Harvest

Find a place you will not be disturbed for while. Make yourself comfortable.


Ground and center yourself. Let fear and tension go with the outbreath.  Bring in fresh energy on the inbreath.  Continue this for awhile.


Visualize a large flower, rather like a sunflower.  See it go through its life cycle once in your mind. Growing, blooming, then decaying.


Now see the flower at full bloom. Slowly the outside layer of petals begins to shrivel, then falls off.  Then the next layer does the same, then the next, layer upon layer.  Watch the spent blooms release.


To quote a children's book I once read,  "Everything changes, nothing stays the same."  And this is the order, the way things are.  Sometimes it is a relief, a clearing, to let go.


Keep breathing, releasing the many things, people and attitudes you have had to let go of in your life, on your path of growth.


 ***


Breathe.  Finally there is nothing left on the old stalk but the seeds.


Cup your hands. Shake a few seeds into your palms.


Place these seeds in your aura for awhile, perhaps in your heart chakra.  Let them rest, become more potent. Think about them.


When it is time ( you will know ) reach for them and plant them, these seeds of hope.


Plant hopes for the world, hopes for your own life, hope for the future.  Make the soil ( the field of energy ) rich with love and joy and wonder each time you plant a seed.


May your seeds, sprout, grow and flower, magically bringing healing where it is most needed in this world.  Namaste- Lia

Circulating Energy

There are many traditions that recommend different ways to circulate your energy.  All are valid and good for you.  You can find plenty of books with tips or specific ways to approach this.


The other day, after working out, I went to a room at the gym where there were just two people doing their stretching, etc.  I lifted a few light weights, did some stretching myself and then found a yoga cube thing and placed it against the wall.  I sat upon it with my crossed legs falling down to the floor and got comfortable.  Then I started goofing around, circulating my energy. It was a good time to do this, since the exercise had already loosened me up. So here it is, for you to follow along with. You may close your eyes or, if you prefer, keep them slightly open. 


Starting with your feet, bring energy up your legs.  Really open up this channel.  When you reach the base of your spine, flush the energy down an imaginary cord that goes from the base of your spine into the earth.


Just keep doing this for awhile. Now, focus on the base of your spine and run energy up your spine to the top of your head and down the front of your body until it again reaches the base of your spine. Keep this channel going for awhile. I use my breath as a pump when doing this- when bringing energy up, inhale, when sending energy down, exhale.


You may find your sinuses draining, your mind clearing or other physical experiences.  Thoughts may come and go, don't resist.  Sometimes the answer to a problem may come.  No effort, on any of this.  It's your energy, just fool around with it. 


You can do this for two minutes, ten minutes, half an hour, whatever you feel like.


Now open up the area above your head so more energy can come in.  Let it flow down your body all the way to below  your feet.  Then take the energy from below your feet and raise it up to above your head.  In other words. circulate your whole aura now. Ironically, you probably are feeling energized even though you are sitting there quietly.


Visualize all the colors of the rainbow circulating in your aura.  It is as if you are a big prism of light, flowing, sparkling with energy.  By now you should be feeling pretty good.  Add some feelings of love or gratitude to the mix.


When you are through, just slow the circulating down to a low hum. Stand up, centering yourself and grounding yourself through your feet into the earth again.


Do this a few times a week, maybe tag it on to the end of a workout, and see what happens. Namaste- Lia

Having trouble staying asleep? Try this - I call it the spigot brain drain!

If you wake up and cannot fall back asleep, this may help.


First, realizing you are " tossing and turning," get up, walk around and shake out your body a little.


Then return to bed and stretch.  Lie in the position you would after completing a yoga session.  Flat on your back, legs somewhat apart, feet relaxed.  Your arms also should be a little out from your body and relaxed, with hands turned up or down, whichever you prefer.

 Notice the parts of your body that touch the surface you are lying on.  Start with your heels and imagine that there is a spigot you can use to empty the last of your tension.  Let it drain into the surface beneath you and then away from you into the earth.


 Do the same with your calves, the area behind your knees.  Now your thighs, your gluteous maximus.Breathe. 


 Empty your lower back, your ribcage.  Empty and relax your heart chakra and area between your shoulder blades.  Drain the tension in your shoulders, your upper arms,  the area around your elbows, and lower arms.


Empty the tension in your neck and relax your jaw completely.  Relax the area around your eyes and your cheeks.Breathe.


Now going back to your wrists, empty each finger of tension if they are touching the surface.  If they are pointing upwards, imagine you have a beautiful soft crystal in each hand, making the middle of your hands heavy.


Relax your brain, draining out the runaround thoughts.  Let your head sink into your pillow.


Now you are very relaxed in your body.  Start to divert your brain by doing some kind of counting.  Your breaths should be even, as in breathing in two counts, breathing out two counts.  Then you can go up in numbers, but without lengthening the breaths in reality, just keep it comfortable.  So, breath in 3, breath out 3,  breathe in 4, breathe out 4.  Go up to whatever number you want and then start over.  You could go up to 8, 10, 100, whatever.


At this point your mind should start to let go and dream, while you lose count.


Hope this helps- Namaste,  Lia

Gifts from the Universe

When the universe gives you a gift, accept it.


If you are meditating, working on yourself, and using visualization for good outcomes, sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you asked for, or better yet, what you need.


First, notice that you have received it.


Too often we are forging ahead with this and that agenda, and we don't even notice when something turns out perfectly for us.


