Sixteen Weeks to Transformation

I love the Science of Mind. It has changed my life for the better for over 35 years.

I love teaching the Science of Mind.  In 1994, as a fairly new minister, I was asked to join our organization's Board of Education. I was excited to sit in meetings with some very knowledgeable

colleagues, including Dr. David Walker, Dr. Arleen Bump, Dr. Jackie Belzano, and Dr. Sandy Jacob. Then I was further honored to be part of a small curriculum creation committee, consisting of Dr. David Walker, Dr. Kennedy Shultz and Rev. Chris Michaels. Both Dr. Walker and Dr. Shultz had served as president of our organization. I had become  a minister in 1992. To say that I was a little intimidated would be an understatement. The three men were friends and loved to snipe at each other but they were always respectful of me. We did some great work together. For many years, our organization offered the curriculum we wrote as the first year of studies. After a long hiatus of 6 years, I am going to offer it again this year, beginning April 3, 2018. We used to offer these courses as 8-week stand-alone courses, but in order to have equivalency with our new 10 to 12 week foundation curricula we needed to offer the first two courses, so this course will be 16 weeks. I am inviting you to consider it; you will be so grateful you did.

The first part of the course is "The Spiritual Path" and introduces the metaphysical student to the basics of spiritual study including affirmation, meditation, and prayer. In addition to the basics, there are some great activities and processes which anyone can incorporate into their daily practices. During that eight weeks, the students will learn spiritual mind treatment/affirmative prayer.

The next part of the course continues to emphasize prayer and is titled "The Nature of Effective Prayer." This is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. When we change the consciousness of a thing, we change the entire experience of it. For example, before studying Science of Mind I would often take a victim mind-set when it came to illnesses. Like many people I had two or three colds a year. I was subject to the race consciousness of a "flu" season. Since then, I have come to understand that nothing happens to me, everything happens through me, by means of me. This is a powerful idea.

If everything comes through me, I must allow or invite the idea of  "flu" into my life. As I mentioned  a couple of blogs ago, rarely is the thing we are experiencing a result of thinking about the illness. In other words, I didn't get a cold because I thought about "colds;" but rather, when we feel stressed and overextended, we can let a 'flu" or "cold" into our lives.

• We will learn to pay attention to our thoughts, and make intelligent, self-supporting changes to our thoughts and feelings.
• We will learn to write and use powerful affirmations which will start the creative process by planting a new idea.
• And we will learn to meditate. By getting still and being comfortable with silence, we will more ably hear the voice for God within ourselves.

People's lives will be transformed. People who are senior students, those who have taken foundation courses many times before, will heighten their awareness of self. And those people who take the class as their very first step down the spiritual path will awaken to their own inner magnificence. People make life-long friendships in Science of Mind classes. You will learn to pray for other people as well as yourself. There is so much good for you... and you ought to have it!

I would love to see YOU at class. Tuesdays, beginning April 3rd at 6:30 pm. For credit: $240 or love offering.

What Good Emerges From Awakened Awareness

Calm at Sunset

I have  a new app on my phone called Calm. It has a short sweet meditation for the morning and  a bedtime story for the evening. I was doubtful about listening to a story to help go to sleep but it seems to work for me. ( I admit I was skeptical. My usual experience of watching or listening to a story would be one of being more fully engaged -- definitely not getting ready to drift off to dreamland.) However, it worked for me. The stories have been mostly descriptions and the readers' voices have been calming. This morning I discovered another part to the app called a Masterclass. It is taught by Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist from the University of Massachusetts and Director of the Center for Mindfulness. (I think he created this app.) Listening to the Masterclass on Breaking Habits was an  informative start to my day.  Although Dr. Brewer was not talking about anything brand new to me, he used intriguing language and examples that caused me to pay close attention.

The principles he was teaching were basic meditation techniques, but because I was hearing it from a different angle, I heard different possibilities. 

