How to Stay in the Power of Presence

by Claudette Rowley -

I would like to share with you a powerful way of being that I practice: being present in each moment. Being present means being aware or conscious of what's going on inside of you and allowing it without judgment.

This level of consciousness gives us full freedom to be who we are. It also brings a tremendous sense of inner peace.

How do you know when you're present?

You know you are present when you feel at ease with yourself. There's no underlying tension, your mind isn't chattering on in judgment of you or someone else.

You are also present when you ALLOW a moment to be as it is. 

For example, you notice that you have a story in your mind about a situation. And you observe it as a story not as truth.

Or you feel a negative emotion and you notice that without judging it. You stay in the moment of whatever you are feeling.

What stops us from being present?

Reviewing the past and projecting into the future.

Many of us spend half of our time ruminating about the past and reliving our emotions about it.

Then based on what we've experienced in the past, we project into the future about circumstances that may never occur.

Our mind makes up fear-based stories that catapult out of the present and into a made-up future.

In other words, we end up resisting the present moment in fear of what the future might bring.

Let me clarify: By future projections, I mean imagined scenarios that cause emotional strain, such as "What if this happens or that happens?" versus planning for the practical matters of life, such as scheduling your January vacation.

Another way of thinking about this is psychological time which always causes fear or strain versus the time we keep by clock which we use to organize the practical matters of life.

What are avenues for being present?

• Observe

When you notice that your mind has made up a story about the past or the future, simply observe it. Observation of the story will bring you right into the present. After a while, you'll start to notice that you are not your story, and that two separate entities exist: you in the present and your mind with its story. 

• Allow

Allow whatever is in the moment to be there. It is what it is. Once you begin observing and allowing, you'll notice how often you resist the moment you are in. That resistance keeps you in your head and out of the present. 

Here's an example of the distinction between allowing and resisting.  

At times when my nine month old son is cranky and I'm frustrated, my natural reaction is resistance. In other words, I want the moment to be different than it is, which creates stress. Those times that I've allowed the situation to be what it is, I felt present and experienced peace. 

Once I've become aware of my resistance to what's occurring - I'll often experience it as physical tension - I'll say to myself, I don't like this moment. Or I'm noticing that I feel frustrated and impatient. Simply observing and allowing what I experience brings a conscious level of awareness.

We each have an inner peace and freedom that already exists inside of us. Our job is to release the muck surrounding it and reclaim as our own.

Stay present by ALLOWING what's there to be there. 

Then you can accept it, change it or talk to someone about it. By spending so much time in the past and the future, we often resist the gem that's right in front of us.

About Author: Coach and author Claudette Rowley helps individuals harness their potential and soar to new heights of prosperity and fulfillment. Contact her today for a free coaching session at 781.538.6616 or email. Sign up for her free newsletter "Insights for the Savvy" at metavoice.org  

metavoice.org

Cosmic Laws of Success

by Lynn Claridge -

When it comes right down to it where ever you go is where you are, whatever you end up doing, that's what you are doing, whatever you are thinking right now, that's what's on your mind, what has happened to you, has already happened.

It is a type of mind set.

The important part is how are you going to handle it?

In other words "NOW WHAT". Like it or not this is all we have to work with.

At every moment of the day, we find ourselves at the crossroads of here and now. 

The reason we can often feel lost is because we momentarily lose touch with ourselves and with the full extent of our possibilities. We fall into a robot like way of seeing, thinking and doing.

In those moments, we are breaking the contact with our deepest inner self.

What we need to do is wake up to the way we do things and change our mind set.

Waking up goes hand in hand, with what we might call "wisdom or spiritual enlightenment" which helps us to see more deeply into the cause and effect, the interconnectedness of things.

By seeing and understanding your inner self and trying to change your mind set for the better does not mean you are weird or becoming a religious zombie.

It is simply being you and knowing something about yourself.

It helps to see the path we call life with its direction and meaning. You can easily remain on a slippery slope right into your grave if you do not do something about it.

We may never quite touch the fullness of our possibilities.

Instead we lock ourselves into a personal fiction that we already know who we are, that we know where we are and where we are going, that we know what is happening, all the while remaining enshrouded in thoughts, fantasies and impulses about the past and the future. About what we want and like, what we fear and do not like.

These thoughts spin out continuously, under veiling our direction and the very ground we standing on.

If what happens now does influence what happens next, then does it not make sense to look around from time to time, so you are more in touch with what is happening around now? 

You can then take your inner and outer bearings and perceive with clarity the path that you are actually on, the direction in which you are going.

You need to look inside yourself, only you can decide if you are happy and fulfilled and I mean "really happy and fulfilled" with the path you are on. 

If you are unsure then the chances are you wish to change something in your life.

