Ask for the help you need

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A new day is a fresh start, every next now moment is an opportunity to step fully into your joy and authenticity in this life. 

Breathe, and be thankful that all you need is already here for you. Much like a seed already has all it requires to become a tree, you too have all you need within you.

Rely on the power that lights the sun and moves the planets; ask for guidance from this higher source. Feel gratitude for the relief faith brings, breathe and relax into a power far greater than yourself.

What are you searching for out in the world? Find it in your present. 

Take three deep breaths and return to the rhythm of your heart beat. 

Sacred Moment

The present moment is sacred because it is life itself. Breathe in this moment and fill yourself with life. This is called "conscious breathing".

How much life have you experienced today?

Take three simple breaths a day to deepen or begin a meditation practice  now. 

God IS (in) Our Present

I don't have a name for the energy that gave me this breath, I don't even remember how it came to be, yet here I am; breathing.

Receive your present

Create space within yourself for the present moment to reside.
Breathe

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Listen to today's meditation at http://www.teacherjenniferan.com/guided-meditations/

Here, now

Feel alive in this moment. 

Breathe

Free your mind meditation

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Meditation:

Drop into your body, down, into your core (area of belly button). Sink deeper into your Self, breathe.

Notice your body.

Notice noticing.

Can you feel.....?

Expand the confines of your body. Use your imagination to feel a radiant light starting in your belly button, radiating out and filling the whole body, the room, the town, the state, the country, the world, the universe. Breathe in this expansiveness and feel the freedom and lightness of breathing.

Take a moment to bask in this feeling, now. Breathe out until the air fills your lungs naturally with the next inhalation; when you're ready return your consciousness to this moment here. Notice what you see and feel. Does it seem lighter where you are now?

Breathe in this moment.

Yoga Love

Yoga has a practice called "cat cow" to keep the spine moving and healthy. This is a simple practice to add into your morning routine. Before getting out of bed, do four or five cat cows to cleanse the lungs and wake up the mind and body.

Remember to remember

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This puppy reminds me to return to the present moment and breathe. She is always so present, the cutest reminder. How do you remember to be present and take a couple deep breaths?

Wake up body, wake up mind

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You can continue to bring peace to the mind by finding peace in the body in this moment. Breathe and tilt your head back as the air flows in, breathe out and bring the head and neck back to neutral spine. Breathe again, this time moving the arms open and the head back to make room for the oxygen entering the body; breathe out and bring the arms back around to wrap around the front of your body, rounding the back and neck into the front of the body to squeeze out the rest of the exhalation. Breathe, moving the body open and closed in this way four or five times. Return to daily life.

Grab-a-Hold Your Lifeline, now

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A healthy spine means a healthy person. As you take in your five deep breaths today, move the spine back and forth in a seated position. Move the body and the spine back and forth while you breathe. Open the body to expand and take in more fresh air and closing the let go completely.

When you change the state of the body, you change the state of the mind. Five deep, conscious, full body breaths are all it takes.

Why practice?

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The purpose of having a practice is to become an artist and mold your life into a masterpiece of your own design. 

Sometimes, in the midst of changing a habit or practice, the road seems long and hard. Your vision could be as foggy as it is in the picture. When difficulties arise in your path, notice the feeling of your heart beat, remember you are breathing and return to the present moment, now, breathe five deep breaths. 

Your determination to succeed must be stronger than your fears in order to break through your blocks and self imposed limitations. 

Breathe, relax. Be here, now.  

Finding your happiness within

Move your body, move your face. Bring your attention here, can you touch your lips to your nose? Can you smile so big you can't open your eyes? Can you touch your ear with your tongue? No? What about the other side? Can you raise your eye brows so high they touch your hair line? Can you make a scary face that would make a baby cry? What about a face to make him laugh? 

Meditation: Sit
Breathe
Smile, shine for 5 or 10 minutes. Feel the radiant energy you allow to flow out as you breathe and smile. Send this Love energy out through your heart to your entire body and allow this energy to move out into the room around you. Feel it continue to grow brighter and feel better, take this feeling with you out into the world today. Share your joy.

India

It matters more what you think of you than what others think of you. Live your purpose and speak your truth. It is in this way that we will heal.

