worked at Strathcona lodge,  He explained that my friend had told him a little about the physical disability and he was instantly passionate about my friends & I joining him on a forest tour to see a waterfall.  What David doesn’t know, is that I have been spending time in nature all summer as a result of loving guidance from my angels.  So, when I was introduced to David, and the opportunity to see the waterfall presented itself, I knew this was a journey the angels had creates for all of us .  I embraced the opportunity with open arms not knowing what would come of it but knowing that my intuition was leading the way.

Julia

The following afternoon my friends and I began our journey into the forest.  The drive out to the lodge was interesting.  Road signs were not clearly marked, since the trip was a bit of a distance from my home, and because this adventure started with misunderstood directions, I asked the angels to help guide us to our destination.  When we met up with David he warmly introduced himself with a smile.  He asked if I was prepared for what was to come, and I said “absolutely!”

He smiled as if acknowledging I was unaware what I had agreed to – and he was right, I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I had already decided to trust in the experience as much as I possibly could.

I’ve always shared with anyone who shared an interest to know that the physical trappings of living with Cerebral Palsy looks far worse n terms of outward appearance than it actually feels to live with it.  This has always been my truth.

In my heart I have never felt like the projection of my body is the real me.

 This makes sense, because in spiritual truth no one is defined by the body  At times I have really struggled with how I have felt the eyes of the world see me especially because the way things look with me is not the real me.  Many moments in my life I was seeking acceptance from the outside world never feeling as though I belonged.  I bring this up because it relates to our journey into the forest.  In addition to physical challenges appearing very difficult for me to someone on the outside looking in.  I move differently expend more energy, and it takes me more time to accomplish physical tasks than the average person.

Kianna

On the day during our walk through the forest, I was using my walker to navigate my way.  David and my friends were extremely compassionate, helping me over difficult parts of the trails with large roots, tree stumps, steep train and other obstacles.  This involved a great deal of patience and a willingness on their part to go as slowly as I needed, and take as many rest breaks as I required.

 This sounds like an easy task, but our world has conditioned us to be “fast”, to get things done, to want things instantly.  The physical experience of my body has been one of patience.

I do have to take my time, but as I have said, have always felt it looks worse than it is.  I’m not in pain, and I can take breaks or sometimes do things a bit differently,

My friends and I took the time to talk about the beauty of nature   David taught us about the history of the area, tips on how to survive  if lost in the wilderness.  We even started a fire using some pitch.  After about 2 hours we reached the waterfall.  The beauty of it was stunning to me.  I sat on a nearby bench, closed my eyes, and absorbed the peaceful sound of the water crashing down its slop.  I silently thanked the angels for guiding me here,  I heard the smile in David’s voice, as he advised me to take my time and enjoy what he called  my version of Mount Everest. I felt deeply connected to spirit, and profoundly grateful.


Later that weekend, my friend Julia shared with me that our journey through the woods was a kind of awakening for her.  She shared that the experience taught her that human beings with our perceived frailties take things for granted, and that the experience of witnessing me during our walk taught her the importance of letting people be who they are in every sense of the word.  Allowing people to go at their own pace I’n every facet of life whether it be personal or professional, assisting them only in those times when support is accepted unconditionally.  Julia said the experience was profound for her, with subtle lessons she would apply to her business.  As we went on this walk, I had not been thinking at all about my influence – I was simply focused in the moment enjoying the journey.  

I think many of us simply move through our lives without realizing the wonderful impact we can all have on other souls, and the planet just by existing,  We are all unique creatures with gifts to offer each other, yet the ego will  be so quick to have us undervalue those gifts.  I think we all need constant reminders to never underestimate our impact, Each of us are blessings to each other.

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Sunflower
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A Shift In Perception About “Judgement.”

Mother Teresa was once quoted as saying “If you judge people, you have no room to love them.’  This is a beautiful statement rooted in spiritual truth.  My experiences in my own life, and in sharing of the experiences of others have shed light on some insight linked to Mother Teresa’s words.  People get quite hung up on the idea of judgement.  The ego is crafty.  Most of us recognize when we have made a perceived judgement of ourselves or someone else.  Where we become trapped; is on the fact that we make judgements in the first place.  The ego loves to use our judgements as a means to induce guilt and pain.

A Course In Miracles teaches that it is human nature to make  judgements,and that we needn’t concern  ourselves in our experiences with “stopping” or punishing our judgements.  The course goes on to state that indeed we will continue to judge, we simply have none that we will keep.

