Positive Health Online

Before reading this article, take a few deep breaths and relax a bit. This article is not written to your intellect. It is addressed to someone deeper within you. Read slowly. Do your best to just read it without judgment, and soon you will begin to feel the real possibility for the transformation you have been seeking.

There are so many ways to deal with limitations and to transform yourself, it can be confusing. You can work with a therapist, counsellor or teacher, attend workshops, seminars, walk over hot coals or jump from a bridge with a rubber band attached to your ankle. Personally, I prefer simplicity and activities that do not include death-defying leaps or large open Bar B Q pits. Let me share with you some ideas and practices that have worked for me and for many others.

Sunrise © Jon Shore

The simple truth is that if you recognize and live your true identity, Soul, Self, Spirit or whatever name you put to it, then all the marvelous attributes you have been seeking and striving for will be manifest in your life. This is a very simple premise that is based on the personal experiences of hundreds of thousands of people including myself. Experiencing and then living the results of this awakening can be quite difficult, though.

Let's use an example. If you spend a great deal of time and energy working  with a therapist, counsellor or teacher on ending your limited ability to experience intimacy, then you will probably be successful in finally transforming yourself into a person who is quite capable of experiencing intimacy.  That is certainly a worthy task. Intimacy is wonderful. You will most likely be guided by your therapist into the form of intimacy that they believe is healthy and right for you. You might wonder though, at some point, is this sort of intimacy comfortable for me?

I have often had clients and students who came to me with that sort of question. They find themselves confused when attempting to paint a new desired behaviour over an old one that they no longer want. It can also be frustrating, working diligently to get rid of an old behaviour and trying to replace it with a new one that is more to theirs or someone else's liking.

"I am so tired of trying to be what everyone else wants me to be!" I hear this so often. It is usually the result of not knowing who you really are and attempting to be someone you are not, someone that others want you to be.

True personal transformation comes from the very deepest part of you - the Soul or Self. It arrives like a fresh, warm and comfortable breeze after a cold winter. It occurs instantly and gently as Grace. With this awakening comes a wonderful gift. The knowledge of who you are and the ability to be all that you ever dreamed. You discover that all the limitations you had are quite manageable. That all the marvelous attributes you had been striving to acquire you already had and already are. This is truly being yourSelf.

Meditation is an essential element in helping you achieve this profound transformation. I am going to share with you now a simple meditation practice that will be easy to do and easy to implement in your daily life. The foundational premise of this meditation is that you are already a perfect spirit having a human experience. This meditation can help you clean your mirror of all the years of accumulated dust and distractions. When the mirror is a bit cleaner you will begin to catch glimpses of your real self. When the mirror is spotless.... Well I will let you find out what happens.

During this meditation do not focus on what you want to accomplish or transform. Just follow the instructions.  If you wish you can record this meditation for yourself or have someone record it for you.

To Begin

Choose a quiet and safe place where you will feel comfortable. If necessary, close the door and let others in your house or apartment know that you need a short bit of quiet time.

It is best to be sitting up when you do this meditation, so sit in a comfortable position in a chair or on a sofa.

If you wish to use some music in the background choose some that is soft and that does not have any melody. You can also use some soft nature sounds like ocean waves if you wish.

Now close your eyes and take a deep breath, and then release the breath as if you were blowing out a candle. Do this again 6 times. Pay close attention to your breathing. The inhalation and the exhalation.

This Moment

Leaves on Water © Jon Shore

Sounds

Now pay close attention to the sounds around you. Judge nothing. No sound is good or bad, they are just sounds. Name them. Begin with the loudest ones and work your way down to those sounds that are just on the edge of silence. Listen closely. Do not let any of the sounds distract you. Just listen. Do not let any of the sounds affect you. Just listen.

You can end the meditation here or you can continue to the next exercise. If you choose to end the meditation here then take 6 deep breaths like you did at the beginning of this meditation and then open your eyes. Now take a few moments to re-adjust to your surroundings and proceed with your day.

