meditation | Speaking from the Heart

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." ~ Laurie Buchanan

Posts tagged ‘meditation’

Rain Retreat Meditation

In the Buddhist tradition “Phansa” is the rainy season—typically July, August, and September. During this window of time, monks stay indoors to study, meditate, and teach. This practice stems from when Buddha stayed inside to avoid stepping on and killing insects and seedlings.

I’m fascinated by this tradition. However, with owning a healing practice and teaching, taking a three month hiatus simply isn’t prudent.

Last fall Terrill Welch over at Creative Potager posed the sprout question, “Where are you finding sublime bliss today?”

Shorty thereafter, Catie Manning over at As Told by CatMan – The Rose Bandit asked, “How do you get rid of stress?”

My answer to both was the same—in the shower.

It’s here that I take a mini Rain Retreat. Pulling in a Rubbermaid footstool, I sit with my back to the shower-head, and wholly relax as the hot water pelts my neck and shoulders, washing any physical tension right down the drain. The emotional tension melts away as I practice my personal version of metta:

I visualize myself as a smooth pebble that’s been tossed into a still pond. The pebble—me—produces a gentle ripple effect on the calm surface. The first time I say the metta, I start with myself. Then each consecutive time I replace “I” with the next person in my life—the next ring out—and so on.

It looks something like this: me, Len, our son, Kayley, individual family members, individual friends, neighbors, clients—you get the idea—until I end with,
“May all beings…”

May I live in safety
May I be healthy—body, mind, and spirit
May I live with ease
May I listen more than I speak
May my motivation be positive, uplifting, constructive, and healing
May I interact with kindness and respect
May my constant companions be peace of mind and joy
May laughter reside in my heart

Where do you go to retreat?

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan

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Life, Personal Growth, Spiritual Awareness

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Zipped in the Pod!

Zipped in the Pod by Laurie Buchanan

Green is my favorite color. I associate it with sacred space—space for transformation to occur; space to find new direction. When people ask me to pray for them or their loved ones, I explain that I’d be happy to hold HeartLight—sacred space—for them.

The visualization I use is a sugar snap pea. In my mind’s eye I unzip the pod, scoop out the peas, and place the person inside. Carefully, I re-zip the pod and envision it as a “station,” somewhat like an incubator, of vivid green, pulsing with vital energy that’s working for the person’s highest and best good—body, mind, and spirit.

When was the last time you were zipped in the pod?

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

www.HolEssence.com.

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Life, Spiritual Awareness

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Self-Realization Fellowship & Meditation Garden

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During a recent visit with my dad in Encinitas, California (Dec 31 – Jan 1) I spent time at the Self-Realization Fellowship and Meditation Garden. This location—founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda—is always included when I visit.

It’s a wonderful place to recharge one’s personal battery; to just sit and drink in the beauty with all of the senses; to meditate, relax, and renew. It was a welcome part of my journey. I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour.

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

www.HolEssence.com.

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Spiritual Awareness

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R is for Relaxation

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Relaxation is essential for anyone who’s interested in managing stress. And while relaxation enhances peace of mind, it also decreases the wear and tear on our minds and bodies from the challenges and hassles of every day life.

Whether your stress is spiraling out of control or you’ve already got it tamed—everyone can benefit from using relaxation techniques. Unfortunately, relaxation oftentimes takes a back seat in life’s busy-ness.

Most health professionals—alternative, complementary, traditional, and integrative—encourage their clients to use relaxation techniques.

A relaxation technique is something that refocuses your attention to a calm awareness. It doesn’t matter which relaxation method you choose, what matters is that you engage in the practice regularly so that you can reap the many benefits:

- Slowing your heart rate
- Lowering blood pressure
- Slowing your breathing rate
- Increasing blood flow to major muscles
- Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
- Improving concentration
- Reducing anger and frustration
- Boosting confidence to handle problems

There’s a wide brushstroke of relaxation techniques:

In your mind’s eye you might imagine a peaceful place and then focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowing your heart rate. Use as many senses as you can. For example, if you imagine yourself at the ocean, think about the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves, and the warmth of the sun.

