Activate and Harmonize the Desires of Your Heart

Body Work, Chakra Centers, Empaths, Meditation, Spirituality, The Third Eye Chakra, The Throat Chakra, Uncategorized

The picture below is activated with pranic healing energy. I found it online and felt a jolt throughout my entire heart chakra. Because of its powerful template, I used it to also encode my own intentions/magic.

It contains the vibration of inner harmony within the heart chakra when connected and activated fully with the sarcal chakra. It also balances/integrates all seven chakras.

When you look at it, breathe in deeply and notice how the energy is moving through your body. Ask yourself what you feel, and what you need. Listen closely to how your body gives you the answer. Write it down if helpful.

Notice how your desires are stirred and moved into your heart to be activated and settled into their most harmonic path. Allow yourself at least a solid 3 minutes looking at it, and receive the activations that are encoded.

It’s pretty epic! Feel free to share your experience~!

Monday’s Magic Spell: Deleting Damaging Programs

Body Work, EmBody Bliss, Empaths, Magic Mondays, Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Sacral Chakra

Vibrational awareness is the key to change. But one of the oldest (and thickest) programs we’ve been told as a human race is that things cannot change. We’ve believed for so long the external world is in control of us, that we’re victims, and what we think/feel/experience is inconsequential at best, evil at worst.

Of course, we all know now that it couldn’t be further from the truth. Yet, we’ve lived with these programs for so long that we’ve somehow come to believe the residue left behind is WHO WE ARE (rather than simply effects of the system).

The old paradigm of aggressor/victim/savior can only survive if we continue playing those roles. The great news is, we don’t have to agree to that game anymore. We can play a new game. We can have new roles. What would the game look like if we were ALL self-empowered?!

One of the keys to activating the new paradigm in your own life is by healing and balancing your lower chakas. The lower chakras have been so demonized by culture and religion (and even some New Age teachers), that we’ve become confused as to why we even have them. They are associated with our “human nature” — an aspect we’re told we need to destroy. If we can keep the “human” enslaved and controlled, we can have order.

The old paradigm wants to keep you a slave to your feelings/emotions because that’s the only way you can be controlled. As long as you stay out of the power of your lower chakras, you will not be a threat.

How convenient for the old system that one of the programs put in place in our Sacral Chakras is a sort of built-in guilt about our innate power, about receiving, and about pleasure.We’re not allowed to enjoy the world, feel pleasure, or receive without some sort of repercussion, and even attempting to change things sets off triggers of guilt, shame, and fear. We even go so far as to “slay” it, and by exiling the “shade” aspects of ourselves we’ve created our own monsters that we continue to fear.

The fear is just a program. The only truth it holds is the truth we give it. The only power it has is fueled by the emotional convictions we put behind it. And the program itself is one of duality, one that causes the energies of our lower charkas to get out of balance.It’s a game we’re all tired of, yet we continue to victimize ourselves and each other by agreeing with the rules of that paradigm. And the vicious cycle of aggressor/victim/savior continues.

In order for this program to survive, the aggressor needs a victim to terrorize, the victim needs a savior, and the savior who jumps in to rescue needs both (otherwise its role would be void).

What role have you been playing? We all typically slide into one of these roles quite comfortably, or vacillate between all three. And ironically, none of them are empowering.

Ultimately, when you embrace the power of your inner Shade, you are released from the program. It is impossible to be in your power and in the program of aggressor/victim/savior at the same time.

Healing (especially from trauma) takes time, and we need to allow ourselves the freedom to take as long as we need to soothe and comfort wounds caused from the program. But we DO NOT need to keep the program.

So for today’s magic spell, take a long, luxurious look at what the empowered version of you would feel like. See the you that has integrated both light and darkness (in balance) and is free from the aggressor/victim/savior paradigm.

What does the empowered YOU look like/feel like?

How does he/she create?

How does he/she luxuriate?

How does he/she look at people?

How does he/she walk?

How does he/she dress?

How does he/she interact with the energy around her/within her?

Simply spend some time playing around with the energy. If it’s too hard to put yourself in that role (due to the program still having too much persuasion on your thoughts) imagine you are writing a character that DOES own her power. One who is graceful and powerful and knows how to give and receive in abundance and with true, unconditional love.

Write that character. Indulge in the emotions of what she would FEEL like. Emotions are what drive the creations we bring forth into the world, and transforming/healing your sacral chakra will ultimately be fueled by how you feel.

The intensity of the pain/trauma you’ve experienced in the past does not have to rule you for the rest of your life. Start experimenting with what it would FEEL like to experience something different. You might be amazed at what you find.

What is an Intuitive Reading?

Meditation, Spirituality

Many of our contributors here at Chakra Center do some form ofintuitive work. Whether it’s energy work, Reiki, individual intuitive readings, or meditation elixirs, we have a lot of beautiful people using their gifts to help people heal, activate, and overcome.

Because I’ve received many questions about what an intuitive reading actually is, I thought I would give a general overview. Please note that intuitive readings vary depending on the person giving the reading, and the person who is having the reading. That being said, here are some basic things for you to know:

Intuitive readings are different for everyone. Depending on the person conducting the reading, the focus can be on anything from releasing blocking energy and past trauma, tapping into past lives, working through a current hardship, or helping a client to activate their highest potential and life work. As the name implies, the sessions are usually led intuitively, and any professional reader will tell you each of their sessions are unique and highly individual.

psi-ball

Typically, during an intuitive reading there is a lot processing, releasing, and transmuting of energies in the mental, emotional, and physical energy bodies. For some, intuitive readings can feel like a “talk therapy” session. For others (especially those who are highly sensitive to energies) it can feel like having physic surgery. It all depends on what the client and intuitive reader intend for the session.

Most intuitive readings provide in-depth information about aperson’s soul journey and life path. They do this by tapping into different dimensions of consciousness, reading subtle energy, and even accessing the Akashic Records (a term used in theosophy to describe a “library” of mystical knowledge supposedly encoded in a non-physical realm of existence). For many, intuitive readings help provide clarity on life purpose or karmic cycles.

Intuitive readings are different from physic readings. Most intuitive readers do not read the future, but rather read a person’s individual energy (a subtle distinction). Everyone is intuitive and everyone has the ability to read energy, but some people posses more pronounced strengths in using their intuitive gifts to access extra-sensory information.