“The necessary condition for the holy instant does not require that you have no thoughts that are not pure. But it does require that you have none that you would keep.”

– A Course In Miracles

A miracle, then, from A Course In Miracles perspective is a shift in perception from fear to love.  Rather than beat ourselves up for the egos judgements, we can always choose love and acceptance over fear.  This is the beauty in Mother Teresa’s statement.  When the gentle miracle occurs, and we allow love to enter shifting our perception, fear no longer is the dominant voice.  Love enters.  The Miracle manifests, and illusion, fear and judgement are exchanged for contentment.

A few days ago, I was in a situation where I received a text message from someone I had never met before.  The body of the message was aggressively phrased.  My ego immediately went to work judging the message, and the person who had sent it.  I observed myself having the desire to change the way this individual was speaking, to “correct” them and “show” them the “right way to respond in the situation at hand.  Instead of judging my ego’s reaction, and making myself feel worse about my initial response, I was able to recognize within this exchange that my ego was simply reacting first.  I could choose love instead.  I asked for guidance from my angels, and the answer I received was that I didn’t need to change anything to view the situation as it happened, with a loving mindset.  In other words, let the exchange be what it was.  Accept it without trying to change or influence it.

Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world.”

– A Course In Miracles

In allowing our encounter to be, and accepting our viewpoints in their unique forms of expression, I was being encouraged to shift my perception from “right” versus “wrong” to simply two equally valid viewpoints as viewed from two uniquely vivid energies.

The angels also lovingly encouraged me to release my irritation with the other person.  They lovingly assured me that letting go of my anger didn’t suggest that my feelings about the situation weren’t justified.

“Releasing anger doesn’t equate to condoning behavior that isn’t warranted, it simply means being willing to let go of that which is hurting you (your anger), in exchange for what will bring you happiness and peace.”

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The Art Of Surrender

Surrender and release have been an area of great challenge and development for me. As I continue to work with the angels – I am learning more and more that this is an area many of us struggle with. The idea of trying to “go out there and make things happen” is so common in the world today. As I really examine my life and past decisions I made I realize that I liked to feel in control. Always in pursuit of the elusive “Next thing.”

I’ll be happy when I have that good grade or job,” I’ll be happy when I make more money. I’ll be happy when so and so reacts this way or that way in response to me. I’ll feel loved when Fill in the blank.

Before I began my work with angels and my study of “A Course In Miracles.” I really had no concept of this idea that in this world of form, we’re living amid this concept of the split mind. The ego, the voice of fear identifies us as a body that is separate from spirit, love, truth, divinity, the part of us that is eternally love.

I came to a place I realized I had been spending most of my existence feeling bad about the past, blaming myself for things I couldn’t change (things that ultimately were blessings and learning opportunities that got me to the place I am in today). If I wasn’t feeling bad about the past, I was obsessively worried about the future. What would happen next? what did things mean? What if I made another huge mistake? Where was the next money going to come from? Worry worry worry. The fear was so big, I couldn’t focus on anything else. I was either stuck in the past, depressed and miserable, or trapped in an endless cycle thinking no matter what my goal was – I would somehow mess it up. I wanted to plan out as much as I could, because in my planning – I thought was my influence over the outcome. My grip on the future so tight, there was no joy to the process or the journey at all. I was never at peace.

Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety.”

– A Course In Miracles.

Learning to let go has been one of my most challenging lessons. Often my ego likes to manipulate me into believing that holding some influence or control over outcomes gives me freedom and power in my life. The opposite is true. The more relaxed and detached I can remain in any situation, the more I trust that something much larger than me, my angels, divine energy is not only working on my behalf, but knows my true desires even better than do. The more at peace I am.  The beauty is, I can have absolutely no idea what will happen in a given situation, and still feel at peace because I can choose to trust.

Surrender and release is a daily practice. I can tell you with absolute certainty I haven’t achieved perfection with it. which isn’t the underlying message of surrender. It isn’t like you suddenly wake up knowing how to let go. For me it has been about learning to trust the spirit within, learning  NOT  to push aside fear when it comes up. Rather than looking at my fears as a weakness, choosing to embrace each experience of it – including the discomfort. Channeling that fear into prayer for the highest good has helped me find peace in many situations This has allowed me to release my preconceived ideas of what I think it is I need or want – and accept that spirit always has a brilliant plan for me.

The angels lovingly say surrender & release does not mean “giving up” on dreams or desires. It simply means allowing ourselves to let go of the struggle and pain, knowing that with faith and trust the most favorable outcome will come through and present itself.

