Category: meditation

Raw Materials

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By Valerie A. Cody

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At our most basic, we humans have a lot in common with each other; in fact we have everything in common.

We are bones, blood, skin, tissues and organs.

We are spirited and animated by the life force within us.

We form thoughts, feel pleasure, get hungry, fall in love, and fall asleep.

The raw materials of our “selves” are across the board – fairly similar.

Yet.

…

An inextricable force makes us all somehow different. Much like walking through a neighborhood of homes – we witness the same raw materials (wood, stone, planks, boards and nails) making up houses that all look and feel different.

This force is energetic intention and focus. How we physically manifest into this 3D reality is more than just our genetic makeup.  How we manifest has everything to do with our intentions and our energetic fields. Our energetic blueprint.

The music we choose listen to and the foods we choose to eat, the constant stream of thoughts we entertain throughout the day, the people we love and the animals we cuddle – these aspects become our energetic signature.  Because we have either consciously or unconsciously made the decision to include these interactions in our consciousness.

This energetic signature is what makes us more than flesh, bone, and soul. How we choose to focus, wrangle and direct our energetic field creates our individual life experiences and our physical bodies.

Behind the facade of skin colors, money systems, sports teams, religions, and political preferences – there is only this absolutely fundamental difference amongst individuals: How are you choosing to direct your own personal energetic field?

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Rosicrucian Meditation Technique

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By Valerie A. Cody

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When we venture towards new understandings of spiritual life we often find ourselves wondering “where is Spirit showing up in my life?” and looking for concrete evidence to support what we are feeling deep down.

Maybe we are so close to a situation energetically that we cannot see the big picture. Maybe we have been staring at the same project for hours or days, but cannot see where it is headed.

During these times, we may find ourselves in a mentality of lack, or possibly doubt. Thoughts begin to circulate, telling ourselves we are on the wrong track or that we should give up.

In today’s post I would like to introduce you to a tool that may be helpful in identifying how and when Spirit (God, Source) is gently guiding you throughout the day.

Rosicrucians called it the Backward Review – or “Zurückschauen” to German Rosicrucians. Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian Rosicrucian Theosophist and occult philosopher, made this practice a basic requirement for students of his own initiation school.

The concept is that: While you are lying in bed before falling asleep for the night think of the very last thing you did. Maybe you brushed your teeth or stretched. Then, in reverse order, the prior activity all the way up until the last time you were asleep. Maybe it was that morning or perhaps you had a nap.

An example would be the following:

Here I am in bed.

I just put my book down after reading for 20 minutes.

I applied hand creme.

I applied lip balm.

I showered.

I ate dinner.

Etc, etc.

In regards to your entire day: What did you have planned versus what ended up happening?  This practice can allow us to observe things that happened throughout the day that we did not expect. Corollary to this, when we wake up in the morning or from a nap, we spend a moment pondering what we think will happen next. We might plan to go to work, to go the gym, etc. This is our general plan for the day.

Then, during the Backward Review at the end of the day we sometimes find that very different things happened than what we had planned. Or something totally unexpected was inserted.

In this way, we can start to see where Spirit may be guiding us. What divine intervention (small or large) may be taking place in our daily lives.

This is an essential addition to the “hustle and run your day” sort of attitude that is popular at the moment. Having a plan is important, but equally important is the balancing act that leaves enough space for Spirit to guide us.

For example, after doing this nightly for a week we may realize that a number of different friends throughout the week extended an invitation to a yoga class.  Or we may find we are gravitating towards certain foods – and away from certain ones. It could be possible that we are hearing a particular song daily. These are patterns. Notice them and reflect.

By going backwards in the day’s activities, we begin to become conscious of our day’s activities. We can notice if there are blank spots or times when we were just acting from auto-pilot.

This reverse order of thinking also activates a new strength, it’s like flexing a muscle within our etheric body. The etheric body is our body of memory. The etheric body holds all of our life-forces as well.

When we begin to exercise our capacity to think backward instead of forward (the way we normally do), we are exercising the body of memory that will become a force that can be used for higher spiritual development and alchemical purposes later on.

Remember, our individual spiritual paths are divinely protected and guided. Our guides are constantly showing us messages and we only need to become aware.

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How To Connect With Divine Wisdom

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By Valerie A. Cody

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Even if we have never put words to reason, all of us can actually feel when we are consciously connected to Source Energy. If we were to reflect on life, I would guess that our favorite conversations, meetings, meals, workouts, etc., were all so amazing because we were connecting with Source Energy or we were witnessing this quality in another.

