Did you know cancer is on the increase among 30-45 year olds? This increase in cancer related deaths is because our minds are creating at a faster rate, the new normal is multi-tasking and after years of addiction to pain our bodies are breaking down faster than ever. Did you know in the time it takes to check your status update you can increase your emotional, mental and even physical levels?
As a healer and intuitive spiritual advisor & medium, I have the incredible gift to connect with those who have passed with the living, it is a blessing I am grateful to have everyday. It is in this connection I am able to understand more about life and how to live as a Be-ING not just a human doing. Spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation have been shown to decrease stress and emotional upset while increasing a more positive attitude, which in turn expands your lifespan. Prayer is similar to meditation because each create inner harmony & peace yet one is to converse and one is to listen. Because we have been taught to believe it requires effort and strenuous discipline, the idea of spiritual practice has been viewed as reading a few self - help books, taking yoga classes, and watching Oprah, but that is the myth that has been created to distract us from getting to really know ourselves which is what spiritual practice is really about. It is in the practice you hear your inner wisdom, can connect to your the God of YOUR understanding, and manifest the life you dream of while building self esteem, confidence, and spiritual awareness. It is here you begin to remember who you really are by learning to love yourself deeply and fully, healing your childhood wounds, and sharing your time, talent, and treasure doing what you LOVE so you can THRIVE not just survive. It is here you save your life by living instead of dying of pain & fear - cancer. "The body is the servant of the mind." James Allen
The addiction to pain is a worldwide epidemic as mass murder at work & our schools are becoming a "thing", the news covers disease, dismay and death as entertainment, and we watch in fascination wanting to know every horrid detail, is this not the definition of addiction? A Course in Miracles says, "The blind become accustomed to their world by their adjustments to it." This is what is being fed into the world, in addition to, any childhood dramas and/or traumas you have buried deep within your psyche & body.
Dr. Bernie Siegel writes in "Love, Medicine & Miracles", "One of the most common precursors of cancer is a traumatic loss or a feeling of emptiness in ones life. When a salamander loses a limb it growls a new one. In an analogous way, when a human being suffers an emotional loss that is not properly dealt with, the body responds by developing a new growth."
The practice of prayer becomes increasingly important to someone with a life threatening illness to face as does faith, but is that where you want to be to heal, deal, and process life's list of wrong doings? Many experiences of my life have been dark times with suffering, sorrow, and sadness too yet the perspective of life I choose to see reflects who and what I am not what has happened to me. I think the more we turn away from ourselves the harder life becomes thus creating stress, anxiety, and more of it because what we really want we are afraid to have. James Allen wrote, "The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears..." He goes further to state that "his wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions." The fearful and fear filled experiences many have repeated have happened in order to create a different outcome because a pattern is a repeated action.
Where in your life are you experiencing a repeat, pause, replay? Are you willing to change?
We are afraid to recognize we know little of the outside world we create a comfort zone to keep ourselves in, with its criteria & course, hoping someone or something will help, save, and change us never waiting to take responsibility for own lives because ultimately to look deeply at yourself requires bringing up things long and deeply buried. Judgment is projection as it is easy to point out another's flaws then refuse to look at our own. A Course in Miracles explains, "Forget not that this judgment must apply to what you want, with it as your ally." How easy it is to invite shame and blame into life by allowing fears to run the show and not trusting or believing in our selves? To pay attention to one self is part of spiritual practice that creates the most resistance and like the saying goes what you resist you persist. Would you be willing to heal if you knew you could have the love, lifestyle, and liberty you want by simply allowing yourself to choose again? Prayer requires no more than listening. "His Word can not be heard until your mind is quiet for a while, and meaningless desires have been stilled," from A Course in Miracles.
It is because of the multi- tasking, instant gratification, me, myself and I thinking that over consumerism has increased, as well as, needing more than one can really afford, and robbing from one's self with what I call "money stories" that bring the most shame, anger, and embarrassment in our modern day society. Again, this reflects the ideas from childhood like" money doesn't grow on trees" to "I can always bring it back" , and so does what your growing up experience and parents relationship with money that creates pieces of your adult money story. If you are not doing what you love, struggling to make ends meet, and bargaining with The Universe to help you pay your bills, then prayer is the answer. A Course in Miracles says, "all healing is in the mind" which demonstrates that it is within that healing happens and is thus realized in our lives. The Law of Attraction works with self -talk, action, and faith not just positive thinking, which is why many give up on being spiritual. The story you have been told is " if you ask for something it should come" because you want it, but the story your money tells is more about self- worth, value and respect, not just material possessions and bulging pockets. Many have been led to believe that more will make you happy, better, and more powerful, yet it has been shown that even the rich and famous can be affected. When you increase your spiritual practice, "all shall be given onto you," said Jesus.
It is in the clarity, focus, and inspiration prayer provides, that life takes on a more receptive nature of flow, grow energy. It is in this energy that self -confidence, increased purpose, and inspired action prayer provides. In "Love, Medicine & Miracles, the message is clear, " make your choice based on what it would feel like if they knew they were going to die in a day, a week, or a year. "
Prayer and meditation can change your life if you allow, align, and accept life, let go, and live by loving yourself through spiritual awareness and practice. A few simple ways to begin a prayer practice is by saying "thank you" for EVERYTHING in your life including toilet paper and electricity. Gratitude is the attitude that dissolves and resolves which opens the gateway to healing. My other favorite is the " Love Shower" as you shower tell every body part, person, and experience that you love it with compassion not judgment. An example is something like, " I love my organs, I love my work, my family, and my abundance." All the while washing away any negativity and letting it go right down the drain. You can even do this as you wash your hands.
Meditation has gotten a bad rap of needing quiet and the amazing ability to stop the thinking, this the listening part of spiritual practice. Science of Mind describes meditation as mental healing whereas other traditions view meditation as a clearing and quieting of the mind and both work in tandem to free the mind of mental clutter in order to come back into harmony with the intuitive self and the Higher Self. "Let us now let go of everything and enter into the consciousness of that which we believe, " is a snapshot of what it's true purpose is. It is in the quiet stillness we can "hear" the Truth, reveal genius, and create.
There are many ways to consciously practice "moving" meditation, as well as, incorporate a deeper practice, that allow meditation to become a part of your daily routine and life.
The magnificence of nature is a wonderful way to re-set and refresh as the bounty and beauty creates a sense of euphoria by sensing the connectedness, intelligence, and display of that which is not made by man. A 30 minute walk can do wonders for the mind, body, and soul just make sure to leave all the electronics at home and LISTEN to the music nature creates. Another is yoga and exercise, the "zone" top athletes talk about is the inner dialogue that goes on when one is using mental power to push the body forward. Yoga, on the other hand, allows one to be present and in the moment with the body, with quieted focus while the body moves through the series of movements. It IS more than exercise if you allow it to be.
Spiritual practices don't have to have the dogma of religion connected to it, it can be as easy as an attitude of gratitude or taking a walk, which both can lower stress, disease, and depression. Prayer is where you let go by allowing and meditation is where you align through listening. All the answers you need to heal are within you not in your mind but in your heart. It is in allowing of prayer and alignment with meditation that you can accept the life you have and live it like you mean it. There is no easy answer to heal the world and have world peace but YOU can begin to see the world with new eyes if you are willing to try something different. Your mind is powerful enough to create and destroy why not let it heal too.
"There is a way of living in the world that is not here, although it seems to be. You do not change appearance, though you smile frequently. Your forehead is serene; your eyes are quiet." A Course in Miracles
By Tonya Melendez, RScP, Tarot Life Coach
