Reawakening Our Inner Guidance System

Reawakening Our Inner Guidance System

Intuition is actually the ability to use energy data to make decisions in the immediate moment. Carolyn Myss, Medical Intuitive

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”—Nikola Tesla, Inventor

It seems these two quotes go together. Both Tesla and Einstein believed everything is made of energy vibrating at different frequencies, including our bodies. By learning to tap into our bodies and our inner guidance system, we will know how to read the energy frequencies around us. We are all born sensitive and empathic with abilities to read energy and see the unseen. Yet as time goes by, we lose these gifts; I believe mostly due to a lack of validation, the people around us describing them as foolish or made-up falsehoods. As Crones, we have lived a long time in a culture of disrespect. Thus, conditioning us to disregard our intuition, telepathic abilities, and imagination.  

We learn to expect our answers to come from external sources like physicians, therapists, religious leaders, or the media. For many years we played by the rules and knew what was expected of us. Living in a masculine-dominated world, we were taught to devalue our feminine gifts. The good news is we can reawaken them by honoring them and focusing on them. The plant and animal kingdoms still have the abilities and wisdom to use frequencies to manage their lives. Thus, we can learn how to communicate and make deep connections to everything in creation by using the same energy data. We replace the emphasis on reasoning and logic with tapping into and growing our inner guidance system. We will see the natural world in a radically different way, replacing the perceptive of human-centered to one of mutuality. It is the way of our ancestors. They survived with the guidance of all senses, physical and inner senses.

For many years the natural world has been studied in detail without the study of subtle phenomena, like intuition, joy, or imagination. Many scientists refuse to believe in the realm of the mind or consciousness. It is difficult to observe, measure, and fit the scientific method to consciousness. We are taught from the beginning to trust hard-core facts, and thus we lose confidence in another way to observe and learn about the world. I believe this is changing and through the advancement of technology and science, there are more studies on subtle phenomena like intuition and other extrasensory perceptions. Yet they are not accepted by many who call it “lazy science,” because they do not follow the hard-core fundamentals of the scientific method. I know personally, I am still wired to doubt my intuition. It is my first response. Then I remember the many experiences where both were helpful and true.

Self-confidence

Self-confidence doesn’t mean we are always right; it means we are not afraid to be wrong. When we trust ourselves, we have the courage to try new things outside of our comfort zones. Trying new things is always challenging because we are facing all of the old information stored in our memories. When I feel fear of trying something new, I remind myself that it is by facing challenges that we achieve personal growth. Stepping out of what is comfortable energizes us to try new things. Trusting your inner guidance system can at times make you feel foolish creating self-doubt and questioning, “Is this real? When we stop wasting our time worrying about old messages, we have more energy to try new things. I dismiss my doubt and limiting thoughts knowing they are coming from the culture.  I replace them with trust in the quiet voice of my inner guidance. I replace limiting thinking with, “I am my own guru.” “I am not normal, and I don’t want to be.” Learning to trust the information I am receiving from my telepathic abilities requires letting go of the fear of getting it wrong and keeping trying.

We are learning a new language and new ways of communicating with the world and ourselves. It takes time, practice, and patience. We build confidence by practicing embodiment, grounding, and self-care. We will discuss grounding and self-care in another chapter. We started practicing embodiment through our physical senses and sensations. It is helpful to practice embodiment every day through guided meditations and body scans. This is how we learn to sense and receive information beyond logic and the thinking mind. It comes to us in the present moment, usually in stillness. Sometimes it just pops up out of nowhere.  As we grow in awareness, it will become easier to trust what we hear, and easier to follow our hunches. When we develop sensitivity, we know the energy vibrations we can feel are true. They come through embodiment rather than through the logic and reasoning of our thinking mind.

Intuition

We can all be intuitive, just as we can all learn logic and reasoning. I am not discounting the rational and scientific world; I believe they are also important tools and complement our inner guidance system. A great way to make decisions is by using both intuition and logic. Intuition helps us rise to the occasion with inspiration knowing it is coming from our inner self and logic can clarify the situation.  Crones experience ever-changing circumstances, and insecurities, as we age with the need to make significant decisions about our future. We also live in a world full of possibilities, and new adventures even as we grow older. Developing our inner guidance system will help with both situations.  When we explore the natural world and reclaim our intuition, new experiences of wonder and magic can be enjoyed. Communicating with crows and they may reveal their magic. You might find a shining object in the bird bath. Hugging a tree can ground us and help us to feel safe. Tell a Bluebird that you love him, and that he is beautiful, and he may visit you on your birthday, bringing all his family and friends.

