I really didn't think I was going to be able to do this video. I tried recording this at night but I had issues trying to record and then uploading them to my computer. So, I just gave up and decided to have Michelle in the video.
To summarize this once again the point of creating a sacred space is that you can tune into the Receptivity of the Subconscious. There you can consciously plant the seeds of your intentions and what you want to manifest into your life. There are a few details that didn't include into the video: The Sacred Space is timeless, you leave technology outside of your sacred space. No cell phones and no clocks. You can set a timer on your phone but don't bring it with you into your sacred space. No outside distractions should be in your sacred space. No 'work' in your sacred space. No balancing the checkbook in the sacred space. This is a place where you cultivate serenity and peace...so these actions don't belong in this space. Also, you can include figurines- if you collect dragons, unicorns or Star Wars action figures- you can put those in your sacred space. The active meditation that you can do with these is cleaning them and arranging them. I have to admit getting this video done and sharing it with all of you was a tough one and I'm exhausted. Tomorrow I have my date day with my husband and my birthday is this coming week so I'm going to head into Birthday Week mode as soon as this YouTube video publishes. I love all of you and I hope you enjoy this video.
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One of my favorite things is to meditate. However, most people try to make this an overly complex method. Instead, meditation is just a way to learn how to direct the mind. We can use it in a very structured way, in a specific place, or we can use it as a way to appreciate every action in which we partake.
What is Meditation? Most people think meditation requires a very particular ritual with very demanding physical constraints that only people dedicated to certain religions like Buddhism can partake. The idea that the average person cannot apply meditation as they go about ordinary every day tasks is false. According to Google the definition of meditation is: "the action or practice of meditating: "a life of meditation" synonyms: contemplation · thought · thinking · musing · pondering · [more a written or spoken discourse expressing considered thoughts on a subject:
Meditation is the art of placing the mind where we want it to go. In Turning the Mind Into An Ally by Sakyong Mipham he calls the mind "wind horse." The untrained mind can gallop off in a million different directions at once. Meditation is the practice of learning how to calm and direct that horse. While the form can be very important there are actually many different ways to meditate. There are some very formal ways, where the posture must be exact, the eyes opened a certain amount, and the focus placed on the breath. Then there is the way of turning ordinary tasks such as a walk into a form of meditation. We can choose to meditate, to place the mind, on a specific subject. Or, we can choose to work on clearing out the mind of unnecessary thoughts. The key component and the importance of learning how to meditate (or to think about for that matter) is to learn how to calm and direct our thoughts. Too often people are the victim of their own wild thoughts. What You Think You Create... ":...when these are thus applied, harmony, peace, and penitence, brotherly love and forgiveness, and fellowship...(and are)...in the activities in the experience of the entity...These are not nearly names- they are not merely conditions to be considered on Sunday or on holidays or certain seasons, but are to be living experiences- in every phase of the entity's experience..." Edgar Cacye Reading 1827-1 "We are what we think. All that arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world." - Buddha "Your vibe attracts your tribe." - Unknown In psychology there is the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy. There have been studies showing that when a person places their mind on certain expectations the mind (the subconscious according to the the theory) will subconsciously do everything in it's power to make that thought a reality. So, if you constantly think you're going to stub your toe on the lip of concrete that separates your patio and garden...you're mind says, "Your wish is my command," and it will create the conditions that will cause you to stub your toe! In the book The Secret this concept was called The Law of Attraction. Here is a brief video on the Law of Attraction (which is basically the same as the Self-Fullfilling Prophecy in Psychology):
​ Cultivating Loving Thoughts
The mind is like a garden. We can choose what we plant in that garden by making a choice regarding what we think about. Not only can we use meditation to direct our thoughts by clearing our mind of thoughts but we can then decide what we want to think about. Love and peacefulness are two of the most powerful subjects on which we can meditate. Love, of course, has many different levels. There is brotherly love, the love of friendship, romantic love, the love between a child and parent...etc. To quote 1 Corinthians 13:4: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." When we learn how to direct our thoughts to what we want the most powerful focus is on love. One of the major steps is learning how to love ourselves, not in an egotistical vain way, but to accept each part of our own thoughts, are history no matter how complicated or what dark road we have traveled. One of the ways we can undergo this metamorphosis is by using meditation or directing our