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My Wish for You: A New Beginning

I rejoice in new growth. I leave all reservations behind me. – Louise Hay

 

The New Year is fast approaching, and the good vibrations of the holidays continue to warm your heart and lift your spirits. Your soul wants to know “what’s next?” The desire for a fresh start beckons your mind, body, and spirit. You can feel yourself poised for a new beginning as you ask yourself, “What can I do better? How can I be more, love more, give more? What can I do to feel greater fulfillment, peace, and joy in the days to come?”

This call to turn over a new leaf is a natural part of your soul’s spiritual development. In fact, every moment is a new beginning, a new opportunity to spread your wings. You always have it within your power to heal, to thrive, and to grow. Whatever you wish for in the New Year, you can achieve through the power of your connection to the creative energy of the universe. How will you power up your spirit? What will your new beginning look like? How will you access the energy of your highest self?

Here are my five suggestions for launching your high-flying fresh start for the New Year:

1. Give thanks for the gifts of the old year. There is nothing like gratitude for setting your spirit on a new course. Consider all the growth and all the knowledge you’ve gained over the last twelve months. Each accomplishment and step forward was a gift and a blessing you received from a loving universe. Taking stock of all the goodness in your life opens your eyes to the miracles that surround you and expands your awareness of all that is possible for you.

2. Forgive everything and everyone, especially yourself. You can wipe the slate clean and set yourself free with the willingness to forgive. Let go off all the missteps, negative thoughts and feelings, frustrations, and fears of the passing year. Let the past be past and refuse to allow old pain to enter the new space and time you are about to experience.

3. Decide what you want and set new intentions. How do you want your life to change? Make a list of what you wish to bring into your life: people, qualities, events. Decide what you truly want. What is your true soul calling? Your prayer, journaling, and meditation practices will help direct your search for whatever you need to help you set your goals and focus your powerful new energy. Use positive affirmations to keep yourself on the light-filled path you want to follow.

4. Make taking care of yourself a top priority. Nurture yourself in mind, body, and spirit. Your wellness is the foundation of all you hope to achieve and to give. Use your meditation practice to establish the inner peace you need for learning and growth. Make sure you get plenty of rest, eat well, and keep up all your energy healing techniques so that your chakras are free and clear. Spend time in nature and reserve some relaxing time that is just for you –quiet time to let your mind and body refresh. Give yourself the opportunity to heal and grow with spiritual study and building connections with loving, like-minded friends.

5. Cherish and build your connection to Source. Always remember the loving energy you came from and that continues to power your life each day. The strength to make positive changes in your life, to find and follow your purpose, to heal yourself and others comes from that original creative energy. With that loving connection in view, you’ll remember to ask for the help you need from your angels, your spiritual guides, your ancestors, and the wise teachers you encounter on your path. Your “connections” give you the power you need to realize your dreams and extend your healing energy to the world.

What’s behind that desire you feel at the New Year to make a personal fresh start as well as to grow and heal and bring that healing love to a world in need? It’s the creative energy of a universe powered by unconditional love, the Source of All That Is. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I wish you a bright new beginning. Feel the embrace of that miraculous and all-encompassing love and use it to power a bright New Year!

If you’re still searching for a way to begin this process, discover all of the ways you can get started. Click here >>>

new-year

Three Ways You Can Light the Way for a Happy and Healing New Year

“If light is in your heart, you will find your way home.” –Rumi

The turning of the year is fast approaching. It’s a momentous time, and probably also the busiest, most hectic season on your calendar. You may feel you haven’t got a moment to breathe, and yet right now, today, your soul is calling for a time out. This season is made for reflection, for contemplation, and reverie.

It just feels right, as you move from one year into the next, to pause for an inventory of spirit. Where did your soul travel in the year that is ending, and where would you like to go in the bright future ahead? Yes, the future can be bright if you choose to make it so!

At the approach of a new year, people long to energize themselves for a step up. The whole tradition of New Year’s resolutions stems from a sincere desire to do better and be better in the next leg of the journey. If you look closely, each of those resolutions has a spiritual component.

If you succeed in losing that excess weight that is troubling you, it will mean you have increased your self-love and self-respect, honoring your Creator. If you do better financially, you will have the means to help others and to pursue the life purpose you are here for. If you vow to learn more and expand your knowledge, you will achieve a higher and broader vision that you can use to make the world a better place.

As you make time to contemplate the year that is closing, you can be joyful and grateful for all the ways you were able to grow in spirit. You’ll be shedding light on your life, and you’ll start to think of more ways for light to come in. What made you happiest in the past year? What are you most grateful for and proudest of? Now you can make plans to move further in the direction of the divine light that powers everything.

The energy that brought you to life also brought the universe to life. You ride atop an underlying intelligence that surrounds and permeates everything in existence—an energy that is All That Is. Some people call it God, some call it Source, and some call it the light. When discussing energy healing, I use the term unified field from the world of physics—but really this is love. The basic energy of the universe is unconditional love, and it is the strongest force there is. Connecting to higher-vibration energy is what your soul—having come from the light—longs to do. Activities that connect you to the light nourish your soul.

Here are three ways to strengthen your connection and bring you ever closer to the light in the year ahead:

1.Practice Meditation – Maybe you fell off the meditation wagon in the long months since last December or maybe you never had the training you needed to “see the light” that this ancient practice of peace can give. For a fresh start on this healing, light-filled path, get help from my video class.  Commit to connecting with Source through meditation and you will open a channel to the light that will inspire all your spiritual endeavors in the coming year and beyond.

2.Use Your Journal – Have you been keeping a record of your life in spirit though the past months? If so, you’ll be able to look back and see all the opportunities you were given to heal and nurture your soul. Use this moment to reflect on those times and write yourself a letter of encouragement and hope for the days to come. Your journal is a powerful tool for bringing light into your life and helping you grow in understanding and compassion for yourself and others.

3.Make Prayer Your Set Point – As the hymn says, “Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?” A prayer of gratitude, a prayer for help, a prayer for knowledge—where do you turn when you feel the need for connection? Making prayer your go-to practice every day in every season is your instant pipeline to the light.  Have you ever been wrestling with a problem and suddenly thought, “Oh yes! I don’t have to do this alone!” That was your angels, your spiritual guides, your soul, reminding you that you are never alone. Prayer can be any form of contact you create with the Source of all light—from hiking to singing to cooking to kneeling in worship.

How exciting it is to take a deep breath and know that you can nourish your soul and bathe in the light of a loving Universe—make your soul connection—whenever and wherever you choose. As your present year ends and your new year begins, rejoice and seek the light!

“We turn to feed the fading fire, dream deeply through the night

And cherish songs that carry us from darkness into light.”

–Anne Hills, “At the Turning of the Year”

If you’re attracted to this kind of learning, or you’re curious to discover more… explore this year’s Holiday Healing Guide>>>

mantle-blog

The Mantle of Healing: Three Ways You Can Tap into This Incredible Energy

Have you ever smiled at the sight of a child dashing around with arms extended and a red Superman cape streaming behind? Kids make it look pretty simple, don’t they? Whatever work needs to be done, they are sure they can do it with a little higher power assistance. Haven’t you sometimes wished for a magic cape that you could use to heal the fear, the hunger, the cold, and the darkness you see in the world around you? You know you are called to help, to heal, to mend, but how do you connect with the power you need to do it?

