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 >>>

astral-blog-image

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 >>>

bandwagon-blog

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 >>>

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5 Keys to Unlock the Healing Energy of Summer

From ripe rosy peaches to gardenias in bloom to heaps of beach towels and sand buckets at the store, you can’t miss the signs of summer. Everyone has their own favorite sights, scents, tastes, music, and memories of summer—the traditional season of freedom and relaxation. Routine and work-day responsibilities fade into the background while beaches, mountains, forests, and parks beckon!

What will you do this summer to celebrate the season of longer, lighter, warmer days? As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I have a few ideas for you. Underlying all that is joyful and beautiful is the creative energy of Spirit. Why not think of your summer as a perfect time to look within and tune up your healing connection to that unlimited source of light?

First, envision your very best self. How would that highest self think and feel? What can you do to move closer with love to that vision? Summer is all about healing energy —more light, greater warmth, more time, and more opportunity to heal and grow in Spirit. Here are some ways you can harness the powerful energy of summer:

  1. Meditate!

A less encumbered schedule this summer? It’s a perfect time to recommit to a daily meditation practice. Meditation has been the true north star of spiritual growth in my life. I teach it and preach it with my whole heart as the foundation of all healing practice. You can learn my tried and true method here.

  1. Plant!

Summer is the growing season when flowers, fruits, and food crops flourish. What can you plant this summer that will give you the deep satisfaction of watching life appear and expand? Whether you plant radish seeds and marvel at their magical growth or plant a tree for a future forest, the experience of tilling the Earth with your hands is a sacred ritual. Imagine yourself planting a seed of hope or compassion or courage in the fertile ground of your spirit and see what blossoms!

  1. Move (Outside!)

Summer invites you to move your body more so step out into the sunlight and spend time enjoying the wonders of the natural world. The bright and potent energy of the summer urges you to move into action mode. Being connected to the energy of Mother Earth is something our culture is steadily losing, but you can reclaim the peace and joy that comes from being in tune with nature. Being outside helps to ground you and clear, balance, and charge your chakras. Use your long summer days for more healing walks and outdoor exercise.

  1. Splash!

Think of how many sweet summer memories are connected to water—swimming and boating, hiking beside a mountain stream, marveling at the power of a mighty waterfall, listening to the crash of ocean waves. Water is a powerful tool for healing. Just taking a walk along a waterfront, river or lake will help clear your mind and lift your spirits. Water is an elemental force for good, a conduit of universal energy. It can help you clear blockages from your second chakra and second level of your personal energy field. Saltwater is especially healing – take time to head to the beach and play in the surf. Take advantage of all the wonderful ways you can enjoy water this season!

  1. Shine!

Consider what the summer sun does for your spirit with its warmth and light, energizing and empowering all your dreams and desires. Enjoying the good energy the sun provides can help you wake up the power you have within to shine forth in the world. How can you begin to shine like the sun in your work, in your relationships, in your service, in your spiritual practice?  As the poet Hafiz famously said, “Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that—it lights the whole sky.” Let your spirit shine!

Summer is full of opportunities, so make sure you embrace the light of the season to help you heal and grow your spirit. Summer’s freedom and weather create the perfect opportunity to move toward healthier habits and heal yourself from the inside out. Whether you are basking in the sun or swimming in the ocean or lying on a blanket looking up at the clouds, take advantage of this precious time to benefit from the powerful healing energy of summertime.

If you are interested in this type of learning, check out my Chakra Wisdom Course.

charism-blog

What Charismatic Gift Is Meant for You?

As I lie here in bed, in this care facility run by an order of contemplative nuns, I think of the path I have traveled to where I am today. The word grace comes to mind, and charism, which is an extraordinary power given by spirit to be used for the good of others. I’ll explain, as you may also be traversing this or similar territory.

When I was living in the Santa Ynez Valley many years ago, every morning at 4 a.m. I would go to a nearby chapel to meditate and do my sutra practice, followed by merging into a deeper state of prayer. The seer who taught me to meditate always said that meditation prepares you best for prayer.

After several months in the chapel, I started to have experiences of visions and voices. I was given instruction (internally) in how to hold my hands and arms. Later I realized that these arm and hand positions are the same ones you see the priests using in the Catholic Mass. Clearly, these particular positions have something to do with divine energy. Unfortunately, these days most priests are just going through the motions and are no longer connected to that flow of Divine energy.

