Reflections on the Dark Side

"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."  Carl Jung

The solstices and equinoxes mark the changing seasons and remind us of the life cycle - seasons come and go, things change, nothing stays the same, yet all will return in its time.  One year ends and a New Year is created. 

The WInter Solstice is a deeply mystical time for many.  It is the longest night of the year, all have gone deep inside and faced the long dark night of the soul and now await the return of the sun.  The New Year is a time to consider the true nature of reflections.  Take a moment to light a candle and meditate with mindfulness on the sunlight within yourself.

As you learn to accept the brightness of who you are, you will begin to understand your deeper nature which is both light and darkness.  Do not fear your shadow side, for the shadows are what give you depth, experience and wisdom and they provide opportunities for the perfect expression of theDivine that you are.  Your soul is a beautiful mirror that seeks to reflect the light of the Divine.  This light is bright enough to forever illuminate your path and the paths of those with whom you come in contact.  Meditating upon this light will provide insight to your deeper nature.

The word 'insight', which means to see into something, is really a function of seeing with your inner eyes - with the 'eyes of understanding.'  When we are distracted and deceived by appearances, we may judge others quickly and react defensively.  True vision requires that we see beyond actions into their source - and then beyond the source into the soul.

Practice seeing with the eyes of understanding - beyond the frustration, irritation or disappointment of the moment into the underlying reasons for behaviors or events.  Challenge yourself to see into yourself - to monitor responses and reaction patterns, to consider why you create certain situations in your life, to explore ways in which you can turn apparent misfortune into an opportunity for growth and ultimately into good fortune.  Begin by trading judgment for non-judgmental observation and by trading reaction for thoughtful response -  and your eyes of understanding will begin to open.Though the night is dark, when we see with our heart and soul, our true path will always be visible, illuminated by the light within.

Blessings on your path,

Beth

Seeing with Beginner's Eyes

13th century German mystic Meister Eckhart once observed, "The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me."  At first, the point of his comment seems obvious. But if you stay with it for a moment, then the mystery it reveals is overwhelming.  And highly personalized.  What's obvious to you might very well be oblivious to me. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by daily demands and decisions that we have no time to see clearly or even look to see where we are going.

The Chinese principles of yin and yang show us that there are two extremes to everything - dark and light, cold and hot, sorrow and joy.  One is practical - the other passionate.  One aspect is used for navigation, the other for connection.  One eye makes an instant judgment, the other eye contemplates. 

The gift of vision is so important that when the world was created, Love's first command was for there to be Light in order for us to see.  In his gently thought provoking art primer, The Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation, the artist Frederick Franck invites us to experience each ordinary moment as if we were seeing something for the first time. "Everyone thinks he knows what a lettuce looks like.  But start to draw one and you realize the anomaly of having lived with lettuce all your life but never having seen one, never having seen the semi-translucent leaves curling in their own lettuce way, never having noticed what makes a lettuce a lettuce rather than a curly kale."

Franck does it with a pencil,  You can do it with a pause. The next time you're making a salad, take another look at a head of lettuce.  What do you see?  Look closely, look with reverence, look with gratitude, and what you'll see will be more than meets your eye.

Today's Challenge:
It's time for a Photo Safari!  All you need is the phone on your camera and a willingness to approach your day-to-day life with wonder and seeing things with beginner eyes.  Take a photo of your toothbrush. Snap a shot of the dazzling raspberry. Zoom in.  Zoom out.  Explore how photography allows you to see things in ways you may have otherwise missed. 

See things with beginner’s eyes - a contemplative/meditation experience that slows things down and enhances the way we see our world in novel and original ways.  Uncover the color, texture and beauty that is always there, but normally hidden from view.

Beginner’s Eye is based on the Zen notion of “beginner’s mind; " that open and spacious place when we are completely receptive, fearless, totally present and connected to the wonder of each moment. A pure clear contemplative seeing awareness where everything is fresh and new.

Let the photographs find you!

Meditation Musing:
It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
- Henry David Thoreau   

Blessings on your path,

Beth
 

There You Grow Again!

Do you wish every day could feel fresh instead of like a replay of last one?  

Change is often our deepest most insatiable desire, which we fervently deny and so desperately fear. And yet change is the only thing we can count on. Seems we're in a conundrum!

