30.
03.
2010
Hearing the birds chirp outside on this beautiful sunny day reminds me that some of the most wonderful things in life are the little things we often take for granted.
Remember to look for and cherish the beauty in each moment. Each moment we have here on earth is a gift to be enjoyed to the fullest. We didn’t come here to worry or be fearful. We didn’t come here to be frustrated or tired. We didn’t come here to be bored or stressed. We came here to experience love and learn compassion… to have fun and know what it is like to be alive. We came here to experience the world around us, to feel things and to learn and grow. Our world isn’t perfect, but it is truly beautiful when you can look past the bruised parts to see the exquisite whole. There is so much we have here to be grateful for, including the birds making that beautiful music outside and the people we share our lives with.
Take a look at your life. Think about which parts of it you absolutely love and figure out what could use improvement. Then, just like you do with your home when you do your spring cleaning, clear out the clutter, fix anything that is broken and give it all good washing from top to bottom so you can truly shine!
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
28.
03.
2010
Our very first group meditation will take place tonight at 10pm CST! Please join us and help spread the word! The bigger this group becomes, the more of an impact we will be able to make. We will be sending Reiki to all the participants who wish to receive it during the meditation as our way of saying thank you for helping us to improve the world. Sign up the group’s webpage at http://www.virtualitystudio.com/gmfabwreiki.html if you would like Reiki sent to you during the meditation.
Main webpage for this group:
http://www.virtualitystudio.com/gmfabwreiki.html
Join our group on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103540023013888&ref=mf
Become our fan on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Group-Meditation-For-A-Better-World/109759975708104
Join our group on gaia:
http://anewgaia.ning.com/group/Group_Meditation
26.
03.
2010
In preparation for the first Group Meditation For A Better World this Sunday I want to open up a dialogue with everyone about what you feel needs to be changed in our world. While I know it is important to stay positive and not to focus on negativity, we do (unfortunately) need to be aware of what is going on in the world if we ever hope to change it for the better. We cannot achieve anything if our eyes are closed, our ears are plugged and our heads are buried in the sand. This doesn’t mean that we need to dwell on these things or fight against them… we just need to be aware of them so we can send our love to those in need of it and so we can visualize a positive outcome for each situation. Here are some of the issues I have recently come across that led me to form this group… visit with caution as some of the images are graphic and/or disturbing:
Slaughter of dolphins in Japan: http://www.thecovemovie.com/
Slaughter of whales in Denmark: http://earthfirst.com/pilot-whales-brutally-slaughtered-annually-in-the-faroe-islands/
Dogs, cats and other animals skinned alive for their furs in China: http://animalsaviors.org/
Abuse, rape and violence toward women and children worldwide: http://www.hrw.org/en/category/topic/women
The global economy is also an issue to most people at the present time and could use a great deal of positive energy.
The above are only a handful out of many situations (affecting both humans and animals) across our planet that could use improvement. Please share anything you are aware of so we can begin to send our love and positivity to all the wonderful beings in our world who greatly need it. We can work together to create positive change for the greater good of us all – from the economy, to the treatment of people and animals, to world peace. The more people who participate in this meditation the more powerful it will be, so please help us to spread the word!
Please sign up at one or all of our online locations so we know who will be participating and so we can let you know when the upcoming meditations will be. We plan to do at least a few group meditations each month.
The Group Meditation For A Better World’s Main homepage: http://www.virtualitystudio.com/gmfabwreiki.html
Gaia group: http://anewgaia.ning.com/group/Group_Meditation
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=103540023013888&ref=mf
Our greatest thanks to all who take this journey with us!
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
24.
03.
2010
Our very first group meditation will take place on Sunday, March 28th at 10pm CST! Please join us and help spread the word! The bigger this group becomes, the more of an impact we will be able to make. If you are in a part of the world where this time will be difficult for you, just do the meditation before going to sleep Sunday night! We will be sending Reiki to all the participants who wish to receive it during the meditation as our way of saying thank you for helping us to improve the world. Sign up on our website at http://www.virtualitystudio.com/gmfabwreiki.html if you would like Reiki sent to you during the meditation.