Some of the ideas that inspired me include : being curious, observing what you are thinking and feeling, stepping out of fear-based behaviors, noticing body sensations, and becoming disenchanted with the unhealthy behaviors.

In the past few days I have been preparing to teach a class based on Louise Hay's book You Can Heal Your Life.  Louise uses similar techniques to help people heal their bodies, relationships, prosperity and careers. She instructs her readers to be kind to themselves and to ask questions about where their unhealthy beliefs have come from. She also instructs the readers to examine their beliefs and let go of those that are no longer useful

Do you have something that you have been praying for that has not yet appeared?  Most people have. And most of us have many strategies, usually unconscious to us, to keep us from changing our minds. It could be an unhealthy habit. Sometimes we think that change is difficult  and uncomfortable, so we don't really try.

My guess is that we would discover goldmines of possibilities if we would be loving  and kind toward ourselves and curious about our thoughts, habits and feelings.

Dr. Brewer is an addiction specialist. He says that using mindfulness techniques to quit smoking is statistically more effective than any other method. The other benefit is that by becoming more aware, clients have actually lost weight in process of quitting.

I am very curious about that. As many of my readers know, my encounter with God, 35 years ago, caused me to release any need for nicotine. 

Of course, God is always present, whether or not we acknowledge the Presence. The Law of God is always at work. It is done unto us as we believe.

But it made me wonder if we used curiosity and being present to everything that is, in our study of the Science of Mind, would we have more rapid,deeper, more meaningful demonstrations? I intend to find out.  Anyone who enrolls in You Can Heal Your life will be encouraged to do their work gently, consistently and with great curiosity. 

Awareness is the first step to meaningful meditation. Affirmation and prayer emerging from our awakened awareness is potent. Our good is at hand now. 

If you would like to enroll in the class, please call the Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley. or sign up on the kiosk. The class is being offered on a love offering basis. We have not made arrangements for the class to be taken online.

Natural Meditation & Awakened Love With Dean Sluyter

Dean Sluyter has taught natural meditation throughout the United States since 1970 and is the author of several books and audio programs, including Cinema Nirvana, The Zen Commandments, and his latest, Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice. A grateful student of eminent teachers in several traditions, including Advaita Vedanta, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Bhakti Yoga, he has completed numerous pilgrimages and lengthy retreats in the U.S., Europe, India, Tibet, and Nepal. Dean is known for conveying authentic teachings in a form that is practical, accessible, label-free … and fun.

Deans books and CD’s will be available.

Envent Onsite 1-4PM & Live Stream 1-4PM

Connecting With Source

"I Was Told to Live
By some inner mystic Presence,
I was told to live, and to love, to laugh and be glad.
I was told to be still and know of the One Almighty Power, in and through all.
I was told to let that Power work through and for me.
I believed that voice and I received my Good.
I am healed -- The joy of Life"
                                                            The Science of Mind, P. 521

This is one of the beautiful meditations in the back of the textbook. We are encouraged to contemplate its meaning as we sit in stillness. This is not my usual meditation. I usually silently chant a mantra. It is usually very satisfying to me.

With the passing of my mother some of my usual practices didn't work very well. Meditation was one of them. I felt scattered and unfocused. I was sad because when I needed God's support and comfort the most, I felt like I wasn't getting it. Of course, the Divine Presence has never deserted me and I knew that intellectually but I desperately wanted to feel it.

Having a personal relationship with God has always been my strength. It is what pulled me into the Science of Mind, into taking classes and into ministry. So I asked the practitioners to pray for me. I was "hoping" that my next meditation would be satisfying, but they were not.

What did happen as a result of those prayers from our practitioner team was you.
What brings the feeling of connection with God is people. You. Your hugs, notes, texts and cards bring a feeling of deep appreciation and love. Your kindness sends ripples of good out into the Universe. It not only blesses the receiver but also it lifts up the whole community. I am deeply grateful. You are the wind beneath my wings.

Juli Isola Photography

Meditation Can Bring World Peace ...Join Us!