There may not be a magic cape, but in the Bible, an outer garment, a mantle, is described that symbolizes a calling given to an individual by God. If you were the Old Testament prophet, Elijah, for example, your mantle represented your call to minister to the people. And you passed it on to the new generation of spiritual leadership when your lifetime of work on Earth was done.  Today the “mantle” is still a metaphor for the role and responsibility of a given form of leadership, of one who is a keeper of a body of wisdom and knowledge. In the realm of energy healing, there is a body of wisdom and knowledge that can be aspired to by those who are seeking to grow in spirit and to heal themselves and others—the mantle of healing.

I decided to call my upcoming retreat to the beautiful spiritual center of Ojai Valley—The Mantle of Healing. Like its Biblical namesake, a mantle is not only a metaphor for powerful knowledge but also a simple sheltering garment. The mantle of healing shelters and protects and is a source of comfort, refuge, joy and discovery. You are always welcome to take shelter under the mantle of healing. It might also be your own personal connection to the powerful forces of wellbeing, compassion, and unity you seek.

Like all humankind, you are on a path to higher consciousness, a mission to shift from your lower-self qualities—which are largely related to physical existence and survival—to the higher-self characteristics, stemming from the energy of love that your soul intended for you to develop in this lifetime. The mantra of the lower self is, “It’s all about me.” The goal of your spirit is to shift to the call of the higher self—“We’re all one.”

Here are three ways you can shift into a higher spiritual gear and accelerate your movement toward greater spiritual growth and wellbeing:

  1. Become more self-aware. Thousands of years ago, the great philosophers advised us to “know thyself.” To know yourself, you must step into the mind-set of self-reflection and self-understanding. Figure out how you feel about everything that has occurred to you in the past and is happening to you right now. There is nothing to criticize or judge; you simply want to know and understand you. Then take the self-inquiry a step further by analyzing these sentiments: “Am I off base here?” “Is this something I need to change?” Give yourself permission to admit your mistakes and accept your frailties, because then, and only then, can you free yourself to become the powerful being you were meant to be.

 

  1. Learn to forgive yourself. Self-forgiveness plays a key role in your spiritual evolution. The number one issue blocking your free access to the light of spirit is blaming yourself. Truly, it’s the biggest problem I find in working with others—human beings are just too hard on themselves! Therefore, in addition to recognizing your feelings honestly and giving them a voice, the most powerful action you can take to grow in spirit is to acknowledge your frailties as they present themselves. When you admit your humanness, you are free to give yourself a hearty dose of compassion. So, forgive yourself for what you think you’ve done wrong and grow in self-compassion and the power to extend compassion to others.

 

  1. Build your connection to Source. With a regular practice of connecting to Source, whatever that may mean for you—and without all the negative self-talk—you’ll find there’s suddenly space for more light to come into your life. There’s enough room in you energetically for your higher-self qualities to be downloaded from the chakras above your head and come right into your field. Maybe for you, one of these qualities will be courage or resilience. The powerful gifts you always knew you had but couldn’t quite access will begin to manifest. With your newly-strengthened connection to Source, you’ll become a vehicle for the higher qualities you need to follow your calling and become the powerful contributor you are meant to be.

 

The spiritual payoff for these three types of personal action, and all the self-healing work you do, is enormous. When you’re in touch with how you feel and acknowledge your mistakes and let them go, you open the door to your higher self. Dedicated inner work is one of the primary ways you obtain your divine gifts. You become more patient and tolerant with yourself and others. Your intuition grows, and you start to experience the loving qualities of your inner essence. Spiritual growth leads to inner peace and the discovery of those higher powers and abilities you want to bring to the world.

I welcome you to embrace your powers within the mantle of healing >>>

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Five Ways to Get Ready for What Comes Next

Autumn is in full swing! As we prepare to reap the bounty of a year of celebrating in the light, healing past trauma and radiating unconditional love out into the world… I hope you’ll remember to take a look back to a year ago and see how far you’ve come and what lessons you’ve learned along the way.

I mention this because this is also a season of preparation for higher spiritual journeys, energetic soul adventures and embarking upon the pathway to the very best version of your life… for you and everyone around you.

For those of you who have followed my work for quite some time, you already know that the veil between life and death thins at this season, and possibilities for communication with those who have passed on expand.

Here lies an occasion for you to come close to your ancestors and loved ones who have passed to the other side and receive the love and the wisdom they offer.

At the start of this month, we honored the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day on November 1. This day set aside by the early church to honor saints and martyrs merged over time with long-existing folk customs celebrating the harvest and the remembrance of ancestors who had gone before. A lively modern day example of this folk tradition is the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, a holiday which honors the dead by celebrating their lives and the happy times that families spent together.

Day of the Dead celebrations have spread to cities across the U.S. because of the soulful appeal of the holiday. Customs include decorating special “altars” for deceased family members with bright flowers and candles, music, and the special food and drink that they enjoyed in life. It’s a celebration that encourages the belief that death is a natural part of the cycle of life, to be faced without fear. It also encourages the living to reinforce their connection to their ancestors and to the world of spirit, which their souls instinctively recognize as the source of strength and security, love and tranquility.

When you think about all aspects of the “All Hallows” tradition—the thinning of the veil between life and death, the welcoming of those who have gone before, the possibilities for communion between worlds—the spiritual usefulness of this celebration shines bright. It’s a good opportunity to examine what is really important to you. What really matters? How can reflecting on the transition between the worlds of life and death shed light on your present existence? How can life in the physical world be made better going forward? And what is the best way to prepare for the life to come on the other side?

Here are five ways to make the most of this transitional season with its emphasis on family and remembrance. Gather wisdom and knowledge and make yourself ready for your next step:

  1. Have your healing tools on hand. Consider all the resources available to you for becoming your best spiritual self and for healing yourself and others. What tools do you have at hand to enhance your growth—from journaling to meditation to prayer? Have you explored the use of a pendulum or the healing power of gems as part of your spiritual toolkit? (I’ve written recent blogs on both)
  2. Keep yourself strongly connected to Spirit. Your connection to your loved ones and ancestors who have crossed to the other side comes from your mutual bond in Spirit. Anything you do to strengthen your connection to Spirit, brings you closer to contacting and communicating with the ancestral guides who are waiting to help you. How do you connect with Spirit each day?
  3. Take care of yourself with gratitude and love. Believe in the loving connection you have with all of life and the continuum of life and death. By giving yourself the nourishment, movement, rest, and spiritual care you need, you honor the gift of life in the material world that is yours. Do you love yourself and express your gratitude for life each day.
  4. Remember our unity of soul; we are one. Although deceased family members have moved into another realm, they are present for you. All that you share with loved ones in the material world is a reflection of the unity that you share with all beings beyond time. Tune in to the spiritual connection between all living things for comfort and peace. Where and how do you find opportunities to feel your eternal connectedness?
  5. Help others enjoy this world. Just as the unity of souls makes one family in the spiritual realm, this connection is what bids you to be of service to others in the material world. In the celebration of the Day of the Dead, food and drink, light, beauty, and happy memories are the gifts the living offer to those who have passed. These universal ingredients of comfort and connection can be offered with joy to those who cross your path every day. How do you find opportunities to make the world a more joyful place for all?

You can choose any or all of these in a way that reflects your love and gratitude for a life filled with opportunities to heal, thrive and grow.

