MIND TOOLS
by Walter Last
Our thoughts,
feelings, attitudes, beliefs and emotions form the fabric of our inner world.
They are the main factors that determine whether we are healthy or unhealthy,
happy or unhappy. They have a direct influence on our body by changing or
maintaining our inner blueprint and by directing, blocking or enhancing energy
flows and glandular activities. They also act in an indirect way by determining
which foods we eat, which environmental factors we choose, which kind of
knowledge we acquire and how we use it.
The necessary steps
in this direction are as follows.
1.
Examine your present condition on all levels;
make a list of what you do not like and another one of how you would like to be
instead.
2.
Acknowledge and release emotional blocks and
past negative or unwanted conditioning. This may well be the most difficult
step in your improvement program because most of these problems exist on the
subconscious level.
3.
Use mind-control methods to reprogram your
subconscious mind; participate in workshops.
4.
Adopt a holistic or spiritual philosophy of
life.
There are some
techniques that might be used specifically for either step 2 or step 3 of this
program, while others may be used in varied form for both steps.
RELAXATION
Deep relaxation is a
precondition for being successful with most autosuggestion methods as well as
with meditation and all other methods to contact the inner self. You may
experiment with the methods listed below and see which one works best for you.
1.
Sit or lie comfortably and close your eyes.
Focus your attention for 10 to 20 seconds on your right foot. Feel it becoming
warm and heavy. Then move to the left foot, the right calf, the left calf, and
so on, moving upwards to the head. Include the chin, the jaw, eyes, the back
and top of the head. When using this method regularly, the focusing time on
each area can be gradually shortened more and more, and related areas, such as
a whole leg or a whole arm, can be relaxed at once.
2.
Imagine yourself being in a red-colored room
on an upper level of a high-rise building. After a while walk to an elevator
and feel yourself going down and down until you reach an orange room; then go
further down to a yellow room, a green one, then blue, indigo and finally
violet.
3.
Imagine yourself walking down a bush path to
the bottom of a waterfall; feel the peace.
4.
With each slow exhalation feel yourself
drifting lower and lower in a long tunnel, or imagine yourself diving towards
the bottom of the sea.
5.
Slowly count backward from 50 to one. With
each count imagine yourself sinking deeper and deeper.
6.
An easy method is slow, rhythmical breathing.
Inhale for a count of eight, hold for two, exhale for eight, hold for two, and
so forth. Focus your attention on your breath, how it quietly flows in and out.
You may also focus on your slow inhalations and exhalations without paying
attention to the timing.
You may combine
several of these methods in one exercise to achieve deeper levels of relaxation.
Autogenic Training
This is the most
thorough body and mind relaxation technique, developed by J.H. Schultz. It
requires diligent practice for several weeks or even months to master the
technique, but it is worth the effort, especially for those who are tense or
who have difficulties in contacting their body.
Lie
comfortably on your back, arms loosely alongside the body, palms down, or hands
folded over the abdomen. Close your eyes and breathe slowly into the abdomen
for a few minutes. At the same time focus your mind on the formula: "I
am peaceful".
For the next step add
the focus: "My right arm is streaming warm". After you can
easily feel the warmth in the arm, include also the other arm, the legs and the
torso. The warmth does not need to be taken back at the end of a session, only
the heaviness.
Now you can move to
the next step. Support your right elbow with a pillow so that your right hand
lies over your heart. Feel it beating and hold the mental focus: "My
heart is peaceful and strong". When you
can experience your heart, you may later keep the right arm in the usual
position.
During further
practice, add the focus: "It breathes me". Feel the breath
flowing in and out without mental control. After a week or two include the
solar plexus (inside the upper abdomen):"My solar plexus radiates
warmth" or "My solar plexus is streaming warm".