Main webpage for this group:
http://www.virtualitystudio.com/gmfabwreiki.html
Join our group on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Group-Meditation-For-A-Better-World/109759975708104?ref=ts
Join our group on gaia:
http://anewgaia.ning.com/group/Group_Meditation
21.
03.
2010
There are so many things in our world that most of us wish we could improve. Things like crime, hatred, murder, poverty, abuse, violence, war, fear, inequality, and lack of compassion need to be addressed worldwide. While there isn’t much we can do individually at a physical level, there is something that we can do together spiritually to create positive change throughout the world.
Join the Group Meditation For A Better World and help us to visualize a safer, happier and more peaceful place for all who live on Earth! A few times each month we will meditate together at the same time to help make the world a more positive and loving place.
All you need to do during the meditation is to get comfortable, relax and meditate in whichever way works best for you. During the meditation, visualize anything you feel needs to be changed as it would be in a perfect world and focus totally on the positive. Visualize all beings in our world being loved and cared for. Visualize what it would feel like to live in a peaceful and safe world. Visualize anything you wish could be improved exactly as it should be, it is that simple. Send love to each situation and send love to all beings who share our planet with us.
While the group is meditating we will send Reiki to all of the participants who wish to receive it for an extra boost and as our way of saying thank you for helping us improve the world. If you are a Reiki master or other light worker we invite you to send universal energy to the world with us at this time as well. The more people who join in the meditations, the more powerful our effect will be, so spread the word and feel free to share your ideas about what needs to be changed in the world on our Facebook group!
There are many ways to keep in touch with us get updates about the times and dates of the upcoming meditation sessions. Sign up at our Group Meditation For A Better World webpage if you wish to receive Reiki during the meditations and to receive updates about our upcoming sessions. You can also become our fan on Facebook and join our Group Meditation For A Better World page on Gaia and our Group Meditation For A Better World page on Facebook. It would be best to join all of the groups so you can meet other members and share information about what needs our love and light directed toward it.
Our greatest thanks to all who take this journey with us!
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
21.
03.
2010
The people in our lives who truly love us will be there for us regardless of what happens in our lives. Our true friends and loved ones are the people who love and support us in whatever we choose to do. They are the special people who love us unconditionally no matter how we behave, regardless of the mistakes we make, regardless of how we choose to live, and regardless of how much we have at any given time. They are the people who help to lift us up when we are down and show us we are loved when we forget how to love ourselves. They accept us and appreciate us wholly for who we are. These are the people in our lives that we can truly be ourselves around and the ones who will be there with us until the very end. Sometimes we can find them in our family and sometimes they are our friends, but wherever you find them realize that having them in your life is one of the greatest gifts that the universe has to offer.
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
18.
03.
2010
Everyone has at least a few things in their past they wish could be rewritten. Living life means that things will not always go as planned, things will not always seem fair, you might get hurt, you will make mistakes along the way and eventually we all will die. Fortunately there are also plenty of wonderful things that life has to offer us and by letting go of the negative influences of our past we can begin to not only enjoy them more fully, but manifest more of the things we desire into our lives.Begin by realizing that you cannot change the past. If there is something that can be corrected then by all means do that, but learn to accept the things that cannot. When we dwell on things of the past that we cannot change, we miss out on the opportunities for love, happiness and success that the present moment offers.The question then becomes, are you going to allow yourself to continue to be hurt by past events? If someone hurt you, are you going to allow them to continue to hurt you by wasting your precious time and energy, or will you take back your life by releasing them? If you made a poor choice, will you continue to let that choice be a disadvantage to you by living in regret, or are you willing to let it go and move on with your future? If there is something you are still holding onto from your past that no longer serves you, would you rather be weighed down by it or are you ready to let it go and be free? I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Releasing your past is something that you choose to do.Here is a little game you can play to help yourself make the decision to release something from your past. Get out a sheet of paper and fold it vertically in three sections. On the top of the piece of paper, write down what you want to release. In the left section, write down why you think you may be holding onto this issue. Perhaps you feel you are protecting yourself in some way or punishing someone who has hurt you by hating them? Perhaps you feel as if releasing the pain of grief would mean forgetting someone you love? Whatever it is, just write it down.
