Break Free to Honor Your Unique Wisdom

"Learning to trust our inner stirrings, our inner goodness, and our emotional and psychic impressions is essential if we are to fulfill our life purpose.  We need to muster the courage to step outside of conventional wisdom.  Many or us have been so intimidated or humiliated when we have shared these 'stirrings' or impressions, we carry enormous fear:  fear that we are crazy, fear no one will like us, etc.  Every time we give in to that fear, we move away from being authentic.  Every time we confront our fear and go with our inner truth, we empower ourselves to move closer to becoming the powerful beings we are meant to be."

We have created norms in our dysfunctional society that encourage us to be inauthentic and disconnected from Source; essentially to do the exact opposite from that which nurtures emotional and spiritual health and creates inner peace and well-being. Yet without continuous awareness the belief system behind those norms, which is usually passed down to us in childhood, can hold a powerful, unconscious and ultimately destructive influence in our lives. 

QUESTIONS to PONDER

1.  What signs or symptoms do I get that let me know I am not being true to myself?

2.  What inaccurate beliefs do I still carry from my childhood that tend to inhibit my ability to follow my intuition?

3.  What are my greatest fears of stepping outside of conventional social norms?

4.  What gifts have come my way when I've faced these fears and acted anyway?


VISUALIZATION
Find a quiet comfortable place where you know you will not be disturbed.

(You can do this for yourself by reading a few lines at a time, close your eyes until you can see or feel what is being suggested, and then open your eyes and go through the next few lines repeating the process. OR, you can record this or share with a friend where you each read the visualization to one another.)

Begin by taking some deep centering breaths. Breathe until you begin to let go of your day. Breathe until you begin to let go of your thoughts. Breathe until you begin to feel your body relax. Send loving energy from your heart to all the cells in your body.  Then focus again on your breathing until you begin to sense that place of utter stillness deep inside.  

Transport yourself to a beautiful meadow.  Take a moment to breathe in the fragrances.  Feel the bright sun warming your hair and skin.   Feast on the beauty of the colors and shapes before you.  Walk around touching tree trunks and stones, grasses and leaves noticing their textures and their energy.  Listen for the sounds in this meadow... birds chirping and cawing and singing, twigs crackling under your feet, perhaps you'll hear water somewhere in the distance.  Fully experience yourself in this beautiful place and then breathe even more deeply.

As you are ready, begin to walk through your meadow until you come across a structure which feels like a temple or sanctuary. It may just be made of logs and branches, or it might be a grove of trees or perhaps it is a more elaborate with walls and doors and beautiful symbols on it.  Just allow this to appear before you.

Spend some time looking at this sanctuary, experiencing it fully, and then when it feels right, enter into it and find a place to sit down.  Know that this is your sacred space and you are fully protected here.  Notice that as you take another deep centering breath, your sense of peacefulness becomes even more profound.

Now spend a few moments going inward.  Notice what you are feeling.  Notice the thoughts that move through your awareness.  Then ask what it is that Spirit would most like you to know or to do next.  Sit quietly and wait for your answer.  

Notice what comes to you and how it comes to you.  Notice too if any thoughts or feelings arise that want to contradict this.  If Spirit wants you to do something specific, notice any fears or concerns that arise.  Remember making fears and beliefs conscious takes some of their power away.

See yourself being able to act or resonate with the information you are being given, and notice how that feels in your heart.  Carry this wisdom back with you through your meadow until you come to the place you began.

As you go through the coming week, keep Spirit's response in your mind.  Do your best to take the actions most aligned with this as well as to notice any blocks and deal with anything that arises to interfere with this process. 
 

Sending you love and blessings on your journey, 

Judith

If you like the quotes and process presented in this blog, be sure to click the Amazon link below and click "like" next to the title, (if you have not already done so.)  Don't have the book yet?  You can order the kindle edition of Empowering the Spirit from this link and or wait for the new print edition that will be released in late Fall.)