When I started having the visions and voices, I wondered if this was common. One day as I left the chapel after my meditation and prayer, I ran into a friar. I told him my experiences and he said, “You will want to read St. Theresa of Avila. You’ll find that your experiences are similar to hers.” St. Theresa was a Carmelite nun in the 1500s in Avila, Spain. Her writings are still a guide for developing spiritually through service and prayer, almost a blueprint for how prayer is a mystical union with God. I was excited to discover someone had written about the types of experiences I was having. I devoured all of her books and devoted a year to studying them.

If you’re having or are curious about metaphysical experiences like visions and voices, you might consider reading St. Theresa yourself. And if I’ve taught you to meditate, and you have learned sutras from me, it’s likely you will have some unusual experiences. It’s important to know that these experiences are not only beneficial for you, but are given to you so you will use them to benefit humankind. By the way, if you haven’t learned the sutras yet, which tend to give rise to such powerful spiritual experiences, I’m teaching them in just a few weeks and you can  >>learn more here<<

A year or so later, I was laid up in bed with a back injury, during which time I had incredible adventures in the land of Spirit; I even had an encounter with the devil! My husband, Eric, took me to see a healer, which is when I had a gigantic spiritual opening. I spent that whole summer sitting in an oak tree, steeping myself in Spirit. I was given more hand movements, along with some special sounding techniques for conducting healing and initiations.

Looking back, I can see a pattern: there have been a number of times I’ve been flat on my back and each incident provided me with another spiritual opening. Why is that? First of all, when you’re laid up, you’re more likely to have the time to be open to the inflow of spiritual gifts. Plus, in times of crisis, you’re just more available. You’re not running off to cook dinner or do the laundry or walk the dog.

As my healing skills got more refined, one day I heard a voice say: “Do what you do in your private healing practice in public.” Always willing to do the bidding of Spirit, despite my horrendous fear of public speaking, I did free healings every Monday night in different parts of Los Angeles for nearly a year. As my work evolved, I discovered that the spiritual experiences that had originally been for me were now for the guest standing next to me.

I was clearly guided in what to do with healing energy: ACT—attract the power, conduct it through my own personal energy field, and transmit it to the other person.

And so I was graced with the charism of healing. A charism (plural is charismata) describes any of the spiritual gifts given to an individual that are to be used for the good of others. Charismatic gifts can include words of wisdom and knowledge, increased faith, prophecy, the discernment of Spirit, and the gift of healing.

It’s been many years since Spirit trained me to use these healing and initiatory energies for others. Eventually I learned that all I have to do is “intend” for the energy and I immediately feel a big rush of light come through me. I can tell if it’s meant for initiation (giving someone a “step-up” in consciousness) or for healing. Sometimes I’m told it’s to help someone transition; their time has come.

The spiritual experiences I had were compatible with my religious upbringing as a Catholic. I was brought up with Jesus and the saints, so that’s who I saw and heard. I’d have visions of the Mother Mary in a variety of ways, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe. When I’m working with someone, I see or sense the guides and divine figures that are the ones compatible with their beliefs. I might see American Indian guides, or little Irish gnomes, or a turbaned Sikh. You may be more comfortable with the Mother in the figure of the Buddhist Kuan Yin, or the Hindu goddess Durga, or a Jewish matriarch like Deborah. I personally have a strong connection to the goddess Isis from a past life as a priestess in ancient Egypt.

So the question is: how do you open yourself to receiving the grace of a charism?

It takes deep inner work. You have to learn to make lemonade from the lemons of your life. You do the best you can with a difficult partner, an unfair boss, or a terrible accident. ☺ Most importantly, you have to find your individual way of serving humanity.

We are all members of the human community and we are meant to act for the benefit of others. Every minute, you have the choice of acting in a positive or negative way with other beings. The foundation for being able to receive a charism is simple: it’s unconditional love. To feel it; to be able to bring others into that space; to know it is the only true healing balm. Love everyone: all the members of your family, your friends, your pets, and then keep extending the love out to the people at work, the pizza delivery guy, the old lady in your building with Alzheimer’s, until you’re living in a field of unconditional love.

So where am I now? I can sense that this accident is a turning point in my life – I am yearning for what is simple and moves at a slower pace, more in tune with the earth.  I am remembering that less is more. I’ve been given a challenging situation so I have the opportunity to be open enough to receive more charismata. And I am more committed than ever before to helping you achieve your true potential for the benefit of all mankind.

So don’t be confused or concerned about the powerful experiences you may have along the way: they are all pointing you to unconditional love—oneness with Spirit, in service to all.

