7 Common Meditation Myths

October 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

meditation msytSource: Psychics Universe

Despite all the widely publicized benefits of meditation, believe it or not, some people still have misconceptions about this wonderful practice.

Here are 7 common myths that are still in existence today.

1. It Takes Too Much Time to Meditate

Meditation doesn’t mean endless hours sitting in the lotus position. To gain the most benefit from a meditation practice, experts suggest two 20-minute sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening.

However, even one daily 15-minute session can still improve your life.

2. It Takes Years of Practice Before You Reap Benefits

Meditation is just like any other skill; it gets better over time and provides more benefits as time progresses. But it doesn’t take years of practice. Even your first meditation session can benefit you by providing a sense of calm and well-being.

3. Meditation Is a Chore

That’s one way to look at it, but meditation should be considered as something more pleasant. Consider it “me” time or a well-deserved break.

4. Meditation Is New Age Hippie Stuff

Plenty of New Agers and Hippies practice meditation, but they didn’t invent it. Meditation has been around for thousands of years and has been used for improving the health of body and mind, as well as spirit.

5. Meditation Is Religious

People of various religions practice meditation, but meditation in and of itself is not affiliated with any form of worship. No matter what your beliefs, you can practice meditation. Even non-believers can (and do) practice it!

6. Meditation Is the Same as Relaxation

Although both meditation and relaxation can help you feel calmer, they are actually quite different. According to scientific studies, meditation creates specific changes in the brain’s chemistry, releasing hormones that create a sense of well-being.

Certain forms of meditation, such as Buddhist, also target specific brain regions that boost positive feelings.

7. People in Cults Practice Meditation

It’s possible that people in cults practice meditation, but meditation is not cult-like behavior. Cults are all about manipulation, coercion and groupthink.

Meditation is about freeing one’s mind and developing an independent spirit. If anything, practicing meditation would likely cause a cult member to challenge the group’s beliefs and seek personal freedom.

Filed Under: Mind Body Spirit

You Can Benefit from Unconditional Prayer in 4 Simple Steps

October 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

By: Vicki Howie / Source: Conscious Life News

We’ve all heard of unconditional love, but there’s a concept that is fair less popular and perhaps even more important. It’s unconditional prayer, the practice of communicating with the Divine for the more connection, service and surrender.

Unconditional prayer is the anti-thesis of “shopping list” praying where we tell the Divine what we want and when we want it.

Before I can really describe what it is and how to do it, though, I need you to better understand the related concept of trust. There are two types of trust – little trust and BIG TRUST.

The most popular, garden variety type of trust is little trust. Most of us practice this kind of trust on a daily basis. It’s when we have faith that things are going to go OUR way; that is, the way our ego wants them to go.

We commonly say we “trust” someone when we feel they’re going to behave the supportive way we want them to behave.

Big trust is something different altogether. Big trust is when we believe the Divine is doing everything FOR us, rather than TO us. It’s when we believe that no matter how things work out, it’s all for our growth.

It’s when we trust that even when “bad” or challenging things happen, the Divine has got our back.

It’s true. The Divine really does have your back, but if you’re too busy trying to control things – even in your prayers – then it’s hard to experience the benevolent flow of the bigger picture.

Simply put, unconditional prayer is the practice of trusting the Divine in a BIG way. Practicing it can give you a greater sense of acceptance, peace and flow in your life.

So if you want to experience it more often, here are a few ways you can pray more unconditionally.

HOW TO PRACTICE UNCONDITIONAL PRAYER

1) Before you pray, do some sort of centering practice to open yourself to Divine connection. It you don’t have a practice you love, try this simple one.

Inhale and imagine magnetizing a beam of energetic light from the sky through the crown of your head into the bottom of your heart. Hold it in here in your heart for a moment, then exhale and press it down through your tailbone into the core of the earth.

Notice how anchored it makes you feel to be deep in the earth, then, on the next inhale, draw that energy (that is earthier now) back up into the bottom of your heart and gently hold it again.

Exhale and send it through your crown to the sky. Repeat the process several times until you feel, clear, peaceful and gently energized.

2) Before you ask for anything specific, say something like this: I am deeply committed to my spiritual growth. Please give me the courage, insight and acceptance I need to make the highest choices I can.

Fill me with trust for all that is. Help me to know everything is unfolding with Divine Perfection.

3) When you have specific things you want to ask for, say something like this: I humbly ask (fill in the blank with what you want). This is what I believe I want and need now.

I fully trust that you will give me this or something better for myself, my growth and for the good of all those around me.

4) Finish with a huge heap of gratitude that your request has been received. You can simply say this: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you (or some variation there of).

Try this for a week or so and see how you feel. I believe you’ll find that as you do it regularly, your BIG trust grows and so do you.

Filed Under: Mind Body Spirit

How to Use the Moon Phases In Your Favor

October 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

moonSource: Psychics Universe

Police officers swear that the full moon drives people to do crazy things. Emergency room workers say they always expect a surge of patients during the nights of a full moon.

People who work with animals swear they behave differently. Some people put forth that the moon’s gravitational pull has an effect on us the same way it affects the tides—and considering we’re made of 70% water, it makes you wonder.