A good intuitive reader will always point a client to their own intuitive powers and help them access their own inner-knowing. When areader fosters a dependence on their “special gifts” and services, it is usually always unhealthy for both parties. A successful intuitive reading should leave the client feeling empowered and more knowledgeable about their own gifts and abilities, rather than feeling a need for the reader to “fix” them.

vetruvian-mans-energy

When searching for an intuitive reader it is important to listen to your own feelings about a person. If their website or presence feels disempowering, their methods most likely result similarly. Look at testi

*For more information about services offered by Chakra Center’scontributors, click here. monials on their page and pay attention to how people felt after their session. Did they feel empowered and more in touch with themselves, or are they simply describing the “amazing” gifts of the reader? Look for readers who put the focus on the client rather than themselves. And most importantly, trust your feelings.

Meditation Techniques for Beginners (with Deepak Chopra)

Meditation, Meditation Monday

Guided Healing & Law of Attraction Meditation for Relaxation, Visualization, Stress, Sleep + more

(Reblogged from MindBodyGreen)

Recently on the Dr.Oz show, Deepak Chopra defined meditation, performed a healing meditation, and demonstrated the law of attraction using a basic meditation.We transcribed these meditation techniques below:I’m Deepak Chopra and I’m going to do three things with you. First, I’m going to explain what meditation is and how it works. Secondly, I’m going to do a healing meditation with you. Thirdly, I’m going to do something really exciting — the law of attraction and meditation. So let’s start with the theory first:Everyone thinks that the purpose of meditation is to handle stress, to tune out, to get away from it all. While that’s partially true, the real purpose of meditation is actually to tune in, not to get away from it all, to get in touch with it all. Not to just de-stress, but to find that peace within, the peace that spiritual traditions talk about that passes all understanding. So, meditation is a way to get in the space between your thoughts. You have a thought here, a thought here, and there’s little space between every thoughtAccording to wisdom traditions, this space between the thought is the window, is the corridor, is the vortex to the infinite mind — the mystery that some people call the spirit or god. We don’t have to use those terms but it’s your core consciousness. And the more we learn about this space between thoughts, we find certain things to be true of it:#1: It’s a field of infinite possibilities — infinite possibilities, pure potentiality.

#2: Everything is connected to everything else.

#3: It’s a space of infinite creativity, infinite imagination.

#4: It is a place where there is something called observer effect, or the power of intention, which means intention is very powerful when brought to this space and it orchestrates its own fulfillment –what people call the law of attraction — so those are wonderful qualities of your own spirit. And in the two meditations I’m going to teach you we’ll get into this space so we find ourselves infinite possibilities, infinite correlation, infinite creativity, infinite imagination, and infinite power of intention. That’s what meditation is really about.

So now we’re going to do a healing meditation. Very simple.

First of all, the most important thing is sit comfortably like I’m sitting. Do not slouch on the sofa. The sofa is a way to relax so much you might almost fall asleep. Do not lie down. Sit relatively erect like I’m sitting, and have a backrest so you can keep your posture erect. Don’t cross your legs, keep your hands open, and be comfortable. That’s it. You don’t have to be a yogi doing impossible yogic postures. That’s it. Sit like I’m sitting on the chair and have your hands open. For now just follow my instructions, OK?

So looking at the camera, repeat to yourself loudly the two words, ‘I am. I am. I am. I am.’

And now you can close your eyes and you can whisper those two words to yourself, ‘I am. I am. I am.’

And now you can stop whispering those two words and keep repeating them mentally, with your eyes closed. And as you keep them mentally make sure that your lips don’t move and that your tongue doesn’t move and just keep repeating them.

What will happen is that you’ll have other thoughts. You might feel sensations in your body. You might hear sounds in your environment. Whenever you become conscious of that then go back to repeating ‘I am’, mentally, without moving your lips and your tongue. I’ll let you do that for about five to ten minutes. Preferably ten, but five is good enough. OK, so keep repeating that.

Now let’s assume you’ve done that for five minutes. Keep your eyes closed, and bring your awareness into your heart, right in the middle of the chest. With all of your awareness try to see, sense, feel your heartbeat. See if you can sense your heartbeat either as a sound or a sensation.

Now that you’re experiencing your heartbeat as a sound or a sensation, bring your awareness to your fingertips, to your hands. See where my hands are? Bring your awareness into your fingertips. You can open you eyes and peek for a second and then go back with your eyes closed. Feel your heartbeat in your fingertips. You feel that? You’ve just diverted blood flow to your hands. This is one of the fastest ways to relieve a migraine headache.

Now bring your awareness back into your heart and just mentally repeat the four words that I’m going to ask you to repeat, mentally.

Peace. Harmony. Laughter. Love.

Do that for two minutes and now move your awareness anywhere in your body that you want to bring healing to. You don’t have to visualize anything, you don’t have to say anything, just bring your awareness. Just bringing awareness to these different parts of your body will bring consciousness, which is healing.

Finally, come back to your heart, and in one minute or so say again those four words: Peace. Harmony. Laughter. Love. Remember those are the goals of all the other goals in our life, whatever we want, ultimately that’s what we want. So repeat: Peace. Harmony. Laughter. Love.

Now keep your awareness in your heart and just for one minute, experience gratitude. You experience gratitude by thinking of all the things you’re already grateful for. The more you experience gratitude, the more you’ll attract things in your life that will make you feel even more grateful. Do that for a second, a few seconds, relax into your body, and open your eyes. This is a healing meditation.

OK, so the next mediation is about the law of attraction — how do you manifest your intentions — how do you make your intentions more powerful. Most people think ‘if I think positively it’ll do that and it’ll make things happen.’ That is the biggest misconception in life, that you can change your life by thinking positively. In fact you’ll get very stressed by thinking positively if you’re not feeling positive. It’s much more important to be authentic and real and have the ability to quiet your mind and then seed your consciousness with your intentions.

So the first thing that you do is put your awareness once again into your heart, with your eyes closed.

Now, feel gratitude — gratitude by thinking of all the things that you are thankful for — your ego will move out of the way. Remember, ego is ‘e.g.o.’ means ‘edging god out’ — so you get the ego out of the way by just thinking of all the things you’re grateful for.

Now keeping your attention in the heart, ask yourself just one question, ‘What do I want?’ And listen to the answers that your heart gives you. So ask yourself, ‘What do I want?’ Listen to the answers that your heart gives you. Pay attention to what is coming there. ‘What do I really want in my life?’ And now let all that go. Surrender to the unknown, surrender to the mystery of the spirit.

