Although it might sound crazy for someone who has talked to angels for over 25 years and channels an energy that has facilitated healings I can hard wrap my mind around, I’ve never been a consistent meditator.
I learned to turn my brain off a long time ago when my first spiritual teacher made me sit for hours – at least four at a time. She told me not to meditate. Not to do anything special, but sit. I could get up to get a glass of water, or use the restroom. That was it.
My mind went nuts as minds are apt to do. After a few hours however, I got bored with my own endless mental loops and started looking around the room. I noticed the furniture that needed polishing, the dustbunnie under the armoire, and then suddenly the way the light filtered in through the window in a glittering pattern on the floor. I noticed the patterns on the leaves of a plant I passed every day, and the smell of last night’s delicious meal lingering in the air.
The more I got present, the more the moment became timeless. And then something magic happened. My mind turned itself off. I simply became the observer. I looked around the room where I lived and worked every day and I saw it, without any words. It suddenly looked indescribably beautiful – dust bunnies and all! We were one. One energy. One love. No separation. I was part of it all. How could I have ever missed this reality beneath reality?
I don’t have time to sit for hours anymore, but I do take time in some fashion to find time for peace. Whether it is five minutes on the patio listening to the birds while I eat breakfast, or an hour meditation before bed, I dive inward. It is the only way I can be there for the hundreds of people that write me every week, for my clients, for the people who follow me on social media, for my family, and for you. Without these “breathers” I could easily get sucked into the sadness, anger, and fear going on around us. Far from removing me from being useful in the world, the time spent in Divine peace, gives me the energy to be more useful.
Most of us were raised in a culture that celebrates doing and devalues “being” and yet in giving myself the gift of being at peace, I share more. In giving myself the gift of silence, I can sort through useless thoughts and discern what to say. In giving myself the gift or Presence in beautiful moments, I can share the timeless sense of goodness with others.
The world wants you to DO first, BE second. God and the angels gently remind us that there is more power in our DOing, when we come from a place of BEing in love and peace.
Here are a few pointers how to embrace the deeper peace this week.
1. Get Present – Quickly!
I know few of us have hours to sit, so try my simple technique for getting present.
Sit anywhere, anytime. Look around you. Challenge yourself to really notice everything. Then see if you can notice something you missed. Look again. You are getting present. Finally look for something beautiful or interesting. Appreciate it. Admire it. Allow yourself to feel grateful for this moment. Then see if you can apply that feeling to all you see. Appreciation without words brings Powerful, Peaceful Presence.
This is one my quick tricks for going within when I still have to function, eyes open, in the external world.
2. Try to focus on what you’re doing… and then recreate it inwardly
This is easiest if you’re doing something you enjoy – baking, exercising, dancing, walking, petting your dog, playing with your child. Try to engage all your senses in the activity. Really look at the situation, things, and people you are with. Really listen. Smell. Feel. If you’re eating, taste. Our senses pull us into the present moment if we allow for them to do so. Really engage in, and savor this beautiful moment.
Later when you’re stressed or having a busy day, or just feeling “off,” sit quietly. Shut your eyes, and see if you can recall this beautiful moment inwardly. Remember the sights, sounds, words, feelings, smells, and possibly tastes. Enjoy a moment of inner blissful energy by remembering a time you felt that way.
3. Sit, Breathe, Receive…
Sit, breathe, and watch your breath. If you need a trick to keep your mind from wandering start with your age and count backwards. Or try to spell your name backwards, till your mind gives up and relaxes. Or see if you can give yourself compliment beginning with each letter of the alphabet… I’m awesome, beautiful, caring, daring, exciting, fun… You get the idea.
Do something with your brain that is focused and yet not the norm. This engages different circuits than the usual ones that trigger the same old thoughts. You’ll be less busy-minded when done with your little exercise and more able to sit and breathe in peace.
Traditional meditation is proven to provide blissful states of peace. These days I am doing it every day and in every spare moment. I’ve never craved it so much. If you can do it, and if you have the time, it is one of the best ways to find this inner peace. If you don’t, however, try some of the quick tricks above.
As Gandhi said, we are all trying to “be the change we wish to see in the world.”
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