Getting ready for India is really exciting, I'm looking forward to being certified in Yoga and also participating in the ten day silent Vipassana Meditation. Vipassana was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a cure all for universal ills. There are so many rules that must be followed during the ten days, such as, no talking, reading, writing or communicating in any way with others. No decorating the body, no western beds, no killing (vegetarian diet only) and no distractions for yourself or others. The list goes on, but the purpose is to be in silence and "see things as they really are". It's sure to be one of the most intense things we've ever done but also one of the most insightful into the art of living a peaceful life and meditating. I'm really looking forward to facilitating yoga and meditation classes and sharing what we've learned along the way. Thanks for following our journey here. 

Practice

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A practice can be a daily yoga practice or meditation but your practice is what ever you do consistently, the good and the bad. Satori talked about being conscious of your actions so you can choose if they're serving you and if you wish to continue doing them, change them or stop them completely and make a different choice. 

The purpose of these daily blogs are to give you a resource to continue to build more positive, life affirming daily routines.

Take a moment to breathe deeply in this moment. Sit up straight and relax tension in your muscles and face. Be grateful for five deep breaths. 

Breathe in and feel gratitude

Breathe out and let go of what's not serving you now

Take off the weight

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Take off the "weight" that is on your body. Do you feel a "weight" on your shoulders? On an energetic level, pick it up off your shoulders and throw it up high into the air, watch it go up up up and evaporate as it's purified in the light of the sun. Let it go! You're the only one that can choose to hold onto it. Choose to be free. Let it go now.

Feel the body. What feels heavy now? Is it your physical body or is it a thought, feeling or emotion weighing you down? Picture this feeling as something you can take off, let this tension go. Let your body "off the hook" by simply making the decision to do you, then feel what you feel now, in this present moment. 

Breathe in and let the resistance go that is holding you back from living a fully satisfying, self proclaimed life.
.

Enough

Here is a simple meditation for you to begin your day.

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Put hand on heart and breathe into it. 
Affirm, "I am enough for me now and here. I need not go anywhere." 

Feel the heart beat. Breath in this moment.

Sit up a little straighter, feel thanksgiving for the moment you have now and relax your face, smile. 

Let it go

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Lay down on the floor and relax the body completely. Allow the body to return to mother earth, let it "melt" into the ground beneath it. 

Notice now: Are you able to let it relax completely? Is there something that you are holding onto? Why? Is there something that is hard to let go of? Where? 

Breathe into it. 

Use the breath to help your mind and body let go of the stress and tension. 

You are worthy

Present moment awareness

Breathe.
Drop down into your heart space.

Presence

Look at what isn't here. 
How much space is there between you and any other object in the room? Look through the distance that is between you and the words you are reading. 


There is "spaciousness" here. Changing your perspective of this moment, by becoming more aware of what isn't here than what is, allows you to look at life differently. 

By creating space in your life through present moment awareness and meditation, you remember how to relax more often and in difficult situations. Think about the importance of the silence between the notes of a song or the space between the words on a page, this is how important meditation is to a busy life.

Rest your consciousness and awareness on the spaciousness and the silence available within the chaos now. 
Breathe in this moment

What is your purpose?

What is the force breathing you? Can you stop it from ebbing and flowing? What is this energy moving through you? What will you do with it today?

The Miracle Ingredient

Meditation is a great practice for clarity because the silent time you're creating for yourself cultivates peace of mind. 

Be grounded. Drink one more glass of water today than you typically would. Breathe

Practice your practice

Meditation is, "Present moment awareness" so creating time in your daily schedule to experience this moment through all of the senses is an easy way to begin a meditation practice. We can practice this now, as you're reading. Use your breath to breathe into the stomach, feel it expand and contract, hear the breath as it moves, see these words, bring your awareness "here". Allow your forehead to relax as you continue to breathe and bring your attention to any part of your body, spend a breath or two with it. This is a simple meditation you can do throughout the day to bring relaxation, attention and more awareness to your day.

Sick & Frustrated

Life brings up for you what is hidden within to forgive.

Each time a person or an event in life brings up a feeling inside of you, you're the One you need to heal. You're the only one in control of how you feel and meditation can help you understand this and do something constructive about it. 