Each time go first
through all the previous steps, such as heaviness, warmth, peaceful heart, and
the focus on the next step you want to learn. Practice each new step for one or
two weeks. After several months it will be easy to relax the body completely
within a very short time. Body and mind will be still and peaceful, with the
body feeling warm and heavy and the head cool and light. You may be in an
altered state of consciousness but should be inwardly alert and definitely not
drowsy. This is an excellent preparation to follow up with any of the autosuggestion
methods and other forms of communication with the inner self.
REMEMBERING
Regression
A special technique
of re-enactment that can be employed professionally, in a group situation, with
a partner or friend, is regression therapy. In regression you go backwards in
time until you remember an emotionally charged incident. Professionally,
regression may be induced by hypnosis, but it also works well with
self-hypnosis or simply suggestions given by a friend. However, the person
leading the regression should have some experience or good common sense in
guiding emotionally distressed individuals.
Lie down comfortably
on your back, close your eyes and relax in response to your own relaxation
exercise or to given suggestions. Now your helper asks you to remember a recent
emotional incident and to talk about it. Skillfully he or she will encourage
you to go deeper and deeper into your feelings in that situation, while all the
time keeping verbal contact. Then the helper will suggest that you slide back
in your memory until you encounter a similar situation or feeling.
You may also be asked
how old you are in the remembered situation, who is present and what is
happening. The questions should be formulated in the present tense. When you
stop talking or reacting for a while, your helper will gently lead you back
into your feelings.
Another starting
point for a regression is to find an unusual phrase that you sometimes use or
one that expresses an inappropriate belief about yourself, preferably in
connection with an emotional problem. You may sometimes say or think: 'I am too
old (or too ugly or too shy) to find a suitable lover' or 'I am afraid of
crowds (cancer, confined spaces etc.)'. Then, after relaxation, you repeat this
phrase audibly over and over again until a vision or memory develops which you
relate to your helper. Prompting questions will be used, as with the other
regression method, to lead you deeper into your emotions.
Still another method,
which is my favorite, goes as follows. We assume that this time you are the
helper or therapist to regress a friend or patient. Have the friend lie relaxed
on the back while you give instructions in a soothing voice. The initial aim is
to induce as deep a relaxation as possible.
Then you may suggest:
'Now you feel very light and begin to float upwards. You rise higher and higher
into the blue sky'. After reinforcing this suggestion for a while, it may be
suggested: 'You look down but cannot see the earth because of a dense cloud
cover. You continue to fly over the clouds to look for a place and a time that
hold an important clue for understanding your present condition. When you have
found this spot, dive through the clouds and descend to earth. After landing
look around and tell me what you see or hear or feel.'
After each suggestion
make a suitable pause.
A patient with cancer
of the mouth and throat, for instance, related to me that he had landed on a
beach. Some distance away he saw a group of people amicably gathered at another
beach. I asked him to join the group to see what was going on but he found it
impossible to approach them. He then realized that he had felt as an outsider
all his life.
Another patient
related a true incident. He saw himself as a young man in a fishing boat with
friends. They were drinking moderately. While all the others had just fun, this
patient became rather ill and had to vomit. He said that this happened usually
when he drank alcohol. This shows that he had inherited a weak liver, which he
damaged still further by trying to keep up with his mates.
In still another
regression, a lady in her eighties recalled that as a baby she was nearly
suffocated by a cat lying across her face. All of her life she had been afraid
of cats, even if thy just appeared on television.
After I suggested that she imagine the baby jerk her body and throw off the
cat, she immediately lost her fear of cats.
Most common is the
experience of a violent death as a cause of serious present problems. Someone
with Parkinson-s disease was so afraid of fire, that she became rigid just
watching a fire in a movie. In a regression she relived the experience of being
burned as a witch at a stake. After suggesting that she can burst her ropes and
run away, she was much improved. However, after some weeks she started smelling
smoke when there was none. Another regression saw her being burned to death in
the 'great fire of
Instead of inducing
the regression as indicated here, you may find other suitable methods and
invent your own. To end a regression, give some positive suggestions for coming
back into the here and now. If memories become too disturbing and emotional,
the session may also be ended with positive suggestions and repeated another
time.
