 My summer solstice meditation at noon was beautiful. I sat outside in my backyard on the grass with my face to the sun. I breathed the sun in through my crown chakra. It's as though my entire crown was a buzzing halo. I felt the sun penetrate every molecule of my physical body from my face and through the buzzing halo of my head all the way down to my toes like a warm drink being poured into me. The energy of it strengthened from the outside to my inner core where I felt a luminous flow. As this energy settled in, I was filled with a beautiful multi-toned moving magenta colour.
Then I put my hands on the ground, ran my fingers through the cool, crisp grass and felt the earth below. I visualized and allowed the energy of the core of the earth rise up and into my body. It was glowing crystalline emerald green and felt like pins and needles from my feet up to where the two colours collided in my heart chakra....heaven and earth connected and a beautiful vortex started spinning from my heart and getting bigger and bigger. It started as a spiral around my spine and expanded out until my body and then the entire planet was enveloped in a bright opalescent, technicolour light. I was aware of a triangular coherence between myself, above and below. I became one with everything around me as the sounds of the birds, the cars, the hustle and bustle of people walking by all moulded together in a 360° awareness. I am restored, I am recalibrated and re-energized today. Benefits of Meditation I have begun to meditate daily. Here is a list of benefits from www.mindpowerplus.org 1) Meditation reduces the heart rate, as well as the respiratory and metabolic rate. This helps to reduce the workload on the heart. It is highly beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure. 2) Cortisol is often called the stress hormone and is related to a wide variety of health related problems - especially when it is in high levels in our body. Meditation lowers cortisol levels and provides relief from the adverse effects of cortisol on our health. Meditation helps to reduce stress in this way. It also reduces muscle tension and enhances the quality of living. 3) Regular practice of meditation reduces the creation of free radicals that are responsible for tissue damage and premature aging. 4) Meditation improves the breathing process. This helps to increase airflow to the lungs and has a revitalizing effect on our overall health. It enhances the level of strength, vigor and energy. 5) Meditation boosts the immune system and slows down the process of aging. 6) Meditation helps in reducing the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome. 7) Meditation enhances the functioning of the brain. It is helpful in curing migraines, headaches, etc. and other neurological and nervous system problems. 8) Research has shown that stress is one of the major causes in almost all the physical and psychological problems that the modern man is facing. It points out that a lot of physical ailments also have their roots in emotional and psychological turmoil within. Meditation is one of the best ways to lower the levels of anxiety and stress. It is very helpful in leading a healthy life free of any stress-related ailments. 9) Meditation enhances the level of creativity and intuition. 10) Meditation techniques help our mind to enter alpha, theta and delta waves very easily, which are the basis of deep relaxation and stress-relief. It calms down the mind deeply and gives a relaxation that is deeper than deepest of sleep. 11) Meditation reduces anxiety, depression, moodiness, irritability and brings greater emotional stability. It helps to develop the willpower, boosts the level of self-confidence and helps foster a positive attitude. 12) Meditation provides a deep level of physical, psychological and spiritual relaxation. It fosters a greater level of emotional equilibrium. Meditation techniques such as yoga nidra are highly effective for achieving this equilibrium. 13) A regular practice of meditation improves memory and our learning ability. It also improves the level of concentration, focus and productivity. A good concentration is essential to achieve success and our peak potential in any field of life. 14) Meditation is a one of the best stress-busters. It improves the level of serotonin in our body. A low level of serotonin is the precursor to problems such as obesity, depression, headache and insomnia. Meditation brings more happiness and joy in life and gives the feeling of rejuvenation throughout the day. 15) Meditation benefits include overcoming fears and phobias. Their presence in life causes a lot of stress and ill health. It is also helpful in getting rid of habits such as alcohol addiction, smoking, etc. 16) Meditation improves the communication between both the hemispheres of our brain. This sharpens our intelligence and improves the perceptual ability. 17) Meditation reduces the dependence on sedative pills, drugs and other tranquilizers. It is very helpful in curing insomnia and sleep deprivation also. 18) Meditation enhances the level of tolerance and patience. It gives more integrity to our personality and makes us a more balanced person by improving our emotional maturity. It teaches us to live with equanimity amidst the day to day turbulence in life. 19) Meditation helps us to find the inner source of happiness. It results from a total peace of mind. We come to know that happiness is not something that is found outside, but in fact it is within us at all times. Meditation techniques help us to easily draw that happiness and bliss when we want to. It gives us the source of happiness that is not dependent on outer events and circumstances. 20) Meditation benefits us by improving the human qualities like compassion, self-actualization and gratitude. 21) Meditation improves our wisdom and provides a deeper understanding of our self and other people. 22) Meditation helps in a greater acceptance of our self and brings a more positive attitude towards life. 23) Meditation is the alchemy to attain enlightenment. It helps us to be totally rooted in the present moment and helps to overcome the habit of the mind to wander here and there. 24) In our general state of mind, we consider ourselves separate from the rest of the universe and are aware of only our ego and our body. Meditation benefits us by making us realize that we are a part of the universe and are united. This is the realization of cosmic consciousness. The first-hand experience of this reality gives us a glimpse of our true eternal nature. Meditation is free of any kinds of side effects. There is nothing to lose by practicing meditation, but there is a lot to gain. It is very easy to learn and can be practiced at any time of the day. Meditation gives such a joy and bliss, that one easily transcends all desires very naturally. Given the long list of benefits of meditation, you might be wondering -- "why haven't I started meditating yet?" If you want to start meditating, I recommend you start with a simple 5 minutes a day which can be guided meditation (google search for some good ones), transcendental meditation, silent meditation or even focused breath with prayer. Isn't it time you stop following your life, and start creating it?
