Mindfulness And The Benefits of Practicing It!

Mindfulness is most commonly known as the Zen Buddhist practice of becoming fully focused and aware in the present moment. Did you know that the average person rarely focuses only on the present moment?

More often our thoughts are racing ahead to think about the future, or getting stuck in regret as we think about the past. The problem with this habit is that by removing our focus from the present moment we miss out on an opportunity to live as fully and richly as we could right now.

Practicing mindfulness is a great way to bring your focus back to the present, and the good news is that anyone can do it. You don’t have to be a meditation master to conquer your scattered thoughts, and one peek at the benefits of mindfulness should convince you that it’s worth trying:

• Inner peace
• Stronger focus
• Deeper spiritual connection
• Emotional detachment
• Mental clarity
• Inner balance

Sounds great, doesn’t it? If you’re ready to give it a go, here’s a very simple way to begin practicing mindfulness:

First, it’s a good idea to choose a “trigger” that will remind you to bring your thoughts back to the present. You’ll want to choose something that happens frequently throughout the day, like every time you walk through a doorway, or every time you glance at a clock. Set this trigger in your mind during a meditation performed the first day you want to begin practicing mindfulness.

Get into a relaxed state by taking a few slow, deep breaths and focus on quieting your mind. Then recite an intention similar to this: “Today I am reminded to practice mindfulness each time I see a clock or hear the current time mentioned by someone else. In the very instant I become aware of time I am able to quickly let go of scattered thoughts and turn my attention fully on the present moment with joy, peace and gratitude.”

Repeat the intention out loud a few times, letting the message soak into your subconscious mind. Then continue with your day like normal.

From that moment on, every time you see a clock or hear someone else mention the time, you should immediately be reminded to detach from scattered thoughts, stress, anxiety, anger, or any other errant thoughts or emotions, and focus only on right now.

Be sure your focus is not one of anxiety or fear! Let the future take care of itself, and let the past rest. Embrace the present moment with absolute serenity. If it helps, try reciting a mantra during your mindfulness moments, such as “All is well right now.”

Keep your focus on the present moment for as long as you can, and give your full attention to any task you’re doing at the time. In fact, be sure to practice mindfulness while you’re doing mundane chores or activities! These are the activities that usually inspire us to “zone out” and let our minds drift off, so it will take some discipline and determination to keep your thoughts in the present moment.

The ultimate goal is, of course, to be in a state of mindfulness ALL THE TIME. However, it will probably take time for you to achieve that level of control. As with all new habits, mindfulness takes time to master.

Taming errant thoughts is similar to herding sheep. They keep moving off in random directions and you have to keep redirecting them where you want them to go!

Just be persistent and patient and in no time at all you’ll feel more comfortable with the technique.

The Power of Oneness And Interconnectedness

Do you think of yourself as an individual, separate from everyone around you? Most people in our modern world do have that perception.

However, centuries old spiritual texts from many cultures tell a different story; and quantum physics is beginning to confirm the same truth: that we are all interconnected, with each other and the universe around us.

If this is indeed true, how come we can’t see it? Why do we appear to be separate beings? The answer lies in our perception of who we are.

On a physical level, we do indeed appear to be individuals. Our bodies are not tied to other bodies; we can move around freely by ourselves. However, that’s not the end of us, is it? Besides having physical bodies, we are also spiritual beings; we are composed of the same energy that makes up the universe and everything else in it.

The good news is that you can strengthen your sense of interconnectedness by simply shifting your focus! Below you’ll find a few quick and easy tips for doing so:

1) Emphasize Your Similarities

Most of us are used to focusing on the ways we’re different from others, but we are usually much more alike than we think! Get into the habit of noticing and emphasizing the similarities you share with others. This is especially helpful when you feel intimidated or offended by someone that seems very different than you.

2) Appreciate Your Differences

Even though we’re similar in a lot of ways, we definitely do have our differences. We’ve all been raised in different cultures, ethnic groups, regions and with differing belief systems. Does that mean we can’t connect? Absolutely not! Start appreciating the unique qualities of others, and don’t be afraid to share your own.

3) Put Yourself In Their Shoes

Empathy is a powerful way to feel connected with other people. With every person you encounter, ask yourself what it must be like to be that person. What unique challenges do they face? What are their hopes and dreams? Who are they really? The more you focus on these things, you more you’ll find yourself feeling connected on a deeper level.