Dissolving Thoughts

Now pay close attention to all the thoughts in your mind. Judge nothing. No thought is good or bad, they are just thoughts. Name them. Begin with the thoughts on the surface of your mind and work your way down to those thoughts that are deep within you. Listen closely to them but do not let any of the thoughts distract you. Just listen, just watch. Do not let any of the thoughts affect you. Just listen to them as if they were not yours. They are just thoughts and images floating through your mind. If you begin to get attached to any one thought move on to another one with a deep breath.

Now imagine that all of these thoughts are outside of you. Let them take on form. Use your imagination. Each thought is an image. Be creative. What does each one look like? Examine each one in great detail. Try to remember every nuance and feature. Which thought does each image represent? Do your best to remember this. In the meantime, your mind is completely still. All thoughts are outside you looking at you or looking at each other. If there are thoughts that you no longer need you can tell each image, each thought that it is no longer welcome in you and that in must leave now. See it leave. Watch it leave until it is really gone. If it tries to come back you can do the same exercise again and again. Thoughts that you want you can allow back into your mind or leave them were they are so that you can reference them later. From now on you will be able to see and deal with thoughts at any time by taking 1 deep breath and letting it out as if you were blowing out a candle.

Now it is time to move on with your day or to go to sleep. Take 6 deep breaths like you did at the beginning of this meditation and then open your eyes. Take a few more deep breaths and take a few moments to re-adjust to your surroundings.

Getting Beyond Emotions

Choose a quiet and safe place where you will feel comfortable. If necessary close the door and let others in your house or apartment know that you need a short bit of quiet time. Take your time doing this meditation. If necessary deal with only one emotion at a time. But be thorough. Do not hide or ignore any emotion. It is essential that you are completely honest with yourself. If necessary ask someone you trust completely to guide you through this meditation. It is very powerful if done correctly. Some guided meditation programs that you can use that are similar to this and music that you can use as background are available at www.jonshore.net  

It is best to be sitting up when you do this meditation so sit in a comfortable position in a chair or sofa.
If you wish to use some music in the background choose some that is soft and that does not have any melody. You can also use some soft nature sounds like ocean waves if you wish.

Now close your eyes and take a deep breath and then release the breath as if you were blowing out a candle. Do this again 6 times. Pay close attention to your breathing. The inhalation and the exhalation.

Now pay close attention to all the emotions in your mind and in your body. Do your best to feel them all. Every one of them. Judge nothing. Do not hide from any of them. Do not let them hide from you. No emotion is good or bad, they are just emotions. Where in your body do you feel each one? Take your time. Name them. Begin with the emotions on the surface of your mind and work your way down to those emotions that are deep within you and those that locate themselves in certain areas of your body. Feel them, but do not let any of the emotions distract you. Just feel, listen, and watch. Do not let any of the emotions affect you. What do they say? Listen carefully but  listen to them as if they were not yours. They are just emotions and images floating through your mind and body. If you begin to get attached to any one emotion move on to another one with a deep breath.

Now imagine that all of these emotions are outside of you. Let them take on form. Use your imagination. Each emotion is an image. Be creative. What does each one look like? Examine each one in great detail. Take your time. Try to remember every nuance and feature. Which emotion does each image represent? Do your best to remember this. In the meantime, your mind and body are completely still. All emotions are outside you looking at you or looking at each other. If there are emotions that you no longer need you can tell each image, each emotion that it is no longer welcome in you and that in must leave now. See it leave. Watch it leave until it is really gone. If it tries to come back you can do the same exercise again and again. Emotions that you want you can allow back into your mind or leave them were they are so that you can reference them later. From now on you will be able to see and deal with emotions at any time by taking 1 deep breath and letting it out as if you were blowing out a candle.

Now it is time to move on with your day or to go to sleep. Take 6 deep breaths like you did at the beginning of this meditation and then open your eyes. Take a few more deep breaths and take a few moments to re-adjust to your surroundings.

As you gain a clear and unobstructed view of yourself in your mirror you will experience a personal transformation that will change your perception of everything in life. Enjoy.