Creating Your Life And Self Sabotage

I recently found this video and loved it, so I wanted to share it with all of you.  Ever since the movie documentary, "What The Bleep" has aired, I have always liked and enjoyed what Dr. Joe Dispenza has said.

A company from Australia that I am now an affiliate called 180Nutrition interviewed Dr. Joe Dispenza and it was an excellent video.  I took  notes of the video and have tried to summarize them below to help you follow along with the video.

I did not realize that Dr. Joe Dispenza went through a horrible accident in a triathlon and to heal his paralysis from his broken vertebrae, he found a way to heal himself without medications and surgery.  Yes, the surgeons thought he had PTSD when he opted not to have surgery, but in the end, he conquered what life had thrown his way.

Take a look at 180nutrition, because these guys have similar views to healing and taking care of the body that I write about on this blog.  It is what attracted me to them and today I just tried their product for the first time.  It was delicious!  Here's the link for 180nutrition.

Notes From The Video

Speaker:  

Dr. Joe Dispenza with 180Nutrition Guys

Topic:  

Break the Habit of Being Yourself & Create the Life You Truly Want

Video Link (YouTube)

https://youtu.be/PYJbdOb93vo

Author Of:  

• Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself 
• You Are The Placebo
• Evolve Your Brain

1.  In 1986, he was injured by a vehicle during a triathlon and broke six vertebrae in his back.  Surgeons wanted him to have a procedure called the Harrington Rod surgery.  
• Dr. Dispenza said if it was a patient of his, he would have advised them to have the procedure.
• He opted not to go the surgery and the surgeon thought he had PTSD because no one ever opted out of this surgery for the condition he was in.
• He did not want to be paralyzed and in a wheel chair taking medications for the rest of his life.
• He decided to take the journey between the connection of the mind and body, realizing that some intelligence giving us life, if he could connect with it and surrender to it, then he felt he could heal himself.
• He went through hell and realized that this was much more difficult than he realized and much harder than simply stating this concept.
• Six weeks later he began to see changes.
• Ten weeks later he walked back into life and was doing races at 12 weeks.
2.  Meditation was a big part of how Dr. Dispenza healed himself
• Consciousness is awareness and awareness is paying attention.
• He reasoned that when he closed his eyes, he could eliminate the external environment, forget about the paralysis and the pain in his body.
• He did this for three hours every day.
• His mind would start to wander and then he would start the meditation process over.
• He stated that it took him a long time to anchor into his brain.
3. Why Do People Self Sabotage?
• The hardest part about change is not making the same choices you did the day before.
• The moment you decide to do something different, get ready because you're going to feel uncomfortable.
• To no longer think the same way
• To no longer make the same choice
• To no longer behave the same way
• To no longer have the same experience
• To no longer live by the same emotion
• You're going to feel unfamiliar.
• You are stepping into the river of change and the minute things don't feel good, that is when someone wants to return to their same chemical state.
• Going from the old self to the new self is crossing that river of change.
• It is the biological, neurological, chemical, hormonal, genetic death of the old self.
• Most people want to create a new life but they cling to the familiar self and emotions.  The moment they stop feeling the same way they always have, they feel uncomfortable.
• The body starts to send signals back to the brain that says start tomorrow, this doesn't feel right or you'll never change.  The person listens to that voice or thought as if it were true.
• The thought leads to the same choice which leads to the same behavior and the same experience and to the same feeling.  It feels right.  It is what they know.  It is what feels familiar.
• People don't believe they can go from one place to the other because when they are in that void, you can't predict the future.  The moment someone can't predict the future, they go back to what they know.  
• The best way to create your future is in the unknown, not in the known.
• Self Sabotage is what feels familiar.
4. When creating a vision of your future, are there muscles to train to keep yourself on track or faith that the outcome will be there?
• You're either defined by a vision of the future or defined by a memory of the past.
• The brain creates images and pictures which forms intention.  
• When we get clear on intention and the vision, it creates an emotion.
• You become inspired, excited, enthusiastic.
• The body lives in the future, not in the past.
• Like a garden, you have to keep feeding it and giving it life.
• If we use feelings as a barometer for change, we will talk ourselves out of possibility.
• The moment we don't feel like doing it, we turn back to our old self.
• The person that arrives at their goal and vision is because their vision is their compass.
• They will make choices consistent with their vision.
• They will get clear on the choices they are going to make.
• They will get clear on the experiences and behaviors they need to stay away from and the emotions that bring them to a lower denomination.
• People get too distracted with meaningless things that takes them to emotions that keep them from the vision.
5.  Placebo Effect
• Story of a study with cancer patients.  30% of the ones on the placebo chemotherapy treatment lost their hair).
• More than 40% on their way to chemotherapy that are told they are going to get nauseous, get nauseous on the drive there in anticipation of the treatment.
• Can we think ourselves healthy?
• If people are given a sugar pill, saline injection, false surgery or procedure, a certain percentage of those people will accept, believe, surrender to the though that they are getting the real substance or procedure.  
• They will begin to program their autonomic nervous system to make the exact pharmacy of chemicals that they think they are taking.
• Is it the inert substance or the body's innate ability doing the healing?
• In a depression study, 81% of the people given the placebo got better because they are making their own pharmacy of antidepressants in their body.
• More than 50% of people in pain studies given saline are having no pain because they are making their own morphine by thought alone.
• A pill in the quantum field represents getting healthy.  The moment you combine a pill with the possibility of an emotion such as hope, the combination of clear intention and elevated emotion takes the person from living in the past to living in their future.
• It is a scientific fact that the hormones of stress push the genetic buttons that create disease.  70% of our culture lives in stress the majority of their time.  
• You can think about something in the past or worry about the future and turn on the stress response just by thought alone.
• If you thoughts can make you sick, is it possible that your thoughts can make you well?

Conclusion

There is a good chance, I've missed some other great material in this video.  I just tried to take down notes for myself and share them with everyone.  You can use the notes as you listen to the video and you will probably get much more from it. 