This could be a physical or mental change. 

By physical I mean you may wish to me healthier and would like to take up more exercise. You may wish to travel the world.

By a mental change I mean a greater understanding of something that interests you, to educate your mind.

For example you may wish to travel more, see parts of the world that offer great wonders or different cultures. Unfortunately you do not earn enough money to do this. Once again you need to change your mind set for things to change.

If you were to educate yourself in your line of work, gain qualifications and advance your career path. You would then earn more money, which in turn would allow you to travel. You see the choice is yours.

You decide which path you wish to take.

The majority of people do not fulfill their full potential. They lack confidence and effort but most of all they do not believe in there own ability to change their life for the better.

• Change your mindset. 

• Believe in yourself and you will gain confidence. 

• Put in the effort and you will reap the rewards both mentally and physically.

I believe if you do this you will be in a better position to chart a course for yourself that is truer to your inner being. A soul path, a path with a heart, your path with a Capital P.

mysticalempowerment.com

The 3 C’s of Life

by Dr. Carolyn Porter -

Choices, Chances and Changes:

Most individuals do not like change, which is why so many people remain right where they are in going nowhere jobs, relationships, careers, afraid to step out into something new. 

So what happens is that people settle.

They settle for this relationship or that job because of their fear of stepping into uncharted territory, and they somehow justify their decision as “It’s better than nothing” or “better than so-and-so has” or “it could be worse.”

Settling is a common choice for so many individuals and I see it over and over in the lives of my clients.

A post was made on Facebook that someone sent to me that really resonated with me with its profound implication and it went like this: 

"The 3 C’s of Life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a Choice to take a Chance or your life will never Change."

This is so true and something to internalize and understand. So let’s talk about it for a bit.

The Power of Choice

You were born with one of the most powerful gifts anyone could ever have and that is the power of choice. You have been given free will to make any choice you wish to make and only you can make a choice. 

Granted, if you sit on the fence and don’t make a choice, somehow the universe forces you into making a choice and it may not be the one you really wanted to make. 

Here’s an example.

Let’s say you have been with the same company for a decade. You have no way to advance and no creativity in the job, but it pays your bills so you stay. Inside however, a little bit of you continues to die because you are bored, unhappy and feel unproductive and non-creative. 

So one day, because you ignore the internal push to move on into something new, perhaps something you always wanted to do, the universe steps in and you are laid off. The company needed to downsize and they decided to eliminate some of the jobs within the company and yours was one of them.

So now you are forced into a choice and you panic. 

You need to find another job because you only received two months severance pay. Your fear takes over and next thing you know you grab onto a job that is similar to the one you just left, forgetting that dream you had of something new and better. 

Your fear obliterated your choice so you forgot about chances and changes. You do have a change since you’ll be working with different people and a different employer but it was something you felt forced into doing and you’ll be right back doing the same job as before. And then what about that dream?

So often we have such little faith and dare not trust the power we were born with – the power to make choices that raise us up rather than pull us down. Many times these choices involve taking a chance with the changes that will ensue and that feels too scary. 

We’ve all been in this place; I know I have. 

I have found over the years that if I surrender the entire situation and the possible choices I can make, I always receive the clarity I need from God so that I make what feels like the wisest choice. 

Of course the big “if” is whether I truly surrender the whole situation and totally get out of the way; the same is true for you. We humans like to get our hands in the mix and wonder why something doesn’t work. 

So the only way to make a wise choice, take a chance and move with the change is to let go completely of all the details of the entire set of circumstances. That’s a tough order for many but it is the only way to be willing to step into unknown territory with ease.

Several astrologers and intuitive individuals have shared that big changes are occurring in our country and the entire world. We’ve certainly been seeing many of these changes coming for some time but now we are living in the midst of many of those changes, probably not liking some of them, perhaps many of them. 

Just understand that many more are on the horizon and the only way to experience the changes in peace is to flow with them. 

However, we continue to have our personal power and freedom to make our own choices, even when authority or government makes some choices for us.

Our freedom of choice within our internal self is something no one can take away from us.

With your inborn power of choice, you can take marvelous chances and effect many changes that propel you into something bigger and better. 

However, there is something very important for you to realize as you make choices. 

Law of Cause and Effect

It’s the Law of Cause and Effect or some refer to this principle as what you reap what you sow. If you make the choice to take a chance and make a change, then let me share this powerful quote from Karol Truman’s book Feelings Buried Alive Never Die:

“When you are BE-ing the kind of person that is most desirable for you to BE, then you will automatically DO the best you can DO—then you will HAVE the peace and whatever else that is most desirable in life for you to HAVE.”