The importance of intuition is starting to be more mainstream. The U.S. military is investigating it to help troops to make quick decisions during combat. The program is called Enhancing Intuitive Decision Making through Implicit Learning. The program investigates how intuition works from a scientific study. It is no longer believed intuition is a gift from the supernatural. It is natural and can be learned. There is growing evidence from research about our extrasensory information coming from beyond our brain. Penny Peirce in her book, “The Intuitive Way,”

Because there is growing evidence from research and because of my own experiences, I believe our extrasensory sensory information is real and comes from beyond our brain. It comes from the collective and cosmic consciousness. Penny Peirce in her book, “The Intuitive Way,” writes, intuition is consistently experienced by people all over the world and across all cultures and religions. I have included in the References Section of the book studies from the expanding field of Consciousness Studies. These studies reveal how we can use this recovered gift to enhance our ability to function more alive and joyfully.

How to Begin

Start by identifying the most urgent question you face currently. An example for me was when I was trying to decide where to live in Wisconsin when I planned to leave Florida.

·         Sleep on the question, ask your subconscious mind to share a wisdom dream, or wake up with a new insight.

·         When you wake up the goal for the day is to see what presents itself to help you deal with the challenge.

·         Sometimes, new information comes to me as I am in morning meditation. Or when I am in the shower. New information might present itself in an email, on Facebook, or on TV.  

·         Watch for synchronicities. When I was scrolling through apartment options, I saw a complex on the river with waterfowl. I love ducks and I feel a deep connection to them. I raised and loved Mallard Ducks as a child for my 4-H project.

·         After you identify a hunch suggesting a course of action, then watch for more synchronicities.

When we believe, the Universe is designed to help us, we begin to pay attention to her messages. It amazes me how creative God can be in guiding us in the direction of our highest wellbeing. Sometimes it happens when I am talking to somebody and suddenly, they give me the information I need, or there is an article or news story offering wisdom. I get the tip and then dig deeper in my research. The decision I made for when and where to move was perfect in many ways; it gradually revealed to me how perfect over time. Be open to seeing how decisions made with intuition are helpful. This will increase your confidence and trust in that quiet inner voice. Just as you are learning the language of your five physical senses, you are learning the language of your intuition.

The key to increasing your awareness of synchronicity is to remind yourself each day that it exists and begin to look for its appearance. I believe there are no coincidences, so I watch for a message when I meet somebody who just appears in my life. What lesson are they here to teach? I used this concept when I was a therapist. Sometimes the words of wisdom I shared applied to my life as well.  I have something to learn from everybody I meet.  So, when your gut is telling you to reach out and strike up a conversation with another person, do it. She may become one of those lifelong friendships.

I had the image of myself writing a book for many years. It was usually met with, “Who do you think you are? Do you really believe you can write a book?” The first year after I retired, I started, “Aging with Mindfulness,” and it was published three years later. Believe in the images the Universe places in your vision. She is always on your side.

How to know if it is truly an intuitive thought?

It is helpful to remember intuition is a spiritual process. When we stand back and look at our lives, we can see the guidance of a higher power or higher purpose. Most of us have already sensed intuition at some time in our life. We had a hunch to do something and followed through. We noticed a “coincidence” that seemed more like a message. A true intuitive thought or sensation will always suggest something that is for your highest wellbeing. It will not sound hard and demanding. It is never critical or aggressive. As we become more aware of the criticism that comes from our chattering mind, we experience a big difference between it and our quiet voice coming from our inner stillness. It is your voice and yours alone, it knows who you are and what you need. It takes time to understand her language and trust her, by practicing every day she will become part of your guidance system. Be open and trust your embodied wisdom of unlimited possibilities. There is no need to fear the past or the future. We have the power to utilize all our inner wisdom, just as our ancestors knew. We are powerful Crones.

Imagination

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” –Albert Einstein.

Sometimes during interspecies communication, it is easy to question if we are really in a two-way connection with the plant or animal. “How do I know if this is really happening or is it my imagination?” We question as if there is something wrong with imagination. I believe imagination comes from our connection to the cosmic universe. Imagination is the beginning of manifestation. We must first imagine what we wish to have happen. What would happen if instead of dismissing things as “just our imagination?”

We use our imagination when trying to understand a message from our intuition. When we intuit a solution to a situation, we make it conscious by interpreting the images or symbols presented from a dream or a pop-up thought. Most things we do we picture in our mind/imagination. When I dress for someplace special, I imagine how it will look. When I rearrange the furniture in my living room, I imagine how the furniture will fit in different arrangements. When I plan my garden, I picture it when it is mature with veggies and flowers. Imagination determines how far we can go in our lives, since if we can imagine it, we believe and the forces in our subconscious minds will guide us.

Words are the least effective form of communication. Have you ever had the experience, she or he is saying this, but I am feeling something else? We usually dismiss the inner message and move on in the conversation. Our conversations are quick and often include little listening. When we communicate with a tree, we are not listening to the sound of words, we use our imagination.  We have been conditioned to believe the words we hear and to discredit our imagination. What if we paid attention to the vibrations, and learned to really listen in silence? Could we feel the energy and frequency of a tree when we touch her, hug her, smell her, and see her beauty? Deep inside we can hear the same small voice that sounds like our intuition. When you ask the tree a question, it replies from the same place deep within. With practice, we learn to pay attention to the vibrational sensations of the tree, just as we do with our own body sensations. We ask it if it has a message for us, just as we do with our body sensations. In stillness, we can hear the reply. 

