Boredom…
When I invite my clients or students to do a daily spiritual practice, very few end up really doing it. I have heard many stories…stuff gets in the way…kids, work, health, family crisis, etc.
The real truth is that most of you are bored with yourself…yup…most of you are like a little kid that needs to be distracted every so often. And because it is so easy to get distracted these days you get bored even faster. Now you are not the only one! I can relate now and then!
If we get bored with ourselves so easily…then our life is going to be full of distractions, attachments and we will go through a constant emotional rollercoaster. The one thing we need to do is to fall in love with ourselves again and that is a discipline.
Loving yourself is not about liking yourself. Loving yourself is about embracing all of who you are, your light and your shadow. It is about accepting with kindness, your beauty and your limitations. Loving yourself is a practice that helps you to stay away from the polarity of the positive and negative minds.
The most efficient way to get there is to have a daily spiritual practice. As you do it you go beyond pain or pleasure, you become less reactive and impulsive. You have a chance to experience inner stillness and from that place you can see clearly and make life choices that are truly meaningful to you.
There are many kinds of spiritual practices. Today I am offering you a meditation from the Kundalini tradition that will balance your nervous system, create stability and bring you serenity. Do it with me for 40 days in a row and let me know how you are doing!
Never Leave Home…
If you want to experience the best adventure of your life, never leave home.
Living an adventurous life is not automatically about traveling, meeting new people or doing new things. Perhaps the most adventurous way of living is about finding home and staying home.
Where is home and what is home for you?
We know it may not have anything to do with your biological history. But really what feels like home? And what are the qualities that you want to experience when you are at home?
If I had to choose three, I would pick: Nourishment, Peace and Beauty. And each time I compromise any of these three qualities in my daily life, I compromise myself.
When these three are in place I can relax experience simplicity and gratefulness.
Choose three qualities that feel like coming home for you and from there, decide day by day what do you need to create to match these three vibrations. As soon as you feel at home you are dropping into the heart center where everything unfolds. From that place you can see, feel, intuit and manifest what you truly desire. Your heart is your foundation for everything in life but you have to be willing to stay still at home and experience yourself.
To enhance your ability to stay at home, I invite you to do the mirror meditation. It will help you shift from your head to your heart.
Simply sit in front of a mirror and look at yourself for 3 to 5 minutes. Do it every day for 40 days in a row. The mirror can be a hand-held mirror. Stay present to your relationship with you. You may first focus on your flaws, then you may get bored with yourself, then you may focus on what you like about you. Eventually, you will connect to you, you will be in love with you, you will be still where there is nothing to like or dislike about who you are.
As you are practicing true love, you will be at home wherever you go and really create the best life ever.
40 Days Meditation For The Holidays and Transitioning Into the New Year
When I was little, I always had mix feelings about the Holiday Season. I was excited about the “stuff” I was going to get and at the same time so disappointed about the lack of connection, the lack of love. I felt empty, meaningless and was reminded of this constant existential pain I was born with.
In my teens, at this time of the year, I was dragging my feet shutting down and watching the family scene holding lots of judgments. In my twenties, I chose to simply dismiss myself from most family gatherings and was then taking the time for personal self-care such as reading, painting and playing music. In my thirties, I moved to the USA and was surprised by the length of the holiday season starting with the famous Thanksgiving. I learned one year at a time to relax a little more during that period of celebration and embrace it. I also chose to share my gifts as a teacher and a healer. Every year, I love to work part of Thanksgiving day to stay center.
My wish for the Holidays is that all of us can stay true to we you are. We are born with a lineage and a destiny and I do believe that if we take care of our destiny first our lineage will be taking care off. Open yourself to new ways of celebrating, mix traditions and create new rituals that help your heart to heal and open.
I have chosen a healing meditation easy for everyone to do. Your child or your grandmother can do it. Share this gift with many. Meditation is an act of self-love. In this time of chaos, your soul is your biggest ally. No one can kill your soul; no one can threaten your soul.
How Do You Relate To Pain?
I was reading a book this weekend about a friend of mine Janice, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2010. Today she is still active touching so many yet experiencing a new chemo treatment. I witness her beautiful and relentless spirit, her untouchable focus and ability to be so grateful day after day.
I also have two of my clients Carolyn and Laura going through major diseases; both have the same ability to celebrate in their unique style any victory they have.
These three women have mastered their relationship with pain. Janice has a foundation and she teaches; uplifting so many and bringing awareness about cancer prevention. Carolyn who is still in the early stages of treatment for Leukemia is at the hospital and blogs. Her insights about surrendering and being a spiritual warrior are priceless. Laura is experiencing multiple forms of cancer and is too weak these days to do much of anything but she focuses on gratefulness with so much depth. These three women rely on two things: their heart and their spirit.
Most of us when we go through any pain we go into more fear, worries, anxiety and we jump into the future saying to ourselves: “When is it going to end?” As I am doing some renovation in my house and experiencing an on going mess, I have asked that question more than once. When I went through a break up last October I wondered many times when the pain will end.
Our pain always gives us an opportunity to grow. We can pretend there is no pain and find a way to numb it. We can be busier, drink a little more, jump into a new relationship, or collapse and be depressed. Quite frankly there are many more options.
We can blame or we can learn. We can ignore it or we can grow through it. When you master how you relate to your pain you deepen your experience with joy. Choose to drop your thinking, step back from your emotions and go into the heart.
The heart is the only place that will teach you how to be still and present when you are in pain.
When you are worrying about your future you are not in the heart. As Janice was saying in her book*, “NOW spelled backwards is WON…if you stay in the now, you’ve won the day”.
When you are obsessing on how to get rid of your pain you are not in the heart, you are in your head. Your pain is not a problem to be fixed but a part of you to be explored.
Join me August 6th , at 6 pm Pacific. I will lead a virtual healing circle to help you experience the wisdom of your heart.
For an hour you will:
– Learn three specific meditations to help you be in the heart
– Experience healing processes to feel peace and release any agitations coming from your mind
– Understand your unique style and discover specific ways to embrace your pain and get insights
This is a time for transformation!
Join me August 6th at 6PM Pacific. Together our healing power is stronger. If you cannot make the call, this session is recorded.
*Janice M. Coggins, MSW
“OVARIAN CANCER?
You can NOT be serious!”