In the middle column, write down the things you have already missed out on or are missing out on now by holding onto this issue. Have you missed out on new opportunities? Does this have a negative effect on the people you love? Does feeling this way drain you? Are you blocking manifestation by feeling this way?
In the third column, write down what you can do and achieve once you choose to release this issue. What will you put this energy towards? How will you and your loved ones benefit from your newfound energy and happiness? How will it feel to be able to enjoy yourself more fully? What will you be able to manifest with that negativity removed?
While you cannot change the past, you do have absolute control over how much influence you allow it to have in your life now. That choice is completely up to you. Learn to let that go so it is no longer a block to manifestation and open the door to the universe’s bounty.
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
17.
03.
2010
The good old question of what you want to be when you grow up is just as important at the age of 80 or 90 as it is when you are 10 or 20. You don’t have to get it right the first time and you don’t have to actually grow up either… really. The fact is, when you truly enjoy what you do, it can often feel more like playing than work anyway. We all incarnated into this world for a reason. We came here to do something, experience something or learn something. This isn’t a mission you were commanded to achieve, but something you chose to come here for.Have you ever woke up one morning and thought to yourself, “this is it? There has to be something more to life than this.” I certainly felt that way. After doing everything in life that I thought I was supposed to do, I realized I wasn’t fulfilled. I had a beautiful home, the education, the career, the marriage, a great car and all of the material things that made for an outwardly perfect life, but I knew that something was still missing. I knew that this nagging sense of unfulfillment was my dharma’s way of calling me back to my higher purpose and I needed to find out what that was.The wonderful thing about the universe is that once you recognize that inner call from your soul to embark on that journey you receive the guidance you need to get you there. Things fall into place and opportunities open up for you that you could have never conceived of before. Even if you don’t know what it is that you are looking for, just the act of recognition alone can often work wonders. Surrender to your higher self and to the universe and the path will be shown to you.Many people fear that if they don’t do what they came here for that they will be punished in some way… this isn’t true. There is no authority in the sky judging you and handing out punishments for taking a different path. Remember that you came here of your own free will to do or experience something of your own choosing. If you aren’t walking down that path, you will simply feel unfulfilled and perhaps receive some guidance when you are ready. Guidance can come in a variety of forms – people you meet, things you see, coincidences, aha moments, feelings and even obstacles. The more open to and aware of the guidance we are, the smoother of a path we are usually able to lead.
If you come upon an obstacle or two, don’t let that worry you. I have come upon many myself and can say in hindsight that as frustrating and painful as those obstacles sometimes were, I can now honestly look at them as blessings in disguise. I happen to be one of those people who is more spiritually “dense” for lack of a better word and it took quite a lot of effort on the part of the universe to guide me. I am starting to get better, but it does take effort, especially on the part of those of us with very “busy” minds.
Once I made the decision to find my purpose, changes in my life started to fall into place rather quickly. I divorced my husband in the summer of 2007 and everything went very smoothly, our home even sold within a week. I spent a great deal of my time in the remainder of that year healing from my marriage, from the death of my father several years earlier and from my childhood. I went to therapy once a week and between therapy I immersed myself in the writings of Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra and Rhonda Byrne.
I was working as an architect at the time and was not totally thrilled about my career. While I enjoyed the artistic aspects of architecture, there was not much room in it for helping other people and that left me feeling very unfulfilled. I knew I wanted to help people in some way, but I wasn’t sure how to do that exactly. I dreamed about one day figuring out how to do that for a living because I was so exhausted after work each day that I knew it wasn’t something I would ever accomplish in my spare time.
My analytical mind had trouble accepting that drastic of a career change, especially after the amount of schooling and effort that went into obtaining my license in the first place. My entire identity had been built up around my career as an architect and I felt it would be irresponsible to give that up. I decided to look for a job doing architectural visualization as it was my specialization back in college. I figured that since it was more artistic I would be happier and much more fulfilled doing that. I had a phone interview with a firm out in Los Angeles who was looking for someone with my skills and it went really well… the only problem was that the visualization portion of the job would be only a small part of what I would actually be doing there. I finished the interview well, but thought to myself that it would be the same situation, just in a new location and I came to the conclusion that if I couldn’t find a job doing what I loved that I should just create one for myself. The thought of taking such a huge risk scared me though.