How to go inwards and access our imagination?

We go deep into ourselves drifting away from the busy worrying mind. We censor self-doubt and we know there is no right or wrong way to connect with a fellow living creature. We set the intention to connect to our deepest feelings of love as we reach out and flow with our shared divine nature.

When I lived in Florida my home was backed up to a bird sanctuary. My favorite was the Bluebirds who nested in a box in my fenced yard. I cared for the nest, cleaning it out and watching over it. Several times I celebrated with the parents when the first egg was laid and when the babies fledged. I put up a snake guard to protect the babies from snakes and squirrels. I chased the neighbor’s cat out of the yard. I had a mealworm feeder I kept full. I told the Bluebirds, I loved them, daily. When the male sat alone on top of the fence, I told him he was beautiful.

My Bluebirds sent me a message of love on my birthday. I went outside to the front of the house for my daily walk. I looked up at the electric wires and saw about twenty Bluebirds. I never saw a flock of Bluebirds, especially in May. They followed me up the street on my walk as we talked and shared love messages. My heart was full of bliss and gratitude. Because of experiences like this one, I never doubt my communication and connection to the things I love in nature. It is the best Bluebird gift ever.

Most of us have spent years believing what is true is what we learn through external sources and what we learn by using logic and reasoning. We forgot to listen to our inner guidance. For many years we have doubted and questioned intuition and imagination as genuine sources of information. We relied on the world of facts and logic. We had many gurus who told us what to do and how to do it. We didn’t remember the world of magic, mystery, and wonder we once knew as young children. Once we drop the critical mind and have self-confidence, we find a whole new world out there to explore and connect. We become our own gurus and discover our how truths.

Telepathic Communication

Telepathy is another tool from our inner guidance system is telepathy. It is a non-verbal way to communicate with others. It is an intuitive ability that everyone has to send and receive thoughts, ideas, and feelings to others. Because it is often not in our awareness, we do not realize when we are using it. Do you remember walking into a room of mostly strangers and being able to read the people and situation instantly? Maybe you say, “I just didn’t like the vibes.” You are actually reading the energy frequencies.

We all carry pictures and patterns in our energy fields from our past experiences. When the energy of negative behaviors appears, we telepathically read the pictures and feel the beliefs and attitudes in the energy field. We feel uncomfortable and may even act on these feelings in negative ways. In the same way, when somebody who is very tolerant and loving enters our energy field, we feel comfortable and are able to let our barriers down to relate more lovingly. You can also pick up the energy field of a person who has an unconscious message. You can have two friends who are always late. One person has the hidden agenda of being a star, more important than you. You may respond by thinking, “It is totally irresponsible to be late. It is insulting?” And then the other friend is late because she is just that kind of person who spends time listening and caring about others and forgets the time. You have no problem waiting for her without judgment. Our vibrational pictures create unconscious reactions to situations. Self-awareness is the key to better communication.

It is easy to be intimidated by the term “telepathy.” It is the same as intuition, a more finely tuned intuitive ability. It comes from the Greek, “tele” meaning distant, and “pathy” meaning feeling or perception. It is the silent transmission of energy in the form of words or images. We can make an empathic, intimate connection with other living things and according to many everything is energy and alive on our planet.

Sending a Telepathic Message “Close your eyes and get centered. Imagine stepping out of your physical body in your energy body. As you step away from your resting physical body, you are in the etheric realm were energy and knowledge travel faster. Think of a person you want to send a message to. You must feel convinced about communicating with that individual. Visualize the person in as much detail as you can and call their name: “Michael, I call upon you to become aware of me now.” See them appear in their energy body in front of you. Make eye contact. Form the thought clearly in your mind. Walk up to them and speak the message into their left ear, calmly and directly. Then ask the person, “Did you hear and understand what I said?” Thank the person and imagine both of you going back to your physical bodies and reconnecting with your normal reality. Make a note later on of any response you get in your waking reality or in the dream world. Public Conversations.”—Penney Peirce, The Intuitive Way: The Definitive Guide to Increasing Your Awareness.

This is another example of sending a telepathic message, We use the same methods we use for inter-species communication. This is a story from Jack Kornfield’s book, “The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology.