If you’re attracted to the special energy associated with this time of the year and you’re curious to discover more, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be livestreaming my December retreat, Sanctuary for the Mantle of Healing, December 1-4.

Click here to register now >>>

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How YOU Can Awaken the Ancient Power of Gems

The mineral treasures of Mother Earth have amazing power. You may have felt their attraction without really thinking about it. Maybe you’ve stood mesmerized before a sparkling display of colorful gems in a jewelry store window. Maybe you’ve marveled at a glowing formation of rock crystals in a science museum. As a child, you might have begun picking up shiny stones that caught your eye and soon had a growing collection. Stones in interesting shapes and colors become prized possessions for the young almost as if they sense the mysterious powers of creation they represent. The kids are on to something!

From ancient times, humans have valued gemstones not only for their beauty and rarity but as tools of healing, emblems of leadership, and symbols of devotion. Formed deep in the earth and lifted toward the surface by millions of years of wind, rain, and tectonic movement, these colorful stones have always inspired awe and fascination.

In the realm of energy healing, gems are among the array of tools that can be used to collect and focus energy for releasing blockages, clearing negativity, and channeling the healing energy that creates wellbeing. Gems can be especially helpful in clearing and balancing the chakras. As a student of energy healing, you can learn to awaken and apply the healing power of gems.

Here, for example, are some of the particular gems that can help in promoting the health of each of the chakras:

First or Root Chakra

The color of the first chakra is red, which is the part of the spectrum of light with the slowest vibration and longest wavelength. Most red stones relate to the root chakra, since red symbolizes the blood of life, vitality, and our physical nature. So ruby, garnet, red jasper, bloodstone, rose quartz, and coral can all provide a healing vibration for the first chakra.

Second or Sexual Chakra

In rebalancing the second chakra, you work with the color orange, a warm and positive color that symbolizes second chakra energy. It integrates the red of personality from the first chakra with the yellow of wisdom from the third. The stones that work with the second chakra are amber, carnelian, moonstone, fire opal, and the metal gold.

Third or Solar Plexus Chakra

Since the solar plexus chakra is related to the fire element, being outside in the sun is good in the early morning or late afternoon. For boosting the power of your third chakra, use the incense or essential oil of cinnamon, sandalwood, musk, or ginger. Yellow stones, like amber, golden topaz, yellow citrine, tiger’s eye, or rutilated quartz are good for bringing the third chakra into balance.

Fourth or Heart Chakra

The heart chakra is a life-giving green color, and is associated with the element of air. We’ve now risen from earth, water, and fire into the air. Air moves in all four directions, circulating oxygen through our breath, the vital energy we need to live. To further open your heart chakra, use the incense or essential oil of lavender, jasmine, yarrow, marjoram or meadowsweet. Use green stones, like emerald, green tourmaline, malachite, or green jade. Pink colored stones, like rose quartz are also associated with love and the heart chakra.

Fifth or Throat Chakra

To enhance your throat chakra, tune into Saraswati, the beautiful and pure goddess of speech, music, and poetry. You can use blue stones like turquoise, aquamarine, or sapphire, and burn incense like frankincense or mace. Or use rose or jasmine oil.

The rewards of balancing this powerful energy center are more powerful communication, greater creativity, and an ease and flow to life.

Sixth or Third Eye Chakra

In the sixth chakra, you get information in the form of images through light. You see light in the form of color, which is produced by the various frequencies in the light’s wavelengths. The lower chakras’ colors—red, orange, and yellow—are a lower frequency. As you go up the chakras, the higher ones are green, blue, lilac, and white or gold. The lilac color of this chakra conveys peace and tranquility. The color of the sixth chakra is lilac or even purple, so for crystal therapy, use purple amethyst crystal to improve the energy and flow of this chakra.

Seventh or Crown Chakra

Because it energizes, calms, and clarifies the mind, meditation is the best and surest way to heal and enhance your crown chakra. The planet of the seventh chakra is Uranus. Clear quartz crystals vibrate to Uranus. Quartz contains the full range of light frequencies, but it especially illuminates the crown chakra and higher. Other stones for this chakra are amethyst and diamonds. The color of the crown chakra can be either white or gold. Use incense or essential oil of frankincense or myrrh to help open the crown.

I’m excited to announce that our resident gem expert and LifeForce Energy Healing® Master-In-Training Student Meg Lynde will be joining us on this week’s Hay House Radio show to share even more on the power of gems. Join us LIVE tomorrow at 2pm Pacific, 5pm Eastern. Click here for more >>> 

holy-daze

The Holy Daze: The Energy Healer’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays

That time of year is here once more, my friends! Just over the horizon you can almost see the tidal wave of food, festivities, family drama, and frayed nerves that is about to sweep into your world. You probably promise yourself every year that this time it’s going to be different. Here’s the good news! Whatever holidays you celebrate between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, you can anticipate the season with joy rather than dread. You can make good on your promise to rise above, to love, to smile, to give, and to ENJOY the holy and sacred approach of the winter solstice. Read on for my “Energy Healer’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays.” Let me help you focus on the positive, the beautiful, and the light-filled way you’d love it to be!

For many, the holidays are way too full of unrealistic expectations and that nagging feeling that you owe yourself and your family the “perfect holiday” no matter what financial, emotional or family challenge you’re facing. Whether your fears include: “I can’t afford it,” “I don’t have time,” or “my family makes me crazy,” imagine stepping back and putting your own spiritual wellbeing first. What an amazing concept! Imagine bringing your highest self, your most balanced, serene, compassionate, loving, forgiving, and light-hearted self to the holiday party!

You can stay sane and centered in the midst holiday madness.   

Remember that you always have the choice to step back from the world and find your own realm of peace and tranquility. In a world gone mad (and not just with seasonal chaos), you are called to keep the faith, the love, and a firm grasp on eternal truth for yourself and for others as well. Cherish your sense of humor, and let happy laughter keep you grounded.

You can be forgiving and loving even when your family and the in-laws arrive at your door.

Remember that you are always safe. Open yourself to the soul connection that is always present for you. You are in the comfort zone that Spirit has created—safe, secure, powerful, and indestructible. Your holidays can be filled with joy and laughter when you feel the connection that is freely offered by a loving Universe.

You can keep your heart open, your channels clear, and your days holy–even in the midst of worry, resentment, exhaustion, and an extra big pile of dirty dishes.

Remember that no heap of dirty dishes, or even Uncle Al’s announcement that he is staying for a month, is anything compared to the power of your own inner light. Your connection to the sacred is always with you—all the time and everywhere. In my work as an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I have learned how to nurture the connection to Spirit that is always available when you need it. And don’t you always need it?  When you learn to see the sacred, the miraculous, around you at all times, celebration becomes a way of life.

