Tag: gratitude

Categories
Environment / Shamanism Healing Intentions Positive Thought Vibrational Remedies

Creating Space Through Forgiveness

Creating Space Through Forgiveness
Mayan Shamanic Journey: Part 5

Also see Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four

WWe were having a fire ceremony at night that focused on forgiveness. For over 4000 thousand years the Mayans have used stones carved into a round shape, some had carvings on them and they are raised about half a foot off the ground, they were everywhere, it was amazing! The fire was blazing on this ceremonial stone and most of us were on our knees hands in payer position or hands on our hearts and of course on the earth. Our Tata said BE HONEST, what harm have you done to others? Whether you meant it or not be honest about your feelings, do you have jealousy, resentment etc. The way he said, “be honest” gave the word honesty such meaning and clarity. I felt like I was in a trance, I began to see people’s faces and situations pop up in my minds eye and saw the bad and negative things I’ve done throughout my life – it was all flashing by – and I kept saying I am so sorry, I’m so sorry. Emotion rose up and I felt my heart crying in apology. Then we were asked to forgive ourselves and I went through the same process. Then we switched to forgiving those that have harmed us and again I saw pictures flashing by of situations and people who had hurt me and I forgave. It was beautifully emotional. My heart felt expanded and cleansed. With each deep breath I could feel the new space in my heart center, and the space felt radiant.

Now a story, which to me shows so much how our vibration affects others and how we all hold up mirrors for each other. During the beginning part of the trip I had this unspoken tension with one of the girls, we could barely look at each other, and I realized during this ceremony I was jealous of her – I’ll skip the meaningless reasons why but I saw it clearly. I also saw how I have pushed down the idea that I could be jealous of someone because it’s just not an energy I am in vibration with, or so I thought! It was kind of shocking when I realized this emotion was apart of me. I asked for forgiveness from her and for myself, I felt ashamed I had felt that towards her. I was deeply sorry. I released these negative feelings into the earth and the fire completely evaporated it from my internal landscape and my vibration changed. The very next day the girl and I began to look each other in eye and connect. A few days after that were laughing together, speaking openly and I looked at her with love and still do. I wonder if I was a mirror for her in any way? But the big take away is that I let that emotion and all the feelings attached to it go. A weight was lifted and space was created because that emotion was now cleared away.

I have always known how the bigger issues, and the stories we hold onto, in life can take up so much space within you that it hinders your energy systems plus takes up space that can otherwise be used for positive things. It unbelievably did not occur to me that these little things were actually bigger than I thought and take up valuable space within.

What a great realization and gift to have this awareness so I can be mindful of it moving forward in life. Once I forgave myself it then changed my vibration, which then changed the relationships around me. The interconnectedness of everything is amazingly beautiful! I find it comforting as well to see such a clear example how we do control our own energy and can change whatever we do not like. We can broaden our perspectives and find entire new views and/or let go of old ones that then liberate us. The potential we all have for personal growth is limitless and that blows me away with gratitude!

I’m really grateful to that girl for allowing me this experience. I am grateful for our Tata always asking and encouraging us to BE HONEST with ourselves. That can be a “big ask” for some people and the journey can be painful. Looking into the mirror of who you are isn’t always pretty but when you bravely look and see the truth and then create positive changes based on what you did not like…well that’s a huge gift to yourself. You come out the other side energetically lighter and happier, and probably a kinder person.

I’d like to mention Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine here about internal space. Donna says whether it is good or bad we can become filled up with too much energy. Energy needs and wants space and when we hold onto too many things we fill ourselves. We need to be mindful of the space within us and how it is vital to our happiness that we have room for new, better and wondrous energies and emotions to come into our being. The blow out exercise is great for this! Even when things are going great for me I do blow outs with the intention of releasing excess energy so that I always have room for great surprises to come into my life and energy field.

A note about this Photo (by Rick Maitri): We climbed this pyramid after the fire ceremony and I did the most magical Connecting Heaven & Earth on top of it. I am one of those lights on the top – pure magic!

A related story about internal space
I was feeling blank for a few days, again, I mentioned in another post how I felt blank during the beginning of our Mayan journey, but it happened again about a month later and I thought oh no what’s wrong with me, I can’t focus, I can’t think and I just said to myself ok ok, I accept being blank. When I had felt blank on the trip it allowed amazing realizations to appear so I thought maybe this is a good thing? I had a big business meeting and I am a preparer but because I was “blank” I didn’t prepare as I usually wood. I just said to the universe, “I trust you”. I put together a nice goody bag of our Tony&Tina products and did some blow outs and off I went to my meeting and whoa! I had the space to accept fantastic things. I came out of the meeting with more good stuff than I ever would have imagined. I really believe it is the space I created in my energy that allowed me to attract great things in this situation. If I had been full-up…?

I sum it up like this:
Forgive and let it go.
Be brave and look into the mirrors in your life.
Keep your heart and mind open, always!
Blow out excess energy as a daily ritual so that you have more internal space because you never know where or how life’s gifts will show up.
Be open, show up and see what happens!