“Whenever I teach loving-kindness retreats in urban setting, Sharon Salzberg explains, I ask students to do their walking meditation out on the streets. I suggest they choose individuals they see and, with care and awareness, wish them well by silently repeating the traditional phrases of the loving-kindness practice, may you be happy, may you be peaceful.” I tell them that even if they don’t feel loving, the power of their intention to offer love is not diminished. On this day, our retreat took place a few blocks from downtown Oakland. Since we were directly across the street from the Amtrak station, several people chose to do their practice on the train platform. When a train pulled in, one woman from the class noticed a man disembark and decided to make him the recipient of her loving-kindness meditation. Silently she began reciting the phrases for him. Almost immediately, she began judging herself; I must not be doing it right because I feel so distant. I don’t have a great wash of warm feeling coming over me. Nonetheless, reaffirming her intention to look at all beings with kindness instead of estrangement, she continued, reciting, “My you be happy, you be peaceful.

Taking another look at the man, who was dressed in a suit and tie and seemed nervous, she began judging him: He looks so rigid and uptight. Judging herself, she thought, here I am trying to send loving-kindness to someone, and instead I am disparaging him. Still, she continued repeating the phrases, aligning her energy with her intention, to be a force of love in the world. At that moment the man walked over to her and said, I’ve never done anything like this before in my life, but I’d like to ask you to pray for me. I am about to face a very difficult situation in my life. You somehow seem to have a really loving heart, and I’d just like to know that you are praying for me.”

Some Things to Try:

1.      Intuition and imagination are hidden powers we can use to bring about our greatest joy in life. To activate them, imagine sounds, tastes, smells, physical sensations, and emotions you wish to experience each morning as you shower.

2.      When you are in a new situation, take a moment to imagine what would happen if everything went brilliantly.

3.      End your day with gratitude for the gifts of your physical and inner senses. Remember the special gifts of your senses in the events of the day.

4.      Keep a list of all synchronicities as soon after they happen as you can.

5.      Describe in detail four events you plan to do this week. Use your imagination to bring playfulness and sensory stimulation to those activities.

6.      Find a tree near where you are living, perhaps in your yard. Align yourself to the tree, spirit to spirit. Visualize the light within that you each share. Send a message of your truest and deepest love each day and ask if it needs anything from you.

7.      When you get a tone that you have a message on Facebook or your phone, try to guess who is communicating. See if you get better with practice.

 

I wrote a Haiku for my tree; I see her every day.

My tree is crooked.

The birds still perch on its branch.

It is a love gift.

Pain is Inevitable, suffering is optional

 Mindfulness and Pain Management

“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” –Haruki Murakami

Because mindfulness is awareness without judgment, we can use it to focus on our mind and body when we are experiencing pain sensations. Because words have power, it is suggested we do not use the word pain to describe difficult body sensations. Statements like, “This pain will never go away, or this hip is ruining my life, or I can’t cope with this pain any longer,” are stories that can amplify the pain. When can replace them with “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional,” a phrase Diana Winston, Director of Mindfulness Education at MARC uses. She has many free mindfulness-guided meditations online if you Google her name. The Buddhist tradition teaches pain is inevitable for everybody alive. We have choices in how we deal with pain. Dealing with chronic pain through mindfulness has been the focus of Jon-Kabat Zinn. He also has many books you can find online.

Our body is incredibly resilient and can adapt to difficult sensations. We may not like them, but we can adapt when we realize our body asks us to pay attention. Because we often ignore these signals to take care of ourselves, our body must get louder in its cry for help. A common mistake many of us make is to hold our breath or tighten and hold on to pain. While focusing on pain seems totally counterintuitive, mindfulness teaches us what we focus on often changes, and by breathing into the pain and paying attention to it, it will change. I will share directions for two ways of managing pain. One is from Diana Winston and the other, is from Tim Desmond.

Diana Winston

You can find this exercise for working with pain online. It is about 20 minutes long. The steps are as follows:

1.     Grounding – feet on the ground, arms relaxed on your lap or beside you, eyes closed or looking downwards, take a few breaths to relax your body. Notice I don’t say deep breaths; deep breathing can make you feel dizzy or light-headed and is not helpful.

2.     Body scan – explore your body with your attention, noting as you progress from your head to your toes any points of tightness, tingling, or other sensation.  Pay attention without judgment as your attention moves over your body.

3.     Focus on a relaxed part of your body – find a place in your body, a place that feels secure, relaxed, at peace, and pain-free.  Rest for a time in this relaxed part of your body. Allow the sensation of peace and calm to spread through your body.

4.     Focus on your pain – focus on the part of your body where you are experiencing discomfort. Feel the sensation and notice any negative thinking you have developed around the pain and say cancel, cancel. Repeat an affirmation like, “I love my body, or you love the body part that is uncomfortable.”

5.     Now gently bring your attention to the relaxed part of your body – experience the comfort and restfulness here.

6.     Continue to take mindful breaths and gently go back to the uncomfortable part of your body.

7.     Go back to the comfortable part of your body.

8.     After a time of mindful breathing and going back and forth between the comfortable and uncomfortable parts of your body, resume your daily activity.