Join us at the Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley at 4:00 a.m. PST on Thursday December 31st.

World Peace and Healing Meditation

Please arrive at 3:45 a.m. - Bring a friend! Bring a Veteran! 

Meditating for World Peace, The Scientific View 

An experiment conducted in the early 1980s, during the height of the Lebanon war, sought to discover whether meditation could reduce war. When 1,000 people in Jerusalem meditated on world peace war deaths in Lebanon went down by over 75 percent. Not only did war deaths go down, but crime, traffic collisions, fires, and other destructive events also went down on the days the group meditated.

From this and other similar studies that showed that war deaths and injuries went down on days groups were meditating on peace, scientists reluctantly concluded that group meditation seems to prevent war. In reporting on these unexpected findings, world-renown quantum physicist John Hagelin Ph.D. commented: “There is far more evidence that group meditation can turn off war like a light switch than that aspirin reduces headaches. It is a scientific fact.”

Healing the World

World Peace Meditation Day 

Since 1986, December 31 is World Peace Meditation Day. On December 31, 1986 over 500 million people of all religious faith in over 70 countries joined their minds in peace, love, forgiveness and understanding. The event is still going on, for one hour starting at noon Greenwich Mean Time, with groups gathering in all U.S. states and around the world.

Also called World Healing Day or the International Hour for Peace, this simultaneous global linking of minds takes as its basis the principle of quantum physics that thought can direct energy, creating reality. Meditating on peace can create peace.

Training the Puppy

The only puppy I have ever had was a beautiful Saint Bernard puppy whose name was Elsie. It was the worst possible time for me to learn how to train a puppy, especially one who would grow so big. I was a newly-wed and also in my first career as a middle school teacher, having finished college in August, I landed a great job and got married that autumn. I had so much to learn and an equal amount to do. I had very little time to be at home. 

Meanwhile Elsie was adorable. She had a sweet temperament but we were ill-equipped to have the responsibility of a dog. Needless to say, there was very little training going on for Elsie. She was training us and not the other way around. 

Within a couple of months, my husband and I could both see that neither of us were able to give her the kind of home that she needed. We were living in a two-bedroom duplex, fairly cramped quarters for what would become a very large dog. She would sit beside the coffee table and with one friendly wag of her tail everything would be swept onto the floor. She rarely had a walk never mind a run! We eventually found a farmer  who said he would take her and look after her, that he had lots of room for her to run and play with his other dogs. All the guilt I had been feeling for not giving her the kind of home she needed evaporated when I thought of her running with the other dogs. That was the fantasy and it helped me cope with my feelings of inadequacy.

We use the metaphor of "training the puppy" to help us learn how to bring awareness to our minds in meditation. We know that a puppy that is loved and trained will grow up to be a wonderful companion. We also know that a dog who has been beaten, mistreated or neglected ends up being an anti-social, mean, unpredictable dog.

It is the same for your mind. If in meditation, you set impossible standards for yourself, scolding yourself for not attaining enlightenment in the first week of meditation you are simply delaying the benefits of meditation. If you can bring gentleness, kindness and love to your thoughts, your body and your feelings, you will see benefits in your life. And nothing is going to happen if you do not make a decision to "train the puppy."

The whole point of meditation is to awaken to the truth of life. It is to see that all life is interconnected. We begin to see that the only love we can give to others, is the love that we first give to ourselves. 

Many people find it difficult to accept and love themselves just the way they are. Our inner voices are often harsh and critical; we have an inner terrorist. What we really are longing for is acceptance and love.

Start today. Give yourself a modest goal, perhaps five minutes. Notice your thoughts, without judging them. Be kind to your thoughts. Be kind to yourself. It is a very good way to start.

Why Do We End Our Prayers with "And So It Is"

In the book, The Universe is Calling, Eric Butterworth has a chapter titled, 'The Great Amen.' It is a fascinating chapter about the original meaning of the word "Amen." What does it really mean? Butterworth begins by quoting Shakespeare's Macbeth.