In early 2008, the company that I worked for was advertising at a home and garden trade show and I was scheduled to represent us there. On my drive there I was immersed in thought as usual when the realization came to mind again, “I would really just like to help people.” As usual the thought was quickly dismissed by a long line of excuses and logical reasoning. I arrived early and was sitting in our booth waiting for the show to start when a stranger came up to me and said, “I don’t normally do this, but God asked me to tell you something, is it ok with you?” “Sure,” I said. She continued, “He wanted me to let you know that there is an idea in your head that you have been thinking about recently and that idea did not come from you, it came from somewhere else, it came from him. You need to go home and be still, be silent, so he can talk to you.” I left the show that day feeling somewhat stunned, but comforted that I was at least moving in the right direction.
The question was however, which “idea” was it… the idea of starting my own business, or fulfilling the desire of helping others? I quickly reasoned my way out of the idea of a life of service… partly out of practicality and partly out of the fear of making such a huge leap.
Shortly thereafter I started my firm Virtuality as an architectural visualization business. After a year of working tirelessly to gain clients the recession hit full force with business trickling in at a snail’s pace. I had enough business to just barely survive, and more than enough time to think. That inner voice started call out even louder and I began to wonder if I had once again veered off course. I realized that something was still missing.
I still wanted to help others, but was unsure of how to do that. I began to write in my spare time as a way to help me find my purpose. I thought that if I could figure it all out, then perhaps what I experienced would be helpful to others as well. I felt lost again, but eventually learned to accept that feeling and embraced the endless possibilities I had before me. I hadn’t had that sense of freedom since childhood and it was a welcome, although scary, feeling. Every day for about a month I would drag my notepad out into the garden and write. By the end of that month I had amassed enough material to fill a book. The fact that I didn’t have much business coming in was scary, but who would’ve ever thought I would write a book. I was both giddy and petrified at the same time, but assured that I was on the right path.
In August of 2009 my mother and I decided to take a spiritual trip though the western United States. We had about 17 days to embark on our journey. Both of us knew that we needed to go, but neither of us really knew why. I knew that I needed to take inspirational photography, both for my book and to sell, but I could sense that there was a greater purpose. Living in and around the big city of Chicago for all of my life, I had never really ventured out that far… mostly because I never had to. As a result I didn’t get to see the magnitude of God’s beauty. In Chicago I could see things that man had built, but never experience the wonder of God’s creations. I had never experienced the mountains. I had never been to a place where I could see the sky touch the earth. I had never been to a place so pure that you could actually feel the presence of God. I went out in search of photography, but came back with my soul.
While at Glacier National Park I realized when trying to photograph a waterfall that the sound and movement of it was so beautiful that I needed to share it. I thought for those people like me, who live in big cities away from nature, that watching a video of a waterfall or stream would be a great way to meditate. I started on a new quest to capture as much beauty as I possibly could – both for myself and for others. After the trip I spent a great deal of time and energy putting together the meditations and finishing my book.
It seemed that every time I was ready to take the next step, the next teacher would appear. While on our travels we came across a spiritual practice called Reiki. We thought it was interesting, so we signed up for classes to learn more about it and how to do it when we got home. I was skeptical, but figured at the very worst it would be a great meditation retreat. Our experience there was unlike anything we could have ever expected. After the attunement and over the course of the Reiki sessions the following month, I went from a person who worried constantly about almost everything to a much more balanced individual. I stopped clenching my jaw and my headaches went away. I actually look younger now as well because my face is much more relaxed than it was before and I am much more happy.
The only downside to the attunement was the 21 day clearing process that followed. In truth, the 21 day clearing process following the attunement was not fun at all. I was both physically ill and an emotional wreck for that entire period of time. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Reiki, during the 21 day process, the Reiki energy flows through your different chakra centers and helps to release any spiritual blocks that impede the flow of energy. I must have had a lot of negativity that needed to be released, but I figured I was better off releasing it than trying to hold it in. It was amazing to me to see just how much old “stuff” came up that I thought I had dealt with years earlier. It was at that point that I realized just how much of a difference there is between burying an issue and releasing it. That discovery alone was priceless.