Tim Desmond

This is a Mindfulness practice developed by Tim Desmond, L.M.F.T. Its purpose is to learn how to be aware of body sensations that are uncomfortable, without judgment and without trying to change them. Often you will find what you focus on does change and especially if you listen to what your body is attempting to tell you. When we listen to our bodies, they do not have to scream at us with pain for long. You can use this practice when you are experiencing discomfort. You will also notice that in time you will become more aware of your body’s messages and begin to take better care of it. 

Take a minute now to experience something in your body. It can be hunger, tiredness, something that is too tight like a shoe or clothing, pain someplace, or tension in your body in your neck, shoulders, or back. It could be your stomach feeling too full, too empty, or upset. 

With your eyes open or closed, connect with the sensation in your body; put all your attention on the sensation.

• Allow it to be just as it is. Do not try to fix it, change it, deny it, or judge it.
• Notice what happens when you put your full attention on that sensation. 
• What we put our attention on changes. 
• There is no right or wrong change. Just notice the change.

Try to ask the sensation:

• How are you attempting to help? 
• What do you need me to hear?
• What do you need?
• What is your job?

Non-judgmental awareness and learning to listen to your body will bring a whole-body sense of wellbeing. 

• Can you show compassion and empathy for the sensation? 
• Can you show compassion and empathy to your body?

The purpose of both practices is to change your relationship with uncomfortable body sensations. Pain is a part of life. It does not have to rule our life. Suffering is not inevitable, we do it to ourselves by allowing our mind to tell stories of negativity. Again, awareness gives us the power to know when we are holding on to pain through negative thinking and how to let go. When we set the intention to listen and connect with all our body, we are rewiring and re-training our body’s response to discomfort. We learn to manage pain so as not to suffer. 

A Short Lesson in Neuroscience

 A Short Lesson in Neuroscience

 

Today researchers study the brain through MRI technology. Until now, we could only research the brain after death; therefore, we believed our brains do not change after age twelve, and there is little change in a person’s personality after age five. However, today we know that we can rewire the brain for continuous change promoting healing, growth, and great wellbeing. The research of Richard Davidson led to coining the word, Neuroplasticity. A short lesson in neuroscience will help us understand how mindfulness changes our brain. These changes show up in MRI technology.

Prefrontal Cortex is the location of our executive functions. These functions include concentration, focus, impulse control, digestion, emotional regulation, decision making, and reasoning.

Limbic System is also known as our primitive brain. When we are functioning out of the limbic system, the only goal is survival. The limbic system triggers the fight-flight or freeze chemicals.

The Hippocampus is part of the limbic system and is responsible for storing and retrieving memories and the emotions attached to those memories. When it is damaged, people have difficulty regulating fear and anger responses. In addition, many studies have found that the hippocampus decreases in size when exposed to long-term stress or trauma.

The amygdala decides which part of our brain dominates in various situations. For example, it determines what is needed by how we are breathing. If it believes we are in grave danger, it will go into a primitive brain reaction called fight-flight or freeze. On the other hand, when we breathe calmy, there is no need to have the primitive brain in control, and we have access to our executive functions. Thus, breath is an important tool for relaxation and clarity. When exposed to long-term stress or trauma, the amygdala thickens and becomes more reactive to stress, creating “false alarm” emotional signals. So, the fight or flight reaction of the primitive brain becomes overactive. These are changes in the brain making the symptoms of PTSD and other anxiety-related disorders. Mindfulness is the treatment of choice by the V.A. and many other health care providers. Through breath, mindfulness teaches us how to remain calm and live from our executive functions.

Neuroplasticity is a term coined by Richard Davidson of UW-Madison. It describes the ability of the brain to make changes as a way of healing. Listed below are changes created in the brain when you silently observe without judgment.

·       Increase gray matter in the hippocampus—thus emotional healing of trauma reactions.

·       Decreases the gray matter in the amygdala, thus allowing it to be less reactive to stress and threats. 

·       Mindfulness provides mental training. You practice observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations moment by moment with nonjudgment, viewing them simply as what they are, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations.

 Neuron’s process and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals.

Synapses are the small gaps between neurons that allow information to pass from one neuron to the next.

Neural Pathways connect relatively distant brain or nervous system areas with a belief system or new behavior.

·       Every time we think, feel, or do something, we strengthen a pathway.

·       Habits are well-traveled pathways.  We can form new habits with repetition and practice.

·       Old pathways used less will weaken. 

·       With repeated and direct attention towards the desired change, we all can rewire our brains. 

Pleasure and Reward Centers are where the brain is wired to seek pleasure and reward; it believes they are essential for survival.

·       The reward pathways are activated when the brain floods with dopamine (the feel-good neurotransmitter). 

·       The pleasure and reward system activates with a pleasurable behavior or substance is consumed. It floods with dopamine, and the hippocampus remembers the pleasure and the good feelings receiving an immediate sense of satisfaction. 

