I'm a lot of things. A Reiki Master-Teacher, a psychopomp, a medium. Once I was a trainer of exotic animals, once I worked in hospitals. Now I'm a writer. I write about the paranormal, the weird, the fringes. I write non-fiction and fiction, sharing my own life experiences as well as creating new worlds. Come in and explore!
I wrote in this post and this post about how I’ve asked for increased contact and clarity in contact. Here is more of the original download I received:
But there is much truth and guidance out there already. It keeps getting published and put out there, but the filters get in the way, and so many can’t understand what is being brought forward. The ones who have been the clearest, purest channels have not been brought out into public as much because the level they spoke at was nearly incomprehensible by most. The Law of One is a prime example. The higher level the being the higher level it’s communication. And so the message that comes through if translated as near perfect as humanly possible is not an easy thing to digest. The easier it is to understand, the more simplified it is, and so the more diluted the message. Which is not to say it is entirely wrong, just that is not entirely right either.
You are taught from the very earliest stages to not trust your own senses. Once you are able to comprehend the messages battering you from every angle and space you are subject to them. School is more about the rote memorization and regurgitation of state-approved data, which often has less to do with fact than it does convenience for and support of the official government sanctioned reality. How successful is a young, energetic being going to be at sitting motionless, staring at screen or paper for hours? Every instinct, every part of that young person is telling them to run, to jump, to go explore and find out. It’s like judging a fish on its ability to climb trees, and finding it lacking. You are being taught conformity and to subject your intellect to outside authority. It’s a very successful system at creating slaves to others.
This is not to say that you don’t learn valuable information in a school. We do not suggest that you should run around naked in the grass with no knowledge of reading, language, science, and art. But rather that the child should be exposed to these in measures that allow them to discover the wonder of them as well as to develop their own physical bodies. You would all benefit from engaging in greater physical activity and spending time out in nature.
I hear this so much! Get out in nature! At least out into the fresh air. Spend time taking deep breaths, grounding and centering yourself. We hear it so many times but just reading about it doesn’t actually do the work, now does it?
You have the time. It doesn’t have to be sitting cross-legged on rock under tree next to a placid pool. Waiting to cross the street? Take a moment, breathe, ground. On with your day.
I mentioned in this post that I’d asked for increased contact and clarity. I’ve been in contact with the Arcturians, and the Pleaideans most recently.
My questions to them during this meditation session were not in the form of direct question to immediate answer, but rather I was asking in general about the state of the planet, the multitude of so-called conspiracy theories and their likelihood of being correct. (Personally there are some I find entirely plausible and have seen enough evidence to convince me of their validity.) I asked them how to increase my ability to clearly discern Truth, and how to use this to better be of service to others.
I received a download and when I got back to my computer I asked for guidance on how to best express the download. This is what I wrote:
Ask yourself this. What would it take then to get you to believe? Because you and I know, that you are not crazy. That you have these experiences, see and feel these amazing things is not a sign of your mental breakdown but rather your enhanced and opening awareness. Do others see as you do? Yes and no.
Conversely, what would it take to shake your trust in sources, in media outlets, in government officials, and the multinational corporations? What would it take to prove to you they don’t have your best interests at heart? What would take to get you to even question their motives, their actions? Despite the wealth of evidence to the contrary, their propaganda and marketing continue to sway the hearts and minds of most Americans. Or, has something cracked the façade?
You see what is true. You see what is accurate. But this does not make it an absolute Truth. Because you are seeing what is true for you. This breaks into many different ways of seeing something. We’ve all heard the analogy, “some see an angel, some see an extraterrestrial.” Our perceptions are the product of our limited physical vision, and the filters imposed by ourselves and society.
This is why it is so important to develop your own discernment. Getting input from others is vital yes. Discuss, collaborate, compare, seek guidance with other like-minded people. This will provide you with much needed validation, confirmation, and build your sense of community and belonging.
However, do not get so stuck into following one person, one guide, one teacher blindly and to the exclusion of all else. If any being tells you it is the only one true way you should immediately doubt their sincerity and alignment.
The single most important tool you have is your compassionate, detached discernment. Practice reading everything about these topics that catch your interest. Especially the ones that trigger you. Don’t push yourself past any comfort zones! But strive to achieve a means to explore why you’re being triggered. It often points to areas within yourself that need healing.