In my own life, I have found to be true, what he says.  I too, was paralyzed but from a Conversion Disorder.  At one time I was told I would most likely never function fully in life and I would always be on medication.  The doctors were not sure if I would ever walk and hold down a job.  I was bound and determined to prove them wrong and I did.  I take no medication and anyone around me would never know I was once paralyzed and almost no longer alive.

There is so much we can do and hopefully you will listen to this video.  This is not new age mumble jumble.  It is stuff that many of us have already discovered and understand.

Thank you to Dr. Joe Dispenza for the video you did with the 180nutrition guys.  I hope to get the chance to attend one of your events because your concepts have helped me in my life.

Anger As A Child Abuse Survivor

I feel very vulnerable when I write and share this.  After all, aren't I supposed to be healed because I'm a healer?  Aren't I supposed to be able to move past my anger if I'm a healer?  Unfortunately, anger from being a child abuse survivor is operating at peak performance.

I'm admitting it.  I have an anger problem, damn it!  I try to hide it.  I try not to show it.  Heck, for years I just stuffed it deep down inside.  It was much easier for me that way.

Anger was always taught to me from an explosive father that would yell, scream, abuse anyone close to him including my mom.  If there was anything near by he could pick up, he would use it to knock some sense into us.  I've been hit with boards, shovels, garden hoes and probably far more things than I can even remember.

It was the way I was taught about anger.  I was scared of anger and even beginning to show it.  As I went through therapy and healing, I started to be brave and let it out.  Unfortunately the flood gates opened and broke and now it seems like my angry outbursts show up all too often.

I'm trying.  I'm trying to get it under control and make sure it doesn't consume those around me.  Some days I do pretty well and other days I kind of suck at it.

I still struggle to find an effective way that helps me release it.  It feels like a pressure cooker inside of me that is going to go off no matter what I do.  Thinking happy thoughts, meditation, breathing - most of it doesn't work.

While I hate admitting it, I really want to unleash the anger on those that hurt me and despise me as a result.  I want to make them hurt as much as they made me hurt and I want them to feel the pain I still feel in my mind, my body and my daily life.

Why should they get a reprieve from it?  I hope they suffer for what they did to me.  I have no love for them and yet, I'm told time and time again that I need to forgive them.  Right - not easy!  I'm not sure if I want to forgive them because it feels like I'm letting them off the hook.  No way, no how do I want to do that.

At times I'm lost with this anger.  It took me years to get in touch with it and now I wish it wasn't there.  I'd like to think I could just hide it and say "serenity now" or some other foolish thing, but you know what - I could go and hold my head under water and expect to breathe as well.

I'm not one to do quick things of sugar coating something to make it appear as if it is over.  I either go full force and head into it completely, or I live with it until I'm ready to do this.  Yes, I'm hard headed but that trait got me walking again and functioning after dealing with Conversion Disorder.

There is so much anger in the world today and I can feel it.  It makes me angry and I can barely take that.  I wish I had a magic pill that truly worked.  I wish that I could just say it is so and it would help.  Unfortunately, I still haven't graduated from anger 101 in the school of life.

Each day though, I keep trying and each day, I hope it gets a little better.  Its what I have to hold on to in this moment.  It is hope!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Neuroscience In The News On March 28

These are articles that I found of interest relating to news about Neuroscience.  In this issue, I have highlighted articles about March madness and mirror neurons, pain reduced by meditation and the effect of anxiety on bad decision making.

Please check out the article links below and feel free to comment with other information related to these subjects.  I enjoy learning as much as I can about the brain and passing this information on to everyone else that shares these passions.

This is for the week beginning March 28, 2016.

Please come back each week and hopefully I will have some more highlights.  Feel free to share with me ones that you have found and I may highlight those as well.

Feel free to check out the highlighted articles from March 21, 2016

March Madness and Mirror Neurons

Indeed, our brains contain mirror neurons in a number of brain areas. These brain cells fire when I see you waving at me and also when I am waving back at you. Mirror neurons pepper many brain areas that control our movements, from grasping to reaching to moving our eyes.

When we watch the players battling on the court, cutting across the defense with a no-look pass, shooting from the three-point line or blocking a shot of another player, mirror neurons make us literally feel what the player is feeling (to a milder degree, of course). Our brains are reenacting internally what we watch. It is as if we are almost playing the game ourselves.

Article Link:

• The Science Behind Our Love For March Madness
• Reported in the Washington Post on March 17, 2016

Can Meditation Reduce Pain?

A report finds when it comes to treating pain, meditation may provide drug-free relief. The study in the Journal of Neuroscience used a heated probe to inflict pain on a group of volunteers. Participants said meditation reduced the pain by as much as 24-percent. SOURCE – Journal of Neuroscience/MedDay/CBS

Article Link:

• Can Meditation Reduce Pain
• SOURCE – Journal of Neuroscience/MedDay/CBS

Anxiety And Bad Decision Making

Moghaddam and her team note that previous research investigating the effects of anxiety on the brain has primarily focused on the emotional response, such as how the brain cells of animal models respond to threatening situations.

Anxiety does not only have emotional implications for humans; it can also negatively impact everyday life, from preventing a person going to work, to interfering with personal relationships.

Article Link:

• Anxiety May Lead To Bad Decision Making
• Source:  Medical News Today
• Bita Moghaddam, Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania

Deeper Moments Within Yourself

May you find those deep moments within yourself that help you reset, give you renewal, and a different outlook.  May your own meditation bring you deeper within yourself.

Hope And Possibility Through Trauma by Don Shetterly (pg 155)

Religious Experience and Brain Scanning

Principles Of Neurotheology
By Dr. Andrew Newberg

In the movie, Religulous, Dr. Andrew Newberg was interviewed on his work in Neurotheology.  He studies show how religious experiences and practices impact the brain by doing brain scans of various religious people.  Gone are the days that we have to guess about what happens in a person when we can see it first hand through a brain scan.  This field of study is called neurotheology detailed in a book called "Principles of Neurotheology".

While people are in a very deep spiritual or religious state, these researchers do brain scans.   Some of the people they have studied include a Buddhist meditating, Sikhs chanting, and nuns praying.  They compare these brain scans to that of the person at a state of rest and observe the difference.   This research has given them a big opportunity to really see what happens within the mind and body when someone is taking part in a religious or spiritual practice.

