Do you ever find yourself going about your day, mind racing and find you’re holding your breath?
Stop right now, and be mindful of your breathing – what does it feel like at this very moment?
We live in a society of busyness and often do not take the time to just be still.
We often think that we need hours upon hours of time to practice mindfulness and meditation. So rather than giving it our time and attention, we push it aside for when we will “have more time.”
Stillness is not the objective of mindfulness and meditation. Rather it’s a by-product of our being, when we can sink into the present moment and follow our breath.
I’ve been practicing mindfulness and meditation for so long that I can switch into this place easily and quickly, just from it being a part of conditioning and daily practice.
You can do this too. It’s something everyone can experience.
You don’t need hours of time. Give yourself small moments throughout the day, 30 seconds 5-10 times where you can sink into the stillness, and become aware of your breath. Pause, and breathe deeply. Just be.
Before you get out of bed in the morning and before you go to bed each night…sink into the stillness.
In-between client calls, emails, your to-do list tasks…sink into the stillness.
Driving in your car or stopped still at a red light…sink into the stillness.
This can begin the process of mindfulness and meditation as a daily practice for you. Weave it into your life rather than having it be a separate part. Anytime we want to be more aware, we must begin exactly where we are. We must begin with what we have.
This small action of pausing, breathing deeply and sinking into the stillness begins the process of mindfulness and meditation. It weaves into your life, rather than being separate from it. Anytime we want to be more aware, start with where you are. Begin with what you have.
So today, I encourage you to sink into the stillness. Just breathe.
I had a client say I want to be realistic. I say realistic is how we keep our dreams and desires small. So we don’t get hurt or disappointed, but then we equally cut ourselves off from the expansiveness of Joy, wanting to unfold and grow in our lives.
For my clients I had them do an I want list or I desire for this year and then shift the list into a gratitude list. What this does is it helps the mind accept that this is a feeling in you but not something you are seeking. When we grow from within our external experiences can begin to match our inner world.
Give yourself permission to dream and expand what you would like to bring forward in your life. Do what sparks Joy in you and your life. When we begin to grow our Joy things take on different meanings because it’s the meaning we give the item or experience.
This is true about our experiences we are looking for experiences that will bring us a particular feeling so we seek it, rather if we sit and meditate about how we feel about the feeling or thought of that experience and grow that feeling that’s what we are seeking.
Then you begin to feel you are not separate from your experience but your experience is to draw more of who you are out. Expressing your soul and Divine Nature. This is what from the inside out living looks like.
When I speak about this a lot of people will say things like Law of Attraction but that really only scratches the surface. It’s not about positive thinking and that can be detrimental to our overall well-being. If we aren’t allowing room for all our emotions to be present and have space to be. How can we learn to grow what brings us Joy?
If we are unwilling to move through the pain. Then Joy can’t grow in a stifled environment, can it? Your capacity to grow Joy and experience that which is Joyful will be the equal capacity you have by what you are blocking and hiding from yourself.
Meaning if we have a lot of unexpressed pain and even in that pain there are seeds of Joy but left unexpressed What will grow.? Weare emotional beings weather you “THINK” you are or not.
Back when I was in-between jobs I was a Massage Therapist, slash waitress, slash writer. After I came back from living in Europe for a year I didn’t want to go back to Massage full time. That always felt like a stepping stone one long stepping stone for me but I really didn’t know what was next. I gave myself time to be in the in between. Which our culture doesn’t value or really talk about much. Same as rest but that’s another post entirely.
I began working with Plant Medicine in particular Ayahuasca. I was called to facilitate and coaching with The business I have now. It took an Incredible leap to follow my heart to travel abroad with next to no money and it took another incredible leap to work with plant medicine.
But when Happiness and Joy are the calling cards you answer and you follow that because all else pales. Or maybe you don’t answer because you are sacred and life is comfortable and in our comfort we get complacent.
Why risk following your heart, when you have so much to loose? Instead, life has a funny way of taking it from us anyway. I get it, it’s not easy to follow your heart because it will challenge everything you hold dear. Are you sure? Because the mind is almost always sure of that beings a hell no and the heart is saying Hell yea, but when I listen to my mind I get scared.
Any notable person that follows their heart and pursues dreams has setbacks and challenges. Because it’s the Universe asking, again and again, are you sure?