Here are some simple things you can do each day to keep the sacred in your heart (and guarantee your survival) during the holidays:

  1. Pray – Prayer is a part of most traditional religious celebrations during the holidays. This powerful form of communicating with Spirit can bring joy and peace any time and any place.
  2. Meditate – Meditating each day is a healing practice that keeps you in touch with your soul and strengthens your ability to remain calm and balanced in all circumstances.
  3. Journal — Spend time using your journal to acknowledge your feelings about the people and events that fill your holidays. If you have something to forgive, choose to do so. You’ll feel a sense of relief and lightness that will carry you through the season. Be sure to forgive yourself, too, for meeting the Holy Daze on your own terms this year.
  4. Seek Nature – Giving yourself the gift of time in your favorite natural setting is guaranteed to help you appreciate the divine during the holiday season. Nature can be your cathedral. A fragrant pine tree covered with snow or a red cardinal sitting on an icy branch can bring feelings of joy that connect you to the sacred.
  5. Sing (or Just Listen) – Singing traditional holiday songs, listening to the harmony of a choir, or taking part in any musical experience are opportunities that come with the holiday season. Listen, sing, and dance when Spirit offers.
  6. Engage – When you gather with friends and family for the holidays, see if you can look at the scene with the eyes of Spirit, eyes of unconditional love and acceptance. Seeing those traditional gatherings through a lens of loving kindness can transform and heal.
  7. Give – By giving to those in need, by donating your time, by finding ways to shift the focus from excess for some to plenty for all, you’ll discover the sacred act of giving thanks to a boundless Universe.

 

By taking care of yourself, making time for your own spiritual and health practices, you’ll keep your mind clear and your spirit light. When you give yourself loving permission to enjoy the season, you’ll be able to spread that joy to others around you, to extend a healing presence. Let the Energy Healer’s Guide help you honor your soul and meet the season with an abundance of joy and light!

Find out more about the role of the energy healer in nurturing your connection to the Divine, I hope you’ll join me for my December retreat, Sanctuary for the Mantle of Healing, December 1-4 in Ojai, CA. Click here for more details >>>

smooth-sailing

There’s Only Smooth Sailing Ahead: Your Keys to Safe Travel Across the Astral Realms

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” I John 4:18

Have you always wanted to know more about astral travel but were afraid to ask? Has this ultimate spiritual adventure called to you, knocked on the doors of your consciousness, but you felt too unsure of yourself to answer? Your spiritual journey toward the light is already underway. Have you ever considered that astral travel is simply a bigger, bolder step in the direction that your soul already longs to go? You can choose whether your journey will be hampered by fear or strengthened by love.

Fear and love are the two most powerful human emotions. What is your driving force—love or fear? The answer to that question is the basis of your life. Is it fear and darkness or love and light? If your fear is bigger than your faith in the light, it will block your dreams and make you forgo your life purpose. When you switch your attention away from fear and put it on filling yourself with the calm centeredness of prayer, meditation, and service to others, you can make fear and other negative emotions disappear.

If you think you have fears about astral travel, you may actually be feeling the respect that is due to this amazing spiritual experience. It does require training and guidance to achieve safe and effective results. You can learn ways to protect yourself before going out of your body. You can keep your fear in check by starting your journey from a space of love and high spiritual energy.

Great positive experiences in the astral planes begin by having a solid meditation and prayer practice so you are grounded in love, compassion, and the higher qualities of spiritual life. Before you get your ticket to ride, you should know how to call on your spiritual guides and angels and how to keep yourself in a high vibratory state to minimize fear or negativity.

Your astral/etheric body can travel out of your physical body, but where it can go is related to how high your vibratory level is. You can nurture your etheric body with light and positive energy. You lower your vibration through negative thoughts and emotions, especially fear. There are ways of traveling safely, with a guide, which will help you connect more deeply to spiritual wisdom. You can learn how to set your intention and call in protection, sort of astral travel insurance, before leaving on your journeys.

When you’re out and about in the Astral Realms, know the best ways to stay safe and protected. Here are some keys to best practices and self-care as you prepare to unlock your astral abilities:

  1. Let go of fear. Fear is a habit you can conquer with intention: I can and I will! Fear pulls you away from the light and can make any situation worse. When you begin to feel this emotion, instead take a deep breath, exhale the fear, and remember love. If you can take whatever comes your way in stride, you’ll be moving toward the light, living from the heart, and creating a life flowing with bountiful love.

 

  1. Bring your highest self. Before starting an astral journey, center yourself in the highest vibration of loving energy you are capable of reaching. Your higher self is powerful beyond measure, and the light of who you are is worth sharing with the world.

 

  1. Ask for protection and guidance. For the help you need, call on your spiritual guides and teachers. When you astral travel, remember to ask your guides to allow you to experience only that which is aligned with your highest good. Ask your spiritual guides to accompany you. Spiritual guides are here to help you transcend fear and find life purpose. They will always try to help you down the right path, the one that is best for you.

 

  1. Connect to Source. Remember that you a child of the Divine. Imagine a golden light surrounding you and loving energy pouring forth from your heart center. Through meditation and prayer, and any spiritual practices that keep you connected to a power greater than yourself, stay focused on living in the light

 

  1. Be lifted up on the wings of love. Going toward the light means going toward love, and becoming more loving in our moment-to-moment interactions. With love, you are able to heal yourself and reach out to others on their journey.

 

  1. Nurture the positive in all you do. Follow Mary Baker Eddy’s edict to “be the porter at the door of your thoughts.” This means monitoring what you allow into your consciousness, being a loving gatekeeper for your own awareness. Turn off the evening news, and stop inundating your consciousness with fear-based images. Watch a lighthearted show instead of a violent one. Or turn off the TV altogether and write a blog, paint a picture, listen to your favorite music. Visit a sick friend, volunteer at an animal shelter, go to a workshop, or get off the couch and train for a charity walk. And laugh a lot, every day.

 

What can astral travel offer you? When you separate your consciousness from your body, you can experience firsthand what life is like beyond your usual physical day-to-day reality. Through astral travel, you can see and feel things that will raise your consciousness, increase your energetic frequency, minimize your negativity, uncertainty, and fear, and help you on the path to your life purpose. Your psychic skills will blossom, and you will understand and appreciate more fully your limitless potential, and your unbreakable connection to your divine Source. Are you ready for the trip?

 If you’re attracted to this kind of learning, or you’re curious to discover how Astral Travel can change your life… Click here >>>

fantastic-voyage

Get Ready for Your Fantastic Voyage! How to Prepare for Your Astral Travel Adventure!

When you are about to take a big leap that you hope will change your life, what do you do? How do you prepare for a journey into the unknown that could be the most exciting adventure you have ever experienced? How have you prepared yourself in the past when you know a major turning point lies ahead? Entering college, getting married, having a baby, moving to a new city, starting a new career—these actions require courage and faith and you probably spent a lot of time and energy getting ready for them. Preparations deepen understanding and create new awareness. On the path to what is truly meaningful in life, it helps to have a compass!

Preparations are important for journeys of the spirit just as they are for stepping forward in the material world. I’m hoping you will join me in the coming weeks on a journey toward spiritual growth that is like no other—a fantastic voyage to the Astral Realms! Before we embark on this voyage beyond time and space, beyond your physical body, your ego, there are some steps I recommend in order to make this journey more empowering, more inspiring, and more affirming than any you have ever taken before.