Bringing yourself back to your five senses is a good way to begin your meditation practice. Notice what you hear, what you are seeing, continue through the senses, what are the hands touching right now, what do you taste, what can you smell? Give your attention over to your senses in order to return your consciousness to this present moment. Breathe and feel your heart beat, here, now.

Lesson 125
"A Course in Miracles"

W-pI.125.1.
Let this day be a day of stillness and of quiet listening. 
2 Your Father wills you hear His Word today.
3 He calls to you from deep within your mind where He abides.
4 Hear Him today.
5 No peace is possible until His Word is heard around the world; until your mind, in quiet listening, accepts the message that the world must hear to usher in the quiet time of peace.

Breathe Love

Falling Water, Signal Mtn, TN

Your meditation can be as simple as taking three deep breaths out of your day to put your hand on your heart and breathe into it. The mind can relax as you silently notice the rhythm of the heart beat.











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Be Here Now

Meditation is the eye of the storm, it's a place to find shelter and rest within the storm of life. Movement and stillness are both equally important in finding balance. Meditation is the silence between the notes of a song for Beethoven or the space between the movement for a runner. In meditation you set aside time to move your awareness from the small self outside the body to the vastness of the space and freedom within.

A short meditation to practice: 

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As you breathe, your attention can consume your whole body or only a small portion of it. You can practice this in a simple three breath meditation.

Take in three deep breaths: 
Begin by sitting up and pushing out as much air as you can until the next breath comes in naturally, this is your first breath. 
1) Breathe from your toes, noticing your toes as you breathe in and out. 
2) Breathe from your fingers, noticing your fingers as you breathe in and out.
3) Breathe from your ears, noticing your ears as you breathe in and out. 

You are free to take up as much space as you need to breathe, stretch and relax. 

Practice

Breathe

Home

Breathe in: I give thanks
Breathe out: I release

A Thich Nhat Hanh style meditation

Growth begins here: A morning meditation

A grounding meditation is an excellent way to wake up and jump start the morning while the coffee is brewing.

To Begin: 
Exhale, until you can't continue to exhale any longer and take in three deep breaths, in this way.

Stand up, feel your feet touching the ground. Bring your attention to all that they do for you and any pain or discomfort there now. Notice them, feel them and JUMP on them. 

Bring your attention to balance and inquire, 

"Is balance possible, now, within the movement?" 

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Continue to jump and move and open up your arms up high towards the sky and laugh. Laugh with open arms while you're present and jumping the body. Laughing moves the toxins out of the lungs by the movement of the diaphragm while breathing and laughing. Every night the body cleanses itself. Read more on my webpage about dreams and the correlation to the Chinese schedule of physical cleansing; http://www.teacherjenniferan.com/organ-qi-cycle/

When you're tired of laughing, breathing and having a good time, come back to this breath in stillness. Allow all external things to leave you and simply "be" (notice) this moment (now) using all of your senses.

This meditation helps you "get grounded" before the start of your day. Chill in this moment awhile, continue to practice this meditation throughout the day if you're feeling tired or stuck and need to wake up. 

Namaste

One, Two, Three

In a world filled with so many complexities and distractions meditation can be the saving grace your mind and body need to make it through the rest of the to do list. Last night I went downtown and saw a baseball game. The game is simple, three strikes and you're out.

Meditation can also be a simple practice- three deep breaths are all you need to begin incorporating a meditation schedule into your daily routine. Choose something you do every day, like brushing your teeth, and write a note close by to remind yourself to consciously stop long enough to take these three breaths twice daily.

Take the first breath and simply notice how you're breathing. 
Allow this breath to leave the body; try to breathe out more, until there's nothing left to breathe out and hold it until the next breath breathes itself. This is the second breath. Expand your stomach more and take in as much oxygen as possible, then hold it, Buddha belly and all. Exhale. 
As you exhale relax your forehead and scalp and choose a "mantra" for this last breath, "I am peaceful" or "I am rejuvenated". Bring in the words of your mantra with the breath, and as you exhale this last time be grateful for one thing in that moment. Invite this feeling of gratefulness to remain with you after this meditation and continue on with your day.