I saw a craft pass overhead last night. I was outside, it was around 8ish, and I was looking up at the stars overhead as I walked through my yard with my dogs. It was so clear! Then I noticed that one star was moving. I stopped, it kept going. Not an aircraft, it was too high and not flashing, just a solid, bright white light. I tried talking to it, asked if it was a craft to “do something” like change course, or color. It didn’t change course, but it did hop around a bit, jumping side to side. It also changed to red, then blue, then it just faded out. Faded. Nothing like a conventional aircraft. Pretty cool!
We’re all going to start seeing these things more and more. It’s part of This. This Disclosure, This Ascension, This Event. We who are the already Awake are critical now. Speaking up, finding our voices, telling our truths is essential for those who are just now getting their Wake Up calls. The ones who are slapping the snooze button, or just rolling over and rubbing their eyes. The who have seen one or two things and wish they could go back to sleep. We’ve been there, done that. Now we need to help, support and encourage the waking ones. It’s what we signed up for. We’ve done this before, on a multitude of other planets, in other systems. We’ve got this. Hold to the Love and the Light of Source, bring it into your daily life.
I’ve been asking for more contact, better contact, and more clarity. I got it! Not just the sighting, which was cool – but – the rational right brain side of Me says that it could have been any number of other things. But, the psychic Me, the tuned in Me, knows that was a craft.
Best part, the craft sighting was confirmation of my meditation earlier that evening. My communication with my Guides and Allies has been increasing – both in clarity and in reliability. I’ve asked for increased training, and it’s been taking place, both in the 3D physical and on the astral. One of the clearest messages I’ve been getting is that I need to write. The literal message was, “Writing is your super-power!”
You’ve probably heard me mention I have a book coming out soon. A novel, paranormal romance with a whole new breed of shifters. It’s a series really, and I’ve been struggling with getting Book Two written. I knew the basic story arc, but just could not see the WHY. I needed it to be more than just a bunch of scenes strung together. I’ve been asking for the story, I’ve been meditating, and last night, got the answer. Saw the whole thing, saw the WHY the story is important. The short version, it’s about facing your dark side, and learning to embrace it and transform it.
It was after I got the download for Book Two that I went outside, and was musing about wanting confirmation for my increasing contact, and the different ways my psychic abilities and contact are increasing. Looked up and … craft in the sky.
It’s gonna be awesome! And I mean more than just my book. It’s been said over and over, but it needs to be heard, and really taken in:
WE are the ones we’ve been waiting for. WE are loved and supported by an entire array of beautiful, benevolent beings, but WE are the ones here, on the ground, in the dirt, doing the work. WE are the ones who will transform the Earth by transforming ourselves. Be the Love and the Light of Source.
I’ve been having these dreams for years. It’s usually Seattle, only rarely is it some other town – SoCal once or twice, a couple times places I don’t know.
It’s unlike the Seattle of now though. It’s beat up. There’s not nearly as many people, the population has been severely reduced. The buildings are not all intact, and there’s a lot more water everywhere.
I don’t know what happened, it might have been a war, but it was a war where the Light’s victory was assured. I never feel like I’m in danger. Sometimes I’m tired, or cautious, but I’m never, ever fearful.
My husband is there, maybe not immediately present with me in the dream, but I know he’s around and I’ll see him again soon. It still feels like home. And even though it’s pretty beat up, I feel hope. I’m usually alone on the streets, but I don’t feel unsafe. In fact, there’s a general sense of things being better after some rough times. There’s no hardship, no sense of lack. Even though a lot of the buildings look somewhat run down, there’s still electricity, services. Maybe not as many cars, but it’s not the dark ages.
Sometimes, I’m on the shore of a lake. It’s not where I live, but I go there sometimes to study with a wise woman. She tested me, and said I could keep coming back to visit her, to learn. She lives in a trailer, it’s got this antique feel to it. It’s dark and candle lit, with incense smoke trailing around and perfuming the air. I feel no fear here, only gratitude that I am able to learn from her.
Sometimes, I’m in a haunted house, and I need to clear it. The ghosts may be angry, or complacent, or confused, but I help them all to cross over.
Sometimes, I’m in a battle skirmish. Me, my husband, and our group. We’re good though, none of us are particularly worried about the outcome of the war – we know we’ll be victorious. I know we need to be cautious, but the actual danger level is low to moderate. Just enough to be exciting.
These dreams have been going on for at least a decade. They’ve felt distant, I’ve always known that it wasn’t now, it wasn’t the time. They felt like they were taking place in the future. Until now.