"Macbeth is wallowing in guilt and remorse and says: "I could not say 'Amen' when they did say 'God bless us.' But wherefore could I not pronounce 'Amen.' I had the most need of blessing, and 'Amen' stuck in my throat.'"  

Originally 'Amen' which has come to mean, "So be it," meant "This is the Truth."

Think about how powerful that statement is. When we pray, we have unified with a power greater than we know ourselves to be, we have spoken a word of Freedom, Truth, Beauty or Love and then with gratitude we release the prayer with love into Divine Law by confidently saying, "And this is the Truth!"

There have certainly been times in my life when I could not with integrity and certainty say that my words were the Truth. That is why I love our method of prayer so much. Ernest Holmes teaches us to speak the Truth and then, if there are any words which we do not believe, to step by step, deny and repudiate the spiritual necessity for whatever problem we are encountering or entertaining. If it can not be the Truth for God, it cannot be the spiritual Truth for me or you or Macbeth. We may need to quit wallowing in guilt and remorse. We would be better off if we let all those negative feelings go. Do you really need them?

It does not sound like we are hoping that this prayer is effective. We KNOW the prayer is effective. When we know the prayer is effective we let go and let God do Its work in us.

I am writing this blog while on a retreat with my Self Realization Fellowship friends. There are a couple of thousand of us. Meditating with this many people is a powerful experience. Yet often so still and quiet that I feel alone with Source.

Just like we think the SRF folks think, that the ultimate God is within us. They believe that the path to enlightenment is through conscious connection with God. We achieve that union through stillness and meditation.

They have a different view of prayer. They believe in it for certain. Their prayers always end in "Amen."knowing the original meaning of "Amen" is very helpful. We are praying for peace on earth. Amen. We are praying for individuals to have a personal connection with God. Amen to that. We are praying for kindness, respect and compassion in relationships. Amen to that. We are praying to persevere on our path despite any periods of feeling disconnected.

I believe the intention of these prayers could be heard in any temple, church, synagogue, temple, center or ashram. There are more points of similarity than of difference.

Dean Sluyter Natural Meditation Workshop Video

There's No Trying in Meditation

Just as water runs naturally downhill … just as leaves float naturally to the ground … anyone can settle naturally into meditation. Not trying, just allowing — not doing, just being.

The key is effortlessness. Whether you’re a complete novice or you’ve “tried it before,” if you can breathe you can meditate. In these videos you will be guided by veteran teacher @DeanSluyter ’s easy-going, down-to-earth approach, you’ll test-drive a variety of meditative “vehicles,” such as breath, sound, the senses, the sky, and the simple sense of “I,” and discover which ones fit you best. You’ll find all the practical tips you need for adapting these methods to your daily life, even for a few minutes a day on the subway or in an office cubicle. And as your life opens to deep happiness, clarity, peace, and creative energy, you’ll be inspired to keep on practicing — naturally. - Dean Sluyter Natural Meditation


Part 1 http://youtu.be/WnS_1GGDAfI


Part 2 http://youtu.be/jtwucKe24Ms

Want More? Click here "Natural Meditation" a guide to effortless meditative practice by Dean Sluyter

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK! 

Dean Sluyter Natural Meditation Workshop 4/19 in San Clemente

Dean Sluyter has taught meditation throughout the United States since 1970 and is the author of several excellent books and audio programs, including Cinema Nirvana, The Zen Commandments, and his latest, Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice. A grateful student of eminent teachers in several traditions, including Advaita Vedanta, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Bhakti Yoga, he has completed numerous pilgrimages and lengthy retreats in the U.S., Europe, India, Tibet, and Nepal. Dean is known for conveying authentic teachings in a form that is practical, accessible, label-free … and fun.

FREE MEDITATION WORKSHOP

This Sunday Dean Sluyter will present his free workshop: “Natural Meditation” right here in San Clemente from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Deans books and CD’s will also be available.

