Your Guide to Self-Empowerment and Positive Change

Recently on Twitter someone asked me what the difference was between self-care and being lazy. I thought that was a great question. One that was deserving of exploring as I believe self-care to be of the utmost importance.

First of all I believe that for most of us the word “lazy” is a term our ego uses to push us into doing something our spirit doesn’t really want to do at the moment. It’s a “should” statement/ a judgment that can throw us out of alignment.

Self-care means taking care of yourself – body, mind and spirit. You practice self-care by following your energy, tuning into your body’s messages and taking time to relax and rejuvenate when your body directs you to do so. By doing this you will have more energy and vitality to accomplish the projects that are awaiting your attention.

You may ask, “How can I tune into my body’s messages and that of my spirit’s?” Taking time to be silent is one way. Begin by quieting your mind. For example, take a few moments right now to close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Let go of any thoughts and notice how you are feeling. Practice doing this on a regular basis and you will become more in touch with your inner being.

Practicing self-care will help you maintain health, well-being and balance. Have you ever noticed how great you feel after a spa treatment, a nap, a soothing bath or a massage?

As you learn to tune into your body and spirit you will become more aware of how to take better care of yourself. I am reminded of a statement by Wayne Dyer, “ We are human beings not human doings” How comfortable are you with ‘being”? Or do you think you have to be continually “doing” in order to feel worthy?

The teachings of Abraham (http://www.abraham-hicks.com) has helped me to be more in touch with the flow of life and what Abraham calls “the stream of well-being”. If you have never seen this video I highly recommend it. You can view it here.

Abraham on: THE STREAM – Esther & Jerry Hicks

I encourage you all to nurture your body and spirit, honor your “beingness” and appreciate life rather than push against it. Take good care of yourselves by practicing “Self-Care”.  By “tuning in “ to your body and spirit you will tap into your inner guidance which will lead the way to more balanced living.

In what ways do you practice self-care? I welcome your comments here.

Blessings,

Susan

Back in the late 1970’s I practiced Vipassana meditation  with Dr. Rina Sircar, a Buddhist nun who teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). At that time CIIS had not been established yet and the school was called the California Institute of Asian Studies.

Every morning, five days a week, a group of us gathered with Rina to meditate for an hour. Vipassana meditation, also called Mindfulness or Insight Meditation, consists mainly of focusing on your breath.

We would focus our attention on the in and out movement of the breath and sometimes on the rising and falling of our abdomen as we breathed… breathing in and breathing out.

If thoughts arose we silently noted, “thinking thinking thinking” and brought our attention back to the focus of our meditation, our breath.

Towards the end of the meditation we had built up a lot of positive energy. We would then focus that energy into a prayer on loving kindness for the sake of all sentient beings.

When I learned this prayer the wording was such that we asked to be free from suffering and to be happy, peaceful and liberated. Because of my understanding of the Law of Attraction I have adapted some of the wording. For example, instead of focusing on freedom from suffering,  the focus is on feeling free to flow with wellness and ease.

Here then is the Loving Kindness prayer. Notice that you start with your self first. This is because you have to love yourself first before you can love others.

Loving Kindness Prayer (called Metta in Pali)

May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be liberated.
May I find happiness and the causes of happiness.
May I live in peace and harmony with life. .
May I feel free to flow with wellness and ease.

May my family be happy.
May my family be peaceful.
May my family be liberated.
May my family find happiness and the causes of happiness.
May my family live in peace and harmony with life.
May my family feel free to flow with wellness and ease.

May my friends be happy.
May my friends be peaceful.
May my friends be liberated.
May my friends find happiness and the causes of happiness.
May my friends live in peace and harmony with life.
May my friends feel free to flow with wellness and ease.

May all beings be happy.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be liberated.
May all beings find happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all beings live in peace and harmony with life.
May all beings feel free to flow with wellness and ease.
May all beings be happy, peaceful and liberated.

I have always loved this prayer. It is a wonderful way to send positive, loving energy to yourself and others. And, of course, you can say this prayer mentioning a specific person or group. You can also offer it as a blessing at any time and to any one.

You might want to try this Loving Kindness prayer yourself. Simply focus on your breathing a few minutes then repeat the Loving Kindness meditation either out loud or silently to yourself. Spread some loving kindness to yourself and others and see how it makes you feel. I’d love to hear your experiences here.

In what way do you practice mindfulness and loving kindness? I welcome your comments.

Namaste,

Susan

Susan Eller
www.healingfromwithin.com

Today I cleaned up my Hotmail account. Believe it or not I had over 800 messages piling up in that account. This is not my primary account and is actually only one of several email accounts I have. But this account is where I get most of the news from email lists I have joined.