4) Strengthen Your Compassion

Too often we make snap judgments about people without taking the time to consider what’s happening in their lives. We see a homeless person begging for money and we assume, “lazy, dysfunctional, dangerous, freeloading,” and probably even less flattering terms. But we really don’t know that person’s unique circumstances, whether he/she has a mental illness or severe emotional trauma – we just don’t know. Judgments will always keep you feeling distanced from others, so make a point of feeling compassionate for those you don’t understand. Remind yourself that they are worthy of love and compassion no matter how they appear on the outside.

5) Remember The Looking Glass

Many people believe that everything we see or experience is actually a reflection of some facet of ourselves. When we encounter rude people, we are being shown how we can also be rude at times. When we witness intolerance, the universe is reflecting our own intolerant attitude back to us. Use this insight to better understand yourself and others you meet. When you encounter someone that makes you feel angry or disgusted, explore that feeling and see if you can find the little piece of you that isn’t so different from them.

Spiritual Transformation The Darker Side

For the most part, spiritual growth is a positive, life-enriching process, but there can also be a darker side that is rarely talked about in spiritual circles: the necessity of endings to make way for new beginnings.

As with any type of transformation, certain elements or situations must fall away in order to make room for the rebirth of something better.

In the context of spiritual transformation, a person may find themselves experiencing upheavals and crises that threaten to derail their spiritual journey. Relationships may end, jobs may be lost, or even major health issues may arise in response to a new spiritual awakening. Some of these changes can be violent and traumatic, shaking the very core of the person experiencing them, while others may merely inspire aggravation and stress.

If you are just beginning your spiritual growth journey and are unprepared for the changes your inner transformation may trigger, they can wreak havoc in your life and make you think you’re losing your mind.

On the other hand, exploring the process of transformation more closely can help you understand what is happening in your life and prepare you for a smoother transition.

The transformation process is portrayed perfectly by one well-known example: the Death card in Tarot. Despite its frightening appearance, the Death card rarely portends actual physical death. Rather, it is a symbol for the cycle of death and rebirth that governs all of life.

Before new beginnings can take place, the death of the old must first be endured. The most powerful message of the Death card is that these changes are always for our highest good, no matter how painful they may be as we move through them.

Sometimes endings can be a freeing experience, such as releasing traumatic memories from the past in order to move forward into a more fruitful phase of life. Or sometimes they can be painful, such as the termination of destructive relationships that nonetheless were comforting in some ways.

As unsettling as this process may sound, the most important aspect of it is not the endings themselves but rather how you handle them. If you can see these endings as a necessary purging of situations and conditions that are limiting your ability to grow and reach your fullest spiritual potential, you will more easily be able to let them go.

Also important is the willingness to believe that by releasing these situations from your life, you are inviting better circumstances to take their place.

As with all pain and uncertainty, resisting the process only makes it more intense. If you instead embrace the process and allow yourself to grieve fully and deeply for the old circumstances while discerning the deeper meaning these experiences hold for you, you will move more rapidly through them and come out the other side feeling reborn.

There is no question that a spiritual transformation can be scary and painful at times, but it’s important to understand that the true gift is not your ability to make it through the challenges but who you become by taking the journey in the first place.

How To Start Living A Sacred Life

Sacredness usually refers to something that is revered or worshipped, but it can also refer to a state of being or living.

Would you consider your life to be sacred? Of course, the fact that you are alive is probably sacred to you, but I’m referring more to your every waking moment. Do you live with reverence and awareness, or do you rush around blindly day after day, missing out on many of the beautiful moments of your life?

With all of our modern conveniences and gadgets, it’s easy to get stuck in a state of “busyness” and forget all about sacredness. However, embracing this gentle state of being and making it a part of your everyday life can soothe even the most persistent stress and chaos, while infusing each moment with spiritual power and meaning.

Below you’ll find three simple ways to turn your life into a sacred journey:

1) Pause

If you spend the majority of your time in overdrive, it’s no wonder you can’t sense the sacredness in your life. You keep blowing right past it! Instead, get into the habit of pausing periodically throughout your day. During this pause (which can be as short as a few seconds), take a moment to breathe, let go of stress, and connect with your spirit.

2) Awaken

Do you ever feel like you’re living much of your life in a heavy fog? You may feel scattered, stressed, confused or disconnected. This is a sign that you are living your life on autopilot. Autopilot can be helpful at times, but in order to embrace a deeper experience of sacredness in your life you’ll need to awaken your awareness of spirit.