These are happy acts:)

Categories
Environment / Shamanism Healing Intentions Positive Thought

Getting What You Need


Mayan Shamanic Journeys: Part 3
Also see Part One, Part Two, Part Four, Part Five

I admit I have had a tendency in the past to worry that I will not get what I need. Whether it be from a relationship, a class, work, trip, etc. and so on. The 2nd evening of our journey my roomie and I were randomly talking about wishing we’d see jaguars on our night walk to the fire ceremony. One of our guides, Daniel Koupermann, looked deeply into my eyes, held the sides of my arms and very slowly said, and I do paraphrase a bit, “Cristina quiet your mind…It will all happen. Just let yourself enjoy the experience…and don’t think of what you want”. I got it right away and took it to heart immediately because it resonated deeply.

This may not be breaking news but it was the way he said it, meant it and the abundance of energies in the land supported the idea. This one idea of letting go of the worry of “not getting” was such a relief. It was taking up valuable space inside my mind and energy. I’ve studied Abraham and others like her / them but this felt different. It wasn’t about me being in a certain vibration to attract what I want, it was about not being in vibration with feeling I won’t get what I need. The difference in the perspectives may be slight but I find it powerful.

With this new energy I went forward in a blank sort of way. I actually had a moment of thinking wait, what, I can’t think, I can’t take anything in etc. and now I look back and I see I was allowing myself to just “be” to just “experience”, without my internal dialogue, and from that blank space incredible revelations and experiences blossomed within me. If a worry began to come up of me not getting something or saying something or being apart of something I just let it go and amazingly I received everything I wanted and more.

Big lesson for me. Amazing lesson in general – you will always get what you need once you let go of it – let all options be possibilities for you – you may just get something better than you even wished for. Decide to love and have gratitude for what you do have and are doing.

We never did see a Jaguar. And I never felt I missed a thing.

Categories
Chakras Intentions Meditation

The Three Gratitude’s


When I spent time in different Asian countries I had the great fortune to go to many temples and I noticed they all had different “entry” methods but the most common seemed to be bowing three times during entry and before meditation and that stuck with me. As time went on my meditation practice evolved and I began to do this before I meditated – three bows – from head, to heart, to earth.

This evolved into what I now call The Three Gratitude’s. Take at least one deep slow breath in each position.

1. Hands in prayer position centered in front of your forehead, which touches your 6th or third eye chakra, and I thank the universe and all my loving source energies.

2. Hands in prayer position over the center of your chest, which is where your 4th or heart chakra sits, and I thank all the different parts of me and my guides because I see them as an extension of me.

3. Hands touching the floor or at least palms facing down towards the ground and I thank the earth.

I’ve done this repetitively for a couple of years now and it has become a practice in itself. If I do not have time to meditate I make sure I find time to do this 1-2 times a day in front of my alter or anyplace that feels sacred.

I can deeply feel each connection and feel the gratitude being sent back to me. It feels warm & sacred and sometimes super fun. I sometimes talk to the energies in each position and that never fails to bring a smile to my face that comes from the deepest part of myself.

I hope this brings you happy and beautiful deepening’s in everything you do and just remember NO RULES, make this your own.

Categories
Intentions Positive Thought Visualizations

Gratitude


When we are wanting to change, we have to take time to be grateful to ourselves and to everything around us in this present moment – remember what we give out is what we get back so being grateful sets the stage for us to attract positive things into our lives.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath in your nose and out your mouth and turn your attention inward. Send gratitude to every cell and organ in your body, feel the love and warmth of gratitude spread through you and begin to spread outward. See your life, the people who have touched it, good or bad, and be grateful, see their faces… your family, friends, the people you work with – and send them thanks. See our planet and send it love and gratitude. Connect with the truth that we are all one… people, animals, earth, the universe… that everything is connected and you honor that… you are sending everyone and everything deep love and gratitude and that energy is blanketing the planet. Through your gratitude you have opened all pathways leading to what you want. Breathe that in.

Categories
Intentions Mindful Self-Care Positive Thought Vibrational Remedies

The Biology of Belief


The post title is a great book by Bruce Lipton exploring how our thoughts and fundamental beliefs help to create our realities. Throughout time we have discussed the power and potential of “energy” and we are still getting to know the art and nature of this powerful force that is both elusive and crystal clear all at the same time.

Energy and its interconnectedness to us, and everything is extraordinary. To stop and think about the vastness of that concept is where the magic happens. When we are present within “everything” we can choose anything. We just have to believe. I admit I need reminding at times but that’s life and that’s ok.

Some ways to activate the power of your beliefs:

1. Be Grateful. Gratitude is a powerful energy. Keep a gratitude journal or less formally write down one thing a day you are grateful for on a scrape of paper and begin a gratitude wall in your home. Get artistic and have fun with it. Don’t judge and think oh this is too small to write down, such as “I am grateful I got the mail today” – we’ve all had those days. Just laugh at yourself and at know how loveable you are because you are.

2. Live in love. Love can change everything if you allow it to live in and around you. This one can be tricky – whether subconscious or not, we can be our own worst enemy. We think we don’t deserve love, or we create roadblocks for ourselves and that can trigger triple warmer to “freeze” us in those unhelpful emotions. Push through and fake it until you make it. An Eden technique I find very helpful is to put your hands over the center of your chest and “rake” your fingers outward and upward as if you were opening your chest / heart center.