It’s not so much that the dreams I was having before have come true. Rather that the energy of my dreams, the feel of them, their vibrational frequency, is matching the now. Right now.
Now these dreams are immediate. Right around the corner. The message is that it’s about to happen. Only I don’t know what. The other message – don’t be afraid.
Fear is what the enemy wants us to feel. Fear is the enemy. We are strongest when we hold the Light and Love in our Hearts. Then we are undefeatable.
What works for me? Breathing, grounding. Releasing any heavy energies into the Earth for renewal. Drawing the Earth’s energy up to clear and cleanse. Epsom salt baths to clear and cleanse.
Use whatever methods you have, or reach out and research ones that you can use to hold yourself in the highest possible vibration. Open your heart chakra, feel the Love of your highest, truest self, the Love of Spirit, of Source, of Creator filling you until there is no space for fear or doubt to remain.
Today I’m talking about the definition of multi-dimensional entities, and contact with them.
Have you encountered a multi-dimensional? What was that experience like? Are you fearful and fascinated at the same time? It’s easy to be fearful with these beings because they’re so far outside of what we’re told is “normal.” But it’s also incredibly fascinating – beings from other worlds are reaching out to you!
Looking for like minded souls who are also experiencing contact? The time is now to Connect with Your Galactic Potential! Click the link to join: http://bit.ly/2EURo7i
PM me on Facebook if you’re having contact, and want to move from fearful to feeling protected and ready to communicate with multi-dimensionals. We can talk about how I get my clients protected and comfortable with out of this world contact.
Hello galactic souls! If you’re here, then you’re having experiences. My whole goal is to serve people who are experiencing contact with multi-dimensional entities.
What’s that? I use the term multi-dimensional entities to encompass beings that may or may not be present in our physical 3D reality: ghosts, elementals, faery folk, extraterrestrials. These beings have the ability to appear and disappear from sight. Some appear indistinguishable from a mundane human, others are clearly not.
This contact can be beautiful, enlightening, but it is usually startling, and often frightening. To see a being standing at the foot of your bed, appear in front of your eyes, or – in my case – manifest so that you physically bump into them, is unsettling to say the least. When it happens repeatedly, it can amplify the feelings of fear and anxiety.
It’s not unusual at all to pick up on the energies and emotional detritus in places that have even a little history. What is harder, is being able to sort out the nature of the experience. Is it a ghost? (Meaning the spirit of a deceased human that remain stuck on Earth.) Is it just some left over energetic residue that is able to manifest but has no real intellect behind it? Was it human? Or not? Is it of Earth, or some other planet?
It’s easy to be taken by surprise when encountering a multi-dimensional. It’s not typically something that happens on a set schedule. It’s easy to feel fear because the shock temporarily stops your brain from working properly. It’s too busy registering the fact that a being just popped in front of you out of thin air.
Often, these beings want to tell us something. They have a vital piece of information they’re trying to communicate – particularly the extraterrestrials. Are you getting the message clearly? Are you able to understand what these beings are trying to tell you?
If you are experiencing contact with multi-dimensional beings, and you have not been able to understand or communicate with them, please PM me. If you are done guessing, and you’re ready to commit to understanding these beings, and communicating with them, PM me and find out how I’m helping my clients grow and develop their natural psychic abilities.
If you want to connect with other like-minded souls, in a non-judgemental space, come join my Free Facebook Group, Connect With Your Galactic Potential. We will talk about our experiences, and share tips for developing our psychic gifts. The Earth is changing! Are you ready?
The time is now to Connect with Your Galactic Potential! Click the link to join: http://bit.ly/2EURo7i
UFO’s Are Real! The DoD, Harry Reid, a Navy pilot, even Tom DeLonge all say so.
This has been the It Topic in the paranormal community since the ground-breaking New York Times article on December 16th. I give you the CliffsNotes here.
Pretty cool, right? It’s huge! But…
There’s so much more to the UFO subject than just this sudden flurry of media attention. There is no quick, easily digestible sound byte that will summarize the last 70 years.
That’s right. The modern UFO age began in 1947 with the Maury Island incident, Kenneth Arnold’s Rainier sighting and of course – Roswell. That’s 70 years of secrecy and cover-up to work through. It’s gonna take a sec for some people to process. Especially if you’re just starting to explore the UFO community.
