Dive InTo Water: One Minute Meditations - Weekly Meditation Thoughts

Photographer Rosie Hardy

Diving in … that is what it has been referred to.  It is a great metaphor for the past month.  Meditation can be calming, relaxing, and rejuvenating.  Or it can be an element that brings clarity only when the fear and ego are completely released to dive into the dark waters.  The symbols, the messages received when the dark waters are contemplated can give a greater clarity as emerges to the surface of the waters. 

Many of the whispers in the wind, the ashes of the fire, and the compost aromas have all urged through their symbols and messages to return to water.  An element that sustains the human body, that cleanses as it hydrates, and that leaves no part untouched as it flows.  Water can align all awareness as it rushes through the watery womb of existence to cleanse and release all parts of self, leaving only the soul’s spirit to float effortlessly down the ripples.  

Colin Jones

The element of water has been symbolically in every message gifted in the past week or so.  From a water pipe bursting beneath my home resulting in a flood to being caught in a flash downpour from the skies; it is a choice to allow the water to bead and roll off or soak it in permeating your flesh with the cleansing, healing water.  The container can be the intimate womb of a bathtub or the vast container that the skies pour down from, the element water can be brought into our lives as a healing and nurturing element.   While the power of the element can mold, destroy, carve it can also nurture, heal, clam, and uplift when it is held in balance.

Water is magical.  It can share what it is in life that needs balance.  Here is a one minute exercise to determine what you may need to align and balance.

Mark Esquerra

ONE MINUTE

To begin, close your eyes and inhale deeply.  Listen to the flow of your breath as you inhale and then exhale.  The only sound that of your breath – like the silence that lies beneath the vast ocean, beneath the surface.  As you focus on that single breath expanding and contracting, allow your imagination to wander to water.  What appears?  Is it a tidal wave crashing a shore or a bubbling creek?  Is it the silence beneath the ocean or the loud rushing of water over a high fall?

Christopher Prins

In this simple exercise, look where your imagination wandered to – did it go into raging waters or a bubbling spring?  The symbolic imagery can reveal where in our life we need to bring in the element of water.  Water is our emotions, it is our dissolution process, and it is our cleansing and healing in life.  We begin this human existence surrounded by water in the womb.  Our bodies are made up with more water than any other single element.  In discovering where the water leads us through this one minute exercise, it is possible to discover what in our life is imbalanced and out of alignment.

Richard Lott

ONE MINUTE

Close your eyes and lift inhale deeply again intentionally focus upon the sound of expansion and contraction of your breath.  Lift your chin upwards towards the skies.  Focus upon the cloud above you and feel the water vapors within it.  Feel the droplets fall down like rain upon your face.  The clear, pure rain water from the skies falling gently cleansing and rinsing all the grime of life away to leave a fresh, clean experience.  The cloud evaporating, only a glimmer of a rainbow envisioned remains.

Rosie Hardy

In this moment, focus upon the element of water.  The gift of water.  The power of water.  Connect with water.  Experience water.  Immerse in water.  Drink plenty of water.  Protect our waters.  Whatever way the element is calling to you, hear its call and experience water today.

Life is a process to be LIBERATED! Guest Blog By Jeremy McDonald

I’ve been having to face a huge fear in my life lately, and it is one that a good lot of us share. I could say it’s a blank statement about fear of money; however, when I really sit here and think about it, that is truly not the case. We always have to remember that there is usually a story behind the story. Many times the only way to get to that story is to proceed forward past what we know to discover the unknown, or what we are actually unaware of.

You see, all of my life I have had a problem with money or abundance and up until a few years ago I had a problem with just letting my light shine as bright as possible. In reality this was never about money, but was truly about how small I had seen myself.   I have done a ton of inner work and I have recently just finished my book project. I am well on my way to going on a book tour and diving head first into my spiritual business.  So now, even though I have some money in the bank, I still have this feeling of smallness going on inside of me, and this inner struggle when I think about all of it. Why is this?

          Recently, I had the honor and privilege of attending a weekend retreat with Instructor Robin Rice. This weekend was amazing for me because I realized so many things about myself. One big one was that I had done all of this work within myself and on many levels I have become very self realized; in turn, I have learned that I have some areas of opportunity to work with to become even more self realized. This is a process!

