An Open Heart

Yesterday I asked one of my dogs if she could give me a tip to help improve my animal communication technique. She told me to “do it with an open heart”. Simple as that. It’s incredible how deep animals can be. Having an open heart will improve your communication, whether it’s telepathically with animals or in everyday verbal talk with humans. An open heart helps on so many levels and whether the recipient notices it or not, they will be affected by it in some way.

So please, talk with an open heart.

Talking With Animals

What do I mean by that title? Surely we can’t talk with animals can we? They don’t speak our language, if they even speak at all!

Well I’m here to tell you they do, and we can communicate with animals, using the physic gifts we all have within us. They are ready to listen and send us messages and the best part is – everyone can do it with a little practice.

I recently purchased a cd set of animal communication training by an animal communicator called James French. The cd is terrific and a great way to start your communicating with animals. Using his techniques I had a little success but when I recently attended an animal communication workshop in my area the results blew my mind!

I was part of a group of 8 students on the day course which was an introduction to talking with animals. The main method was through telepathy, which is an incredibly interesting topic all by itself. There were three dogs there on the course so we all had some close connection to start us off. The thing is though, we don’t have to be in the same room to communicate with telepathy. It’s like distant healing – we can do it from thousands of miles away if we wish. In fact, quantum physics even supports the notion of this, which means science, in a way, proves it can work!

And to go a step further, you can even communicate with the spirit of an animal that has passed away – wow! I did a reading on someone else’s dog using a photo. I was told before I started that the dog was no longer alive. The things I got back from the reading though made me understand I was communicating with the animal. I correctly read that he died early in his life (2 years old) and was told his favourite friends name, his favourite walk (I was actually shown an image of the scene for this one) and many other things which I could not have possibly known beforehand. The lady who cared for the dog (I don’t like to use the word ‘owner’ as it gives the wrong impression about the relationship between an animal and it’s human family) was amazed I had received so much information. I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet here, it’s a long journey and practice is important but it’s such an important technique to bridge our world with theirs.

I will be writing more on the subject of animal communication in the future as my telepathic journey continues. So how about you? Do you communicate with animals? Let me know your experiences…

What is a Gratitude Stone?

Gratitude stones are so simple yet oh so effective. I have used a gratitude stone for a few years now and it has helped me enormously. If you haven’t tried one yet, read on for inspiration…

So what is a Gratitude Stone?

Gratitude stones are basically a simple way to remind yourself to be grateful for what you have in your life. A lot of people jumped on the wagon when it was mentioned on the popular film and book called The Secret. The truth is though, gratitude stones have been around for far longer. The idea is that you put a stone in your pocket and throughout the day you keep finding it there. When you do it reminds you to be grateful of all you have in your life. It serves as a reminder so you can keep your spiritual focus. These days in the hustle and bustle of modern life we tend to forget about how good our life is, how lucky we are. Perhaps you are waiting at a bus stop on a cold and wet day, thinking what a horrible day it is. Then you by chance put your hands in your pocket and find the gratitude stone. Instantly this will remind you how lucky you are. You could be starving or homeless, but no – you have a good life.

Where can I get a Gratitude Stone?

You will find many online shops offering gratitude stones for sale but the truth is any stone will do! It’s not the stone itself that helps, just the way it reminds you to think positively. Buying an expensive gratitude stone will not make any difference. I went outside in my garden and found one in the dirt. After giving it a quick rinse I popped it in my pocket with a quick ‘thanks’. It’s really simple!

Of course you don’t have to put your stone in your pocket, and sometimes it just isn’t practical with certain clothing. Try putting it on your bedside table, so when you wake and when you go to bed at night you see it. Pick it up and say a little thanks for all you have and for the good things you experienced that day. Just make sure the gratitude stone doesn’t get forgotten about. The aim is to  use it as a reminder for daily thanks. It keeps us focussed on the spiritual aspect of our lives. Since using my gratitude stone I have become more aware of how good my life is, and I say a little prayer for this every day. Quite often I don’t even need to see or feel the stone, it has become an integral part of my day to be grateful for what I have.

