Monday, November 1, 2010

Take Time, Don't Make Time

Receiving High Energies Only Takes a Moment

If you feel you don't have the time to "practice" meditations given by Guidance, take heart. From here on out, let your mantra be: it only takes a moment. Really.

Take it from a busy, single mom who works full-time. I, too, received the email containing the blog post below, An Important Message.... Normally I'd scan it and tell myself I'd re-read it later—in some imaginary future when I could carve out the time to meditate "properly." Since such times are few and far between, I more often than not would find myself, well, never getting around to it. But this time I was overcome by the inspiration to try something new...a meditation experiment, if you will.

I awakened one morning with bouts of sneezing and the feeling of a brick in my sinus. I had to get my daughter off to school, get myself ready for work, and teach two four-hour classes that involved extensive lectures. Knowing that calling off would be detrimental to my students, I decided to try tapping higher energies. So while my daughter brushed her teeth, I perched myself on the edge of my bed and picked up my printed version of the meditation. Note: I did not light candles, put on Steven Halpern music, infuse the room with organic incense, don hemp yoga garb, or chant positive affirmations.

I simply closed my eyes, and stated "May my crown chakra and solar plexus chakras open and expand in balance and harmony with my physical being." After a few minutes of breathing into my solar plexus, I began to feel a sense of expansion in my crown but some stagnation/resistance in my solar plexus. I breathed for a few more minutes. By this time, my daughter was getting dressed for school. When I felt an (albeit vague) sense of opening/movement of my solar plexus, I stated, "I wish to receive these high energies in the highest loving context and with great gratitude. I ask for the courage to heal my physical body so that I may serve in the highest love." I stayed with that feeling and intention for another few minutes. By this time I could hear my daughter heading down for breakfast. Total time passed: 10 minutes. Yet I can't express what a tremendous impact it had on my physical being and my day.

Am I suggesting that Guidance can cure the common cold? Well, I wouldn't put it past them, but I must admit I also gave myself a dose of Cold Calm just for focus without exploding into a staccato of sneezes.

My next experiment took place in my car, parked on a busy street near my daughter's school, awaiting her dismissal. I asked for high energies to assist me—not for anything lofty such as aligning to planetary energetic shifts—but for the more mundane needs of getting through the evening of homework, dinner preparation and cleanup on a low-energy day.

Finding benefits each time I took whatever time I could muster to tap this source—be it 3 or 15 minutes—I continued this pattern. I also happened to have a session with Guidance where I asked if these "quickie" meditations were of any real benefit. Their answer was a resounding "YES!" When Cathy and I spoke about it afterward, she requested I post my experience here to encourage others to experiment in this way. In fact, she said that Guidance has called it "old school" to believe one must study as a yogi or go off to a secluded retreat in order to effectively meditate.

In my latest experiment, I had a bunch of errands to run that I was compressing into the two hours that my daughter would be at a Halloween party. As I drove away after dropping her off, I felt riddled with conflict as I wanted to get the errands done, take a walk on a beautiful Fall day, meditate and get back to her party on time. I happened to be driving towards the park anyway, so stopped the car, yet found myself overwhelmed with the idea that I couldn't possibly do it all and wondering what to sacrifice. I had the idea to use my semi-paralyized stupor to meditate, giving myself a 10 minute time limit which would also allow me time for a short walk. I went through the same routine in asking crown and solar plexus to open, expand and harmonize with my physical being, I asked to receive these high energies and for wisdom and balance in the rest of my day.

This time I forgot to offer gratitude but remembered while I was strolled in the sunshine, leaves crunching under foot. As I walked, I felt as if my chakras were connected by a strong rope and that all of them had been activated. It was then I remembered to give thanks.

For the record, when I stopped my car in the park it was 1:21 and when I got back in the car after my walk it was 1:53. All-tolled I gave 32 minutes to balancing, aligning, tapping high energies, getting my blood flowing and an oxygen infusion, sunshine, vitamin D and fresh air...and with time left over for errands.

I'm officially convinced that this practice can become as second nature as taking the time to floss. I hope there are others out there who find this of practical use. It's important for me to add that I happen to be a highly visual person, so when I'm meditating, I tend to efficiently see strong visuals. If you don't see visuals, be ok with simply imagining. If you can't imagine, be ok with simply intending. And know that you too can intend, feel, benefit, and express gratitude, all in those brief "in between" moments.