What that means is that making a choice to follow your heart and leave behind the job, relationship, career or whatever else no longer serves your highest good, is the first step into BE-ing, and as you take a chance and make a change, you will DO your best and HAVE what you desire. 

Remember this…we are not Human Hav-ings nor are we Human Do-ings, but we are Human Be-ings. 

As Karol Truman so aptly says, 

“So instead of Having…Doing…Being…Life works best Being…Doing…Having."

So with this basic understanding of Being first, it can be easier to make a choice for something new, take the chance required so that you make changes in your life!

wheremiracleshappen.com

Mindfulness and Pain

Dr. Carolyn Porter -

Mindfulness is being consciously aware and accepting of what is going on in and around you at the present moment without judging it in any way.

It is more like being the “observer” rather than stepping into the story that is playing out in your experience. You become aware of all that you feel and are thinking as simply an event that you are witnessing.

Pain is something that immediately gets your attention because it is a physical feeling.

Your first thought may be to get rid of it or avoid it in some way. But as you become aware of what you feel, you become emotionally involved with the pain.

You might feel anger, frustration, irritation or even fear. Then you may actually create a “story” around the pain such as “Maybe I have something serious wrong with me,” or “I overdid it yesterday so what else could I expect?”

There are three layers in any painful experience – 

• first the feelings, 
• then the emotions that surface surrounding it
• and finally the story you create about it. 

You can use mindfulness to shift your relationship and experience with the pain so that you can not only ease the pain and suffering, but you may be able to stimulate your body’s innate ability for healing so that your pain can be reduced or eliminated.

When you utilize mindfulness in a painful experience, you can actually change your feelings about it and assist the healing process. Changing your relationship to the pain can keep it from ruling your life.

In the first step you observe the story you are telling yourself about the pain you are experiencing. 

It is likely that much of the story you have created is not true. Perhaps it surfaces due to recollections of past experiences of yourself or others, but it could even be something you are imagining. So you have to separate the facts from fiction here, making sure you only pay attention to what is truth.

With the second step you observe what you are feeling about the pain. 

Are you feeling anger, fear or just frustrated that you are experiencing this pain right now? Step away from the feelings a moment and simply identify what you are feeling, keeping away from attachment to the feelings.

In the third and final step you are now able to actually pay attention to the painful sensation with a loving and gentle feeling. 

Take several deep breaths to relax your body as much as possible.  

Next, feel around the edges of the painful area and simply notice any feelings or sensations.  

Breathe slowly into them and watch if they change in any way.  

Step into the middle of the painful area and breathe in and out of it.  

Notice the feeling of spaciousness in the middle of this painful area.  

Accept it then nurture it.  

Send love to the area and allow it to seep into all dimensions of the pain.  

You can ask the painful area to give you a message about the pain if you wish. 

The answers can be quite surprising!

Mindfulness can be applied to any area of your life and any situation. 

The more you do it, the better you get at doing it. It helps you become more present in every moment of your daily life, gives you clearer insights that can help you on your life journey, and helps you experience positive resolutions to any problems or situations that appear on your path.

The best way to practice mindfulness is through meditation. 

You might be thinking right now how hard it is for you to meditate. Perhaps you’ve given up trying since you feel you can never do it the right way, or you can’t seem to get your mind quiet enough. Yes, it is hard for many individuals to facilitate at first but you have always heard that “practice makes perfect.” 

The key is to simply commit to doing it and not worry about how you do it.

Meditating is simply sitting quietly without allowing your thoughts to take over. Using a guided meditation may help you get started with some success, then you can step into your own meditation style. In the case of pain, you would be following the guidelines shared above, so it would be a type of guided meditation.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression “Stop and smell the roses.” 

This is the suggestion to take some time to notice beautiful life moments instead of hurrying through them in the hustle and bustle of your busy life.

You’ve been conditioned by everything and everyone around you to produce, contribute, do and complete. Society wants everything done yesterday and certainly there is no time for pain in a busy life.

Yet pain is a message for you to pay attention to what is going on inside of you. Failure to heed its warning may cost you dearly at some point on your life’s journey.

Consider mindfulness as a new way to step through life and the pain that often accompanies our journey here on earth.

wheremiracleshappen.com

Would You Like to Do Less and Attract More?

by Lynn A Robinson -

Have you been feeling TOO BUSY? Me too!

This past year was filled with a book promotion, selling our house of 20 years, moving to a new home and community, my dad’s death and my mom’s Alzheimers to name just a few things…

My own inner guidance kept telling me to SLOW DOWN. 

My logical mind kept countering with a “to do” list a mile long. All of which I was convinced I had to do in order to keep my business afloat and life running smoothly. But, that still, inner voice was persistent.