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Down on My Knees

There is an old story about a Zen master, the head monk of a certain sect, who noticed that his most promising student was holding himself back from the fullness of his spiritual potential. As the young monk was meditating, the head monk came up to him with no warning and pummeled the student’s knee with a wooden bat. Why would he do that? Well, the knees represent our ability to move forward, and breaking a knee broke the karma that was holding the student back from becoming the master.

Five years ago, I ripped the two main ligaments in my left knee. My husband Eric and I were looking to re-create the way we had lived when we were younger: in the high mountains by a lake. I wanted to reduce my teaching obligations; I was trying to turn away from that life. I wanted to get back to being a mountain climber, a horseback rider, anything but this. I knew I was turning away from my dharma as a teacher, my true life purpose. I was saying to Spirit, I don’t want to live such a life of sacrifice.

We’d only been in the mountains for three days when I rented a paddleboard at the lake. I was standing on it in shallow water, getting ready to paddle out, when a man came up behind me suddenly and accidentally knocked me off the board, causing the knee injury.

Despite the severe knee trauma and a year and a half of rehab, I didn’t get the message from Spirit that I needed to accept my path in life.

Fast forward exactly five years, almost to the day. Eric and I were once again in the Sierra Nevada mountains, hiking this time. Again, all I was looking for was a quiet place where I could get some rest from my intense schedule as a spiritual teacher. Again, it was the third day we were there, when all of a sudden the narrow cliff I was standing on gave way and I went flying through the air, tumbling ten feet down the rugged terrain.

This time that same knee was smashed to smithereens, and my right wrist was broken as well.

Clearly, Spirit was not pleased with my plan to renew my love affair with the mountains. I must have veered off course, and this was Spirit’s way of bringing me back to my true self. I was tired; I wanted to take care of me; I wanted to spend life in the mountains and reduce my responsibilities. But Spirit didn’t care about that. Spirit cares about my being a teacher and helping to raise the consciousness of the planet.

This time I have no choice but to listen. I can’t hobble away, I can’t even use a walker. I’m observing myself, staying in the witness. My mind is clear since I have refused all painkillers from the beginning. I’m totally surrendered to what is, and not even anxious or worried about the upcoming surgeries. You could call it the flow of grace that happens when you acknowledge there are no accidents, and certainly not two freak accidents that both happened on the third day of my trying to leave the intensity of a teacher’s life.

Instead of planning a move to the mountains, I was now trying to find a care facility that could handle me for the next few months. My main interest during my research was to find a place with a strong spiritual basis. The only person I was interested in interviewing at the skilled nursing facilities was the Spiritual Director!

I chose a facility run by an order of nuns (real nuns in real habits, taking me back to my childhood Catholicism) that started in Spain over 150 years ago, with their sole mission that of caring for the sick. But the place was full. I forcefully pleaded my case to the nuns. They finally called me back and said they had found a room for me.

Since I had to be under a doctor’s care, the next bit of serendipity was choosing a doctor to supervise my healing at the facility. An East Indian doctor (very compatible with my spiritual beliefs), around 60 years old, actually showed up in my room at ten at night! She came over to my bed and said, “This is unheard of. This place has a huge waiting list. How in the world did you get a room?” Eric chuckled over my ability to talk myself into any place.

I asked the doctor, whose office had told me she wasn’t taking any new patients, why she had taken my case. She said, “I lost a young nun here to leukemia, and the nuns got me through her death. Then I had colon cancer and they helped me through that. Now, when they call and want me to help a patient, I do so.”

So here I am, in the right place at the right time with an amazing opportunity to go deeper inside, to learn even more that I can later teach you: lessons about humility and patience and surrender to the divine plan. I have cleared my schedule for the summer, which is what I’ve been told it will take for the surgeries and rehab. Right now I’m flat on my back, with what feels like 30 pounds of metal temporarily around my left leg, screwed into the bones of my thigh and calf, to brace and stabilize the shattered knee until it’s time to surgically repair it, and a full cast on my right hand and arm.

As soon as I am able to, I will get back in front of my computer and resume teaching and video sessions with my students.

This time, Spirit, trust me, I got the message!

P.S. My Mindvalley Academy master class is still happening; it’s just been postponed for a brief time. Stay tuned for the new start date.

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3 Steps to Following Your Bliss! It’s All in the Giving!