So, the fear that has been surfacing has appeared because of me, stepping out with a “Leap of Faith”, which I discovered is not really a leap of faith since this is all just an illusion. The leap of faith is given so that my ego can experience one more step of letting go, and ultimately tell me that I will be fine. Amongst all of this has been the fear; that I will not have enough money, fear that I am spending too much money, and fear that I might be making a mistake. Sounds familiar. Yes, this is an opportunity for me to step into who I am once again, and realize that I am a great, beautiful light and so are you.

          Not that long ago, my story was that I couldn’t do something because I did not have enough money. Now my story is that I might be making a mistake. Here is the TRUTH; Our FEAR is of DOING! This will hold us back more then you can ever imagine. It is us that is terrified. It is us who thinks  that we need SECURITY when we already have all the security right inside of us. Really, the TRUTH is that we cannot make mistakes; Mistakes are not really mistakes, they are opportunities to GROW even more aware! This is not really a Leap of Faith, but it is a step for me to really believe in who I am and what I teach others. And that is, to be GREAT! We have too truly embrace our greatness, let go of our fears and proceed forward! Each step is a growth opportunity for each of us! Each step is a way for us to get here, right in this moment. Our fears, if we let them, can paralyze us and keep us from moving; that is not LIVING! It’s funny because we all are afraid of the word evil, but you must realize that the word EVIL is LIVE spelled backwards. So the evil in us is the part of us that is afraid to live. This evil part of us is capable of evil deeds because it is willing to manipulate in order to control our environment. This manipulation stems from fear.

This is really not a leap of faith and it has really nothing to do with money, but it has everything to do with my process of evolving from my once very shy and small state of what I thought I was. It is a left over pattern of my victim mentality lifestyle that I lived in for so very long. This is a SLAVE mind; it’s what I like to call it now. You and I are not slaves! We are not slaves to our jobs, we are not slaves to our society, and we are not slaves to our government! We are EMPOWERED beings! We are children of GOD! All things from GOD are taken care of, in divine timing and divine order, and this is exactly what we want to embrace to be liberated from our slave mindset.

When we let go of this mindset and realize who we are then our world starts to change. The Universe starts to bring us experiences to help us evolve back into that Greatness. In reality, what the universe is doing is giving us opportunities to LET GO of our pain, let go of our past, and allow ourselves to learn how to live in the FLOW. To understand what it is like to KNOW that we are taken care of in all areas of our lives and to realize that we are abundant in all things.

This really comes down to spending time working with you; the inside of you! So as I have experienced these fears of mine I have been able to look deep within myself and ask myself: “Where is this fear coming from dear one? What is it that you are so afraid of? What do we need to let go of in order to be even more liberated?” And, I know some of you might say, “I am very okay with myself.”, and I would totally agree with you. Even if you have fears you are still perfect. Your fears are a process of allowing you to step into your divine self. To become even more self realized and to be great! Fears do not make us imperfect. Fears make us spiritual beings experiencing a human experience of limitation in order to go through the process of coming back into the divine state that we truly are. So what do our fears do if we just allow them to rule us? They keep us from experiencing the journey of self discovery, and it is that journey that truly allows us to experience joy, love, happiness and abundance!

I would say to all of you, and I at times remind myself, it is the “JOURNEY” that has all of the rewards and treasures. It is not always the end result. The process to get there is what gives us the education we need to be able to maintain and live in the world we are working towards. Otherwise, if we did not have the journey to prepare us, and if we got to our goal without being prepared for it, then we would not have a solid foundation for living in our life goals. When we have a solid foundation then we can firmly live in the place we desire with love and not with the fear of losing what it is we worked so hard for. This is because we realize that all things change, and all things come and go in divine timing and divine order. Nothing is coming and going as we see it, because we are all ONE. Things are simply just shifting, and re-aligning, to come into the divine order of being the whole of who we really are.

Jeremy McDonald

Accomplished spiritual healer and teacher Jeremy McDonald has been a

public speaker for over 14 years has designed and delivered many

workshops to assist individuals helping them find peace and joy in

their lives. Looking from an inside soul perspective, they are able to

overcome fears, alchemizing them into love. His clients find balance,

peace, joy and true sublime self love . For accolades of the world

Jeremy is a Reiki Master, EFT Practitioner, Theta healing practitioner

and Life coach. He has served as a Key Note Speaker for Expos,

Colleges, Professional Conferences and just the small Workshop in a living room. Jeremy is the show host of the online radio show, Soul Talk, on v109fm.com, which discusses the transitory experience of knowing ones soul from an inner perspective. Guests range from Spiritual Practitioners, Scientists, Medical Doctors, Musicians and Artists having conversations of the Soul coming together to enjoy the rewards of a soul driven by spirit, and guided by awareness of the self.