Take a look at these ways to prepare a strong foundation for your spiritual expansion, your voyage across the Astral Realms:

  1. Meditation – When you meditate correctly and regularly, your brain begins to function in a much more coherent way, which allows you to access intelligence that is beyond regular waking consciousness. Meditation prepares you to go beyond the database of your ordinary senses and memory so you can receive the advanced knowledge and guidance you seek.
  2. Journaling – Journal writing opens the door to buried truths that must be uncovered for you to find and follow your true life path. The freedom and honesty of expression you experience in journaling helps you discover your truth, face your feelings, and learn to incorporate new awareness into your life.
  3. Cleansing Baths – The refreshing feeling of being immersed in water has spiritual as well as physical benefits. Like the ritual of baptism which symbolizes a rebirth of spirit and a rededication, bathing in water washes away layers of negativity and opens the way to renewal. The expression, “to come clean,” means to step into truth as well as to prepare yourself for a fresh new level of experience.
  4. Connecting with Nature – When you immerse yourself in the natural world, you experience the feeling of belonging to something larger than yourself. Standing in awe before the ocean, the mountains, the forests, even the intricate heart of a flower, provides the perspective you need to appreciate the vast network of the universe of which you are a part. If you long to access your Higher Self and explore the wisdom of the Astral Realms, practice opening your senses to Nature for the feelings of reverence and peace to be found there.
  5. Chakra Balancing – The health of your chakra energy system is vital to your well-being and the success of your spiritual journey. When your chakras are charged and balanced, you are fully supported by the exchange of energy from within and without. Your balanced chakras will give you the readiness you need to explore, discover, receive, and process the gifts you find on your astral journey.
  6. Setting Goals – One very important act of preparedness for any life endeavor is setting goals. What are you hoping to learn? What answers are you seeking? What do you want to discover about yourself and your purpose? Every traveler needs a plan of self-discovery to shape their route, a desire for knowledge and growth to guide them.
  7. Vision Boarding – A useful tool for achieving any personal dreams and desires is the power of envisioning. What do you see in your mind’s eye that calls to you? Your imagination has creative power not only to conjure beautiful images but also to make them real. When you surround yourself with the symbols of your best life, you invest them with the energy and love needed to manifest those dreams and ideals.
  8. Asking for Guidance – Learn to ask for help from your spiritual guides. You will need their infinite wisdom to help you navigate the higher spiritual realms you hope to explore. They can help you connect with your Higher Self and travel safely and successfully to discover the answers you most need to find. Your spiritual guides want to help and are only waiting for you to ask for their assistance. Take a few moments each day to tune in to your guides.
  9. Living in Gratitude – Recognize the immense power of gratitude to help you move toward creating everything you want and need. Gratitude nourishes your soul and gives you the strength to accomplish your goals and transform all your efforts. By practicing feeling grateful each day, listing the things you are thankful for, you move toward an attitude of gratitude that will soon become your natural emotional set point.

As you prepare for any work to raise your consciousness and grow in spirit—including your fantastic voyage to the Astral Realms!—think about the state of being that will best help you. How can you best open your heart and mind to receive the gifts that are waiting for you? Focus on being the best receiver you can be of the unconditional love that is your birthright. Accept that love with gratitude and prepare to reflect it back in keeping with all you will learn about yourself and the life you are here to live.

 If you’re attracted to this kind of learning, or you’re curious to discover how Astral Travel can change your life… Click here >>>

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Design the Life of Your Dreams with Astral Travel

Are you ready for the journey of a lifetime? It’s the most inspiring and most important trip you will ever take. You won’t need an umbrella or a good supply of underwear. You won’t even need a ticket. This journey is the one that can take you from where you are in life to where you want to be. If you dream of a life that is higher, larger, greater, finer, and more beautiful than the one you are currently living, this trip is for you!

Of course, what I’m describing is the amazing experience of astral travel. What other means of transport can help you explore worlds as near as your home or as distant as the stars all while revealing fascinating secrets about your inner being. With astral travel you can discover the sacred intersection of your life purpose and the life of your dreams. If you want to realize your dreams, astral travel offers a path to the wisdom, experience, and knowledge you’ll need to achieve them.

Astral travel is an out-of-body experience (OBE) that can take you to the places you have always wanted to go and much, much more. Not only can you go to locations around the globe, visit sacred sites, and get a new perspective on your own neighborhood, you can also travel to other planets, visit fantastic realms of the astral plane, meet with your spiritual guides for instruction, and reconnect with loved ones and pets who have passed away. You can visit scenes from your past lives and learn vital information that will help you understand challenging aspects of yourself that affect you in your present life.

You may already have encountered a form of out-of-body experience in your dream life. Have you ever seen your physical body sleeping peacefully in bed while you are looking down from the ceiling? Have you dreamed that you were flying or had a visit with a spiritual guide or angel in a heavenly realm?  In the dream world, you roam free, totally separate from your physical body. When you set out to astral travel, the experience is different from dreaming in that you consciously leave your physical body—with greater awareness and with the intention to travel to certain destinations.

Consider the opportunities for growth in knowledge, experience, and understanding that astral travel holds for you. Just preparing to make the journey could help you achieve greater spiritual awareness and a chance to expand your capacity for love, forgiveness, compassion, and self-acceptance. What would it take for you to become an astral traveler?

You can prepare for astral travel by learning to raise your vibrational level—nurturing your astral body with light and positive energy. Learn to work through negative thoughts and fears. Know how to ask your spiritual guides and angels for help and protection. The best way to guarantee having great positive experiences in the astral planes is by having a solid meditation and prayer practice so you are grounded in the higher spiritual qualities of love and compassion. When you set out on your astral travels filled with love and with a strong connection to your Higher Self, you can visit breathtakingly beautiful spiritual realms and meet Beings of Light who are there to further your spiritual progress.

Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish if you could travel freely, consult the wisest teachers, discover the inner workings of your mind and heart, and read for yourself your soul’s history and future? How much could such guidance help you advance in happiness, harmony and service in your present life on earth?

What are some of the life-enhancing experiences that might come from your astral journeys? You can make your own list or contemplate just a few of these desirable outcomes:

  • You’ll discover that you can live the life of your dreams.
  • You’ll find new experiences that you never imagined possible.
  • You’ll face your fear and find the courage to do what you love.
  • You’ll find ways to help others follow their dreams, too.
  • You’ll discover how to truly love and accept yourself.
  • You’ll find ever greater beauty in the world around you.
  • You’ll feel happier and laugh more freely.
  • You’ll find a more profound connection to your divine Source.

 

The first step to making your dreams come true lies in following and exploring them with all the help that a loving Universe can provide. Could astral travel be your ticket to the life of your dreams? Why not climb aboard for a chance to find out?

 

 If you’re attracted to this kind of learning, or you’re curious to discover how Astral Travel can change your life… Click here >>>

soul-sanctuary

Find Your Soul Sanctuary: 5 Ways to Uplift and Nurture Your Soul

What does it mean when your days stagger along from coffee break to coffee break? Maybe you wake up already too tired to think about facing another day. Or maybe you are so burned out that even thinking about your situation is too exhausting—so you never do. You need something deeper than a day off or a nap or another double espresso. You may be tired on a soul-level.

The story of Superman visiting his Fortress of Solitude is a myth for our time.  When the strange visitor from another planet felt his powers waver, he knew it was time to retreat, recharge, and reaffirm his mission to be a force for good on Earth. He reconnected with the source of his power and his mission and grew strong once again. “But I’m not Superman,” you say. And I respectfully reply, “How do you know?” Have you consulted your Source lately about your powers and your purpose?  It may be time for your own soul retreat to remember who you really are.