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu 

Growth requires change and reaching and stretching beyond our comfort zone on every level of being - moving into a new way of living. Habits are automatic behavior - learned and practiced. It saves us the bother of being here now, of "experiencing the experience". We can live in our heads and not be present, fantasize reality. It's safer. We feel more in control, because if we change, who KNOWS what might happen!

But simply making a fresh choice from your rote behavior will open up a whole new way of thinking, helping you entertain a whole new set of possibilities in your life.  This fresh choice just might help resolve a problem you've been struggling with, or plant a seed of realization.

So, now it's time to shake things up and put a new twist on some old habits. Just let whatever happens emotionally, mentally, physically, happen. I can guarantee: there will be surprises!

Challenge of the Day (if you DARE!)

• Try brushing your teeth with your other hand.

• Walk down a new block during lunch, and really notice everything as you pass by.

• Wear 2 pieces of clothing in different colors or contrasting textures - ones you've never put together before - like black and navy or red and purple, or leather and lace (ooh la la!).

• Try cooking up a new dish with an exotic name you can't even pronounce.

• Have your breakfast someplace you've never eaten before.

• Pet the dog/cat with your other hand.

• Change your ringtone.

• Listen to a song in a music genre you don't 'like'.

Blessings on your path,

Beth

Laughter as Medicine

If you are too busy to laugh, you are simply too busy. 

"We don't laugh because we're happy – we're happy because we laugh." - William James

Old proverbs aside, it turns out that laughter really is the best medicine. Particularly when it's of the belly-laugh variety, the kind that produces brain waves akin to levels seen in people who reach "a true state of meditation."

New studies show that making a concerted effort to make laughter a part of your daily routine is an easy and medicine-free method for reducing the stress hormone cortisol, boosting brain health and keeping mental levels sharp.  All that and laughter can support the immune system, improve blood pressure, stimulate the organs and reduce pain too!

When there is mirthful laughter, the brain and body get a workout. You not only feel better, you also think more clearly and have more integrative thoughts. What's not to like about that? Laughter helps you reframe, revisit, reorganize, or rearrange aspects of your life - making you feel SPARKLY all over!

Meditation Musing:
"At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities."
- Jean Houston   

Get ready.  Get set.  It's time to LAUGH...

Challenge of the Day:

"A laughing meditation?" you ask.  "You must be kidding?!!"

NO, I'm very serious! 

So, you've got nothing to laugh about? 

Great!  Then this laughing meditation is just for you.

Gather up some weird friends to join you.

You say you don't have any?

Then run - don't walk - and find one or two or three. 

Weird friends are the spice of life! 

Set a timer for 15 minutes and lie down on the floor and just start laughing.  Fake it 'til you make it!  Before you know it, you will all look so ridiculous that the laughter will be genuine. You'll be laughing at them - and you can rest assured that they will certainly be laughing at you!

When the timer goes off sit or lie absolutely still in silence.

Experience the wonderful emptiness you have created inside yourself through the release of all the tension and stress.  This is what the mystics call Samadhi - a glimpse of the beyond.

Happy Laughing!

Beth

www.bethleas.com

Finding the 'Just Right'

Finding balance in our lives can often seem elusive - a little like being Goldilocks as we try to find the chair that's neither too large nor too small, the porridge that's neither too hot nor too cold, the bed that's neither too hard nor too soft, but 'just right'. Living a life of balance leads us to find the middle way - the 'just right' -savoring each moment as the gift that it is.
 

As we move about our daily life - eating, sleeping, working - our amazing bodies work to maintain a delicate balance of temperature and blood chemistry, which if drastically altered, ends our life.  And not only does our survival depend on balance - so too does the quality of our life at all levels - body, mind and spirit.

If gravity is the glue that holds the universe together - balance is the key that unlocks its secrets.  All things exist in a state of balance - the interplay of opposites: high and low; in and out; hot and cold; fast and slow; loud and soft.  And between the polarities rests a balance point - a center.  Achieving balance in even one area of our life can make a significant difference in our effectiveness.