In addition, he is the author of the book titled: Peace Be Still due to release in March of 2012. An autographed copy can be reserved now at: www.millionhugs.com/peacebestill.html

Advanced Chakra's: Taping into the Soul's Blueprint: Weekly Chakra Thought

Daniel B Holeman

There has been many questions regarding chakra centers above the seventh chakra in my email lately.  Here are some thoughts to consider:

There are many various theories and concepts regarding advanced chakra systems.  It is important to understand that as a chakra is a wheel or circle of energy they exist in everything and everywhere.  It would be near impossible to define each one and the purpose.  Yet, there are some basic well known theories that extend beyond the traditional seven centers that I have discussed frequently in this series.

Let’s begin with the seventh center, the crown.  This is traditionally known as the connection to the Divine Spirit.  It is seen as the channel opening to the Universal energy, the prana of life.  Many will share that it is this chakra that when awoken, activated, and aligned it will facilitate such things as psychic abilities, auric viewing, and walking between the worlds.

Above this center, you are taping into the auric levels that surround the physical body.  Some refer to them as gateways, while others as different frequencies in the prana that can be accessed; how you define and label them is varied among those who delve into the advanced study of chakra systems.

The centers often are said to hold karmic residue, the soul’s blueprint or contract, the unification of masculine and feminine energies, and a signature to the origin of the soul.  There are some that believe these centers to be a part of the Akashi records and not necessarily individual chakra centers, the idea that it is not only possible but vital we each awaken, activate, and align our own centers is vital.  The very act of labeling a center is limiting its potential.

For a moment let us return to the basic centers.  We have a root chakra which is most commonly referred to as being in the area of the base of the spine.  It is seen as the physical aspect of grounding to the physical Earth.  Yet to enter the physical Earth is to leave the physical and enter the spiritual aspects.  If the root center is physical and extends to the spiritual Earth – is there a different label for the center as it connects to the Earth?  If we believe there are also seven layers of the auric field that surrounds each human being – does each of the levels have a different label that refers to the energy center as well?  As you can see the label simply serves to limit our thoughts.

Back to the additional centers, the original question - are there different centers that exist above the crown chakra?  The simple answer is yes.  The energy that they provide can be accessed and merged into the energy system of the conscious energy body.  The language, terminology, labels, and definitions vary from person to person, but the single thing that remains as a thread among all is that they do exist to provide for a deeper and fuller experience with universal/divine energy sources.  As human beings we attempt to complicate things by finding it necessary to define all things.  If there is not a definition we cannot seem to accept it as truth.

It is my personal experience in having worked with the energy signatures and frequencies for a bit of time now, that if one begins with awakening, activating, and aligning the seven main centers by ensuring that they are clear of any blocks or obstacles from this physical lifetime all else becomes available to go deeper into the experience.  If you clear the energy to become a clear channel, it is then that you can begin to follow the threads of the frequency or signatures through the auric fields to the origin of the frequency or signature.  This is without labeling or defining what gateways or centers are gone through to follow the signature.  When working with someone on their own centers, many are amazed to find that as they clear a physical block by following the signature for themselves they can then follow the signature further and further back.  Another term that is often used for this work is soul retrieval or fragmentation retrieval.

All healing begins when we look at our own signatures and what they are telling us regardless of how we define the labels we use when striving towards healing our own souls.

Wind and the East Direction: Weekly Ceremony Ritual

Sparhawk
thehawksperch.wordpress.com

Weekly Ceremony/Remedy/Ritual

with 

Kalpulli Teocalli Ollin

East - Direction of New Life/Beginnings, Season: Spring, Element: Air/Wind, Color: Gold/Yellow/White, Aztec God: Quetzalcoatl; the Feather plumed serpent, Direction of Tata Dios/El Sol/ Tonatiuh/Sun

Other East Connections: Guardian Archangel: Raphael, animals that herald in the spring such as the robin, waxing moon, creativity, inspiration, clarity of vision, youth. The eagle is a common totem for the east. Some traditions have the altar facing in this direction because it is the place of new beginnings and vision.