Another method is to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Other relaxation techniques include, yoga, tai chi, listening to music, exercise, meditation, and self-hypnosis.

The moment you feel stress symptoms sneaking up on you, make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique. If you nip it in the bud, it can prevent stress from spiraling out of control.

What was the most recent relaxation technique you used?

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

www.HolEssence.com

© 2010 Laurie Buchanan – All Rights Reserved.

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Health and Wellness, Life, University of Life

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VIOLET – Strengthen the Connection with Your Higher Self

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For those of you who are just joining us, welcome to the University of Life. In the previous “classes” we laid the groundwork for this course—The Color of Wellness, and looked at the therapeutic properties of the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo. Today’s palette features the color Violet.

Violet is associated with self-knowledge, divine connection, and spiritual wellness. It enhances creativity, wisdom, and inspiration. It’s the color of royalty. Think of juicy plum, purple grapes, the velvet petals of an African violet, or the rich color of eggplant. When was the last time you picked turnips fresh from the earth? Have you ever seen a spiny purple sea urchin on the ocean floor while snorkeling, or been waved at by an iris dancing in the breeze?

The positive properties of violet are expressed as inspiration, dignity, creativity, nobility, spiritual awareness, altruism, independence, and personable.

The negative properties of violet are described as fanatical, perfectionist, self-doubting, self-destructive, and alienated.

The healing properties of violet are cleansing and antiseptic and can address physical symptoms such as epilepsy, neuralgia, multiple sclerosis, and negative states of mind that include neurosis, despair, loss of faith, and lack of self-respect. Violet can also be used to suppress the appetite.

When you need a boost in the areas of divine connection and self-knowledge, indulge yourself with this color. The frequency of violet refreshes the crown chakra—the gateway to our spiritual nature. This energetic center is where we consent to higher guidance for personal transformation.

The energy of violet helps to assimilate our day-to-day experiences into wisdom, waiting at the ready for translation into enlightenment. Violet encourages a peaceful environment and relieves tension. It promotes inner strength, wisdom, and kindness. Violet helps us to change negatives into positives and brings about increased feelings of spiritual connection. Because of its calming properties, violet is an excellent choice to use during meditation.

Are you drawn to pure violet? It emits the clarity of blue and the warmth of red. It speaks of grandeur and reverence. Or maybe you enjoy the lighter airy shades that are elusive and intriguing; while the deeper purple tones are shadowy and peaceful, inviting deep relaxation and meditation.

What we do with our physical environment—our personal space—speaks to our heart and helps us to flourish. Buy a piece of violet clothing. Add a splash of violet to your décor with flowers, pillows, a candle or a throw. Enhance your sacred space with a violet or purple zafu cushion to augment your meditation practice. Or take advantage of the healing frequency of violet or purple crystals such as amethyst, sugilite, or lepidolite.

A special thank you to Joseph’s Market for allowing me to take photographs in their produce department and to Countryside Nursery for allowing me to take photographs in their gardens.

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

www.HolEssence.com

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Energy Medicine, Healing, Health and Wellness, Spiritual Awareness

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Enriching Our Lives Through Tea

Blooming Flower Tea

One of my clients brought me a delightful gift of blooming flower tea from a recent trip overseas. It was a pleasure this morning to sit quietly and watch the leaves gently unfurl. For the occasion—truly enjoying a cuppa tea is an occasion—I delved into the pages of one of my favorite tea books: Tea Here Now: Rituals, Remedies, and Meditations by Donna Fellman and Lhasha Tizer.

While I’m enjoying this delicious morning cuppa blooming flower tea, I’d like to share with you a small passage from page 142 in their book:

“Tea has enhanced our own lives in many ways. It has refined our way of moving, teaching us to carry ourselves with grace, dignity, and precision—helping us to develop a newfound sense of our bodies. We tread gently, aware of our personal impact upon the world and respectful of all that we encounter along the way. Learning to make tea becomes an exquisite and personal art.