• Slow down…
• Take care of yourself…
• Everything will work out…
• Life can be easier…
• Take it easy…

On and on went the whispers. Now, you’d think that because I write about intuition, teach it and guide others with it, that I’d pay attention immeditately. But, no! Call me a slow learner! It took migraines and insomnia for me to begin to listen.

I was used to being an action taker!

However, that drive to succeed at any cost was increasingly diminished. I kept hearing the whispers of my soul telling me that there was another way.

My own inner wisdom was telling me to employ the techniques of meditation, envisioning and feeling what I wanted to create.

My guides informed me that there were a myriad of helpers in the unseen world ready to step in to make my dreams manifest. 

I just had to relax and allow it.

After meditating one morning, I started thinking about the fact that we have so few occasions built into our contemporary lives where slowing down and reflecting occurs.

Yet this is where restorative, spiritual change and inner guidance frequently take place. This sort of time used to be very common. It just naturally happened in the spaces between the events of our lives. 

We would stroll or ride a bike to work or school. Our lunch hours included both nourishment for our body and a leisurely walk for our souls; a bit of quiet in the middle of the day.

There were tranquil moments waiting for the pot to boil, the rain to stop, the casserole to bake in the oven. But it no longer happens as frequently or as easily as we all long for. 

“It” is the natural rhythm of life.

Have you found yourself getting so caught up in the frustrations of your job, driving your kids to their various after-school programs, making meals, struggling with life, that you forget to ask yourself, “What’s my true purpose here?”

Perhaps you’re afraid to ask yourself that question. Dr. Richard D. Dobbins stated it this way: “Until the pain of remaining the same hurts more than the pain of change, most people prefer to remain the same.”

When will you begin tuning into your own soul and listening to its wisdom?

Do you get so caught up in the busy-ness of your life that you neglect to give yourself permission for emotional, physical and spiritual renewal?

It’s during those times that you remember what is meaningful. John Wanamaker wrote, “People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” (Like migraines and insomnia.)

It’s much more pleasant to take the time to nurture yourself when you’re physically and emotionally healthy.

Begin to create a pace that feels good to you, that feels like life is flowing for you, not hectic and out of control.

If you are peaceful and choose to live your life with balance, your life will be peaceful.

When you constantly feel tired, cranky and out of sorts, your inner guidance is working over-time to catch your attention. It’s saying, “Warning! Your life is seriously out of balance!” 

The Universe is providing the course correction for you by cautioning that the path you’re on is leading to energy depletion.

You can’t do it all. Let that be okay. 

You’re only human, along with the rest of us!

Your task is to recognize when your life is out of balance, and as quickly as possible to do what you can to nurture yourself and restore flow and ease.

How long do you want to wait to start living “the good life?” Your Wise Inner Being will constantly point to the path that will lead you there.

When you take care of yourself and take time to do what you love, you are in balance.

There is time and space for you to once again feel and appreciate the fullness and richness of your life. Allow yourself time for prayer and meditation.

It is the one thing you can do that allows you to experience the All-That-Is that is God. 

It is the way to gain access to all the possible resources of healing guidance for your mind, body and spirit. And…you may just discover, as I did, that you can do less and attract so much more with ease.

lynnrobinson.com

Who Are You Really?

by Alexa Torontow -

You are not what you do. You are not what you don’t do. You are not the job title. You are not a labeled societal sub group. You are not your personality; You are not a happy person, a depressed person or an angry person. You are not a definition of your own qualities.

Who are you?

You are not who your mother says you are. You are not who your best friend says you are. You are not your own descriptions of yourself. Drop all the labels, titles, designations, descriptions, accomplishments and even failures. 

Below the labels, beneath the layers, on the most subtle level… What do you feel? What is left? What is there?

Who are you? If you are not what you do, If you are not what other say you are, If you are not a set of descriptions, Who are you? Lets move a little deeper.

You are not defined or confined by the limits of your physical body. You are not your beating your heart, you are not your breath. You are not your mind, emotions or thoughts. If you are not all these “things”…

Who are you? A better question may be not who are you, but what are you? Take a deep breath into every cell of your being. As you exhale release all the labels, all the descriptors, titles, both other and self created. Bask in this space.

What are you?

Close your eyes and feel your way to it. Don’t define it, don’t put it into words but feel it completely.

Do you feel a sense of spaciousness, of limitlessness, of infinite potential? If you are not all or any of these things, if you can not be defined or put into words, but only felt. What are you? 

Remember who or better yet, what you really are. Remember your potential, remember your limitless possibility. Remember that you can not be defined, by self or other. Remember what you are, where you come from and why you’re here.

Remember your knowingness, your awareness, remember your truth.

• You are the awareness of all these things.

• You are embedded deep within yet extend far beyond. 

• You are the driving force of all these things. 