At this time of year the wind (Ehecatl) is an ever-present force, sometimes gale force, sometimes just a strong breeze.  It is the Vientos de Cuaresma; the Lenten Winds.  As the wind howls around the corners of our homes, fills our eyes with grit and makes visibility a challenge on the freeways, many people hate the wind. They are impatient with it; they feel irritable, annoyed, unsettled, and distracted.  I am one of those people. I have always had a struggle to tolerate the wind. Must be my Eagle wings struggling to fly. (SMILES). 

I share an easy ceremony/exercise to connect with the Wind and the East Direction.  Experience it as a limpia, a spiritual cleansing/clearing your energy, your body, your aura. Enjoy!

AIR PURIFICATION from the book Magic Mystery and Medicine by Kristin Madden

"You don't need to stand outside in gale-force winds (but you may) ...even a gentle breeze can encourage blocked energy to move, concerns to be released, and tensions to be tickled away."   

 * Simply stand outside facing the wind and the East Direction, arms out and legs spread hip-width apart. If you can, do this in bare feet and shorts or a short-sleeved shirt.  

 * Feel your connection to the earth. Feel that grounding, strengthening energy filling you as you turn your attention to the wind on your body.

 * Let go of your attachments - your job, your studies, and your world.  Feel them fly off into the wind and be carried away.

 * Feel the wind blast or tickle you as it will. Take a deep breath and release all that you have been holding on to. Open yourself fully to the wind. Let it pull out and off those things that have hidden within you. Turn around or offer the backs of your hands and arms to the wind. Imagine it passing right through you, and see symbols, memories, colors, shadows, and more releasing from you and flying away.

  * Allow yourself to express any emotion this brings up for you. Stay in the wind until the emotion is expressed, released, and cleared as well.

  * Give thanks to the wind, honor the wind and move forth.

I hope working with this exercise will help you make an ally of the wind, and to make beneficial use of a resource the Universe blesses us with in abundance at this time of year.

Love and Blessings : )

About Cuauhtli Cihuatl


I am Laura Alonzo de Franklin, granddaughter of Casimira Rocha and Melecio Sanchez, daughter of Ascenion Alonzo and Celia Sanchez, life-partner of Michael Franklin and the mother of six amazing sons and the mother of three incredible daughters that have crossed over. In the Latino/Hispanic community, I am given the title of Maestra Curandera; in the Lipan Apache path, I am seen as a medicine woman and in the Western Model of healing, I am a Clincial Social Worker. I have been initiated in the Mexhika tradition as Cuauhtli Cihuatl (Eagle Woman) and in the Nde Lipan Apache (Hleh-pai ndé) tradition as Itsa Isdzán (Eagle Woman). Both paths, connect me to The Eagle: carrier of prayers, courage, wisdom, a special connection to the creator, protector, the sky spirit, and a symbol associated with visions & spirits. I carry the sacred staff, the sacred, pipe, the sacred saumerio and the feathers of my winged brothers. I thank Creator and my Abueltia for their permission and blessing in carrying this medicine to ALL that seek it without restritction, without judgment and for it to be inclusive of all faiths, colors, race, genders and backgrounds to walk with dignity, grace and respect. OMETEOTL. 


KALPULLI TEOCALLI OLLIN 


Kalpulli Teocalli Ollin is the direct legacy of Casimira Rocha y Sanchez and her ancestors.  They are dedicated to sharing the wisdom with respect and integrity to all whom seek it.  They are a group of men, women, and families who are affirming, reconnecting, and remembering the traditional ancestral methods in which people empower their own healing.          Through reaffirming ancestral beliefs of the healing process, we affirm the holistic treatment of the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical bodies.  Through reconnecting to our Mother Earth and Father Sky we reconnect to one another by honoring and respecting all life:  animal, mineral and plant, so our equilibrium in this universe may be restored.  Through remembering that we are conduits of higher sources of cosmic energy, we have faith in the ancestral methods of our abuelitas and abuelitos in relearning how to heal ourselves, each other, and our communities, by sharing this medicine with our present and future generations.


Visit on Facebook or Visit Website

Be Intimate with Your Breath: Weekly Energy Series with Karen Chrappa

Weekly Energy Series 

with Karen Chrappa

of

A Structure for Spirit

Our breath is a wave, a continuous flow of life force energy. This wave repeats itself in the rhythms of our heart, the flow of our blood, the electrical impulses of our nervous system, the peristalsis action of our digestion, the synapses in our brain. At our essence we are an ebb and flow of rhythmic motion. So why is it we often use our energy to fight this very flow?

