Sssshhhhhh.... I'm meditating!

How often do you meditate? How important do you think this practice is? So many people go through life allowing their circumstances to affect their precious time during their day. We get caught up in it. We let ego get in the way and seem to wallow in our self circumstances for that moment. All the while, we are temporarily lacking focus and direction, with thoughts muddling through our minds in no specific order. 

Meditation allows the mind to reset. It allows us to reclaim that focus and elevates us from our circumstances that are in direct opposition to and trying to weigh us down. It raises our vibration and helps us to remain centered and grounded. 

There are both physical and mental benefits to meditation. Most people who meditate can attest to feeling a greater sense of creativity, more inspired and improved emotional stability. Some people will be able to attest to the physical benefits as well. These include lower blood pressure, decrease in pain levels and a stronger immune system. Meditation also allows you to get more connected on a spiritual level. The key to effective meditation... or at least seeing results, is to meditate REGULARLY. Even if it is only 10-20 minutes per day, the important thing is that you are doing it regularly. 

Studies have been done to evaluate the effectiveness of meditation in a variety of ailments. In one study, it was shown that meditation can actually increase the gray matter in your brain. 'So what?' you're thinking... well these are areas of the brain involved in learning and memory, regulating emotions, sense of self, and having perspective; so that's kind of important! http://liveanddare.com/benefits-of-meditation/ Meditation has also been studied and shown to reduce alcohol and drug usage in people; and as such should be an important part of any recovery program as well as smoking cessation programs. http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2009.0362

When I was taught to meditate, I was taught a breathing technique that allowed me to improve my level of focus during my time meditating. You make yourself comfortable- whether that is sitting upright (recommended) or laying flat (my preferred method :) and then close your eyes. Take a deep breathe in for a count of 6. (you will increase the number as you improve). Then hold that breathe for the same count. Slowly release the breathe for the same count. And then when the air is out of your lungs as best as it can be; you will hold THAT for the same count; before taking the next deep breathe IN. This technique has helped to improve my lung capacity I'm certain! But it has also been pretty instrumental in helping me to get into a relaxed mindset in order to even begin to meditate. 

As far as what you're doing while you're meditating; there are so many options. I am a huge fan of YouTube for guided meditations and sleep hypnosis tracts. And quite frankly, after you've listened to them as often as I have, you could probably recite them verbatim in your mind while doing your own meditation! Aside from that, you can also meditate in such a way where anytime a thought or worry comes into your mind and you start to drift; you will consciously push that thought aside as though you are just shoving it out of your mind space for that moment. I personally find that method challenging. Although I will at times do this for the first few minutes of my meditation to wind down a bit. My favorite type of meditation is the Shamanic Journey meditation. In a Shamanic Journey meditation, I travel to my secret garden and from there I am able to visit so many other places! One such place is known as the "lower world" and in there you can seek out your Power animal to help guide you in your journey. 

I encourage each of you to take 10 minutes out of your day - preferably in the morning- and spend some time in meditation. Help your body to heal itself. Help your mind to excel and perform more optimally. Help your spiritual self to be more connected to our universe. And if you're a doubter.... then accept the challenge and document your results each day in a journal! Xoxo

Every Cell in Your Body is Working for YOU.... So Be a Great Leader!

Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells. Each cell doing its job. We all know this, right? But if we take a closer look and really try to understand a few things about these cells. Take the cells of your tongue, for example. Each cell is doing its job every day... the basal cells are tasting things as they come and along with other types of cells, they work together to bring those sensations and that information to the brain cells. Basically, we've got trillions of cells that make up our physical "whole" body working around the clock. Working for the WHOLE. 

It stands to reason that these cells have a vested interest in this  company they're working for! Lets face it, if the body (the WHOLE, the company!) dies, then they too will die. So, much like employees in a company - they all know their individual jobs quite well; but wouldn't it be nice to rally them all to a greater purpose? I believe that each cell in our body is ready and willing to do what they can to better the WHOLE being; because in the end it will benefit each individual cell. Wouldn't it be advantageous to have each cell on board with the same objective.... say, for example, increasing wealth in your life? I mean, if you've got more wealth, every cell will benefit from this. The cells of the tongue will be able to experience more refined foods and wines. The cells of the skin will be able to experience more frequent massage... and so on and so on... 

So how can we get all these cells to rally around that idea? The answer is kind of simple really... talk to them. Talk to your cells. Tell them what you want them to do better and tell them what the "company" objectives are! Cells respond to emotions and thoughts, so when you say your positive affirmations make sure you're putting some emotion behind those words! Check out this post by Ian Brown of Australia that talks in more detail about this very topic: http://wakeup-world.com/2015/02/04/useful-things-to-be-saying-to-your-cells/

This is all a part of manifesting the greater good and best possible outcome for our bodies that we are given as vessels for this lifetime. Be the best leader for your cells and start talking to them, telling them what you need to have the best WHOLE for them to reside in!