An Ocean Picture Meditation

To enhance the power of this ocean meditation, you may want to download and listen to one of my CD's called "Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds". The sounds on this CD were recorded from the place you see in these pictures.

Since the ocean is one of my favorite places, every time I go, I always take pictures. For me to walk along the ocean, feel the salt mist and ocean breezes, it is breath taking to me.

I'm always captivated by the sounds of the waves and the roar of the ocean. If you ever have the chance to go to the ocean, do it! It is an experience you'll never forget. On the other hand, if you have been to the ocean, I hope these pictures will reconnect you with the sites and sounds you feel in your body and mind.





Just notice the rolling waves, and the ever so peaceful appearance of the waters that seem to stretch for miles and miles. The shoreline filled with its many grasses and plants that changes as the shoreline changes. If you travel for miles up the coast, you'll notice quickly how the shoreline changes, yet it is all connected.




Gazing into that deep blue horizon, it is like nothing else matters. No matter what is going on in life, it is like all is very insignificant to this moment that I am seeing. A point where I am standing there in this big world and while I'm connected to it, I feel as if I've drifted far beyond the earthly plane.




As the waves crash to the shore, I often see them bringing in what I need in life and taking away that which I don't need. I picture myself releasing all those difficult moments in life to the waves. The ocean is big enough to take these things, wash them away and carry back much needed peace to the shore.




Knowing that the shoreline I see at this particular minute and hour of the day, will change into something new, and unseen and that does not exist at this point in time. The low and high tide changes the landscape with each wave that crashes onto the shore. The depth of water and the water's edge display a landscape that cannot be imagined.


So to is our life. It is ever changing and what we see today is not what will be there tomorrow. No two days are alike and no two moments are alike. We can choose to participate in whatever moment of our life we wish or we can choose to step back and be an observer to the bigger picture of life. Sometimes by observing where we are in the moment, we are participating in life in a way that no comprehension can achieve.

May we view the ocean or other places in our life with great observance to gain a deeper understanding of who we are and where we are in life.


Further Reading:
1) Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds (Blog Post 7/20/11)
2) Relaxing Ocean Waves (Blog Post & Video 7/08/11)
3) Ocean Waves (Blog Post 5/17/11)



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Blog Post & Images (c) 7/13/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
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Mindfulness With Jon Kabat-Zinn

I was made aware of this video on YouTube at a Google meeting on Mindfulness. I didn't realize that companies out there really thought about things like this and am very thrilled that they have events like this one. The video is about 1 hour and 12 minutes long but to be honest, it went by very quickly. The presenter, Jon Kabat-Zinn actually takes you through a very deep meditation on mindfulness. It is well worth the time to watch this video.

The link to the video on YouTube is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc&feature=share

Mindfulness is something we all need to learn about and practice. The more we are mindful, the more creative we are, the more centered and powerful we are as we come from a deep place within ourselves. Mindfulness is a force like no other.

Jon Kabat Zinn is an author of several books and speaker on Mindfulness. You can find more about his books available on Amazon.


Further Reading:
1) Mindless Or Mindful (Blog Post 1/9/2011)
2) Healthy Benefits Of Mindfulness (Blog Post 9/18/2010)
3) Mindless Humans (12/1/2009)
4) Mindfulness (9/21/2009)
5) Are You Mindful And Creative? (9/19/2009)




Blog Post & Images (c) 4/15/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Meditation For The Simple People

Meditation does not have to be a difficult process. It does not have to be something for just those people who are into that sort of thing. It need not be a long demanding process that prevents you from doing it on a regular basis.

Meditation can be so enriching to our life and invigorating to our path. It can give us a moment of pause as we allow our brain to catch up with the busy pace of our day. The process can be so simple to just allow us to connect our minds, our body and our spirit together as one.

Here are some helpful hints to give you some guidance as you find your own way of meditating. Remember, each person is different and unique. What works for some people may not work for everyone else. Finding what works for you and embracing it fully, is more important than subscribing to someone else's idea of what meditation is all about.

1) Do it regularly
2) Give yourself a set time limit with a beginning and an end.
3) Spend part of the time sitting up so you are alert and aware
4) Spend at least 5 minutes in silence
5) Find a quiet place where won't be disturbed
6) Focus on your breath and breathing to get started. Take some deep breaths.
7) Allow your mind to clear and focus on the moment you are in.
8) Acknowledge run away thoughts or worries and ask how they can assist you.
9) Whatever happens is meant to happen. Be kind and gentle to yourself.
10) Record any thoughts, impressions or feelings that come to you during this time.

While I'm sure others would have many more thoughts on meditation, this is the list that came to my mind. It is by no means exhaustive or complete. It just offers some guidelines to consider when creating your own meditation practice.

May your own meditation practice deepen as you open up and allow your connection of consciousness with your mind, body and spirit.




Blog Post & Images (c) 3/15/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Supermoon, Oceans and Nature

Most likely everyone has heard about the supermoon which is ocuring this evening as I write this blog post. The supermoon is the moon that looks like it is much closer because it is actually traveling as close as it will get to the earth in its orbit for the next 18 years. Since it is also a full moon, it is expected to raise the tides all over the earth. Some say, it will have a significant impact upon the earth and while I have no way to agree or disagree with that, it will be interesting to see if there are any events that coincide with the supermoon. Many would just attribute this to folklore.

I'm always amazed at the systems in space and how they may or may not impact us as humans. Just to gaze at something that is only about 221,566 miles seems awe inspiring to me. I would love to be able to go and travel to the moon and actually step a foot on to it. If there is ever a wow factor in life, the moon and the planets or stars of the solar system would be one of those for me.

Coming back to earth though, I spent time at the ocean today just picking up seashells while dipping my feet in the 60 degree, cool ocean water. Seeing the ocean, hearing the roar of the waves, watching the sea gulls fly and being caught up in the moment of looking for seashells, the world around me seemed pretty small. Much like looking at the moon so many miles away, the earth seemed almost insignificant.

As we ended the day at the ocean, we spent time observing the birds and butterflies all around us. It was a beautiful site and once again, took me miles away from the world and all its troubles and problems.

