There’s an App for That: A review of meditation Apps.

Since I ask you to join me in 90 days of daily meditation adventure, I though I would provide you with a review of some helpful tools. On my Join Us On This Adventure, I also included a link to my blog, 9 Ways to Improve Meditation. Today I am offering you my insight on 6 meditation Apps. There are many meditation Apps out there so I randomly selected 6 to try. Below is a brief look at what I learned about each one.

10% happier: The Facilitator suggests that you sit in a dignified posture. I really liked how that sounded. It gave you the option to choose meditation from 3 minutes to over 25 minutes. It is also very reassuring, that it is normal for the mind to wonder but when you notice it has, bring it back to the breath. This App is free, unless you choose to upgrade to premium which is $14.99/month or $99.99/year. Provides you a daily reminder.

Headspace: It compared your thoughts to cars in traffic. A very interesting analogy. With this App you can chose 5 or 10 minutes for meditation. There is a little lesson before each meditation. The Facilitator has a loverly accent. After the introductory 10 sessions, it is $12.99/month or $94.99/year. Provides a daily reminder.

Breathe: This App lets you rate how you are feeling and then gives you a few meditations to choose from. You can choose a woman’s or man’s voice to guide you through the experience. The one I tried was a “5 senses” meditation, Here they talked you through your 5 senses, one at a time and help you focus in the here and now. This App is free, unless you choose to upgrade to premium which is $9.99/month or 58.99/year. Provides a daily reminder.

Simple Habit: This one allows you to pick a topic for your meditation from a pretty impressive list. I chose weight loss. This App is free for a month and then $7.99/month. It tracks your meditations for you and lets you choose between 5,10, or 20 minute meditations. It connects you with your Facebook friends and can create a community. Provides a daily reminder. This one was my least favorite because I felt it was too pushy about signing you up for a subscription to the App.

Insight Timer: This one also has a wide variety of meditations to choose from. There are very short meditations (3 minutes) to longer meditations (1 hour). I chose a 5 minute meditation called Weight Loss and Your Beautiful Body. I was shocked when the Facilitator used a cuss word. Not that it offended me but just because it surprised me. Even with that it was still a very positive and uplifting meditation. I did not see any cost on this App. Provides a daily reminder.

Meditation Studio: This one has a free starter series for beginners. I like their analogy of the mind as a puppy, because it will wonder off, just bring it back with a smile. The beginner meditation was a bit longer than 10% happier or Headspace but was very supportive and relaxing. After the starter series this App is $7.99 month or $49.99/year. I didn’t see an option to set up a daily reminder.

These Apps are not necessary to use but they maybe a helpful tool for you. Especially if you are new to meditation, They provide some instruction and insight into the practice of meditation. I do like that most offer a reminder to help you remember to make your meditation a part of your self care priorities. Along with these Apps, there are also many YouTube videos that offer various levels of meditation, from beginning to experienced. As we start on this journey together, I think it is best to go out an experiment and find the technique and meditation type that are most helpful for you.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a transformative and effortless meditation practice.

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Divine Wisdom

I’ve been lucky enough to get to spend a fair amount of time, this weekend, watching and listening to lessons of the Hay House World Summit. It is a free event with many inspirational and instructive lessons to help you be the best version of you, you care to be. I must say, the summit really has me thinking. A couple of their sessions I have attended this morning spoke of the power of our thoughts. Those of you who are regular readers, of my blog, know that I believe in the power of thought and am always looking to find ways to better connect and utilize that power, to make the world a better place. Louis Hay, the founder of Hay House, was a big believer in, and promoter of, the minds influence over our health.

Several years ago I started a Holistic Healing Practice. I named my business Divine Wisdom. I believed that everyone has, within themselves, the Divine Wisdom to heal their bodies and their lives. It was kind of a radical idea for a hospice nurse. I was trained in multiple different modalities, not because I thought I was the healer who could mend the illnesses in the bodies of my clients, but rather because I felt I could use these modalities to help my clients awaken their personnel power to improve their own lives and health. The two are tied together; since true wellness includes the mind, body, and spirit. I don’t know if the world was not ready for my view of healing or if I just didn’t, at that time, possess the skills to promote my business. But after two years it was time to try an new adventure and way to help others.