Everyone has heard the famous words of advice from revered mythologist Joseph Campbell: “Follow your bliss!” This is great wisdom, but do you know what he said next? There’s more to the story, and it offers hope and courage for plunging into the life you know you are meant for: “Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.” In my work as an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I so often see the truth of these words. When you look deep into your being and discover your bliss, you’ll also find the gifts you came into the world to give. When you learn to focus on those gifts, you’ll recognize those doors opening for the first time.

Bliss is a lovely word for great happiness and utter joy. The call to “follow your bliss” is actually a powerful spiritual tenet which acknowledges your wiring as an energy-based, spiritual being. Embracing life’s challenges with an attitude of joy is one of the ultimate aims of your spiritual journey. Reaching for happiness in everything you do, large or small, will have a profound effect on your total well-being. In fact, following that sense of true happiness is the ultimate divining rod indicating which direction to go in life. First, you will need to know what makes you happy on the deepest level. Your core spiritual practices—prayer, meditation, and journaling—will help you define your bliss. Ask yourself, “What makes me truly happy?”

Finding your happiness and embracing its spiritual power will help you identify the unique gifts that you are here in this life to develop and to use in service to others and the world. Chances are good that your happiness, whatever you love to experience or create, is connected to your fellow beings. You are living your life purpose when you are fully engaged—mind, heart, body, and soul—and doing whatever you feel you were born to do. The world needs your uplifting contribution in the unique, mysterious way that only you can provide, and your soul, in turn, longs for the experience of self-expression. You can use your growing awareness of what makes you blissful to define your gifts and begin using them to create a life of joy and contribution.

Here are 3 steps you can take along the path to following your bliss and building a more loving world for all:

  1. Identify your unique gifts—Your gifts are easy to discover because they are simply the things you love to do. They make you feel good and they are usually also the things you are really good at. Can you sing, play an instrument, dance, draw, or write? Do you have a knack for politics, religion, or the healing arts? Do you have abilities or powers beyond the norm? Do you excel at helping others become their best—perhaps in a coaching, teaching, or mentoring capacity?
  2. Stay connected to Source—The stronger and more open your connection to a power greater than yourself, the more readily you will recognize your gifts and find ways to use them. As you pray, meditate, journal, practice yoga, walk in the woods, or engage in any activity that fills you with light, you step closer to your bliss. When those doors that Joseph Campbell talks about begin to open for you, you will be able to recognize them for the divine connections they are.
  3. Focus on service—As you begin to see and appreciate your unique gifts, find opportunities to use them in service to others. Whether large or small, your acts of service help align you with your life purpose, your spiritual path. Using your gifts is a joyful activity, and the bliss you feel reverberates through the web of life. Notice how your smile can bring a smile to other faces. Your wish to be happy carries within it a gift of love and good will for all. Your joy helps you grow in spirit and adds to the spiritual energy of all living things.

Your special gift is music that you have come into the world to play. Don’t keep your symphony under wraps. You know you’d love to play Carnegie Hall!

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5 Ways to Say “Thank You”

 

“God gave you 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you’?”
–William A. Ward

What do you think when you hear the word “gratitude”? One of America’s most famous gratitude stories comes from Oprah Winfrey. Remember Oprah’s gratitude journal? Each day for ten years, she faithfully wrote down five things she was grateful for, things that made her laugh, things that tasted wonderful, things that were beautiful, things that made her heart sing. And what happened? Her life became so big, so full, so exciting, so wonderful that she barely had a moment to keep up her journal!

That’s the way of gratitude. The more it’s expressed, the more there is to be grateful for. Gratitude is like manna for the soul. It nourishes you in both obvious and untold ways as it reverberates through your energy field and out into the world. Like no other tool so easily within your reach, it can transform and transmute anything that ails you. In my work as a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I’ve seen that when you come to understand this emotion’s immense power, you’ll want to make it the cornerstone of your life.

Being in a state of sincere appreciation is the single most important tool for creating everything you want. Of course, you’re thankful for things you already have, but you can also have a practice of gratitude that works like an affirmation but taking it to an even higher level. Not only can you envision what you want in positive and present words—as though it already exists—but you can be grateful for it as though it has already been received. The difference is that you’re connecting to the emotion that you would feel having your desired result, which creates an even more powerful pull on the unseen ability to manifest on this plane.