• You are both the wave and the ocean. 

• You are both the dance and the dancer. 

• You are both the creator and the container. 

• You are me as I am you.

About Author: Alexa Torontow lives by the motto the only thing we know for sure, is that we don’t know. Currently studying Human Kinetics and Holistic Nutrition, fascinated with how things work on the deepest level. Yoga teacher, coconut advocate and a devoted contemplator on the wonders of the world. Connect with Alexa on Facebook, her Yoga Facebook Group or on Instagram.

elephantjournal.com

Nurturing the Seed of Presence

by Leonard Jacobson -

Being present is immensely worthwhile. 

It opens you into the truth of life. It opens you into peace, love, truth and Oneness. It releases you from the pain of the past and anxiety about the future.

It empowers you to be yourself and express yourself fully. It enables you to come into right relationship with your ego and with your feelings. It enables you to transcend judgment, which is one of the keys to awakening.

To be present is your natural state. 

The only way you can leave the present moment is to think your way out of here. And where will you go? There is only one possibility.

You think your way out of the present moment into the world of the mind. It is a world of past memory and future imagining.

The problem is that we are all addicted to thinking. The thoughts never stop and because thoughts are always about the past or future, we become absorbed into the past and future world of the mind.

In this way, we disconnect from the present moment. This is what has happened to humanity. It is as if we are all lost in an unimaginably complex maze, an intricate network of thought, memory, imagination, concept, idea, opinion and belief.

When we are caught within the mind, we are affected by all the limiting beliefs which formed in early childhood. 

We live with all the repressed emotions from the past. We live with anxiety about the future. We judge ourselves and others.

The only way to come out of the mind and return to Presence is to bring yourself present with something that is here in the moment with you. 

If you can see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, touch it, or smell it in this moment, then you can be present with it.

Look around the room. 

Be present with something you see right now. It could be a flower, or leaf, a chair, or anything else you see in the room. Or you could be present with the sound you hear.

Everything that is in the present moment is inviting you to be present with it. You can be present in the movement of your body.

The moment you are truly present, thoughts stop and your mind falls silent. 

The past drops away, revealing the present moment as it is, free of your ideas, opinions, beliefs and projections. Now you are awake in the truth of life, and this will continue for as long as you remain present.

Each moment you have a choice. 

Do you choose to be present, or do you allow yourself to wander off into endless unconscious thought. This choice is at the very heart of free will, and your life will be radically affected depending on which choice you make.

The more you choose to be present, the more Presence flowers within you.

The flowering of Presence from within is like the mustard seed that Jesus spoke of. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, smaller than all other seeds."

At first, Presence is delicate and it will be difficult to remain present. But each moment that you are present nurtures the seed of Presence. 

There are so many opportunities to be present each day. 

Whenever there is no need to be thinking, bring yourself present. Be present as you wash the dishes. Be present as you have a shower or go for a walk. It is that simple.

Gradually the seed of Presence will flower within you and you will find yourself becoming more and more established in Presence.

leonardjacobson.com

5 Keys To Awakening

by Leonard Jacobson -

The most fundamental key to awakening is to become more present in your life.  Then you can be unconditionally loving and accepting of yourself at the level of personality. This includes all those things you would like to change about yourself.

FIVE KEYS TO AWAKENING:

1. Identify and Own 

Jealousy, possessiveness, control, judgment, helplessness, inadequacy, blame, guilt, uncertainty, arrogance, expectation, resentment, anger, sadness, frustration, dependency, just to name a few.  

To want to change any of these qualities in yourself is a subtle rejection of them, which is not unconditional acceptance. 

Just identify and own all of these qualities, as they arise within you. Hide absolutely nothing from yourself. Own all of these things.  

Be willing to accept that at the level of mind and ego, this is who you have become. 

The more you own and accept, the more will be revealed to you. The more you are loving and accepting in this way, the more you will become grounded in watchfulness and in Presence. 

2. Allow your emotions full expression

There are many emotions from the past which you repressed, for good reason then. But they want to be released, so it is necessary to find an opportunity to release old emotions like anger and sadness.  

Once released, they will be gone forever. 

As new emotions arise, allow them full expression. If you are angry, then yell and shout, or beat up a cushion. If you are sad, then cry. 

It is important to take full responsibility for your emotional reactions. No one is to blame for them. They are coming from your past which you are projecting onto the present situation.  

Do not express your anger at the one you believe has angered you. Just beat up a cushion imagining it is the one who has angered you. 

If you are total and unconditionally loving and accepting of your anger, it will reveal its secrets to you. 

3. Confession

This has nothing to do with the Catholic idea of confession. You have not committed any sin which needs to be confessed in order for you to be absolved. There is no need for forgiveness. 