I feel there is a shift coming. People are tired of the side effects of medications. Many of which are often worse than the initial illness. More and more, I meet people who refuse to let a diagnosis define them. We are, after all, not defined by the things that happen to use but rather instructed by these experiences. I see that the world around me is shifting away from the artificial in products and looking for healthier alternatives. I am hopeful that true change, in the way we deal with disease and illness, is coming and here to stay.

I had a very dear friend who was anxiously awaiting the “shift”. I believe she felt it was going to be an event. A sudden shifting that all would recognize. She passed away a few years ago and I wonder if she ever came to the realization the the shift is happening, everyday all around us. It is an energetic wave that moves across the land, awakening people as it weaves back and forth, like Kundalini energy up the spine. There are times (like now) when I feel her presence with me. She urges me on. Encourages me to continue to spread the light and share the Divine Wisdom as it comes to me. I am grateful for all that I have learned from her. I am also grateful for her continued presence from the other side of the vail.

How will health and healing manifest in your life? Do you believe and feel the true power of your nature to heal yourself? I am not saying to stop taking medications prescribed by your doctor. I am encouraging you to start to believe in the Divine Wisdom within your nature to improve your life. If you have not already begun, start looking into teachings from others with this similar thought. Trust your intuition to lead you to the teachers who can help you unlock this ability within yourself. Feel for that connection with the shifting consciousness of the planet and believe in magic.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a lifetime of Divine Wisdom.

God Dimes?

Have you heard of the idea of God Dimes? I had a friend tell me that angels leave you pennies but God leaves you dimes. So when you are going about your day and you look down and see a dime, it is a sign you are on your right path. You are not alone. It is going to be okay.

Whether you believe in God as a grey haired old man, Creator, Hindu Supreme God, the energy of the Collective Consciousness, Mother Nature, Allah, your Higher Self, or some other incarnation of God – it does not matter. Dimes are a positive sign of being on your correct path.

Yesterday was a hectic day for me. My first flight had an hour delay for a maintenance issue. My connecting flight was cancelled all together. I had the choice to wait 12 hours for the connecting flight I was rebooked on or rent a car and drive the last 3 hours of the trip to my destination. I chose to rent the car and drive so I didn’t totally loose a whole day of work. I was feeling anxious about the lost time, that I had planned to be able to give to the site, I was visiting. Not to mention, things I wanted to accomplish on a personal level that I am working on. I made the changes, booked a car and canceled the flight. When I got into the car there was a dime in the cup holder. What a nice little reminder that everything is working out just as it should be. As I got my phone synced up with the car, I remembered that a friend had recommended an audiobook to me the day before. I downloaded it to my phone to listen as I made the 3 hour drive. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

While I was working in my hotel room last night, my mind flashed to the three book proposals that Emy and I just submitted to Hay House. We are anxiously awaiting to hear that they have been accepted for publication. We feel that the journey of becoming published authors has been Divinely guided. Both of our grandmothers were huge influences in our lives. They both passed away over the last couple of years and we have felt the push of our ancestors to continue working tirelessly toward this goal. We stay intentional about keeping our thoughts positive in order to be accepted as the next Hay House authors. We know that our books have messages that will help many people. As the books came into my mind last night, I looked at the corner of the bed and there lay 2 dimes. A sense of peace came over me.

Sometimes a little sign is just what we need to know it will all be okay. Seeing a little silver dime laying on the street can be a sweet reminder that we are not alone. That we are on our right path.

Thank you for reading my blog today. May your day be full of signs that you are heading in an ever positive direction. I love you!

Who Am I?

Recently I asked a group of friends for advice. The answer heard over and over again was to be myself. What does that mean? Who am I, really? When you think about yourself, do you know who you are? We have many different faces that we show the world. Is one of them truly you?

