Your Guide to Self-Empowerment and Positive Change

The end of the year provides a wonderful opportunity to create a ritual where you release anything that does not serve you anymore -  any outworn beliefs or patterns. This ritual will help you get clear on your vision and any plans or goals for the new year.

1. Have a pen and journal ready.

2. Light a candle

3. Clear your space using smudge (the burning of sage, cedar, sweetgrass or copal), incense or Aura Cleanser.

4. Ground and Center * (See below for a grounding meditation)

5. Imagine that you can gently and safely float above your body, above your room then above the place where you live. From this perspective look over your life. Observe your day to day activities. Notice how you feel and what you see. Then ask yourself, “How do I feel about my life? What serves me and what hinders me? Are there any changes I would like to make?”  Now look towards the next few months and year and ask yourself, ” What would I like to see manifest for myself and my family in the upcoming months? Are there any dreams, visions or goals I would like to fulfill?”  When you feel ready gently return your awareness back to your body

6. Record your observations in your journal.

7. Now imagine a light emanating from your heart. Send this light to your vision. Surround your vision in a bubble of brilliant white light then send it out into the universe. Trust your Higher Power to guide you towards its manifestation.

8. Give thanks for all that you have.

9. Add whatever else you might like to this ritual.

*Grounding Meditation

Grounding is a simple exercise for connecting with the earth, as well as the universe around you. It is a helpful exercise for anyone to do as it provides protection and helps you be more present.

Stand or sit with your feet placed flat on the ground.  Line up your body so that your spine is straight and your chin is parallel to the floor.  Take a slow, deep, cleansing breath. Imagine that a golden light descends from above and enters your body through the top of your head. Imagine that this light makes its way down the center of your body. Imagine that it flows down to your hips, down your legs, then out through the soles of your feet, extending down to the core of the earth and anchoring your energy to the earth.

Next, imagine that you draw up the energy of the earth. You can imagine it as the color green. This energy enters your body through the soles of your feet and flows up your legs, up through the center of your body then out through the top of your head, extending up to Source above.

This is a basic grounding meditation. You can also create a bubble of protective white light around you by following the directions below.

Focus your attention on your heart center. Imagine a ball of white light surrounding your heart, small at first like the size of a baseball. Imagine that this ball of light grows larger so that it is about the size of a beach ball. Then imagine that it grows larger and larger until it surrounds your entire body, all around you, above and below you, extending out about three feet all around you.

You have now created a bubble of protective white light. You can imagine this light at any time throughout the day to form a protective shield around you. Try it out and see how it feels and works for you.

What rituals do you use at the end of the year? Please feel free to share here.

Namaste,

Susan

http://www.healingfromwithin.com

http://www.equinoxgifts.com

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

Recently I received news about Ted Andrew’s passing. Ted was the author of more than 40 books including the best seller, Animal-Speak, The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small. Although I never met Ted I knew him through his writing as his sensitive, generous spirit shined through his words.

Some people do not realize that spirit lives in everything both animate and inanimate. Ted knew this and wrote about the way of spirit in nature.  Now when I see an animal or bird I look up the symbolism and message in Animal-Speak.  As a result of Ted’s influence I pay more attention to signs from nature. Sometimes this requires quieting the mind and opening to subtler energies, similar to tapping into one’s intuition. Much wisdom can be gleaned by tuning into the power of nature.

Another author and teacher, Lynn Andrews, taught me about the spirit in rocks. I have always been drawn to rocks, pebbles and crystals. Lynn learned from her medicine teacher, Agnes Whistling Elk, that every stone has seven faces: sound, sight, scent, taste, emotion and awareness. In Lynn’s book,  Flight of the Seventh Moon.  I learned that rocks are like all living things except they are denser. Agnes taught Lynn that many rocks come from other worlds and that they can see a long way off. Rocks can provide a gateway to the crystal world to find answers to things. By learning to go into those gateways you could explore many things past and future.

I find this information exciting and wondrous. Because I am an intuitive who was born and raised into a family that reveres intellectual acuity I also find it validating. I have realized for many years that the analytical mind can only go so far. We need to balance that part of the brain with the more intuitive side that is tapped into the forces of nature, the spirit world.

Spirit talks to us in different ways. It is up to us to listen. I tune into spirit by going into the silence, taking walks, channeling Reiki and by connecting with the wisdom of Tarot. What methods work for you? How do you connect with spirit?

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