Empowering Your Mind – Page 105 – Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

Book Review-An Easy Guide to Meditation

September 26, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

An Easy Guide to Meditation [Kindle Edition]
Roy Eugene Davis

Many recent studies have shown that meditation changes the brain in beneficial ways, and improves your quality of life. With that in mind, I was delighted to find this gem of a booklet free on Amazon. The author studied under Paramahansa Yogananda and is the founder of Center for Spiritual Awareness.

This booklet starts out by discussing the purpose of meditation, and then explains simple steps to begin to access the meditative state. Succinctly, clearly, this booklet describes how to get into meditation, how to avoid the pitfalls, and what to do when you’re there. It condenses the knowledge you’d find in a much longer book.

I own an old physical copy of an earlier version this booklet as well as a couple of this author’s books (which are unfortunately out of print) and treasure them all. This is a Kindle edition, and you can download a Kindle app for all kinds of devices or or read it in the cloud.

What is karma?

September 19, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: I’ve been told by a metaphysical teacher that there is no karma, though I’ve read about it in many books. Could you clarify?

Answer: You aren’t alone in your confusion. I think that the problem has come about by people in western societies misunderstanding what karma is all about. The west tends to be more literal than the east. In eastern societies, they understand the metaphorical nature of this concept. Karma isn’t about an “eye for an eye,” in other words, whatever we’ve done unto others in a previous life, they’ll do unto us in the present or future one. According to this idea, we can’t escape our punishment. That idea is very old testament.

But karma is simply the consequences of our actions. “What goes around, comes around.” It is a concept to explain that our actions set in motion energy that then returns to us in a similar way. And wisdom erases karma. If we’ve been acting in a negative way, but then learn to be more compassionate and positive, then we’ve learned the lesson that the karma was to teach us. We don’t need the consequences because they would be superfluous.

Many times, I’ll work with clients that think they’re being punished because of some awful thing they did in a past life. As we explore the situation, we discover that they’ve more than made up for the original “sin,” but they’re still punishing themselves for it. They haven’t let go of the guilt or sadness, and that emotion (and what it attracts to them) is what is hurting them now.

To me, karma is simply emotional energy. We set karma in motion in this life, and reap its consequences, when we don’t exercise and eat right. Or when we accept a negative message in childhood that we’ll “never amount to anything,” and that energy keeps replaying in our lives by becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Karma isn’t some force to punish or reward us. It’s simply the metaphysical law of cause and effect. When you set an emotionalized thought or belief in motion, when you take an action, that energy flows out into the Universe to return to you in like kind.

Guided Meditation to Expand Your Horizons

September 18, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

When you expand your limiting beliefs, you increase your self-respect. To do this, you have to risk trying something new. Here’s a guided meditation to help you rehearse trying something new and how it changes your attitudes and actions.

Neuroscience, Meditation and Well-being

September 17, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

An article from ” The Review: The Weekly Beaker,” states that Buddhist monks compared the mind in a meditative state to malleable gold. Modern neuroscience is proving that to be true.

Meditation changes the brain in many ways. And these changes can improve the quality of our lives. It:

Decreases stress
Increases the sense of well-being and peace
Contributes to being positive
Improves mood
Quickens thinking and mental processing
Establishes thoughts and habits more easily
Improves health
Decreases pain

Meditation and self-hypnosis access the same types of brain waves and can induce these kinds of changes in the brain. Practicing either of these can give you these kinds of results.

Our western culture values success, achievement and accomplishment, but that it comes at a cost. We physically and mentally run ourselves into the ground. Modern neuroscience is proving that we can literally improve our brains. Meditation and/or self-hypnosis help us to rebuild those inner resources and cultivate awareness and insight. And that could further our productivity and success.

Read the full article: The Weekly Beaker: The Neuroscience of Wellbeing – Meditation.

