Monday, February 22, 2010

Delusions of Grandeur

Delusions of Grandeur - a delusion, common in paranoia, that you are much greater and more powerful and influential than you really are.

I am a person that truly believes in manifestation. I believe that through a simple daily practice that does include meditation as well as a few other things like embracing uncertainty, that I can have anything I want. The reality of my life does seem to support this. I was informed the other night as I went on and on about my "crazy" plans for the future that I suffer from Delusions of Grandeur. It didn't sound good and my instinct was to feel a little hurt and offended. I had to look the phrase up to be certain that feeling a little hurt and offended were appropriate. Once I read the definition, I had to laugh. I do suffer from Delusions of Grandeur. It's called being a yogi.

Yogis don't just believe that they are more great, more powerful and more influential than they really are. Yogis truly understand that they are more great, more powerful and more influential than anyone can imagine. Yogis believe that they are working side by side with spirit to create their existence. Yogis believe that through right choice making, right intention setting and right action they can manifest anything that they want. Yogis believe that the entire universe is conspiring for their personal success and that by simply taking an attitude of helping and serving, they will be guided to their life purpose. Yogis believe in abundance.

One legend of universal creation is that Ein Sof, cosmic consciousness, was all that existed. One day it became bored and intended to create something to amuse itself. First, it created a bubble in the space/time continuum. Next, it created a ray of light. It hadn't done this before, so it didn't know what would result. The ray of light that was created was so powerful and so beautiful that when it entered the bubble, it exploded into billions of little pieces. The dust and debris from the explosion of creation settled upon each little spark. Each little spark, having come from the divine, was indeed a spark of the divine. Each little spark that was conceived from pure consciousness, pure joy and pure play is a soul. Each person has a divine spark.

Covering your spark are layers of dust and debris that in yoga, we call Kleshas. There are five Kleshas, or obstacles to allowing that divine spark to shine. The Kleshas include ignorance, egoism or a feeling that you are separate, attraction or materialism, aversion or fear (especially of death) and finally dullness, or clinging to the routine of life. Until you vanquish your obstacles, you will not reach enlightenment and your little spark will not shine.

Now I certainly do not claim that I am enlightened. I believe I'm a work in process with that regards. What I now realize is that on the path to enlightenment you will enter a psychological term called Delusions of Grandeur. When those around you tell you that you are suffering from that dreaded disease, be happy that your spark is starting to show and be prepared to give them a pair of sunglasses.

"Hitch your wagon to a star." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sniffles.....

Common Cold

It seems that everyone is starting to get a cold!! The first stages of a cold are always the Vata stage and pretty easy to quickly reverse with a Vata Balancing Routine. That means you must slow down and rest. The few days you spend will prevent that cold from hanging on for weeks.

The viruses that create colds are always present. Sometimes, if your elements are out of balance, your body becomes weakened and you can no longer destroy the viruses effectively. The result is the common cold. Prevention is best by following the diet and routine for your element. Take the Element Quiz to find out your element.

Once cold symptoms appear, follow the routine below.

As soon as you feel a cold coming on, you should begin to rest and follow the Wind Reducing Body Plan. Taking the time to rest at the first signs of a cold instead of waiting until you are bedridden will actually save you time in the end. Keep yourself warm and keep your face covered with a scarf if you are going outside. Wearing a shawl or scarf indoors is also a good idea. Your diet should be simple, easy to digest and served warm. Lemon and Ginger are your best friends especially in hot water.

Diet

Day 1

Fast. Fasting can include hot herbal teas and heated broth.

Teas Fresh ginger and honey
Fresh lemon and honey
Cinnamon tea with ½ tsp. of powdered turmeric added
Day 2 - 7 Eat a bland diet of easily digestible foods.
Avoid Salt
Avoid Raw Foods

Routine

  • Rest
  • Dress warmly
  • Open the windows and let fresh air in, unless it is very cold outside
  • Go for a slow walk outside
  • Soak your feet in hot water while covered with a blanket before bedtime
  • Follow your elemental routine

Herbal Therapy

The number one recommendation is to take FLAXSEED OIL!! I take it daily, but when cold symptoms appear, I will take up to 8 capsules a day. You can also take tablespoons at a time. I mix the oil with a little bit of orange juice in a shot glass and just gulp it down. If you have a sensitive belly, I do not recommend this approach. Instead, do the capsules.