·       The faster and more intense the feeling of pleasure the more it becomes addictive. When it becomes an addiction, the object can release two to ten times the amount of dopamine to the reward system, and it does so more quickly until tolerance develops.  

Tolerance is a condition where more and more of the substance is needed to create the original high. Once tolerance begins, it produces withdrawal symptoms when it is not there because the body believes the substance is required to survive.

Dopamine is released when we anticipate and give in to our cravings and addictions.

Opioids are also neurotransmitters. T

·       They promote more long-term rewards like wellbeing for accomplishing intentions.

·       Opioids are related to social contacts and when released creates good feeling that enhance bonding.

·       Rewiring the brain takes place by changing our thinking, beliefs, and behaviors. Meditation gives us the ability to be the observer creating more regulation of our lives. 

·       The brain can restructure itself in a way to bring more happiness and wellbeing. 

·       We can change old habits by not participating in past behaviors, so the pathway diminishes. 

·       Rewire also takes time and practices, so be patient with yourself. 

·       Celebrate small steps in the direction you are going. 

The neurology of self-compassion is studied by neuroscientist through studies they conduct to find how self-compassion affects the brain. They discovered how self-compassion strengthens the parts of the brain that makes us feel happier, more resilient, and open to others. In addition, it provides comfort for negative emotions in the present and can permanently heal painful memories from the past. In Lesson Two, we share practices and more tips on healing past emotional wounds with compassion.

Panksepp & Biven published a book in 2012, The Archaeology of the Mind, demonstrating how the practice of self-compassion recruits’ neural pathways to produce oxytocin and endogenous opioids. These are chemicals that promote bonding and act to comfort negative emotions and reduce distress

Increase Body Awareness

 How to Increase Body Awareness

“One of the magical experiences in Buddhist training is our growing ability to quiet the mind and sense the body and the world anew. Zen poets celebrate the crunch of snow on the winter path, spring blossoms covering their robes, wind among the pines, walking wet in the autumn mist, listening to the laughter of children.”—Jack Kornfield

Mindfulness of the body teaches us to tune into our bodies' needs. Learning to trust and love our bodies is important as we age. Our culture would have us trusting pharmaceutical companies and Western medicine without regard to what our bodies may be trying to tell us. Learning how to ask my body what it needs and listening for the answer has been one of the greatest gifts of mindfulness. No one understands me and can love me as I do. I am the only expert who knows me, what comforts me, my joys, and desires like I do. Through self-awareness, and awareness without judgment, I can increase my joy and decrease the things, I fear.

We know one of the keys to better relationships is to make sure the person hears us and knows we are listening. Remember words matter. The subconscious mind does not know false from true. It only accepts what you say and thinks as fact. It takes information and builds on it creating the reality it hears. Become aware of the words you use with your body. “Everybody’s body starts declining at the age of 40.” “I hate my stomach.” “I am fearful of getting cancer, because it runs in my family.” This is not what the body needs to hear. If you are saying things like this, it is time to seek more awareness of the messages you are picking up from a disease-based culture. A diagnosis may be a message to the subconscious mind. In my therapy practice, I tried to avoid diagnosing a client out loud. I did not want to reinforce the message of depression or anxiety. While it is important to treat the symptoms, I never liked to say, “You are depressed.”

Tim Desmond, L.M.F.T. describes how mindfulness is used to listen to our body without judgment. By bringing more awareness to the body we notice sensations of tension, pain, or sensations of tingling and heaviness. We keep our attention focused on the body sensation without trying to change it. We just feel it. He describes how it is important to have an attitude of warmth and acceptance toward the sensation. One of the analogies is that Thich Nhat Hanh is of a mother holding her newborn baby with an open and loving acceptance. More information follows when we discuss using mindfulness to manage pain.

Ellen Langer in her book, Counterclockwise, states “Instead of mindfully attending to our health, we are a culture bent on the psycho-pathologizing of everyday life. Instead of recognizing that in certain circumstances sadness is rational, we call ourselves depressed. Rather than recognize that there is more than one view of any situation, we deem people— even ourselves— to be “in denial” if they disagree with the dominant view. If we have a positive view of events, we are told we are rationalizing. Almost every pain becomes a syndrome. How many of us declare that we suffer from insomnia after just one night of little sleep?” Langer calls us to become “Mindful Learners” by learning how to tune into our bodies and to become more involved in our own healthcare. Mindfulness of body “is most relevant for the prevention of disease” because it enhances our ability to tune into our bodies and distinguish changes. This empowers us to discern imbalances before they become a disease or chronic illness. Langer described how mindfulness and body awareness are “literally and figuratively enlivening.” When we are fully engaged and learning we are more alive and fuller of the energy needed to understand and create greater control over our health care.