Within our psyches live archetypes and values of the puritan and the hedonist, the believer and the skeptic, the social butterfly and the lone wolf.  Sages from every culture have advocated the middle way, the golden mean, the straight-and-narrow path.  Even in the world of nature most humans thrive by avoiding the extremes of desert heat and arctic cold, finding our lives more comfortable in the temperate zones. But balance does not always depend on avoiding the extremes.

Balance also embraces the ability to explore the extremes at times - paying equal attention to both sides to keep the pendulum in balance.  For example, sometimes we may want to play the hedonist - staying up late and celebrating, indulging our senses; other times we may express a more puritan or spartan disposition - eating well and exercising.  Sometimes we overwork - other times we over rest.

Over time, we remain in balance as long as we work both sides equally and return to center. What constitutes balance differs somewhat for each of us, due to our different temperaments, dispositions and constitutions.  Some people tolerate and thrive on more exercise than others - and even our own needs change over time.

Each of us needs to find our own middle ground, defined by our unique physical and psychological qualities and needs - not by someone else's values.  How much to exercise?  How much to eat?  The answer is "whatever is 'just right' for you."

What does it mean to find the middle way?  It means not getting caught up in a tangle of drama but consciously choosing to walk through life (rather than pushing it away), and allowing ourselves to see all sides of any matter.  In doing so, we make greater choices and pave the way for living with a sense of peace.

Once we find the middle way and walk it, we live positioned in the center of our lives -   giving us a panoramic view that allows us to see all that is possible.  This leads us to an authentic experience of balance rather than one that is limited and capable of being thrown off at any moment.  The old paradigm of balance seems to be influenced by external forces rather than a powerful internal response.  It takes awareness, practice and tenacity to live the middle way.

Meditation Musing:

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." - Havelock Ellis

Get ready, get set, it's time to write!

Journaling SPARK: Questions to ponder - take your time...

• What brings balance to your life?
• When you reflect on balance in your life, what do you discover?
• What sustains balance in your life?
• What one action could you take to have more balance in your life?
• Tell a story about a time when you were living in balance and harmony.
• How does living in balance expand your life?
• What are you willing to do to live a life of balance?

Blessings on your path,

Beth

www.bethleas.com

There's No Place Like 'Om' →

Are you searching for that place, somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high, where skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true?

Have you been looking for a place outside of yourself hoping it will magically fulfill your longing?

Well, search no more.

Meditation is the magic carpet that will carry you where the clouds are far behind you and troubles melt like lemon drops. You, like Dorothy, have the power within to go 'OM'.  It's easy and fun. So put aside your expectations about meditation and don't worry about doing it 'right'.  There are infinite possibilities and no fixed criterion for determining the right meditation for you.

"You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour." ~ Zen Proverb

Slip on your ruby slippers, click your heels three times and remember these zen commandments from Bethela, the Good Witch.

Find that special place

If possible, this should be a dedicated place for meditation.  It can be at a table in a corner of a room, a special spot in front of a window, on the floor at the foot of your bed.  Keep it comfortable and fresh and fun. A ritual will get you in the right mood for meditation. Anything that tells your mind that this is what is on your agenda will be helpful.  Engage all your senses.  Light a candle, burn some incense, use essential oils that are pleasing to you.  Sit on a satin cushion or velvet pillow - something that feels good. Honor this sacred time and space. 

Same good time

Dawn and dusk are particularly good because the world seems to enter into a special tranquility at these times.  More important is to give the mind notice that at a certain time you are going to meditate.  And setting aside 10 minutes every day is better than 1 hour once a week.  The length of time is less important than the daily practice. 

Shhhhhh - quiet please

Eliminate as much noise and as many potential distractions as possible.  Turn off the cell phone, lock the door.  Don't worry about those things you can't control.  

Comfort is key

Sit comfortably with your spine reasonably straight.  this allows the energy to flow freely up the spine which is an important aspect of meditation.  Leaning against a chair back, a wall, headboard, etc. is perfectly all right. If you're sitting in a chair, place your feet flat on the floor.  Arms relaxed, shoulders down. Place your hands in any position that is comfortable.  

Joy to the world!

An attitude of joy in just sitting, in just being -without expectation - is essential to meditation.  In China and Japan the meditation posture is known as 'sitting like a mountain'.  This gives the feeling of solidity and stillness with the body well connected to the ground and the mind reaching to the heavens.  When you sit, having this image will be very helpful to your practice.