Repeated regressions may probe more deeply
into subconscious problems or explore different situations. If a strong
negative experience arises, always ask the friend or patient to reinvent that
experience with a happy or emotionally satisfying ending. One can also continue
to work on unearthed problem areas with affirmations and guided imagery. As
with all of these methods, it is good to start with a prayer or affirmation,
stating your goal for the session and ask your Higher Guidance for protection
and your Inner Self for cooperation.
Rebirthing
Rebirthing is one of
the methods that may be used to release emotional traumas that have accumulated
since conception. Preferably have one or more initial sessions with a
professional rebirther or with a rebirthing group.
Find a helper with whom you feel emotionally secure and who has some experience
or a good measure of common sense in emotional guidance.
Lie down on your back
without restricting clothing under a light cover. The helper may initially sit
at the head end and lightly hold your head for reassurance. Breathe deeply, in
a fast, regular rhythm, without a pause between inhalation and exhalation. The
helper watches that the lower as well as the upper rib cage moves strongly.
During inhalation press shoulders and buttocks into the mattress, while during
exhalation, let both relax. Breathe through the mouth and with an open throat
to make a sound during exhalation and preferably also during inhalation.
Let go of any emotion
that arises, with the helper assisting by pressing, stroking, cuddling and
giving verbal encouragement to bring them out. If no feelings well up, then try
to remember an incident when you where irritated, angry, fearful, worried or
resentful and deepen that feeling. After first working on more recent problems,
try to relive your birth experience and rectify any emotional upheavals
associated with it. A surprising number of people can actually come to remember
their own birth in amazing detail.
Preferably use powerful, stirring music with a
strong, regular beat during the first part of the session, becoming quieter
towards the end and finishing with harmonious, uplifting qualities. Let your
feelings follow the music. The session may last for one to two hours.
REPROGRAMMING
Autosuggestion is one
of the most effective tools for changing our belief systems, and reprogram our
body and mind. It can be practiced in various forms. At the level of normal consciousness
we can use affirmations. More effective are suggestions given in an altered
state of consciousness and then we call it self-hypnosis. We may also use
suggestions during sleep. Finally, suggestions may be given in the form of
inner pictures and even motion pictures and then we call it visualization,
guided imagery or reverie.
Reprogramming is much
more effective if we have a strong positive feeling or emotional outpouring at
the same time.
Emotional Freedom
Technique
The EFT technique,
mainly developed by Gary Craig, is very effective to overcome negative emotions
and disturbing memories and their harmful effects on body and mind. You may be
able to eliminate most of these disturbing problems within minutes yourself. I
know that sounds unbelievable. Such claims are usually only made by people who
want to sell you something.
The basic principle
of this method is to combine consciousness with energy flows. The fundamental
discovery of this therapy is stated as: "The cause of all negative
emotions is a disruption of the body’s energy system." It is claimed that
single aspect problems, such as fear of public speaking, of heights, of snakes
or spiders, can often be overcome within minutes. Also many physical problems
seem to yield to the same formula. This is not entirely surprising as most
physical problems have an emotional component. However, in addition we can
expect a direct beneficial effect on the physical body by balancing the energy
system, especially if this is combined with conscious awareness.
You may select a
health problem or a memory that still evokes a negative emotion when you think
of it or feel into it. Gary Craig used the following formula: "Even though
I have this ___________, I deeply and completely love and accept myself."
For instance, if you have been negatively affected by the diagnosis of cancer,
then you may say: "Even though I have this fear of cancer, I deeply and
completely love and accept myself." You may also try variations such as:
“Despite my fear of cancer, I fully expect to overcome it.” Therefore, you
first state the problem that you want to overcome and then your expected goal
or solution.
However, the more
specific you can be in selecting this statement, the more effective it will be.
