mindful
The Choice To Stay In Your Peace And Joy
The other day I was sitting in a park surrounded by people. Some were sitting in chairs, looking up at the trees, seemingly in a state of pure relaxation, with no thoughts in their minds, just taking in the nature and sounds around them.
I felt a deep sense of peace and tranquillity, having just meditated before coming to the park. I had spread a blanket under my favourite oak tree with a book in my hand.
I looked around and saw a young family. The children were playing, throwing a ball back and forth, while the father was absorbed in his mobile phone. The mother was busy preparing a picnic, setting the table with a beautiful tablecloth. Eventually they settled down.
On the other side of the park was a lovely play area where families watched their children playing, climbing and jumping.
In the middle of the park, a group of young people were playing volleyball, being quite loud and using foul language. Their behaviour attracted everyone’s attention. The family preparing for the picnic decided to leave, put everything in their cars and drove off. Others sitting in deckchairs and some children in the play area also left.
The noisy volleyball group eventually attracted the attention of a police patrol. I overheard one of the officers reminding them of the ban on alcohol in public parks and urging them to be respectful of others, especially with small children around. Despite the warnings, they remained loud and disrespectful until they finally left.
Spiritual Technology Is No Longer Science Fiction
Many years ago I began receiving messages from Spirit predicting advances in technology that would allow us to reach higher states of consciousness and expand our spiritual awareness.
At that time there was nothing on the market that matched what I was seeing, so some of these psychic impressions did not make complete sense to me, but since then several new technologies have become available to help us explore and understand consciousness and our spiritual nature.
For example, there are now several commercially available devices designed to support meditation practices by providing feedback, guidance, and enhancing the meditative experience. These devices promote relaxation, mindfulness, and deeper states of meditation.
Biofeedback devices can now help users understand and control their physiological responses during meditation, promoting relaxation and mindfulness.
Today, there are also numerous smartphone apps designed specifically to guide meditation sessions, provide mindfulness exercises, and track progress. These apps often include features such as guided meditation sessions, timers, ambient sounds, and progress tracking.
It is like having a personal yogi in the palm of your hand! Even better, that yogi gives you instant feedback on your progress by measuring your results. The apps often have incremental steps on your journey to awakening. So not only can you feel the immediate results, but you can also advance and maintain higher meditative achievements.
Yoga Can Unlock Your Psychic Potential
Yoga has long been celebrated for its profound effects on physical vitality, mental health and spiritual growth. However, its benefits extend beyond physical well-being and mental clarity, as yoga is also a powerful practice for developing heightened intuition and psychic abilities.
First and foremost, yoga promotes the mind-body connection. Through physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama) and meditation, practitioners learn to synchronise body, mind and spirit. It promotes mindfulness and present-moment awareness.
The ajna chakra, or third eye, is associated with intuition and psychic abilities. Certain yoga practices, such as trataka (candle gazing) or meditation focused on the space between the eyebrows, activates and balances the third eye.
This heightened focus and awareness strengthens our mental faculties and intuitive awareness. Regular meditation practice cultivates a peaceful, centred mind and deepens awareness of our inner being and our connection to universal consciousness.
Yoga also reduces stress by calming the nervous system and promoting relaxation. A clearer, stress-free mind facilitates access to intuitive insights.
In addition, yoga promotes the flow of energy within the mind-body by focusing on the energy centres known as chakras, which are located along the spine. By practising yoga, we balance and activate these chakras, allowing energy to flow more freely.
The Meditative Art Of Sumi-e Painting
As a spiritual advisor and artist, I’ve always been drawn to the ways in which art and spirituality intersect to offer pathways to deeper self-awareness and tranquility.
One such path that has had a profound impact on my life is Sumi-e painting, also known as suibokuga or ‘ink wash painting.’ It is a traditional Japanese painting technique that uses black ink, typically in varying concentrations, to create brushstroke-based works of art.
Sumi-e is characterized by its minimalism, simplicity, and emphasis on capturing the essence or spirit of the subject rather than its literal representation.
Paintings often feature subjects such as landscapes, flowers, birds and other natural elements. Artists use various brush techniques to create different textures, tones, and depths using only black ink on absorbent paper or silk.
The art form has deep roots in Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes spontaneity, simplicity, and harmony with nature. Practitioners often meditate before painting to cultivate a clear and focused mind, which they believe enhances their ability to express the essence of the subject.
Sumi-e painting has had a significant influence on various art forms, including calligraphy and other East Asian brush painting styles. It continues to be practiced and appreciated for its timeless elegance and ability to evoke profound emotions with seemingly simple brush strokes.
Embrace Life’s Turbulence With The Right Attitude
With the many ups and downs we face in life, it is sometimes possible to feel euphoric one moment and utterly devastated the next. Yes, life is challenging at times. But Spirit says that our attitude makes all the difference.
Life’s emotional roller coaster is an inevitable part of the human experience. However, by choosing the right attitude, we can transform this journey into an opportunity for growth, learning, and profound spiritual awakening. If we choose the right attitude, it can soften the emotional roller coaster ride of life.
Our soul purpose requires that there be times of great happiness and deep sorrow, for it is through successes and hardships that we learn how to evolve spiritually.
But when we choose to trust the process and embrace our journey with the right attitude, it becomes much easier to deal with the stressful issues and demands of everyday life.
Our attitude toward life’s ups and downs plays a pivotal role in shaping our experiences. By adopting the right attitude, we can greatly reduce the emotional turbulence that accompanies life’s challenges. It’s like putting a cushion in the seat of a roller coaster – it doesn’t eliminate the dips and drops, but it does make the ride more bearable!