I had a conversation with an acquaintance about the NYT’s piece, and it was enlightening. It profoundly illustrated for me how much work we in the UFO community have to do to make this topic readily accessible to the mainstream public.
This guy is intelligent, though with a deplorable tendency toward pontification and talking over people. However, even with those caveats, he’s also struck me as open-minded, so when I asked if he’d read the article or heard about the Pentagon’s release his answer surprised me.
First, he insisted, there wasn’t any evidence (Um, excuse me?) He man-splained in some detail from the We Have Bigger Issues to Discuss, and Why Would Aliens Bother Coming Here scripts. And finished with this shocker: “But I haven’t read the article.”
He then professed to be “very well read on the subject” but also “very skeptical.” <<<Except, how well read are you if you haven’t read this? Or use those words “no evidence?”>>> We need skeptics. We do! Too often though, this takes the form of denying any and every claim because it’s not reproducible in a lab, or written up in a peer-reviewed journal.
Skepticism is necessary in this field, but it’s more common cousin, cynicism is stifling. Cynics already have their mind made up that this subject is nonsense. They find data points that support their views, and exclude everything else.
My friend was cynical. Because his reaction when I told him that the Pentagon ran this program, that they determined these things were not of this Earth, and had recovered materials, was to shut down and talk over me. His eyes glazed, and he even got defensive. “I can’t have this discussion because I haven’t read the article.” He heard me, but he didn’t want to accept that there had been official acknowledgment. He even said “I’m sure they didn’t say UFO’s exist” after stating he hadn’t read the article.
The news is a paradigm shift. It is going to get really uncomfortable for a lot of people, as it did for this guy. Almost every day since the 16th the online outlets have run a UFO-related story. Sometimes two.
I’m not talking about some local Gazette reporting on the farmer who saw a flying disc out in his field. I mean The Big Guys, the Main Stream Media: New York Times, Newsweek, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox and more. Don’t take my word for it – go Google it for yourself.
Remember, prior to the 16th there might have been a single story in the MSM every few weeks to months, with the obligatory wink-and-nudge. These pieces were treated as fluff, and were accompanied by humor or even outright derision. The pervasive attitude in the news and journalistic media has been universally negative, and the whole UFO subject has been ignored, belittled and marginalized. This has been by design, and our current societal perceptions of UFO’s is the result of decades of propaganda. More on that at another time.
If you’re new to the UFO world, here’s something you need to know: The UFO community is huge, diverse, and can be vicious in defense of individual pet theories. There is some stuff that you’d think was swiped from a science fiction novel. It is, from an outside observer’s viewpoint, full of contradictory, fantastical claims and there is little cohesion within the community. Quite the opposite, there’s often outright warfare between factions. This too, is by design, and again, more on that later.
It is however, also full of wonderful, open, genuine people who are striving to bring about real disclosure. They aren’t hard to find either. There are trustworthy sources, there are outlets that bring real, verifiable evidence. There are whistleblowers, insiders, and journalists who bring this fascinating phenomenon to the wider world through blogs and podcasts.
Most important, a new call for unity among the UFO community is rising. To put differences aside, to work together, to bring the truth out to the wider public.
That’s the absolute heart of the matter – We want the truth. We deserve the truth. Those of us who’ve been in this world, we know. We absolutely know. The UFO phenomena is real. But it’s about more than just extraterrestrials in metal ships zooming through our skies. This is where it gets a little sticky, because not everyone in the field wants to acknowledge that there is more than just nuts and bolts spaceships.
There are key facts, that must be acknowledged to form true unity in the community. These include the following:
Hard evidence exists – recorded data, recovered material, physical effects, etc., and more.
There are spiritual and paranormal aspects associated with UFO phenomena.
Perception of UFO’s is dependent on the individual. Personal accounts will therefore naturally be tempered by individual filters, and discrepancies will result. These should be honored as personal, but perhaps not absolute truths.
There has been active disinformation planted within the UFO community to sow dissention, ridicule, and division by our government and intelligence agencies.
If we start here, acknowledging and agreeing to these basics, we can build from there. Unity and working together will be essential to getting national, even worldwide acknowledgement of the UFO phenomenon. Maybe you only want to look at the spiritual side, or only the physical, that’s up to you. But some recognition of all these aspects will be essential, because they are all part of the whole.
We need to be gentle with those just arriving at the party, we will need to be gentle with those who are having experiences they don’t understand, and we will need to be gentle with ourselves as new truths dispel old.