If you confess these qualities to some one who is absolutely non-judgmental and who is fully present, it helps you to own the quality to which you are confessing. 

In your confession, you are saying 

• "This is me. This is who I have become. I am possessive and controlling." or 
• "I am blaming." or 
• "I always get angry when I don't get my own way." or 
• "I will not allow myself to get too close to people because I am afraid I might be rejected." 

By confessing it and owning it, it is released and you are freed to the level of Presence, where none of these qualities exist. 

They cannot exist because they are not a part of your true nature. They exist only at the level of mind. 

4. Accept full responsibility for yourself

This will release you from the world of expectation, resentment, blame and guilt. 

It will lead you into total freedom. 

5. Let go

Dance. Lose control.

leonardjacobson.com

Guide to Being vs Doing

by Pippa King -

Are you always busy? 

Does life seem to be full of lists of things to do? Do you find it hard to find time just for you? When you do find time for you to DO a relaxing practise, do you find the peaceful, centred effects disappearing at a rate of knots when faced with the school run, a relationship drama or a pile of work deadlines?

With the demands of modern life and the technology that allows us to be accessible all the time sometimes it can seem as if we are always doing and frazzled, but never seem to get a moment to just BE.

The Modern World of Doing

We currently live in a world where doing and achieving are valued higher than who we are or how we are being?

 With every area of life being more changeable than ever before the pressures to do, do, do are higher than ever before.

Employment, homes and relationships once offered a form of long term guaranteed security, but with modern relationships and the current housing and work climate many find themselves living in more uncertainty than previous years.

Even the younger generation are facing more uncertainty than before at the beginning of their working lives. 

This added pressure combined with longer working hours, technology and higher living costs cause people to strive to do and achieve more and more, whilst creating more mental pressures as the brain and body race to keep up with all the pressures, decisions and uncertainties that need dealing with.

Doing can also be quite an addictive feeling as the rush of constantly living on adrenalin can be a real buzz for some, however eventually this can lead to health problems and burn out if the body’s messages to slow down are constantly over-ridden and ignored.

The State of Pure Being

In total contrast to this busy doing energy that leaves the mind racing, the breath shallow and the body feeling energised and/or drained is the deep sense of peace, calm and stillness that come from being fully present through just being.

Whether it is through walking, yoga, music, art, meditation or any other practise, the feeling of blissful relaxation and inner stillness that is gained from any of these activities seems to pervade every cell of your being and all the stress and pressure seems to disappear.

You feel centred, balanced and in touch with your body and yourself. Your breathing is deeper, your thoughts are slower and calmer and you feel as if nothing could interrupt this feeling.

When the mind is focused and the body is relaxed there is a harmony that occurs in that connection that has very real physical and psychological effects on the mind and body.

Effects on the Mind and Body:

• Quietens the mind
• Increases serotonin which influences moods and behaviour
• Reduces adrenal activity
• Enhances energy
• Helps regulates blood pressure
• Reduces stress
• Creates a state of deep relaxation
• Helps reduce symptoms of P.M.T.
• Increases focus and concentration
• Helps reduce heart disease
• Anti-inflammatory
• Increased immunity
• Emotional balance
• Increases problem solving abilities

Bringing the Calm Being into Daily Life

This blissful state of inner calm and balance is all very beneficial, but when the bills need paying, emails need answering and the kids need picking up from school, how can you possibly maintain this state of connection and serenity?

The harder you try to hold on to the feeling of calm, the ever more distant and elusive it appears to become.

“Meditation teaches us the value of being, but we need to bring this being quality into the doing world.” -- Anna Douglas

BEING is much more immediate than that, it is the stillness and connection that underlies all activity.

BEING is the awareness of BEING PRESENT in whatever we are doing.

Ironically all the stressful pressures and deadlines seem easier to deal with when you are calm and focused, in fact usually allowing you to achieve more.

 In fact, you make clearer and better decisions when you are feeling calmer and more focused.

Here are some suggestions for bringing the state of BEING centred and calm into your daily life that only take 1-3 minutes each.

SUGGESTED PRACTICES:

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practise of being fully present and aware of whatever you are doing without racing ahead in your mind and calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations in each moment without judgement.

CBT, which has its roots in the practise of mindfulness, is stated as having the strongest research base for effectiveness for psychological disorders within department of health.

Breathing

Staying consciously aware of your breath allows you to stay connected to your body and therefore the present moment.

When you focus your attention on your breathing and take approximately ten deep breaths into your stomach, you take your attention away from your busy mind and into your body and centre, this allows your thoughts to calm and the power of your parasympathetic system to activate relaxation within the body.

Try spending one minute an hour focussed on your breath, say to yourself “I know I am breathing in” with your in breath and “I know I am breathing out on your out breath.