Louise Hay in her book, Loving Yourself to Great Health, describes in chapter four “How Listening to your Body is a Powerful yet little-known Health Secret.” She states that when learning to listen to your body, it may only whisper with a vague feeling or a slight symptom. The more you practice listening, the easier it will become to understand the message. Intuition is a mind-body function, often described as a “gut feeling.” When you are more in touch with your body sensations through your senses, you will be able to sense intuitive messages. You will notice the difference between thinking of the chattering brain and knowing with the body. Knowing with our hearts and body is an intention we work on throughout this journey of wisdom.

Some Things to try:

·       Louise Hay suggests writing in your journal ways your body speaks to you through body sensations. “Today I woke up feeling like I needed more rest. My body may be fighting off an infection.”

·       A guided body scan with the intention of listening to your body is helpful.

·       When you are feeling like your body is trying to tell you something, listen and try to do what it is asking for, more sleep, less sugar, more water, or exercise.

·       When I catch myself saying something unkind or not helpful to my body, I say, “cancel cancel” and replace it with an affirmation.

o   My body is a healing machine.

o   My body guides me to my highest good.

o   I know what is true for me.

o   I trust my body to know what is best.

Exercise for more body awareness from Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, offers this technique for becoming fully present in the moment.

1. Close your eyes and hold up one hand so that it’s not touching anything but air.

2. Ask your thinking mind, “Without opening your eyes, how can I know that my hand exists?”

3. Feel your mind’s attention go inside the body to answer the question, activating a nonverbal part of the brain.

4. Now hold up both hands (eyes closed, remember) and feel the inside of both at the same time.

How the Celtic Women became the Wisest Creatures in the Land

 The Story of How Women Received Wisdom

Told by Sharon Blackie “If Women Rose Rooted”

Once upon a time, inside a hill like this, Celtic women were transformed into the wisest creatures in the land. In the Otherworld, wisdom is largely possessed by women, since they are the ones who hold the Cup. The Queen of the Aos Sí decided one day to bestow that gift on human women too, and so she sent out an invitation to all the women of the land, asking them to come to her great hall beneath the hill on a certain date, and at a certain time. The news was carried on the winds and the waves, by the birds and the fish; even the leaves of the trees whispered of it. Soon, women from all over the country began to set out on their journey. Some traveled alone, some came together; and when the appointed day dawned, the doors to the Otherworld opened. The women streamed inside the hill – and gasped to find themselves in a beautiful hall that was draped with bright cloths woven from nettles and dyed with the blood of shellfish and the sap of plants. Soft animal skins covered the floors and seats, and a feast was laid out on tables of wood and stone, set on plates of pearly shell. A soft green light pervaded the vast hall. When everyone was inside and the watchers saw no more coracles on the water, no more women climbing up the slope of the hill, the doors to the outside world were closed. Into the hall then came the Queen, bearing herself with kindly dignity, her face shining with a strange but lovely light. She carried a large golden Cup in her hand, bright with unusual marks and carvings; eight fairy women followed behind, each carrying a golden flagon of sparkling liquid which they used to continually fill the Cup. The Queen passed through the hall, offering a drink from the Cup to each of the women who were present. The Cup held the distilled wisdom of the world through all the ages past, and as each woman drank, she suddenly grew wise and understood many things she had never known before. Some were able to see much, some were able to see little – but every one of them benefited. And then the women feasted, and the next morning they went back out into the world again, filled with the wisdom and knowledge of the Otherworld.

In addition to this story is sometimes told: Just as the ceremony ended and the feast began, there came a hammering on the walls and doors of the hall. The fairy folk looked out and saw the hill covered with latecomers who had arrived after the doors were closed. They had been unable to enter and were now too late to receive the gift of wisdom. There is still a saying in Gaelic about a foolish woman: ‘She was out on the hill when the wisdom was distributed.’

Earth Sky Grounding Meditation

 Earth Sky Grounding

HeartMath has done the research and tells us that our hearts create an electromagnetic energy field that vibrates and has its own unique frequencies. The Earth’s frequencies interact with our own. Everything alive including rocks, plants, animals, rivers, and oceans is alive with its own electromagnetic fields of energy. They all resonate with our own and bestow the blessings of nature when we connect with them. Our individual energy field can be clear and intentional, or it can be scattered.

When we come into our circle or we go into nature, we wish to align our energy. Grounding is an important way to balance energy and bring us into alignment with our bodies. When we are not in our bodies, we lose our connection to our hearts. Grounding is a way to distance ourselves from a busy life, triggered trauma, and old stories that keep our energy stuck and cloud our perception.

This is a meditation to align our energy and open our hearts.

Begin:

Do a quick body scan and see if you are relaxed and present. Are you upset rather than calm? Take a few breaths to feel calm.

1.    Focus your attention on your feet. Are they firm on the floor?

2.    Imagine tree roots going from your feet deep into the earth.

3.    Place one hand on your belly.

4.    Imagine energy flowing up the tree roots into your feet. Breathe in as you imagine the energy flowing up through your body.