There is no greater joy, no greater meditation and no better way to just be in the moment than to gaze at the sky, bask in the ocean and observe nature. If you want to let go of things that are bothering you, find your place in nature. Let nature revive you, ground you and help you find what it is that you need in this very moment.

Nature and the ocean and the moon are much bigger than anything we are experiencing. They remind us that we can transcend all that we are going through, if even for a moment. They remind us that we are part of something bigger and that we are all connected.




Blog Post & Images (c) 3/19/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Meditation Time

Ahhh, those quiet moments of our day where we just stop in our lives. Not a care or concern to think about. No tasks to be completed in this moment. All is at rest and at peace. A time where this one moment is all that we are concerned with in our lives.

I used to think that a time of meditation meant a person was to sit cross-legged and chanting some om's or something. Before then, I thought it was called "quiet time" where you read your bible and prayed. To be very honest, neither practice really did much for me. When I tried to do these things, I got bored and gave up. There never seemed to be time in my day for them.

After hearing people tell me time and time again, how important meditation was for my life, I finally found something that worked for me. This time though, I created what I felt I needed to do and what would be most beneficial. My goal was to make it into something that worked so well for my life, it would be a moment in my day that I looked forward to and enjoyed. I knew if it was not something I looked at with anticipation, then any practice would be short lived.

Fortunately, I have a very peaceful backyard with a screened in pool. The weather is typically nice enough to allow me to be outside most of the year. There are enough birds that come to visit me and talk to me. This is the space that renews and refreshes me.

In order to make this work, I set my alarm so I can spend 30-45 minutes in the morning as soon as I wake up. I head down to my quiet space where I bring a fresh glass of water. The water feels so grounding, calming and refreshing to me. I've got some comfy patio chairs and now I have a snuggie to help keep me warm on the cool mornings. I've created a safe, comfortable space that just allows me to be there in the moment and let go but not fall asleep.

When I get in my meditation time, I hold no expectations for anything to take place. I allow each morning to unfold in the way it needs to. Each meditation time is different and sometimes I just am more focused than other times. My hope for the meditation time is that I allow myself time to stop and listen.

I may be listening to birds at times or focusing on my breathing. There are days that I listen to all the sounds around me or take in all the beauty that my eyes see. Most of the time, these moments of listening help draw me into myself so that I can listen to everything going on in my life. I notice that when I stop and allow this to happen, that the messages and information are in abundant supply.

Every day, I take a blank piece of paper and I give myself the opportunity to write whatever it is that my hands wish to write. Some days it is more elaborate and other days it is short personal thoughts. I never think about what I need to write as the writing just happens. It is as if the words flow from my hands as a source of information for my day. I do limit myself to one sheet of paper so that I hold boundaries within my day and respect my schedule. It helps to keep me more focused in my meditation time.

It is amazing what shows up on the blank piece of paper. It is as if the words are meant to be. The words are a communication as I listen to all that is around me and that which becomes a part of my meditation time. The words tell a story as they give moments of clarity, moments of asking the question, inspiration and encouragement. Often, the words become answers to questions weighing upon my mind.

Instead of my meditation time becoming something that is boring to me, it is exciting and refreshing each day. While I try to do this every day, I try not to be demanding upon myself. Instead, I allow my body to have permission to rest or to rise and spend this time.

Most of the time, I am out of bed when the alarm clock goes off and ready to heal towards my peaceful space in meditation. When I give myself this time of meditation in the morning, I notice that my days are more centered and grounded. It is truly a moment where nothing else matters and life is so full and abundant.

(c) 11/12/10 by Don Shetterly - use by Permission only

Walking Through Illusion, Book Review

The following is my book review of the "Walking Through Illusion" by Betsy Otter Thompson.

When I first started reading this book, I was not sure what to expect. Because of my own history and experiences, religious-oriented books do not tend to attract my attention. Actually, these types of books can really upset the apple cart in my life and make for some miserable days. It is healing that I am still working through.

So when I began reading this, I was pleasantly surprised. It was not a “religious” book but one of spirituality applied to the context of growth in life. The many chapters and stories were of course based on well known religious figures, but the interpretations and applications were much different. It was not like I was sitting down in church listening to regurgitated statements of belief, but of words that really went to the heart of personal growth. The words formed a picture of events that gave way to personal reflection.

There are so many parts of this book that I could comment about and that touched me, but then you would be reading my words instead of reading the book! It would be better if you read the book, because I’m sure you will find things that really speak to you in your current life that maybe didn’t speak the same way at this point in my life. I believe this is one of those books you could read a hundred times and get a hundred different reflections from it. There is so much to this book.

Some of my favorite sections were:

Chapter 2: It is amazing that when we stop and think about things, we often hope for those moments in life where we can be happy and enjoy them. It is something we wish for like a “gift” that we are waiting to receive. Yet, we find out eventually that we give ourselves the greatest gift when we accept it in the way that it is presented to our lives.

Chapter 5: Often I focus on what I don’t have or what others have in life that I do not have. When I do that, I put myself down into lower depths of depression. I miss the support and love that I actually do have because while it is there staring me in the face, I am too busy measuring the things that will not bring about my happiness.

Chapter 6: This touched my life very deeply because I know that I have had to deal with the changes in how I view religion and spirituality. Coming from my own background of rigid religious belief systems to where I am now has been a difficult transformation. These days I am more focused with how I connect spiritually with myself, and how I evolve in awareness as an individual. Just reading about the author’s experiences at the end of the chapter help give me that moment of realizing, I’m not the only one on this journey.

Chapter 9: Sometimes it is so easy to look at life and be upset with all that is not happening. It is much harder to accept everything in our life as the way our life is meant to be. However, it depends upon what we put out there as to what we will get back. Abundance is not so much the wealth we possess in the world but the size of our heart. I can so identify with this because I have struggled through rough financial times, and I am slowly learning that my abundance is not in terms of money but the gems that I discover within myself. My life is full of abundance and all too often I focus on what I don’t have rather than what I do have.