Take a Risk and Claim Your Authenticity, Part 2

September 13, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

As an art teacher and friend once said, “Give yourself permission to do it badly.” That’s one of the most freeing concepts for creativity. When you do this, you allow yourself to experiment and be spontaneous. And only with experimentation can you find new ways and techniques. Staying with the “same old, same old” will simply keep you in a rut.

Pick up a brush, lump of clay or camera and create something. Challenge some of the beliefs you have and say, “No” to something you don’t want to do. The sky is unlikely to fall, and you’ll feel stronger. Hold your ground when someone tries to bully you. Tell a friend how you feel when she’s always an hour late for lunch.

You’re more authentic when you risk. Stepping out of what’s secure and safe breaks down your inner barriers. You unblock yourself and let the Universe flow more fully through you. And even when things don’t work out, as sometimes happens, you have more resources to handle it philosophically. You can assure yourself, “At least I tried.” Giving yourself permission to try and fail can create a feeling of safety that allows you to try again.

I couldn’t sit silent and let the group be bullied into a course of action that would be unproductive. That would have made me feel like a victim. Because I risked going out of my comfort zone and speaking up, my beliefs were altered in a positive way. It gave me the courage to explore other areas and confront my fears.

When you risk, even if it doesn’t work out, it expands your horizons. You learn something valuable that you can use the next time. You’ve empowered yourself to stretch and be a victor. This establishes a pattern that can continue to reveal more of your authentic self.

Affirmation

When I try new things and experiment, I give myself permission to do it badly or fail. What matters is the attempt to move out of my comfort zone. As I risk new directions and activities, the Universe flows more smoothly through me into greater good. I empower myself explore new avenues and experiences. By allowing myself to risk, I open myself to be more authentic.

Take a Risk and Claim Your Authenticity, Part 1

September 12, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Many years ago, I was a member of a group that promoted and encouraged creative writing in the community. We’d been working together for a couple of years when a new member joined us. She came in with a host of ideas, many of which we’d already tried, with no success. Even after we explained that, she insisted on our implementing them anyway.

No one challenged her and said, “No, that didn’t work the first time and we’re not going to do it again.” I decided someone had to draw the line, and although I expected censure from the rest of the group, I stood up to her and said, “No.” It got a little heated.

After the meeting, I was surprised and amazed when the other members thanked me for standing firm. “Someone had to do it,” they said. This was the opposite reaction that I’d learned to expect, based on my childhood experiences. In my youth, if I set a boundary or challenged someone, I was ostracized. The members’ appreciation rocked my worldview. It altered even more when the new member called me and kept trying to change my mind. And that, from then on, she respected me.

When you risk stepping out of your comfort zone, you find a deeper level of self-commitment and self-acceptance. By being true to yourself, you give yourself the message that your opinions and values are important. This buoys up your self-concept and increases your self-respect, which in turn gives you a greater feeling of confidence. It encourages you to open up and be more authentic.

I felt the new member had to be stopped from taking us down a fruitless path, so I acted on what I thought was right. By following my values, I fed my self-respect and felt like I’d accomplished something. When I stepped out of my comfort zone, I found approval when I expected displeasure.

The same thing can be said for trying new things. Making the choice to risk trying something you haven’t done before, whether you’re good at it or not, opens your mind to new experiences and possibilities. You don’t have to be good at it, you just have to try. And if you don’t explore new activities or pursuits, you won’t find hidden treasures that make your heart sing.

This is the way children learn. They try, fail, and try again. When they’re learning to walk, playing with building blocks, or making a sand castle, they don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work out initially. Exploring and experimentation allows them to expand their awareness and discover what works and what doesn’t. Children are persistent and keep trying, even it they don’t succeed the first time. They’re authentic and their confidence grows as they try again and achieve their goal.

Kumare – A Documentary About Faith And Empowerment

August 30, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Recently, I went with a friend to see a documentary about a filmmaker who wanted to prove that religion and religious leaders weren’t necessary. The young man created an identity of a wise guru for himself. To spread his message that each person was his/her own guru, he began attracting students.