Trikatu combo of black pepper and dry ginger with pippali (three spices)
Ginger Add fresh ginger to hot water

If you are taking Ashwagandha, ginseng or shatavari then stop taking these herbs until your cold is healed.

Yoga Pose

  • Sirsasana
  • Balasana or Child's Pose
  • Sarvangasana or shoulderstand
  • Uttanasana or hand to foot pose
  • Paschimottanasana or seated forward fold
  • Kurmasana or tortoise pose
  • Ujjayi Pranayama with inhalation retention
  • Legs up the Wall Pose or Vipariti Karani

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Coming off your Cleanse!

We are wrapping it up at EOM and YogahOMe in Oakley. The final week of the cleanse has included a nutritious and easily digestible diet. Meditation twice daily. Yoga, walking, being silent and working on various emotional clearing exercises. We've done a few "weird" things too with oil! I believe someone commented that it was the "hazing" portion of the program. I have to laugh, because they might be right. A dear teacher of mine once introduced me to my "Coyote Spirit". I guess that guy likes to do everything with a sense of play and fun and he runs wild through me!

I can honestly say that at this moment in time, there are no other people in Cincinnati as healthy and as connected as these participants. I don't know why the news crews haven't shown up yet. It is such a blessing and honor to me to see everyone show up, do their work and to see them reap the benefits. People have eliminated habits, lost weight, skin has cleared, some hard life questions have been asked and some tangible experiences of spirit have been had. Thank you!

Coming off of the cleanse needs to be performed very gently.

Nutrition:
Gradually add back to your diet the things that were eliminated...or don't add them back. If you never eat red meat or drink milk again, that would be wonderful! As you add alcohol, caffeine, dairy, sugar and fried or processed foods, notice how your body reacts. Eat very consciously. It won't take but a few sips of coffee and you will feel that Vata buzz. One glass of wine will probably be enough. A filet and cheesecake will make you throw up if that is your celebration dinner. Listen to your body.

Eat for your dosha now that you are balanced. If you want to continue to lose weight, stay on the plan or eat a Kapha reducing diet which is a Vegan Diet.

Body:
Continue with your yoga practice. Practice 2 - 4 times per week. Allow one of your practices to be a yin practice to ground you. Hot yoga is great, but not for Pittas. Vatas need a grounded practice. Kaphas need to get it moving.

Mind:
Of all the things we have done, your meditation practice is the most important. Make it part of your life. If you fall off, notice that your mind starts to run crazy and you become stressed. Commit back to it. Ten minutes a day will change your life.

Continue to work on your Intentions and Desires once a week. In the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, we work on our Intentions and Desires every Thursday. Make it a practice. Set long term goals to eat for your Dosha and stay with Meditation and Yoga.

Supplements.
You may continue on the Neem and Triphala for life! The Guggulu is not necessary to stay on unless you are pushing weight loss or have high cholesterol. A lot of people stay on it because it hardens their nails and thickens their hair. Choose to do the Sesame Oil Massage for the rest of your life! In addition to Neem and Triphala, I recommend Flax Seed Oil daily and a probiotic.

Namaste, Pamela

Monday, February 15, 2010

Happiness Recipe

If you have a heart to heart with anyone on the planet and ask them what they really really want, they will answer that they simply want to be happy. Those that are truly happy, have stumbled upon the recipe for happiness. It is a recipe. Some of the ingredients are hard to find. You have to look deep within. The cooking time may very depending on if you have to thaw out some of the ingredients. You can certainly add things to the pot that you enjoy the taste of, but the basics are listed below.

Flexibility: As you move through your day, allow yourself to shift with the situations that arise. Look for the bright side! When you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, ask yourself how it is making you feel and how you can positively shift it to make you feel better.

Pleasure: Seek pleasure in every moment with awareness of future consequences. Always choose the most nourishing choice for you and others. Think of your body and the planet as an "other". Ask yourself: What is the short term and long term consequence of the choice I'm making? What will it do to my body, my family, my relationships and my planet? Do something that you enjoy every day. Find a creative outlet.

Power: Take control of your life. Accept responsibility for everything that is going on in your life right now. Own it. Know that you can change anything that you don't like. Be clear as to what you want your life to look like.