If the full moon can have that much of an effect on us, what about the rest of the phases of the moon? How can we use the moon phases to our full advantage?

New Moon

The new moon is a perfect time for fresh starts. If you’ve been meaning to take on a new project or make changes, the new moon is the ideal time to start making plans.

The energy of the new moon is very optimistic and energizing; it propels us forward so we can get a jump on things that need to get done. It’s also a great time to start new relationships, so it’s a good time to plan a first date.

Waxing Moon

As the new moon begins to grow, it’s energy starts to influence our long-term transformations.

If you’ve been pursuing higher education or striving to nail that project at work to secure a promotion, take advantage of the waxing moon energies and plan a late evening work session.

Creative people should also take advantage, as the waxing moon tends to bring inspiration. If you’re building something, you may find the project going smoother during waxing moon phases.

Full Moon

Contrary to popular belief, the full moon is not bad! It doesn’t make us crazy or drive us to do horrible things.

The energies of the full moon are simply powerful and abundant— they are energies that push and drive us to our full strength and determination more than any other time in the month.

If people are not ready for it, or don’t have a positive channel for that energy, it may be spent negatively, and that’s why hospitals and law enforcement agencies report so many of the bad outcomes.

To make sure you’re using full moon energy to your best advantage, plan to tackle some serious challenges during the moon that call for aggression— clean the closet you’ve been meaning to get to, or plan an extra exercise session.

This is not, however, a good night to get roped into arguments or let anger go unchecked.

Waning Moon

As the moon seemingly grows smaller night by night, its energies are prime for helping us expel or release things. It’s a good time to get rid of anything that’s no longer serving us.

Work on dropping unhealthy habits or negative patterns of behavior.

Have that heart to heart conversation with a loved one you’ve been meaning to have. Get out your feelings and clear the air. If a relationship isn’t going well, it may be a good time to break up.

Try to purge pent-up emotions with a good cry or by writing them out on paper so that you can release them.

Dark Moon

When the moon isn’t even visible in the sky at night, it’s called a dark moon. This period of time is best utilized by resting and recharging your batteries. If you’ve been overworked, plan a day of leisure or get to bed a couple of hours early.

Spend some extra time in meditation. It’s a good time to sit quietly and contemplate worries or problems, as the energies of this moon during a quiet moment will help draw out the inner wisdom to help you deal with things.

Filed Under: Astrology

Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

September 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment

pathBy: Chris D’Cruz, Keeper of the Universal Life Secrets

Dr. Joe Vitale, motivational speaker and author, often says: “the fastest way to get where you want is to be happy with where you are.”

Believe it or not, this mindset works! It may take some changes and soul searching on your part, but in the end, it’ll be more than worth it to adopt this positive mentality.

While you should strive to make your dreams come true, concentrate, also, on yourself and your journey. When you spend less time wishing things were different and more time accepting what you’ve got, you’ve already found a sense of peace and happiness right there.

6 tips that can help you become who you want to be right now:

1. Feel gratitude. When you concentrate on the big picture, it’s easier to exhibit feelings of gratitude. When you’re grateful, you remain positive and appreciative of every joyful moment in life.

Sometimes people get too caught up in a sense of entitlement, which leads to negative feelings. Concentrating on gratitude, instead, will get you where you desire.

2. Be optimistic. Some say that life is all about optimism. And it’s true! An optimistic attitude is one of the few things you need to succeed.

If you’re trying to achieve a concrete goal, optimism will help you accomplish it.

If you’re trying to change your mindset, optimism will make the task easier.

Optimism can be the driving force that keeps you going.

3. Exhibit the traits you desire. It was Gandhi who said that you should be the change you want to see in the world.

With these wise words in mind, you can replace wanting with some bold action. With some persistence and perseverance, you can make it happen.

4. Adopt a prosperous mindset. Take a moment to determine what prosperity means to you. Are you hoping for money, a fulfilling career, or a relationship that lasts a lifetime?

Know what you want, then adopt the right mindset. Once you do, you’ve then set yourself in the right direction toward your goals.

5. Find the silver lining. As you go through life, you will no doubt realize that things are not always going to go your way. But even in tough times you need to keep your chin up.

Instead of allowing negativity to consume your life, seek out the silver lining. This fresh attitude can be the difference between being held hostage and achieving your goals.

6. Take small steps. When the place you’re going seems far away and unachievable, it’s important to break it down into small steps.

Give yourself an achievable goal with a realistic time frame. Break that one down into smaller goals.

When you avoid getting overwhelmed, you’ll gain the confidence to persevere.

You’re Already There

It’s a good idea to practice one of these tips at a time until you’ve incorporated them into your life.

Perhaps you can spend a week perfecting one strategy and, then the next week, add another one to your repertoire while continuing with the first one. Soon enough, you’ll be a natural at all of them!

Once you choose a powerful and positive mindset, you’ll find that you’ve already achieved much of what you want.

Just remember: You already have the traits, mindset, and lifestyle you desire, and you know that success is inevitable, but only when you have the will to break through the obstacles in your mind!

Filed Under: Mind Body Spirit
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