If it’s all about our thoughts affirmations are a powerful tool. Tony and I have been saying a variation of this for over 15 years and we always feel better after, “I am an open channel to the love and light of the universe…(take a breadth)…I am love” and repeat as necessary. What you think you create – so think about and dream about love. Tell yourself everyday that you love yourself and give yourself a hug.

3. Choose happiness. No matter what is going on in your life (almost) you have a choice about how to feel. When I am out of balance I can make things into a bigger deal because I am “looping” a story in my head. Many things can distract us from happiness but recently if these old habits come up I mentally dissolve then through visualization or I just make a strong affirmation that I do not accept the negative emotion I might be feeling and I affirm to myself that happiness really is a choice and that is what I choose. So be it.

A few things to be aware of:

We are really living in a time of accelerated energy and that means we are all feeling things on a deeper level and it is seemingly one thing after another but we can change the story to focus on great things happening one thing after another – even if in the beginning its only in our dreams. Dreams are a powerful tool to put us in vibration with what we are wanting, so dream on.

The collective unconscious greatly affect us – all this energy floating around waiting to be pulled towards energy that is like itself, whether it be positive or negative – its a precarious place if you are not in a great mind set – the law of attraction is powerful. The fantastic thing is you are powerful and in control of you. You can choose what you allow into your energy field. You can choose how you feel through your thought patterns.

The Bottom Line:

You are brave, strong and loved. Deep happiness is yours for the taking!
YOU ARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

Categories
Healing Intentions Meditation Positive Thought Vibrational Remedies Visualizations

Gratitude Meditations


In the present is when we truly feel deep gratitude and that gratitude spreads like a warm blanket over everyone and everything. I am grateful for gratitude and love this quote…

“The real miracle is not to walk on water.
It is to walk on earth, in the present moment.
When we experience this, we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

These are a few beautiful meditations that bring a deep sense of happiness and well-being…. its nice to do this in a group and have someone read it to you as you breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Reading it to yourself is just as good. If I am alone I read over it and then close my eyes and repeat the words – as long as the intention is there the exact words do not matter.

1. Deep Gratitude. (My favorite one)

Metta Meditation
Cultivating loving kindness for ourselves, we hold in heart and mind this
Intention:

May I be filled with loving-kindness, may I be held in loving-kindness.
May I accept myself just as I am.
May I experience the innate joy of being alive.
May my heart and mind awaken; may I be free.

Now holding in our mind’s eye, someone we have an unconditional positive
Regard for, someone for whom we find it very easy to feel unconditional
Love– a close friend, grandmother, anyone at all, we share our intention:

May you be filled with loving kindness,
May you be held in loving-kindness.
May you accept yourself just as you are.
May you experience the innate joy of being alive.
May your heart and mind awaken; may you be free.

Now envisioning all the people around you, the people of our communities
People in this country, and people in other countries:

May all beings be filled with loving-kindness.
May all beings have deep and lasting peace.
May all beings experience the innate joy of being alive.
May all beings awaken; may they all be free.

-Adapted from Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance

2. Gratitude For All Beings

Metta Sutra
May all beings be happy
May all beings be joyous and live in safety
All living beings whether weak or strong
In high or middle or low realms of existence
Small or great near or far born or to be born
May all beings be happy
Let no one deceive another nor despise any being in any state
Let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another
Even as a mother at the risk of her own life
Watches over and protects her only child
So with a boundless mind should one cherish all living beings
Suffusing love over the entire world
Above below and behind without limit
So let one cultivate an infinite good will towards the entire world
Standing walking sitting or lying down
May one maintain this practice
This is to attain the blessed state in this very life.

(Soto Zen translation)

3. Gratitude For All Those Who Have Touched Our Lives

Meditation on Benefactors
Let’s take a moment to reflect on all the benefactors which have touched our lives, spiritual teachers, mentors, and perhaps someone who we met randomly, who simply wished us well- allowing ourselves to take in their wishes for our wellbeing into our whole body, opening to this kindness through our entire heart/mind.

Envisioning their faces – and recall them as sending the wish for your deepest happiness, wellbeing and joy. Join them in their wishes for your wellbeing – let us set these intentions in our heart and mind….Envisioning this wish as radiant light, a healing blessing which bathes your entire body, all the way through to your fingers and toes. Trusting this wish of love more than the limitations of our thoughts, receive it into every cell of your body.

Bathe in this; Rest in this; Heal in this.

Adapted from Lama John Makransky, Awakening Through Love

Categories
Energy Medicine Healing Intentions Mindful Self-Care Positive Thought Vibrational Remedies

Conscious Cooking


I should start with the Eden Energy Medicine motto – “Test before you Ingest“, you can watch Tony and I demonstrating this on our sister site. You want to try energy test anything you ingest to make sure your body wants it at that time, but that aside for now here are some tools we both have used for a long time to increase the healthy energy of anything we eat.

Continue reading “Conscious Cooking”
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