Spiritual Solutions

Good Vibrations

How does the material world exist if the fundamental building blocks of matter have no mass?  And what does this have to do with meditation, visualization, and your wellbeing? 

Your body and everything else in the universe may look solid; but all matter is made up of particles, particles that have no mass.  Science has yet to quantify exactly what this is all about, but the mystic and the metaphysician will tell you that the fundamental building blocks of life is Source energy…moving, oscillating, vibrating, living energy. You are Source energy in a beautiful and unique form. 

You direct this energy with your thinking and with your feeling.  That is, you have a free will to do whatever you want with this energy.  If, for example, you direct your thoughts towards something that makes you feel sad, disappointed, or resentful, the vibratory nature of your being slows down and you feel drained, tired, or depressed.  Why?  Because your sense of wellbeing is directly related to the quality your thinking, and your thoughts direct the vibration and flow of your energy.

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This month I’ve been working with, “Meditation in the Silence,” by E.V. Ingraham. Below is an excerpt from the book regarding communing with our Source through the practice of sitting in silence. I’ve also included a lesson and mindfulness practice that complements Ingraham’s.

The Practice of the Silence

1. Be comfortably seated so that your mind will be as free as possible from any thought of the body.

2. Remember that this period of silence is a period of prayer, a period of conscious communion with your Source.

3. Be interested in discovering the nature of Source and what Source wishes to reveal to you.

4. Become very still, and listen with your whole being to catch whatever degree of Presence may be revealed to you.

5. Acknowledge that The Presence is in you and that Its infinite wisdom is unfolding in you, Its Life is expressing in you, and Its inexhaustible substance is being formed in you continually.

6. Do not make the period of silence too long in the beginning—perhaps only two or three minutes. Let it be only as long as your interest seems to hold you.

7. Only by practice does one become a musician, and it is by practice that you develop the new consciousness of spiritual things…so don’t be discouraged if your experiences are not as you anticipate them to be.

8. On closing your time of silence, assume an attitude of thanksgiving.

From, “Meditation in the Silence,” (by E.V. Ingraham, pp. 42-43)

Lesson and Practice: Practicing Attention and Appreciation.
To know God (Source, Universe, Soul, Self, etc…), you must first be interested in knowing God, you must give your attention to It. This week practice knowing God in all things, in all places, and in all peoples everywhere through the giving of your attention. (more…)

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The following questions were asked by a reporter for an article that she is writing regarding meditation and creating an at-home retreat. I really enjoyed corresponding with her and I thought that the Q&A would be helpful to anyone interested in guided meditation and visualization. I hope you enjoy it, and I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Hello,

1) What is meant by guided meditation? The practice of meditation requires a place to focus one’s attention. The breath, a candle, a mantra or even looking at a blank wall is what is often used as the focus for one’s attention. In guided meditation, the instructors voice and use of guided imagery act as the focal point for the student. The sound of the instructor’s voice, the instruction given, and the guided imagery act to bring the student’s attention away from stressful thoughts and feelings, and into a very pleasant stress-free state.

2) How does meditation work to minimize stress? Stress arises from our erroneous perceptions about reality and from focusing continuously on the past and/or future. For example, each day that you leave for work you encounter traffic on the 405 freeway. As you drive towards the freeway you may begin to feel a sense of anxiety or dread because you are anticipating (future) the traffic. As you sit on the freeway, you begin thinking to yourself, “This is ridiculous. Why are there so many people in California? This shouldn’t be happing to me. I better not be late,” and so on. You may think that it is the traffic that is creating stress, when in reality it is your thoughts about the traffic that is creating your stress. Of course the argument can be made that if there wasn’t any traffic, you wouldn’t be feeling stressed. But the truth is, is that there is traffic in the moment that you are on the freeway. Meditation teaches us not only to be present to whatever is happening “now,” it also helps us to clear the lens of our perception so that we can see reality accurately. We become the watcher of our thoughts which empowers us with choice…either we can continue to complain about the traffic until we feel so badly that we make ourselves sick, or we can choose to just see reality as it is, “I am sitting in the car, there are other cars around me, my hands are on the wheel, my breath is deep, the sky is blue.” When you place your attention on what is actually happening now, the incessant chatter in the mind about what should or shouldn’t be happening stops and you begin to feel better. Without the practice of meditation, it would be difficult to have the presence of mind to watch your thoughts in this way.