Having done that, start to repeat the words mentally, ‘I am. I am. I am.’ Do that for about ten minutes, and then put your awareness in your body, and then open your eyes.

‘I am’ is a mantra. A mantra is a phrase that has no meaning. ‘I am Deepak’ has meaning as there’s a history behind that. But ‘I am’ is just a statement of existence. When Moses goes to the burning bush and asks God ‘what’s your name,’ God says ‘I am that I am.’ Jesus says before Abraham was, ‘I am.’

So when you repeat some sacred syllable like that, ‘I am’ that which is the source of the word ‘amen’or ‘om’ or ‘a-hum’ or ‘allah’ — any of these words — the same thing.

Then what happens is the sacred word interferes with the thoughts you’re having, the thoughts interfere with the mantra. They keep interfering with each other, and once in a while they interfere with each other so much that you fall into the gap. And that gap is your core consciousness, it’s your soul, it’s your connection to the mystery of existence. And when you bring your intentions there, your intentions become very, very powerful. So try this intention out for the law of attraction.

You can watch the video over at Dr Oz here.

Published March 10, 2010 at 9:00 AM

Meditation Monday: Surrender to the Moment

Meditation, Meditation Monday

The truth is, for most of us meditation can feel like a daily struggle. We battle the monkey mind, the constant chatter of thoughts, never ending “do to” lists, and the uncomfortable tension in our aching muscles as we try to maintain just the right pose for thoughtlessness.

We try different techniques, concentrate on breathing the right way, thinking the right thoughts – or not thinking at all (what is it, again?), and dedicate ourselves to the “discipline” of self-mastery, but at the end of the day we feel frustrated with our lack of enlightenment.

We’ve put the work in, where are the results?

If you’ve tried developing a regular meditation practice and have yet to find your groove, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Meditation (and its many forms) is, in reality, a very simple process. Yet, as with most simple things, our minds want to complicate the experience. How can something so nourishing and transformative to the body, mind, and soul be so simple? Doesn’t it require hard work?

In my experience, it is this “no pain, no gain” mentality (so prevalent in our Western society) that often sets many would-be meditation practitioners up for failure.

The idea that meditation is a “discipline” is misleading. The word too strongly vibrates to thoughts of “hard work,” “exercise,” “self-mastery,” “commitment,” and other intimidating concepts. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with a “hard work” approach, the words create a sense of difficulty and struggle surrounding a practice which, at its essence is quite simple.

Meditation is not about “doing,” it’s about “being” – and being requires no effort. It occurs at all moments of the day, with or without your conscious awareness. Being is not something you are achieving; It just is. And meditation is simply becoming aware of your Being. It’s about Mindfulness. Observation. It’s the practice of consciously choosing to direct your focus in the flow of effortlessness.

In meditation we remove the “I” from our experience and see all that we think and feel from a Higher Perspective. It’s not about controlling our thoughts, feelings, emotions, or experience. It’s not about reaching some elusive state of bliss. It’s not about being more or less than we are. It’s not about bypassing the moment. It’s not about “doing” anything at all: it’s about surrender.

Surrendering to the moment is the essence of meditation. It’s an acceptance of all that is that brings about true freedom. Surrender is about non-judgment. It’s the ability to see our thoughts as passing moments and becoming Aware of the Universal Self that is present beyond the thought, beyond the limited perspective of our current expression.

To practice meditation one need not embark upon a “discipline.” Simply observing your breath is meditation, and you can do this right now, in this moment.

Breathe-in deeply and notice how the breath moves through your body. Become mindful of the fact that you’re breathing. Notice how you are sitting. Notice the moment created around you. What do you hear? What do you see? Taste? Smell? Touch? When you stop to observe the moment, you remove the veil of time and enter into the ever-present, Omnipotent now. In the now there is no past to regret and no future to obtain. There is no judgment in the now, only the experience of Consciousness.

When you become mindful, you expand the Cosmic Center of Consciousness in your very being– the center of your Universe. You allow the Universal mind to enter into the experience of your individual expression. You allow the Spirit of All that is to flow in and through you. You surrender to what is and release the chains of your elusive “becoming” to enter into the freedom of simply existing. You realize in every moment you already have within you all you need. There is nothing to do. In the ever-present now, you are enough.

Meditation Monday: The Power of Mantra

Columns, Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Heart Chakra

Words are powerful. Every word carries a specific vibration and frequency. When we allow the vibration of words to penetrate our hearts, they literally change the way we feel and think and perceive, by changing our very frequencies to match that of the words (or the emotions behind the words) we are allowing within our hearts. In doing this, we become a match for more of those feelings to enter our auric field.

It’s the same idea with thoughts, but unlike most thoughts, words have the added potency of carrying a sound vibration. In the book of Genesis, it is said that there was darkness, a void over the face of the earth and when God spoke, creation came into Being.

Words are also used in spells and incantations for the very same reason – the sound vibration of words have the power to create. Even inaudible words or subliminal messages have this effect on our energetic and emotional bodies – it occurs even without our conscious awareness. It is critical to be mindful of the words we use and expose ourselves to. Our emotional and spiritual health depends on it.

Just as abusive words can have a negative effect on the body’s overall energetic field, so can positive words and specific sounds can raise our frequencies, opening of channels for healing, and smooth out our auric field.

One of my favorite ways to connect to the power of words is through mantra. Wikipedia’s definition of a mantra is “a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of ‘creating transformation.’”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Mantra does just that – creates transformation. When repeated several times out loud over a period of time (especially when this is your daily practice), mantras have the power of rewiring the brain by firing new waves and creating new neuropath ways. It’s phenomenal.

To really get specific about the etymology and history of the word mantra (and its link to practices in India and all different forms of yoga) would be another article entirely. The purpose of this post is to simply introduce you to a few mantras that I use to help me start my day feeling in total alignment with Source.

Sit in a comfortable position (preferably with your spine straight and upright). Take several, conscious, deep breaths and repeat the following mantras as many times as necessary. The idea is to repeat the mantra until you truly “feel” the power of them within you. For me, I know when they have deeply penetrated my heart when I can’t stop smiling, or suddenly feel tears of joy on my face. It’s a powerful experience.

A couple things to remember about mantras (or words in general):

what you put out, you get back
find mantras to use that make you feel good

You can create your own mantras. Just find something positive that resonates with you and doesn’t carry a negative intent to hurt others.

Here are some mantras that I’ve crafted for myself (each sentence can be its own mantra, or you can combine them all together to be one mantra):

“I Am connected to the Source of Love. I Am giving and receiving Love. I Am following the path of Love. I Am Love.”

