Meditation, Affirmations & Visualization

Two weeks ago, a bunch of us gathered in my living room to watch the DVD, "You Can Heal Your Life".  It is an inspiring true story of a woman and reknowned author, Louise L. Hay, and how she changed her entire life by the power of positive affirmations & self healing.  

If you have begun the wonderful journey of healing your own life, perhaps you are using affirmations to assist you daily?  Perhaps you have become frustrated that you feel in a cycle of "nothing is happening" yet? And maybe you want to give up and return to the old negative self talk?  

Well, please let me remind you that you are not alone.  In fact, once you've begun saying and thinking your affirmations, it's important to practice patience. One of the biggest mistakes people make when using affirmations is giving up too soon! But would you not water your garden because the seeds didn't become grown plants overnight?  No, of course not!  Try and think of yourself as a gardener of your own life! You must cultivate the soil, water, weed, and fertilize to grow a beautiful life. To grow a wonderful life takes releasing the past, learning to think more effectively with affirmations, and trusting that your beautiful garden will blossom fully in time. 
  
Using meditation and visualization can actually speed up the body's receptivity to positive changes,  because these practices take you to a more powerful connection with your subconscious mind and Universal Energy.  Meditation is simply a process of focusing your attention on your breath or on a short phrase. This will help you to balance emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. When you're in that quiet place, your heart and mind are connected, so doing your affirmations at this level is even more powerful than simply repeating them when you are in your usual busy, conscious state. 

Many of my new clients, my friends and listeners on my radio show, tell me that they just can't stay focused enough to meditate!  What if I told you that many years ago, I also struggled with "sitting still & quieting my busy mind"?!  I want to offer a simple exercise to get you started.  

Sit comfortably and relax.  You don't need to sit cross-legged on the floor, if that isn't comfortable for you.  Simply sit in your favorite chair, with your head rested & your feet firmly on the ground.  Focus your attention on your breathing. As you breathe in, think to yourself, "I AM", and as you breath out, think to yourself, "relaxed." Count your breaths from one to four. Simply count mentally each time you exhale, starting with one and going to four. Repeat the counting over and over.  Think to yourself, "calm and at peace" with each breath, or any other phrase that is relaxing for you.  Imagine yourself in a beautiful, peaceful setting. 

I also recommend Creative Visualization.  This is something we all do every single day, yet we do not always visualize positive scenarios.  Instead, we focus on that person who cut us off on the way to work, or how much we have on our to-do list, or all of the bills we have to pay, etc.
 
Creative Visualization is imagining, seeing, feeling, or describing something you would like to create. They bring in all of the senses along with affirmations to give your subconscious mind the EXPERIENCE of the reality you are creating. Your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between the reality "out there" and the one you create inside, so visualizations create a new "inner landscape" that in turn produces results on the outside. Many people say they cannot visualize, yet they can always describe their backyard, vehicle, or kitchen!  

When we can somehow picture or feel what it is we want, then we're visualizing. It's really that simple. The feeling part is actually more important than really "seeing" the new reality, as the Universe responds most quickly to the feelings you send out (this is called your vibration).  So, go ahead and give it a try!  Once you are in a relaxed place, think or quietly repeat your affirmations, and visualize what your life would be like when they have already happened! Visualize as many details as you can!  Is your desire to live on the ocean, start your own business,  be happily married, or in a better state of health?  Whatever it is that you want to create in your life, YOU have the power within you to do so.  All you need is to be in alignment with what you say you want in your life.   Take time everyday to meditate, affirm that you are achieving your desires easily, and visualize it as so -- really FEEL what it would be like,  to BE living the life you desire!