All humans have what’s called in the east “monkey brain,” meaning our minds jump around continuously like a monkey. I have found that for the beginning student guided meditation is a wonderful tool that trains our ability to stabilize our minds. It also gets fast results. For the continuing student, guided meditation is fun and is a wonderful tool for self-healing. It’s important to note that when the mind begins to worry, for example, about the past or future the body does not know that the event isn’t happening now. That is, as you are anticipating and thinking about the potential traffic on the freeway, your body begins to react as if you are on the freeway now. Your heart begins to beat faster, your stomach begins to churn, your adrenal glands begin to release adrenaline, your thyroid begins to react etc… In the case of guided meditation, we use this principle to train the mind to create a sense of ease in the body. For example, if I am imagining that I am on the beach with my feet in the water and the sky is blue, my body does not know that I am not at the beach. In other words, my body will react to whatever stimulus my mind feeds it. Amazing!

3) What other benefits does meditation have? (ie, health, weight loss, etc.) How so? Deep breathing can lower blood pressure, improve digestion and help you to lose weight by oxygenating the blood and regulating the metabolism. It can help to improve brain function because deep breathing also oxygenates the brain. Deep breathing through the nose can also reduce the frequency of colds and flu because the air is warmed and filtered through the cilia in the nose, (Mother Daughter Wisdom, by Christine Northrup M.D.) There is evidence that a consistent meditation and mindfulness practice can re-wire the brain. For more information see: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02791/self-healing Also a consistent practice is wonderful for a better night’s sleep, again because you are learning to reduce the brain chatter (which is what keeps most American’s up at night). For more information please read my article “How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep,” at http://www.myspiritualsolutions.com/blog/ Also, guided meditation and visualization can help the body to feel very relaxed, so relaxed that it will stimulate the body’s natural healing response.

4) How does meditation make people who practice it happier? Simply, a positive outlook on life and a relaxed body and mind are two key ingredients for a happy healthy life. Meditation and Mindfulness practice helps to create both conditions.

5) How can someone who lacks mediation experience try out a meditation practice during a one-week at-home retreat? I always encourage my students to create a sacred space at home. A sacred space is a small area made especially for their practice or study/reading. In this space there may be a special cushion or chair, a shawl or blanket to wrap themselves in and maybe a table where they place a candle and maybe some incense. If they haven’t meditated before they can purchase a guided meditation CD (I have one for sale at the gift shop on the first floor of the BCHD building) to guide them into a space of calm and relaxation.

Would you please walk me through a simple meditation how-to? Meditation can be frustrating without the guidance of an instructor, so I like to give my students a very simple exercise when they are just beginning: Before beginning a formal meditation practice, try this: Turn on some pleasant music, dim the lights and lie on the floor and place your hands on your stomach. Inhale slowly through the nose allowing the belly to rise on the inhale and hold the breath briefly. Next, exhale slowly through the nose, and hold the exhale briefly-that’s one round. Do 5 to 10 rounds, focusing your attention on the feeling of the breath and the rise and fall of your hands on your stomach.

I hope you find this information useful.

Many blessings,

Krista

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“Like the body needs sleep the mind needs rest also”–Swami Adiswarananda Guided Meditation, Visualization and Mindfulness with Krista Magidson 