Although these newsletters provide lots of wonderful information I was definitely feeling “Information Overload”. So I deleted just about all of it. And, it felt SO GOOD to do this. I can’t begin to tell you how much it freed up my energy.

I have also been clearing out my closets and office. I don’t know about you but I tend to be a collector. Mostly I am a collector of informative resources.  However, clothes rank pretty high as well.

What mostly inspired me to tackle my Hotmail account today was a message I received from my body. I was getting signs of physical stress so I tuned in for body messages. That’s when I realized I was on information and clutter overload.

So if you have been feeling loaded down or overwhelmed I highly recommend clearing out clutter from your life. It is emotionally, physically, spiritually  and energetically freeing. And, you will be making room for something better to come in as the Universe hates a vacuum.

I also suggest tuning into your body whenever you feel stressed. Just ask questions like:  “What is going on? What do I need to know? “What do I need to be aware of? What are you trying to tell me?  “What is the message?” Once you get a message, act on it.

Do you tend to hold on to things? Have you ever noticed how that makes you feel? I would love to hear your comments and experiences. So please feel free to  comment here. I always love hearing from you.

All the best,

Susan

We each carry within us a powerful resource, the most powerful gift in the world! This gift is LOVE – pure divine love. This loving energy, this loving presence resides within us all.

When you were born you were connected to this love. You did not have to prove yourself or your existence. Look at any newborn baby and you will see, feel, experience this pure, radiant, loving energy.

Love is the most powerful healing energy in the world and it resides within you. You do not have to prove your worth to be loved. The essence of you IS love.

Yet, somewhere along your life path, probably in your childhood, you may have lost that pure connection to love. You may have learned that you are not good enough, that you are not worthy. If you have trouble loving yourself take time to practice self-love and self-care now. The more you can love yourself, the more you can express your gifts and talents as well as shine your light out into the world.

The following are some suggestions.

1. Tune into the love within your heart. If you have trouble feeling love then imagine the love you feel for someone close to you. It could be a pet or anyone or anything else that helps you get in touch with the feeling of love. Feel this love in your heart and allow it to grow as best as you can. Know that this is your connection to the divine, to divine love. Practice feeling this love in your heart and when you can,  imagine that you fill your entire being and body with this energy.

2. Write a letter of self-appreciation. List anything, no matter how small it may seem to you. Some examples are having a caring nature, being good hearted, appreciation for physical attributes like sight, smell, taste etc. Maybe you love to draw, write, sing or play an instrument. Perhaps you are good at math or skilled at your job. You may have helped someone out once. Do not discount anything. Learn to be kind and generous with yourself, your talents, abilities, natural inclinations and tendencies.

3. Take time on a regular basis to nurture and pamper your body and spirit. Buy yourself flowers, soak in a healing bath, get a massage, play with a pet, be out in nature, whatever feels good to you and promotes self-care. Besides relaxing and refreshing you will be sending a message to your unconscious mind that you deserve nurturing treatment.

4. Be discriminating about what you do and whom you let into your space. Loving yourself means valuing your time and energy. Engage in activities that you enjoy and surround yourself with friends who support your well being.

5. Recognize and honor the light within you. The love within you is a healing light that can transform yourself and your world. The more you can tap into this light the stronger and better you will feel. Take a moment to feel this light and to know that you are a radiant being full of love and light with much to offer. The more you can love yourself, the more you can shine your light brightly out into the world.

Feel free to add comments and let me know how you are doing.

Many blessings,

Susan

Pause a moment from whatever you are doing.…Be with this moment…Take a slow, deep breath and breathe into your belly… As you read these words notice your breathing…Notice your body…. What are you thinking ?… How are you feeling?… Is there any tension in your body?… If so, where ?… Take a moment to breathe into that tension…Relax… Let it go…Just Be.

You are constantly changing. Until more recently inner change occurred without much conscious awareness. Now many people are awakening and with this comes a new POWER, the power to change consciously, with your intention.

No longer do you have to believe that you are a victim. As you learn how to co-create with Spirit, you will become more attuned to the laws of nature and the universe. This knowledge will help you navigate through life more skillfully even in times of change and turmoil.

There are many tools to help you make positive changes. Being mindful as in the opening relaxation is one of them. The following are four more of my favorites.