thoughts on love. Making a Sacred Space A sacred space is not absolutely necessary to meditate but it really does help cultivate the loving peaceful feeling that meditation should invoke. This is a place that purely reflects you and makes you happy. I recently wrote a blog on this but I'll give a brief description here. A sacred place is a location in your home that is set aside just for the purpose of nourishing yourself. The importance of having a specific place dedicated to the Sacred Space is to make it a sanctuary from the ordinary world with all of it's demands. A simple shrine, such as Hindu or Catholic religions use will be fine. Otherwise, a small area with items that invoke peace, happiness and love are important. Entering and exiting the sacred space can be performed in a ritual form or just a prayer. The most important distinction is that the sacred place is reflective of calm, peaceful and loving thoughts. Clearing The Mind One of the most important methods in Meditation is to clear the mind of thoughts. I find the mind is a bit like a basket. Sometimes, we put so much information into our basket that it becomes overwhelming. Then we have so many errant thoughts and things that we are thinking about we become overwhelmed. Sitting down to meditate and really take the time to cleanse our mind is important. Especially during stressful times when we don't tend to take time and step away from our fast paced and often emotional lives. When we take out times to sit by ourselves, whether it's in the bath tub or in our sacred space, we nourish our own spirit. The method I used to clear my mind of thoughts is one that Sakyong Mipham describes in his book Turning the Mind Into An Ally. Here is the method although a little modified: Sitting with your legs crossed (indian style) with elbows resting and the back straight. Focus on your breath. Whenever a thought enters your mind label it as a thought. There is no reason to indulge or dwell on the thought. Instead you release it. I like to imagine that it turns into a bird that I mentally release that flows out over the ocean. Then return your thoughts to the breath. This helps to clear out all of those racing and unwanted thoughts. Often we carry around in our head several lists of to dos. When our list of things to do or tasks to remember become too large the brain can start to feel like a swimmer drowning in a lake of reminders. I performed this meditation for about two years every day for fifteen minutes. I return to it when I start to feel overwhelmed in daily life. I find that I'm able to approach ideas and problems with a fresh mindset after performing this meditation. Every Day Tasks In every day tasks we can cultivate loving thoughts. We can do this when we cook dinner. Instead of doing the hurried method of throwing a pre-made meal in the microwave we can teach ourselves hot to cook. Each step of the process from cutting up the vegetables and the meat to cooking the meal on our stove can be an act of love and appreciation. We can have appreciation for the entire process that went into making our favorite meal. We can do this when cleaning up the house. By appreciating every object, and every item that we clean. We can choose to say a little prayer of thankfulness to Spirit for the abundance in our own life. We can also do this when going for a walk. Select an inspirational quote then go on a walk where you contemplate that quote. Enjoy the sun on your face, the smell of the grass, and focus on the actual sensation as you walk and contemplate this quote. By the end of the walk you're almost guaranteed to feel refreshed. By under taking these acts with an appreciation of the abundance we receive every day we can start to direct our mind to more peaceful loving thoughts. By focusing on what we have and being thankful we attract even more abundance into our lives. Conclusion There is no right or wrong way to meditate. We meditate every time we place our mind on a particular thought or feeling. Often we do t his unconsciously and trigger self-fulfilling prophecies unknowingly. However, with the power of directed meditation as an aide we can start directing our mind to thankfulness and cultivate love in the garden of our mind. We can also use our mind to perform an inner healing. I have even included in my "Sacred Space" blog how to perform a Crystal Cleansing Meditation. With this tool we can start to attract to us the experiences we really want in our lives and the people that will benefit us the most. Life is a little like the movie the Matrix, but it is a Matrix of Love and Emotion that really connects all of us within creation (not a heartless computer). When we cultivate love, peacefulness, and kindness by placing our mind on these powerful positive lives we fill a deep spiritual well within ourselves. As that well grows it becomes easier to share that "water of life" with others by reaching out to them. Those with empty wells will hurry by a stranger without even noticing them and creates a world of isolated people fearfully trying to avoid their next encounter. When the well is full we are faster to say, "Hello," to a stranger with a smile which can change their entire day. We are more likely to lend an ear to a person that needs someone to listen. We are more likely to lend a hand when someone says they need help. This is why consciously learning how to clear our thoughts, direct our mind and focus our thoughts on cultivating love can be so valuable. I want to leave the deep subject of prophecies for a little while. I noticed my own energy becoming weighed down by the subject and there are a few avenues of interest I want to pursue before I add to that labyrinthine pathway.