 

 
To buy Empowering the Spirit for $2.99, click http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LW7H4Q

Open Your Heart and The Blessings Will Follow

"I have learned that as soon as I am able to shift into a positive and appreciative attitude about whatever I am confronted with, the Universe will work with me to ease my way.  This has happened for me over and over again.  I know in my heart I am no different than anyone else;  this is available to all of us.  When we are living in inner harmony, when we are allowing our Spirit to lead, we continuously and consciously fill our lives with blessings."

It's always challenging to stay in alignment with our Spirit.  Our egos have been conditioned to be very powerful and we have been programmed to believe fulfilling our ego-needs will help us survive (and maybe that used to be true.)  So whenever we're not looking, our egos will jump back in bringing us our old insecurities and new ego-driven goals.  Our egos will do what they do best which is to separate us from Source and interfere with our well-being.  No big deal though.  Just remember to notice.  When you are feeling driven, overwhelmed or unhappy, it's a sure sign your ego has grabbed the steering wheel of your life.  Take it back, put your Spirit in the driver's seat.  Perhaps the following will help.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1.  When do I notice Spirit is most active in my life?

2.  What conditions do I create that unconsciously invites my ego back in.  (For instance... do I get too busy?  Do I forget to take care of myself... forget even to take deep centering breaths.  Do I stop doing some sort of daily practice?)

3.  What blessings have occurred when I've faced challenging times in my life and have shifted into a positive and appreciative attitude, surrendering to the leadership of my Spirit?

4. What beliefs might I carry that keeps me from doing this more consistently?

VISUALIZATION
Find a quiet comfortable place where you know you will not be disturbed.

(You can do this for yourself by reading a few lines at a time, close your eyes until you can see or feel what is being suggested, and then open your eyes and go through the next few lines, repeating the process. OR, you can record this or share with a friend where you each read the visualization to one another.)

Begin by taking some deep centering breaths. Breathe until you begin to let go of your day. Breathe until you begin to let go of your thoughts. Breathe until you begin to feel your body relax. Send loving energy from your heart to all the cells in your body.  Then focus again on your breathing until you begin to sense that place of utter stillness deep inside.  

Transport yourself to a beautiful spot in nature.  To a place which through its very beauty will put you into a state of deep relaxation.  Spend some time looking at the vibrant colors and the physical beauty before you.  Breathe in the fragrances.  Feel the sun beaming down on you warming your hair, warming you skin.  Listen for all the natural sounds, the birds singing and chirping, the leaves rustling in the breeze, perhaps the sound of water lapping up on the shore.  Take a moment to touch the trees or the rocks or the sand, feeling their texture and their energy.

Find a comfortable place to sit looking out over this spot.  And now, call to you an image of the most difficult challenge you are facing currently in your life.  Let this image come to you in full force bringing whatever feelings it evokes in you.  Take time to honor all these feelings.  If you notice anger, see yourself stomping that challenge and stomping all those you might imagine are connected with it.  If you notice sadness, see yourself crying and honor the grief which is arising.  If you notice fear, take a deep centering breath, go into the fear and know that no matter how scared you may be, Divine protection always surrounds you.  After you honor and see yourself expressing these feelings, allow them to release, to move on for the moment.  

Take another deep centering breath and begin to focus on what is beautiful in your life.  Focus on your loved ones, your friends, your pets.  Focus on your garden or the beauty of the sky.  Focus on your heart and how you can breathe Divine love in and out through it.  Perhaps you will want to rub your hands together, place them over your heart, and notice as the tension begins to melt away.  

Now imagine that you can beam Divine love to those challenges.  Notice what happens to the feeling of challenge as the love arises.  Is it softening?  Is the stress beginning to melt away?  Are you aware that you can hold this current challenge with all the feelings it evokes and hold a joyful heart at the same time? 

Ask for an understanding of why this challenge is in your life right now.  Ask how this experience can help your soul development.  Ask what blessings might be hidden within it.

As you go through the coming week, notice your challenges and do your best to honor your feelings, to beam them with love and to remember to uncover the hidden blessings.