Eckhart Tolle would tell you that you are the watcher. The consciousness who sits behind your personality watching the story of your life play out. Are you aware of your observer? Do you notice the noticing? It is wild to think about? This is what meditation is supposed to help with. Some people get confused and think meditation is supposed to quiet the mind, but really what should happen is the noticing. Noticing the thoughts and allowing them. Don’t try and stop them or control them. If you try to do this you will just have more thoughts, about why you can’t stop your thoughts. Then you will notice that is also a thought and the cycle goes on. By just peacefully allowing the thoughts, with no judgement, you find quiet. If you are walking through a prairie of beautiful wild flowers, you allow the flowers, you do not make them wrong or right. Some may be more pleasing than others but you do not try and control them. You allow them to grow in their own perfect time and place. You are content to be the watcher, strolling through the field of flowers.

However, when someone tells you to be yourself, I do not think the silent observer is really who they mean. So where does that leave us? Did they mean I should be myself as I am with my daughters; a mother and nurturer? Do they think I should be the me I am when I am at work; driven and ambitious? Maybe I should be the me I am with my friends; happy and encouraging. Perhaps the me who is a spiritual teacher; guiding and confidant. Guess I should have ask them what they meant by being myself. Who I am when I am with my husband is different from who I am with my grandchildren or parents. They are all true versions of me but each role asks something different of me. My husband needs me to be his teammate and best friend. My parents need me to be someone who has grown up and made them proud. My grandchildren need me to be fun, loving, caring, and to help them explore and learn about the world. These are all true versions of myself. No one, is more true, than any other one.

So with the advise to be myself, where does that leave me? The watcher who sits quietly in the back of my mind or one of the other roles that I play in life? It is all of it. It is staying true to what intuitively feels right in the time and space I am in. To hold on to the parts of myself that sees the divine in all people. That believes only love can conquer fear and that fear is at the root of all negative emotions. This is who I am at a soul level.

Nameste my friends! The Divine in me sees the Divine in you. May your day be filled with peace and a sureness of who you are. I love you.

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Gratitude: Mastering Manifesting Part 3 of the Series

Being grateful for the lives we have is an important part of manifesting. There is more to it than just that though. It is also being grateful for what we want. Here are three tips or ticks to help you make gratitude a part of your daily practice.

So, does it sound strange to you to be grateful for what you want but don’t have yet? It can feel a bit strange, but the emotions of how you will feel when you receive what you are asking for, is a powerful way to manifest. Let’s say you want an improved relationship with a family member. Focus on the gratitude and love you will have when you and that person work out your differences. By focusing on that emotion, our energy aligns with what we are wanting. Let’s say you feel you need a new car. When you think about the vehicle you want, jump for joy at the prospect of having it! Feel the gratitude and excitment flow through you for this new automobile which will soon be yours. Remember, even though your logical mind knows you don’t have it yet, that doesn’t matter. Keep the gratitude flowing as if you do own it.

Here are some tips to help you remember to be grateful for what you already have as well as being grateful for what is coming to you.

Gratitude button or stone; something small you keep in your pocket. I like the idea of a stone because I really like stones and crystals. Every time you touch this item you think about something you are grateful for. We have our hands in and out of our pockets many times a day. So this can be a powerful way to get gratitude to be a daily part of your life. You can even raise the score and tell yourself you will think of 5 things every time you touch it. You get to make the rules for your life. Make it fun. You do not want stressful emotions associated with this.
Gratitude journal. They actually sell these, but any notebook, journal or memo pad on your phone will do. I even have a journaling app on my phone that I can add a picture to each entry. However you do it, start by making a list of all the things you already have that you are grateful for. Then add the other items, experiences, feelings that are coming to you that you can be grateful for. This is another way to really get the gratitude moving through you. You will be surprised how many things you can think of. Some will be very small like I am glad I am able to write this today. Others may be huge like gratitude for a science report that shows improved water quality in the world. I like to get into a nice relaxed state before I start this exercise. Take some nice deep breaths. Feel your body resting comfortably on the chair, couch, bed, floor (wherever) and then begin.
Incorporate it into other daily activities. Do you have a drive with many traffic lights? Every time you have to stop, make a list, mentally in your head. Do you eat lunch alone? With each bite, think of something you are grateful for. Really feel that gratitude while you chew your food. Are you a runner or do some other form of physical fitness? Incorporate gratitude into that time too.