Commonly Asked Questions about Meditation and Mindfulness 

1. “What is Meditation?”  Meditation is simply the practice of being here now.  It is the practice where we learn to release ourselves from the burden of past and the anticipation of the future. 
2. “How does ‘being here now’ create better health and wellbeing?”  Stress and anxiety come from our mind’s tendency to be focused on thoughts and images about our past and/or the future. When we move our attention away from these thoughts and images then what’s left is no-stress, just the present moment. 
3. “Is Meditation Religious?”  Typically the purpose of meditation is two-fold:
   1. To use it as a tool to help you manage everyday stress—these are short term solutions where you’ll learn various breathing techniques, toning, simple stretching exercises and affirmations and/or to use it as a tool for personal transformation.  However, meditation in and of it self is not religious and it is non-dogmatic, although you could use it in conjunction with an already established religious practice.
4. “What are you going to teach us in this class?”  My intention with this class is to address both aspects of meditation, with specific emphasis on explaining and experiencing the three aspects of mind: Ego (Reactive/Thinking Mind), Personal/Witnessing Mind and Impersonal/Higher Mind, to teach the methods of acquiring long term stress relief, how to be deeply relaxed and yet alert, to enhance your knowledge of the body/mind, to deepen your natural intuitive abilities and to activate the body’s natural resources for self-healing.  It has been my experience that guided meditation and visualization are not only enjoyable but are extremely helpful to center even the most active mind.
5. “What if Guided Meditation and Visualization doesn’t work for me?”  It is important to note that there are many forms of meditation practice and practitioners so it’s perfectly alright if this class and this method doesn’t work for you. 
6. “What topics will we cover?”  Topics will include: 
   1. The nature of stress—Closing the Stress Gap
   2.  Thoughts, Emotions and the Physiological Loop
   3. The three fold nature of the Mind (ego, witness, higher mind)
   4. How to build and support a consistent meditation practice at home.
7. “I have trouble keeping my mind focused, so making my mind go blank seems impossible.  Will this interfere with my practice?”  Meditation is not about willing your mind to go blank…this will create tension and stress in the body/mind.  In this practice you learn very simple techniques that will help you to move your attention away from the thoughts and into the refuge of the body and the sanctuary of the breath.  The guided visualization portion of this class will be especially helpful in training your attention to remain in the present moment as well as helping you to feel really good and relaxed. 
8. “What if I fall asleep during class?”  It is normal to dose-off during class.  However, if you find that you are falling asleep consistently, then practice keeping your eyes slightly open during the meditation and sitting in an upright position.
9. “Sometimes I feel discomfort while meditating.  Am I doing something wrong?”  It is also very normal to feel discomfort during meditation.  You may feel anxious, your limbs may fall asleep and your back may hurt from sitting. In addition you may find it difficult to concentrate or to follow the flow of the meditation.   This is normal and will ease as the class goes on. 

10. “What is Mindfulness?”  St. Theresa of Avila said that, “mindfulness is not the same as thinking.”  To be mindful is to be aware, when we practice mindfulness we practice doing one thing at a time.  For example, when you are eating you pay attention to each bite, when your child is speaking you look her in the eye and listen, when you are driving you are not talking on the phone, etc… Mindfulness is surrendering to each moment, moment by moment by moment.  In time this surrendering becomes a way of entering into the arena of life thoughtfully, compassionately and joyously.  With mindfulness practice the entire world becomes the object of your practice. 
11. “What are the benefits of Guided Meditation, Visualization and Mindfulness?
    1. Relaxation
    2. Stress Reduction
    3. Clearer thinking, focus and concentration
    4. Emotional stability
    5. Physical well being
    6. Compassion
    7. Empathy
    8. Joy
    9. Freedom from the burden of the mind
    10. Inner Peace