Chapter 11: Coming into this world, I have been met with many horrible experiences. It is easy for me to look at my life and determine that this person or that person caused me great harm. There is no denying that fact, but when I focus on this view only, I miss the fact that all these experiences are making me what I am today. Slowly I am learning to accept these parts of myself as ways that help push me further and have actually made my life so rich and full.

Chapter 14: In her quote at the beginning of this chapter, I was warmed by this thought and challenged at the same time: “When we choose to see love in our life or we don’t, why don’t we make things easier and choose to see the love. “ It is there for us and all we need to do is stop and change our thoughts. The love will get us further in our life and it will help us put the other parts of our life in a different perspective.

Chapter 20: This chapter is so much about what my life continues to unfold in my own personal awareness and evolution. I know that memories do come up and with them I connect to the emotions that I feel. However, the way through them is to connect them within the body and to find where that emotion resides. Once that has been identified, so much deep stored energy can be released. The body and the mind can become more whole. Just like the author said in this book, the ego does find ways to try and knock you off course. I have found that it has used every trick in the book in my own life to keep me living in fear, instead of becoming aware of the love within myself.

These parts I have described here are just sections that really stood out to me. Much of what you would get from the book depends upon where you have traveled, and where you currently are traveling along the journey of your life. We all have experiences that have brought us to the moment we are at and those experiences can move us forward. Walking Through Illusion gives the reader of this book another viewpoint and another frame of reference for further awareness and healing in their life. To truly be human, the evolution and awareness of our life is critical.

To me, the ideal way to read this book would be to take a chapter at a time and read it, ponder it, and then see how it applies to your life. It would be great for a time of meditation. Of course, with the book split up into chapters focusing on a particular topic, you could turn to it when you were experiencing times that matched one of the chapters. Whatever way you decide to read and use this book, it will help you grow and become better acquainted with not only who you are, but all that you are.

Release Anger Through Affirmations

There are events that happen in our day which cause upset and frustration. Sometimes it is not only people but events that can cause anger. While we sometimes can put the happy face on when this takes place, these moments do bother us. If we do not find ways to release anger from these moments, it will have a serious impact on our body, mind and spirit.

For a long time in my life while growing up, I witnessed people holding a grudge when someone did something to them that they were angered by. These people could hold a grudge for a long and did not let go of it easily. It was almost as if holding the grudge or the anger of the moment was as vital as taking the next breath of air.

If you look at events in the news that relate to power and control such as politics, you can quickly see how people hold anger for one another. In fact, it has become so common place that the lines have blurred so badly. In most instances of politics, we cannot even begin to see that this is taking place. Wars have been started because anger could not be released. Organizations, movements and laws passed have taken place out of anger.

Sometimes anger is very justified, so please do not think I am saying it has no place. It is a very valid emotion that we often hold on to while society shuns it in fear. Often it is difficult for others we are around to deal with our anger because of their own life experiences. Please note that I am not talking so much about rage, but about anger.

Anger is a difficult emotion for many because all too often, we have seen it abused and misdirected. Many have never learned healthy ways to release anger and so it builds up until we either stuff it deep inside, or we come out swinging. There are many ways that we hide our anger which involve self medication. Self medication can come in the form of alcohol, drugs, non stop workaholics, depression, anxiety, muscles tension, muscle pain, hives and itching, physical symptoms, avoidance and many other ways.

Of course, the trick in life is to find ways to release anger. I know for me, it took many years to realize that it was okay to let anger out. I had been taught like so many others that you did not show anger and that it was wrong to do this. It took me a long time to realize that there were safe ways to release anger that did not involve abusing myself or others like I had been shown all my life. I am not the world's best example of dealing with anger in my own life but I am learning more each day how to release anger.

In Doreen Virtue's CD, Chakra Meditation, there is one track called "Evening Meditation" that has an affirmation I am finding very helpful in releasing anger. It is a wonderful meditation CD that I truly love and when life gets so difficult, I use this CD. The affirmation she states in this track is as follows: "I am willing to release that part of me which angers me when I think of you."

When I hear these words, it helps put the moment of anger or frustration in perspective. It helps me see that I do have a choice and the ability or power to release the anger I am feeling. If you repeat this affirmation, you will most likely feel a similar effect of release upon your mind and your body. I would urge you to try hearing Doreen speak these words or even just repeating them to yourself and see what impact it has upon your life.

Realizing we have the ability to release anger of these moments is so powerful. Holding the anger and frustration in, only diminishes our life and robs of us our power. The moments of anger and frustration will most likely show up in life. However, if we find ways to release anger, we will find a greater piece of mind. For many people, this is a process and the more we exercise it, the stronger we will become.

For more information about Doreen Virtue's CD, Chakra Meditation, please visit iTunes or Amazon.

Spending Time In Nature

Spending time in nature is one of the ways I find my center in life. It is where I feel most grounded. Everything that I am connected to in this universe, I can touch by being in nature.

There is something so peaceful about watching squirrels run and play or observing the birds frolic. Hearing the chirps of the different birds is like a symphony. Each chirp is unique and special. Each one offers a conversation.

The wind and breeze come and go. From a still point to the feeling on your face, it is a refreshing breath of oxygen to me. I enjoy watching the tops of the trees gently move from the breeze as if they are giving themselves a massage.

Even the grass glistens with dew in the early morning hours. As the sun begins to wake the day, the drops of dew glisten with brightness. The grass reminds me of its grounding to the earth that remains day after day.

The plants themselves offer growth from the ground. They remind me that when we are grounded in our life, we will grow. With the nourishment of rain, we stretch toward the sky. In different colors, I am as unique to the world as each blade of grass.

The water lays still when there is no wind. Yet, it appears that it is always moving underneath. With each angle, the view changes. What may be deep, might appear shallow. What may appear shallow, might be deep. So to is life, where I learn each day about all the many depths I hold within myself.

From the clouds in the sky, to the fortitude of the trees, I feel a sense of calmness, inner peace, and overall tranquility. I feel like no matter what happens, everything will be alright, just from observing nature. Nature shows me that even in the chaos of life, there is order, a sense of purpose and a natural flow.