Abraham Hicks once said that trying to take action while disconnected from Source Energy was like trying to make toast without plugging in the toaster. Meaning, without that certain connectedness – the bread (our progress) would just sit there, waiting to be transformed. Link to YouTube video of this Abraham Hicks workshop recording: Here

For reference, in the context of the blog post and also metaphysics, “Source Energy” is the term used to describe what others may refer to as God.

I truly believe that our best work and most satisfying moments are a product of being connected consciously to Source, or being “plugged-in” per the Hicks analogy.

In my experience, some situations afford us an easier opportunity to connect than others. This is also common sense. Watching a beautiful sunset or engaging in an intellectually stimulating conversation – these can very easily turn into experiences of connectedness. While sitting in traffic might turn us off and cause us to subdue the inner wisdom.

Divine wisdom and guidance is always available to us. Though, there are certain patterns that may cause us to feel disconnected from this. Behaviors and compulsions such as: Overthinking, not following divine impulses, not knowing what a divine impulse is, allowing dogma to take precedence, not taking proper care of our physical body, being consumed by addictions, engaging in negative self-talk, as well as many other unique and individual ways of being.

We are divinely intuitive beings and extensions of Source Energy. We are immeasurably powerful and we can truly be, do, or have anything that our minds conceive. In metaphysical terms this means: If we have the thought or idea – then the path has already been paved. It is just the question of how well will we manage to get out of our own way and allow ourselves to follow the path?

If this concept is totally new to you, I urge you to reflect on some of your best moments. Journal about them and try to remember every detail. Is there a through-line?

How to Connect:

  1. Gratitude – This emotion is one of the highest on the vibrational scale of emotions. It is also one of the most easily accessible from some of the lower vibrating emotions such as fear. This means that it is easier to find something to be grateful for in moments of despair than it is to suddenly feel pure joy or bliss.
    Emotional Scale
  2. Mindfulness –  Find God in the moment. Take pleasure in the little things. Do daily activities with a certain care and awareness.
  3. Yoga – When we combine conscious breathing with physical movement, we create space inside our physical bodies for the divine to enter.
  4. Hobbies/Purpose – We can access our inner wisdom during moments of flow. Or, as sports has categorized this state of being “in the zone.” When we have hobbies or a purpose that make us forget that time is passing, we are dancing with the very energy that creates worlds.
  5. Meditation – I love this quote by Kelsey Grammer:

    “Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when you’re listening. Playing the piano allows you to do both at the same time.”

    What better way to feel your guidance than to actually attempt to hear it? Meditation can be a practice of actively quieting the mind long enough for divine wisdom to subtly speak. The whole quote is applicable too because playing instruments can be another way of finding the flow and letting Source move through you.

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Sacred Space

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By Valerie A. Cody

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At the end of 2018, I spent 30 days in Boca Raton, Florida, studying for my 200hr yoga teacher training certificate. The experience was truly phenomenal, and a milestone in my life that I will never forget. Upon meeting the criteria to graduate from the program, I completed the course with accreditation to teach yoga as well as meditation classes.

An individual meditation practice can and does vary greatly from person to person. In many ways, the term ‘mindfulness’ has become synonymous with meditation – meditate while brushing your teeth! While showering! While driving!

 

….

And while I think mindfulness is key to living in the present moment and enjoying life – it doesn’t always equal ‘meditating.’

In the Eight Limbs of Yoga, we learn to steady the mind and come to full concentration on a specific deity, sound, object, phrase (mantra), or movement. This is the 6th limb of yoga, known as “Dharana.” The limbs of yoga are meant to be practiced in succession – meaning each one prepares you for the next. By focusing intently on our breath, gazing into a candle flame or chanting a mantra (mantra japa) – we can begin to steady the mind and enter a state of pure concentration or Dharana.

For some, a large segment of the 20 minute meditation can be spent in Dharana. One may find at first that only fleeting moments of true meditation or what is known as the 7th limb of yoga (Dhyana) may occur. Dhyana is the uninterrupted flow of concentration. In your mind, imagine small drops of smooth oil dripping individually from a glass container. Drop by drop, the oil of concentration flows, until it begins to flow as an even stream. The even and uninterrupted stream is Dhyana.