These are exciting times. Let’s enjoy the ride, support each other and bring real disclosure to the world.
Did you hear about this? Just last week, The New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, NPR, all reported that the Department of Defense has investigated UFO’s. Not your tin-foil-hat-donning uncle. Not that weird lady up the street with chickens who grows all her own veggies.
The Main Stream Media.
Which yeah, admittedly, I have trust issues with. I kinda trust the bloggers and channelers more than the MSM. But that’s for another time.
There’s suddenly a flurry of UFO related articles. The UFO community is all aflutter – some with joy, some in denial. Amid all the emerging details, one small, but crucial piece is almost lost in the crowd.
The Department of Defense’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program investigated UFO’s. They used fancy language for it – unidentified aerial phenomena, unconventional aerospace-related findings, unusual aerial systems – but it boils down to this irrefutable fact:
The Department of Defense has officially acknowledged a program designed to look for UFO’s, stating it ran from 2007 to about 2012, and cost roughly $22 million.
Let that sink in for just a minute. Just that simple fact.
Because no matter what the nay-sayers may spew, the DoD silently, secretly investigated UFO’s. They consistently denied it. They did their best to discredit it. But they did it.
This is fucking huge.
Disclosure is such a loaded word. Ask any random UFO researchers what they think Disclosure involves, and you’ll probably get multiple answers.
“Aliens gotta land on the White House lawn!”
“The President’s gonna come out and announce it.”
While the methods of how, and timing of when, has been hotly debated for some time, there is one constant – official acknowledgment.
This is it folks.
They have said, officially that UFO’s exist. At the conclusion of the program, the overall consensus was that these things aren’t from around here. And… while the DoD says AATIP ended in 2012, the guy that ran the program from an office in the Pentagon says differently. He has said there is a successor to his position, but did not name this person.
That’s Disclosure. It might not be how you imagined it. It might not be how you wanted it. But it’s real. Our world is going to change. Hang on, it’s about to get very interesting.
Because here’s a few truths that you may not have considered, that go right along with the recent news.
To all those who said “There’s no such thing as UFO’s.” Clearly incorrect. Volumes of accounts, video, eyewitness, physical traces, physical effects, all documented; and the conclusion – no country on Earth has this technology. This is going to be very difficult truth for some people to accept. We need to be gentle and understanding with those who struggle with this new knowledge.
To the claim, “There’s no evidence.” Yes, there is. The NY Times article describes video and audio recordings, eye-witness testimony from military pilots, even “metal alloys and other materials … recovered from unidentified aerial phenomena.” These need to be studied openly, and by as many different labs and universities as possible around the world. Transparency with results is essential.
To the scoffers who sneered, “They could never keep a secret that big.” Yes, they have. Demonstrably so. Harry Reid said it was paid for with black money, and they didn’t want a lot of discussion about it. They hid this for years, deliberately. The reason it’s coming out is because the guy who ran it got an attack of conscience.
Also, you gotta ask, “What else have they hidden from us? What else have they lied about?” This is just the tip of the iceberg. This is just the beginning.
What else will come to light?
Oh yeah, there’s issues. Of course there are. There are plenty out there who will put the negative spin to this, and have. It will be diminished, degraded, attacked – it already has been. And it will be celebrated, praised, and defended – this too is happening right now.
It should be. It should be talked about from every angle. Because it’s been kept in the dark for far too long.
Don’t just take my word for it – read about it yourself. Google it. Do your own research and use your own discernment. What they are has yet to be determined, but we’ve hit a huge milestone – open acknowledgement that UFO’s are real.
Spirituality and Real Life are not mutually exclusive. You can intertwine the two to enrich your day-to-day life, and expand your consciousness.
I talked about mindfully following the breath in this post. The breath is the foundation. When life gets in the way – and it will – just come back to the breath. Maybe you’re wondering though, “how can breathing make me more spiritual?”
We are spiritual beings. We carry within the spark of Divine Creativity. But we also gotta pay the bills and get to work on time.
This division between so-called real life and spiritual life is a harsh one. Endless memes and jokes are made about those who follow a spiritual path. Usually making the spiritual person look flaky, or crazy. I might say that this is by design, but that’s for another blog post.
However, you’re here, so I’m going to guess you’re looking for some insight into things you’ve been experiencing.
You’re not crazy.
That’s right. The world is going through some serious shit right now, and it looks like it just might tear itself apart. I might say that this too, is by design. That is also for another blog post.