“I Am always guided and protected by Love. I Am using my experiences in this world to grow and expand Love. I Am full of the power of Love.”

“I Am connected and transformed by the Light. I Am restored by the Light. I Am ready for wisdom. I am ready for Love.”

I think it is important to connect with the Source of Love daily. Know it intimately. Make sure that your own love energy is always in a healthy, powerful state. This is your only true power, because ultimately, Love is all there is. When you are full of love, you have everything you could ever need to thrive in this world.

Namaste.

Only Two Days Left to Register for Writing to Heal and Embody Your Higher Self

Meditation, The Throat Chakra, Workshops/Retreats

feature photo

Still thinking about joining the Writing to Heal and Embody the Higher Self online class? There’s still time! Class begins this Monday, January 14th and registration will close Sunday at midnight.

In this class we will use writing/meditation and other techniques to heal our thoughts, shift our focus our inner Kingdom, and learn to bring it forth!

For specific details click on the link above. You can also check out the class syllabus below for an idea of how the class will flow.

Writing to Heal and Embody the Higher Self Class Syllabus:

This is a four week online class dedicated to healing our thoughts, changing our focus, and bringing forth the kingdom within!

All you will need for this class is:

A notebook or journal (preferably one you will use just for this class)
A writing utensil
Access to Facebook
Courage

All assignments, conversation, videos, reminders – EVERYTHING – will be posted on our Facebook group private page:

Here’s the low down on each week:

Video every Monday and Friday: I will post a video on the Facebook page every Monday and Friday. In the video I will talk about the week’s assignments, stuff I’ve learned from the journey I’m taking you on, tools and techniques you can use, energy healing, and anything else that feels inspirational to add

Daily “Thankful” post: Each day from here until the end of the class (four weeks!) I am challenging you to post something in our Facebook forum that you are thankful for. But there’s a catch; your post cannot be general (“I am thankful for my family, friends, kids, etc), but rather specific (“I am thankful for my husband’s laugh because it always puts me in a good mood no matter what I’m feeling”.)

See the difference? The later causes you to pause and really consider what brings you joy – what you are truly thankful for in your life, and why. Make sure you include not only specifically what you are thankful for, but also why. The purpose of this exercise is to daily put our heart and mind in a state of appreciation. If you’re wondering what this has to do with healing, let me just say, it has EVERYTHING to with it (but we’ll get more into that later). And yes, I will be doing this with you.

Weekly Meditation: The primary assignment each week will be a meditation/writing exercise. The instructions for the assignment will be posted in a Word document on our Facebook page. These meditations will be posted on Monday, giving us the entire week to work through them and process them together as a class. We will be sharing our experiences on the Facebook page during the week of that particular assignment. Remember, this is a private page, so nobody will be able to see what you are posting. Because all of us will work at our own pace, I’m giving us the entire week to do these assignments, but make sure to visit the group page daily to post your day’s “Thankful” and look for any special posts/videos I may share with you.

Because the group is small it is vitally important that you keep-up with the weekly writing/meditation journeys. The class doesn’t really function the way it’s meant to if everybody is not participating. Remember, you have a week to do the meditation/assignment and post your experience so people can comment, give you feedback, and support you on your journey. It works best if you post your experiences with the meditation/assignment by Friday at the latest, so we have the weekend to process together.

Morning pages: No, they don’t actually need to be done in the morning (although it does help). In addition to the weekly meditations I give you, I encourage all of you to keep a daily notebook throughout the four week period to help you clear your mind, process any emotions/feelings that may be coming-up for you, and get your creative juices flowing. I am a firm believer that creativity is linked to healing, because as we create, we find reasons to allow ourselves to thrive. I will talk more about what morning pages are and how they can be useful in our visit video. Just be prepared to commit to writing for at least 15-20 min a day in your notebook. I truly believe this is a major component of the class, so try not to skip it.

I can’t wait to go on this adventure with you. We are a small group, which gives us the opportunity to be vulnerable, real, and emotionally raw with each other. This is a safe space and I know we all have much to offer each other. You are all respectful and amazing, but I want everyone to know that I will remove anyone from the group for any hurtful comments or unnecessary negativity. This class is about acceptance and non-judgment, so people can feel free to share from their hearts.

Remember, ultimately it is YOUR faith that heals you. Have faith in yourself throughout the process. You have a wealth of knowledge, gifts, and abilities within you just waiting to be unleashed. That’s what this class is all about: Waking you up to who and what you truly are. You are your own greatest teacher.

*For a current list of all Amanda’s spiritual development courses, visit http://amandaleighflaker.weebly.com/spiritual-development-courses.html

A Prayer of Remembrance: The Kingdom Within

Meditation, The Crown Chakra

Today I breath-in to observe the Kingdom.

I give thanks for all friendships, lovers, and family remembers in and throughout my life. “Good” or “bad,” I acknowledge their service. I choose to remember the God in all people, and to recognize myself in everyone’s “failures” and “success,” knowing that Ultimately there is only ever experiences.

I know each and every person my heart interacts with is assisting my expansion and growth. I recognize the value of all people, and I choose to see those around me and myself for the Truth of who and what we truly are.

Today I feel the enduring peace of the Kingdom within. I remember true glory exists within my inmost Being. I know that in the Silence, the I Am is there. As I bring my attention and focus to the place within me where the Source of All Life breathes; I feel the rough places made smooth. I feel the Loving direction and Guidance of the One. I Am whole. I Am peace. I Am.

Today I allow all within me to come forth, knowing that as the Source flows through me, I Am in tune with Existence. I remember that as I live life through this unique perspective of “me,” I am expanding the Consciousness of All.

I know the full bounty and intimacy of the Source within me, and as I tap into the memory of my absolute Oneness with God, I gladly lay down my life so LIFE can fully and powerfully flow through me.

Today I Am.

Meditation Monday: 20 Practical Tips for Quieting the Mind

Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Third Eye Chakra

Guest Blog: Tips from Todd Goldfarb at the We The Change blog.

Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness.

Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in their lives, a small percentage actually stick with it for the long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice sustainable.

The purpose of this article is to provide 20 practical recommendations to help beginners get past the initial hurdles and integrate meditation over the long term:

1) Make it a formal practice. You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still.

2) Start with the breath. Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way to begin practice.

3) Stretch first. Stretching loosens the muscles and tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally, stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added attention to the body.