It is important to remember that every stage of the process is beneficial to our spirituality. We must not try to rush ourselves to the next limb, rather try to acknowledge our progress and live in the present moment.

When practicing meditation, lets remember the following habits that will enhance our focus:

  1. The Place: Maintain a tidy space that will be your meditation room or corner. I will be delving further into props you may want to include in this space later in this post.
  2. The Time: The most favorable times of day to meditate are dawn and dusk. If you cannot commit to one of these times, commit to a time that does work for you and stay consistent.
  3. The Habit: Consistency is key. Try to meditate at the same time every day.

Now I want to move into a few props that you can include in your practice that will make the practice more enjoyable and possibly even fun!

  1. Meditation Cushion: The practice of yoga began as a way to cultivate deeper breathing. Thus, if you aren’t breathing properly – you are not technically practicing yoga (even if you can twist into a pretzel or perform a serious inversion). For this reason, the beginnings of yoga looked like people sitting cross-legged (Padmasana) and breathing. Sounds like meditation, right? I recommend a cushion for meditating so that you are able to sit comfortably in Padmasana with an elongated spine. Doing this will greatly enhance your ability to breathe properly.
  2. Eye Mask: An eye mask is a fantastic aid in reaching a state of concentration. With the eyesight blocked, we are forced to go within and we cease to be bombarded with external visual stimuli.
  3. Oracle Cards: We can use oracle cards like these: {Goddess Guidance, Sacred Traveler, Tarocchi della Magia Sessuale, Rider-Waite Tarot} to conjure the energy of a specific deity. Pulling a card before meditation can provide an internal focal point. Pulling a card after meditation may provide insight you can take with you and use throughout the day.

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Hyper Focused Intuition

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By Valerie A. Cody

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I have found that the focus of energy is the source of personal power. As humans, we have the capacity to focus our mental energy. We can train our minds. Our thought patterns can either bolster or deter our progress in all areas of life.

Through focused thought, we can engage the power that creates worlds. This is leverage. This is momentum.  This engagement results in a hyper accurate, better executed, easier to produce outcome. 

Notice the two voices that run inside your mind on a daily basis.  (If you’ve never considered this concept, the following may seem odd to you.) The first voice is the one that we interact with all day long. The first voice is the running stream of thoughts in our own minds. We are thinking about plans, observations, the future, the past, other people, etc.

goddess

Now, Voice #2 is only noticeable when you make the effort to quiet Voice #1 by consciously deciding to focus on only the present. It may help to use the sound of your breath as a mental focal point.

Detracting focus from Voice #1 for a long enough to hear Voice #2 is the goal of meditation. This doesn’t take long, it only takes about 17 seconds of absolute focus to quiet Voice #1. The second voice is what you hear asking your thoughts to dissipate. It is the voice that you hear when your streaming thoughts are interrupted with a jolting “Oh yes, I am supposed to be focusing on my breath.”

hp

The second voice is our connection to Source Energy: The voice of intuition.

By the way, how do you know which voice is speaking? Your voice of intuition will be subtle, but it will always make absolute sense. It is typically emotionless (as emotion is usually connected to the ego). This is a voice of clarity, not confusion. Those moments when we know exactly what our next step should be and we cannot wait to take it – these are messages from Source translated by our intuition.

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My Greatest Version

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By Valerie A. Cody

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Dear Readers,

I am going to share with you the habits and lifestyle choices which I found (along my own personal journey) have led to the best version of myself.

Sleeping Regularly and Enough: Ladies and gentlemen, sleep is important. If you desire clear eyes, an agile mind, ambition, creativity, results from workouts, and ENERGY – you must rest. And you must rest at “normal” times. No, falling asleep at 1am and waking at 10am is NOT the same as being early to bed and early to rise. I did learn this the hard way and have no intentions of letting those habits creep back into my life. For my best life, I strive to be in bed by 10pm and awake before 8am.

Ben Franklin

Regular Yoga Sessions: For me, it is 5+ classes per week. This is my sweet spot. If I am doing yoga at this rate, I am likely doing everything else in life better and with more clarity. The practice of yoga can mean different things to different people. For me, that hour and a half during class represents meditation in movement; connecting with my body in a nonjudgmental way. The act of thinking of nothing beyond the asanas and my breath is truly what I strive for.