Sending you love and wishes for ease on your journey, 

Judith

If you like the quotes and process presented in this blog, be sure to order the kindle edition of Empowering the Spirit from the link below. (It will also be released in a new print edition in late Fall.)

 

 
To buy Empowering the Spirit for $2.99, click http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LW7H4Q

Become Yourself to Align with Your Soul

"The more our Spirit leads the more fully we become ourselves, embodying the vibrational frequency of our souls. As we do this each of us becomes free to make our contribution. Still, we are likely to find inner resistance to stepping fully into this power and the role it will bring us."

 Questions to Ponder:

 1. In what areas of my life and with what people in my life, am I fully myself?

 2. In what areas of my life do I still find myself still pretending?

 3. What are my fears or concerns about stepping into the full power of who I truly am?

 4. How will my life change once I do this?
EXERCISE:
(You can do this for yourself by reading a few lines at a time, following the suggestions, closing your eyes until you can see or feel what is being suggested, and then open your eyes and go through the next few lines, repeating the process. OR, you can tape this or do this with a friend where you each read to each other.)

Find a quiet comfortable place where you know you will not be disturbed.

Begin by taking some deep centering breaths. Breathe until you begin to let go of your day. Breathe until you begin to let go of your thoughts. Breathe until you begin to feel your body relax. And as you do let yourself be in some beautiful place in nature. It might be the mountains or the ocean, a meadow or by a river... whatever appeals to you... allow the image to arise. Notice the vibrant blue sky and feel the warm sun beaming down on your hair and skin. Listen to the birds. Walk around and touch things with the palms of your hands feeling the texture and the energy of anything you touch. Breathe deeply and notice the fragrances in the air. Then find a comfortable spot to sit where you can look out over the beautiful scene before you, and as you do, realize that in front of you hovering in the air, is a screen where you are able to see yourself.

You see you are standing at a podium on a stage in the middle of an large auditorium. The seats are filled with people. There's a person standing next to you waiting to give you an award for the contribution you have made to humanity. Notice how relaxed and confident you look. Notice how easy this is for you. Pay attention to what you are being honored for... Have you accomplished a certain task? Have you helped others in a particular way? Have you shared expertise about relationships or child-rearing or education or gardening? Or any other subject that interests you? Have you helped others improve their health or feel more connected to their creativity and/or their own Spirit? Have you blessed the world and yourself with your open-heart and generous spirit? Notice how the people in the audience are happy, excited for you and appreciative of what you have offered.

Now imagine that you can put yourself in that picture. Breathe yourself into that image of you on the stage. See all those people looking at you. Notice how you feel. Notice there is peacefulness within you. Is this different from how you generally feel? Notice the joy of having lived in alignment with something greater than yourself and having this recognized. Notice what has changed to allow you to make this full contribution with such ease.

Let whatever you would most like be honored for arise in your consciousness... And then allow yourself to accept the honor being bestowed on you. Notice how that feels.
Spend some time thinking about what you are wanting to share with the world, what you feel most passionate about. Think about what changes you would have to make in your life for this to happen. Ask yourself if this would fulfill you at a soul level. Remember how relaxed and peaceful you seemed when you were looking at yourself. What is it that would have to shift in your life for you to bring this sense of well-being and authenticity to all that you do? 

As you go about your week, notice when you are feeling connected to yourself and sharing from your Spirit, and notice when you feel out of sync with yourself. Pay attention to when you are feeling vibrant and when you are feeling bored or disconnected. Notice what tasks or ideas excite you and think about how you can increase this in your life. And, notice when you back off, hide or in other ways avoid operate in the full force of who you truly are. And through all your observations do your very best to send yourself love.


Wishing you love and blessings as you wander through your week,

Judith



Don't have your kindle edition of Empowering the Spirit yet? Click http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LW7H4Q

                                                                 

And We're Off

This blog has been a long time coming.  I first published Empowering the Spirit at the end of 2005 right after I returned from a 3 week Shamanic Journey in Egypt.  I had been working on the book and working on living from the wisdom within it, for 10 years. Now, 7 years later I've re-introduced it on Amazon's Kindle where more people will have access to it should their Spirits' lead them in that direction.