Our regularly scheduled meditation starts at 10am followed by not just your average everyday Sunday Service at 10:30 with our super special guest singer the amazing and powerful Gino Walker. Service will be followed with lunch for everyone.


BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! This just announced, Get down with some Motown! Gino gives her classic rendition of the best songs of the Motown era. Starts at Noon! (Gino didn't want to miss Deans meditation workshop, and you shouldn't either) (childcare provided)

  Meditation & Motown, What a combination!  THIS IS A FREE EVENT! We will see you here.

PS: If you can't be here in real life the event will be streamed LIVE! Visit CSLCV.ORG to tune in! 

Views: Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley - Sanctuary by Darin R. McClure

The Myth of Security

Ernest Holmes wrote: 

"The greatest good that can come to anyone is the..absolute certainty of himself, and of his relationship to the Universe, forever removing the sense of heaven as being outside himself..

Such an understanding teaches us that there can never come a time when we shall stop progressing...Such an understanding will rob man of his loneliness, and give him a sense of security which knows no fear." 

What great news this is! Most people think that their security comes from their portfolio, their homes, their possessions. 

But where do all these things come from? They all come from the same place. They come from Infinite Supply through the always faithful Law of Cause and Effect. 

Long ago I was instructed by Divine Presence to stop putting my faith outside myself, and to always trust God! What great advice that was! Much greater than I knew at that time.

Deepak Chopra reminds us that the things we think bring us peace of mind, don't.

Trust God. Trust God. Trust God.

Meditation is the best way to live a life of peace.

I thought you might enjoy one of Deepak's beautiful meditations. This one is a meditation to live a carefree life. He leads the meditation  and there are about 8 minutes of silence. During that time there are beautiful pastoral, deeply peaceful scenes being shown. I watched it all the way through then closed my eyes the second time.
Enjoy.

Global Meditation for Peace in San Clemente

Visit http://globalmeditation.chopra.com/ and sign up now to be part of the global meditation event of the year, Friday August 8th, and help set the Guinness World Record for the largest meditation gathering ever!

Then join us in the Sanctuary from 9-10am as we live stream this historic event with Deepak Chopra, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Maya Tiwari.

Be sure to share now to your favorite social media site with the hashtag #IAMPEACE

Sanctuary doors open at 8:30am for a pre meditation sage cleansing ceremony and never forget your real identity.

You are a luminous conscious stardust being, who has been forged in the crucible of cosmic fire.

#IAmPeace

Whenever the Time is NOW

This year's retreat at the Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley was hosted by Dr James and Rev. Leslie Golden.  The retreat was titled "Whenever the time is Now" ... and, well, when you think about it, the time is always NOW.  Now is the only time it can ever actually really be.  People have written books about it.  The sages say to "be here now" but sometimes that seemingly simple idea can be difficult to experience.  Our mind has an uncanny way of keeping us in the past and the future, reflecting back, multi-tasking and planning ahead.

Spiritual practices are tools we learn and use to make it easier to experience the beauty of presence, being in the Now.  This retreat was an amazing opportunity to explore new practices, as well as remember and reinforce those we already knew, to deepen our personal spiritual understanding and awareness.

Spiritual practices can take some effort, a bit of discipline, and this weekend was about honing our skills in that area.  Dr. James and Rev Leslie used the analogy of these various spiritual practices as different types of forks, all of them used for the purpose of feeding our soul food that comes from the One Source, God.  It doesn't matter which fork you use, what matters is that you remember to feed your soul!

We learned about and were asked to practice more mindfulness during the retreat and over the entire weekend.  That means to slow down... move slower in all your actions.  Drive slower (at the speed limit perhaps), eat slower and chew your food more thoroughly.  Bring more conscious awareness into everything you do.   

All the participants took a vow of silence.  I had never attempted something like this before, leading up to the retreat I was excited and a little nervous about this part.  With an open mind and an open heart, I decided I was ready for some quiet time... to hear the voice of Spirit within me, the One who created me.  