It’s also a way of being and doing that can inform our entire lifestyle. It allows us to do whatever we do well, take time to pause and reflect, and contemplate our actions deeply. Tea does not tell us what do, or what to reflect on, or what actions to take. It only encourages us to pursue our endeavors mindfully, thoughtfully, with integrity and consideration—all the qualities that we learned through making a cup of tea well apply to doing anything well. The spirit of tea invokes a sense of caring and attention, a feeling for excellence that can have a positive influence in every part of our lives.”

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

www.HolEssence.com
Copyright © 2010 Laurie Buchanan — All Rights Reserved.

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Life, Musings, Personal Growth

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Collect Call for God

Call Box by Laurie Buchanan

Regardless of the religious tradition or spiritual path, at least one basic ingredient is shared; prayer and/or meditation. I’m often asked if prayer and meditation are the same thing. In my experience they’re similar, yet different. I think of prayer as talking with Divine Love and meditation as listening to Divine Love. Most of us have the talking part down pat. Many of us struggle with the listening part. As one of my clients says, “Even though it’s simple, it’s not always easy.” Simple and easy aren’t the same. Simplicity is efficiency, a clearing of clutter—mental or otherwise; while easy is uncomplicated and trouble-free.

Whether we pray out loud or speak from the quietness of our mind, our words and thoughts are things—they have a vibration—which means they’re powerful. In her book The Dynamic Laws of Prayer, Catherine Ponder wrote, “When you pray, you stir into action an atomic force. You release a potent spiritual vibration that can be released in no other way. Through prayer you unleash a God energy within and around you that gets busy working for you and through you.”

(Photo taken with self-timer in Ardnamurchan, Scotland)

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

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Spiritual Awareness, Personal Growth, Life

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Tonglen

Tonglen by Len Buchanan

Tonglen is an active practice of loving-kindness; a breathing meditation of sending and taking. Performed by Tibetan Buddhists and other spiritual traditions, Tonglen is a positive, uplifting, constructive, and healing way to care for other people. The heart of this practice is compassion; to breathe in another person’s pain—physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual—and breathe out strength, joy, and peace of mind; whatever gives relief.

Tonglen can be done for people individually—a person who is ill, fearful, in sorrow, or in pain. Or it can be done for people collectively—people in a geographic area that’s been struck by a natural disaster such as tornado, earthquake, flood, or famine. Tonglen can be done anywhere, anytime. It can be formal like you see me doing in the photograph, or it can be done while you’re driving, or in bed.

When the Dalai Lama was touring the United States, he recommended the practice of Tonglen. He made it very simple. “Tonglen is giving and taking. As you inhale, take on the suffering of others. As you exhale, give out to them all your gifts, virtues, and positive qualities.” He suggests beginning the practice with equalizing, which means, “To realize that each and every sentient being wants happiness and does not want suffering, just like you.” With that in mind, he imagines that this practice actually reduces suffering in the world, but he says that, “Whether this meditation really helps others or not, it gives me peace of mind. Then I can be more effective, and the benefit is immense.”

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan

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Healing, Life, Personal Growth, Spiritual Awareness

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University of Life

University of Life by Laurie Buchanan

I am currently attending the University of Life. Each class I complete takes me a little closer to graduation. At some point I will have gained all of the necessary wisdom from this coursework and return home. Right now I’m carrying a full class load with:

Mindfulness – (prerequisite, Touching Life Deeply)
Being Still – 301
Letting Go – (remedial course)
Divine Grace (no cost, freely bestowed)
Living Meditation (prerequisite, Insight)
Gratitude (elective)

Over the next few days I’ll share the course descriptions, but right now I’ve got to go; I’m studying for finals.

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
~ Laurie Buchanan

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Humor, Life, Personal Growth, Spiritual Awareness

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Speaking from the Heart

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." ~ Laurie Buchanan

Posts tagged ‘meditation’

Rain Retreat Meditation

Zipped in the Pod!

Self-Realization Fellowship & Meditation Garden

R is for Relaxation

VIOLET – Strengthen the Connection with Your Higher Self

Enriching Our Lives Through Tea

Collect Call for God

Tonglen

University of Life

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