Right now, you just want some tools to help you navigate between the outer world’s needs and distractions, and the inner world’s messages and insights. Because I’ll bet that inner world is getting a whole lot more insistent. That’s why you’re here. Maybe you’ve seen and heard things all your life, maybe this is just the beginning for you.
Have you read some of those memes and blog posts and wondered if you were that flaky? You don’t feel like you’re any of those negative stereotypes. You manage your real life – bills, kids, school, job, but you see, or sense, or know, things at the most random times.
You dream, and then it comes true. You can tell when someone’s lying. You feel everyone else’s emotions exquisitely. You wish you had better control, or you wish you could turn it off. When you read about how people ‘manifest’ this, or ‘intuit’ that, do you wonder, how? Do you think they’re special? Do you think they have some uber-cool gift, and that sort of power is beyond you?
That is bullshit.
You are a Divine Spark. You carry part of Spirit within you, and you are a powerful, creative spiritual being.
I get it. It’s hard to keep that in mind when you have a bajillion other distractions. That ‘real life’ means you need to put food on the table, and a roof over your head, and get the kids to school on time. Instagram, selfies, that all-important status update.
But, I’m guessing, if you’re reading this, that you are looking for something.
So, I’m going to tell you a secret.
You will never, ever find it Out There. It is within you. It always has been. You just don’t want to believe it, because you find it so hard to believe in yourself. Because you’ve been told over and over and over again that you are worthless, that you are nothing, that you are just a sack of meat on a speck of dust spinning through an uncaring Universe.
That too, is bullshit.
Don’t take my word for it. Discover it for yourself. There’s the path, but you have to walk it. The bad news, there ain’t no shortcuts. Anyone who says different is likely trying to sell you something.
The good news. You are in control. You decide how far, how fast, and how much. Start slow. Walk away if you need to, and come back when you’re ready. I’m not the first to say this, but this is true:
It doesn’t matter if you trip and fall, it matters that you get back up.
How do I know? I’ve been that person. I have walked away from practicing. I’ve been forced away by life events, I’ve been too tired, too depressed, too lazy, too into Game of Thrones to want to go sit, and breathe, and meditate. I felt pretty guilty about it too, and not very spiritual.
Until I figured out, I do not have to spend 60 minutes morning and evening in silent, cross-legged contemplation. I mean, that’s nice, but really? Do you have time for that? Hell no. Grab that time when you can, and make it work for you. Do not wait for some magic, spa-like moment to grab your Zen and get spiritual.
You Are Spirit. You just need to look inward and find that spark. Practice in the in-between spaces and times, when you have just a few seconds to take a mindful breath or two. Why? Because Spirit is timeless, and Spirit is always listening. Spirit does not care if you only connect for a breath or two; only that you connect.
We get so wrapped up in the day-to-day that it’s easy to let spirituality slip to the side, if you even consider it for half a moment. Most people say they don’t have time to exercise, let alone the luxury of contemplating their own consciousness and place in the Universe.
Think you don’t have time to meditate? Think that spirituality is only something done on Sunday? Think again. You are a Divine Being in your own right. You carry within you a spark of Divine Creativity. You need to own that shit.
You can talk to Spirit at any time, in any place. The trick is, can you hear the answer? You can, I promise you. All it takes is a true desire and a willingness to open your heart to the answer. Want to know the best part? Spirit is infinitely patient. You do this work at your pace.
Obviously, the more diligently you work at any spiritual practice, the swifter and more dramatic your result will be. But – this is your journey. Take whatever time you need.
First, Naming. I use Spirit and Divine – I like the way they feel, and the positive emotions that come with them. You use whatever personal Name that you are comfortable with.
Next, Practice. To establish a personal connection to Spirit is not difficult. It only takes seconds, but it does take practice. No one ever got good at anything after one or two tries. So, practice, practice often. You’ll find it has all sorts of unexpected benefits – lowering blood pressure and stress hormones to name just two physical benefits. The spiritual payoff is immeasurable, and the joy of discovering those rewards is kinda the point.
Places to practice. Any place and time you have a few moments where you can pause, and take a few deep breaths. Closing your eyes, and twisting your legs into a lotus are not required. Need some ideas?
Doing the dishes.
Waiting to pick the kids up from school.
Waiting in line – anywhere.
In the shower.
Walking the dog.
Sitting at a red light.
