Meditation Techniques

Meditation is a powerful practice that helps alleviates many health issues such as hypertension, sleep disorders, anxiety, etc. Aside from the health benefits, meditation is a perfect way to connect with your guides, Higher Self or other spiritual beings.

There are 3 basic categories that meditation fall into:

Passive- This is when the meditator uses breath, chants, prayers or mantras to quiet the mind. The intention is to go into a state of mindlessness. Passive meditation can also be achieved through staring at objects such as candles, clouds, the ocean, etc.

Visualization- In this type of meditation, we "create" situations in our mind that lead us to our answers, or sometimes just to a desired state such as relaxation or perfect health. The majority of meditation CDs fall into this category.

Openness- When we are in a state of openness, we put ourselves in a state of awareness. It requires us to listen and feel the sensations in our bodies. We can tap into the state of our emotions, mind and/or body.

Depending upon your preference, you may use one or more of these techniques. One simple method to relax is to see and feel gold liquid light pour into your crown, and as it does, feel your body relax. Note any discomfort and see it disappear as the gold liquid light permeates the body. See and feel all tension leave the body through the feet to be transmuted by Mother Earth. Continue relaxing, allowing your mind to be present and become aware of any thoughts or messages that appear. Stay in this state for as long as you desire. When you are ready, bring your attention back into the room. You should feel relaxed and yet energized with this techique.

Who Do You Choose To Be

There is nothing that you have to do except to be. As you go to the place of "I have to do this" to "I choose to"- you take back your power. You are not under any obligation to do anything in life, but you choose to do what you do because it feeds or defines you in some way. So ask youself, "why do I...?" the next time you choose to do something. We create our reality through our actions and thoughts.

Some might say that I have to go to work and the answer is - no you don't. You choose to work because you don't see yourself as a slacker and have a belief that you won't live off others. Ask yourself- is this the highest thought I have of myself?

Life is a process of creation. Every thought, action or deed is creating your life and its illusion. You are not at the effect of your life. Life isn't about finding yourself as it is creating yourself.

So set your intentions consciously, not unintentionally. Take a moment and plan some of the outcomes you would like to experience. After all, thoughts do become things!

Defending Who We Are

Have you ever met someone who empathically defended a belief or a fact so much so that they just couldn't let it go until you were believing it too? They needed to get you to see what and how they saw life? Have you ever wonder why they needed to prove their point so badly?

People who fear that their "beliefs" are questionnable often will defend them so they are not alone on their side of the fence. We never want to be alone in our beliefs, so we gain the support of others to help us feel right. And if we don't feel right, we fear other's beliefs/ theories/ standpoint because it may shake up our belief systems. I was recently talking to a guy who was so pro-war in the Middle East and defending "our" freedom. He laughed at the idea of having peace in our hearts because it was the "sissy way" of dealing with something that requires brute force.

Oh really??

Aside from my views about the war, I do understand why he feels the need to defend war. As a military man just like his father, to say that the war was unjustified would make the time he spent in the military meaningless. In fact, it would totally discredit his whole being and purpose of how he saw himself. His ego needed to defend the war and ultimately, defend his decision to join the military. His belief systems would have been otherwise shattered if he shared my viewpoint.

As spiritual beings in a physical world, the "who" that we are can't be stopped, it's just how we interpret "who we really are" that often needs adjustment. We need to perfect our understanding of ourselves, the divine beings that we are.

So the next time you are adamant about a belief, viewpoint, call it whatever you want, ask yourself- is this the divine me talking or just my ego? Who do I choose to be?

This past week, I had the privilege of tubing down the Salt River, something that I have wanted to do for years. Basically, you sit on a tube and float down the river, encountering rapids from time to time. It's a 3. 5 hr trip down a meandering river with phenomenal views of the mountains. I had the pleasure of going with 5 friends and I can't wait to go again. Tubing down the river is like the game of life. When you're tubing.you have to have a sense of direction and forethought or else you can find yourself stuck in the reeds or even in a bank where there is no water flow. You can even find yourself just going around in circles. Or you can find yourself ill-prepared for the rapids where the movement can turn you upside down if you aren't prepared and aware of your surroundings.