Your soul needs sanctuary—a holy, safe haven—a protected place in which to experience awakening, inspiration, and remembering. Spirit lets me know when it’s time to refresh, and I choose a place that is peaceful, beautiful, and sacred. I’ll be retreating to one of my favorite sanctuary spots in the Ojai Valley in Central California, at the end of this year–the perfect time for renewal. This special weekend retreat at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa means a time of self-reflection, healing, spiritual growth, the company of like-minded seekers, relaxation and the joy of being in a place of natural beauty as well as a vortex of powerful spiritual energy.

The purpose of sanctuary is to free your soul from the layers of daily concern, fear, worry, and doubt that are misdirecting your attention. Retreating to a sacred space of peace and tranquility helps you renew and refocus on your inner being, your connection to Source and the power of unconditional love.  The gift of your time in sanctuary is a greater understanding of your Higher Self—that part of you that is connected to Spirit—and the discovery of all the imprints and impressions life has left in you, how you have become who you are today, and how to become who you will be tomorrow.

You can learn to spread your wings and fly as you reconnect to the real you, your authentic passion and personal power. Take a look at these 5 ways you will feel when you are acting and being from the Higher Self you are meant to become:

Calm – You will feel at peace with who you are and what you want to do because you are connected to the Source of All. You know that the true set point of your being is a calm and balanced state and you can always return there.

Confident – You will step beyond fear and be a beacon of light for others who are looking for their own paths. Seeing your beam of love and security shining forth will empower those around you to act with compassion and self-acceptance as well.

Creative – You will trust your instinct for trying new things and making things new. The joy of using your unique vision to experiment and create will enrich your life and open doors to new experiences and new knowledge. You will be a fearless explorer and inspire others to make the discoveries our world needs to heal and thrive.

Courageous – Courage is trust in the power of your ability to understand and act on your life purpose. Knowing you are always connected to Source and that spiritual help and guidance are always available for the asking gives you the courage you need to live each day and to help others step into their powers without fear.

Clear – “All clear!” is the signal that the way ahead is open and safe for us to travel. When you feel clear, you trust yourself, you trust your vision, and you trust your Source. You see your path without obstacles or barriers. You know who you are and where you are going. You are ready to channel the energy of unconditional love that sent you here and gave you the gifts you have to use and enjoy.

I’m looking forward with love to my year-end sanctuary weekend in Ojai. The combination of tranquil natural beauty (the sunsets!), the sacred space known since ancient times for its healing energy, and the dedicated time of reflection, fellowship, grateful self-care, and playful freedom are calling! Here you can pamper your mind and soul along with your body. Experience balance in your life—a time for deep inner work combined with restorative relaxation and recreation. Create that sanctuary space for yourself, find your higher voice, and learn to do what your soul wants to do…heal yourself and heal our world!

loving-yourself-blog

The First Steps to Healing Are Closer Than You Think

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

 –Buddha

You have been given the most amazing gift. A genie in a bottle could not have offered anything as rare and wonderful as the treasure you have right now in your possession. The trouble is you may not even recognize your good fortune. You may be looking at the cracked and broken cement under your feet and not the stars glowing high above your head. Are you aware of who you are? And are you giving the Divinely-created consciousness that is YOU the love, respect, and understanding you deserve?

The gift of life, your life, is a miracle.  Just consider where you came from. You are a spark off the infinite block of unconditional love and eternal good. Even if your path to the present moment has been a rocky one, no matter how many missteps you are sure you’ve taken, you always have the power to heal. Wherever you’ve been and whatever you’ve suffered, you can learn to wake up the capacity for loving and forgiving yourself that you’ll need to recover.

Why is it so challenging to find the self-love and forgiveness needed for well-being and true appreciation of the gift of life? As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I see many people who are their own harshest critics, their own self-saboteurs. Could you be one of them? Maybe you’ve been labeling yourself a “failure” in various aspects of your life such as romance, parenting, career, friendship. Maybe you blame yourself for things you perceive as shortcomings: being unhealthy, overweight, unmotivated, unintelligent, even unworthy of love.

Instead of nurturing yourself with love and self-care, are you berating yourself for not measuring up to impossible standards? A lack of self-esteem comes from the mistaken belief of “I’m not enough.” It’s a common misperception that so many of my students hold at some point in their lives, often for many years at a time. It takes a lot of work to break out of the stranglehold this lie can take on your life and heart.

As I struggled to heal from an upbringing that almost destroyed my ability to love and care for myself, I was blessed to discover energy healing.  This healing modality came into my life when I needed a reconnection to the Divine gift of unconditional love.  I came face to face with the miraculous and realized that I had to develop a new capacity to love and forgive myself and others. I learned to explore and take care of my heart chakra and stay conscious about remaining open to loving and being loved.

The better you know yourself the easier it will be to strengthen your self-love, self-acceptance, and your power to forgive. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you sit quietly with an open mind and heart:

1. How am I holding love back?

See if you can think of any ways in which you are keeping your heart closed, perhaps to avoid pain or to punish yourself or someone else. How would it feel if you simply removed those roadblocks and began to love?

2. Could I be more loving to myself and others?

Consider any ways in which you might begin to give love more freely. Could you be kinder, gentler, more tolerant, more accepting? Are there some role models whose behavior you admire and could emulate? Fake it till you make it!

3. How could I love myself just as I am?

Think of someone who isn’t perfect but lives happy and fearless just the same. How do they achieve that self-acceptance? What would self-acceptance look like in your life? There may be some areas where you are already almost there.

4. Have I isolated myself from others?

Think about all the connections you have with other people. Are there ways in which you feel set apart and unable to bridge the gap? Are there ways you could grow your feelings of empathy and connection?

5. Do I feel that I am enough now?

What would you need to do to be enough? What does “enough” really mean? What if there were no such measurement in your awareness and you were free to love yourself, forgive yourself, and thrive?

Learning to love yourself and forgive are the first steps to healing, thus removing any barriers to your happiness and wellbeing. Love has the power to heal all the wounds you may have suffered—if it is allowed to flow both within and without. As Louise Hay says, “There is only one thing that heals every problem, and that is: to know how to love yourself.” Awakening the love in your own heart can heal you.

If you’re attracted to this kind of learning and you’re ready to bring unconditional love and total forgiveness into your life, click here >>>

chelation-blog

The Two Most Powerful Tools for Energy Healing

 “God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give.”

–Billy Graham

When someone has a problem, whether they are animal or human, what do you instinctively do? You reach out to them. Hug your friend, pat a neighbor on the back, caress a dog’s head, gather a child into your arms. It feels wonderful. When you do this, does it ever seem like you are serving as an instrument, a conduit, a channel for some powerful energy source beyond yourself? The hand that you extend to another has mysterious power. You know that you are handing off a gift that has come to you through your wish to be of help. The gift is healing energy.

Modern quantum science is just confirming what every ancient culture knew: that everyone and everything is somehow connected. Even though we can’t usually see it, energy is all around us; a subtle form of it permeates the entire universe and comprises everything within it. This force, upon which our universe runs, is intelligent, alive, and the source of all life. The ancients knew all about this conscious and creative energy: how it penetrates all space, flows from one object to another, and connects a thing to everything else. Today we call this field of all possibilities the universal energy field, or simply the unified field.

This unified field is the foundation force for my work as a spiritual teacher and energy healer. Through training and practice, I learned to access this field and now help others activate their own ability to connect. I discovered almost all of what I know about the unified field experientially—that is, while in prayer, in meditation, and while conducting energy in the practice of healing. In this Divine application, energy is the medicine. As you connect to this universal field—attracting, conducting, and transmitting its energy to effect healing in yourself and others—you become the healer.