You can do this during the pauses mentioned above, or make it a complete exercise all its own. Simply stop whatever you’re doing several times throughout the day and expand your awareness. Become aware of yourself as a spiritual being living in a physical body, and the people around you doing the same. Become aware of the world and universe around you, and your place in them – keeping in mind that this is a magnificent journey you are experiencing!

3) Enjoy

While you’re pausing and awakening, also be sure to take time to enjoy everything you do, see and experience. Rather than gulping down your coffee in the morning, sip it slowly and savor the taste.

Rather than fuming as you sit in a traffic jam on the freeway, gaze up at the clouds and marvel at their beauty. When you embrace your spouse, make it a full mental and spiritual experience rather than just using your arms. Fall into the embrace and immerse yourself in the sensation of being connected and loved by another.

If you do these three things on a regular basis, your entire life will seem to shift in dramatic ways. The world around you will suddenly seem softer, quieter and more beautiful. The people you encounter each day will seem kinder and more respectful, and your life will become serene, spiritual and meaningful.

Interpreting Your Dreams

Have you ever had a dream that scared or confused you? Perhaps you dreamed of a terrible accident, death of a loved one, or even a natural disaster and awoke with your heart pounding, wondering if the dream was supposed to be a premonition or message of some kind?

Have you ever had a dream that was so bizarre that you woke up laughing and wondering why on earth you would dream something so crazy?

The language of dreams can be vague and confusing at times, mostly because our dreams are largely symbolic. Rarely are dreams literal premonitions or warnings. More often, they are our subconscious minds’ way of conveying an insight or message.

The problem is that these messages are cloaked in symbolism that we may or may not understand. There are many dream interpretation books on the market today that can help to a certain degree, but the majority of them are quite generalized and may not pertain to everyone.

The good news is that deciphering the symbols in your dreams is not a difficult thing to do once you begin to explore the language of symbols, and more specifically, what the symbols mean to YOU.

There are two main things to consider when interpreting the symbols in your dreams:

1) What The Events Can Symbolize On A Deeper Level

Just because you dream about an accident or disaster doesn’t mean there will be a corresponding event in real life. More often than not, these dream events portray a deeper meaning.

For example, you may dream that the brakes on your car fail while you are driving down a steep hill. While this may seem to be a warning, more likely the out-of-control car would represent a feeling of being out of control of something else. After you awaken from a dream like this, think about how the symbols might apply to other situations in your life. Vehicles in dreams often represent movement, progress and travel.

Are you experiencing rapid progress in certain areas of your life and feeling nervous about it? Are you getting involved in something that doesn’t feel right to you? Think about the concept of being unable to stop or control something, and see if it applies to another area of your life.

Another common dream is the death of a loved one, or at least seeing them seriously injured or ill. As frightening as these dreams can be, think about what the person represents in your life. For example, your husband might represent security, companionship or intimacy. Your children might represent unconditional love, nurturing or trust.

Are you feeling a loss of any of these things in your life? Are you concerned about the safety or happiness of your loved ones? What you see in the dream may not be what you’re REALLY dreaming about.

Also important to note is the popular notion that all of the people in your dream actually represent an aspect of YOU. This may or may not hold true for your dreams, but it’s important to consider when interpreting them. If you dream that something awful happens to someone you love, consider whether that person might be standing in for some part of yourself.

2) How You Feel About The Events

Another big clue in dreams are your feelings while the events are happening. For example, using the out-of-control car dream above, how would the dream change if instead of being frightened you were exhilarated? Such a dream might be a message that you need to let go and stop trying to control everything. Sometimes the feelings you experience during a dream can be the biggest help in interpreting it.

In the end, the more you work on remembering and interpreting your dreams the better you will be able to discern the deeper meaning they hold for you. Your dreams can serve as wonderful tools for spiritual growth and development.

But like any tools, learning how to use them properly will make them much more effective...

How's Lucid Dreaming Work?

Have you ever had a dream in which you suddenly became aware that you were dreaming? If so, you were lucid dreaming.

Whereas most of the time we are not consciously aware in our dreams, lucid dreams offer the possibility of a richer dream experience – or sometimes even the ability to control our dreams however we want.

Some people seem to have no problem inducing a lucid dream at will, while others have them spontaneously or not at all. If you fall into the latter category and would like to try having a lucid dream, there are simple techniques you can use to induce them. It may take time before they work, however, so be prepared to make this an ongoing process until you see results.

1) Am I Dreaming?