4) Meditate with Purpose. Beginners must understand that meditation is an ACTIVE process. The art of focusing your attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be purposefully engaged!

5) Notice frustration creep up on you. This is very common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why can’t I just quiet my damn mind already”. When this happens, really focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go.

6) Experiment. Although many of us think of effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc.

7) Feel your body parts. A great practice for beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on the right path.

8) Pick a specific room in your home to meditate. Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to help you feel at ease.

9) Read a book (or two) on meditation. Preferably an instructional guide AND one that describes the benefits of deep meditative states. This will get you motivated. John Kabat-Zinn’sWherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners.

10) Commit for the long haul. Meditation is a life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go!

11) Listen to instructional tapes and CDs.

12) Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits.

13) Make sure you will not be disturbed. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation.

14) Notice small adjustments. For beginning meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything for your practice.

15) Use a candle. Meditating with eyes closed can be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual cue. This can be very powerful.

16) Do NOT Stress. This may be the most important tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is what it is, and just do the best you can at the time.

17) Do it together. Meditating with a partner or loved one can have many wonderful benefits, and can improve your practice. However, it is necessary to make sure that you set agreed-upon ground rules before you begin!

18) Meditate early in the morning. Without a doubt, early morning is an ideal
time to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate.

19) Be Grateful at the end. Once your practice is through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to practice and your mind’s ability to focus.

20) Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation is hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!

Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very difficult in the beginning. Use the tips described in this article to get your practice to the next level!

Read more about personal development from Todd Goldfarb on his blog, We The Change.

Holding a Space of Love for Sandy Hook Elementary

Bits and Pieces, Meditation, The Heart Chakra

In place of our regular Meditation Monday post, we are asking all of our readers to hold a special meditation prayer for the peace and comfort of the beautiful lives lost on Friday in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. We were also inspired by a post on Facebook from one sister of light:

“I’ve been racking my brain and heart on how to actively move forward in love to counter-act (on some level) what happened to the children, teachers, families, and community in Connecticut. An idea came to me that I thought I would share:

My kids and I are going to do 26 acts of love and kindness, one for every angel that just entered heaven. We will help light the lanterns of hope, Gods love and unfailing light in what seems to be very dark times. I invite anyone who wants to do the same…

LET’S ALL DO THIS AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS AS WELL IN HONOR OF REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THE SWEET ANGELS! IMAGINE THE RIPPLE EFFECT IT COULD HAVE ON OUR WORLD!! Every person that you do an act of kindess for will usually pay it forward and the impact of LOVE it could spread would be amazing!! ♥” – Nicole Ramirez (and idea inspired by her sister, Jennie Larsen).

Love is more powerful than hate. Although we can’t take away the suffering of those involved in this tragedy, we can do our part in helping to hold a space of love for this small community. We can pray for the healing of their hearts and the hearts of those around the world that face atrocities like this every day. We can keep our faith in humanity, and choose to believe the true nature of all people is love. We can use our wisdom to remember all pain, all psychosis, and all evil acts stem from a place of suffering. We can choose to face our own shadows with compassion. We can use our thoughts and emotions to create a world where this kind of pain no longer exists.

We cannot combat hate with hate. Love is the only solution. Love is the answer.

Please consider joining us in 27 special acts of kindness, each in remembrance of the lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary. And continue to pray for the suffering of everyone around the world.

Feel free to share your stories with us here at Charka Center.

Let’s spread love! The world desperately needs it.

Namaste.

For each act of kindness you give this holiday season, consider doing it in the name of one of these 27 beautiful souls:

— Charlotte Bacon, Female, 02-22-06

— Daniel Barden, Male, 09-25-05

— Rachel Davino, Female, 07-17-83

— Olivia Engel, Female, 07-18-06

— Josephine Gay, Female, 12-11-05

— Ana Marquez-Greene, Female, 04-04-06

— Dylan Hockley, Male, 03-08-06

– Dawn Hochsprung, Female, 06-28-65

— Madeleine F. Hsu, Female, 07-10-06

— Catherine V. Hubbard, Female, 06-08-06

— Chase Kowalski, Male, 10-31-05

— Jesse Lewis, Male, 06-30-06

— James Mattioli, Male, 03-22-06

— Grace McDonnell, Female, 11-04-05

— Anne Marie Murphy, Female, 07-25-60

— Emilie Parker, Female, 05-12-06

— Jack Pinto, Male, 05-06-06

— Noah Pozner, Male, 11-20-06

— Caroline Previdi, Female, 09-07-06

— Jessica Rekos, Female, 05-10-06

— Avielle Richman, Female, 10-17-06

— Lauren Rousseau, Female, 06-?-82

— Mary Sherlach, Female, 02-11-56

— Victoria Soto, Female, 11-04-85

— Benjamin Wheeler, Male, 09-12-06

— Allison N. Wyatt, Female, 07-03-06

Happy 12/12/12: A Message from Dashama

Features, Meditation

Numerologically, today is a very special day! And in order to indulge our readers in all the possible meanings, I thought I would share with you a message from my soul sister, Dashama. This is a message Dashama shared in her newsletter today, and it was so beautiful and informative, I just had to pass it on.

Thanks, Dashama!

“Aloha Love,

In honor of 12-12-12, I thought it may be interesting for you to learn a little about the significance of this auspicious date in time. As we approach the holidays and gather with friends, family, community and loved ones in communion to celebrate love and connection, let us remember the deeper meanings and intention behind all of these days, so we may experience the richest and most profound blessings from every breath we take collectively and individually. Read on below, as I also share a simple meditation practice for you to soak it all in and allow the richness of each interaction and experience to enhance the fabric of your character and the strength of your soul.

Symbolism

According to Chinese Numerology, the number 1 is a yang number which is ruled by the sun and represents independence & individualism. 2 is a yin number which is ruled by the moon and represents symmetry and balance. When placed together, the number 12 brings harmony to the yin and yang, balancing the feminine energy of the moon with the masculine energy of the sun.
Twelve is the number of what is completed, which forms a whole, a perfect and harmonious unit. In the ancient civilizations, like Oriental and Judaic, it corresponds to the plenitude, the completion and the integrality of all things.
Represents the manifestation of the Trinity to the four corners of the horizon – 3 X 4.
It is the creative capacity, and in some religions, it expresses also the Divine Mother.
The Buddhists recognize twelve causes of existence or Nidanas.
The twelve signs, or constellations, of the zodiac.
The twelve animals of the Chinese horoscope: the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Cat, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Cock, the Dog and the Pig.
The twelve lunar years in the Chinese lunar calendar forming the complete cycle which lasts sixty years.
There are twelve principal divinities in the Greek mythology.
The twelve names of the Sun in Sanskrit, which are pronounced such as the mantras.
The twelve petals of the Anahata Chakra located in the area of the heart and the twelve petals of the corolla of the Sahasrara Chakra located a the top of the head.
It is the number of proposals or verses of the Emerald Table, summarizing all the teaching of the Hermetic tradition. It is a document originating from Egypt, attributed to Hermes Trismegist.
Twelve is the first number known as “abundant” since the sum of its dividers (aliquot parts) gives a result higher than 12: 1+2+3+4+6=16.