As long as I have the willingness to trust, I can relax into any situation – even those that have results which are the opposite of what I thought I wanted.  I have the power to transform even a “crappy” situation into a blessing.  The only factor that can change is the openness with which I am willing to tap into that power.  Some days I am willing, other days, I am not.  How about you?

There is always a blessing in every situation – even if it takes time to recognize the blessing it’s there, waiting  to meet with willingness to receive it.

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The Importance Of Self Love

I’ll be frank as I have been in all of my bog posts.  Self love has been a core issue in my life.  It is still something I work on even as I write this.  For a long time, I didn’t posses much self love at all, because truthfully I was in a place emotionally I didn’t feel I deserved it.  This has been one of my biggest ego hooks.  Now that I have been set on the path of my life purpose working with the angels and guides to uplift and inspire others and assist in the process of removing the blocks to the love that exists within people; I know that I was meant to have the experiences I created in my life, so that I can relate to others who may be experiencing the same. Self Love

Letting go, being gentle with myself and being silly haven’t really been easy for me, not since childhood, but my angels and guides continue to help me understand that fun and play are not just something to do for the simple pleasure of it, but that acts of self-love, pleasure and fun are vital to leading a balanced and joyous life.  I have found a common theme amongst clients that I work with; people carry a significant amount of guilt over allowing ourselves to let loose, have fun, be silly relax ect.  We condition our minds often unconsciously to believe that life is hard, we must work all hours to be successful.

We convince ourselves that there isn’t enough time in the day to get important tasks done.  We believe we must work hard to “get some result “out there” that we think will make us happy, 

We set high standards for ourselves and then when we don’t feel we meet out goal, we sit in judgement, we blame ourselves and we create a type of hamster effect where we’re always in search of the elusive next result, and we certainly forget to love ourselves in the process.

I’ve made a pact with myself to be silly at least once a day,  I also set aside time everyday to honour myself – no matter how busy I am or what my deadlines are.  Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t easy especially on the nights that I feel I should keep working.  It takes effort, but I’ve spent years doing the opposite.  I already know that doesn’t work!  The more I can show myself forgiveness and compassion, the happier I feel.  And if I treat myself with respect, I will attract people who will treat me the same way.

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Music Uplifts & Transforms

Music is a big part of my personal spiritual practice.  It has the power to lift me energetically, and is an essential tool in manifestation work.  Why? 

Because the key to manifestation is not the person place or thing being desired, the key to manifestation is whether our personal spiritual energy is in alignment with that which we desire. 

For example, lets pretend my desire is to manifest an iphone.  Intellectually I may feel like I deserve an iphone.  I've placed a picture of one in my vision board, I've prayed to the divine for help to receive one, and I am excited at the thought of having one in my life. These are all fantastic starting points for manifestation, and should be commended.  The steps where fellow humans (myself included) tend to get caught up is where our energetic vibration meets our desire.

1) A common misconception about manifesting

anything in our lives is that anything we want is somehow a reward for good behavior, and if we don't have something that we currently want, we believe we are being punished or that we somehow do not deserve our desire.

2) Another common misconception of manifestation s timing. 

When we really want something, we often want it right now!  But in spiritual truth, we might not be prepared to hold our desire just yet. 

Using the iphone as an example,  a person may really desire to have one, but deep down they feel the cost of the phone and the monthly bill do not match up with the desire.  This may create guilt, or a feeling of unworthiness which in turn blocks the manifestation.  off

So where does music fit into all this?  Just like we eat healthy foods to fuel our bodies, I believe every influence has cause and effect in our lives.  Just like I watch what I feed my body, I also keep a close eye on the music I listen too, the movies and television I watch, and the books I read. Since I was a child, I've always had a special connection to music,  I love it.  There was once a time where I listened to pretty much everything.  Not anymore, because not all music makes me feel good.  In fact,  some music can do quite the opposite.  When manifesting anything, feeling good about your desire is integral.  This brings me to the crux of this blog post.  It is so important to make conscious choices in life, and for me, this includes the music I listen to.  I no longer choose to listen to listen to music that makes me sad. If something makes me sad or unhappy , I switch it off.

  Carrie Underwood I would like to take a moment and share with you a little about one of several female vocalists who have been inspiring to me.  I've always enjoyed a vast variety of music, but not really anything in the Country Gene re until Carrie Underwood arrived to country music. She hit the music world as the winner of a signing contest, and has since been awarded every honour in Country and pop music. She has transcended the country mold, making country sound accessible to people who wouldn't otherwise listen to country (including me) This young lady is poised, and hasn't let fame interfere with her authentic truth.  She has polished her song writing skill and has co-written a plethora of her own material.  Singing live and telling genuine stories abut life, and the human spirit remain at the forefront of her music.