Four of us decided to tie our tubes together. We figured that as a group, we would be more apt to weather the river as a team, rather than navigate it separately. It was less stressful since more eyes were navigating the path. Also, when some of us got turned around, others were headed in the right direction. Sometimes, one would lead the group with the others following. Some people that we met allong the way were into drama, throwing marshmellows or balls, some into just enjoying the ride, and a few needed to stop along the way to dive off the cliffs or be occupied by other diversions.

So while you navigate your path of life, how do you fare? Are you one of the people who needs drama? Need to numb yourself with drinking? Stop and enjoy life's diversions? Or maybe prefer to do it alone?

How ever you choose to move in life, be sure to have a map and pay attention to where you're headed. As long as a you have an idea of the path before you, you should be okay. Just pay attention to the roadblocks and make sure you're just not going around in circles or out of the flow. Life is meant to be lived and be loved, so enjoy the trip!

Filters

I recently heard a discussion on filters, the kind of filters we add when something not so good happens in our life. We start to see life through the incident, not allowing for any other possibilities. So if a partner emotionally abused you, then you see all men or women as no good or abusive. Or perhaps you see them as cheaters. What ever the story or filter that you put on people, when do you change the filter?

Make today the day that you decide to throw away your filters and allow for change, allow for all the possibilities that can manifest.

Miracles can happen when we allow...

Your Story

So many are dealing with big issues in their life such as loss of employment, late payments, health issues,etc. But instead of asking "why me" or "how can I get through this" the real question that they need to ask is- "what is the universe trying to tell me" or "what do I need to do to change the outcome of this story"? We all have our stories that we hold onto to, stories that define who we are- at least so we think. But who are you? Who are you really? Are you defined by that illness? Are you less of a person because you have no steady income? Or are you using your "story" to keep you stuck and limited where you are? I was speaking to a friend who has cancer. But after awhile, she has decided that the pity party was over and now its time to REALLY live her life. So many of us live our lives from the sidelines, never really getting dirty in the game of life. We pass through but never truly experience it. Or perhaps we live out lives for the expectation of others. It's time to get off the sidelines and jump into the game, regardless of how many minutes are left on the clock. Time to take the ball and run with a smile on your face. It's your life- what will be your final story? Were you the observer, or the observed? It's your decision on how history is written.

Excitotoxins

The name excitotoxin may not be familiar to you, but it is very likely that you consume it on a regular basis. So what is an excitotoxin? An excitotoxin is a substance, usually an amino acid that reacts with the brain receptors. They stimulate the brain nerves to fire rapidly to extreme exhaustion, causing the neurons to die in "exhaustion", killing off brain cells. Sadly, many of you consume these excitotoxins on a daily basis. As these brain cells are killed off, neurological diseases can form in your body, such as ALS, Parkinsons, migraines, seizures, diabetes, endocrine problems, learning disabilities, eye problems and possibly aggravating certain health conditions. The brain, in its own innate wisdom, does protect itself from excitotoxins, but when overwhelmed, it has little defense and the barrier will be broken. Many even have strong sensitivities, such as headaches and digestive issues to the food additive when consumed. So what are common excitotoxins? Aspartate and glutamate are the most common excitotoxins. Aspartate is most known as aspartame. Glutamate is most known as MSG, or monosodium glutamate. Unfortunately, the FDA has consistently overlooked the dangers of these food additives, with the exception that food manufacturers voluntarily removed MSG from baby food. But, knowing how some consumers are more informed, they have created new ingredients containing these excitotoxins. These ingredients are, or can be found in: hydrolized vegetable protein nutrasweet aspartame MSG/ monosodium glutamate L-cysteine sodium caseinate calcium caseinate textured vegetable protein malt extract malt flavoring So when you are consuming aspartame, 10% of the product is methanol, or a wood alcohol that turns into embalming fluid. 40% is aspartic acid, or the excitotoxin. The remaining 50% is a substance that causes sugar cravings! Brain tumors in women, the largest consumers of diet sodas, have increased 600% since the introduction of aspartame. But what about our children? These excitotoxins are found in flavored snacks such as BBQ chips, jellos, puddings, koolaid, vitamins, spices, broths, frozen dinners, etc. So why are they used? Excitotoxins either sweeten a food, stimulate the appetite or make a tasteless food tasty. And did you know that aspartame was discovered when a scientist was trying to create a drug for ulcers? So the next time you reach for that diet soda or bag of chips, think twice to what you are doing to your body. Now you know why it's so hard to eat just a few chips- excitotoxins.