Regardless of your race, religion or cultural background, there is a significance we can all draw from this special day.

Meditation / Action Step: I suggest you take at least 5 minutes, or even longer if you can, and meditate on all of the abundance you have in your own life and breath in gratitude for all of the blessings and gifts, love and support you receive every day in so many ways. Acknowledge the balance, harmony, individuality and independence you feel and experience in your life and recognize the areas you can improve upon.

By doing this, you will be aligning with the highest frequency, love and gratitude, which will attract ever greater and more of the same to your life as long as you hold that space, in your heart and mind. Be careful not to fall back into thoughts of lack or negative patterns, as those will only sabotage your great success and happiness.

Remember, we are all in this together. When you do something, I feel it, and vice versa. Let us all remember that we affect the world with our thoughts, words and deeds.

May we all be guided to choose the most eloquent words of compassion and kindness. And not be too hard on ourselves when we make mistakes, but continue to grow, learn and strive for excellence in all areas of ours lives.

I hope to meet you soon, at one of the events coming up either in Miami, Florida, San Diego, California or Bali next June.

Infinite blessings to you,

Namaste,

Dashama”

Dashama Gordon is the CEO of Pranashama Yoga Institute, an innovator in the field of Mind, Body, and Spiritual Fitness. She has worked with Sony Motion Picture Studios, Waldorf Astoria Resorts, Clinton Global Initiatives amongst other world known brands. She has created numerous programs, videos, dvds, & books to spread the healing, blessings of prevention through yoga and healthy lifestyle.

To learn more about Dashama and her global programs, mission and vision, visit her website: Dashama.com /bio ; 30dayyogachallenge.com and p erfect10lifestyle.com; connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and read her blog & view her videos onDashama TV

Meditation Monday: Accessing Inner Beauty

Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Third Eye Chakra

For today’s meditation, I thought I’d offer another excerpt from the “Writing to Connect with the Elves” online class.

Access beauty, restore balance of the masculine and feminine energies within you, and release your deepest desires from resistance.

“To see this realm – the realm of thought forms, is to see resistance to your desires. It is to see yourself in a mirror; it is to see wounds, to see joy, and forgotten bliss.

It takes courage to enter this realm. But what you will need most of all is creativity, and this comes from directly connecting to your feminine energy. To master this realm, your feminine/creative side must be employed. Everyone has feminine and masculine energy within, but most people use their masculine energy to go after what they desire. What you desire, however, is not something to conquer, it is something to receive, because it’s already available for you. That is why it is the feminine energy, not the masculine, that will most serve you here.

In your dimension, there is an imbalance of masculine and feminine energy (within each individual, and as a whole), that if not restored, will prevent you from fully entering our realm.

To “Pursue and conquer” is in the masculine agenda. It has a direct course of action, and the energy moves in straight lines. It is a beautiful energy that serves a very specific purpose, but when applied in the wrong context (or without its equal, feminine counterpart), it can produce devastating results.

Ironically, the Elvin realm can actually be more difficult for woman to enter, (if they have a lot of barriers around their heart) as your world has taught women some very harsh lessons about femininity.

Femininity is not honored or respected in your world. It is usually seen as weakness. Woman, in your dimensions, are taught they are too much, and not enough, and the feminine energy is confused and remains hidden within most hearts. To be poised, creative, and graceful, is to be vulnerable, used, and misunderstood.

True beauty, in our realm, reflects as a direct result from energetic beauty through our physical forms. The beauty we posses is an exact mirror of our hearts.

Here there is no understanding of hiding beauty. The concept does not make sense to us. Beauty is not something to be feared or envied, it just simply exists within all Beings, and should be allowed to flourish. Beauty is highly respected and honored. It is not the material, external, object you’ve come to understand it as. No, beauty is inspiration, it’s hope, it’s comfort. It is the vibrant spiraling energy of creation, passion, and love.

Sometimes only beauty speaks, which is why you often go into nature when you are lonely, or why you give flowers at funerals. You have an understanding how beauty heals, but most of you have not yet translated this concept to your own bodies, you own soul, your own heart. Most of you hide.

The subject of beauty is of much importance. And it must be understood if you are to continue further on your quest. Indeed, to find your own heart is to discover and reveal your own beauty to the world. This is the feminine counterpart of your energy (we will discuss the male counterpart in our next journey – which is of tremendous value).

Balance

You each have both feminine and masculine energy within you and these energies need to be balanced. Our realm can help you accomplish this task. For balance between these two energies is what we all carry within us. When one gets unbalanced, they slowly tip out of this realm. So to enter our realm, is to fill the perfect balance of male and feminine energy. Do you feel it?

Notice how you feel within our realm. Which part of you feels most at home and at rest? Which part of you is most uncomfortable?

In this writing meditation, you will focus on discovering beauty. This beauty is all around you. You will enter into the realm and ask your Elven guide to reveal your beauty. This region of the Elvin realm that your guide takes you will be a direct reflection of YOU.

Allow the vision to come.

Allow the message to come, the symbols, the words. Don’t judge or think. Simply observe. Ask any questions you feel led to ask. Look deeply into beauty – what it truly is, what it represents, and where you carry it within you. Each of you has a rare and exquisite beauty to be revealed – and it is a beauty the world desperately needs. Today you will look further into the Elvin realm to discover the essence of your feminine energy – your true beauty. It may be hidden deep, but it is there. It always has been. You carry an Essence of the Divine within you. And it is this Essence that heals and restores balance to the World, and to your own life. Allow it to come forth. Allow it to shine.

Your beauty is needed.”

Bonus:

As an added bonus, enjoy one of our guided audio meditations in the Elven realm:

Meditation Monday: It’s all about The Shift

Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Third Eye Chakra

The results are in.