So, let's switch to a lighter subject that I will call "Best Living Practices." These are habits and little things I've learned over the years that really help me cope with stressful times. As life is so fast paced and constant in the United States it's healthy to take time to slow down and smell the roses. I am as guilty as anyone else of becoming over-whelmed. With the death of my daughter two years ago (2014) my energy has been a little off and it's been harder for me to stay in tune with my inner peacefullness. I have been working on cultivating mental clarity and spirtual focus for over twenty years but I have, in no way, perfected the process. I keep finding new baubles to explore but this is one of the methods I use to help keep me grounded. I have found that creating an outer space of calm helps when navigating my own inner landscape. A Sacred Space One of my favorite concepts is that of a sacred space. This idea does not belong to any religion but has a universal origin. I feel that it represents more of a psychological construct that our ancient ancestors knew they needed but in our current lifestyle few mention. This is something all of us need to cultivate intentionally. This is not magical in nature. This is more about creating a personal place for cleansing oneself mentally, psychologically and emotionally from worldly concerns. This also helps with grounding and sorting through emotions. What is a Sacred Space? Most spiritual practices involve a spiritual shrine and in some that shrine is portable. The Buddhist Stupa is one such personal sacred place. In the Native American culture it can take the form of a Medicine Wheel (Dancing with the Wheel by Sun Bear, Wabun Wind and Crysalis Mulligan is an excellent book on this topic). This space is where people go to say their prayers and set intentions. Church's, at one time, acted as a sort of sacred space. However, with time they have become more of a place to gather and interact with others instead of a refuge where a person can experience the divine essence or cultivate mental clarity. A sacred place should invoke tranquility, peace, love and calmness. This is a safe space where one can meditate (I will cover that in my next post), set intentions and decompress from worldly worries. This a place that the stresses of the outside world cannot touch. Now, the outdoors can work as an Sacred Space. Finding a place where you feel a very strong connection with nature can be potent. This can help a person to cleanse themselves of the worldly worries that tend to collect and be stored in the mind. However, I believe that in our modern times, when we are buried in concrete, and it is so hard to go out and be in touch with nature that it's important to have a sacred space in one's home. Also, when a sacred space is created it is marks a spot where negative influences cannot enter. Only positive energy is represented creating a buffer between worldly worries and the inner self. This is a form of positive refuge. Making a Sacred Space Each person's sacred space should be unique to them. This is a place that reflects who you are as a person and objects that resonate with you on an inner level. Certain colors and objects can be very helpful in this process. A Feng Shui expert can help with the creation of a very potent sacred space. However, I created my own with no outside assistance. To serve as an example I will describe how I created my own sacred space. Any room can be used as a sacred space. However, it's important to keep it separate from an area that you regularly use. The sacred space can be an area in your bedroom, however, it should have it's own special quality that sets it apart in some way. Also, it should not be a part of the room that you use regularly, such as your bed, but a little area off to the side that you only use to decompress from worldly worries and connect with your inner self (or Higher Self, Great Spirit or Super Conscious, to use synonyms in other practices for the same concept). My sacred space is my office. In it I have all of the objects I cherish the most. The room is field with butterflies, which are a part of my animal totem as well as pictures of whales. I also have pictures of Yosemite to help me connect with nature. Along with that I have little knick knacks of faeries (which have always played a key role in my life), my favorite books, pieces of artwork I have created (drawings and ceramics) and my rock collection. I also have my favorite incense (Dragons Blood but only the type from India because the incense in the United States contains chemicals that I'm allergic to) and an incense burner. I buy my incense at places like the Healing Shop in Upland or the Learning Light center in Anaheim. All of these objects serve as a mirror for inner reflection. They are objects that I have significantly imprinted on since I was a child or as an adult. Being surrounded by them I feel at home. Uses For The Sacred Space As I've said there are several ways one can use the sacred space. Meditation- In my sacred space I usually perform a certain type of meditation called Crystal Healing. I developed this on my own without any outside influence. This is just the method that works for me. I will take a particular rock, gem or crystal who's energy I feel is appropriate. I usually select it by instinct. I've discovered the stone I select usually reflects my current mental state (the book The Essential Guide To Crystals, Minerals and Stones by Margaret Ann Lembo is very helpful). I usually lie down with the crystal over my third eye chakra at the center of my forehead (I will go into Chakra's later). I then take ten to fifteen minutes where I focus my attention on the feeling of the crystal/rock/gem upon my forehead. Each one seems to have a very different feeling that I then focus all of my attention on. When intrusive thoughts come in I label them as a thought, and let them go instead of dwelling on them. Instead, I focus intently on the rock, gem or crystal I have chosen. Sometimes, I do fall asleep while doing this but I always get up feeling refreshed. I usually need only about fifteen minutes for this practice so it's a quick and easy way to meditate. A timer can be used if necessary but I find it is often intrusive. This does not need to be practiced daily (although, it can be) but it is a great way when feeling low on energy to cleanse oneself. Set Intentions- I do this in two ways. Inspirational Journal I have an inspirational journal that I keep in my scared space. I put inspirational quotes and affirmations in this journal. When I'm feeling down it's nice to go back and read the quotes and ideas that I have previously put in there. Facebook is a great source