Guided Meditation • Visualization • Mindfulness

Hello Everyone,

I hope that you are able to slow down enough this holiday season to enjoy the company of good friends, family, good food, and good cheer. 

In January the new eight week series, “Connecting with the Still Small Voice Within,” begins at the Center for Spiritual Living in Redondo Beach, CA.  Also, I will be having an hour long workshop on Saturday January 16th at the Holy Spirit Fellowship in Long Beach and I have been invited to share meditation and inspired readings during an Inter-Faith Vespers also at the Holy Spirit Fellowship.   

My focus for the coming year is to use meditation and mindfulness practices to deepen our connection with our Authentic Selves. 

The Authentic Self is who we are beyond our individual and collective conditioning.  Indeed, we are not sinners, nor are we born into sin…we are the light of the universe in individuated form–perfect, whole, and complete.   You are perfect, whole, and complete. 

Imagine living in a world where all of us know this perfection and are free to express it.  I do, and it excites me.  I am excited to live in a world of free people who resolve conflict from the heart center, look for new solutions, or just have the confidence to be silent.  

So much can happen for us as individuals and as a community when we just stop, breathe, and connect.  It is that easy. 

Please check the ”Calendar” section of the site to check for locations and times.   I look forward to seeing all of you this coming year.

With a warm heart,

Krista

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The meditation paradox is this:  While it is true that most of us take up meditation for a specific purpose (i.e., anger management, inner wisdom, stress relief, lowering the blood pressure etc…), using our practice as a means to an ends impedes true progress. This is because meditation is an evolution.  Your understanding of yourself, your environment, and your needs evolve as you practice.

 If you are focused solely on the outcome, for example inner wisdom, you will eventually become frustrated with your practice because you will be expecting “something to happen,” during your meditation.    In fact the more you want something the less likely you are to get it because when you are in a state of wanting, what you are really saying is, “I don’t have.”  Wanting something denotes future time.  It’s like saying, “I’ll be happy when…” or “I’ll be happy when I’ve achieved….” or “I’ll be happy when I have…”

A general Buddhist belief is that every human being has within them the potential for enlightenment.  Religious Scientists believe that since God is omnipresent, and God is perfect, whole and complete, then the human being is also perfect, whole and complete.  Ask a Hindu about the divinity of Jesus Christ, and she might say, “Well if one person is the perfect son of god, then we are all the perfect sons and daughters of god.”  If you believe that what you want already exists as a potential within you, then you have removed the need for future in your practice. That is, what you want is already there.

There is a paradox between having a destination and resting in the confidence that you will eventually arrive at your destination.  If you are always asking yourself, “How much further, when will I get there,” you may in fact become disheartened with the journey.  If however you decide to enjoy journey and the scenery then you are more likely to arrive at your destination in a timely manner.

Your practice is a living thing that needs room to breathe, to grow, and to evolve.  Come to your practice with an intention then let the intention go and enjoy the ride. 
 

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Even if you’ve been practicing meditation for years, there may be occasions where it is really difficult to sit still and concentrate.
 
You wake up early, light your incense, read a favorite passage, and then the thought comes, “I am such a spiritual person.  I am going to meditate for 20 minutes today.”   You smile, assume your posture, and close your eyes.  Then you are bombarded by thoughts and images.  You become restless.  You begin to judge yourself, “Maybe I’m not so spiritual after all.”  You push the thought away and decide to stay with it.  Time passes, the thought comes, “Maybe I’m not such a bad meditator, ‘yes’ I can do this.” You open your eyes, look at the clock, and what you think has been 20 or 30 minutes, has really only been 5 minutes.  The thought comes, “Crap!”

You expect that with each hour, week, and year, you would be getting better and going deeper into your spiritual practice.  The truth is, is that if you are consistent you are definitely growing.  But even the most consistent spiritual practice will not save you from becoming frustrated with your practice, with god, or with yourself.  The problem is focusing on “progress” instead of “process.”

 Striving in your meditation practice that is, trying to be better, go deeper, or sit unperturbed for a certain amount of time, actually impedes your “progress.”  In fact, you should not be thinking in terms of “progress” at all when practicing meditation.  Rather your focus is to just be natural, to do nothing, to watch the breath, to listen to the birds or the traffic, to feel the heart beating in the chest, to visualize a lovely golden light, to feel the aliveness within and around you, in other words, to just be. 

Being is about process, it’s about showing up for your practice, it’s about expression, it’s about being fully awake right now to what is right in front of you even if what is happening right now, is not all that pleasant. 
 
Try This:
It is very important not to allow any feelings of discouragement or frustration to keep you from your practice.  When you find it difficult to concentrate or sit still, tell yourself that it is temporary, that the restlessness will pass, and just stay put!  If you have given yourself 20 minutes for your practice, but you are only able to “meditate” for 8, then just sit for the other 12 minutes and look out the window or watch the clock.
May every day be a blessing to you!

Love,
Krista

Popularity: 90% [?]

Over the years I have learned that the ultimate stress reliever is practicing faith.  We are stressed because we can not forgive the past and we are stressed because we are worried about the future.  We lack faith. Faith in what?  Faith in yourself, and faith that life is gorgeous and good and that It is on everyone’s side.
 
Meditation teachers often talk about, “practicing presence” or “practicing mindfulness.”  The practice of presence or mindfulness means to practice faith.  How can we practice presence, being here now, being in the present moment if we don’t have faith that life will take care of Itself? 
 
