Just A Suggestion....

Ever since I can remember...I've prided myself on my excellent memory, near perfect recall of facts figures and my endless mental warehousing of utterly useless trivia but somehow all of these accomplishments went sailing out the window  this last Wednesday.

I had a Dr.'s appointment...at eleven thirty and it was a relatively important date for me so I went to bed earlier than usual the night before, woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and after dropping off the children at school, came home and got ready for the appointment.

I left early so I could get there on time and was, as usual, ten minutes early. I walked up to the receptionist's window and when she asked how she may help me, I promptly answered that my appointment was at 11:30 with Kim. She shuffled through her papers, looked in a schedule book, rummaged through one of those wire paper bins full of loose papers and then turned and asked me to tell her again what time the appointment was...eleven thirty, I replied as I watched her turn her chair towards her computer, entering my name. The puzzled look on her face confused me for a minute until she turned her chair back in my direction and informed me my appointment was NEXT Wednesday!

Stress

Excess stress can manifest itself in a variety of emotional, behavioral, and even physical symptoms and the symptoms of stress vary enormously among different individuals. Common  physical symptoms often reported by those experiencing excess stress include sleep disturbances, muscle tension and  headache.

The process of learning to control stress is life-long and will not only lead to better health but a greater ability to cope with life's little irritations we may encounter in our daily lives. Some relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing are extremely beneficial, in my opinion, meditation benefits are many and can bring about feelings of confidence and self control, increased concentration, better relationships and reduced stress levels as well as an increase in:

~Confidence and self control

~ Improved concentration

~Inner certainty

~ Ability to focus and work efficiently

~ Ability to let go of negative emotions such as anger

Meditating is actually easier than you may imagine, most of us have dabbled in meditation by participating in conscious relaxation. Start by paying attention to your breathing. The practical effort to focus completely on breathing  takes our minds away from the "mental clutter" and leads to a feeling of calm. With repeated effort, the goal of clearing your mind (to think of nothing)  does occur and the process of meditation takes on its own energy. The result is peace, serenity and calmness.

Meditation suggestions:

1.) Make time to meditate. Set aside enough time in your daily routine for meditating. The effects of meditation are most noticeable when you do it regularly and consistently rather than sporadically.

2.) Find or create a quiet, relaxing environment. It's especially important, when you're starting out, to avoid any obstacles to attention. Turn off any TV sets, phone(s) or other noisy appliances. If you play music, make sure it's calm, repetitive and gentle, so as not to break your concentration. Meditating outside can be good, as long as you don't sit near a busy roadway or another source of loud noise.

3.)  Sit on level ground. Sit on a cushion if the ground is uncomfortable. You don't have to twist your limbs into the lotus position or adopt any unusual postures. The important thing is to keep your back straight, as this will help with breathing later on. You can also meditate on a chair. Make sure your back is straight, whether you lean against the chair or sit free does not matter. Your feet should rest solidly on the ground. Any position in which you're relaxed but your back is straight is permissible, even lying down...but be careful that you're not so relaxed that you fall asleep. In warm weather, consider watching the clouds.

4.) Keep your eyes half-open without focusing on anything. If this is too distracting or difficult, close them or find something steady to focus on such as a small candle flame.

5.) Breathe deeply and slowly from your abdomen rather than your chest. You should feel your stomach rise and fall while your chest stays relatively still.

6.) Relax every muscle in your body. Don't rush this, as it takes time to fully relax. Do it bit by bit, starting at your toes, and working up to your head, until the tension melts away. 

*You may notice that your mind wants to wander, bouncing from thought to thought, making observations about other things. Gently bring your attention back to a single point until it rests there naturally. The goal is to allow the "chattering" in your mind to gradually fade away. Find an "anchor" to settle your mind.*

7.) Once you've trained your mind to focus on just one thing at a time, the next step is focus on nothing at all, essentially "clearing" your mind. This requires tremendous discipline but is the pinnacle of meditation. After focusing on a single point as described in the previous step, you can either cast it away, or observe it impartially and let it come and then go, without labeling it as "good" or "bad". Take the same approach to any thoughts which return to your mind until silence perseveres.












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Tea Blessing Meditation

The purpose of this blessing and meditation is to pay homage to Deity and to reflect on the blessings in your life.

~ Tea, looseleaf or bags
~ Cup and Tea Pot
~ Incense
~ Green and White Candle


Place and arrange the pot of brewed tea and cup on the table. Light candles and incense, fill the cup with the brewed tea.



BLESSING OF THE TEA:







Gracious Goddess,
You who are the Queen of the Gods,
The Lamp of Night,
The Creator of all that is wild and free
Mother of woman and man;
Lover of the Horned God, and Protectress of all the Craft;
Descend, I Pray,
With Your Lunar ray of power,
Upon my rite here!