Go out in your garden, or take a trip to the beach, find yourself a stone and use it in a positive way – you won’t regret it x

Meditation Mantras – A Guide to Mantras for Meditation

One of the most popular ways to meditate is by using a mantra. For those who don’t know what a mantra is, essentially it is a word which you repeat over and over, usually in your head. This helps focus the mind and remove distractions such as thoughts that will naturally pop into your head. It’s an effective way of encouraging the mind and body to let go and relax.

Sometimes meditation mantras are based on spiritual figures such as Buddhist, or even God. In Hebrew tradition there are 72 names for God, each representing an aspect of God. In Islamic tradition there are 99 names of God, which again represent various aspects of God.

Let’s go through some of the more widely used meditation mantras and try to understand their meaning, background and use for meditation…

Om
Probably the most popular mantra for meditation worldwide is Om. According to Hinduism, Om is the primordial sound from which all creation arose. The sound of Om has four distinct aspects to the creation of the sound: ah sound – a long ‘o’ sound – mmmm sound and silence. It is worth trying to feel where in your body you can feel the sound vibrating. OM resonates the vibrational tone of a non-dualistic universe as a whole. Buddhists relate OM to the crown chakra. This mantra centers the mind on the thought “I am manifestation of divine consciousness”.

Om Namaha Shivai is the feminine form and Om Namaha Shivaiya the masculine. These are also the name of God and they are popular in India and used as an invocation and prayer to the Hindu God Shiva. Repeating it will bring your state of consciousness in closer alignment with the state of that sound vibration, the state of Brahman. Consequently, many people use the sound of Om as a focus for their meditation.

Om Mani Padme Hum
Following on from Om is the meditation mantra Om mani padme hum, the six syllable mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara. This mantra is particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara and is also known as the jewel in the lotus. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, and so the mantra is especially revered by his devotees. It is a meditation mantra for healing the heart.

Rama
Rama, another Sanskrit name for God, is one of the most popular mantras used in India. It was used by Gandhi for over sixty years and is powerful at removing negative energies. You can simply repeat Rama on its own.

Hare Krishna mantra
Krishna is another name for God. The Hare Krishna mantra, also known as the Maha Mantra (“Great Mantra”), is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra which first appeared in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hu
Hu, a Sanskrit mantra, is also an ancient name for God. Ani-Hu is a variation of the Hu chant. Pronounced “ahn-eye-hu,” it is also an invocation to God with an added dimension that brings in the quality of empathy and oneness with others.

Here are examples of other spiritual meditation mantras:
Ek Ong Gar – one creator, God is one
Shante – supreme peace
Om Namah Shivaya – I honor the God within
Soham or Hamsa – I am That
El Shaddai – a Hebrew name for God, translated as “God Almighty”
Elohim – another Hebrew name for God, translated as “to whom one has recourse in distress or when one is in need of guidance”
Allah – the Islamic name for God
Govinda – one of the Hindu names for God, which refers to God’s power as he pervades everything

There are many, many more. The idea to keep in mind is that each name represents a particular quality or aspect. By focusing on that aspect, you come to know it in a deeper way. There are also longer mantras that consist of one or more sentences. Mantras like the powerful Kundalini Yoga Mantras and the Gayatri Mantra are more like prayers in the way they are set up.

Meditation mantras build up a powerful field of spiritual energy that can change your consciousness. The key is in your intention – bringing an attitude of reverence and love to whatever you are chanting. From ancient times, people have believed in the power of sacred words. The non-Buddhist approach to spirituality, known as Tantra, made extensive use of mantras as a method of contacting and influencing the gods. Buddhism adopted this method as a way of encouraging enlightenment.

Some meditators like to repeat their mantra in alignment with their breathing, perhaps repeating the mantra on every out-breath. Others teach not to tie the mantra to any set pattern but just to go with how it comes out and not to focus on the breath.

So what happens after repeating your meditation mantra for a while? Usually it will bring you to a deep, beautifully quiet place in your mind, where external noise is dimmed and everything seems tranquil. This is when you are actually meditating. The breathing is subtle, your muscles are relaxed, your head is relaxed. The mind is at peace. You could liken it to normal life being the choppy waves on the sea, then as you go down the water is less noisy, until you reach the bottom of the sea and all is still, quiet and peaceful. This is where you are in a deep meditation.

