meditation
Your Sacred Center Of Self-Love
We all thrive on being loved. This is natural, of course, if you look back at humanity in history on an evolutionary level. Ancient people came together in tribes, families, and groups, to cultivate a place of safety, security, nurturance, and love.
If you were different or stood out in any way, or even left the tribe, you were literally putting your own life at risk. This topic can be viewed from so many arenas, including psychological, spiritual, scientific, and psychic.
I often wonder how and when did we start defining ourselves by how others felt about us, and why did we believe that other’s thoughts about us were true? At what point in time did we allow others to define us? It’s as though we as humanity went into a deep trance.
We all know the phrase, “Love thyself first”. When did we forget this vital piece of information?
There are many ways we can come back in touch with this essential truth, but for the most part, our society does not support a lifestyle that would naturally lead us back to our sacred center of self-love.
How often do you take a moment to look in the mirror, or tell yourself, “I love you?” Most of us feel silly doing this, but it is very healing.
Have you ever met an older person who behaves in ways that are foolish or who just doesn’t give a hoot what anyone else thinks? My paternal grandfather used to throw dinner rolls across the table at me in fancy restaurants. While my parents and other family seated at the table would roll their eyes at my Grampy, I used to laugh hysterically!
You Are A Human Being, Not A Human Doing!
We are living in a fast-paced world where we feel we must do many things every day, hardly having much time to just be. To just stop. To think. To just be.
Instead of embracing the fact that we are a human beings, we are in this day and age more focused on being humans doing.
We get caught in up in the web of life, with its chaos and drama. And we get frustrated and feel so rushed. There is no time to truly do the things we want to do; to spend time doing the things that matter the most.
Today, take a moment to just sit for a few minutes and simply do nothing.
Meditate. Just think about nothing and if thoughts come in, ask yourself: is this thought helping me to get in alignment with my true self? Am I in touch with the higher self that allows happiness to be a part of my space and life?
If the thoughts that are coming in are not happy or healthy, or not helping you to be spiritually aware and give you that feeling of being fulfilled, then you just allow them to go in and out. Just let it be.
No need to over think, or evaluate, or spend energy on it. Just let it go. If a thought comes in and it’s a stressor for you, note it and remember to maybe get rid of that thought or person from your life.
Take Out The Toxic Trash With A Self-Love Meditation
I’ve been teaching meditation for over 30 years now, and it is something that has been widely misunderstood. It has also been hijacked by people with nefarious, materialistic agendas.
Meditation is not about emptying the mind or having no thoughts. Rather, it is about removing and replacing negative thoughts, repetitive patterns, abusive programming from childhood, and conditioning imposed by sadistic or wounded individuals.
Meditation is about inviting God, Spirit, Source, the Divine back into the heart, soul, and mind.
When we are children, everything begins with love. Children are eternal optimists, even when they have been traumatized.
But almost every child encounters at least one parent, relative, teacher, classmate, or authority figure who is abusive. These individuals attempt to rid themselves of their own overflowing toxicity by dumping it onto others: verbally, emotionally, or physically. Their words become programming, much like a computer virus.
Meditation is designed to replace that negative programming. Instead of hearing “you are worthless” looping in your mind, meditation allows you to consciously replace that tape with “I am loved.”
Think about the hurtful words that were spoken or screamed at you as a child. Then, during meditation, repeat the opposite.
How To Anchor Yourself In Any Storm
Happiness, peace, calm, no drama. This is the way of life we all really strive for and long for. We even design our lives in such a way as to create the illusion of having attained this.
Yet, life happens. There are stresses. There are arguments, fights, heartaches. Yes, there is pain.
We sometimes find ourselves in situations not of our own making, and circumstances that anger us. Yet, at the end of each day, if we can go to bed knowing we were honest, and we did what we believed with all our heart was right, then we have inner peace and happiness.
Yes, we all do make mistakes. We do things out of anger or hurt, then later regret. But if we work hard to try to resolve the situation, we can be happy within ourselves.
No one can say words to us that bring us to unhappiness; no one can take actions that hurt us if we don’t let it destroy our faith within.
Becoming the rock in the middle of the storm is key. We must keep our mind clear, not let others tell us that we are no good, and avoid trying to become what others want us to be.
We have to be what the spirit within tells us to be. Then we will be happy. We will be anchored in the center of the storm.
In all our lives, there comes a time to make major decisions. Our first wisest choice is to ask the Creator, our Higher Power, through our prayers and meditations, what is best. The second is to get expert opinions.
A Beginner’s Guide To Forest Bathing
The spiritual healing practice of forest bathing, also known as tree bathing or Shinrin-yoku, is more than just a casual walk in the woods. It’s a conscious, mindful immersion into the living energy of the natural world.
In a time of constant motion and information, nature offers a different kind of wisdom. When you enter the woods with humility and presence, the trees respond. They speak in stillness, they heal without fanfare, and they remind us of the sacredness that lives in all things.
Originating in Japan in the 1980s, Shinrin-yoku was developed as a form of eco-therapy to combat stress, burnout, and disconnection from the land. But long before it became a modern wellness trend, it was an everyday way of life our ancestors took for granted.
At its essence, forest bathing invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with nature as a living, healing presence.
It isn’t about hiking or exercise. There is no goal to achieve. You don’t have to meditate, journal, pray, do or achieve anything at all. Simply being with the trees and plants is enough.
When we stop and listen, we realize the forest has its own language, and it welcomes us into an ancient dialogue of peace and renewal. Trees are masterful purifiers. They filter the air of toxins and breathe out oxygen rich with life force.
When we stand near trees, they seem to do the same with our energy. They absorb some of our anxiety, tension, and fear, and offer us steadiness, grounding, and quiet wisdom in return.
Staying Calm Is Often The Key To Inner Peace
Sometimes the emotional charge of something as simple as a misunderstood comment, or a statement taken out of context, can throw even the most level-headed person into a tailspin.
Developing a general demeanor of good humor can assist you in dealing with some of these most difficult, embarrassing or awkward situations encountered in life.
Everyone handles things differently, doing the best they can with the information they have at the time.
Although, generally, the goal is to come to a better understanding and reach common ground, sometimes this takes much more time, effort and compromise than expected.
Although it is important to resolve an issue and clear the air, if possible, it is equally important to put each issue into context. Years from the date of the affront, will the issue be remembered at all and, if so, will it have anywhere near the importance that it did at the time?
Certain issues will never be forgotten, however, they can often be forgiven for the sake of all parties involved.
Long after the dust has settled, though, some people are inclined to continue to ruminate and replay negative scenarios over and over again.
This only serves to feed the flames of injustice and keeps the anger front of mind, long after the offending party has moved on physically and/or emotionally. As a result, rehashing the past can seem to perpetuate an aura of general negativity in your life.