I have to say, the mindfulness, coupled with the vow of silence, made my mind seem MUCH LOUDER at first!  I had to, as gently and non-judging as possible, quiet the mind chatter and listen for that still small voice within me.  The one that reminds me not only am I loved unconditionally, but that our essence is purely and simply Divine Love.

We also learned some Siddha Yoga practices, including singing a chant (yes! out loud!  with our voices!).  We listened to and sang together, in a call and response format, the phrase: "Om Namah Shivaya" which means "I bow to the God Self that dwells within me - as me."  Everyone received a strand of mala beads, which are sometimes referred to as Buddhist prayer beads.  They are essentially used for keeping count during mantra meditations and have an added benefit of helping to keep the mind focused.  My mala beads are a new favorite "fork" of mine, I use them every day.  :-)

This retreat was an amazing experience.  It has deepened my spiritual awareness and fortified my spiritual practices in such a complete way.  My heart is wide open, filled and over flowing with the Divine Love that God is.  

I encourage you, whatever your "fork" is, if your soul is hungry then feed it!  If you haven't found a fork you like, come visit us... No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, know that you are always welcome here.

Namaste. 

To learn more about the retreat visit...

James and Leslie Golden: www.DreamANewDream.net

Siddha Yoga: www.siddhayoga.org

I Got Nothing: Getting nothing from Meditation

What if you got nothing from meditation?

When we think about meditation, we tend to think of getting something from it. Yes, it is true one may get something out of meditation. The real question to ask is if one is getting nothing from meditation.  After all, isn't meditation a practice where one is to silence one's mind/ thoughts to a space of nothingness?

Some meditations can take you on a journey, like in guided meditation. These are very helpful in uncovering a thought process, or receiving an answer from a long sought after yearning. 

We have meditations which use sound to center our thoughts. Mantras or chants can bring one to space of reverence with just the tone.  

We have walking meditation where we use the sense of sight to assist on our journey.  We walk in the Oneness of all living things. 

In silent meditation a mind can become completely still and enter into the nothingness of All Things. 

Close your eyes, start to remove yourself from all attachments to all senses. Start to imagine yourself deeper into the nothingness. Continue to imagine yourself in a deeper space of nothingness. Continue this process where your thoughts are no longer competing for attention. Feel the nothingness in the cells of the body.  Continue to imagine yourself even deeper into the nothingness. This is the space where one completely lets go of everything, a place where the Oneness of the Nothingness is sensed. Try to reside there for as much time as you feel pulled to. Know that after a certain amount of time your Self will guide you back to your body to come back to the present. 

Today I center myself in the Nothingness of life. I am completely immersed in the Nothingness, and I move from this space to experience Peace.

Guided Meditation Awakening The Mind

How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself as anything less than a god. ~ Alan Watts

I stumbled across Alan Watts when I was a "neon tubebender" being that my craft involved playing with fire and glass I liked to start my day around 2am, the radio my constant companion, KPFK would play his talks and I would listen and learn. Mindfulness is living in the Now. Enjoy.





And So It Is!

Meditation, Purpose & Emerson

What is your plot of land?

This Sunday was our final week in our month on meditation. Rev. Dr. Heather Clark talked about using meditation as a tool to connect with the very essence of who we are and to ask how to manifest our good in the world. To ask "What is trying to manifest through me?"

I can't think of a more practical role for meditation.

I've always wondered if a strong life's purpose was innate in some people or was it something developed, something nutured and encouraged to grow until it then took on a life of its own. I remember watching the movie "The Secret," and when Neal Donal Walsch said that there is nothing declaring what you have to do or be, I felt a great sense relief. But while I desire freedom of choice there is a longing to have a strong sense of purpose, a strong sense of your plot of land.

I say "plot of land" because Sunday's talk from Rev. Dr. Heather made me think of Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance." Whether our true calling is predetermined or self chosen it doesn't matter as long as we know how to find it.