Gratitude: Practice gratitude daily. Let your first thought and last thought of the day be "thank you". Be grateful for the good stuff and the bad stuff. Honor your suffering with gratitude and look for the lesson in the suffering. Express gratitude daily to loved ones, co-workers and the people that you engage with each day.

Compassion: Be kind to others. When someone is not pleasing to you, ask yourself why they are the way that they are. Walk in their shoes. The mean clerk at the grocery story may be a single mom working two jobs. She may actually need you to be kind to her because she is at her end.

Knowledge: Know yourself. Spend time sitting with your thoughts. Meditate. When emotions arise, study them, acknowledge them and commit to shifting through them so that your lessons might be learned more quickly and any pain associated with the emotion can dispell more quickly. Ask yourself the harder questions of life. Why? Why do you think the way you think? Why do you feel the way you feel? Why do you choose the things you choose? Why?

Service: In every situation, ask "How can I help?, How can I serve?". We are all here to serve each other. Through service, you will find your life's purpose. Be the person that gets the door, clears the table and kindly listens to other's stories.

Enjoy the dessert!!

Namaste, Pamela

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Love


This is a favorite poem and probably the deepest thoughts I've read on Love. It is by Kahil Gribran and is called "On Marriage". I think if we realized the depth and freedom in love and truly honored it, we'd have much better relationships. Happy Valentine's Day!

On Marriage
Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.


Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.


Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.


Thursday, February 4, 2010

Cooking and Yoga

The cooking class with Lotus Healing Foods was a huge success. Annie taught us how to get the gas out of our beans and made delicious hummus and bliss balls. Lots of good ideas were generated for snacking including blanched veggies dipped in hummus and edamame! Thank you Annie.

A very good conversation was had regarding the 8 limbs of yoga and what it means to the Immersion. I have included a discussion below of those limbs so that you can begin to explore. I am truly passionate about the Ayurvedic lifestyle which is simply embracing these lifestyle suggestions. If you are living a positive social and moral life. If you are nourishing your body and senses. If you consistently are kind and make good choices, then you will release your past, not worry about your future and cultivate present moment awareness. Through meditation you will connect to spirit and manifest your intentions and desires. This makes a happy person. This is why we do yoga.

There are Eight "limbs", "branches" or "chapters" of yoga. It is not just the physical posturing or asana that is yoga. That, in fact, is just one branch of the tree. The limbs, when practiced together and daily, become part of you and part of your life. They help you to live a good life and to find your life's purpose. They guide you to better choice-making, better habits, and a better life.

Maharishi Pantanjali is best known for the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The purpose of embracing the Eight Limbs of Yoga is to connect you to the real you. You are layered and cloaked in veils that hide your inner spirit. These practices part the veils that hide you.

All of the limbs of yoga come to pass naturally as you grow spiritually. You don't have to focus on any one and they are not in a consecutive order. You simply become "aware" of them and modify behavior and thoughts slowly. In time, you will find that you are living and breathing all Eight Limbs.

First Branch of Yoga - YAMA - rules of social behavior

The Yamas are rules of social conduct that when practiced, engage you with others. They are important because we are co-creating our reality and thus provide a foundation for respect and peace.

THE YAMAS
AHIMSA Nonviolence
SATYA Truthfulness, integrity of thought word & action

BRACHMACHARYA

Appropriate use of your energy
ASTEYA Honesty
APARIGRAHA Generosity

Ahimsa

Ahimsa is the practice of nonviolence. Your thoughts, your spoken word and your actions to others, your environment and yourself should be kind. Through the Immersion, you learn to speak more kindly to yourself. That is the purpose of the soul profile. It gives you positive and wonderful traits to acknowledge within yourself. As you love yourself, your love for others grow.

When speaking to others, always ask yourself, "Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?" If any of the answers are NO, then don't say what you are thinking. If it is truly necessary, then a kind way to say it will appear.

Satya

Satya means truthfulness. It is having integrity of thought word and deed. Be kind.

BRACHMACHARYA

Pathway to unity consciousness, sexual appropriateness. Choose to use your energies wisely and don't give yourself away.

Vedic society translates this as sexuality. There is the path of the celebate and the path of the householder. The celebate perceives abstinence as a way to unity consciousness. The householder engages in a healthy expression of sexual energy.

You can also think of it as how you spend your energy. Spending energy in unfufilling situations such as bad relationships, bad friendships, bad jobs or gossiping can be very draining and unhealthy.