Water... Important? Oh, Yeah! More Than You Realized!!!

"Make sure you're drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day"... I have heard this for YEARS! Of course, I know that our bodies are made up of about 60%-70% water; and I know it certainly has physical benefits such as decreasing hunger, eliminating or preventing headaches, and increasing energy levels... but what can it do on a spiritual level?

The charged particles (minerals) present in some water are what make that water a good conductor of energy. Water alone, without the charged particles, is not going to be the best conductor of energy. This is why salt water from the ocean is a better conductor than regular tap water and regular tap water will be a better conductor than distilled water that has had all the ions removed from it. 

Studies have shown that our thoughts can actually alter the molecular structure of water. It was "discovered that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns, while water from polluted sources or water exposed to negative thoughts forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors." (Dr. Emoto). This makes sense to me... so if our bodies are made up of almost 70% water, and we persist in negative thought patterns; it stands to reason that we are actually affecting our own molecular structure. On the other hand, if we change our thoughts and maintain positive affirmations and emotions, we can also change our molecular structure in a more positive and beneficial way. If thoughts alone can alter the structure of an outside body of water, they can certainly bring about changes in our own body. 

Water has also long been associated with emotion. This also makes sense to me because positive thinking alone will only get you part of the way there. It is also important to really feel the emotion that goes along with the affirmation that you're putting out into the universe. Joe Dispenza discusses this in detail in his book called Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. In tarot, the suite of cups represents the water element... and interestingly, it also represents our emotions.

Water can be used to cleanse the aura and lift our spirits. Water can heal our physical bodies even from the outside. Laying in a bath of warm water with Epsom salts (the ions!) will soothe sore muscles and bring about healing of a multitude of other ailments. In mediumship sessions, water can be a conduit for spirit; and both sitters and readers are encouraged to drink plenty of water before, during and after a session. Tom Sheldon, a Spiritual Medium and Psychic, photographed water that a group of people had brought with them for a meditation session. Those results are a rather good reflection of the idea that water is a conduit for spirit. You can see the photography here: http://www.mediumshiptomyspirituality.com/water-conduit-spirit/

Water is life-giving; without it we perish; but with it I believe we can reach a higher spiritual connection in our lives. It can help us to be more in tune to the spiritual realm that surrounds us; bring about a deeper level of meditation; and ultimately act as a conduit to manifesting changes in our lives on the physical realm as we begin to further understand the importance on a spiritual level. 

The Power of Incense... It's More Than An Air Freshener!

So many of us burn incense in our homes for a variety of purposes. I know I use incense pretty regularly for so many things. But do you know that burning incense doesn't just leave a pretty smell in your space. It actually has a few other beneficial effects! 

Burning incense can actually cause a change in your body when you are around it and smell it. Studies have shown that the inhalation of an incense such as Frankincense can actually decrease inflammation in our bodies and increase our euphoria, or those "good and positive feelings". There have been studies done in Germany that have shown that Frankincense incense in particular, can decrease the inflammatory response in people that suffer from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

"Through experimentation, scientists figured out there was an active compound in incense known as incensole acetate. This compound was then given to mice in a controlled setting. Researchers noticed that the incense compound actually had a dual effect: it was an anti-inflammatory, and it boosted their mood significantly." http://blog.sivanaspirit.com/science-incense-brain/

Burning incense can help when you're meditating to bring about a sense of calmness and 'centered-ness'. Certain incenses can be helpful for lucid dreaming as well. There are certain types of incense that can help to relax you so much that they are beneficial for those with insomnia; such as benzoin, mugwort, or lavender. Looking to increase your confidence levels and motivation? Try burning some chamomile, Rosemary or Musk.

Incense also releases negative ions into the air when it is being burned. These negative ions neutralize the positive ions in the air and this is why you'll notice that after burning incense in your space, you feel a sense of "lightness" in the air. 

"Ions are sometimes called the vitamins of the air. (WebMD) Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain which corresponds with elevated alertness and mental energy. Ion technology, commonly implemented by air purifiers and sophisticated fans, pumps negative ions into the air, helping to eliminate all kinds of nasty stuff like odors and pollutants; that’s dust, cigarette smoke, pet dander, pollen, mold spores, viruses, and bacteria, just to name a few. In short, negative ions protect the body from stress, germs and airborne particulates (or pollution). (Nutrition Review)" (The Science of Smudging).