For very busy people this technique is very useful, it certainly helped me to feel calmer and more centred when I was studying for my degree, college lecturing full-time and self-employed the rest.

Grounding

The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re DOING list is too much, stop for a moment and put all your attention onto your feet and the connection they have with the ground beneath you, become aware of that solidness and support beneath your feet.

Let it go

Breathe out stress and worry knowing that this will clear your mind to make better decisions.

Imagine breathing in calm with a soft colour and breathing out stress, busyness or whatever it is that you wish to release.

Throw away anger

If something or someone is causing you to feel frustrated, irritated or angry then write down how you feel, what you would like to say to them, don’t hold back, go for it!

Then tear it up and throw it away. I bet you will feel calmer and more centred.

Body Scan

Take a moment to tune into your body and scan down through it, noticing any areas of tension as you do so. As you notice any tense areas, imagine breathing into that area until it is more relaxed.

All these techniques only take a few moments each and can be repeated as often as is necessary throughout your day. They take attention away from the stress and refocus for a few moments on becoming calmer inside.

These few moments practised often can have profound effects on your stress levels and bring that sense of BEING into your daily life of DOING.

mindandbodylink.com

bellesprit.com

5 Tips to Find Your Calm

by Selacia -

Find your natural inner sense of calm over the coming days with these reminders and specific tips. As you find your own calm zone, you will be able to tap a heightened experience of joy and productiveness. 

The best emotional state is one of calm. 

This is the calm zone within that you naturally can access with mindfulness, a persistent attention to your emotional state and making wise choices of how to use your energy. 

A few tips of how to achieve this are below.

5 Tips to Find Your Calm

First, be as present as you can. This keeps you from getting ahead of yourself, obsessing about past holiday experiences, and needlessly worrying about future outcomes. 

Only by being present, grounded, and in your heart can you connect with your divine power to create. 

Calm comes from being in tune and in time with your own natural rhythms and what’s truly important in the moment. Let the rest go. 

Second, check in with yourself frequently throughout the day to gauge what you are feeling. Discover that you are angry or disappointed? 

Look at those feelings directly in a neutral way. Everyone gets angry sometimes; don’t make it worse by becoming angry at yourself for feeling the emotion. Do switch the channel from anger, though, before you take your next actions. 

Invite spirit to connect you with a happier state and intend to notice things you do enjoy about your life. Simply doing that will calm you and raise your frequency. 

Third, if you are empathic or simply sensitive, take note of this. Finding your calm requires an ongoing self-assessment of mind chatter and feelings. 

Sometimes thoughts and emotions you experience do not belong to you. Get into the habit of self-inquiry to determine how much of your mood or negative thinking has been influenced by others. 

Take responsibility only for your own mind and emotions. Your job is not to fix others or be a vessel for the anger of others. Set healthy boundaries. 

Fourth, pace yourself. This includes a pacing of processing your input and experiences. Life these days is becoming exponentially quicker and more complex. 

In the same moment you are doing one thing, you are likely processing some information or an event that came on your radar moments before. Even seemingly minor bits of input can trigger an avalanche of processing deep within you – with or without your awareness. 

Find your calm by acknowledging the need to pace yourself and by understanding that much more than you can possibly imagine is unfolding outside your immediate awareness. Allow for this. 

Take moments of time-out here and there to simply be still and shut down focus on your incoming antenna. Invite dreams to help you process life experiences and to prepare you for what’s next. By using these tools, you can find your calm more of the time. 

Fifth, access your calm zone by refusing to be combative and deciding moment-by-moment how you will respond to what’s unfolding. 

Being at war with deadlines or family obligations will trigger a high-alert in your nervous system. Fight or flight responses take you out of your calm. Address each situation directly, authentically, and with kindness. 

Ask yourself each time: “Is this action I’m about to take in my highest good?” If it’s not your best option, go deeper with your questions to determine optimal alternatives. 

Sometimes all you need to do is say “yes” or “no” to something, even if that was hard for you to do before. Other times, what’s needed is to just walk away.

Remember, you are a divine changemaker – at the core of your being you indeed are calm and your natural state is joy!

About Author: Selacia - An internationally known writer, intuitive healer and guide to others on the path of spiritual awakening. Author of Your Guide to Earth’s Pivotal Years, she is also the author of The Golden Edge and has been a writer her entire life. She is a former foreign correspondent with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other media. As an international journalist, she has decades of experience in the areas of world politics and social change, healing and consciousness and spiritual transformation.

selacia.com

spiritlibrary.com

Our Next New Phase

by Kara Schallock -

Ascension Notes: 

What I share is your potential as it exists in the higher dimensions. You are honored right where you are and everyone is right where they belong. 