To truly transform your attitude to one of gratitude, you’ll need to practice it on a regular basis until it gets to be a habit—until it becomes the place where your thoughts naturally go as you move through your day, including when you face adversity. Try these five ways to build your gratitude practice and make the warm feeling of appreciation a healing part of your daily life:

  1. Grow your gratitude list. Start building your awareness of all you have to be grateful for. Take just a few minutes each night to make a list of blessings, large and small, and, if possible, say your list out loud. For example, “I am so grateful for my good health, another successful day at work, and the fun encounter I had with the guy on the elevator. I’m grateful that my favorite TV show is on tonight, that I learned a valuable lesson in my difficult interaction with my boss,” and so on.
  2. Ask yourself key questions. Get into the habit of asking yourself every night: “What have I received today? What have I given to others today?” This simple review gives you the opportunity to examine the good in your life and to recognize whether you are sharing your gifts.
  3. Use the power of the positive. Practicing daily positive affirmations helps you wake up to the true nature of your being. Repeating the words, “I am loved just the way I am” and “I am uniquely cool: creative, thoughtful, impactful” helps you realize and accept the truth about yourself. You are a child of the Divine, and gratitude is the natural response to this miracle of life.
  4. Share your gratitude with others. As you keep a list of things you are grateful for, gently encourage friends and family to do the same and share them with one another. A student told me about two friends she meets for lunch every month. Each of them had a habit of opening the conversation with horrific tales of the problems they were having. She suggested a new practice: “First, tell me one good thing that happened to you since last time we met.”
  5. Send a thank-you note each week. How often do you think, “I should thank them,” and then let the idea go? Imagine the joy you could give someone by following through on that impulse. Send a quick email to do this until it becomes a habit; a spiritual practice that generates good vibes for both sender and recipient.

Keeping a gratitude journal is a powerful practice that I highly recommend. In addition to counting your blessings, you can use it to capture more details of your inner life, ponder the events of your outer life, and find ways to deal with the challenges that may be blessings in disguise. The gratitude journal certainly worked for Oprah. In fact, she calls keeping her journal the single most important thing she’s ever done. Now how about you, got gratitude?

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Are You Sleep-Deprived? 5 Ways to Get Enough Rest

“Sleep…knits up the raveled sleeve of care.”  William Shakespeare

Is everything going well for you in the bedroom? High-achieving, high-energy entrepreneur Arianna Huffington wants to know. No, it isn’t your love life she’s worried about. She’s asking if you are among the millions of sleep-deprived humans who may be endangering their lives by burning too much midnight oil. In her new book, The Sleep Revolution, Huffington reveals the secret of her success–she healed her terrible habit of never getting enough sleep.

Sleep is a subject of deep concern for everyone. You need it, and if the truth be told, you want it desperately. Sometime in the past few decades, not sleeping very much became something to brag about. There’s so much to do in this modern, merry-go-round life that those twenty-four hours that have been allotted to each day aren’t enough anymore. Listen and you’ll hear people buzzing about how little sleep they get like it’s a contest to see who can stay awake the longest. Arianna Huffington respectfully points out the science behind the human need for rest. In 2007, she herself collapsed from exhaustion. In working to clean up her act, she discovered the beneficial impact on health, mental clarity, and happiness that comes from good rest.

As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I’ve worked with thousands of people who need more balance in their lives. Sleep is a vital component of good health and spiritual wellbeing.  Maybe you, too, are working too hard and too long and then having trouble winding down when it’s time to get some sleep. Here are 5 steps you can take to recover your capacity for healthy rest:

  1. Have a Bedtime Routine – There’s a reason why bedtime stories and lullabies are going-to-bed traditions. Everyone can benefit from a comforting routine to ease them into sleep. Know how much sleep is ideal for you and plan to get that perfect amount just about every night. Make your bedroom a soothing haven by creating a bedtime ritual of reading, prayer, music, deep breathing or other relaxing practice.
  2. Put Out the Lights — Do what’s needed to make your sleeping space completely dark. Wear an eye mask if need be. Light at night interferes with the body’s biological clock and the secretion of melatonin. Research shows that blue light, like that emitted by electronic screens, is particularly powerful at suppressing melatonin. Red light has the least power to affect melatonin. The greater the dark, the deeper your sleep.
  3. Keep It Cool – Researchers have found that people sleep best in a room that is on the cool side—mid to upper 60s. You can find your personal best by experimenting with the warmth of your bedding and adjusting the room temperature, but keep in mind that cooler is better for your sleep.
  4. Enter the Quiet Zone – Needless to say, you’ll sleep better away from any noise that might wake you. If there are occasional sounds in the environment that disturb you, try creating some “white noise” with a fan or a recording that makes a soft and steady sound. It’s the same principle as driving around in the car until the baby falls asleep.
  5. Step Back from the Chaos — Is it safe to watch the late night news before trying to sleep? Read a horror novel? Have a heated discussion with your spouse/sister/child? Not at all. As you prepare to power down for the night, turn your focus to the peaceful and the positive. Plant the seeds of a happy and hopeful tomorrow by focusing on hope and happiness tonight.