5.    Breathe out as you reach the top of your head an the energy flows up to the sky.

6.    As the energy moves up to the sky, it takes all the nosiness of your life with it.

7.    Take your hand off your belly and gently place it over your heart.

8.    Become aware of your breathing.

9.    Say to yourself, I am Love. I am Love. I am love.

10. Feel the love and let it be a part of your breath. Breathing in Love, Breathing out busyness. Breathing in Love, Breathing out Busyness.

You may come back to the room when you are ready. 

How Mindfulness Changes the Brain

A short lesson in neuroscience, brain science, will help us understand how mindfulness changes the brain. The research of Richard Davidson, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, led to coining the word, Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, a natural process of building new pathways in the brain when neurons go silent—in short, the potential for neural networks to alter connections, recruiting the brain. There is ongoing research on the benefits of mindfulness practices and slowing the progression of dementia.

The prefrontal Cortex is the front part of the brain some call it the forehead. It is the location of our executive functions. These functions include concentration, focus, impulse control, digestion, emotional regulation, decision-making, and reasoning.

Limbic System is also known as our primitive brain. When we are functioning out of the limbic system, the only goal is survival. It is the reactions we have with no thinking. I have always told clients and myself we are not responsible for the first thought we have after a negative experience because it is coming from the primitive brain. Wait for the next idea because we are responsible for all the following behaviors. When somebody does something mean or stupid, I may have some choice words to say that will only make a bad situation worse. If I take a breath, a better idea will come from my higher self. Maybe not saying anything at all.

Hippocampus is part of the limbic system and is responsible for storing and retrieving memories and the emotions attached to those memories. When it is damaged, people have difficulty regulating fear and anger responses. In addition, many studies found the hippocampus decreases in size when exposed to long-term stress or trauma. As our hippocampus decreases in size, we lose our ability to regulate negative emotions. The research found that regular mindfulness practice of only 5 minutes a day will increase the hippocampus giving us more emotional wellbeing.

The amygdala decides which part of our brain dominates in various situations. If it believes we are in grave danger, it will go into a primitive brain reaction called fight-flight or freeze. When we are in the primitive brain, we lose the ability to concentrate, focus, make decisions, and recall information. On the other hand, when we breathe calmly, there is no need to have the primitive brain in control, and we have access to our executive functions. Thus, breath is an essential tool for relaxation and clarity. We will be covering many examples of breathing exercises. The one I use most often is to stop and just take a few deep breaths until I feel in control of the situation again. If I need grounding, I place my feet on the floor. 

When exposed to long-term stress and the trauma of living with a diagnosis of dementia, the amygdala thickens and becomes more reactive to stress, creating “false alarm” emotional signals. So, the fight-flight or freeze reaction of the primitive brain becomes overactive. These are changes in the brain making the symptoms of PTSD and other anxiety-related disorders. Mindfulness is the treatment of choice by the V.A. and many other health care providers. Through breath, mindfulness teaches us how to remain calm and gives us the ability to focus, concentrate, and remember.

Neuroplasticity is a term coined by Richard Davidson of UW-Madison. It describes the ability of the brain to make changes for wellbeing. Listed below are changes created in the brain with a 5-minute mindfulness practice.

·      Increase gray matter in the hippocampus—thus emotional healing of trauma reactions.

·      Decreases the gray matter in the amygdala, thus allowing it to be less reactive to stress and threats.

·      Mindfulness provides mental training, which is the practice of observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations moment by moment with nonjudgment, viewing them simply as what they are, thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Neurons process and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals.

Synapses are the small gaps between neurons that allow information to pass from one neuron to the next.

Neural Pathways connect relatively distant brain or nervous system areas with new behavior.

·      Every time we practice mindfulness, we strengthen a pathway. Habits are well-traveled pathways.

·      We can form new habits with repetition and practice.

·      Old pathways used less will weaken.

·      With repeated and direct attention toward the desired change, we all can rewire our brains.

Rewiring the brain takes place by changing our thinking, beliefs, and behaviors.

·      Meditation gives us the ability to be observers creating more regulation of our lives.

·      The brain can restructure itself in a way to bring more happiness and wellbeing.

·      We can change old habits by not participating in past behaviors, so the pathway diminishes.

·      Rewire also takes time and practice, so be patient with yourself.

·      Celebrate small steps in the direction you are going.

The neurology of self-compassion is studied by neuroscientists through studies they conduct to find how self-compassion affects the brain. They discovered how self-compassion strengthens the parts of the brain that makes us feel happier, more resilient, and open to others. In addition, it provides comfort for negative emotions in the present and can permanently heal painful memories from the past.

Panksepp & Biven published a book in 2012, The Archaeology of the Mind, demonstrating how the practice of self-compassion recruits neural pathways to produce oxytocin and endogenous opioids. These are chemicals that promote bonding and act to comfort negative emotions and reduce distress.

Self-compassion is a topic we cover in Week One.