higher consciousness
Checking In With Yourself
In today’s hustle-and-bustle, busy world there is sometimes the need to slow down and take break. Take a moment to say hello to yourself. Do a check in. Catch up with you. As a wise man once told me, “You must start by starting!” Quite so, because it makes things much more confusing if we think about it too much.
The best time to begin your day is the previous night, when you go to bed. What’s your current practice before going to sleep? Have you gotten your clothes ready for the next day? That is a handy practice that many people do. Have you gotten your soul ready as well? That is truly where to begin.
Saying hello to your soul is a powerful healing tool. Doing it consistently, just like having coffee or tea in the morning, brings you closer to yourself and takes you to a higher perspective. By you treating yourself kindly, it spreads outward. As you heal yourself, so shall you heal others.
The Divine Light Within You
Namaste. This is a term that is often used in Yoga practices and certain spiritual services. The word itself is a salutation which means, “The divine light in me honors the divine light in you.” Often people will say this unconsciously. However, it is a spiritual truth that should remind us of the value of our own light and the light of others.
The truth is that you are the light of the world and you always have a choice to honor that light, or hide that light. Spiritual teacher, activist and author, Marianne Williamson, writes, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
The main block to experiencing your own light is fear and the main freedom from fear is love. You are here to be a service to the world. You incarnated for this reason. In fact, we are all here serving each other. Even when something terrible has happened, it gives us an opportunity to see what happens when love is not present within an action.
Spiritual Power And Spiritual Practice
We are spiritual beings having a physical experience. This is important to remember when considering the nature of spiritual things. The root word for spirit is ‘breath.’ This means that every person that is breathing is equally spiritual.
Too often people think that there is a hierarchical system within spirituality; that some people are ‘more spiritual’ than others. This is simply not true. There may be individuals that have a more intentional spiritual practice, with more understanding, knowledge, or wisdom. However, this does not make them ‘more spiritual.’
The nature and purpose of spiritual practice is also something that can be misunderstood. Whether it be prayer, meditation, invocations, or other sacraments, these practices are not just to get what we want. It can be a byproduct of authentic spiritual seeking and practice, but in nearly every tradition, true spiritual power is often summed up with three principles: Love, Joy, and Peace.
All spiritual practices are intended to lead us to tap into these three qualities. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Love, Joy, and Peace are the first of many “fruits of the spirit.” Authentic spiritual practice is meant to lead us to the experience of these three things.
When Your Inner Guidance Loses Direction
No matter where you are in life, you are never without direction. Within each of us dwells a special voice that serves as a compass. This instrument of higher direction is always poised to guide us, especially when we need it the most.
Some call this inner guidance intuition or a sixth sense. It has been written about in the sacred texts of multiple faith traditions, and is often described as a special gift that some are born with or develop through life, when one’s belief in the celestial realm is augmented by a deep faith. For some this gift is also said to be cultivated over time through diligent metaphysical practice and study.
Whatever the origin is for intuition, we can affirm that this manifestation is a gift from a realm of higher consciousness that is accessible in the here and now. We can also rejoice in knowing that each of us has a capacity to tap into this amazing ability to guide ourselves, and each other.
Magic And Manifestation
Every human being has powerful magic inside of them, and part of my job is to teach people how to use that energy. I understand that ‘magic’ is somewhat of a loaded word. So, let me re-frame it for you. Jesus called if faith and told us that with a small amount of faith we can move mountains. Buddha called it thought manifestation and explained that our conscious thought produces our reality. How we focus our energy will eventually manifest in one way or another in our lives.
One thing that concerns some people with this kind of talk is the idea of darkness, or evil. Darkness does exist, but I believe that it exists only as a catalyst to increase our vibrational frequency, if we are ready to do so. My personal belief is that darkness cannot stick if there is nothing for it to stick to. This is why when discussing lower vibrational frequencies the best action is to increase our vibration.
There is really no war of light versus dark. We can turn on the lights and then if there is something that needs to be cleaned up, we can clean it up. The darkness does not struggle when the lights come on. It just goes away. For nearly all problematic circumstances our primary goal should be to change our consciousness and increase our vibrational frequency.
The Soul Self In The Age Of Technology
I used to work as a realtor for a short period of time. Most likely the short duration of that career was, even though I absolutely love people, that I sucked at the selling part.
As part of that chosen career path, I felt compelled to purchase and carry a cell phone. Customers looking for a salesperson usually will not wait long and will often just move on to the next available agent – hence the need for a phone that I had to carry with me constantly.
When I was out visiting family or friends, I had to explain immediately why I was carrying this device and my need to answer it quickly, so that I didn’t lose a potential sale. Everyone seemed to understand the situation.
If my phone rang and it was only someone wanting to chat or another type of call, I simply explained to whomever was on the other end that I was thus engaged and would call them back. However, this did not always go over well! People who call someone sometimes feel their call must be taken and followed through with a conversation.
Near-Death Experiences Teach Us About Living
Near-death experiences have been in the public consciousness for some time now. The experience itself is rather universal across different cultures: a feeling of peace and serenity, as well as a glimpse of the world beyond, before returning to this life. Each of these experiences has a lesson to be learned for those still living, no matter who the survivor may be.
Maybe the most widely reported feeling by those who have had a near-death experience (NDE) is a renewed sense of purpose and meaning. A mundane life may lack these qualities (we think) until a brush with death reminds us why we live, and for whom – ourselves, our loved ones. Additionally, even those who previously said they were not spiritual may find themselves more drawn to the Divine and the mysteries of the Universe following a NDE.