Some are living their New Lives; others are somewhere in between the New and the old, others are just now awakening and many are still asleep, dulled by the 3D illusion of separation and strife. 

Some will resonate with what is shared here and others not so much. Remember, this simply is what I am guided to share.

One of the most important tools you have is that of Detachment. 

I know of a few people who are definitely in this stage of being. Detachment helps one let go of 3D illusions. This season, that is almost complete, is a great example of this. 

It is rife with separation and many fall back to sleep in order to fit in with the masses. It is the Path of the highly evolved being to stay focused on Who they are; not just in words but in true feelings and true action. 

Being detached helps a being rise in vibration, consciousness and dimension. 

It can feel uncomfortable, because it is not the way we’ve been programmed to feel and be. 

However, as one Sister-friend said, “…the energy is there to blast through the illusion once and for all.” 

Another friend posted on my Facebook Community Page about how strange it feels to be so detached from 3D and how it is difficult to do basic chores and wondered how one can offer anything in 3D when living in the higher dimensions is so free and effortless in simply Being Love. 

Another Sister-friend writes how challenging it is to work at a job that is in 3D, even while sharing her LoveLight. I’m sure some of you, and I trust many of you, can relate. I certainly do.

In the higher dimensions there is no time separation; it simply flows as One; it is time-less. 

So when referring to one year ending and a new beginning, it seems silly to me, for they flow together with no break in between. 

Time and years are human constructs, designed to hold us in an old paradigm. I also encourage us to let go of the word “paradigm,” for it is merely another container, even when called a “new paradigm.” 

When one reaches a particular higher dimensional state of Being, one questions all things including popular notions of spirituality and Ascension. One sees the higher truth in others and in all things. 

Being Authentic

There is no hiding; only being authentic and true to oneself, detached from all expectations of how things are “supposed” to be. 

Detachment is not “not caring.” It actually is a higher form of Love and Freedom. It sets all free to be and choose what resonates within.

As we flow into the higher energies seamlessly, we can also let go of portals and gateways, which also seem separate from the Flow. 

What I have experienced is an infinite, non-stop, steady flow of high dimensional Light. So if there is a difference between the phase we’ve been in and this phase we are now entering is that…Infinite, ongoing Light. 

I know that doing Ceremony heightens our experience, and yet, we needn’t be attached to doing these on a particular day, do we? Just like we needn’t share Love on a particular holiday or get together with loved ones in a particular timeframe. 

Let us be Love every day; in every moment.

Most of us are somewhere along this continuum and we are able to see clearly where we are still attached, what and who we still are called to let go of and how we continue to evolve through our choices. 

There is no deadline and no “supposed-to’s” or “shoulds.” 

There is only this Moment and we can choose to be more or resist and stay right where we are. 

We will continue to receive downloads of Light and we will continue to hone our choices as we continue to evolve infinitely with no time constraint. 

Now is the time to be real; to strip off our many masks until we stand naked in pure Authenticity.

We needn’t explain or define or articulate what we feel is Truth, for that has been done in all the religions. 

What we are to now do is to Be and follow our feelings (guidance). 

How can we articulate our own state of Being, especially as it shifts day by day and moment by moment? For isn’t that then placing it in a box; a paradigm of constriction? 

We can paint a picture and write a story, yet can we truly share how we felt deep within doing so? And each one of you will take away something unique from each picture, story, writing and channeling; even this one. 

This is because each of us has our own experiences and our own perceptions and history, which then filters what is shared so that it is meaningful for our own personal growth and evolution. 

When one sees a tree, another will see the beings in the tree or a forest or the world. As “they” say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Ponder that statement and feel the larger meaning.

We are called to honor who we are honestly and authentically. 

We are called to walk our talk and to be a role model of what we talk about. We teach by being the highest we can be, and as we do that we integrate the New within us and our Light touches all others. 

You can emulate another who stands in their own Light, but do not follow them; be your own Light. This is what we’re called to Be in this New Phase.

It is time that we live our Truth. 

We have integrated enough Light so now let us put it into action. Stay focused on who you say you are and the backward pull into the old 3D duality will become less and less of a challenge. 

Even as you still must pay the rent and shop for food, you can do it consciously without being seduced back into duality. 

Stay centered and grounded and take care of your physical body so that you may be even more of a channel of high dimensional New Life. Remember that we are the ones who have chosen to bring Heaven to Earth and not the other way around.

Remain focused on being your highest self, stay in the Moment so that you can feel your next steps and know that you are incredibly blessed as a Being of Love. 

Know too that you are expanding in all that you are…Creativity, Abundance, Love, Peace, Joy and more. What you focus on is what you attract to you, because what is attracted to you resonates with your consciousness.

soulsticerising.com