Your fear of cancer may be a composite of multiple aspects, such as the fear of
dying, a fear of pain or suffering, a fear of having to leave your family
behind, perhaps just fear of the unknown, the emotional impact of the original diagnosis,
apprehension of financial hardship, of becoming incapacitated and a burden on
your family and many others. You need to address each of these different
aspects separately and say, for instance, "In spite of my fear of dying
..." or "Although I am shocked by my cancer diagnosis ..."
In order to make the
selected affirmation effective, you tap on selected acupuncture points. This
temporarily normalizes the energy flow of the tapped meridian. Each time, while
saying your affirmation you tap each selected point about 7 times. Do this
firmly with the tips of the index and middle fingers of either hand on one side
of the body or better still, use all slightly curled fingers on both sides of
the body. These meridian points are:
1.
At the top of the head
2.
At the inner end of each eyebrow
3.
On the bony ridge at the outside of the eyes
4.
On the bone under the eyes
5.
Between the bottom of the nose and the top of
the upper lip
6.
Midway between the point of the chin and the
lower lip
7.
Where the breastbone, collarbone and first
rib meet
8.
On the side of the body level with the nipple
of a men or the bra strap
9.
On the inside of each wrist.
At the beginning of
the procedure and again after a series of tapping assess the emotional
intensity of the stressful memory or fear by imagining the corresponding
situation. Assign to it a number from 0 to 10 whereby you do not feel any
emotional content at 0 but it is overwhelming at 10. If the intensity has
lessened but not returned to 0, repeat it with an adjusted affirmation. Now you
may say, for instance: "Although I still have some of this fear of cancer,
I deeply and completely love and accept myself." Later you may adjust this
still further and say: "Even though
I still have some of this remaining fear of cancer …."
If your negative
memory is not easily put into words, then you may just imagine a movie scene
lasting for several seconds and repeat this when tapping each point. This may
be suitable in abuse situation with many different aspects to address. In
addition to performing the tapping on yourself, you may also work on a friend
or relative. If you do not get results, then you may need to re-formulate your
affirmation to address a different aspect of the problem, or make your
affirmation more specific.
With some problems,
especially of a physical nature, it may help to repeat the procedure many times
during the day for an extended period. To overcome a strong addiction, such as
for drugs or smoking, it may need to be repeated every half waking hour for
several days.
Some individuals may
also be blocked by what has been called "Energy Toxins". These may be
due to electromagnetic pollution, chemical sensitivity, food allergy and
especially medical drugs. If no progress can be made with different
affirmations, then try to perform it in a different and preferably unpolluted
place. If this does not help, clean yourself thoroughly in a bath or shower but
without any soap and then test before putting any cloths on. Stand on a tiled
or hardwood floor instead of a carpet. If that does not help either you may
need to go on an elimination diet as described elsewhere.
The most common
energy toxins are often the foods that we love most, in addition to perfume,
herbs and spices, wheat, corn, sugar, coffee, tea, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine
and dairy products. You may also try muscle testing to find the source of your
problem.
While you may
experiment with these instructions and already achieve good results, I suggest
that you visit Gary Craig’s website www.emofree.com.
From here you can get a lot of useful information, plenty of case histories, a
free instruction manual and much more. Also Dr Mercola
has a good EFT protocol for beginners on http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse.htm.
As an extension of
this method, I suggest that after freeing yourself of negative memories, you
may also experiment with positive affirmations, especially for improving body
conditions. While you may start out formulating your phrase as given above and
say: "Even though I still have some remaining weakness in my immune system,
I deeply and completely love and accept myself", you may eventually
rephrase it to: "Every day in every way my immune system is stronger and
stronger". In the same way you may augment any other positive
affirmations.
Affirmations
Look through your list
of beliefs that you want to change and select one or two that have the most
immediate importance. Often this will be a health problem or an
emotional difficulty. Then work out a short statement to describe your goal.