Stop, and acknowlege what happened.  Whether it is visualizing a parking place or getting that important interview, this is true magic.


Open up! Celebrate! Thank all the powers that be.  And remember what an astounding place the world can be.


When your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies are  in alignment, easily, just happening because you practice and have faith, miracles can happen.


Blessed be and may many blessings come your way in your lifetime.


Open your mind to the possibility that you can be "in the zone."


The universe, I think, likes this as much as you do.  So have fun with it.


Namaste,  Lia

The River of Time

It is summer.  You are walking in a forest.  The trees are very tall- the light filters through in long beams across your path.


The forest floor is thickly carpeted, your steps making barely a sound as you walk, breathing in the pungent smells of the forest.


You see a glimmer of water up ahead and know you are almost at the river.  When you reach it, you wade into the water.


It is a shock-so cold- but it feels good.  You decide to make for a large flat rock in the center of the river. 


Lie down on the rock- it feels wonderful- so grounding.


Start to relax on the warm rock.  The sun enters all your chakras, easily clearing them of anything you don't need.


Your muscles become looser and more relaxed as you melt into the rock.  You are feeling very drowsy.


Watching the water now, you begin to see events and people from your past go drifting by.  You may be tempted to catch them or hold them in your mind, but instead you let them pass, just noticing them, many years, many people. Breathe and let them go.


  ***


Now you see the future coming by.  Once again, you watch the possiblities going by,  not attached, letting them go on into that future, not holding onto them right now.


***


You are warm and content on your rock in the river, listening to the sound of the water.  Gurgling, rushing, meadering at it moves around various parts of  your rock.  The sun glitters on the moving water-


and now you are glittering on the surface of the water, moving with ease, no tension, moving with the flow, no regrets, travelling with joy, being carried onward and onward to a place you know and to a place you don't know.  You are safe, just journeying, journeying, trusting in the journey of your life.


Earth, air, fire, water, dissolving into Spirit- dissolving back to earth once again.

Serious sludge

If you feel you have serious sludge holding you back from accomplishing what you want to in your life, then serious measures can be taken.


When your aura is barely moving and you can't think straight, it's time.


I must stress that this is creative visualization at its most fanciful perhaps, but it can work.


We will use an imaginary object.  You can go on a search for your ethereal object by taking a journey in your mind to a favorite place or power spot.  By using your intention, you will find it.


It could be a magic wand, a wizard's staff, or like mine, a sword.


I often forget about it,but when I really need it, I remember I have a sword and I know how to  use  it.


When you find yourself with sludge, you can cleanse it.


I do this standing, moving my arms as if I am holding the sword.
You can do it this way, or do it in your meditative state.


I start cutting away all the cords around my body.  Cords from the past,  the long ago past and the recent past.


Don't worry, if you really need them, they will come back, but it is such a relief to be free of them, even for one day.


Move all around your aura,  front, sides and back. Watch them drop away.


Then ( this is just my way) I place the sword in each chakra and watch the sludge drain out.  Sixth chakra- forehead, fifth chakra-throat, fourth- heart, third- solar plexus, second- belly and first- base of spine.  I then brush off any leftover residue down my arms and legs and whisk away energy that is blocking my eyesight.


Taking my sword, I open up the energy a few feet above my head, reclaiming the pathway to my Source.


Let the light come pouring in, soothing you, clarifying you, filling every cell with healing, wholeness and a sense of your true self.
Take some time with this.


***


Ahhhhh, that feels good.  Remember, the light is always there. We just have to put ourselves in a state to receive it once again.


Your vision will be clearer. You will be centered and grounded, ready to move forward with your life again.


So, even though this exercise may sound a little out there, I find it very effective at certain times.


Namaste- Lia

Basic Releasing and Relaxation Exercise

Take a deep breath and begin to slow down.  Breath again and start to let go of your day and all it took to get here tonight.


Lying there, as we are on the floor for this meditation, release anything you don't need through your spine and into the earth.  Let depression,  negativity, anxiety drain away from you.


Start at the base of your spine.  Go into each point on your vertebrae that you need to as you move up. Release, from the base of your spine.  Release from your lower back.  Breathe and release from you middle back, now the area between your shoulder blades.
Release your shoulders.  Release from the back of your neck.


Now, wiggle your jaw, relaxing your face.  Release the tension in your forehead and around  your eyes.


Now put your attention on your muscles.  Relax your calves, feel them sink into the floor.  Relax your thighs.  Relax the long muscles that support the length of your spine.


Relax your arms, your hands.  Let your body feel heavy as it rests here.  Heavy arms, heavy legs. So heavy, you feel you are the opposite of heavy-  you are floating, suspended in relaxation.


Floating free, releasing any parts of your personality that are holding you back in your goals.  No need to identify, just the intention to release.  Release addictions, behaviours you don't need anymore.  Watch them leave your aura, floating away from you.


Rest there awhile.


And now, open your seventh chakra at the top of your head and let light come pouring in.  Choose whatever color you like.  Let it fill your whole body, all your cells, starting at your toes, filling like a glass of milk.  It fills your legs, your lower body,  middle body, upper body, flowing down your arms and hands, gently filling all the way to the top of your head, the light spilling over now into your aura, healing any rips or tears.  The light filling you with health, energy and a feeling of being centered in your own body, your own self, with a sense of a new beginning for the rest of your week.


Namaste- Lia