Positive Thought Patterns:  This year, I realized that the majority of my self-talk was negative. For example, while working out, my mind would race with uncertainty: Am I lifting enough weight? Doing enough reps? Is this going to give me the results I desire? I don’t look fit. This probably isn’t doing anything... Changing this mindset provided enormous relief. The point isn’t to be arrogant. The point is to soften these harmful thought patterns into a place of neutrality, and eventually our thoughts can be a voice of encouragement.

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Quality Over Quantity: I figured out my favorites. Favorite clothing brands and styles, favorite cosmetic brands, handbags, etc. I’ve stopped buying throw-away clothing because, in the moment, it was cute and inexpensive.  Instead, I’ve opted for pieces that may be higher priced, but will last longer and be more flexible within my wardrobe. How do you accomplish this? Try on all of the clothing you own and make three piles: Donate, Sell, and Keep. Learn what cuts/styles look best on your body. Learn what fabrics feel best against your skin. Next, become brand loyal to a handful of skincare/cosmetic lines and invest in your appearance without having an overwhelming amount of products that you never touch.

Reading: As in, actual books (not online articles). I made the promise to myself that I am going to read at least one page before bed.  If I’m tired, I can still convince myself to read only one page. Typically I end up reading about one chapter per night. It is important to me to always be learning, and making sure to read every night helps keep that goal in the forefront.

Meditation: I have two blog posts on this topic here and here. Seventeen minutes per day is what I require. Finding a quiet time of day to light incense or candles and listen to meditative music has become a regularly scheduled date with myself. Quieting our thoughts allows us to move on from momentum that is no longer serving us.

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Super Moon Spa Night

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By Valerie A. Cody

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If you gaze up to the sky tonight you will see something that has not been visible since 1948. Something that will not be seen again until 2034. You will see a super-moon. Super-moons themselves are not all that uncommon; we just had one on October 16, and after the November 14 super-moon, we’ll have another one on December 14.

However, the November 14 Moon becomes full within about 2 hours of perigee, so it’s going to look the biggest it has in nearly seven decades.

I like the way Mind Body Green describes the happenings:

The full moon is a time of positive opportunity if you use it correctly.  It can increase your positive energy or conversely, it can wreak havoc on your emotions. 
 
Since the full moon pours down a tremendous amount of energy, you must be in a calm state of mind to receive a positive effect. Remember that whatever is going on in your body, mind and spirit will be amplified. 
 
If you are angry, you will feel angrier or if you are happy, you will feel happier. During the full moon, the ocean swells and emergency rooms have more patients. The energy is very powerful so it’s important to direct it with positive intention. 
supermoons
 
In order to harness the power of positive energy and to create the calm state of mind referenced above, I’ve put together a list of ways you can enjoy an in-home spa night to celebrate the super moon.
 
1. Have a Bath. Both the moon and water are wrought with feminine energy. A woman’s natural (versus someone on the birth control pill) monthly cycle is 28 days. The moon’s cycle of waxing/waning is also 28 days. The moon is receptive of the sun’s light, which is why we can actually see it. The moon itself does not generate light at all. It only appears to glow due to its reflecting light from the sun. The ocean tides are also directly affected by how close or far the moon is from the Earth. I will be using a classic bubble bar from Lush Cosmetics called “The Comforter.” This one in particular is a favorite of many bloggers, so I picked it up while in Chicago.
 
 
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2. Exfoliate While exfoliating, focus on physically removing negative energies from your being. Focus on watching these negative thoughts swirl around and go down the drain. Any emotional blockages which make it difficult for you to express how you truly feel, negative self-talk which holds you back from evolving into your best version, and especially thoughts of you not being the creator of your own destiny; take back your personal power. I just purchased a new sugar scrub from one of my favorite brands, Tree Hut.
 
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3. Drink Tea Non-caffiniated herbal teas are a lovely way to wind down after a long day. My favorites for this time of year are the spicier, heavier flavors such as chai or ginger.
 
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4. Bentonite Clay Masque In the spirit of removing toxic energies, I could not forget to include the application of this masque. Bentonite clay has a very strong negative electrical charge. Since many toxins have a positive charge, the clay bonds to them. When it comes in contact with a toxin, heavy metal, chemical, or other impurity, the clay will envelop the toxin and release its minerals for the body to use. In addition, Bentonite clay also pulls hydrogen from cells, allowing room for oxygen. This helps with circulation, and overall skin tone and health. I’ve been using Aztec Secret Healing Clay for years now, and it still continues to be a favorite. Following the directions on the container, simply mix with apple cider vinegar until a paste is formed.
 
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