Helping you move from the old story to a new one. Then it’s routing you, GPS to your experience, your highest version of yourself, by stripping you down to basics and rising you back up again. The famous death and rebirth cycle.
For a well lived life will ask you to die to your previous outdated selves multiply times. And what is life if we don’t die a few times in the process?
Our heart is a beacon of truth for ourselves and for others around us. It’s what lights your path even if you can only see a few feet in front of you at a time. To me, this is when I learned Faith in Action. I don’t believe in blind faith, for true faith is a demonstration of us listening and trusting and following what’s in our hearts again and again.
This is what I experience in my life and in my work and why I’ve been called to demonstrate this to those that are called to work with me. You deserve to be so filled with Joy that you can almost burst from it. This is you lighting up your life.
Life doesn’t have to be hard, we make it hard from our past stories. Healing comes and in that space so does JOY. Moving from the hard paradigm mentality story to the new one being ushered in is another collective leap we are learning to take. A GPS rerouting that’s taking place, one big fucking U-Turn putting us on the course of JOY.
Are you listening?
Can you feel it?
Choose it! We are all adults now and we get to decide not the story in our head. Lean in the heart knows the way.
Here is to an expansive 2019 for you and those around you. May you have the spirit of Joy return to you again and again as you relearn to grow that which expands your heart.
A mindful way to view self-love and how to bring the actions into your daily life with simple steps to help you cultivate a greater sense of self-love.
In today’s world and with the work I teach clients, self-love is taking center stage now. We are beginning to realize that loving ourselves is going to help us be more loving to others. That in truth how can you love someone else if you haven’t cultivated and developed some form of self-love?
When we begin to see ourselves as another would, or love ourselves as we love our friends, this opens up a capacity to grow our experience of self-love.
To take the journey of self-discovery is to open up to loving ourselves.
1. Set boundaries- When we care enough about our own well being we are able to say no to people and situations that aren’t healthy for us, that drain or deplete us rather than lift us up. Setting boundaries is a form of being empowered in your sense of self and thus you will love yourself more when you set limits and this fuels and grows that self-love. It can be challenging and often feels uncomfortable for people pleasers. We need to understand short-term gains don’t grow lasting results without some form of healthy boundaries in place.
2.Practice Good Self-Care- This looks like solid and balanced nutrition, eating whole healthy foods that nourish you. Some form of movement, learning to move your body in different ways teaches you to move your energy. Quality Sleep, Intimacy, human connections, and healthy relationships. Removing toxic people from your life.
3. Self-Acceptance- choosing to free ourselves from the burdens of the past. Regret and mistakes are teaching tools to help us grow if we can shift our perspective and allow acceptance to arise. We will be able to forgive ourselves and this is love.
4. Self-Forgiveness- We can begin to forgive ourselves only when we accept who and what we are now. All of our faults, missteps and should of would of could of. We are exactly where we are being exactly who we are meant to be in each and every moment. Let go of the self-hatred and self-criticizing. This is when we begin free ourselves and begin to forgive. Self-love in action.
5. Live Authentically and Intentionally- When we begin to live with purpose and desing which is living a heart centered life and letting your heart guide you. This grows self-love. Listening and acting from your heart. You don’t need to know your purpose if your intention is to live with greater joy follow what grows that inside you. If your intention is to live a healthy life follow what grows that for you. You will develop greater self-esteem and love for yourself when you see you are doing what you set out to do.
When my decisions started to grow greater Joy in my life I could see and feel that which was not in alignment with my heart come up to be healed and cleared in me. I continue to come back to each of these steps as a deeper understanding of myself grows over time. As I hold space for clients to move through these steps I am reminded how far I’ve come on my journey to growing self-love actualized in my life. That i can look in the mirror and say I love you and feel it in my core of my being.
This is my wish for you to see yourself and grow that love and appreciation and this will grow a greater Joy for you and you will be able to be that in the world.
The mirrored effect and the bullshit meter measuring stick.
Why the truth can feel like complete and utter bullshit when we are facing our conditioned responses to life? Our conditioned self is the programming we are taught and told and feel from a young age that’s been handed to us externally.
The truth is internal.
The truth can feel counter-intuitive when facing our false conditioning because our conditioning runs the show and runs so deep. It’s what drives us and as we begin to let go of our conditional self only then can we live free.