Blazing God,
You who are the King of the Gods,
Lord of the Sun,
Master of all that is wild and free;
Father of woman and man;
Lover of the Cresent Goddess, and protector of all the Craft;
Descend, I pray,
With Your Solar ray of power,
Upon my rite here!

Pour out a cup for all present, including one for Deity and enjoy. Sit before the table and meditate on the blessings that Deity has bestowed upon your life.

Time-Out

time-out:

1.) a brief suspension of activity; intermission or break.
2.) a short interruption in a regular period of play during which a referee or other official stops the clock so that the players may rest, deliberate, make substitutions, etc.


Busy days, long hours, noisy offices, unbearable traffic, screaming children, ringing phones... sound familiar? These words describe the day of an average person in America. Stress pervades even the lives of some of the most positive and respected people. Even if your not a well known corporate executive or CEO of a leading sports equipment company...try a time-out to help take the edge off of stress and feel more grounded and centered during your hectic stressful days.

Nature is a wonderful place to take some time out. Cultivate a garden... ...find a place in the countryside or a time of day in a local park when few people are around...  use visualization to create a peaceful, beautiful place in your mind to visit, maybe a garden or a beach or woodland. With practice, it is possible to experience that place... the sounds of the birds... the rustling of the leaves... the feel of breeze on your skin... the various smells. As your skill is developed... that place can be revisited whenever you need a time-out.

Try to keep a regular meditation schedule, at least once a day or maybe even twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening.) The more regular  your meditation is, the more of an oasis of calm and grounding you can create in a busy life and a hectic world. Regular "me time" provides an opportunity to stop and center yourself, to calm the restless noise and busy thoughts in your head and then to come back and rejoin life afterwards, with a sense of stillness and inner peace. 

Animal Guides

You can't choose an animal guide as your personal spirit guide....the animal chooses you and they decide to whom they will reveal themselves and make their friend. Do not fall into the trap of saying, “Gosh, I think the wolf is a smart, good looking and powerful animal, so the wolf will become my animal guide.” It does not work this way.

Each Animal has its own energy which is unique to that specific creature as gifted by the god and goddess and its spirit cannot be chosen like the color of your new car. Discovering who your animal guides are is a process of paying attention to the spirits around you and following the signs. It is a process of developing your inner knowledge and spiritual understanding.

An individual can not be assigned a spirit guide by another person, regardless of who that person maybe, no more than another person can say how or when the god or goddess manifests in your life. What happens if you want an animal spirit so bad you can taste it (not literally) and one has not come to you? We have two suggestions for this case. First... meditate about it. Second... be satisfied with whatever happens or does not happen. If you have trouble the first time, try again at a different time.

After you understand what type of animal guide has come into your life, it is necessary to educate yourself fully as to the nature of the animal. Learn about its habitat... life cycles... what it eats... physical characteristics... special skills and traits. Go to places where your animal guide can be found in real life. Study it in nature ...gaining insight into the nature of your animal guide will help you to better understand its messages. Meditate on this knowledge and discover its power and significance in your life.

After you learn various ways to work with the medicine of you animal spirit guide, the energy becomes a gateway to connecting with other spirit guides found within its domain. Your animal spirit guide (or those spirits who choose to reveal themselves in the form of an animal) will teach you how to align with other spirit guides and beings.

A spirit guide must be harmonious with the person. Communication with your spirit guide requires reverent respect and knowledge of the ways of the animal guide and you can find new ways to honor your spirit guide. The more importance you give to the spirit guide the more they respond to you. Most spirit guides do not immediately acknowledge themselves to the person as they are leery of your intention and knowledge. A spirit guide is sensitive to moods, current events, and a persons path in life. They must first trust you and learn your needs and wants. You must learn to trust them and understand their needs and wants. It takes time, patience and practice

Flower Moon

This Friday is the full cycle of the moon and is often referred to as the Flower, Planting or Hare Moon. Energies around this moon are ones of health, romance, love and wisdom.

We need to be encouraged to begin to take action on the things we’ve recently been planning whether it be one of the heart, meditation or taking care of one's self.

This full moon is a time when we begin to really notice more light in our lives.... the days are longer... the grass is green (and must be cut more often) and the flowers are starting to bloom. This is a time of playful , light and buoyant energy. Some ways to really celebrate this moon and the energy it brings, is do a fun thing like host a pot-luck with a spring theme or visit your local elementary school and volunteer during art class. If you are looking for something more “magickal”try lighting a green candle and meditate on being thankful for the feeling of renewal and rejuvenation you can feel at this time.

Gems to enhance this moon’s energy include ones like Malachite, Jade, Emerald, Peridot or any other green-hued stones. These gems help enhance the energy of the heart chakra, which governs our compassion, generosity, love and harmony. When I need a boost in any of these areas, I simply slip a green stone into my pocket ( I like a small piece of Jade) or I wear a necklace of green-gemmed jewelry.

Whatever you feel that moves you this Friday full moon, enjoy and rejoice at the energy of mother earth and the goddess!