Get creative. Let yourself play. Feel a little silly. Let all those negative thoughts, like “This can’t work!” wash through you. Don’t try and suppress them, just let them pass and keep practicing. You’ll find after time, your ego realizes it’s not silly, and stops sending them.
Does Spirit listen? All the time. Does Spirit answer? Yes. Practicing is how you learn to be able to hear that reply.
All You Gotta Do Is Breathe
So, what’s the first step? Easy, just breathe. Do it now.
In
Out
How’d that feel? Was it fast, or slow? Where did the breath go in your body? Your upper chest? Your belly? Could you have taken in more air? Did it feel like a sip or a gulp?
Meditative practice starts with following the breath because it is a direct linkage to your subconscious brain. Unless you turn your attention to it, your autonomic nervous system works diligently night and day, pumping your blood, digesting your food, and working your lungs. By following your breath and consciously regulating it, you are sending signals back to the brain that are then passed on to the rest of the body.
And this is important because?
The autonomic nervous system controls ‘fight or flight’. It interprets everything you see and hear based on whether it’s a threat, or not, and then yells, “Battle Time!” or “Run Away!” causing your heart and lungs to work harder and faster, plus a whole bunch of other biologic reactions. Millions of years of evolution have made it a highly efficient survival system. It is not however, adapted for our modern world. The noises and stresses of normal urban life cause us to live in a state of near-constant readiness for battle or escape. The effects of this are clearly reflected in the near-epidemic levels of diseases such as high blood pressure.
Control the breath, and the message you’re sending to your brain is “We’re chill. No saber tooth tiger is about it eat us.” Your brain then tells your heart, organs and muscles to kick back and enjoy some downtime.
The more often you do this, the better it is for your body, and this has been supported through research.
How to Breathe.
It is literally our first action on the planet. You probably think you’re pretty good at it, since you’ve been breathing all your life. Think back to that In and Out breath earlier. Now, you’re going to do it again. This time, though, you’re going to do it mindfully.
Close your eyes.
Empty your lungs by pulling your belly towards your spine and letting it push the air out. Don’t force it, just exert a gentle pull.
Pause, count to three.
Inhale by pushing your belly outward. Imagine the air rushing down and filling your belly as it pushes out. Only after your belly is full, allow the air to fill the upper part of your chest.
I like to do a slow count of eight – count to four and fill the belly, count to eight and fill the chest.
Then, hold the breath. Feel it circulate through your body. Visualize it as swirls of energy, or streaming through the blood. Watch it flow and fill you.
Release the breath. Again, pull your belly toward your spine, and exhale slowly, with control. Empty your lungs completely.
Hold briefly with your lungs empty. Pay attention to how your body feels without the breath in it. Visualize the breath leaving your body. You might want to imagine it taking away things like stress, or pain, or worry.
Then repeat the cycle.
I like to use a count of eight for each portion of the cycle:
The Inhale
Hold
The Exhale
Hold
But use whatever count works best for you at that moment. If you’re sitting at a red light, maybe it’ll be a three-count for two breath cycles. If you’re in the shower, try an eight-count for ten cycles.
What matters is that you do it. A lot. In the bathroom for a few minutes? Seriously. Brushing your teeth? Waiting to order your chai latte or caramel macchiato? Take some breaths.
Here’s the catch. Come on! You knew there’d be one.
For each breath, think only about the breath. Nothing else. Focus entirely on that air moving in, through, and out of your body. Any thought that pops up, just let go of. And they will pop up.
“What should I make for dinner?”
“What did he mean by that text?”
“Should I binge Stranger Things or Oroville?”
Just let them go, and bring your focus back to your breath.
And practice. Did I mention how important it is to practice this? Do it when it feels weird, or clunky, or awkward. No one is looking at you funny. Just do it. You will get past that clunky, awkward stage.
Practice until it becomes second nature for you to mindfully breathe multiple times a day. Even if it’s just for one breath.
Pay attention to how you feel before, and after. Are your shoulders a little looser? Your belly less tense? What physical changes do you notice, but also, what mental changes do you notice? What effects do you notice the longer you practice?
Mindfulness, attention to breath, and attention to your responses will help you learn focus and concentration on your inner workings and energetic shifts. Messages from Spirit can come through loud and clear, like a bullhorn. More often though, they’re subtle. Learning to discern what is “you” from what is Spirit will be that much easier if you are already familiar with the ebbs and flows of your own energetic systems.