When you study energy healing techniques, you begin to make yourself an instrument or a conduit for the powerful universal energy field.  Among the first energy healing techniques I teach is the practice of chelation. In conventional medicine, chelation is a process of introducing a chemical infusion into the bloodstream to collect and remove toxic substances from the body.  As applied in energy medicine, chelation is the channeling of healing energy into and through the human body and its field to clear blocked energy and draw out impurities. Energy is the medicine and a pair of healing hands administer the treatment. Chelation is a hands-on technique that you can learn and use to unblock, clear, and balance the body and the energy field that surrounds and permeates it. Blocked energy, if not cleared, can manifest in the body as physical symptoms and illness.

The human energy field, also called the aura, is a manifestation of the universal energy field, the cornerstone of all life. You can think of the human energy field as a living template for the body, which ultimately mirrors what’s happening in the field. Thus, any distortion or imbalance in your field will sooner or later negatively impact you physically. Therefore, if you make a correction in the field—through chelation or other practices—a corresponding change will manifest in the body. This is why healing the field—restructuring it, rebalancing it, and charging it—is so important.

Is chelation an energy healing practice that you would like to master? Here are some things to consider:

1.In practicing chelation, you will transmit energy between your two hands. Do you know which of your hands is the “strong” one? This isn’t necessarily your writing hand, but the hand you would extend to pet a dog or check the brow of someone with a fever. This is the more sensitive of your two hands and sends out the most energy.

2. Do you know how to be “present” when you need to be? If you have a solid meditation practice, you’ll know what this means. Your presence is required for practicing energy healing. To be a conduit for Divine healing energy, you will need all your powers of focus and direction.

3. Do you know how to ground yourself? To receive the healing energy you wish to transmit, you need a firm connection to the Earth. Your strength is not yours alone. You will need to feel clear and balanced and centered to be in touch with the healing energy you are seeking to channel.

4. Do you know how to ask your spirit guides for help? As a channel for Divine healing energy, you will need to be open to the messages, words or images, that your spiritual guides can provide.

5. Do you know how to use a pendulum to explore the health of someone’s chakras? The right use of the pendulum can help you discover blocked energy and misfiring chakras that may be the source of illness and emotional problems that are keeping someone from reaching their true state of health and happiness.

With chelation and the more advanced forms of energy healing, you can learn to charge, balance, and clear both the human energy field and the body that mirrors it. I hope you’ll consider becoming an instrument of the Divine healing energy that is always available to those who seek it. The world of chelation is the world of light that you can spread to others. As St. Francis asked, “Make me an instrument of Thy peace.”

Click here to discover more about this advanced healing technique >>>

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Did You Fall Off the Meditation Wagon?

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.     

                                                                         —-Confucius

What does it mean to “fall off the wagon”? The homey old expression comes from the days of unpaved streets when wagons filled with water traveled the roads wetting down the endless dust.  In the early days of the Prohibition Movement, problem drinkers were encouraged to give up strong spirits and get aboard the “water” wagon instead. “Falling off the wagon” came to mean tumbling backward into the gutter, sinking back into the mire of hopelessness. Farewell to the chariot that was going to carry you home!

Today, “falling off the wagon” is used as a way to express your disappointment in yourself. You didn’t stick to your diet. You let yourself get caught up in the fearful frenzy of news media designed to scare you senseless. You stopped meditating because you were just too busy and overwhelmed. Falling off the wagon perfectly describes those times when you fall away from the good habits and practices you want to build. You know your best life lies ahead, and you need that wagon of good spiritual self-care to get there. Do you give up or try to catch up?

You know what I’m going to say, don’t you? As singer-songwriter Hayley Williams would tell you, “Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand.”  Just as my recent tumble from a mountainside shook me awake to the real needs of my spirit, any fall you suffer may be the wake-up call for you. What’s happening in your inner world is reflected in your outer world. You may need to look close, think straight, and re-evaluate your life in spirit. Why aren’t you doing the things you know will help and heal and uplift you? Falling never means you have to stay down.

Here are some steps you can take to climb back on the wagon of spiritual growth and self-care:

First, forgive yourself! You fell off the wagon? Well, so have many great souls before you. Instead of beating yourself up for not sticking to your meditation practice, your yoga classes, or your vow never to engage in office gossip again, take a deep breath. You are a child of the Divine. Regarding yourself with love and gentleness is a reflection of your Source. Your falls are tools to build with, so use them to rise up and resume your journey.

Remember not to give in to fear in any form. Let love be your guiding emotion. Fear is a habit you can conquer with intention. I can, and I will! On the far side of everything that frightens you is freedom and the light of liberation. Don’t be afraid of failing or falling. Think about what you love and how much good your love can do in the world.

Focus on service and think about all you have to give. Your efforts to grow in spirit and to stay connected to the Divine matter to everyone. When you meditate, it isn’t just for your own peace of mind and well-being. You lift up the world with your love and your focus on oneness, harmony, and peace. Many others in the world have fallen and need help getting back up.

Reach out for help when you need it.  Our society suffers from loneliness and isolation. By rebuilding the connection and community that humans need to thrive, you are helping to heal yourself and others. I have noticed that I am more effective as an energy healer if I have a roomful of participants.  Gathering together in classes and workshops for spiritual study concentrates the love and intention you need to move forward. All hands are needed, whether they are reaching for a boost upward or lifting another back on board.

Re-engage right away! I recommend getting back to work on the heart of your spiritual practice—meditation. Be patient with yourself and keep in mind why you began meditating in the first place.  Not only is it the best practice I know for self-transformation, it leads to better health and greater happiness. Your meditation practice helps you and contributes to the well-being of all. And the more you work at it, the more it won’t be work at all, but pure joy!

Each day is a new day, and a new chance to turn toward the light. Of course there will be obstacles.  The secret is to accept them as challenges to strengthen you and building blocks for the best life ahead. You are not alone and you are infinitely creative and resourceful. As you take steps to grow in spirit, you add to your ability to help others do the same. Look down the road, and you’ll see that the wagon has paused to wait for you!

If you’re attracted to this type of learning or you want to know how meditation can change your life, learn how to meditate with me >>>

climb-mountain-blog

Climbing the Mountain to Your Highest Self

“Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you but rather by what’s happening within you.”    —–Buddha

What would you say is the most important question of human life? Is it “Who am I?” Or “Where did I come from?” Or “Why am I here?” Mystics and philosophers of all traditions have reflected on these mysteries and arrived at one constant recommendation for seekers—“Look within!” The answers to these eternal questions and so many more are already alive and well deep within the recesses of your being.

The fact is that we’re all here on the same pilgrimage of the soul. Life is a journey toward higher consciousness. As I see it, we’ve come to this physical plane to be bearers of the light. This “light” is the highest energetic frequency that exists in our world and from which we originate. It’s the energy called Source, Spirit, oneness, love, or God.

On the path to higher consciousness, the mission is to shift from lower-self qualities—which are largely related to physical existence and survival—to higher-self qualities, using the energy of love that your soul intended for you to develop in this lifetime. Growing in the direction of love leads to happiness, health, abundance, and peace.

Is there a short cut on this path to higher consciousness where all good things await? As I have often said, learning to meditate changed the course of my life and set me firmly on a spiritual climb I never would have believed possible.

