I am finishing up a dozen loose ends this week. As much as I would like to say it is all fun and smooth sailing, that of course is not the way life goes. There are always a few hiccups along the way.
These hiccups, and potential hiccups, are the reason that I am so grateful for You Tube and for those who take the time to share their beautiful, calming videos. The two that I have posted here are ones that I have been working with this week. They help me to dig deeper, to a place where I can deal with the ups and downs of daily life in a semblance of peace, dignity and appreciation.
It is funny how so many of us tend to focus on our physical and mental well-being, while ignoring that part of us that actually controls the quality of our lives – the love, peace, happiness, contentment, abundance, freedom, and joy – all of those things that matter the most to us. All of those things that we strive to have and to share with others.
Anyway, if you are looking to invest a few minutes of your day in an exercise of spiritual healing, I recommend the following meditations. The Tibetan Monks one is fairly lengthy but I listen to it for a few minutes at a time and it saves my place for more listening at a later time. 👍
Wishing everyone a great day! Take care and I will see you tomorrow. 💞
Growing up, I came to believe that caring for others meant worrying about them. Loving others meant sharing their suffering and feeling their pain when they were struggling or going through a difficult situation. You did anything practical you could to help them, if there was anything you could do. But mostly, you shared their sorrows. I am not sure how this was supposed to help, but you did it. To make sure it worked, you told them how much you were suffering with and for them. Than they could be suffering and guilt ridden for making you suffer from their pain. It was all very complicated and strange but I believed it, without question, for decades.
Eventually, I decided that worrying about loved ones and sharing their pain was not particularly helpful – especially if they had to feel grateful and guilty to boot. I still loved people. I still wanted to be there for them through difficult times but I had no idea how. Sometimes there are no words to say, or ways to say them, nor is there anything practical for one to do.
I could not stay in my current bubble of peace and relative well-being and pretend I was not aware of what loved ones were going through. I did not know what to do – but I knew that I could no longer add more grief to such situations.
Last night, I received news of two such difficult situations affecting family members. My first reaction was worry and pain and grief for all concerned. I knew I had to find something better. When I went to bed, I found a meditation on You Tube and blocked out everything but the voice and the soft background music.
It was rather a long and difficult night but, when I woke up this morning, this hymn from my youth was playing in my mind. It was magical. 💞 I always loved this hymn, and it was always meaningful, but today it means even more on a personal level.
I wasn’t sure about including the last verse, because it did not seem relevant to this situation but I decided to go with it. Dying isn’t always about dying – sometimes it is about changing, about letting go of old beliefs to accept new beliefs….
I have no idea if my sister and her husband or my daughter and her family can feel the love and peace and healing that I am sending them today. I can only trust and believe that they are feeling it on some level. But I do know, I absolutely know, that it is better than sending more pain and worry and guilt and grief their way. 💞
Sending love and peace and healing to any and all who are struggling today. 💞
Wishing all a good rest of today and a nice weekend. See you tomorrow. 💞
I am ten days into my June ‘Accentuate the Positive’ challenge and it is time to go a bit deeper. Today’s post is a peek into my soul, spirit, inner-being exercise routine. Meditation my way. 💞
Through the years, I have made several attempts to start meditating. I was too busy running in circles to slow down long enough to get far with my efforts, so they inevitably petered out.
Last year, after I retired, I took a lot of long walks with Kat. What started as a means to strengthen my respiratory system and take a few pounds off my pooch became so much more. I reached a place of peace and tranquility that I had never experienced before. It was a place where meditation came easily.
At some point I discovered a world of meditation on YouTube. For me, it was meditation made simple! There are videos available for guided meditations, chants from indigenous and religious persuasions, music to meditate by, and more.
The following are a few of the meditations that I have found particularly helpful and effective for me. If you have never meditated before , I suggest you note the following:
1. Never listen to these videos, or any meditation videos or audios, when driving or in an any situation where you need to be awake, alert, or cognisant.
2. I recommend using headphones or earbuds for maximum effect of any of these meditations.
3. These videos are ones that I would recommend trying because they work for me. They may not work for you, but I hope that does not discourage you from searching for something that does. I believe that our spiritual, inner-being, or soul well-being is as important as our physical and our mental health.
4. Meditation does not replace professional medical, psychiatric, or psychological care. Consult your professionals if you are at all concerned that meditating could affect any condition affecting you or any treatment that you are undergoing.
5. These videos may occasionally make you uncomfortable, especially if have very strong religious or anti-religious beliefs. Personally, I find I can easily ignore any momentary discomfort caused and in some cases I have come to realize that I have unconscious beliefs that I am quite happy to rid myself of.