Because ultimately I know that no one is going to tell me what color my parachute is. Because ultimately I know that every answer in a multiple choice quiz is a compromise of who I am. Because ultiimately I know that it's even more than taking your "own counsel" ... it's tapping into who you truly are for the answers that truly matter.

I'm going to share a couple paragraphs of Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. Not for nothing one face, one character, one fact, makes much impression on him, and another none. This sculpture in the memory is not without preestablished harmony. The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray. We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents. It may be safely trusted as proportionate and of good issues, so it be faithfully imparted, but God will not have his work made manifest by cowards. A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but what he has said or done otherwise shall give him no peace. It is a deliverance which does not deliver. In the attempt his genius deserts him; no muse befriends; no invention, no hope.

Answering that question of "what is my work" or "what is my purpose" is the stuff that builds lives and the satisfaction and happiness that comes when one works in harmony with their true nature and gifts. And as Rev. Dr. Heather Clark pointed to the not so subtle shift between "How do I draw abundance into my life?" as "What is it that wants to be created through me?" The second question draws you into alignment with your greatest good, your greatest expression and therefore your greatest gift.

Sometimes to Open Your Eyes, You Must Close them

Did you enjoy the video? Don't forget to share your thoughts on meditation, life or whatever is on your mind!

I Can't Hear Myself Think

When I was growing up my mom used to say, "It's so loud in here, I can't hear myself think." As a child I thought, "Whatever." Now, as a parent, I totally understand what she was saying.

There are moments, more often than I like, that the noise and busyness of family life are so loud that I can't keep my train of thought. After one particularly noisy trip to the grocery store with all three of my daughters vying for my attention and requesting sweet treats and other extras, I called my mom and told her my tale of woe. I felt on edge and worn out. My mom, in her wisdom and probably remembering similar moments in her parenting experience said, "I'm going to send you a check and I want you to download these meditations. I think they will really help. They have helped me." In her wisdom, my mom was suggesting meditation as a coping strategy and it works! Now I get up every day before every one else to have my 15 minutes of meditation and, on most days, I can, more clearly, "hear myself think."

Funny enough, I'm also a preteen teacher in the Youth Center. I had the opportunity to enlighten the preteens about meditation. Remembering my own preteen "whatever" reaction to my mom's comment about hearing herself think, I asked the kids what they thought when they heard the word "meditation." They responded with:

• boring
• sitting still for a long time 
• eyes closed
• not fun
• something adults do 

I told them about Thich Nhat Hanh and his ideas about meditation. In his book "Present Moment, Wonderful Moment," he suggests meditation can be done while walking, washing your hands, driving a car, picking a flower, cleaning the bathroom, and hearing a bell. All we need to do is use the activity to bring our awareness back to the present moment. To pay attention to how the water feels on our hands or the bell sounds in our ears. And, most importantly, to breathe. Meditation can be as simple as one mindful breath.

So, what do you do when life gets so loud that you can't hear yourself think? For families, Thich Nhat Hanh suggests having a bell in a central location in the house. When someone in the family feels like things are getting a little too noisy or chaotic, he or she rings the bell. Upon hearing the sound of the bell, every family member is reminded to stop and take three mindful breaths. Can you spare 30 seconds for three mindful breaths? If that's too hard or you don't think your family would play along, what about three mindful breaths at every red light or when your phone announces a text message has arrived? How could our lives be different if we embraced the concepts of meditation and incorporated them into our everyday moments?

How and when do you practice meditation? What have you noticed? Share your answers with me in the comments!

Tibetan Singing bowls: Dharma goes to the west.

Mindfulness through the sound of bells. 

Singing bells have come to the west to be appreciated as a tool of Mindfulness.  Allowing the sound of the bell to fully complete into the silence can center one's thoughts.  This is tool used for many centuries by Tibetan Monks.  Thich Nhat Hanh travels around the world to introduce the bell teaching to the world.  At Deerpark Monastery in Escondido, California, they practice in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. The following video introduces these teachings of the bells. 