Working in harmony with nature is the secret to getting good sleep. Your body is part of nature, and you can’t thrive without respect for your inborn programming—going to bed when it gets dark and waking when the light returns. When morning comes, head outside to greet the day and absorb the sunlight. The light of day will shut down your melatonin production and boost your wakefulness and mental clarity. Sleep is your good friend, and if you need a refresher any time, naps are highly recommended!

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3 Ways To Celebrate Life On Earth Day

Deborah King Earth Day

From this God’s-eye-view, I saw how fragile and infinitely precious the Earth is. I’m hopeful for its future. — NASA astronaut Piers J. Sellers

Mid-twentieth-century humans were the first to see planet Earth turning majestically in space. Do you remember the first time you saw our planet as “the big blue marble”? For astronauts who leave their craft and walk in space, the experience can be a form of pilgrimage. How amazing it is that we were given a new planetary perspective at just the right time—when perilous changes were beginning to threaten our world. Our bond with Mother Earth is not only critical for our physical survival, it is also key to our spiritual wellbeing. If you long to reignite and reawaken your connection to the Earth, you are not alone. The time to reconnect is now and you won’t need a space suit!

You don’t have to travel far to see your earthly home from a new perspective and renew your grounded and loving relationship with Mother Earth. Restore your personal healing connection with our planet in 3 easy ways:

  1. See the Sacred Places. As the ancients knew, some places on Earth are graced with high-vibration energy. Wise and intuitive people often built their holiest institutions over energy vortexes. Although they are wonderful places, you don’t have to travel to Machu Picchu or Stonehenge to visit a sacred site. North America is brimming with places that were held sacred by Native Americans for thousands of years. Do some research on your local area. You are seeking to heal and be healed as you unite your spirit with the creative energy of the universe. These natural vortexes rich with healing energy can help raise your consciousness. Your soul wants to experience unity with the powerful unconditional love that can heal the hearts, minds, and bodies of humanity. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, one of the most powerful sacred sites I have found is Ojai, a charming small town located not far from Los Angeles, that has attracted seers, gurus and seekers for hundreds of years. There, they experience a profound expansion of their chakras, and their connection to Mother Earth.
  2. Visit the Wonders of Nature. If you have noticed how wonderful you feel after a day among trees, in the desert, on the beach, or in the mountains, you know the power of wild places to elevate your spirit. Any location you choose as your home in Nature will help build appreciation and admiration for the wonders of Earth. Whether you climb a mountain or sit on the beach or take a walk in the park, the time you spend outdoors in a natural setting without any electronic distractions will soothe and heal. Any members of the animal kingdom you encounter also have spiritual gifts to share. Watch the birds overhead and imagine your spirit soaring with them. Stand with your bare feet in the sand, soil, or grass and picture yourself as a tree, sending roots deep into the earth and drawing up the nourishment you need to live in balance and harmony.
  3. Tour the Good Works of Humankind. Today humanity is being challenged to step back from a headlong pursuit of technology that is harming Earth. It’s time to rebuild a deep awareness of our spiritual connection to this planet. Our spirits are part of the same creative energy that powers all things. The best works of humankind reflect this respectful connection. In a small survey of personal sacred places these came to light: the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; the groves of towering date palm trees in Indio, California; the Golden Gate Bridge; Michelangelo’s statue of David; any small neighborhood of new homes built by Habitat for Humanity. Even armchair travelers can visit the gardens, the feasts, the festivals, the celebrations, and all the diverse beauty of peaceful human activity. Wanderlust is a gift of loving appreciation for our planet.

By using your personal pilgrimage to expand your awareness—to bring yourself into balance, experience greater peace, raise your consciousness, and connect with Mother Earth—you are assisting every other person and creature on the planet to do the same. We are all connected. Being in a higher state makes it much more likely that we can come to creative and harmonious solutions to our global problems. A great love is what can help humanity heal Earth. Learn more about using energy healing to heal yourself, heal others and heal the world.