These are just some ideas how you can incorporate more gratitude into your day. However you do it, keep that attitude of gratitude flowing. I am grateful for all of you who read my blog. Thank you! What do you do to keep gratitude a part of your life?

Happy manifesting friends! I wish for you abundance, excellent experiences, and magic to be grateful for!

Part 1

Part 2

More about what to be thankful for

Say What You Want! Part 2 of the Mastering Manifesting Series!

We often say things that affect our ability to Manifest. We do it out of habit and without even thinking about it. We do it all the time. A couple important things to remember about manifesting is that; our thoughts and words become real and the other is to remember to stay on the positive side of what you want. The Universe will not hear the don’ts. Keep these tidbits in mind when you are speaking.

Someone said to me, “I’m having a hard time manifesting my plenty of time, money, and energy mantra”. When that was thought and then said, the Universe heard that and reinforced it. It became true. That “hard time” was granted. “I effortlessly manifest plenty of time, endless energy, and abundant money”, is a better thing to say. Sometimes it doesn’t seem true to our logical mind. Even if we don’t believe it in our heart of hearts we can still say it as if it were true. “I effortlessly manifest plenty of time, endless energy, and abundant money”. Even if you don’t really believe when you first start. The more you say it, reinforce it, the more it will start to come true. If you say, “that manifesting stuff doesn’t work for me”, it never will. Try saying, “I manifest frequently, easily, and with great success!”

We also need to stay cognizant about the things we don’t want. Imagine saying, “I don’t want to get laid off”. The universe only hears that you want to get laid off. A better thing to say is, “I want to stay happily employed”. “I want to loose weight”. What does the universe hear? That you want to need to loose weight. A better thing to say would be, “I am thin and fit”. “I want to be out of debt”. Better to proclaim to the Universe, “I have abundant money!”.

Are you starting to see what the Universe needs for you to do in order to manifest your dreams? Believe in the possibilities. Even if you do not believe everything you are saying, keep saying it. It really does matter what you say. Even if you tell it to others with a wink, keep saying it. “I have plenty of time, endless energy, and abundant money!” “I am thin and fit” “I am….” or “I have….” fill in the blank.

Blessing friends! Keep manifesting! The first blog in the series is here.

Mastering Manifesting: a series

Manifestation! You hear a lot about it these days. Emy and I have become practiced at it over the last several years. It was 2007 when I first stumbled across the book, The Secret. It changed my life, my thoughts, and my world. Suddenly anything was possible. I find that it is a subject that often comes up in my blogs, so I have decided to write a series about manifestation.

I remember hearing Louis L Hay say; she was getting green lights and the parking spots and thought she was pretty cool. That is a great place to start but there is so much more to manifesting, than just that, which Louis and many other spiritual teachers learned over the years. It is fun and very affirming when you see the little things work. You can manifest a lot of “stuff” too. Getting the “things” you want is very fun. How about making your dreams come true, healing the earth, and having a harmonious life? How does that sound? Would you like all of that? I too started with green lights and parking spots but my current work is on harmonious relationships.

I am living the life of my dreams. Which spurs me on to find bigger and better dreams. I also want to heal the earth! While my Adventure Sister, Emy, works to heal the earth through political activism, I intend to do it through positive thinking. One of the important things about manifesting is not to say “how” the result will appear. You place the intention and allow it to comes into being however the Universe decides to send it to you. Perhaps Emy’s activism will be how the Universe delivers healing to the earth or perhaps it will be some other way that I can not even begin to imagine. Luckily I don’t have to figure that out. I just have to set the intention and trust that it will be delivered!

I have written several blogs that address manifesting already. I want to share these with you along with more about what Emy and I have learned about manifesting.

One great way to start manifesting is to create a vision board. There are techniques you can use to make your vision board more powerful. A vision board is a great starting place for new manifesters and a way to increase your effectiveness for experienced manifesters. You can “see” what you want.

On New Years, I do not write resolutions, instead I list what I want to manifest in the New Year. It takes the pressure away from setting the intention to have a wonderful, productive year of growth and improved life.