Things didn’t look good for me at first. My pilgrimage of the soul began with a childhood haunted by abuse. Although I had connected deeply with the world of Spirit through my family’s Catholic faith, I abandoned that connection during my rebellious teenage years, replacing it with addictions—to alcohol, Valium, high-risk sports, and extreme dieting. As a young lawyer, I was promiscuous and driven by ambition. Then, at age 24, I learned that I had cancer.

My diagnosis stunned and terrified me. I didn’t want to die. In fact, what I desperately wanted was a better way to live. I began reflecting as deeply as I could on my life and what might have caused me to become so ill. At this point, I discovered meditation. This new avenue of spiritual awakening helped me begin thinking clearly and allowed me to calm down.

When I stopped the addictive behavior that was numbing the pain of my difficult childhood, I focused on caring for myself—mind, body, and spirit. My self-esteem began to improve, and I started to feel better. I tried alternative healing modalities. After several sessions with an energy healer, I had a “spontaneous” remission from the cancer. I knew this miracle was due in great part to the energy work I’d received. In my quest to learn more, I took the first steps on my true life path to becoming an energy healer myself.

Daily meditation became crucial to my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In my studies to become a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I learned that every culture throughout history has had some form of meditation. The purpose is to still the mind; calm, cleanse, and refresh the body; and increase the connection to Spirit.

One of the biggest problems of our modern-day culture is that we’ve let go of many of the things that in previous times supported our spirit. We’ve become more science and technology driven, more isolated from our neighbors, more secularized as a society.  How has this affected us? People have become more unsettled and anxious, restless and discontent—forever searching for something that will make them feel happy and whole.

Sadly, many members of our society are in a constant state of agitation and unrest. For me, the key practice for increasing your light and keeping your psyche healthy is meditation. Meditation can keep you connected to a power greater than yourself and help you stay focused on living in the light. When you connect with the Divine each day, this connection helps you discover your reason for being here. It helps you feel fulfilled and purposeful, knowing your life makes a difference to others.

What happens when you meditate correctly and regularly for some time is that your brain begins to function in a much more coherent way, which allows you to access intelligence that is beyond regular waking consciousness. The more you meditate, the more information will come to you. I highly recommend that for the best results you learn to meditate by studying with a teacher. You can learn from me here.

While the popular view of meditation is that its key purpose is to help us reduce stress, tune out, and get away from all the chaos of daily life, there is a much deeper purpose. The real intention of meditation is to tune in, to get in touch with what’s inside of yourself as well as with your Source of Being.

The ultimate goal is to reach that state of peace within that so many traditions speak of—the peace that is so profound that it is indeed beyond all understanding.

By expanding your awareness—by experiencing greater peace, raising your consciousness, and connecting with the Divine light—you are actually assisting every other person and creature on the planet to do the same. We’re all connected by one vast field of energy.

When you’re in that field, you’ll find the true meaning of Oneness. You’ll also discover that this field is pure, boundless potential—that you can accomplish anything when you’re tapped into it. You can create anything, heal anything. Meditation is the one intentional path that easily and reliably takes you there.

Are you ready to begin your journey to Meditation Mastery?

If you’re attracted to this type of learning or you want to know how meditation can change your life, learn how to meditate with me >>>

wake-up-blog

Ready to Wake Up to Greater Love, Happiness, and Joy?

Are you sleeping, Brother John? – Traditional French song 

In the old familiar children’s song, Frère Jacques is sound asleep when he is supposed to be up ringing the bells for morning prayers.

Do you ever feel like the sleepy friar who isn’t quite awake when it’s time to rise, shine, and give out the glory? Maybe you feel like your entire life is one long nap and you are sleeping right through the important stuff.

Are you awake or asleep? Tuned in or zoned out? Your state of consciousness, your level of awareness of all the aspects of your mind, body, and spirit affects the way you experience everything, especially the degree of joy, happiness, and love you feel.

How does your level of consciousness influence your daily life? Find out by asking yourself a few simple questions: Are you filled with joy? Can you maintain or quickly return to a loving space in the face of adversity? Are you grateful for the blessings (and challenges) in your life?

According to the wisdom of ancient India, the Ayurvedic system of energy medicine, a person who is healthy and balanced in mind, body, and spirit is cheerful. Cheerful! A beautiful word for a beautiful state of being.

Each day you have a chance to experience the four major states of consciousness: waking, sleeping, dreaming, and meditative (also called contemplative).

Waking consciousness is your day-to-day awareness. It is how you function in the world and where you live most of the time when you’re not sleeping. Dreaming gives you access to your subconscious thoughts and feelings.

If you keep a journal of your dreams, you can capture and study what your subconscious considers important. This can be a valuable source of information to help in the process of healing and expanding your self-awareness.

It’s the meditative state of consciousness, however, that holds the key to the growth and empowerment of your spirit as well as the health and well-being of your mind and body. In the meditative state, you have the power to access higher levels of awareness as you re-connect with the Source of All That Is.

If you meditate every day, correctly and consistently, you will soon find that it affects the other states of consciousness in amazing ways. After I had been meditating for a few years, for example, I found that I needed less sleep. After a few more years, I realized that I had begun dreaming in a much more directed way.

As more time went by, I felt as if I were in a state of meditation all the time, floating between states of consciousness with ever greater access to the healing energy of unconditional love.

The meditative state enhances how awake and aware you are in every aspect of your life. Can you be open to noticing more beauty in the world, more goodness in the people around you, and more ways to serve and heal others?

Yes! Can you be stronger and more resilient in facing the challenges that life presents? Can you be more loving, accepting, and forgiving of yourself and others? Yes and yes!

Your meditation practice can bring the states of consciousness full circle and expand your waking state in powerful ways. If you are ready to move past the worrisome sensation that you are never quite awake and might be missing something wonderful, consider what happens when you expand your awareness:

You can know yourself better. You have a limitless potential for spiritual development and personal transformation. What abilities and powers are waiting to be discovered within? Why not wake up your potential for healing yourself and others in mind, body, and spirit? Self-knowledge leads to self-love and self-acceptance which lead to greater happiness.

You can see opportunities. Open your eyes and heart to the vast array of possibilities for attracting peace, joy, abundance, and love into your life. Closed doors can become open windows with expanded consciousness. Opportunities to serve others will appear and fit naturally into your life.

You can recognize your path. Your purpose and place in the world lie right before you. When you wake up to the knowledge that you are being divinely guided in the direction you were born to travel, you’ll let go of fear and frustration and embrace the blissful feeling that you are on your path.

You can appreciate the goodness around you. Being more awake and aware will open your eyes to the all the blessings you have to be grateful for. As you see more goodness in others, you’ll feel more empathy and compassion. Feelings of isolation and loneliness will fade as a sense of unity and oneness grows within.

You can call upon your powers of intuition and creativity. Expanded consciousness gives you greater ability to focus and concentrate. You can become more aware of your spiritual potential, access your talents and gifts, and see ways to use them. With increased faith in yourself and your purpose comes greater joy and playfulness. Wouldn’t you love to laugh more and share that joy with others?

It’s sweet to imagine that Frère Jacques, our sleepy Brother John, wakes up laughing and starts ringing those bells for all to hear.

If you’re ready to wake up and start being the REAL you… join our Summer Healing Series and begin a journey into the light… where you belong. Click here >>>