ASTEYA

Honesty or relinquishing the idea that things outside yourself will provide you happiness and security

Asteya means being honest with yourself and learning that things outside of yourself cannot make you happy.

When you are dishonest, it is usually because you fear loss on some level.

Asteya is truly about ego attachment. Our ego defines itself by what it has around it. It clings to things and fears loss. Know that you are more than what is around you.


APARIGRAHA

Generosity or shifting from ego base to spiritual base approach. Shifting from material possessions. You feel as if you are in this world, but not of it. Your expression of generosity in every thought, word, action and deed is spontaneous.

This is also witnessing awareness.

Second Branch of Yoga - NIYAMA - rules of personal behavior

How do you live when no one is watching? If you are living a balanced life, these characteristic develop on their own.

SHOUCHA make choices that are nourishing to your body, mind & soul.
SANTOSHA contentment, present moment awareness
TAPAS discipline
SWADHYANA self study
ISHWARA-PRANIDHANA surrendering. embracing uncertainty

SHOUCHA

Purity - make choices that are nourishing to your body, mind, and soul. Always choose the more nourishing thing for yourself including food choices, exercise choices, who to hang out with, what to listen to and what to watch. Choose what to believe and what to let go.


SANTOSHA - contentment

Present moment awareness, acceptance without resignation., relinquish your attachment to the need for control, power, and approval. Simply practice present moment awareness. Accept things as they are knowing that right now everything is perfect.


TAPAS - discipline, means fire

Tapas is the disciplined practice of yoga on and off your mat. Practicing tapas is quite simple:

Arise between 6 and 7 each morning
Express gratitude as soon as your eyes open
Spend time in silence each morning.....meditate
Practice a little yoga each day
Breath consciously
Be kind and compassionate throughout your day
Express gratitude before you fall asleep
Go to bed between 10 and 11 each night

Many view tapas or fire as a form of deprivation. However, if you are living a balanced and healthy life, you will live by the rhythms of nature which means going to bed early, getting up early, meditating daily and exercising daily.


SVADHYANA - self study

Look inside. Your value comes from a deep connection with spirit. Know that your value cannot be derived externally.


ISHWARA-PRANIDHANA - surrendering to the Cosmos

Embrace uncertainty and let go of the past. Practice present moment awareness. Do not dwell in the past or the future. Know that this moment is perfect and all the moments to come will be as well.

Third Branch of Yoga - Asana - position

This is the disciplined practice of yoga. This is the posturing that most people are familiar with.

Fourth Branch of Yoga - Pranayama - prana, life force, breathing

This is the disciplined practice of breathing.

Fifth Branch of Yoga - Pratyahara - tuning into your subtle sensory experience.

Pratyahara is the practice of becoming accutely aware of your senses to the point that you are able to withdrawal your senses from the world. To practice, you focus on your senses and ultimately you are able to turn them off. This practice aids in meditation and in mindfulness. It is also the practice of choosing the most nourishing stimulation. Imagine the difference between listening to hard rock and listening to classical or of sitting by the ocean vs. sitting in a mall. It is a practice of feeding your senses in a nourishing way.
  • Pay attention to five senses and how your body reacts.
  • Spend time in silence and alone
  • Meditate

Sixth Branch of Yoga - Dharana - mastery of attenton and intention.

Dharans, Dhyana and Samdhi all have to due with Meditation. They are practiced concurrently. Together, they make Samyama or Control.

Dharana is the point in which the mind needs an instrument to play in order to keep it from wandering. This instrument may be a mantra, japa mala or even attention to breath. Note that even the most experienced meditator has days where the mind wants to wander and goes back to an instrument. That is why Dharana, Dhyana and Samdhi are practiced together and not consecutively.

Be aware of your intentions, pay attention to clues. sychronisity.

Seventh Branch of Yoga - Dhyana - development of witnessing awareness.

You are in this world, but not of this world. everything is always changing, but not your soul.

Be aware of the silent presence that resides within you. As you experience the drama of living, remove yourself from it and watch it. Notice your thoughts and emotions as if you are watching a movie unfold.

Eighth Branch of Yoga - Samadhi - the state of being settled in pure, unbounded awareness.