The hardest part about meditation is simply sitting - seriously!  But once you make it part of your daily routine, it becomes a very powerful tool always available to calm your mind/body/soul and enter into the blissful state of oneness - where bluebirds fly.  Okay, maybe not every time you sit - but there will be times - I promise. 
 

Welcome Om!

  
Meditation Musing:
Breathing in, I calm body and mind.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment
I know this is the only moment.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
   
Challenge of the Day:
Find 10 minutes to meditate today - here are some unique ideas if you don't know where to start...

Build a Cairn - Balancing stones is an old Zen technique of examining the mind. Flat pebbles work best for this meditation- start with the biggest ones on the bottom and build your way up, paying close attention to your breathing as you complete the tower.

Watch Water - This is a great meditation alternative if you live near the water. Remove your shoes and walk slowly along the beach, feeling the sand shift beneath your feet. Stop at the water’s edge, and watch how the waves flow and crash. Let the sounds of the ocean return you to a place of peace in your mind.  If you like to stay at home, you can simply observe the ripples that a drop of water creates. in your bathtub.
 

Mindful Movement - Take 10-20 minutes and completely lose yourself in a moderate physical activity. This could be anything from swimming laps to shooting baskets to yoga. Just breathe deeply and allow your mind to concentrate fully on the activity at hand.

Blessings on your path,

Beth

www.bethleas.com

Create a Vision Board to Your Dreams

"Do you have a vision board? They are one of the most valuable visualization tools available to you because they represent your dreams, your goals, and your ideal life."  ~Jack Canfield
 
Your brain will work tirelessly to achieve the statements you give your subconscious mind. And when those statements are the affirmations and images of your goals, you are destined to achieve them!

Because your mind responds strongly to visual stimulation-by representing your goals with pictures and images-you will actually strengthen and stimulate your emotions... and your emotions are the vibrational energy that activates the Law of Attraction.

So DO YOU have a vision board?
Well, step on up to today's challenge!

Today's Challenge: Create your very own Vision Board!  Get a large piece of poster foam board - in any color you choose (my personal favorite is black as it offers a great contrast).  Gather up lots of magazines of any type, some glue sticks, glitter, stickers, markers, crayons and any other art supplies you might have.  Set aside a few hours for this project so you can really dive into your subconscious mind.

Before you begin: Put on some soft music. Start by sitting and getting quiet, observing your breath and settling in.  After a few minutes, with lots of kindness and openness, ask yourself "What do I really desire?" Maybe one word will be the answer. Maybe images will come into your head. Just take a moment to be with that. This process makes it a deeper experience. It gives a chance for your ego to step aside just a little, so that you can more clearly create your vision. Allow the feelings to bubble to the surface - and take an emotional snapshot.  Remember, this is about feeling the feeling, not the thought or material thing.  For example: You may 'think' you want to be zooming down the highway in a Porsche Panamera, but the feeling you desire is FREEDOM.

GO!
Spend 30-45 minutes going through the magazines - no gluing yet. Allow the pictures todraw you in and pick you.  The images allow your subconscious to bubble to the surface in a way that words or thoughts can't.  Cut or rip them out without analyzing or even knowing why you're drawn to them.  Have FUN!  Make a BIG pile.

After you're through collecting images, go through your pile and let your inner artist out to play. Begin to lay your favorites on the board. Eliminate any images that no longer feel right. This step is where your intuition comes in. As you lay the pictures on the board, you’ll get a sense how the board should be laid out. For instance, you might assign a theme to each corner of the board. Health, Job, Spirituality, Relationships. Or it may just be that the images want to go all over the place. Or you might want to fold the board into a book that tells a story. At my workshops, I’ve seen women come up with wildly creative ways to present a vision board. Observe your process - without judgment.  Remember, there is no right way to do this - and you can't do it wrong.  Enjoy the journey.

Once you're finished, step back from your Vision Board and observe what is revealed.
Hang it in a place where you can look at it often.  .
   
Meditation Musing:
Vision is the art of seeing things invisible. - Jonathan Swift   

Blessings on your path,

Beth