A few comments on proper breathing… 

1. “What is the proper way to breathe?”  In this class we practice the yogic style of breathing.  You always inhale through the nose allowing the belly to expand first, then the ribs and then the chest.  On the exhale the chest falls, ribs collapse and belly moves towards the spine.
2. “It’s easier for me to take a deep breath when I suck in my stomach and puff out my chest.”  This is a very common comment.  In yogic breathing the idea is to reconnect with the natural way of breathing.  If you watch a baby while she’s asleep her tummy rises and falls.  Her breaths are full and deep and easy.    Shallow breathing is a learned behavior.  If you are mindful, you’ll notice that you hold your breath throughout the day especially when stressed.  Shallow breathing is synonymous with imbalance, while natural breathing is synonymous with balance.
3. “But it feels uncomfortable when I breathe in this way.”  This is because you are not used to utilizing your full lung capacity.  When you breathe deeply and fully, you have to stretch your intercostal muscles (the ones between the ribs) to expand your lungs fully.  Balance is natural for you.  Within a couple of weeks deep breathing will once again be second nature.  
4. In short, please breathe in and out through your nose, taking the breath all the way down to the belly unless otherwise directed (there is a technique where we exhale the mouth).
5. “Are there any other reasons why I should breathe in and out through my nose?” Yes, breathing through the nose: 
   1. Makes exercise mush easier because it restores sympathetic/parasympathetic balance so that you finish a workout energized, not exhausted.
   2. Keeps the rib cage flexible.  As a result, lung capacity is optimized and you can oxygenate your body and brain more efficiently.
   3. Minimizes occurrence of colds and sinus infections, because air that is breathed into your lungs through the nose has been warmed and filtered by the cilia in your nasal passages.
   4. Improves metabolism because the better aeration of the lungs oxygenates the blood and burns calories more efficiently.  (Mother Daughter Wisdom by Christiane Northrup, M.D.)

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Saturday’s workshop was wonderful. I am always amazed and humbled by the authenticity and innate wisdom of the participants, and this workshop was no exception. We spent most of our time discussing how to get focused, deepening our understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect and how our beliefs affect what we experience, (which will be the topic of my February newsletter). We did two brief meditations but not as much visualizing our highest good as I would have liked. The hours flew by and I feel that we were just beginning to scratch the surface. If I decide to teach this workshop again, I will do it over the course of a few days. I may introduce some of the concepts from this workshop into the Women’s Wisdom Workshop on January 19th, but I really don’t know what’s going to happen until I get there. May you be safe, may you be happy and may you live a life of ease.

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2008 reduces to the number 1 (2+0+0+8=10; 1+0=1) which is the number of new beginnings, inventiveness, pioneering.  The energy of 2008 presents us with a wonderful and unique opportunity to leave the past behind and  begin anew.  Whatever you’ve done or didn’t do no longer matters; what matters is who you are right now and to allow that Beingness and the Allness of who you are to flow forth from you and live as your experience.  If you’ve harmed someone, then make amends.  If you’ve been harmed then forgive.  Not tomorrow but today.  There’s no use taking yesterday’s mental garbage into this pristine moment.   It’s beautiful.  You’re here.  You’re in it.  So be in It consciously.  Be the love you’ve been seeking, be the forgiveness you’ve been seeking, be the blessing that the world has been seeking. 

Popularity: 33% [?]

Saturday’s Wisdom workshop was amazing!  There were 15 women ranging from their early twenties to women who were in their sixties and maybe even seventies in attendance.  Our main focus was on aligning our desires with our beliefs, in other words how to get the most out of life.  We channeled this energy into how we can improve and heal our relationships.  Because this workshop is so new, I am spending most of the three hours teaching the principles of better living, giving the class brief yet insightful journaling exercises and leading the meditation.  Again, I had a couple of women ask if I could extend the class to an entire afternoon rather than just a few hours…which I am considering.  I am considering it because there isn’t enough time for any meaningful discussion of the topics by the participants.  In any case I am knowing that the subsequent women’s wisdom workshops are going to be even more spiritually enlightening and fun.

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Have you ever had the experience of turning onto your street or pulling into your driveway and not remembering the drive home? Or walking into another room only to forget why you went in there? It’s as if there’s an autopilot switch in your brain that mysteriously goes on and then just as mysteriously shuts off, “ding you’re here.” Don’t worry, being on autopilot isn’t a sign of a chemical imbalance you’re probably just not grounded.

A terrific way to become more grounded is to balance what’s called your root chakra. Chakra means “wheel” in the ancient Hindu language of Sanskrit, and just as the name indicates chakras are wheels of energy found within the energy field of your body.

Imagine a gently flowing mountain river. Along the flow of the river imagine that there are small plateaus where the water pools before continuing down the mountain. This is what your energy body is like; a gently flowing river with seven beautiful pools of energy. These pools of energy start at the base of the spine and continue up along the spine to the crown of the head. Your thoughts, feelings, genetic make-up and life situation will affect the flow of energy in any given pool of energy or chakra, either in the positive or the negative.

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