Know yourself as a spiritual being disguised as a human. Samadhi is not easily defined or described. It is a state of being known as bliss. This experience is unique to the practitionor. You will know when you have entered Samadhi without any defination or description coming from outside yourself.

Samadhi is experienced at and in death.

Samadhi to a lessor degree, is experienced during life through meditation.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Questions and Answers

Week 2 of the immersions and I'm getting lots of questions....


My goal is to lose weight. I'm not losing any.


Not many people actually lose weight the first week of the immersion. The 2nd week is when you will see bloating go away, your clothes will fit better and you will start to lose weight. Week 3 and 4 are the most dramatic shifts. I promise you will lose weight. If you step back and look at the big picture, you have eliminated most saturated fat, fried foods, processed foods, fast food and dairy. This means you have eliminated calorie dense foods. Two cups of food per serving on average is controlling your proportions. If you truly want to lose weight...don't snack! Walk every day. Do yoga 3 - 5 days a week. Drink lots of nourishing and detoxifying tea and you can't go wrong. You will lose weight.


I'm losing weight and that is not my goal.


If you came into the program with a Vata Body imbalance and you are already very thin, your goal is to become balanced which means you may need to focus on weight gain. If this is you, do snack. Do eat a meal until you feel full on the 1 - 10 scale, 7 being full. This may be more than two fists. Favor the "sweet" taste and heavy fruits and vegetables. The sweet taste includes meat, grains, pastas, breads, milk (think almond, soy and rice), sugar. You may be the person who continues to eat 3 - 5 servings of meat (chicken or fish) throughout the entire program. Heavy fruits and vegetables include squash, sweet potatoes, avacados, mangos, papayas and bananas. Simply pick the fruit or veggie up....if it feels heavy, then its good for Vata grounding.


I can't cook. I don't know what to eat.


Cooking class is this Wednesday! Lotus Healing Foods will cook for you! When you eat out, think Italian, Thai, Indian, Japanese and Mexican. Spice it up good and make good choices. Google VEGAN recipes!! It's all out there.


I'm experience discomfort and want Tylenol or Advil.


You may double your dose of Neem if you are experiencing aches & pains. Listen to your body. Pain is an indication to take your Yoga to a restorative level, rest, take baths and nourish yourself. Choose gentle walking and nourishing foods.

Is Neem safe for a nursing mother?

There is much discussion in the Ayurvedic community regarding this topic. Most studies have been done on children, not on nursing babies. Some ill effects have been noted when infants have been treated with Neem OIL which is a concentrate that is used to wean a baby. It tastes and smells like garlic and therefor the babies choose not to nurse if you place it on your breast. Neem Oil in India is used much the same as Castor Oil is used in America. It is sold in large vats in the open markets of India and there have been many cases where the vats have been contaminated and resulted in illness in children and adults. The Banyon Botanical Neem is manufactured in accordance with Federal regulations. Let's play it safe though and skip the Neem for nursing mommies. It only makes sense.



I'm concerned about protein. I feel like I need meat.

If you are concerned that you are not getting enough complete proteins due to the cutting back of meat, no worries. The following are vegetarian sources of complete proteins: soy, spirulina, hemp seed, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. Easy combinations are: beans & seeds, beans & nuts, beans & grains, hummus & whole grain pita breat, any nut butter & whole grain toast or whole grain tortillas with refried beans. MORE ON PROTEIN


I just gotta have meat.

You can thank fellow Immersion participant, Michael Mandanis, for this: At Whole Foods they have an imitation chicken made from soy in the deli. It's kind of pricey, but I tasted it and it IS chicken. I actually made fun of him for buying chicken and thinking it is soy. Somehow they process the soy to even give it the texture of chicken. It's so yummy. Honestly, you will not know the difference. I'm glad I didn't put any money on that one!


I have a party to go to and there will be lots of alcohol. I'm worried that I will fall off my plan.


Go to the party consciously. Before you arrive, eat (unless it's a dinner party). Get to the party late. There will be less time for you to drink. Volunteer to be the designated driver. Be in charge of your glass. Don't let others get your drinks for you. Take over the role of host and get everyone else their drinks. You can always "pretend" to drink to avoid peer pressure. Get a beer in a brown bottle and just sip it all night. If people see you with a drink in your hand, they won't bother you. Another trick is to get a club soda and add a lime and a straw. People think it's a mixed drink and again, they don't bother you. Sip water throughout your evening. When you go home, drink ginger tea before you turn in.

