It has been three months since I’ve been “on ice.” For those of you who have traveled with me since early this year you know that in January I stumbled on the Wim Hof Method, a technique involving intense breathing, mindset, and cold exposure that strengthens the body, mind, and soul, and resets the mind to a more positive and joyful state.
I loved the ice baths and was doing them faithfully until August when I dove deep for some intense growth. Then came September and October with their equally intense schedules. I continued my cool showers but I missed the deeper dives. I know that sounds crazy. I used to be terrified of cold water. Now I love what it does for me.
This week, at long last, I went back to a local center that offers ice baths, infrared saunas, and other healthy therapies. I was a little anxious about getting back in the cold. Would I freeze? Would my mind be strong enough? I decided it would be. I changed into my swimsuit, slipped into the cold water, shut my eyes, and started to breathe slowly and deeply, slower out than in… and then the magic happened.
I warmed up inside. I went into a deep state of surrender and blissful expansion. I could feel the cold on my skin. I could hear my breathing. My consciousness went inward and then exploded outward into the nothingness that contains everything. Three minutes went by in a heart beat. I felt amazing. For many folks that visit the center, this is an every day event.
The angels have worked with me over the years to pull my monkey mind into the Present moment, to be with life as it is, and to surrender my desire to control the external world when I cannot. The ice water is a tool that forces me to relax, release, and surrender control even more deeply. When I do, it is a deep and powerful meditation. When I don’t, I freeze! Our biology knows what to do. Life knows what to do. God knows what to do. I can’t always control the external world, but I can always work to keep mastering my inner one. Practicing in the ice has helped me develop an even more solid ability to focus when I need to create something in my life.
When I want something in my external world, I dive inward. I imagine it, or I ask my soul how it would feel. I focus on the feeling until – in my inner world – I am already in my dream, my future, my desired life. Last week I imagined a new gold pair of sandals. I got the urge to go to the local thrift store and there was my brand new pair, in my size, for $3.99. Years ago I imagined a life where I’d wake up happy, go to bed grateful and make a living helping people. I didn’t even know what it would look like. I just imagined how that might feel walking up and drifting off to sleep in that type of life. I am living that reality today.
Diving deep into your inner world is eminently practical.
Here are some pointers to help you create worlds within that will eventually be mirrored in your external world as well…
1. Ask yourself, “What would it feel like to have my dream life?
Your soul will answer with a feeling. Feel your way into that future, in your inner world. You don’t even have to know what it looks like. Just ask what it feels like.
2. Luxuriate in your inner world
Allow yourself to go within and enjoy your inner creations. Luxuriate in your imagined worlds. Allow yourself to feel the joy now. Don’t wait until you get what you want in your external world, to feel what you want in your internal world. Enjoy that health, wealth, love, or expansion inwardly, right here, right now. Don’t let the outer world get you down. Your inner world will become your outer. Enjoy it now.
3. Dedicate a few minutes each day for conscious dreaming
I use the ten minutes between my wakeup alarm and snooze alarm to create inwardly. I focus on feeling amazing and happy at the end of the day, having had a day that flows withe grace, love, and ease. I imagine feeling wonderful. I imagine my future dream life. And then I let go and go about my day. You set the universe in motion with a single desire as you play within your inner world. Do this regularly and you’ll end up getting all you want in the right time, and in the perfect way.
While we’re trained to handle things first in our outer world, the paradigm shift to creating inwardly is a new habit that we can develop… and as we do so, the outer world is – suddenly – within our soul’s control.
Thank you so much for your inspiring messages.
Bless you Nadia! Happy holidays!