Category: Mindfulness

Buddhism, Contemplation, Meditation, Mindfulness

Simultaneous Co-existence

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I have come to believe that we are energetic beings existing here materially as we co-exist simultaneously – elsewhere. This belief formed via a meditation/vision where I caught a glimpse of myself as quite connected to a realm beyond. I had a sense of 80% of myself in the “elsewhere” with the rest filtering down a connecting cord into my body. The body – the ‘I’ was experiencing the material world and sharing it with The Elsewhere. As fast as I saw this – it disappeared. Just a glimpse, a moment’s insight.

The vision reminded me of the Chilean scientists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varella. I studied them during my thesis writing days. I perceived in their theories the notion that that mind is not located in the brain nor body. Mind connects through us in relation to others, perhaps – The Elsewhere. I reviewed their writings thinking that I could find a concise quote about their take on this to share here. It couldn’t be easily found and I realized that what I thought they had said was actually my personal synthesis and understanding of their very complex work. I have no doubt over simplified it. Still – something there resonated with my meditative insight. We are more than what our day to day conscious being is aware of. We are not in this alone.

I get to thinking that all Earth beings are looping here in the material world. Cycling our material bits about the constructs of the planet – like water does on earth. A cloud one day – dinosaur pee the next. “Ashes to ashes – dust to dust but Then I get a glimpse of myself coexisting in more than one dimension. A powerful spiritual moment that leads me to believe in the etherical cycle along with the material one.

Babellz Art
Soul Light

PEACE 🌼

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Meditation, Mindfulness

The Low light Daze

indigo bellz

It is a cold winter day here in Vancouver. The height of what I call The Canadian Depression Season. I am not depressed this season like I have been in some winters past. I attribute part of this to a regular meditation practice.

It is no wonder people hesitate to go for assistance with depression or other conditions as once you enter the medical system you are given labels that stay in your mind and become absolutes. Once a person in authority like a Physician (or other expert) labels you this or that – it goes deep into the subconscious. I know they need to do this to make sense of an issue but the downside is that it comes to be a fixed story that you and the system fixate on.

I took hypnotherapy training a long time after my “diagnosis” and this phenomena of a person in authority programming the unconscious was explained. It is known as Waking Hypnosis and Hyper-suggestibility.

It is usually covert … everyone is subject to suggestions made by others, especially those in a place of greater authority or expertise. When a patient seeks an opinion from a doctor, what the doctor tells the client can be very powerful.1

The part of the mind that normally filters and critiques is bypassed when in a heightened state of emotion like anxiety. The information goes straight to the subconscious as a fact.

In spite of my dislike of labels and authority, I owned the idea that I had Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with a dose of mood disorder. I took physician recommended steps to deal with it. I still use a big Daylight Lamp each day through Depression Season and I take medication as needed. I eat right now and keep a normal sleep schedule. Unless I intend to hibernate like a bear all winter and get all moody – I need to keep an eye on the “condition”. But … I also realize that when I was initially labeled I bought into a sense of despair about being damaged “forever” that did not help the situation.

Since I took up a regular practice of Mindfulness Meditation I have become aware of the states of my mind. I see them shift and change and I know they are not absolute. I also see the story lines that the labels created. Like weather systems the states and stories of the mind pass and I have ceased to fear that they rule me. I have become more confident in myself again as I see the transience of thoughts and emotions. The meditation practice is part of an overall lifestyle change that I have been working on – for quite some time. A work in progress. I appreciate the assistance I received from the medical community – particularly the lifestyle guidance. I value the meditation training very much.

Peace 🌼

1 Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Calvin D. Banyan and Gerald F. Kein p218

Meditation, Mindfulness, Non Attachment

Clouds – Thoughts – Mind

indigo bellz

There is a spectacular drive in British Columbia called The Coquihalla Highway. It climbs an astonishing 1200 m in 47 km ( 3900 feet in 30 miles). Takes about a half hour to drive that from the town of Hope, BC. It is the first really big mountain pass heading east out of Vancouver, BC. As weather comes into it from the Pacific Ocean it gets very complex systems rolling about it’s mountain peaks and fabulous skies to go with that. I have had white knuckle drives across it when it is winter (made famous by the Highway through Hell series). After a winter drive I often swear I will never brave it again but then spring comes.