While making each
statement, try to feel it at the same time; in our example feel your breath
flowing freely.
Another good general
affirmation was used extensively by Emile Coue, the originator of
autosuggestion therapy: "With every day in every way I am better and
better." Note the rhythm and poetic sound of this suggestion. In this
way the right half of our brain, which requires artistic stimulation, can
accept a verbal suggestion which it otherwise might ignore. The right brain is
intimately linked to our subconscious mind.
Making the message
acceptable to the right brain is the key to success reprogramming. I also like
to say: "My days are filled with love and joy." You may say
this right after the Coue affirmation, feel the joy and love while you say it.
Affirmations are
statements of goals or intentions that you imprint on the mental level with the
aim of getting them accepted by the inner self. When this is achieved, when the
Inner self believes your statement, it is as good as done. As with prayer, the
key to success is your faith that your request has already been granted at the
spiritual level and just takes some time to become manifest in your existence.
Self-Hypnosis
Instead of clothing a
suggestion in an artistic dress in order to make it acceptable to the right
side of the brain, we may achieve a similar result by switching off the
analytical left side of our brain.
In addition it is
recommended that you mentally wander through your body and give a positive
suggestion to each organ and system. At the same time, try to feel a
strengthening flow of energy into each part.
Mention also the
blood circulation, the immune system, reproductive system and the lymph
circulation.
Before opening the
eyes after awakening or when finishing your meditation or a relaxation
exercise, give yourself a positive suggestion. You may say: "When I
count to five my eyes will open and I feel refreshed, energized and
joyful." Then count slowly and try to feel the sensation of being
refreshed, energetic and joyful. In addition, give yourself helpful suggestions
for a restful sleep or for solving specific problems just before falling asleep.
Children, and even
adults with their consent, may be given helpful suggestions during their sleep.
Start by telling them to continue sleeping, that all is well and that you love
them. Then repeat the special message about ten times in very simple words.
With children this frequently may involve bedwetting, behavioral problems or
school activity. For yourself you may also use tape-recorded messages that
automatically switch on and off.
Guided Imagery
For many problems
guided imager is the most powerful autosuggestion
method. Visualisation or mental imagery is an effective
form of guided imagery. After entering a state of deep relaxation, visualize
your goal or the desired solution to your problem, hold the picture in a vivid
form for as long as possible. Try to feel it at the same time. Visualising a solution is like providing a mould or shape
while feeling supplies the necessary energy to manifest the imagined condition.
Alternatively, you
may produce a mental movie, also called guided reverie. Even if not producing a
moving scene, visualization is usually more effective if you do not try to hold
on to a still picture, but rather make it in some way dynamic as with changes
or fluctuations in color, size, intensity of feeling or by breathing into it.
Picture various scenes eventually leading to the desired solution. See yourself
as you would like to be, with natural hair color, smooth skin, ideal weight,
joyfully dancing, overflowing with energy while running up a hill, and so forth.
Try to visualize your
health problem. For instance, if there is a tumor inside your body, visualize
it as a black or gray mass. Then do breathing exercises: with each inhalation
see your body being flooded with a golden-yellow energy. See how this energy
gradually dissolves and washes away the dark tumor mass. With each breath it
becomes somewhat smaller. The dissolved mass is then expelled with the outgoing
breath.
As an additional
exercise, see your immune cells charging into the growth and destroying the
cancer cells. Invent a picture with a strong emotional impact. You may, for
instance, see your immune cells as white mice nibbling away at a cheese, which
represents the tumor, or you may see them as star-war spaceships shooting down
ugly enemy space ships, which symbolize individual cancer cells.
For different
conditions invent your own visualizations. For cataracts, for instance, see a
gray film over your eyes slowly disappearing. If there is a severe pain, see it
as a fireball that is gradually extinguished by a flood of deep blue,
water-like energy, drawn in with the breath. For a paralyzed body part see an
orange or fiery red stream of energy enter the limb with each breath, causing
it to become more and more hot, tingling and gently moving with each renewed
burst of energy.