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With lyrics like "Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand – what you've been "out there" searching for forever, is in your hand." "This is my Temporary home, its not where I belong windows and rooms that I'm passing through – this is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.  I'm not afraid because I know this is my temporary home", "I will see you again, this is not where it ends I will carry you with me until I see you again. "Life is like a ride on a party bus, turn the radio up and sing along with it."turn off the static on the TV. Wish you could see yourself the way I do. Nobody ever told you Nobody ever told you. You shine like a diamond Glitter like gold And you need to know What nobody ever told you."

Carrie is completely authentic, and watching her passion and joy as she sings brings me joy.  Yes, she's a "celebrity", but she's real and her lyrics speak to my spirit.  Choosing music to listen to that takes you to that place of joy and lifts you up. This  is so important to accompany your manifestation work.

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Meditation – Am I doing it Right?

If you are anything like me ad you spent spent a good portion of your life feeling like you are s spiritual person, knowing you believe in the concept of God, source energy, the creator, higher self and spirit,  regardless of your religious beliefs; then maybe you are also like me and you spent a good portion of your life being weird ed out by the idea of meditation.

Hey its ok if you find meditation to be uncomfortable and strange.  That's the motivation behind this blog post. 

I hope that by sharing my own experience and growth with meditation, I can help soothe and simplify the process with you.

Meditation is gentle and all too often, whether we are new at it or whether we feel seasoned in our practice we all tend to judge our meditation ability.  There is no right or wrong way to meditate.  We are all unique people which is a beautiful thing to be embraced and celebrated.  Meditation is about quieting the mind.  It is about relaxation, peace and communication with divine energy.

 

 IMG_0552Our human tenancy is such that we have ideas about what we think mediation should be and if we hold those images up to our experience of meditation, we start to create the belief that we are doing it wrong.  I will use some of my own experiences with meditation as examples: 

When I began my meditation practice I placed a lot of expectation on myself to find stillness quickly,  I have perfectionist tendencies and so, sitting in the energy of expecting perfection blocked my progress. 

I got irritated with myself if I couldn't block out background noises or the sound of m own thoughts.  I was frustrated if a guided meditation called for me to visualize, and I couldn't seem to bring the image to my mind. 

The pressure I was putting on myself to be an expert at meditation was preventing me from creating the peace and communication with spirit that I was seeking, want to be clear though, that meditation is a journey not a destination.  Some days you will feel a stronger connection than others. 

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There may or may not be days when you feel a wonderful profound connection to spirit, and there may be days when things just don't gel, and you feel frustrated and uncomfortable.  That's completely natural.  As humans we tend to be very hard on ourselves, at least I know I am.  But as I progress with my daily meditation I've learned to relax more with it and accept that there is no set of rules for the way meditation is "supposed to be"  I have found the key is in gentle acceptance of what the meditation experience is for you.

Here are some brief suggestions that you may want to use to simplify your meditation process:

1) Focus on your breathing

Allow yourself the time and the comfort to feel your inhalation and exhalation breath.  You may want to close your eyes depending on what is comfortable for you.  Sometimes our human nature may get caught up in our "meditation tools" such as music, length of time, or how we position ourselves during meditation, I have found simplifying to breath to be really important,  When I forget to breathe, my body automatically tenses.  I have also helps when I remember to allow my exhalation breath to be twice as long as my inhale, my relation deepens and my connection to the divine energy deepens too.If you find it hard to focus on your breath, you might want to try taking your pulse and connecting first to the beat of your heart.  Next you can practice your meditation breathing though a straw – with your  exhalation breath being twice as long as your inhale,

2) Try a mixture of techniques and  meditation music styles.

 Pay close attention to how you feel while trying each type.  Notice the feelings in your body, choose what makes you feel most at ease.  Don't be afraid to change styles, techniques, teachers or background sound as time goes on.  Change is a natural part of the process as well, and stagnate energy is sometimes created when we established predictable routines,

3) Practice self love and acceptance of where you are at. 

Allow your mediation to be perfect as it in each moment.  The more you can embrace the feelings, thoughts and distractions that occur and simply allow them to be present without resistance, the more gentle, relaxing and peaceful your practice will become with time.

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Spirit Junkie

Spirit Junkie was the first book I read when spirit guided me to the astounding coaching work of Gabrielle Bernstein.  You can read more about my blessed journey to my intuitive coaching work with angels by reading my blog most My Journey To Angels. Gabby became a mentor of mine and her book “Spirit Junkie” quite literally transformed me.