So a mantra is essentially a way to focus the mind and filter out thoughts, thus bringing the mind and body into a deep state of relaxation. I once asked my meditation teacher does it matter what word I use? Could I just repeat ‘banana’ over and over? In principle this should still work, but by using a sacred word for your mantra you have further benefits. Meditation mantras have a sacred meaning and their sounds have healing energetic vibrations that are beneficial to your mind, body, heart and soul. This is true even when used silently – your thoughts of these words have similar vibrations as when verbally sounded. By using such sacred words, you take the meditation to a deeper level of consciousness and therefore the energetic vibration also becomes stronger.

If you are just starting out with meditation, try some of these mantras and see if you find one that works best for you. I will be writing some meditation tips and guided meditations in the future to aid meditation.

15 Inspiring Quotes About Love

Love is hard to describe, yet is probably the most powerful thing in our lives. They say ‘love conquers all’, and ‘all you need is love’, but what exactly is it? Here are 15 of the greatest quotations on the subject of love, by some of the deepest thinkers, writers and poets of all time. Immerse yourself in the madness we call ‘love’…

“Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.” D. H. Lawrence

“If I am given a chance to change one thing in this world, I will change the order of alphabets and place U and I together.” Unknown

“When we feel love and kindness towards others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. And there are ways in which we can consciously work to develop feelings of love and kindness.” 14th Dalai Lama

“When you feel lonely, look to the sky and know that I am somewhere beneath that same sky thinking of you and wishing you were there with me.” Unknown

“I love thee, I love but thee With a love that shall not die Till the sun grows cold And the stars grow old.” William Shakespeare

“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” Saint Augustine of Hippo

“The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain signing to it – you and you alone make me feel that I am alive – Other men, it is said, have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough.” George Moore

“I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“When you are in Love you can’t fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams.” Dr Seuss

“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” Heather Cortez

“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” Judy Garland

“I’m so in love, every time I look at you my soul gets dizzy.” Jaesse Tyler

“If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden.” Claudia Ghandi

“What I need to live has been given to me by the earth. Why I need to live has been given to me by you.” Unknown

“I dropped a tear in the ocean, when I find it, that’s when I’ll stop loving you.” Unknown

The Best Dog Video Ever!

If you are a big animal lover like me, and especially have a soft spot for our canine friends, this video will have you laughing, crying and shouting OMG! This video of dogs doing crazy things is absolutely amazing and will make you look at our canine friends in a whole new light! It’s a compilation of videos showing just how amazing dogs can be, from skateboarding and walking upright, to talking and riding a bicycle!

Seriously, I found this video so inspiring I’m going to go and give my dogs a very big hug in a minute! You wouldn’t think dogs could perform such feats but this 7min film captures the essence of them – fun, engaging and wonderfully created.

Who said dogs were lazy and dumb? Hopefully this video will encourage you to engage and stimulate your doggy friend. Take him for a walk, play ball with him, jog with him, make him enjoy life to the max. We can learn a lot from dogs. They don’t have the burdens we have through life – they have a simple life that is focussed on life. If you let your dogs, they will show you how to enjoy life and live in the moment.

EDIT: Here’s another brilliant canine video that you simply must see featuring Jesse the incredibly talented Jack Russell – watch the dog video here on YouTube.

How To Keep Your Meditation Regular

Personally I find meditation is one of the greatest things we can do to guide us down our spiritual path and maintain a healthy life. It works on so many levels and can be very powerful. The trouble is, in today’s modern world of hustle and bustle it can be quite draining and sometimes we forget to take a few minutes each day to meditate. In this post you will discover a very simple way to ensure you get your regular meditation practice back on track…

I was taught to meditate for 20 minutes, twice a day. This is certainly not set in stone and many other meditators will do less or more, but this is what I have become used to. This can be achievable, but when you do a full time job, perhaps have children to look after at home etc., it can be very difficult. Before you know it, it’s time for bed and you’re so tired that if you tried to meditate you would fall asleep immediately!

What I do when I realise I have not been meditating regularly is to start back with some bite-sized meditations. Simply find a quiet place sometime in the day and meditate for 2 minutes. Seriously, anyone can spare 2 minutes for a quick meditation, can’t they? Being 2 minutes late for work, or having 2 minutes less soaking in the bath isn’t going to be a problem. In itself you won’t gain much from a meditation that short, but here’s the secret: do this for a week and it sets your mind back into the routine of meditating regularly. You will then find you want to do the bite-sized meditation twice a day, or maybe extend it to 5 minutes. After a few weeks you will be extending the meditations to 10 mins, 15 minutes… back to whatever time you used to do. Routine is very powerful. It conditions the mind.