The following
exercise may show you the power of imagination. Sit relaxed, turn your head
without moving the shoulders as far as possible to each side and note how far
you can see the wall behind your back from each side. Perform a short
relaxation exercise and then imagine that your head turns effortlessly almost
180 degrees to each side so that you can see the whole wall at your back.
Repeat this imaginary turning of the head several times to each side but
without moving the head physically. Finally, open your eyes and actually turn
your head to each side and note how far you can now see behind your back.
Use your imagination
to create a mental picture suitable for your specific problems. There is no
limit to what you can achieve.
Body Talk
Guided imagery is
even more effective if you combine it with talking to your body. Imagine that
the body has many different layers or levels of consciousness. Your mind
usually works at the mental level while your subconscious mind is in charge of
the emotional level. Below that is the life-force level and that is where your
body-self operates. However, I have reasons to assume that each organ in our
body and even each cell has its own distinct consciousness. You were already
enlisting the cooperation of all these individual consciousnesses with your
guided imagery. Now imagine that you can talk to them as well and that they are
willing and eager to comply with your wishes.
First talk to the
body self that is in charge of all the different organs and body parts. You may
give it a name, as for instance your unused middle name and talk to it as you
would to a child with a problem. Tell it repeatedly what you want it to do,
such as shrinking a tumour, putting on weight,
strengthening the immune system, removing toxins and so forth. Give it
enthusiastic encouragement and convince it that it is able to do it. If, for
instance, you have a breast tumour then ask it to
heal the breast and to support the breast in its efforts to heal itself.
Then in the same way
talk to the affected breast. Tell it what you want it to do. Tell it that it is
strong enough to heal the tumour and heal any
lesions. Ask it to turn to the body self for help. Assure your breast that you
love it and promise frequently to send it love energy and any other support
that it may need. Then do not forget to do as you said. Tell you body self as well as your breast to let you know what
you can do better to support them and in a relaxed state listen for an answer.
A helpful idea may unexpectedly cross your mind.
Talk audibly to your
body and frequently repeat talking to it, art least once a day. After the
initial contact you do not always need to be in a relaxed state but can talk
whenever you feel like it. You may find it very effective talking in front of a
mirror. You may also directly talk to your army of immune cells, giving it a
pep talk as their commander in chief or ask the red blood cells to carry more
oxygen or the lymph fluid to remove waste products more efficiently.
PRAYER AND MEDITATION
Basically, in prayer
you ask for guidance, give thanks or offer yourself for service, while in
meditation you listen for the answer. Eventually, both methods may be combined
in what we may call inner communication.
Prayer
Prayer is a means of
making our requirements known to a higher guidance. This may be a request for
help for ourselves or for others, it may be a request for advice, we may
express our gratitude and we may offer ourselves as vehicles for greater
service to mankind. You may continue to address your prayer in the accustomed
way or however it feels best. When you pray to God, Jesus or a Saint, you may
assume that your prayer is passed on by the lower self for consideration to the
higher self and from there to any other address as may be required.
When you need help
with an important problem, formulate your request in a short, precise form and
preferably write it down. Then enlist the help of the lower self to pass on
your prayer to the higher self. This may be done through devotion, invocation,
chanting or in any way which produces an emotional uplifting, a warm emotional
tide coming from your heart or solar plexus. This creates a 'carrier wave' that
may now be modulated by clearly and precisely stating your request.
In addition, create a
mental picture or impression of the desired result. It is important that such
prayers are performed with a deep inner conviction that the request will be
granted.
The most effective
prayer is a thanksgiving for the granted request, knowing that it has already
started to manifest on the spiritual level and will in due time appear in your
reality.
1.
Contemplate and formulate your message.
2.
Relax or enter a meditative state.
3.
Create an emotional outpouring.
4.
Say your message in simple words, preferably
aloud.