  Spirit Junkie When I read the book, I could relate so much to her story.  Although the details of our lives were very different, we had both overcome adversity in our lives to be guided toward inquisitive coaching work,  Gabby’s teachings are inspired by a metaphysical  spiritual text called A course In Miracles.  Spirit Junkie is her personal autobiography detailing her journey as both a teacher and a student of the course.

One of Gabby’s many gifts lies in her ability to take the often heady text of A Course In Miracles and demystify it’s core concepts making them more accessible to a younger generation (The very reason I was guided to her work and resonated so deeply with how she communicated course principles). Spirit Junkie was my first exposure to A Course In Miracles and it was enough for me to know from a profound place inside  that the course was an integral part of my path. fear

I too consider myself both a student and a teacher of A course In Miracles. Let me delve briefly in to some fundamental A Course In Miracles concepts At the core of the course is the key concept of the split mind. We all have an ego. The part of our mind that is the fear voice. The part of our minds that believes we are separate from spirit, God, source, spirit whatever you want to call the energy of spiritual truth. When we are tuning into the ego (the voice of fear) it is often unconscious because no one would willingly choose fear if they knew there was a better way. That fear voice unknowingly causes us to turn away from the voice of truth which is love, self love, spirit, forgiveness and faith. The ego’s tiny mad idea , and we as Gabby calls it causes our ego mind to create false projections of our reality, and we carry those projections with us and replay them over and over again in our belief systems about ourselves,, our relationships with other people, and even our perceptions of past events and situations. It isn’t that the voice of spirit aka love isn’t always within us, it’s that the voice of fear (ego) blocks the truth that love is already there.

Through the process of forgiveness we bring the voice of fear into the light and remove blocks to the awareness of loves presence. Sounds pretty deep right? It is. But it’s actually much simpler  than it sounds. It’s the ego part of our mind that makes things complicated. Because once we shed light on fear it has no power over us any longer and love illumines every area of our life. I can’t even begin to describe how much this book has been trans formative in my life and helped me release crazy crap that was holding me hostage.  I would recommend it to anyone.  Even if you disagree with some of the material, you are bound to glean insight from it.

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Learning To Say “No” With Love

For most of my life I believed saying no to someone was selfish, that somehow by saying no I wasn’t being spiritual or in the act of saying no I was giving up the chance to be of service to someone or something.  This in turn lead to feelings of guilt, an endless spiral of blaming myself or feeling bad for something I’d perceived I’d done “wrong,”    I worried endlessly that saying “no” somehow made me a bad person.  Especially if energetically I felt that the other person expected or needed me to say yes. Then, I felt  had no choice but to swallow my feelings and agree to what was being asked of me:

1) Because deep down I love helping people, it is so important to me to  be of service to others.

 

2) Because I just couldn’t bear the thought of  hurting or disappointing anyone – even people I didn’t know.

 

3) Because I was afraid to set boundaries.  I wanted people to like and approve of me

I had heard people speak about “owning your power” constructively, but I think I was too polite and soft – too much of a people-pleaser

to understand the difference between stepping into assertive power with kindness versus being afraid of becoming hard, mean, bitter and abusive of my personal power when using it with other people.

In the last year, I  have been on a deeply personal journey learning to accept myself for who I am, learning to embrace my psychic and intuitive gifts as part of my life purpose and my true calling.  Each is a process including learning to be comfortable saying “no” to certain  people or situations.  I am learning that sometimes saying no is the most loving thing to be done.   I’ve learned that I am not serving with pure intention and love if I say I will do something,, but deep down  feel uncomfortable.  That uncomfortable feeling is my intuition speaking up and telling me something doesn’t feel right.

sayno

Sometimes saying “no” is an act of self-care, and your intuition will tell you the difference between whether it is time to walk away from a situation completely  versus whether it is simply time for you to stay the course, face your fear step out of your comfort zone.  If you take the time to sit and stillness and get in touch with your genuine feelings, the  answer will come to you. I recently had an opportunity where I needed to say no.  It wasn’t an easy decision because I haven’t said no to many things personally or professionally.  This particular situation gave me the unmistakable message I needed to walk away.  My personal energy was depleted, I didn’t feel positive about the project in question, I wasn’t being treated with respect, and ultimately the clients highest good wasn’t being served the way things stood.   Saying no in this case was an act of love, done in the best interest of all with kindness and compassion.