Nature is special and no two moments of observation are ever the same. One day to the next, offers such a variety that not even the world's greatest movie producer could match in creativity. Unfortunately, so many of us miss these moments in life. It is a gift given to us without charge. Moments in nature show us abundance if we do not allow ourselves to miss them.

As I'm learning in my own life, I need to stop and observe nature. When I do stop and take this all in, I find those peaceful minutes of insight. A vast world of information and personal exploration awaits. In these moments, I see all that life has to offer, not what it lacks. Observing nature is the largest reset button in life that we can tap at a moment's notice.

May I never forget to immerse myself into nature each day.

May I listen to the messages, and observe all that nature has to offer me.

May I truly sense what it means to live in the moment of now, just like each part of nature does each day.

May I just accept and allow all that nature has to offer as I find centering and grounding for my day.


(Above Picture taken at Tropical Park, Miami, FL - (c) 02/11/07)


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Intuition And Gut Feelings

Sometimes it just seems that I have an intuition or a gut feeling about something. It has been said by others and I see it in my self. I just know things. I don't mean that as bragging in any way. Don't ask me how or where this comes from. I just know it is there.

Often, my gut brain is my barometer for many things. Many times people say they have a gut feeling and for me this is so true. My gut tends to tell me when decisions I'm about to make are good or bad, especially the major decisions. When I sense or pick things up, it is often my gut feeling that validates the information.

Another area that I really notice it is when I hear things from other people. If what they are telling me adds up, then I feel an ease in my gut. If what they are telling me does not add up, then there is a twinge in my gut of questioning. Sometimes the gut feeling is more stronger and evident than others. There are times though that I sometimes that I just don't listen to it.

In addition to my gut, I also just tend to know things. It is like I have the information when I need it the most. I have no idea where it comes from or how it gets there. The information just shows up at the appropriate time. It is usually not a moment too soon or a moment too late. Many times I am afraid of it, wondering if it is truly valid for the situation or not. It is not necessarily something that others are open and receptive to so, I often keep all this quiet and to myself.

While I'm sure my self confidence is a major part of how I view what I receive, there are many times I discount what I pick up. Sometimes, it truly scares me because it isn't like I understand where this information comes from. There are many times that what I pick up is so much information that I find myself saying, "ENOUGH"! It can become overwhelming and when it does, I run for cover, hiding myself from all of it.

To be around people in a close proximity can be very difficult for me. There are moments where I feel bombarded with the personal information of others and I cannot escape it. It isn't like I ask for it or even desire it to be there. It feels the same as if you take note of someone's facial expressions. I would have to close my mind's eye to avoid seeing it.

When I'm doing bodywork or I am in close proximity to those I'm connected with, the information intensifies. I often see, sense and feel so much. More likely than not, I cannot put it all into words. It is just there and in a large quantity. I've felt the pain in my body of those that I am working on just as they feel their own pains. I've shared the neck pain, headaches, and stomach discomforts that others are experiencing. For if I'm working on someone, I know the area of discomfort has left their body when I feel it leave my own.

It is hard for me to understand all of this. There are few people that I can truly talk to who understand what this is all about. I'm cautious what I share because so many try to inject their belief system as an explanation. I often don't acknowledge all of this for fear of being ridiculed and laughed at by others or cast aside.

I am learning to accept it more as it comes but it is difficult. I'm trying to not freak out when it shows up. It still overwhelms me and sometimes I avoid people or crowds as a result. Giving myself a voice through my meditation times seems to give me a moment of acknowledgement and release.

While I do feel different and sometimes out of place in life, this intuition I have is my guiding light for my life. This I know without a shadow of a doubt. It has always been there with me and for me since as far back as I can remember.


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An Ocean Meditation

Sitting at the ocean, watching the waves come in and listening to the sounds is a relaxing and energizing experience. There is something about water that acts as an agent of transformation in our life.

Just picture the sun shining through the deep blue sky. A few clouds appear and others drift in and out. The birds fly by as if they are watching out over the shoreline. A few birds run around on the hot sand hoping to catch a meal that appears.

The breeze blows gently as the roar of the ocean waves making their way in to the shore, crash against the water return to sea. The ripples of water flow over the varying heights of the ocean floor. Patterns of many colors appear one minute and are gone the next as a wave washes them away.

People run and play as the water mesmerizes time. For time, at the ocean never runs out. There is as much of it as there are grains of sand. A plane flies above and a boat sails by but it seems to all if time is of no concern. There is no worry about another day. It is that moment which becomes the joy of life.

The tide goes out showing a part of the ocean floor that is not always seen. It gives way to an enlarged beach as tiny pools of water heat up in the sun. Then, as the tide comes in, the water deepens and the beach seems to shrink as if it is saying goodbye. What appeared before, is now lost in time. It is like it was there but no longer seen in that moment. When it returns another day, its shape and size will be different than the day before.

Feeling, hearing and jumping into the power of the greeting waves, brings the energizing power of time to the shore. As the water rushes back to the ocean, it pulls everything with it at such a force. The strength of the water is something to observe with awe.

Yet, throughout a day at the beach, time stands still. Our worries and concerns dwarf in comparison to the never ending body of water. Our eyes are mesmerized by the sun dancing with the wind on the water. Our bodies, minds, and souls are refreshed, energized and relaxed at the sights and sounds.

For me, there is a spiritual connection. If I have any problems or concerns, I know that the ocean is big enough to carry them away. It brings in what I need and it is happy to take away that which I do not need. It reminds me of a larger force within my word. The ocean gives me a sense of being just one person in a very big world. It helps show me that no matter what I am connected to, something much larger than myself is present.

The ocean is a place of retreat for my body as my mind wrestles with life's difficult moments. it is where time stands still when it is rushing by. It is where I feel renewed in my mind, body and connected to my soul.

There is something to the ocean that is mysterious and inspiring. It is not something that can be explained but must be experienced. The connection is to something greater that just accepts me in the moment while it demands nothing in return. It just allows me to live in that moment with no strings attached.

A day at the ocean is wonderful. My life is filled with renewal, as I offer all my concerns and worry to the waves. I breathe in the energy as I feel the power of the sun. I give thanks as the birds run and play.

For the ocean is my rock, my transformation and the view of so much more. Without it, life would not seem complete. I am thankful for it.