To be the most authentic version that we are designed to be. We need to take stock of what’s running our lives currently.
Our stories are wrapped so deep through our thinking and being that we’ve identified ourselves as them; so we can’t see the forest for the trees until we are smack dab in the mix of it.
Facing our conditioning requires a few things from us.
1. Awareness is the first step, but just the beginning.
Developing the Inner witness and Observer helps us see from a different perspective.
As our perspective shifts only then can we begin to let go of the attachments around the conditioned self. The reason there are attachments because it has served us and in serving us it becomes a part of our identity with the egoic-self.
2. Loving ourselves in our awareness of our conditioned self.
Why this is so essential but can be the most challenging part?
When we begin to love ourselves at this moment, just as we are we will begin to untangle from the attachments of why we bought into the conditioning in the first place; which is most likely rooted in a not enoughness or a too-muchness feeling space. Often loaded with: shame, anger, guilt, just to name a few emotions entwined with our experiences.
This is what acceptance looks and feels like but so difficult for so many to accept feeling shamed or rage or guilt. This is why forgiveness is challenging because this is another layer of acceptance. This is a huge part of the self-love work I teach so clients can begin to actualize this and set themselves free.
3. The power of choice to shift and change because love can and will dissolve it.
Now can be replaced with a new energy that comes from your heart space. An emptiness that is already full. This is when our spirit or soul essence fills us up.
4. Acting by affirming this new energy from your heart which is your truth.
How do you act from your heart? You listen and follow it which is a different feeling than an automatic response based in Fear. Practice from this space it doesn’t happen overnight it takes conscious effort to live from here. This is part of living the Unconditioned self.
Taking these steps helps you to actualize your authentic self as the dominant energy you express. Instead of the conditioned self that’s based in fear.
Sounds easy but it can be challenging. Our growth is often challenging and rewarding because reaping the benefits of a heart-centered life is the greatest gift of all and anything less feels dissatisfying. It’s like eating a meal when you wanted a piece of chocolate cake.
We are full already but we need to get unconditioned to experience the truth of who we are. Layer by layer, we unfold by letting go and shaking off the past.
This is the great awakening that is taking place right now.
Can you feel it?
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions with this process or would like me to walk you through a session. I love holding space if you feel called to remember your greatness.
I’m at a place on my path that I still struggle with receiving from time to time. But as it has shown up in my life over and over again as a way to protect myself, I’ve learned to sit up and reflect to take notice.
In the past few months I’ve shared a session or gifted someone with healing work I do, but they’ve passed on it. This has helped me reflect on how we often turn away that which will be most healing for us.
We are not here do it alone. To constantly think we need to go it alone actually pushes away the very thing that we’ve been calling into our lives for healing and growth.
Some people on the spiritual path will turn it down because it’s showing up outside of them as another person.
The journey inward doesn’t mean that what we seek doesn’t show up on the outside from time to time. This is exactly what it means to have our inward life express itself on the outside, reflecting back to us our inner dynamics.
It’s not about seeking it. But when the opportunity shows up, learning to gratefully receive helps to expand your ability to heal from within and grow your heart space in honoring your path.
For someone who has struggled with receiving help and letting people in, I can speak to this subject with great clarity.
When I do continue to let the abundant and loving Universe show up and provide me with all I need on my path, I expand in my capacity to show up and give more of myself than I ever thought possible.
Most people find it more comfortable giving than receiving — this can come as a way to manipulate power and control over others.
We’ve deemed giving as being more important, more honorable and notable — that you are somehow less when you accept and open to a receiving role. So much so that Facebook has turned people’s birthdays into a charitable donation space. This is wonderful, but another way we use giving as being more important than receiving.
And now that everyone is doing it, do you do it because you want to or because you want to be seen as giving and generous?
So why is the role of receiving looked down upon? How can one truly give from a heart center space if no one is on the receiving end to receive those gifts of the heart? It’s not about the thing, it’s about an exchange of energy.
When we reject the very thing we long for and often don’t realize it, we are inadvertently continuing to say we aren’t worthy. We aren’t worthy of our love. This comes back to the premise that we are all connected, the expression of Oneness and the energy of all that is. By rejecting what shows up in front of you, you are inadvertently rejecting a part of yourself.