5.
Include thanksgiving for what you are about
to receive.
6.
Have complete faith that the prayer is
successful.
7.
Repeat your prayer on successive days.
Meditation
During meditation you
still your mind and raise your awareness towards your guiding consciousness.
Christian saints used to call meditation 'silent prayer'. In meditation, you
remain in-a heightened state of consciousness without thinking.
Assume a position in
which you are comfortable for an extended period. Preferably keep the spine
straight. You may sit erect, with both feet on the ground, in a chair with a
straight back or sit cross-legged in a lotus or semi-lotus position. For many
it may be more comfortable to sit on the heels with a cushion under the feet.
You may also lie flat on the back if you are able to remain wide-awake in this
position.
An easy method is to
start with 8 - 2 breathing and then gradually let the breath move on its own.
Focus your full attention on the breath, feel how it smoothly and rhythmically
flows in and out. Do not try to regulate or guide the breath, just follow it
mentally and feel it. When thoughts arise let them drift past without paying
any attention to them. The same with outside noise; just ignore it. At other
times you may concentrate on your heart area and feel it becoming warm and
filled with love and compassion. Alternatively, focus at the middle of your
forehead, feel it as a center of happiness or even bliss. If the eyes are
closed, it helps if you turn them up and inwards as if looking at the forehead
center.
Hold these sensations
as long as you can. If possible, unite the sensations of the forehead and brain
focus with the heart feelings and expand it throughout the body. In the
following, a 'Healing and Love Meditation' is described in detail. Do not be
disappointed if you cannot feel the warmth and love radiation the very first
time, just keep on practicing.
Sit or lie relaxed
but with a straight spine. Take some slow, full breaths; mentally follow each
breath as it continues to flow quietly in and out on its own. Feel how your
body gradually becomes immersed in a cozy warmth - you may imagine being in a
warm bath.
After this, you
direct the pleasant feeling energy stream to those areas of the body that are
especially in need of healing.
Realize that you are
not the originator of this powerful energy flow, but just a channel through
which it emerges from higher dimensions and being transformed by you to
the human qualities of love and compassion.
Centering
During our daytime
activities, especially on important occasions, it is beneficial to focus our
feeling awareness on an inner energy center. We may feel this as a deep inner peace,
as love or compassion, depending on our focus and the requirements of the
occasion. This allows us to gather our energies and gives us poise and
serenity. This is called 'centering' - moving through life in a meditative
state.
On the other hand, if
we prefer to interact in our relationships and daily live with love and
compassion, then we use the feeling awareness on the heart chakra as the
preferred method of centering. Focusing on the forehead chakra may be more
appropriate during times of intense mental activity, such as during discussions
and in meetings.
When we are centered,
we are not only mentally and emotionally poised and balanced, but at the same
time alert and intuitive. In this way we can remain in touch with our spiritual
guidance continuously during our waking activities. When we are active while
being centered, both sides of our brain work in a balanced way and this is
reflected in the balance of our whole personality.
INNER COMMUNICATION
In order to receive
direct guidance from your higher self, you may combine relaxation,
visualization, prayer and meditation.
Instead of going
down, you may mentally create a special room that you enter only when you want
to meet your higher guidance, either by telepathic communication or by seeing
it as a wise and kind guide. Another possibility is mentally walking down a
shaded path to a waterfall and meeting your guide there.
Then silently ask a
specific question and listen for the answer. You may receive an immediate
telepathic reply, such as hearing an inner voice or a thought may just pop into
your mind. Alternatively, you may develop a certain feeling in reply to a
question rather than getting a mental response and this may then indicate in
which direction to proceed.
It is most important
that you maintain a blank mind after asking your question; otherwise you may
not hear the answer or start thinking of an answer yourself. You may ask
several questions and hear answers as in a dialogue. Prepare your questions in
advance, before starting the relaxation so that you do not need to think while
in meditation.