What I have found is that making time for these short meditations every day makes you think about meditation. It brings it back into focus through the blur of the day. Try it. Before you know it you will be meditating like you used to before things got so hectic.

I will be posting more about meditation in the future, such as guided meditations and meditation techniques, so please check back or subscribe to the blog.

Elders Meditation of the day

For several years now I have received a daily email from White Bison which contains a spiritual message, or ‘thought of the day’ if you will. I find this a good way to encourage spiritual thinking and allows you to digest the words in your own time.

White Bison is an American Indian non-profit charitable organization offering healing resources to the Native American community nationwide. Many non-Native people also use White Bison’s healing resource products, attend its learning circles, and volunteer their services. You can sign up for the daily Meditation of the Day which will arrive in your email every morning to bring you a spiritual message that will encourage a healthy mind.

Here is a typical meditation, entitled “Respect Mother Earth”

—–

“We are responsible for the condition of the Earth. We are the ones who are responsible and we can change that. If we wake up, it is possible to change the energy. It is possible to change everything.”
Hunbatz Men, MAYAN

“The environment we want outside will be created by the mental pictures we have inside out heads. We must have the right environmental picture as well as the right values. These values will give the mental picture its true meaning. If we respected Mother Earth, we would not throw garbage on Her, nor would we put poison in Her. We would not misuse Her in any way. Mother Earth is like She is today because of the mental pictures of previous generations as well as the mental pictures of our own generation. If we want the environment to change, each individual must change their mental picture. As within, so without.”

—–

I highly recommend their daily digest, which is free and full of deep spiritual values.

The Flower of Life

This video from www.elestial.tv is a hauntingly beautiful piece of music that sounds like it has been created by the angels themselves! Listening to it and watching the graphics of the video imparts a serene feeling and puts you in that sacred space of spiritual peace that we find in meditation. I find this music truly beautiful, like I could listen to it all day long!

You can buy the cd at Heaven on Earth Music – the disc is called ‘Sacred Chants of Devi – Mother Divine‘. The descriptions is “Sublime & spacious vocal chants to the Divine Mother – Devi. Mother Divine can be found in all the world’s traditions and She brings forth the qualities of love, compassion, caring and beauty. These spacious chants can transport the listener to a celestial space of deep calm and bliss. The 108 sacred names of Mother Divine (the “Lalitha Ashtotram”) is a sacred text from thousands of years ago. Features visionary painter and Art of Living vocalist, Ananda, with music, arrangements and production by Craig Pruess. Pure and powerful.”

I think that sums it up very well, so let your mind unwind, your body let go and your spirit float away…

What are the most important principles in life?

I think most people who are lucky enough to have a spiritual outlook on life try and live by a few core principles which help to keep them focussed on their spiritual path throughout the day. Personally I have three which I keep referring myself to: Love, Peace and Understanding. For me, these are a guide for everyday living. They offer a base by which anything can be created, overcome or discussed. These qualities can conquer all.

I try to remember these when talking to people, working or just relaxing. Perhaps I’m talking to someone who is rubbing me up the wrong way – I’ll try to remember understanding so I don’t judge them in my mind. After all, we are all making the best of our current state of mind. That’s an important thing to remember. Sometimes we are in a spiritual place in our heads, sometimes we are angry and do stupid things – but we are all doing our best for our current situation.

I try to feel love when walking down the street or talking to people. I try to radiate that warm, loving energy. It’s like I want to show people how nice you can feel when you have that spiritual feeling inside you. It makes you want to spread the love!

Peace is so wonderful, when you really are at peace with the world and yourself. I feel this most when meditating regularly. It just makes you feel like nothing can upset you – everything is in perfect balance and harmony.

I think each one of these qualities relates to the others and bringing even one into your day will help you to bring the others too. It’s a knock-on effect. The Beatles said “All you need is love”. I would add ‘peace’ and ‘understanding’ and be happy with that. If everyone lived by those principles, or even just one of them, imagine what a lift that would give to the world?

So what principles do you live by?