The only way in is through: through the lies and conditions we’ve been fed that we aren’t worthy. Accept the experiences that show up to teach us and remind us of the truth. This isn’t a thought. We must live it and experience it.
Gone are the days when the spiritual path meant to go live in a fucking cave or forest or desert for days, weeks, and years. Our journey with 7 billion people on the planet means we are creating a life to have a journey inward through its outward expression and being present with what is presenting itself to us daily. The dance of being the light and reflecting it.
Yes, stretches of silence are therapeutic, and as a teacher of meditation alone time is vital. But, not a way to hide what we are calling to experience.
We are here at this time in our world to be connected and supported. We are being called to show up together collectively to strengthen the light within, to shine it, to transform the world we wish to live in versus the one we are in currently.
I know my purpose. Many don’t. Your purpose doesn’t equal a paying job. It’s part of your calling. Its human expression is to be as close to a divine light made manifest as possible.
The road to lightening up is letting go, and sometimes holding space for each of us to receive is a part of why we are here to hold each other’s hands.
Be open to receiving. When it’s showing up in your life, it’s there to teach you that you are loved. This is a part of the self-love journey. Receiving is as important as giving.
When we receive and remember the truth of who we are, we can begin to give in a way that we have never given before. As a whole and healed complete heart.
I hear clients say “I don’t want to look at the past. The past is in the past, it can’t be changed.” I disagree: It can be changed. We can change everything.
All-time exists NOW. If all time is now, then absolutely you can change the past. Our past lives in our perceptions, and we can change what we see by learning to make peace with it — by giving ourselves the ability to feel all that we couldn’t feel then.
If we allow ourselves to feel the feelings that we’ve stored through our trauma and pain — by being present with it now and letting it go — we no longer need to hang on to all those feeling we couldn’t experience from ages 0 to 8.
It’s not about reliving the past. Your past is informing your NOW all the time. As we continue to carry around those feelings and experiences we will throw them into our future. We will continue to relive it with different people and situations, but it’s the same energy that’s presenting itself in our lives.
When we are triggered with anger and hurt in our NOW it is almost never about what triggered us. But that it’s a familiar feeling touching a wound. It’s an opportunity for us to become aware of what’s wanting to be noticed.
Our bodies are great indicators of how we continue to carry our past with us: excessive weight, fatigue, addictions, disease, pain. These are red flags that your subconscious is trying to speak to you and you aren’t listening.
We haven’t been taught tools to navigate our inner psyches and we are here now remembering our true selves.
I have clients ask two simple questions when you are triggered:
When did I first feel this feeling? This will tie back to the original emotional experience, or wounding. Just asking this question doesn’t mean you need to relive the trauma. Rather, it pulls up the stored emotions that you were unable to feel at the time. This is where healing happens.
Where is it in my body? We store trauma and pain in our body and this helps to heal it on a cellular level.
Most of the clients I work with need a little guidance in the beginning with a session to pull it up. But most people have been triggered in their present: They can bring an incident up and begin there.
Start in the Now, because most likely you’ve been carrying years of pain with you unacknowledged. We are really good at hiding from ourselves. Remember: It’s not about the “Why.” The “why” activates victim consciousness and the small self. It’s about acknowledging what’s been hidden to experience the feelings and let it go.
This is why the past matters and why being present in the Now helps to let it go. This creates space in your life for New Beginnings.
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It’s ultimately what surrendering feels like. I think sometimes people have an idea of surrender as giving up. Rather, it’s an allowing of all that is present and to be with it wholly now. This is the art of surrender.
It feels new and different with each layer and each experience…as if we are experiencing surrender for the first time.
Michael Singer has a book out called The Surrender Experience. It’s a phenomenal story of his life: With each experience, he goes deeper inside and let’s go of his wants or needs to make changes to the external. Anything that triggers him he becomes present with it and let’s go of the need to control it. Just allowing where he is at and what he feels to be present.
This is at the core of the work I am currently doing with clients. Shifting energy, patterns, and perspectives. Remembering the lost art of letting go and being present with what is. So your New Now can be informed no longer from your wounds of your past.
If you feel that any of this speaks to you or you would like a free Breakthrough session please reach out. I would love to walk you through releasing your past to make room for the New that wants to emerge in your life.
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