So, clearly there is some scientific evidence that the ancient practice of burning incense has benefits and value. Have you used incense for anything other than hiding odors? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Using sound vibrations

Have you ever noticed that when you play some upbeat music or ring a bell in your house, that the energy seems to change in the room? Sound is the energy that is produced when things vibrate. Science shows us that everything vibrates at its own frequency. Some things vibrate at a lower frequency and other things will vibrate at a higher frequency. And in certain circles, you may hear a lot about "raising your vibration"... doing things to increase YOUR personal vibration to a higher frequency. 

Just like we each have a vibration that we are experiencing on a personal level, our homes and office spaces will also carry a vibrational energy. Often times you'll walk into a room and notice that the air seems "stagnant" or you just feel "down" or "off" when in certain spaces. Other times you can walk into a home or room and find that you begin to feel uplifted and more positive. 

Some of the ways you can increase the vibration in your home or office are really quite simple. Playing positive, upbeat music will definitely alter the energy levels in your space. The higher the frequency of the music, the higher the vibration. Some ideal frequencies can be found online and are at the 528 Hz level. You can also check out Solffegio frequencies on YouTube. 

Even something as simple as ringing a bell throughout your space will change the frequency. I will often go through my whole house once a week ringing a hand bell to break up the areas of negative energy that may be lingering. Some people use Tibetan Singing bowls to use sound to change the vibrations. If you don't have those, you can find tons of play lists on YouTube by typing in "Tibetan singing bowls". They provide a very soothing sound. Don't have a bell? Clapping your hands works in the same way! 

Dowsing with a pendulum

Pendulum dowsing has been used for thousands of years. In years past it was often used to locate things. Things that were pretty important to people back then... like serious stuff such as water, gold and minerals that they needed. I know in old Italian folk-lore (and probably other cultures as well) pendulums were used to determine the gender of an unborn baby or to determine how many children you'd have. Throughout history it was used for various purposes, even in the Vietnam war it is said that some soldiers were trained to use a pendulum to locate underground mines and what not. But regardless of how frequently or intermittently it was used, it never garnered scientific evidence to validate the accuracy. Ultimately, nobody really knows "how" it works. But it does work! I've used a pendulum for years with very good results!

Now, I'm not out looking for water or gold... although maybe I should... but I have found that when I have questions or concerns about certain issues I can phrase my question in the form of a Yes/No question and get pretty accurate answers.

Have you ever used a pendulum yourself? How about Dowsing Rods?

Dowsing rods were also used to find water back in the day. And while there are many ways they can be super useful in today's day and age, I tend to use mine when I can't find something in my house... which seems to be frequent...

So how do you use a pendulum? Well, for starters, you have to get one that really calls to you. I have several but prefer my pendulum with the carnelian stone. We have a connection. Always start by grounding and centering yourself.  Hold your pendulum in your dominant hand and begin by asking it to show you "yes" and then show you "no". It will also show a "maybe" answer. The way it moves when you ask this should be consistent each time. Now you're ready to ask some simple questions. I would start by asking questions that you already know the answers to. Xoxo

Pets and Reiki and Anxiety!

Intermittently, I have read articles about animals and Reiki and the effects that energy work has on our pets; but never really had the need to use this in my personal life as of late. It had been several years since I had to use Reiki on any of our pets. Studies have shown that animals respond exceptionally well to energy healing and is often used by veterinarians when treating animals. "Animals respond very well to Reiki as they have an innate understanding of energy and find it very soothing". http://iarp.org/reiki-for-pets-and-animals/

So, I used some Reiki recently on my cat. She and I have a love/hate relationship in my opinion... I don't like cleaning her litter box and quite frankly I don't think she's fond of me either! So, she seemed to be a little on the anxious side with our move and I thought this would help her to settle in a bit better. I did a total of two "sessions" with her using direct, hands on Reiki. The effects were almost immediate! She had been hiding out in the closet when we first moved in and after the Reiki treatments, she was able to be much more relaxed and start acting more like a normal "cat"! What was particularly interesting is that when I was giving her the treatments, she would just lay still and was SO accepting of the energy being sent to her! She would close her eyes and I could sense the relief that she was feeling. 

Using energy work to help your pets isn't a new thing by any means, but I think it's something that is often forgotten about as we go about our daily lives. Just like human beings may see a doctor or therapist regularly just for a check up, I think it's probably just as important for our pets to get a "monthly tune-up" with a bit of Reiki healing. And since Reiki doesn't ever hurt, it can only help- no matter what may be going on in our pets' emotional health!