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 After a long weekend of spending time with family and friends, celebrating a religious sacrament for my youngest daughter and remembering the lives of two of our friends relatives that have passed on; one of stroke a couple of days ago and the other, a young victim of a very violent murder 2 years ago today, I have been reminded of the importance of forgiveness.
How often do you ask for forgiveness from others, forgive others or forgive yourself? I know many people who are very good at forgiving others but hold themselves locked up in the bondage of self-judgment. Then there are those people who forgive themselves everything but cannot seem to forgive others for anything and are equally as unsettled in their hearts. I could not get forgiveness out of my mind the past couple of days and wonder if I have forgiven all those I could or if I should be seeking forgiveness. So, I decided to look a little deeper into what forgiveness is … Oprah had mentioned in one of her life classes that forgiveness is "letting go of the hope that the past can be changed." Mother Teresa said “We need lots of love to forgive; we need lots humility to forget. It’s not complete forgiveness unless we forget also. As long as we cannot forget, we really have not forgiven fully. We need humility to forgive. It is through meekness (love and compassion) and humility that completes forgiveness. Before we forgive somebody we must realize that we need forgiveness. This is where humility of heart comes. Forgiveness is the greatest presence of peace.” Deepak Chopra says “The best way to understand forgiveness is to realize that to forgive and to ask for forgiveness is the best use of one’s energy and also one of the most important paths to self-healing. The absence of forgiveness is holding a grievance or resentment and also a subtle desire to seek vengeance. In short it is hostility. Learning how to let go of toxic emotions such as hostility is the essence of learning how to forgive, because forgiveness is basically releasing your attachment or identification with the conditioned response.” From all the reading I did, I learned that when forgiveness is complete, it brings you peace in mind, body and soul. Forgiveness will remove any weight or burden you may feel. The forgiveness shown and taught by one man in particular hit the epicenter of my heart like a tsunami. His name is Azim Khamisa and not only did he completely forgive the man (who was a 14 year old gang member at the time) that shot and killed his son, but he embraced the man’s entire family and has become a role model and father figure to the murderer. When this man gets out of jail, he has been offered a job to work with Azim in his organization http://www.azimkhamisa.com/ How do we forgive? In Azim’s book The Secrets of a Bulletproof Spirit he states that when you forgive, you simply give love ahead of time. You give+before before you get an apology before you see any change in the other person before the situation improves before the anger subsides before you think it’s deserved before you feel like it It’s entirely natural to feel resistance to the before part of this formula and the giving love part might push your buttons too. It’s helpful to understand the following things about love; It can be a completely internal experience It is something you do for yourself – it’s not about anyone else It does not require you to say anything to anyone It does not require you to do anything at all It has only to do with your own thoughts It is a discipline that can be learned Love is not a feeling or even an action – it is a way of thinking. When you forgive by giving love ahead of time, your motivation is your desire to free yourself from the residual pain that is keeping you from coming out on top of the hit you have taken. When you give love ahead of time, you are consciously choosing to have faith that forgiveness will help you bounce back from the bullet that hurt you. Everything you think and do in this process benefits you directly and works to heal your heart and your life. The Forgiveness Formula is the for yourself formula – it works at every level and it will work for you if you learn it and practice it. Wow, I thought I was good at forgiving and forgetting, but I realized after my reflection, that I have some work to do! What action could you take today to forgive yourself or someone that has hurt you and let go of that excess weight in order to gain peace within? |
About MeHelping people to realize their potential, become empowered and start creating the reality they desire is my passion and my pleasure. Archives
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Photos used under Creative Commons from didier.bier, ilkerender, wrestlingentropy, greg westfall., calleecakes, Neal.