Gratitude is an important part of manifestation. The more we are grateful for, the more the Universe brings us to be grateful for! Gratitude carries a high vibration which the Universe loves to respond to with more and more blessings. There is so much in our lives to be grateful for.

Manifesting was also a big part of finding love in my life again. You can read more about that journey here. I also had to work through my past and be ready for my perfect partner.

When manifesting, you act as if it is true…even if you do not believe it. “I have plenty of time and endless energy”. There may be a voice in your head that says; “no way”. Some times we do not even believe we are worthy of having our dreams coming true. As we chase happiness we have to trust that the Universe will only send us what is good and right for us right now. Be willing to reach out and take what the Universe offers.

Setting goals is another type of manifesting. It is telling the Universe where you intend to get to.

I chose the picture of the Eiffel Tower for this blog because that was a manifestation too. My husband and I took our honeymoon in Italy. On the way home we had a layover in Paris. I remember thinking that I wished I could have a night in Paris on our honeymoon. Well the Universe delivered. Our plane out of Rome was late and we missed our connection in Paris. The Airline gave us a hotel room and credits for food. We found a taxi driver who spoke English and for a flat fee, took us to see and take pictures of all the most popular sites in Paris. It was a one night whirlwind tour and an amazing adventure. Never underestimate the power of the Universe to deliver your dreams to you. Keep your thoughts positive even in the face of missed and canceled flights or other such events and you will suddenly notice that you are living the life of your dreams.

What future topics would you like to see on Manifesting? What tips would you like to share? Do you have a blog on manifesting? Is there an important piece of information that I may have missed sharing? Feel free to add it to the comments. Let’s teach everyone to live the life of their dreams!

Happy manifesting friends! Thank you for reading my blog today. May you live the life of your dreams today and always!

Allowing Dreams to Come True

Too often in life we talk about what we want, but we are afraid to believe that we could really have it or are even worthy of it. We want to believe but we may feel we are just making a wish list of things/experience we want. In our heart of hearts we do not believe it will really happen or that it could even possibly really happen. Over the years I have made vision boards, done gratitude journals, employed techniques to keep my vibration high, and written manifestation lists for; New Years, New Moons, and other various events. I have used mantras such as “Money comes frequently and easily” and “I have endless energy and plenty of time”. In the beginning, it never seems true or possible.

I recently commented to my husband that I would really like to start participating in 5Ks again. I used to live in Florida and participated in many such events. When I moved to Minnesota, I had plans to continue, but I never really got into the groove of it there. Part of my problem was after years of running in Florida, where the running season starts in the fall, in Minnesota it was growing cooler or even cold and the running season was ending. This conflicted with my usual excitement/energy to start the season. Maybe this was just a cop out for not doing it. Whatever the reason, I have never done more than a few events since moving to Minnesota.

I think that manifesting at times is a bit like scales. On one side is the manifestation list. On the other side you have what you see as reality. As you start to see things on the manifestation side of the scale come into being, that side of the scale starts to drop and gets heavier and heavier. This is where the magic happens. All of a sudden you start to think, “Wow, this stuff really works!” Which brings more into being. Lets go back to the 5K story. When I told my husband I wished I could do more 5Ks, and told him my excuses/reasons why I just can’t seem to do it in Minnesota, he calmly said why don’t you go to Florida and do them with your friends. My job allows me the ability to travel and do this if I want, so this wasn’t really outside the realm of possibility for me.

The magic started to happen when my friend, Donna, called and asked if I would come to Florida in February to do a 5K with her. Wow, crazy right! Then an amazing opportunity showed up for Marty and I to buy a boat as a vacation home in Florida. This would mean we would be in the state more often, making the reality of participating in weekend 5K events more likely!
We completed a 5K yesterday, Marty’s first. It was as fun and exhilarating as I remember. At supper with friends last night we started making plans for future 5Ks.

Don’t give up on the dreams, my friends! You will see how those scales will start to tip until more and more of your dreams are coming true. As you see them appear in your life, you will believe even more strongly. Keep believing in the possibilities. Before long they will be a part of your life.

Do you have magical manifestation stories you would like to share? We would love to hear them!