Check out Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds I recorded.





 
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A Meditation Exercise

Sometimes there is so much going around us as we are sitting out in nature. It is easy to miss it if were not paying attention or just connecting with it. In all reality, it isn't that hard to connect either. We just have to stop and slow ourselves down and allow the connection.

For a simple meditation exercise, find a nice, comfortable place outside. Take some paper and something to write with. Sit in a moment of silence and meditation as you center yourself and allow yourself to open up.

Then, begin writing down short and simple thoughts of all that you observe, feel, see, sense, smell of what is going on around you. Record the individual things as simple thoughts one line right after another.

If you are visual, you might draw little simple pictures if that helps or you might color a picture. Connect in the way that is appropriate for you.

As you keep doing this, you will notice that you hear more, see more and observe more. What may have been there before, might have been hidden from you as you were not in the space to take it in. But, as you keep tuning into that which is around you, an amazing thing happens. It is like someone turns up the observation and you experience so much more.

There is much going on around us and we miss so much of it. Stopping to connect with it, helps us center our lives, find truth for our day and keeps us in the flow of gratitude and life. Without it, our lives can feel like the glass that is half empty. Nature is here for us to be a part of, not to just exist as if the day is hurrying by. Let us all stop and say hello to nature. It wants to be noticed.

For an example, here is my list of what I wrote today. It is interesting how it really flowed together as I went back to read it. And I especially like at the end, how it came together into words that I needed to here - all seems to fit together.

Just sitting here
Listening to the birds
For they are many
One single chirp
One triple chirp
The light shines on the wood
The colors vary
Greens, browns, reds, white
Against a deep blue sky
Soft gentle breeze
Air feels humid and warm
Shadows cast by the morning sun
Tree branches wiggle slightly
Water shimmers as it rests
A dog barks in the distance
Another answers close by
Faint sounds of trucks and cars
The pin wheel goes round
Another bird joins in
The grass glistens with morning dew
A jet flies overhead
Wispy thin clouds drift by
A squirrel plays close by
A butterfly floats along
Birds chirp in chorus
Time for another day
All seems to fit together
In nature all is one



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Meditative Journaling

Here's a simple exercise for journaling along with your meditation time. If you feel you can not journal, this might be a good way to try something different. Sometimes recording what we feel and experience helps us connect with what we are seeking or trying to understand or just needing to connect with. This is a very simple exercise and you can adapt it to your meditation time or a moment of silent in your day. Let it work for you and be something that fits into your life.

Find a quiet place where you can be alone. Outside in nature is nice but even in a quiet room where you won't be disturbed is good. When you find that place, spend a couple of moments just centering yourself on your breath and feeling your body support and balance you as you sit there.

When you're ready, grab a piece of paper (on a clipboard or in a notebook can work great). Then begin to list every single word that comes to your mind, one right after another. No matter how silly or unimportant the word may seem, make a list of these words. How many you record is up to you.

Next, after you have listed the words - try writing a short sentence that comes to mind about the word. Why did it come into your mind? What were you thinking about? What prompted you to write it down. Let that sentence flow as you give life and meaning to the word.

When you are done writing your sentences, take a moment to read back through them and then just sit with what you have written. More than likely, you're going to see a pattern emerge and all of these words together will tell a story of what you need to hear in that moment. It is like an opening in to finding that which you want to connect to. Of course, you may realize that all the time, these things were just part of you. This was but a simple exercise to help you connect with them.

And now if you are one of the people who say writing is difficult and you struggle to journal or sit in meditation - well guess what - you've just done all those things!

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Vision For My Healing Life

One of the things that I do with this blog is to create a mile marker, if you will, of various moments in my life. In many ways, this blog is about my own journey through life including the good, bad and sometimes the things that are difficult to write about. It is about my own experiences and my learning that evolves as I grow and continue to take steps forward. I try to hold open my life as an open book in hopes that by sharing my own struggles, triumphs and growth, it will inspire and encourage others. Today's post is one such moment in my life.

Lately I've been looking for answers to many questions that I have and struggling to find my footing on what seems to be a treacherous path. While I know that the times of discomfort and aloneness are moments which lead to a greater awareness, they are often difficult. It is a journey and I'm not one that is afraid to travel down the difficult paths. Yet, sometimes I am afraid of the fears that show up along the way.

After a much needed week of time off from the daily routines and spending it with some wonderful friends doing everything from fun events to exchanges of healing, my mind is much more focused than it has been. I needed this time of renewal. It was like pressing the reset button in life. I was hoping for this and I was given much more than I could have ever hoped for during the week. It was a gift that touched my heart deeply and impacted my life in ways that will ripple beyond my current moments.

So today, I am marking the point where instead of getting up in the morning and starting my daily routines, I'm going to spend a few moments in meditative silence being open to all that is within my consciousness and listening to all that is waiting for me to receive. Today's post is about what came out of that which is my starting point for shifting my focus into the world I desire to connect with instead of the perplexing world I live in. I realize that in order to shift things and to flee from feeling stuck, that defining what I'm looking towards is key. I hereby offer the following up as my moment of drawing the line in the sand.


What Would My Healing World Look Like?
Saturday, June 26, 2010

Vision:
Helping others heal from lifelong trauma in a way that not only enlightens and helps them to evolve but helps me do this in myself as well as anyone connected with the work or with me. It is permanent life changing work available to anyone regardless of their ability to pay for it. The necessary time and resources to enjoy life are available in the way that I need them at any given moment.

1) Not every day bodywork sessions – plenty of downtime, rest and time to myself – would allow me to set the pace and schedule of my day. Feeling of ease and not being overwhelmed.

2) Mix of bodywork sessions, workshops I give, time for me to write, learning and maybe teaching. Most likely it would involve drumming, music, angel therapy. Would keep me grounded and growing. Would involve all kinds of bodywork, energy healing, book discussions, workshops, speakers, seminars, creative expressions, health practitioners, experimental concepts, regular exchanges between body workers

3) Regular bodywork done on myself

4) Some air travel but limited driving and limited time away from home

5) Feel connected to the ocean and also long for the mountains

6) People who are spiritual and grounded that can support my own growth, work or endeavors that I can learn from and grow with. Connections to other health practitioners who share the same vision.