As often as possible, begin asking yourself this question while you are awake. Make it a strong habit to check in with yourself about your state of consciousness. Over time, this habit will begin to seep into your subconscious and you’ll find yourself asking that question while you are dreaming - and the lucid dream begins!

2) Choose A Trigger Object

There are a couple of common objects that seem to trigger lucid dreams for many people: looking at your own hands or seeing money at some point in the dream. However, you can also designate a trigger object while you’re awake. Choose an object that you would expect to see in your dreams. If you frequently dream of animals, make an animal your trigger object. If your dreams often involve your place of work (or a former place of work, or a former residence), make that your trigger.

Before you go to sleep at night, think about this item or place for a few minutes. Say out loud, “Tonight I will dream of ________ (trigger), and when I do, I will instantly realize that I am dreaming and commence with a lucid dream.” It may not work the first few times you try it, but keep at it and eventually you’ll plant the seed in your subconscious mind.

3) Intend To Have A Lucid Dream

Finally, simply intending to have a lucid dream each night before you retire can often be enough to induce one. Follow the same technique as above and state aloud that you will have a lucid dream. Keep doing this each night before you go to bed and don’t be surprised when it works!

Of course, once you have mastered these techniques the question arises: what to do in a lucid dream once you realize you’re having one? Why, anything you want! You can fly, sing, leap over tall buildings in a single bound – basically anything you can or can’t do in physical reality. One good way to start is by trying to control something in your dream environment. For example, see if you can make an object materialize before you, or try to do something you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do.

Probably the most wonderful benefit of lucid dreams is the feeling of empowerment and freedom you get from them. Knowing that you’re dreaming gives you a humongous dose of courage to try the impossible without fear of repercussions. You know you’re going to wake up snug and safe in your bed, so you’ve got nothing to lose by having a blast!

Spirituality And Fitting It Into The Rest of Your Life

If you’re like the majority of people today, you barely have time to catch your breath, let alone devote endless hours to spiritual practices.

Finding time to connect with your spiritual self can be challenging, but you may be surprised to learn that it doesn’t necessarily require a large time investment. In fact, a little goes a long way when it comes to peace of mind and spiritual vitality!

Below you’ll find two good ways to fit spirituality into the rest of your life quickly and easily:

1) Start With Just 10 Minutes A Day

You may think that you’d have to devote at least an hour to spiritual activities each day in order to feel more connected, but nothing could be further from the truth! As little as 10 minutes a day can inspire profound inner changes that will affect the rest of your life in positive ways.

Try spending just 10 minutes on spiritual activities to start. You can do this first thing in the morning, right before bed, or any time you have a few quiet moments to yourself. During these 10 minutes you can meditate, read inspirational books, breathe deeply, listen to soothing music, or simply sit quietly and enjoy the silence.

Ten minutes is more than enough time to release tension, calm jumbled thoughts, and reconnect with your spirit – which is the whole point of a spiritual practice, right? Even better, the more often you do this you’ll find that the benefits stay with you far beyond the ten-minute timeframe.

2) Make Your Other Activities More Spiritual

This technique can be even more effective than the one above because the focus on your spiritual self will be ongoing throughout the day. Virtually any activity can be considered spiritual if you hold the intention to make it so. Try the following ideas for starters, but also feel free to get creative and modify them to better suit your activities.

Do you workout every day? Try meditating at the same time! You may have heard the term, “walking meditation” before. A walking meditation means keeping your mind in a meditative state while you exercise your body. This involves the practice of mindfulness, focusing intently on each step you take, the feel of your muscles as you work them, and tuning into your breath and spirit as you walk.

The above idea can also be combined with spending time in nature. Being in a natural setting automatically connects you more deeply with your spirituality. Try doing a walking meditation (or even a sitting meditation) in a local park, forest, or beach if you live near one.

You can also turn just about any mundane chore or activity into a meditation or prayer session. Simply allow your mind to drift to more spiritual matters and connect with your inner self as you go along. The main point is to slow down your thoughts, deepen your breathing and allow yourself to sink into a more peaceful state of being.

Another good practice is to see other people and the world around you through spiritual eyes. As you go about your daily activities, direct loving and compassionate thoughts toward everyone you encounter.

Imagine that the love you feel in your heart radiates out and touches them on a spiritual level. You can pray for those in need, or focus healing thoughts toward those who seem to be having a rough day.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg, but they may give you some good ideas to use in your own life. Just remember, your spirit is with you all the time (your spirit IS you, if we want to get technical).

No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can easily make spirituality a large part of your daily life just by tuning in and connecting with your spiritual center...