In an 1986 interview with Lama Lobsang Leshe, a Tibet Monk born in Lhasa, Rain Gray, a Tibetan Musicologist, received this answer regarding the West's role in singing bowls. 

Rain Gray: "At this time I'm wondering what is the significance that this singing bowl and this sound is going to the West.  Padmasambhava said that 'When the iron bird flies, the Dharma will be spread to the West.'  So, I've been feeling for many years now that somehow this sound is important for the world because the sound is the sound of the Dharma.  And it carries the Dharma, whether people realize it or not, because in my experience with many types of people, whether Buddhists or non-Buddhists, young people and very old people, everybody is attracted to this sound.  And specifically, they can't exactly say why, but they like to hear this sound.  So this is very appreciated in the Western world. Now that the Dharma is becoming so strong in the Western world my intuitive feeling is that, somehow, this sound has some importance for the world today.

Lobsang Leshe: "Yes, if so Dharma goes to the West, Guru Padmasambhava said that 'Dharma goes to West' means that definitely they have seeds.  Of course, you know, all sentient beings have enlightened beings seeds, nature of Dharma, of Buddha, you know, really.  So, before all teaching is Asia, most teachings in Asia.  So, actually, yes, yes.  Also, Buddha is not in the world now, this world. So many other worlds his presentation now, he's giving teaching.  So, Buddha is not here, but his Dharma is here.  So, singing bowl can give teaching to someone who has the seeds of Dharma.  Each sentient being has many different natures, many different 'ears'.  That's why, yes of course, singing bowl can give you Dharma.  Really have that connection of that Buddha or Shambhala, same you know, really connection of singing bowl or those sounds connection to the Shambhala.  Means singing bowl sound gives you teaching then you can go to Shambhala. That is really the connection.

http://www.bodhisattva.com/singing_bowl_history.htm

Connect to your heart through the sound of the bell. 

Meditation The Art Of Inner Listening

All of the great world religions contain a mystical or meditative tradition. This tradition emphasizes the importance of daily reflection as a direct method for realizing an unmediated experience of the true nature of existence.

In Buddhism meditation is viewed as the central spiritual practice,   Please meditate on this video by one of my favorite teachers, Jack Kornfield.

Today, I take the time to listen to my inner voice. - Namaste.

And So It Is! 

Practice Living From Cause and Not Reacting to Effects

This month we are exploring theme of Meditation: The Inner Journey. On Sundays I have shared some techniques and some thoughts about it. As I was contemplating my talk for this Sunday, KGOD, Tuning in to the Infinite, it occurred to me to see what our founder, Ernest Holmes, had to say about meditation.

Dr. Holmes explained how to use the short meditations he wrote which are found in the back of the Science of Mind text. He said, "First, decide which meditation you wish to use; then become quiet and composed. Then carefully read the meditation several times. phrase by phrase, endeavoring to realize the meaning of the words and trying to enter into the atmosphere of the thought. After having done this, meditate upon the words, following that meditation until you feel a sense of realization."

One of the greatest enemies of faith is doubt. I have noticed that when life gets really challenging, some times we doubt the Principle Itself. One of the great early ministers in the Science of Mind movement, Dr. Robert Bitzer, said, "Never abandon Principle, even on a special occasion!" What this means to me, is even when life feels disappointing, disheartening, or disastrous use your mental faculty of will to stay the course. Practice knowing that the Universe is Good and Good only. Practice living from Cause and not reacting to effects.

I would like to share one of Ernest Holmes' meditations.

"Cast Aside All Doubt

Cast aside all doubt, O Soul of mins, and be unafraid, for Thy power is from On High.

He Who sitteth in the heavens shall be Thy champion.

Thou need not fear; Come forth, O Spirit, from within and express Thyself through me and let not my doubts hinder Thy approach. 

My faith shall go forth to meet Thee, and my confidence shall embrace Thee.

My waiting thought shall bid Thee welcome to my house of Love,

And Joy shall accompany us through the ages yet to come.

I lay aside all fear and doubt."

And So It Is