7) Feel very connected to nature – outdoors – trees – animals

8) Creative Idea oriented but details left to someone I trust with the same vision

9) Facilities/building in a place like Oviedo – peaceful, wooded area with lake, connected to nature, plenty of windows to make the space open but secluded for privacy, quiet and spacious.

10) Ability to offer work to anyone whether they can afford it or not. Money would not be a motivator. Anyone who needs healing could come. Workshops would be inexpensive like QiGong seminars.

11) Would provide for our needs in life but not asking to be extremely wealthy or barely surviving in life. Wanting a healthy income that allows us to enjoy life and do things we would love to do. Work would be self sustaining financially for us.

12) Would allow me to continue writing as I do now but with someone that could edit it as I write

13) Would allow me to be creative in all that I do as I currently do

14) Would include close friends that were nearby who share a similar view and vision for the world.

15) It would touch all corners of the world


Dear Universe:
I offer this up. I am anxious but patient to see it unfold. I am ready to do my part and take my place in all of this so the world may heal and grow. I am ready to embrace my fears and take the step into the unknown.



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The Brain Never Rests

According to an article on Newsweek.com, Why Your Brain Never Really Rests, scientists have ignored the brain activity in the background as the brain is not really active doing anything. Since scientists doing PET scans and MRI's assumed this activity was meaningless, they actually took it out of the results from the scans.

When someone is lying still and it seems like the mind is blank, the brain activity is really working hard. The very idea of default activity was so against the norm for the scientific community that when Marcus Raichle discovered it, his paper on the subject was rejected. The brain might be very active in the areas where it seems as if nothing is going on.

The brain is in the "default mode" when we sleep, stare in to space, undergo anesthesia or even when we are sitting motionless like in a moment of meditation and relaxation. The brain consumes 20 times as much energy during this time as compared to times of thinking, feeling and using our senses. That is a lot of energy consumed for the brain to be at rest. So while one may say the brain is at rest, it truly is not at rest.

The default mode of the brain seems to be preparing our minds for future situations including creating images about what to expect from future situations so we are prepared for those moments. There are many synapses taking place in the visual cortex of our brain during this default mode which suggests that the brain is creating mental images that help us make sense of the images in real time. The default mode is active when we are not taking in information and processing events from our day. It is a time when we may be pulling all kinds of information together including other people's perspectives to help us play through possible scenarios which help us plan and prepare for our moments ahead.

Just think of how much our brains are doing while we are in this default mode and then consider just how much we may limit the capacity of our brain when we keep ourselves too busy. We need the down time and the rest whether it is relaxing on a beach or at a pool, taking a leisurely walk, taking an afternoon nap or doing meditation and relaxation exercises. If we constantly stimulate our minds, we may be missing out on some of the most important revelations that will help us navigate through life in a much better and more balanced way.

I cannot help but think of the times that I've struggled to solve a problem. In one case, I was on a client site and spent all day trying to solve an issue. Finally I went home and just completely let go of it from my mind. I knew I had just a few hours to solve the situation the next day but I also realized that the best thing I could do was to just let go of it and get my brain off of the problem. Lo and behold the next morning when I walked into the client site, I solved the problem in the first 15 minutes. My brain had a chance to analyze all scenarios and all the information and input from the day to come to a solution that worked.

It is very important to give our minds a rest during the day and if we do this even for a few minutes, we'll be far more productive than if we just keep pushing through our day and pouring those gallons of caffeine into our body. Our brains offer us much more than we sometimes realize and often times, we are the ones holding ourselves back. Let us give ourselves what we need and watch how much our brain gives us in return.

Images: NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org

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Piano Meditation Music

Meditation - the moments you spend in solitude and silence with reflection and a listening ear. Yet, these moments sometimes seem to me to be one of the hardest things to embrace in any given day. Between everything that is going on and all that I need to get done, the minutes fly by.

Today as I was sitting there playing my piano, I thought back to all the days that this has been a constant in my life. No matter how difficult the days or the events got in my life, there was always the piano. In fact, between the piano and my pets, I can always find life's center with these things. When nothing else in life gives me a moment of peace or stillness, I always have my piano.

When I was a child, my house was never dull and quiet. There were constant times of screaming, yelling and criticizing. In addition to that, love, touch and companionship, were shown to us in ways that were abusive, harmful and full of evil. It was in those moments, that the only thing I could do was to find a way to escape. For I could not deal with what was taking place at that time and it was not like I could just run away from the situation. There was no place to run to and no place to hide.

During these times, I would turn to my piano and play the songs that I so loved. Most of these were church hymns and choruses because that is all I knew and about all I was ever allowed to work with. Their easy melodies and harmonies along with the gentle and peaceful words found in the verses of the songs, made for some beautiful moments of connectedness for my life.

Today as I was playing some of these songs, I noticed that the pain and turmoil of the past are brought up within the notes. For the pain and turmoil was as much a connection for me to these songs as the peaceful moments were. And while the pain and turmoil is sometimes still overwhelming to me, there is a side of these songs that takes me into a space unlike any other. It is a place of deepness, far removed from this world.

One could say it is a place of meditation or spirituality but to me it goes much deeper than that. It is very hard to describe. I know I have read that Yanni talks about going into a black space when he creates. I'm sure what he is talking about and what I'm talking about are our own similar experiences with this. I'm sure each artist knows first hand what this space is.

It is a beautiful place to be and travel into. It does give me the opportunity to be deep in meditation. To me, meditation is not only about sitting cross legged in silence. It is much more that that. Meditation is a deep connection to what is not readily seen or heard. I'm always amazed at just how much insight, awareness and communication I receive when I'm deep in the meditative moments of playing my piano and creating.

May you find those deep moments within yourself that give you reset, renewal and a different outlook. May your own meditation bring you deeper within yourself.

While I don't record most of what I play in these moments, some of the music has made it on to my CD's of relaxing piano music from the heart. This music often comes out of those times and sound clips can be found on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify.

For More Information on Don Shetterly, Visit his website at http://www.donshetterly.com


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