Learn How to Manage Your Energy

Are you highly sensitive? Do you feel what others feel? In today’s world your life gets bombarded with a myriad of outside stimuli, from toxins in the air to the daily stresses of life. Learn what your body and spirit need by finding ways to nurture your inner self. This means recognizing when your energy system has become overloaded or depleted then taking time to relax and rejuvenate. There are different ways you can do this such as scheduling regular massages, taking healing baths, meditating, practicing yoga and going on retreats. Taking time to recharge your energy will prove to be an efficient tool to help you maintain health and wellness while in the midst of inner changes.

Transform Negative Self-Talk

Become aware of self-doubt, self-judgment and other types of negative thinking that erode your self-esteem and keep you from actualizing your potential. Your thoughts exert a powerful influence on your well being. Consistent negative thinking dampens your spirit and keeps you from manifesting your heart’s desire. It has also proven to lower your immune system thus contributing to health problems.

Learn to balance negative thinking with self-acknowledgment.  If you catch yourself entertaining negative thoughts, simply acknowledge the awareness then replace with a positive affirmation.

Over time you will find that your negative self-talk diminishes resulting in increased self-esteem, improved health and a better outlook on life. All will ease the process of change.

Add Light to a Situation

You can transform a situation by adding light to it. Light accelerates your growth and attracts your higher good. If you are not sure what you want or how to solve a problem create a symbol for it. Then surround your symbol with a ball of white light.  Imagine the light illuminating your symbol and smoothing out any rough edges.  Adding light in this way will bring clarity and ease the process of change.

Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

Finally, be grateful for every beneficial change no matter how small. You can even begin by appreciating all that you have right now. Expressing gratitude promotes awareness, increases your connection to Source and expands your ability to receive from the Universe. It is one of the best ways to bring more good into your life.

Try incorporating these tools into your daily life. Change, even conscious change, often happens subtly over time. You will need to have patience and perseverance. However, the rewards are great.

Do you have any of your own methods? Feel free to post your comments here.

Blessings,

Susan

HealingFromWithin.com

November 1, 2009

I’d like you to do something simple. Just for a moment focus on your breathing. If you like you can close your eyes. First relax your abdomen. Now take a slow, deep breath in…Breathe deeply into your belly then breathe all the way out. When you are ready open your eyes.

How was that? Did it feel good? And it was easy too. Most Americans do not breathe properly. Because of cultural tendencies they tend to breathe shallowly into their chests. And if upset a person may hardly breathe at all.

Yet breathing is the most basic vital function. Without it you could not exist. Did you know that your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing? If you are not breathing effectively, you are not properly ridding your body of its toxins. This means that other systems in your body must work overtime which could eventually lead to illness.

Deep conscious breathing benefits the body in many ways. For example, it releases tension. Think how your body feels when you are tense, angry, scared or stressed. It constricts. Your muscles get tight and your breathing becomes shallow. When your breathing is shallow you are not getting the amount of oxygen that your body needs. In order to breathe properly you need to breathe deeply into your abdomen not just your chest.

Deep conscious breathing is a simple way to relax and refresh. Suppose you are running on overload. Your body and brain feel frazzled and fried. What will help is to relax your body by paying attention to your breathing. It only takes a few minutes. Breathe slowly, deeply and purposefully into your body. Notice any places that are tight and breathe into them. As you relax your body, you may find that the breathing brings clarity and insights to you as well.

Want to relieve emotional problems? Once again deep, conscious breathing will help clear uneasy feelings out of your body. As a counselor, I help people resolve their issues. I find that when I have a client breathe deeply into her body, it helps in three ways. It gets her in touch with her feelings. It eases the discomfort. And it aids in an understanding of the problem.

Breathing is so basic it is easy to take it for granted. You may not realize its connection to how you think feel and experience life. For example, what happens to your breathing when you anticipate pain?  You probably hold your breath. Yet studies show that breathing into your pain helps to ease it.

As you can see breathing sustains life in many ways. With deep conscious breathing you can more properly rid your body of toxins. You can release tension in your body.  And you can ease emotional, mental and physical discomfort.

So remember the next time you find yourself feeling tense, angry scared or stressed…pause for a moment and remember to breathe.

Susan Eller

HealingFromWithin.com

My name is Susan Eller. I am an intuitive counselor, spiritual teacher, Reiki Master and transformational guide. I have created this blog as a guidepost for you on your journey to inner healing, self-empowerment and positive change.

I have gone through this journey myself over the last 30 years. I am still on that journey as it is an ever expanding adventure.

I invite you to explore the information here. You will find life affirming tips and musings to assist you on your path to inner healing and conscious awakening. I welcome your comments and would love to hear from you.

Namaste,

Susan

HealingFromWithin.com