Go to the party with the intent that you are going to simply observe, without judgment, yourself and others at the party. Just watch and see what happens as the evening progresses. Who are you hanging out with and why? Who pressures you to drink and why? At what point in the evening are you happy or tired? Just watch.


I'm becoming very concerned because I'm now aware that I am attached to alcohol. I feel guilty and shameful.


You are starting to wake up. Now let all the bad feelings around it go and step back and start to look at your life. Just observe your cravings. You can journal about them if you like. What are your triggers? Is it a certain time of day? Is it a certain person, situation or people? How do you feel before, during and after you drink? Do you drink when you are happy, bored or sad? Just start to drink consciously. When you do drink, pay attention. Notice the glass, the temperature of the beverage, the color the smell. Taste it. Hold it in your mouth. Close your eyes as you swallow and feel all sensations. Notice your moods and how they shift. This is the beginning of ending indulgence and embracing moderation or elimination.

Do not judge yourself. In this moment, you are perfect. You always are. Love yourself in this amazing moment where you have decided that you wish to transform. Know that you can. Know that it is a process. Be kind to yourself. Find distractions that do not include alcohol. Yoga, spiritual workshops, art museums, libraries, bike trails and gyms. Connect with people who are also trying to get healthy.


As you become more conscious, use your breath and meditation to get you through the stressful triggers. Use the gym and bike trails to get you through the "activity" triggers when you are blowing off steam. Use yoga and your spiritual base to process through emotional triggers. Talk to friends.


MORE ON ALCOHOL AND AYURVEDA


My final thoughts:

Everybody has got something going on. Everybody. If it isn't alcohol, it's some other issue. Every single person you meet is on some type of journey where they are learning lessons. Some people are addicted to sugar. Some people are controlling, jealous, insecure or full of hate. Some people are stuck in the past and can't move forward. Some people are self-centered, unable to connect, give or serve. Everybody has SOMETHING they are working on or they wouldn't be here alive today. We are here to learn lessons. Embrace your "thing". Learn the lesson of it and then move onto the next lesson. Do not judge yourself. This program is about getting happy and loving yourself. Part of of loving yourself is the automatic response to nurture and take care of yourself. Just allow it to happen.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Intentions and Desires

"Intention is the real power behind desire because it is desire without attachment to the outcome. Desire in most people is attention with attachment to the outcome. But when we combine intention with detachment, our intent is for the future, while our attention is on the present." From "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" ~ Deepak Chopra:


Many people suffer simply because they are not getting what they want out of life. The universe or source wants you to have everything you desire. The universe is always giving you what you want. Unfortunately, if you are not clear about what you want, the universe still gives you your unclear desires. Get clear. For the next 21 days, answer the following questions every day. Find a quiet space, sit down, and write it out. It may sound tedious, but your list will get much shorter and more clear as the days go by:

1. Security

What do you need in your life to feel secure?

(perhaps you need a better car because you fear that yours is getting old and will break down. Perhaps you need to know that your job is secure. Perhaps you need to know that your retirement is intact.)


2. Success

What do I desire in my life to feel successful? What material and non-material items do I desire to experience Abundance?

(perhaps you want a nicer house or new fancy car. Maybe you want people to recognize you in your town. Maybe you want to write a book.)


3. Relationships

What qualities do I desire in my relationships with friends, family, spouse, partners and others.

(If you are looking for a relationship, try not to block yourself in with physical or material attributes of the person you are looking for. Instead, imagine a feeling. For example, imagine that you are in the kitchen cooking. Set the scene. A person comes up behind you and wraps their arms around you and kisses your neck. Make the feeling of warmth your desire. Or imagine you are driving in a car and the blurry person next to you reaches over for your hand.)


4. Self-Esteem

What do I need to feel good about myself?

(Self-Esteem may be linked to your physical appearance or your performance at work.)


5. Communication

How do I want to express myself to the world? How can my creativity flourish?

(Perhaps you express yourself through art, dance, decorating your house or even by the clothes you choose.)


6. Higher Guidance – who do you need

How do I want source to talk to me?

(This may seem like an odd question, but really you are asking about intuition and synchronicity. A good example would be a person who wants to just open a book to the perfect passage when they need or, or the right song play on the radio or just a feeling of knowingness.)