This past fall I drove it in it’s glory. Blue skies, fresh green trees and big fluffy white clouds greeted me. Babellz Art

I was really taken with the clouds against the blue sky. I drove along thinking about my issues in life – looking at the clouds and trees. Eventually I stopped and got out of the car to really look at the sky and the clouds. They were like big beings floating about. I felt they were very close – just above my head but when I went to take photos of them they seemed far away. A trick of the camera and a trick of the mind. From the perspective of my mind the sky seemed all cloud but from another perspective they were separate and there was a great deal of clear sky.

Like the thoughts of my mind – yup. I first thought of my thoughts as clouds in my early meditation days when I was with Cecile Kwiat. I was reminded of it again by Andy Puddicome in his Headspace App. It is a great way to let go.

I have been using Andy’s Headspace App for a quite a while now. I recommend it to quite a few folks. The first 10 lessons are free and can easily be repeated. Andy is a former Buddhist Monk now Buddhist entrepreneur – a beneficial entrepreneur. His free introductory section reframed my clouds to traffic on a road. That fits lately – cars move faster and beep more than clouds. My mind is pretty chatty.

Whether conceived as clouds, traffic or a river flowing by becoming aware that thoughts are constructs of the mind not absolutes is a relief to me each meditation. It allows non-attachment to develop. So much of what I conceive as urgent JUST isn’t and like clouds, cars and flowing streams will move on at their own pace without my interfering.

Peace 🌟

Contemplation, Meditation, Mindfulness

Diving in to Spiritual Exploration

indigo bellz

I graduated into young adult hood in the 1970’s. Having come from a difficult home life I stumbled around for a decade – youth. I began exploring spiritually in the 1980’s. I discovered The Seth Writings and I was mesmerized. I took my first meditation class (founded in Buddhism) led by now deceased Cecile Kwiat, I took The Silva Method courses and began to use tarot cards. I figured there was a path to enlightenment in these actions although I wasn’t sure what that enlightenment might be! I just was driven to explore. The West Coast was brimming with classes and literature. I dove in.

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Reaching for the sun

Of the many teachings I explored I find the basic meditation class by Cecile the most important. I discovered great information from channeling sources like Seth. The tarot has helped me make decisions/clarify direction and The Siva Method is amazing for training the mind to expand potential. The greatest gains came from Cecile though. Her directions were to sit quietly for 30 minutes a day to watch my breath. Just sit and observe. I laugh as I recall those first few meditations as sitting with my eyes closed, counting my breath, all I was thinking was “All I see is black”! I was very physical and literal then. What the practice did over a long time though was allow me to see that I am separate from my thoughts and That is monumental. I am body, I am mind and I am something more that I call spirit.

I moved a lot in my younger days. I lost touch with Cecile. Her teachings stayed with me as I moved-through life though. I took to counting from 100 down to 1 to not drift off in thoughts. What I noticed was it calmed me considerably. Having grown up in a chaotic home my neural pathways are addicted to drama – the meditation practice settled me down. I returned to it as a means to get clarity over and over. My regret is that I did not commit to daily practice decades before I did.

Peace 🔆

Mindfulness

Spiritual Chronicle

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Babella
reflection and being

As a child of the 60’s who is now in her 60’s I feel that era’s ideal’s defined much of the being I am today. Peace, Love, Freedom to be – for all. The exploration of self encouraged at that time allowed my eclectic soul to grow and thrive. Growing up and living on the West Coast of America was like being invited to a fabulous buffet of educational and spiritual opportunity. I indulged! The following posts are about my many experiential learnings and how they have led me to embrace mindfulness, meditation and contemplation as my core foundation.