This last meditation, is the one that I found the most challenging for me. As I was listening, I had a flash of memory from my childhood. I grew up in the Catholic Church and attended mass frequently – Sundays, holidays, funerals, weddings and on random weekdays. Like myself, the church has changed along the way. Back sixty-some years ago, there was a place in the Mass when everyone struck their chest three times and each time professed “I’m not worthy…I’m not worthy…I’m not worthy”. That was harsh! It bothered me then and now I find it totally bizarre. Who and why would anyone ever think this was reasonable or rational? Why would any creator place us in a world of trees, flowers, mountains, oceans, skies, and sunshine if we were supposed to feel unworthy? What is more, why would I keep anything so wierd tucked into a dusty corner of my mind? I am glad I dug it out and seriously questioned it. I am glad that this meditation made me feel uncomfortable. For me, it worked. I feel worthy and I wholeheartedly believe we all should! If there was no hope, why would we even strive to be better?
That is it for today. One third of my challenge down, two thirds to go. 😊
Every year, I choose one main positive value in life to focus on. This year my focus is on beauty. So far, I have not really been struggling with this effort, so much as building a base to grow it on.
I have started a major home beautifying project – cleaning our basement. I haven’t reached any Kodak moments yet, but every time I go downstairs I am excited by how much better things are looking than when I first began. 😊
My husband has been home on a work layoff – the first in many years! It is nice having him home. It is very nice having him available to do the shopping and run errands. It is especially nice when he run out to do errands and comes home with a special little gift for me. 😊
Dan came home with this beautiful glass baby elephant. He seems happy sitting beside the adorable stuffed elephant that granddaughter Genie gave me for Christmas.
I have not been spending much time outside this month. Occasionally, I do catch a beautiful moment in nature when I glance out a window.
Our backyard is a haven for squirrels and birds this winter.
I continue to spend time searching out and experiencing the meditations I find on You Tube – especially those related to sending healing, loving energy to others. They seem to be such a beautiful way to connect with family and loved ones – so much better than worrying and fretting about the people I care for!
Lately, I have finally realized, the rationale of sending healing, loving energy to those who would not have typically made my prayer list in the past. I am talking about people who have caused major grief to myself and my family, any people who I see as being arrogant or hateful or cruel. I know one is supposed to extend love and caring to those people – but that is seriously difficult to do – no matter how many times I read that they are the ones who need it the most.
Through meditation, I have found a way to send loving, healing energy to anyone, everyone, and especially to those who are the most difficult to. In my mind, projecting hate and anger to these people does not help them or me. However, sending them love and healing energy does make me feel much better. I can only hope that these people are touched by the love I send them. 💗
This is one of the healing meditations that I have found to be particularly moving. I hope that if you are inclined to try it, you will enjoy the experience.
Every morning, I start my day by writing out a page of positive affirmations. I begin each new year with a new notebook and a new set of affirmations that I have chosen during the month of December. This December I have decided to choose affirmations that inspire peace.
2020 is the beginning of a new decade and it is the beginning of a new chapter in my life. In July, I am going to retire. I have decided that for such an auspicious year I wanted to focus on one specific topic. Right now, peace is a topic that I feel is worth my attention.
There seems to be so much chaos in life these days. In my life, there is conflict at work and within my family. There is so much noise in my home and neighbourhood. My husband loves noise. He loves television – especially controversial talk shows, or dramatic reality shows or violent sports casts – generally programs that I find cringe worthy. 🤦 We live near a heavy traffic road, a rail line and in the path of our airport (most people in Regina do). There are constant horns and sirens and the like. In the summer, there is a household nearby that thrives on loud drunken arguments. There are a number of dogs in our neighbourhood and one little troublemaker who always has to instigate a barking contest.
These days there seems to be so much chaos in the world in general. There are so many radical politicians with so many extreme followers, so many devastating natural disasters – floods and earthquakes and forest fires and the lot. There are so many man-made environment disasters. There are so many protesters and counter-protesters, so many screamers and so few listeners. There are so many with so little and so few with so much. It all gets to be overwhelming at times.
Fortunately, there are openings for the peace we need to heal our world. There are those moments in nature when we can experience peace. There are those people who are so peaceful and calm that it is contagious. There are babies to cuddle and puppies to pet. There are opportunities to indulge in relaxing pastimes. There are politicians and world leaders who do work together for a better stronger world. There are people working to clean our oceans and air and reclaim our contaminated lands. There is hope.
In 2020 I will start every day by focusing on peace. It may only make a difference in my mind or my life but hopefully it will, in some small way, spread to others. Hopefully, it will in some small way, help to calm the destructive chaos. 🕊️
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 