The Reiki also seemed to be massively accelerating everything I was doing on my spiritual path and I wanted to learn more. Over the next few months I received a series of several other Reiki attunements from different teachers to learn other forms of Reiki. After experiencing what it had done for me, I felt that I had finally found my way to help others. I decided to incorporate it into everything that I was doing and made the choice to transform my company from the architectural visualization firm it once was into a Reiki and meditation studio. That is the benefit of working for yourself I guess – your career can evolve along with you much more readily.
Had the recession never hit or had I received tons of architectural business right after opening my firm, I probably would have continued on doing what I knew. I would have been comfortable, but unfulfilled.
The path my life has taken has proven to me that the things in our life we often see as obstacles are really just the universe’s way of guiding us toward our highest fulfillment. Looking back on all of the frustrating, scary and seemingly horrible things that have happened in my life, I wouldn’t trade an ounce of it because I know that it all brought me to where I am today. I can now stand in awe of how intelligent the whole process was, knowing that if things had always gone the way that I planned or hoped for I would be nowhere near as happy or fulfilled as I am right now.
Your path isn’t something that you need to only find once, it is an ever evolving journey that unfolds one step at a time before you. Keep your eyes open, trust your intuition and have faith in the universe to guide you in the right direction. With the universe’s help we can all achieve the things we came into our lives to do. May you have the best of luck, happiness and peace on your journey.
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
16.
03.
2010
The most logical and beneficial things for us to do to help us manifest often seem to be the most daunting. Learning to let go is no exception to this rule. It is easy to tell someone (or yourself) to let go, but that is often easier said than done. It seems that the more something matters to you, and the more that you really need to let it go, the harder it becomes. When you really need something, it is hard not to become desperate and when you are passionate about something, it is hard not to become obsessed. These two patterns of behavior almost never produce anything worthwhile.How do you learn how to let go? There is one surefire way to learn how – you can try to hold onto something only to discover firsthand that the act of holding on (ie controlling, smothering, manipulating, nagging, whining, obsessing about, brooding, dwelling on, or worrying about) did absolutely nothing to help you achieve your goal… or even worse it caused you to fail completely. In terms of relationships, people are either going to love you for who you are or they are not. You cannot force someone to fall in love and you cannot force your friends to like you. They either do or they don’t. Trying to control them will only drive them farther away. Where this concerns anything else you wish to achieve in your life (money, home, career, spiritual goals, fun) the more desperate or obsessed you become about achieving something, the more rigid it makes you and the harder it will be for any of your desires to manifest. You can welcome things in as much as you want through positive thinking and affirmations, but still push them away by being inflexible.Trust the universe to know what is for your highest good and be open at all times to receiving that abundance. The universe knows and understands the desires of your soul often better than you do with your limited vision in this world. There are possibilities for you that you might not know even exist that would make you happier and more fulfilled than the things you are wishing for now. When you are rigid, you block the universe from delivering these things to you. Visualization is important and focusing on the positive end result is important because you are communicating to the universe what you desire. The goal here though is to take time to focus on your desires, enjoy seeing them and then to let go of those desires and let the universe work out that end result or something better for you.Tips for letting go:
- Trust the universe to help and guide you
- Trust that if you don’t get what you have asked for you will receive something even better in its place
- Understand that not letting go will only harm you
- Practice meditation (even if you haven’t mastered letting go completely, the few moments of surrender in meditation can work wonders for you)
- Take a few deep breaths every time you feel yourself becoming desperate or obsessed
- Repeat the following affirmations or make your own:
“I relax and let go, I am now free”
“I am flexible and open to receiving new and wonderful things.”
“I trust the universe to bring me what is for my highest good”
“I allow to an abundance of good come to me now”
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
Disclaimer: this article is intended for inspirational purposes only and the techniques and ideas described herein are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment or without prior consultation with, approval of, and under the supervision of your physician or therapist. Application of the information, techniques and ideas in this article is at the sole risk and discretion of the reader.
14.
03.
2010
The grand finale of our free Reiki event will take place tonight 3/14/10 at 10pm CST! Distance Reiki can be sent worldwide, all you need to do is sit back, relax and enjoy! Sign up at http://www.virtualitystudio.com/free_reiki.html to be included in this free session!