Focusing
Lie down or sit
comfortably and induce a relaxed condition. If you have a pain, a hurt, a
disease or any problem somewhere in your body, focus your attention on the
affected part. Try to feel into it and ask it what it has to tell you or try to
visualize your problem in a simple, symbolical way, then mentally sit back and
let the pictures or symbols change of their own accord.
You can do the same
thing with an uneasy feeling within you, created by a social, financial or
other problem. Contact that uneasy feeling, possibly by feeling it as a
pressure somewhere in your body. If you have a multitude of problems, ask
yourself which one of these is the worst and try to feel this one first.
If the answer is wrong, the feeling of unease
will not change. Try again. This whole process may have to be repeated many
times over several days or weeks to come to the bottom of deep-seated emotional
problems. For further reading see Focusing by E.T. Gendlin
(Everest House).
Sleep or Dream
Solutions
Before falling
asleep, pray to be shown a solution to your problem overnight or tell your
subconscious mind repeatedly in simple words that it will provide an answer to
the problem at hand, either in a remembered dream, or as an insight during the
following day. Visualize your problem in a simple scene before you drift to
sleep. If you are not already in contact with your subconscious mind, this
procedure may have to be repeated several times.
Sacrifice and Amends
Sometimes it may not
be possible to get to the deep-seated cause of a personal problem. In these
cases it is often helpful to make a sacrifice in order to regain the
cooperation of our subconscious mind or 'lower self'. The sacrifice must be
enough to hurt you to some extent, for example, by selling the best part of
your stamp, coin or art collection and using the proceeds for a charitable
purpose. Alternatively, give a free service - care for a stranger in need,
anything that will satisfy the subconscious.
In addition, make
amends with reference to past faulty mental, emotional and dietary habits.
Promise improvements and definite actions to your lower as well as to your
higher self.
MOVING WITH THE FLOW
With or without inner
communication, we may gradually adopt an attitude towards the events of our
daily lives which may be described as 'moving with the flow', referring to the
flow of life. This means we 'feel' our way through life instead of battling on
when the going gets tough.
f we go too far in a
wrong direction, however, things will become tough, we make mistakes, lose out,
do not obtain what we want or need, and so forth.
We may compare our stream of life to a newly
formed watercourse that seeks its way down a gentle mountain slope. Sometimes
it winds its way steadily downhill, while at other times it encounters a
barrier, a hollow or depression in the ground. Then it has to wait patiently
for a while until the hollow is filled up. It may probe in various directions
until finally, quite naturally and without a problem, it finds the overflow,
the lowest point in the wall of resistance, and happily it continues on its
downhill way.
This, then, shows us
how we can follow our course of life in an easy-going, pleasurable way without
undue stress or hardship. When we encounter a resistance, we probe and wait
patiently until we find a natural opening. All we need is flexibility, patience
and faith. Faith that we are being guided, that we meet the resistance for a
purpose and that we will learn and grow by overcoming it or finding a way
around it. Faith, that all will be well and that an interesting and pleasant
future awaits us.
Ask for Help
If sometimes problems
seem to mount and you feel pulled down by it all, relax and ask your Guidance
for help. State your situation. Admit that you do not know what to do or that
there is apparently nothing that you can do. If appropriate, acknowledge that
you made a mistake and got yourself into trouble because of a thoughtless or
selfish action. Finally, ask your Guidance to take over your problems and
provide a solution that is fair to all concerned. Then, whenever you notice
your mind straying towards a worrying thought, affirm silently that now your
Guidance has taken over and is providing an equitable solution.
Exploring
Possibilities
Sometimes you have to
make a choice between several possibilities without a clear preference for any
one of these. Like water when it meets a resistance in its flow, so you may
probe in various directions, exploring the different possibilities with your
mind while at the same time closely observing your feelings.
Start by vividly
imagining that you follow one specific course of action and visualize or in other
ways mentally explore the various possibilities arising from this option.