Because of the way he spoke and acted, people believed in his performance and that he was a spiritual guru. People assumed he was a spiritual master because that’s what they expected to see. His followers accepted the way he defined himself and projected onto him their ideas of what a guru could do.

As he engaged with his followers, he accepted them unconditionally. This gave them the safety to begin to change. He communicated that he believed in them, which was in line with his message that they were their own gurus. But he also listened to them, which allowed them to feel seen. By doing this, he empowered them to believe in themselves.

The connection with his students, and what he shared with them, transformed them. These connections were powerful and changed him, too. We each have the power and knowledge within us to improve our lives, but we may not believe that we can do it. Sometimes we need someone to believe in and accept us to enable us to believe in ourselves.

The filmmaker wants to reveal himself to them, but he cares about them and is concerned about how it will affect the changes they’ve made. How will his ultimate message be received? Kumare is a fascinating documentary. It shows the power of our connections with other people and how they can transform our lives.

Springs and Pictographs – A Summer Hike

August 29, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Jeff and I hiked a short trail near Flagstaff’s Snowbowl ski area recently. It was at 8000 feet, and much cooler than the high desert where we live. The 2-mile loop trail led through the Lamar Haines Nature Preserve. We enjoyed the rustle of Quaking Aspen trees, grasshoppers buzzing as they flew, birds chirping and ground squirrels chiding us for being in their territory.

Just off the trail, an old cabin has collapsed. Behind the cabin, just a short way up a hill, there are a couple of springs. One has been enclosed in a springhouse, and the other is a little way behind it at the base of the cliff.

While Jeff was taking photographs of the springs, a family joined us. The young lady, about ten, was fascinated by the springs. When we said there were Pictographs nearby, she accompanied us as we searched for them. Jeff found another spring and the Pictographs further along the cliff, after clambering over rocks and fallen trees. She, her Mom, Jeff and I examined the cliff face to see if we could identify the Pictographs. She had a good eye. She noticed as many as we did.

After we completed our hike, we drove the rest of the way up to Snowbowl. This is one of the ski areas in Arizona, and there’s a hiking trail that heads up the mountain. I wandered around the meadow, under a ski lift, as Jeff took some photos of Hummingbird Moths.

All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a summer’s day.

Raffle Winner

August 20, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

This month, I went to the Arizona Chapter of the National Speaker’s Association Summer Soiree. I drove the 2 hours to Scottsdale, into 110 degree heat. Near the end of the party, an haboob (sandstorm) blew through. I stayed until a while after it had passed, because I didn’t want to drive into it on my way home.

It was fun to get to know some people I hadn’t had a chance to socialize with before, as well as visit with some of my friends. But the high point for me was that I won a raffle prize. They had three available, and one gentleman won the other two. Mine had three hours of coaching by three different coaches (an hour each), a gift card, and tickets to a museum. All of which I’ll gratefully use.

I’m beyond thrilled! I’ll be contacting the coaches, Les Taylor, Loretta Love Huff and Lorri Allen, soon to set up my sessions. It was so worth it for me to make the trip down and back, even with the haboob.

Book Review – Magic and Mystery In Tibet

August 18, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Magic and Mystery In Tibet
by Alexandra David-Neel

I read this book many years ago, and was intrigued. It tells the story of a French woman who was a Buddhist, and who traveled and lived in Tibet for several years in the early part of the last century. She encountered many monks, lamas, yogis and shamans during her stay, witnessed “psychic” phenomena and was told about many more. She had the opportunity to ask eminent mystics about their opinions on death and reincarnation.

Drawing on what she learned, Mrs. David-Neel explains many details about Tibetan Buddhism that western civilization hasn’t had exposure to before. In addition to various spiritual trainings, she describes some of the exercises of the hermits who increase their body temperature to the point that they melt the snow around them.

The reader will enjoy a first hand look at the way the Tibetans and holy men lived almost a hundred years ago. I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism or the other spiritual practices of that land.