18.
06.
2010
Select a word, prayer, piece of scripture or affirmation that speaks to you. Use a set of mala beads and recite your chosen mantra starting on the summit (large) bead. Enjoy the silence after the mantra and then move onto the next bead and repeat until you have come full circle back to the summit. If you wish to continue once reaching the summit, flip the mala and reverse direction. Praying the rosary can also be practiced in a similarly mindful manner and is a wonderful way to meditate.
From the Meditation For Beginners Retreat Workbook Copyright 2010, Virtuality.
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.
06.
2010
“You have the right to work, but for the work’s sake only.
You have no right to the fruits of work.
Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working.
Never give way to laziness, either.
Perform every action with your heart fixed on the Supreme Lord.
Renounce attachment to the fruits.
Be even tempered in success and failure;
for it is this evenness of temper which is meant by yoga.
Work done with anxiety about results is far inferior to work done without such anxiety,
in the calm of self-surrender.
Seek refuge in the knowledge of Brahman.
They who work selfishly for results are miserable.”
— Bhagavadgita Mahabharata (from www.goodreads.com )
The words above touched me deeply and are a great reminder of how important non-attachment is in life. Non-attachment to the fruits of your labor, or really anything for that matter, is often easier said than done, especially when what you are working on is something you care very much about. This moves us a step beyond faith (that things will work out) and surrender (that a higher power knows best) to devotion (whether it be to God, to the work itself, to helping another or any other cause outside yourself). Non-attachment means acting selflessly and out of pure love and joy, much like a parent who cares for their child out of pure love while expecting nothing in return. The paradox of this is that the work we perform from a state of pure joy, love and non-attachment is often the work that ends up bringing us the greatest rewards in the end.
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.
9.
06.
2010
Sit or lay down and get comfortable. Close your eyes and take in a few slow, deep, breaths. Breathe in peace and breathe out any tension you might have. Think about the last time you were at the beach. Remember the way the waves would roll up onto the beach and get pulled back into the sea. Remember the beautiful rhythm of the waves. In and out… in and out… just like your breath.
Imagine now that you are the ocean. Feel your body and soul become one with the vastness of the open sea. Feel all of the life within the ocean become part of you. Feel the rhythm of the ocean tides move energetically through your body. Feel the waves become one with your breath. In and out… in and out.
As you exhale, purse your lips and slowly push the waves out onto the beach with your breath. Hear the sound of the waves as they roll across the sand. When your exhale is complete, allow yourself to pause briefly just as the ocean’s waves linger on the shore for a moment before returning to the ocean. When you feel ready, slowly and gently breathe in your next breath and pull the waves back into the sea with your breath.
The objective is to breathe slowly and gently. Do only what feels comfortable to you. Allow your attention to be focused on your breath and if your mind wanders (as minds often do), just gently pull your attention back to your breath.
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.
2.
06.
2010
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…” – Henry David Thoroueau (Walden)
1.
06.
2010
We are creating a new meditation group in the Park Ridge area and are now organizing both group meditations and upcoming meditation retreats! You can join the group on facebook for updates and feel free to let us know what times/days of the week would work best for you! Namaste!
Group’s facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?networks#!/group.php?gid=131732863504459&v=wall
30.
05.
2010
Today is Heal The Ocean Meditation Day at Group Meditation For A Better World!!! Please join us tonight at 10pm central to meditate for the wellbeing of all those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – whether they be creatures of the ocean, sky or land. Please send your love to all those affected and to those working to clean up the mess! Love and light to you and yours!
Join the Group Meditation For A Better World on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Group-Meditation-For-A-Better-World/109759975708104?v=wall and help us to make the world a better place!
Melissa Marcy
Virtuality Studio Reiki and Meditation
25.
05.
2010
Go outside and find a flower that calls to you. Ask the flower if it would be alright for you to pick it and use it for meditation. If the flower agrees, you will have a gut feeling that it is ok. As you take the flower, give thanks to both the flower itself and the plant that you are removing it from.
Once you have your flower, find a quiet place where you can sit undisturbed and get comfortable there. Take a few slow deep breaths, breathing in love and breathing out tension and stress. Feel your flower in your hands and send it love and gratitude. Feel the flower begin to draw out any negativity from within you. As the negativity exits your hands into the flower, feel the flower transforming the energy into pure love. Sit in contemplation with your flower, with your eyes either open or closed, until you feel your energies have been completely purified by the flower.
When you are done with your meditation, be sure to return the flower back to the earth (not via your garbage can) in a respectful way. You can lay the flower on the ground next to the plant you took it from, or if that is not possible, place it outside in a flower bed or on a forest floor where it can drop its seeds. Give thanks to the flower once again and to the earth that will receive it.
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.
05.
2010
Dreaming is extremely important. Dreams can provide the inspiration to get up and go each day and are an important way to both plan the future and clarify what we want. We didn’t come here and incarnate on this planet to simply live in dreams though. We came here to fulfill a purpose, to truly live, and experience what it is to be alive.We have a body, so everything cannot just be experienced through our head and mind. Take the feeling of grass under your feet for example. Is merely imagining the feeling of grass on your feet as spectacular as the feeling of running barefoot through a field of thick cool grass? Of course not! Can you begin to truly understand what rain is by just imagining it, or does the understanding come from the experience of stepping outside in the rain, jumping in a puddle, hearing it fall around you and feeling it on your face? Would you rather just think about the beach, or actually go there, stand in the waves and feel your feet sink into the sand? Would you rather just dream about success or work toward achieving it and experience it? Would you rather only dream about something your whole life, or stand up and actually try to achieve it… knowing that even if you fail, you at least gave it your best shot? Would you rather just dream of the perfect relationship or put yourself out there and experience what it means to find true love? Would you rather only dream of someday traveling to a faraway place or make the plans and actually experience being there?Sure, it might seem safer to experience the world through dreams, but looking back at life from the end would you rather have spent your life dreaming about what could have been, or would you rather have gone out there, perhaps taken a few risks, and actually fulfilled your dreams?
Everything we do in life is a risk and nothing is for certain. Some of us will have more time here to enjoy, and some of us will have less. The amount of time we are given doesn‘t matter as much as what we choose to do with our time. It doesn’t matter what you have done up until now either. What is important, is what you choose to do going forward. Are you going to live and try your best to experience your dreams? Or are you going to just pack those dreams away for a future time that may, or may not, come. I hope that you will truly live, fulfill your dreams, and enjoy the ride.
Never stop dreaming, but don’t forget to dance your dance, sing your song and really, truly live.
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.
20.
05.
2010
The graveyard of dreams is built upon should do’s, can’t do’s, supposed to’s and have to’s.
13.
05.
2010
Labyrinths are a wonderful meditation tool that have been used for thousands of years. Depending on how you want to look at it, the labyrinth is a path inward to your inner self, or to god, and back out to the physical world, or rebirth. You can use a labyrinth in pretty much whichever way you choose – some people go in seeking an answer, some go in looking for help and others just use it as a way to look inward and quiet their mind.
As you begin your walk inward think of a question you have, a dilemma you are trying to solve, or just go in open minded and see what insights come to you. Focus on your steps and what you are feeling. At the center of the labyrinth you can do a variety of things depending on what your needs are at that time. Some days you might just want to take some time and experience being at the center, other days you might have a question to ask or a request for the universe. On your way out, focus again on your steps, notice how you feel inside, and try to be present with each step.
You can use the labyrinth locator at labyrinthlocator.com to find the closest labyrinth near you, or you can even create one in your yard or order (or create) a portable one that you can use either indoors or outdoors.
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.