Most of the pain and struggle we experience comes from our attempts to control this wave driven by our most basic human instinct to avoid pain. All kinds of elaborate, sophisticated, convoluted and complicated strategies are developed to fight the tides of our very substance. One most basic lies in our breath.

When we inhale we feel. If there is something we do not want to feel we stop breathing. We subconsciously divert our attention and our breath away from what hurts. In this way we begin to deaden or numb a part of ourself in an attempt to not feel pain. This strategy might work in the short run to keep us distracted. But over time these dams we build to fight the flow create the very pain we are looking to avoid by diverting the precious life force energy away from parts of our body and awareness.

We can live without food and water for some time but without our breath we are gone in a matter of moments. This is the power of the life force energy that enters our body with every breath. Notice what happens when you breathe in. The inhale is the feeling, sensing part of our breath. Where are the tensions? What internal resistance do you meet? What are you breathing in with each inhalation?

What happens on your exhale? There is a release, a letting go that naturally happens with each breath out. Where is your breath holding, constricting?

Becoming intimate with our breath reveals to us a reflection of how our life force energy is manifesting out into the world. Just as a stone dropped into a pond creates ripples, so too do the waveforms of our own essence have rippling effects in the world around us. What are the ripples of your breath creating?

The following is a breath practice I use each morning to help clear any stagnation, congestion or blocks that may be held in my own system. May this serve to support your own practice in becoming more intimate with your breath.

AHO my friends! AHO!

To watch the video, please visit Karen's blog here.

Breath Practice for Energy Clearing

►

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com 

• Originally posted by Karen Chappra on A Structure for Spirit.  Reprinted with permission.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com 

Karen Chrappa:

Karen Chrappa has dedicated her life to mastering the art and science of healing by weaving together the roots of physiotherapy, a foundation of intuitive Thai massage and the heart of shamanic energy medicine to help thousands on a healing path for the past 25 years. Her newly released book, A Structure for Spirit, offers Earth and Energy based medicine practices to align with intention and awaken your path of healing and awareness. Visit www.karenchrappa.com to find her on facebook or follow her blog for practices, rituals and New Moon ceremonies. 

It is time to take chances around who we are, and what we put into the world. - Weekly Vibe with Laurissa Heller

You’re desires are likely to be single minded. Pursue your inspirations, your dreams, and your life’s calling. Even if it is the Sirens beckoning you from the mystical world of illusion, it is still in your best interest to follow. If we do not over come the unforeseen obstacles that fall into our path when pursuing, we miss our truest self. The one that is working with the energy of transformation.


When we make decisions, we want them to be the “right” decisions~


Spirit wouldn’t have it any other way. You know as well as I do that there are no poor choices if you are reading this blog. There are simply options. Perhaps sometimes we go toward the one that looks like it is the least resistant, and it turns into something that stops us in our tracks. The ever loving Universe never lets us down when it comes to getting what we came for......growth and connection.

Compassion is our greatest tool for ourselves and for our fellow travelers. Keep walking your unique path. Don’t be afraid to take risks (with the exception of money). Money is energy and it is definitely not the year to throw it around.


It is time to take chances around who we are, and what we put into the world.


You only need to hold out your hand, and someone will be there to hold it. The journey never leaves you alone, except when you need to be, and this is also part of the process. The tribe is gathering..........are you coming along for the ride?




Eastern Philosophy ~ Western Living ~ Infusion Astrology

About Laurissa:

Laurissa is an astrologer who likes to work with people to help them find answers to life's questions through her own interpretation called Infusion Astrology. She pulls from yoga, buddhism, astrology, intuition, and life to help guide people through their decision making processes. 

Relationships, Work, Family, Children, Travel and Location for Living are all part of her offering as part of her Infusion Astrology Readings.  Her mission is to enhance people's awareness in their own lives so that they are able to live to their fullest potential.  Her philosophy is that by taking care of ourselves and recharging our own batteries we are better able to assist the people who are in our lives and extend that energy into the environment as well.

Laurissa offers Astrology Guidance and is an Educator of Conscious Living and Yoga Meditation Teacher (500 Hour Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher) and has been practicing yoga and meditation for nearly a decade. 

To find out more information about workshops offerings and private sessions, visit her website at www.tribaltree.org or visit her facebook page .


You can also catch "The Weekly Vibe" show on BlogTalk Radio where Laurissa and Deb Kabin (Earthmother Holistic Events)  The Weekly Vibe Show