of inspirational quotes. This helps me solidify my positive intent while in my sacred space. (Placing negative thoughts in a journal only amplifies that negativity producing a chain reaction that only brings further negativity and pain into a persons life- that which we focus on is what we create). Praying I keep tea lights candles in my sacred space for the purpose of prayer. I light the candle with the intention of serving as a focus when I'm praying for a specific situation or person that I'm worried about. I set the intention that the candle serves as a focus for the problem or worry that has been plaguing me and I request the aide of the Great Spirit/God with the problem. Some people would call upon specific Angels and there is no problem with that either. When the light finally goes out I let go of the worry knowing that it is safely in the hands of a Higher Power. This can be a very cleansing little ritual. Writing/Puzzles/Coloring/Drawing: Each of these can act as a sacred act of cleansing. The cleansing affect of these forms of meditation can be amplified in your sacred space. All of these are a form of meditation. This allows you to direct and pour out the energy that the mind is holding onto into a positive format. Writing/puzzles/coloring/drawing helps focus the mind and gives us a sense of accomplishment when we are done. At the end of the day, we are all little mini-creators in the image of God (our soul) and completing a process really helps us to fulfill that need to create and gives us a sense of accomplishment. Each of these can serve as a way to focus the mind allowing room for insight and inspiration to arise regarding our life path, We can sort through certain images, insights and thoughts as we complete our act of creation. Further, upon completion of that act we can often see a reflection of our current state of being. Playing an Instrument/Exercise: Each of these are an important form of meditation as well. Although, in neither of these do we create anything. Specifically it helps focus our mind and burn off excess energy. Performing this act in a sacred space can help us feel more secure and it can act as a form of self-nurturing (which is preferable to self-medicating). Of course, the key here is to keep it light hearted and playful. If we make 'work' out of any task it will not have a positive affect so be careful what type of energy you bring into your sacred space. Removing Clutter There are times when I can't seem to focus enough to meditate, set intentions, pray or create anything. When those times occur I've found that a little cleaning of my sacred space really helps. I know when clutter gathers in certain places it seems to amplify the clutter in my own mind. By cleaning up and organizing this clutter I find that it can be a very cleansing experience and also burns up excess mental energy. Not only do I have a sense of accomplishment after removing the clutter but I also have a more efficient little space. (I must give credit to Doreen Virtues Book Assertiveness for Earth Angels for this bit of wisdom). Clearing Your Sacred Space Whenever we enter our sacred space with the intention of healing and cleansing it is important to clear the space afterward. One can use spray deodorizer, incense, burn a tea light candle or burn Sage to do this. Either way, we are shutting down and preserving the peaceful energy for later use. The intention must be to cleanse the space of any negative influence. The act itself is not important but the intention behind it is important. This helps the space return to a peaceful refuge apart from the ordinary world. I have often found that it is the intention behind the act, not the act itself that really helps the mind. This resets the space so the next time you enter it is fresh and clean. Respect for The Sacred Space I find that it is also necessary to have clear communications with others regarding our sacred space. When another person enters our sacred space it should be done with all consideration and respect. Each person should be able to enter their sacred space and be allowed an allotted amount of time without interference from others. Forming boundaries with others regarding our sacred space is important. C Conclusion I hope that the subject of making a sacred space for yourself helps you in your own life journey. An alternative name for it could be "My Happy Place" and an synonym for Meditation could be, "Me Time." This is the place where the burden of the outside world can be laid down and left alone for awhile. We can tap back into our inner child and enjoy ourselves fully. You can create it in your back yard with the help of a few lawn ornaments or within your house. Whatever place you feel most comfortable and most in tune with nature. The sacred space is a place for no more than reflection and contemplation. This is a place where can take our cares and worries and purify or heal them as we instinctively feel necessary. In this process we will find that our psyche tends to blossom. This sacred space can also amplify our positive emotions and help us let go of negative influences. That which we focus on becomes our reality through the psychological act of self-fulfilling prophecy. Learning to tap into the sacred space in our minds allows us to be well balanced people when we are surrounded by the rapidly changing influences of the outer world. Eventually, when practiced enough we can create a sacred space or moment wherever we go. This can be invoked with a Medicien bag (a bag in which certain sacred objects are placed) to allow us to tap into our sacred space on the go or a worry rock (which can be a rock, gem or crystal depending on our own instincts). Then we can really reap the "fruit" that we have planted as seeds in our sacred space. Eventually, we can apply what we've learned about focusing our mind so that in times of crisis or need we can go 'into the zone' of peacefulness. On A Side Note I must add that reading a good book or playing a video game or watching television can act as a sort of sacred space. However, the downside is that it can fill the mind with a million thoughts that have no place to go and eventually you will need to purge the information or become overwhelmed. I will go into the importance of meditation and how we can apply it in a myriad of ways in our personal life in my next blog which I've already written. I just discovered that I needed to describe and explain what a Sacred Space is before I could really get into the heart of a meditative practice. |
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Thank You For Visiting
Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
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