Meditation is not simply a way to relax; science now confirms that those who meditate shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex. This shift activity decreases the negative effects of stress, anxiety, and mild depression. Aside from psychological soothing, many seasoned meditators claim meditation opens them up to the multi-dimensional aspects of their nature. It helps them see beyond the 3D illusion and into a space of limitless possibility.

Meditation is a great tool for manifesting. When you relax the mind and open up to All that Is, you realize the perfection of the moment. You begin to understand that all things and all possibilities exist simultaneously and therefore shifting the psychical reality is merely a matter of shifting focus.

The Shift, indeed.

Most importantly, meditation gives you the opportunity to tune-into your Spirit. There is much to learn from observing your thoughts and emotions and truly listen to the Voice of Source within you. Source (or God) does not exist somewhere “out there.” There is no “out there,” because, even as science is confirming, everything is connected. There is no separation. The external world around you is merely a reflection of your own heart.

When you meditate, you give yourself the experience of tuning your conscious mind to Source perspective and when you connect to Source, your perception changes.

For those would-be meditators who simply have a hard time finding the silence between thoughts, there are MANY tools to help you along your meditation journey. In my experience I’ve found guided meditation to be the single most effective tool in helping shift my focus and calm the “monkey mind.” Having something to focus on (especially a vision that brings me peace or beauty, or even activation for my creativity) puts me into a visionary state that always seems to shift my manifestation energy and help me tune-into the Divine presence of God within me.

The second most useful meditation tool to assit me in my meditation journey is binaural beats.

The internet literally has thousands of tools and resources to help assist you in your meditation. Here are some I have found incredibly useful:

Guided Meditation for fulfilling your heart’s desire:

Guided Meditation for Healing:

Guided Meditation for Relaxation (short) with Deepak Chopra:

Here is a taste of Binaural Beats:

If humanity could learn to look within and shift our focus from the problems to the solutions, from blame to personal responsibility, and from the illusion around us to the Truth within, the world we have each individually (and collectively) created through our thoughts would begin to dramatically Shift.

For as Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is within us. You will not find it by looking outside of yourself. Only through connecting to the Source within will you ever truly find Paradise.

Happy Meditating, everyone!

Written by: Amanda Flaker

Meditation Monday: Manifesting with the Elves

Meditation, Meditation Monday, The Third Eye Chakra

Welcome to Meditation Mondays!

Because I do some so much with meditation in my online classes, I thought I’d start offering my writing (and/or audio) meditations on Chakra Center once a week. This gives you a sneak peak of what the online writing classes are like, and allows you to try out different meditation techniques and explore new realms of your imagination. It’s a win/win.

In my Writing to Connect with the Elves class, we do a lot of meditating. Most of our writing exercises are actually what I call “Writing Meditations.”

In honor of the end of my second round of guiding the Writing to Connect with the Elves class (and the start of Meditation Monday), I thought I’d share one of our class meditations. All you need is a journal, a writing utensil, and a quiet place in nature.

For those of you who aren’t really into the metaphysical stuff (or the elemental realm), this will probably be a new experience for you. Don’t worry if you think some of this is weird. It doesn’t matter if you actually believe in any of it; the important thing is to allow your imagination to take over and have fun!

If you don’t know any mythology about the Elven realm, don’t worry. The idea is for you to discover the Elemental realm through the writing meditations — really, through your own heart. Feel free to do research, but in my experience it’s much more magical and mysterious to learn by what comes forth through you.

Be sure to save everything you write down from this writing meditation. Visuals typically come first, meaning comes later.

Simply follow the instructions and allow your imagination to do the rest!

Seeing Thought Forms: (From Writing to Connect with the Elves, Meditation #2):

Many don’t know this, but Elves are masters of manifesting. All things that exist in our physical world came into form through a process of creation, focus, and emotional fueling on the etheric realm before beginning their journey in our 3D existence.

The Elves exist primarily in the etheric realm, and therefore all pre-manifested thought forms and potentials already exist around them. The realm of thought forms could be considered our “future,” as they are the creation realm for things to manifest on the physical plane.

Some thought forms are stronger than others, as the more focus we (in the third dimension ), put on things in the etheric dimensions (or thought forms), the faster they vibrate and the more energy is generated around them to move into physical reality.

Elves know how to maneuver and manipulate these energy fields, and because of this perspective, they have invaluable insight for us on the art of manifesting. They don’t, however, like to involve themselves with this aspect of our existence unless it directly involves or affects them. And in our case, it does.

Jarin (the Elf who gave me the idea for this class), explained to me that as humans learn to give focus and emotional energy to their bliss (rather than their fears, sadness, or pain) it changes the way the energy moves on their dimensional plane (naturally) and creates specific geometric energy patterns that generates more harmony in their realm. Helping us connect to our bliss directly benefits their dimension.

Here is the message I received for today’s meditation:

“You humans have much to learn on the art of manifestation. It is something you do without thinking, every moment you breathe, but you do this unconsciously, often without applying the craft of intention – the gift of your imagination.

Much has been said about what you call ‘the law of attraction,’ but we Elves like to call it the ‘Art of Creation.’

All that you think and feel exist on a dimension you cannot see, taste, or smell. The only access most of you have to this realm is through your emotions – you feel your way through it. Developing your emotional intelligence through employing your intuition is the most important aspect of manifesting, and it is an art that most humans leave out of the equation.

You believe logic to be the answer. Logic can serve you, indeed. But logic does not move the dimension of ideas with the same power of emotion. Logic energetically vibrates slower, and therefore takes more time and energy to move fully from pre-manifestation energy waves, into your 3D experience.

When you tap your intuition – moving into the world of “feeling” – you can enter into the realm of pre-manifestation, and begin to perceive all possible potentials and your relationship to them. You will see the position of all thoughts, all ideals, all potentials. It is important to learn to perceive this realm if you are to be a master of intentionally creating your world. This is a very real realm you can enter and move around in; you will feel where things are, and move them to new places with the power of your focus, changing the shape and pattern of all energy forms.

Many have become Masters of this realm, using this understanding both for good and for ‘evil’ (misalignment with the Higher Self). It is not in the nature of us Elves to readily share this information. In fact, many of our people are against it, as much harm has been caused from humans using the mastery of our realm to control others and manipulate our world. But most of us have come to understand that helping those of who carry strong movements of Light in your realm, would benefit greatly from this understanding, and therefore, from our Wisdom.

