A Few Minutes Of Daily Self-Care
I often tell my students to take some ‘me time’ each day, even if it’s only five minutes for self-care. And I have heard 101 excuses as to why someone cannot do this, ranging from parenting responsibilities and career, to house cleaning and maintenance. These excuses typically start with the words, “I have to…”
At one workshop, I had several people offer their excuses for not having even a few minutes for themselves on a daily basis. Then I narrowed it down to a simple question. When you have to go to the washroom, do you hold it in all day long, and all night, because you ‘have to’ do something else? After the laughter stopped, because I did do an exaggerated imitation of someone ‘holding it’ by rolling on the floor in agony!
And then I asked the next question. By holding it all day and night, and writhing in pain and agony, what did I accomplish? How much time did I waste focusing on this issue of ‘I have to go,’ but ‘I don’t have time.’
This is the simplest way to explain time management versus wasted energy and time. I take a bath or shower each day, as do most people. I am usually at least a few minutes under the water in some way. Water is my peacemaker and my calming force. It energizes me and charges me for the day.
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.
New Year’s Blessings With Archangel Barachiel
The New Year is the perfect time to introduce the wonderful Archangel Barachiel, otherwise known as The Angel of Blessings. Also known by the name of Barakiel, he is the Archangel who is designated to spread God’s messages of blessings and abundance to the world and what better time to introduce him into your life than the New Year? Archangel Barachiel is also the leader of the guardian angels, who work closely with people.
Here’s how to recognize when this magnificent being is around.
Laughter
When you are in the presence of Barachiel, you may become so joyful that you feel the overwhelming urge to laugh. Furthermore, it is said that humor is indeed one of God’s gifts to mankind, as it helps people to reduce stress levels and put any current challenges we may be facing into the proper perspective.
Barachiel teaches that through humor people can learn not to allow any difficult circumstances to overwhelm them, as Almighty God and his band of Angels are higher than any set of circumstances. All we need to do is put our faith in them at all times. Archangel Barachiel, assists humanity in learning to put our trust in God and by doing so be victorious over any adversity we may find ourselves in.
Healthy Boundaries – The Best New Year’s Resolution!
The best New Year’s resolution many of us can work on in 2019 is to create healthy boundaries with the people in our lives. These boundaries don’t have to be all about just creating space or distance between you and a few toxic people and things in your life. It can also include keeping yourself from being exposed to negativity on social media, or avoiding those foods you are intolerant to. In 2019 I recommend we all take a moment to think about the things we do, say, consume, and the people we spend our time with. Whatever it may be that brings us down, or steals our energy, needs to go. And no more people-pleasing.
Dr Seuss says, “Those who matter don’t mind, and, those who mind, don’t matter.” Well, it’s true. Those people who have a problem with you, because your belief system is different from theirs, for example, are absolutely out of line! I have said it once and I will say it again: the world will be a very boring place if we all had the same ideas and way of thinking. Diversity is what keeps our world going. So it’s okay to be different. I am big on keeping it real and being authentic. I refuse to be a conformist.
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.
The Spiritual Counselor’s Vision
Many years ago, I encountered a vision of a smiling toddler. The child’s joy was overwhelming. As I hung out in a rim state of consciousness to see more, the image faded as quickly as it came. Several years following this glimpse, I found myself staring into a photograph of my best friend’s two year old daughter. I realized at that very moment that the vision I previously experienced was a foreshadowing of my closest friend’s daughter, who is now an adult.
Throughout her childhood, I continued to receive spirit messages about her well-being. As each one emerged, I shared details with her parents. One message in particular came to me during meditation. I envisioned her standing on the grounds of what appeared to be a prominent university. While I could not make out the name of the school, I could see old stone buildings that were situated atop a beautifully landscaped hill.
She was smiling in the vision, as she proudly stood with her backpack in place between her shoulders. I interpreted this vision to mean that she would someday attend a great university and that any anxiety her parents held with regard to her future would soon dissipate in the blessing of a perfect match between student and university.
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.
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