Faith is not a set of beliefs, faith is knowing, and the only way we come into this sense of “knowing” is through practicing faith. We practice faith by affirming always that there is more to us than any given situation.  We study, we walk, we contemplate, we smile, we breathe, we meditate, we cry, we give, this is our practice.
 
Faith is not for God/Source/Universe/Spirit/Whatever, the practice of faith is for us. We practice faith so that we will come into a remembrance of our divine natures, thereby healing everything. 
 
If you are unhappy or stressed ask yourself, “Where is my faith? Is my faith a set of out dated beliefs?  Is my faith in villainy and negativity stronger than my faith in Spirit?”  Ask yourself these questions, and wait for the answers to bubble up from within you.
 
My wish for you is that you find and express joy.
 
With Love,
Krista

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A new 8 week Meditation Series begins Wednesday September 30th, 2009

The class is called: “Connecting with the Still Small Voice Within”

From 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm

at the Redondo Beach Center for Spiritual Living, 907 Knob Hill Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Cost is $7 per class or $45 for all eight weeks

To register please visit:  http://www.redondocrs.org or call 310-540-5080

Stay tuned because I want to add an optional journaling and study portion to this class. 

I look forward to seeing you all there!

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Mindfulness Practice #1:  When feeling stressed or challenged this week, start breathing deeply.

1. When we are feeling stressed or when we are in the midst of a conflict, it is normal for us to hold our breath. When this happens start to breathe deeply and slowly directing the breath into the belly. Do this while keeping the distribution of weight even between your right and left foot or your right and left cheek if you are sitting down.

2. Do not worry about whose right or wrong in that moment, just breathe and feel the body/mind coming back into balance.  **Act from the intention of wanting balance.  When we act from the need to be right, we create conflict.  When we act from the intention of wanting understanding, we listen, and we create harmony.

3. Deep breathing feels like a cool glass of water on a hot summer’s day.  It is good for you and its stress reducing effects are immediate.  So simple and yet so profound. 

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Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that the Summer Quater at Beach Cites Health District in Redonodo Beach begins tonight at 7:30 PM.  This is a guided meditation class, our focus this quarter will be on total relaxation.  I look forward to seeing you all there!

When:  Wednesday’s June 24th thru August 19th (No Class July 22nd)

Where:  Beach Cities Health District

514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90503

Register at:  http://www.bchd.org or 310-374-9852 ext. 212 or 147

Cost:  $45 for all 8 weeks

You are welcome to drop in also.

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Hi Everyone,

This Saturday from 11:30 am-1:30 am I will be having a meditation workshop at Beach Cities Health District.  Although it is a level II workshop, it is open to everyone.  Our focus this month will be creating a positive mental atmosphere, opening ourselves to compassion, and of course deep relaxation.  We will also be doing our tea ceremony which is always a big hit.  I am looking forward to seeing you this Saturday!

Cost:  $25

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In preparation for this evening’s class on the heart center, it occured to me how the energy of compassion, forgiveness, empathy and kindness nourishes the entire body and mind.

The heart center correlates to our body’s circulatory system.  The circulatory system feeds, oxygenates and removes waste from the entire body.  Looking at the picture of our circulatory system, I imagined how the energy of compassion travels the same route, bathing our bodies in light and ease while at the same time removing negativity.  I also imagined how feelings of anger, resentment, and even hatred are destructive to the body, since this negative energy travels along the same route. 

It occurs to me how vital compassion, empathy and forgiveness are to our total health and wellbeing.  This week, please practice along with me the Loving Kindness Meditation.  Let’s bring health and healing to ourselves and our world.

Loving Kindness Meditation:

Assume a meditative posture and repeat silently to yourself
1. “May I be safe, May I be happy, May I be healthy, May I live with ease.”

2.While visualizing someone whom you feel grateful towards, such as a mentor, a friend, or a loved one, say silently to yourself:
“May you be safe, May you be happy, May you be healthy, May you live with ease.”

3.While visualizing someone whom you are indifferent towards, such as a grocery store clerk, repeat statement number 2.

4.While visualize someone with whom you are having a difficult relationship with, repeat the statement number 2.

Because our feelings about people can be complicated, this meditation can be very challenging. However, with practice it can be transformative.

For more information see: http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/2000/07/Opening-The-Heart.aspx

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Even if you’ve been practicing meditation for years, there may be occasions where it is really difficult to sit still and concentrate. 

You’re sitting for your practice, you open your eyes and what felt like 20 or 30 minutes was really only 5 minutes.  You expect that with each hour, week, and year, you would be getting better and going deeper, but that has not been the case. 

 Striving in our meditation practice, that is, trying to be better, go deeper, or sit unperturbed for a certain amount of time, actually impedes our “progress.”  In fact, we should not be thinking in terms of “progress” at all when practicing meditation.  If we were to have a goal,  it would be to just be natural, to do nothing, to watch the breath, to listen to the birds or the traffic, to feel the heart beating in the chest, to visualize a lovely golden light, to feel the aliveness within and around us, to just be. 

It’s important not to allow any feelings of discouragement or frustration keep you from your practice.  When you find it difficult to concentrate or sit still, tell yourself that it is temporary, that the restlessness will pass, and just stay put!  If you’ve given yourself 20 minutes for your practice, but you were only able to “meditate” for 8, then just sit for the other 12 minutes and look out the window or watch the clock.

May every day be a blessing to you!

Love,
Krista 

Popularity: 16% [?]