Understand that we do not take this lightly. It is for the transforming energy your focus brings to our dimension, that some of us choose to offer ourselves as guides to you. It is a mutually beneficial exchange, as all things are, and must be honored and respected if it is to move forward.

Before you move further into our world, there are many things you must understand about it, and this is perhaps the most vital.

The key to moving and manipulating energy forms and pre-manifested potentials is to use your focus through intuition and emotion. Your intuition is a gift, a guidance system, a tool given to you by the Creator to move and navigate your way through worlds. It is not only your world where this tool is beneficial; it is most especially useful in all other dimensions. Indeed, intuition is the only safe way to inter-dimenionally travel.

Emotions work with intuition, but they are not the same. Emotions are like signals for your intuition; they will tell you how your relationship is in relation to any energy form that exists on this realm. But your intuition will tell you which direction to move those forms; to the right or left, up or down, or in a vibrating circle. We understand that this idea sounds foreign to you, as you are not use to talking about thought forms as if they are actual things – but indeed, they are. In fact, they are more “real” than those things in your world that you see, taste, and touch.

When I speak of moving these energy forms, I am not offering you a metaphor. Depending on the direction of your focus, things in this realm will move, and your relationship to them in your realm will change. These forms are fueled most powerfully through your emotional focus. Your emotions move thought forms faster, and with more force, than any other form of energy (other than Light). To master the use and focus of your emotions is to master your relationship to all energy forms in this realm.

The Art of moving energy is the practice of painting a picture through focus — the first draft, so to speak.

Those who understand this realm spend most of their focus here, rather than in the realm of “what is” already existing in the 3D realm, because they understand that “what is” is past tense – past tense that you, in your physical bodies, are experiencing as your “present.”

Those who understand the past tense nature of your existence, realize that to change anything in the physical reality, is to change the position of potentials and thought forms in our realm. Changing pre-manifestation position changes your relationship to all things. You no longer have to stand in opposition to the things you want, when you correctly understand your relationship and distance to all things.

If there is an area in your life you would like to improve, simply visiting this realm will show you where you are, the position of the thing you want, the quickest route to moving it to you, and the shape and frequency of its form. Learning to see this realm is perhaps the most powerful skill one can learn.

Don’t be concerned if much of this does not make sense to you. If will, in time, if you allow. Practice Seeing. Your entrance into our world is just that.”

Writing Meditation #2 – Seeing thought Forms

Find a place in nature and get into a relaxed, comfortable position. Take several deep, cleansing breaths.

Take out your notebook and write down the deepest desires of your heart.

Notice how you feel when you write them down. Does it fill you with joy and excitement as you think of your passions and dreams? Do you feel inspired? Or do you feel sad? Hopeless? Discouraged? Do you feel like you have failed yourself? Or that you are undeserving? Noticing your emotional reaction to your desires will give you an idea of how close they are to you.

If you feel any negative emotion as you think about your desires (things like “I don’t deserve this,” “I’m not worthy,” “It will never happen,” etc), this is your indication that you have a barrier built around you in relation to your desires. Don’t judge yourself for this, just notice and write down what you feel.

Feel where these emotions are in your body. Do you feel it most in your lower abdominal area? Or around you heart? Perhaps you feel the emotions in your head or around your face. Simply notice where the emotion is coming from (positive or negative, depending on your relationship to your desires) and write down the position.

Now take a few more deep breaths, close your eyes, and try to find the space between your thoughts.

Feel your way into the Elemental realm. Are you at the entrance to a tree? What does it feel like this time? Is it night or day? Look around and try to take-in every detail. Notice the colors, the hues, the light, the shadows. Notice how you feel. Observe your breath. Does it flow deep and smooth, or is it quickening? Slow it down as much as possible.

Invite your elf to meet with you, or any other Elemental friend that may have interest in taking you on this journey.

When you feel their presence, take-in everything about them. Imagine you are breathing in their energy, and they are breathing in yours – this is a true exchange. Ask them for a symbolic token that allows your entrance into their realm.

Take as much time as you need, and allow yourself to fully move into this experience. Allow the vision to unfold, without judging anything you think or see or hear. Simply observe, and allow the Elemental to reveal this world to you.

Now ask your Elven guide to take you to the place of your dreams — the cavern where the deepest and most ardent desires of your heart reside. As you watch the vision unfold, pay special attention to where you stand in relation to that desire.

Where are you? Does anything look familiar? Are you deep in the forests of the earth? Or high in the vast and wondrous sky? Are you outside or in? What does it feel like? Are you cold or warm? What emotions arise for you? Take in as many details about your environment as you can.

Now ask your guide to show you a visual representation of your deepest desire.

Can you see it, or is it hidden? Are you close or far away? How do you feel when you see (or search) for your desire? Where do you feel this emotion in your body?

Allow the feelings to come without judgment, and try to notice every detail of your emotions and surroundings. Remember to continue to breath deeply and simply observe. Stay in the vision as long as you need. Try to get a “feel” for where you stand in relation to your desire. If you feel any resistance, notice where the energy is moving in your body. Where do you feel the resistance?

Don’t be surprised if this exercise brings-up a lot of emotion. For some it may be a blissful, amazing adventure, for others it might be dark and painful. For many, it will probably be a mixture of both.

Most of us have many blockages to our deepest desires, and the elemental realm will show you, symbolically, where those blockages are. You are the only one who will understand the meaning of your vision, though you may not be able to interpret it all initially.

For this meditation, don’t try to rescue or move anything around in your vision. Simply observe it, memorize where things are and how they feel. Try to notice as many details as you can. Write down as much sensory information as you can absorb.

If you prefer to simply be in the vision, and write after you’ve come out, that’s fine. Just make sure you write down as much as you can, as it is easy to forget small details in these visits, but every detail means something. It’s all symbolic of your energetic vibration.

Everything you see, hear, taste, smell, touch, all represents something significant about your Story, your Consciousness, and your relationship to all things in this realm. Everything you See is valuable. Often you won’t understand the meaning of things until months later, which is why it is important to keep your journal of your visits.

When you feel you have taken in enough information, thank your Elf (or whatever Being that joined you), and offer them a gift. Then allow the vision to fade.

Before you leave your comfortable spot in nature, jot down a couple paragraphs describing how you feel. What was the experience like for you? Where is the emotion in your body? Do you feel lighter, or heavier?

Remember, there is no “right” or “wrong” answers. Don’t judge anything you feel. Simply allow yourself to feel. Be in the moment.

Namaste.