In order to increase awareness of this book and to share ways to grow that are part of the process it offers, I am publishing this weekly blog. It will begin with a quote from Empowering the Spirit. Then I will ask you some questions to help you connect your individual process with the theme of the quote.  And lastly I will suggest an exercise to help deepen your growth and self-awareness in the area being presented.  Sound interesting?  Read on:

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"Collectively we stand on a precipice, on the edge of an evolutionary leap, poised and ready to jump into the Unknown.  This leap is about becoming "Spirit-directed" rather than ego-directed. The old way has taught us to live by the dictates of our ego:  to operate out of a survival paradigm, which keeps us seeking love, acceptance, material security and approval from others.  This new ways asks us to empower ourselves so that we can align our lives with our spiritual nature.  It asks that we trust our intuitive guidance, open our hearts, and make a commitment to being mindful.  It asks that we free ourselves from societal expectations and from the opinions of others."

QUESTIONS to Ponder:

In what parts of my life do I feel most in harmony and therefore most Spirit-directed?  (Make a list and do your best to not overthink this...just write down whatever pops in.)

In what parts of my life do I feel heaviest, most worried, drained or powerless?  (Again make a list using the same process as above, and realize these are areas where your ego has its greatest strong-hold.)

Journal on the following:

When do I find myself giving my power to others because I want their love, acceptance or approval?  

What scares me most about the Unknown??

EXERCISE: 
(You can do this for yourself by reading a few lines at a time, following the suggestions, closing your eyes until you can see or feel what is being suggested, and then open your eyes and go through the next few lines, repeating the process.  OR, you can tape this or do this with a friend where you each read to each other.)

Find a quiet comfortable place where you know you will not be disturbed.

Begin by taking some deep centering breaths. Breathe until you begin to let go of your day. Breathe until you begin to let go of your thoughts. Breathe until you begin to feel your body relax.  

Imagine you are on a beautiful hillside.  The sky above you is a vibrant shade of blue.  The sun beams down and warms your hair and your skin. You can hear birds chirping and singing, and perhaps water is flowing somewhere in the background.  There is a fragrance in the sweet crisp air, breathe deeply, notice and allow yourself to melt into the scene.  Pay attention to its beauty and peacefulness.  Touch the earth and the trees and the rocks and the flowers and just notice how they feel to your fingers and the palms of your hands.  Then find a comfortable place to sit back and look over this beautiful place.

Next see, as if projected before you, images of you at your most tense, at your most contracted, when you are feeling most powerless or most driven.  Just let those pictures and/or feelings arise in front of you and keep using your breath to stay centered and calm. Notice what is going on with your heart in that picture.

Then look in a different direction and allow images to come when you feel most connected to your Spirit. Perhaps you are doing Yoga or petting your dog or digging in your garden.  Perhaps you are eating a sumptuous meal or making love.  Again breathe deeply and notice whatever comes for you.  See how content you are and how open your heart feels.

Still staying in your relaxed mode, team up with the Spirit-connected part and just shower that tense part of yourself with love.  Pull in Divine love from your crown chakra, let in settle in your heart and then beam love to that part of yourself.  Let her or him know that it is fine to be tense and driven, but that it's okay and safe to let that go, to relax, to receive the love that you are sending their way.  

Notice what happens.  Whenever you are ready, bring yourself back to where you are sitting and breathe yourself back into the present.  As you do, make a commitment to keep sending yourself love when you notice you are tense or stressed or driven.  Pay attention, change may well be afoot.

As you go about your week, do your best to notice also when you are Spirit-connected and when you are not.  Notice when you are free of others' opinions and when you are not. Whatever it is you notice, give yourself credit for noticing and continue with your day.

I send you blessings and love on your journey.

   Don't have your kindle edition of Empowering yet?  

Click  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LW7H4Q

                                                                 it will be yours for $2.99.