The Holiday Season can be any way you want it: full of stress, or full of joy. It can be a time to dread, or  anticipate with excitement. It’s your choice, yes, it really is. I’ve experienced both of these scenarios, and, believe me, full of joy, is the way to go.

Here are  9 Keys to make your Holiday Season the best one ever!

1. MAKE A DECISION 

that this year is going to be different, that you are going to ENJOY this Holiday Season. It all starts here, with the DECISION.

2. SET THE INTENTION

for how you want this time of year to look. For example, fun, relaxing, and enjoyable; camaraderie with neighbors, work colleagues, and people you meet on a casual basis in stores, restaurants, the subway. Festive celebrations at home with your near and dear ones; hot apple cider, holly and mistletoe, red candles, festive lights, singing songs; whatever turns you on and means joy to YOU.

3. FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE

Keep your attention, energy and focus on all the good things that are happening, on times that are going well and you are enjoying yourself. Laugh more.  What we focus on expands. Forget about trying to “combat” stress (sounds like a battle, doesn’t it?) Keep your attention on the positives, and stress naturally drops away.

4. BE MORE LOVING

Start with yourself. You can’t give what you don’t have. Drop self-judgment, self-criticism, and giving yourself a hard time for not being perfect. Have compassion for yourself. We are all human, and it’s your imperfections that make you so adorable. You are unique. Trust that you are deeply loved, simply because you exist – you are a valuable part of our world. The more you love yourself, and I mean ALL  aspects of yourself, the more love, and compassion, you have for others.

5. DO YOUR BEST

You can’t do better than your best, right? We are all different and have different skills, knowledge, talents, personalities, tolerances. Are you a person who over-gives and forgets about yourself? If so, you create an undercurrent of resentment, tension and fear, that doesn’t serve YOU, let alone anyone else. Remember that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, just some of the people, some of the time. When you do your best, YOU know you have offered the best of yourself, and that has to be enough.

6. ENLIVEN YOUR SURROUNDINGS

with the color red. The color of the sun is energizing, and symbolic of love, courage, warmth, fire. Wear red sweaters, scarves and hats, light red candles, bring in red flowering plants (if you have access to red poinsettias, they are a joy!). Any creative idea you have for including the color red has a powerful effect in the darkest days of the year to lighten your mood and create a festive, heartening atmosphere.

7. CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR PLANET

Donate food and clothing to the poor in your area. Volunteer time at a social service         agency. Put up bird feeders and keep them filled throughout the winter to supplement the diets of wild birds. Donate funds and items to non-profit groups, such as churches and environmental organizations. Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new year. Helping others can take your mind off your own problems and inspire feelings of gratitude for what you do have.(As long as you don’t over-give and forget about yourself! see #5)

8. PRAY

Take time for self-reflection, contemplation, meditation. The darkness of the winter time supports going within to give thanks, receive spiritual guidance, and set intentions for the upcoming year. This is one of my favorite prayers:

In my busy-ness, I sometimes forget to stop and give thanks for all the blessings in my life. I am truly fortunate to experience abundance, health and aliveness. I am grateful for the simple joys of laughter, for the ability to love and be loved, for the opportunity to witness everyday miracles.

9. CELEBRATE

However big or small the occasion, look for excuses to be in a state of celebration. You can celebrate failures too. They open doorways for something new to come in. Your positive attitude will activate the Law of Attraction and bring you even more positivity and goodness.

Enjoy this Season. I look forward to your comments.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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The winter solstice, December 21st, has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. As the shortest day/longest night of the year, this start of the solar year is a celebration of light and the rebirth of the Sun. We have all completed one more official journey around the Sun.

Many of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with the Solstice have survived into the 21^st century so let’s see how we can join in this ancient celebration to bring love, light, joy and meaning to this season.

ENLIVEN YOUR SURROUNDINGS

with the color red. The color of the sun is energizing, and symbolic of love, courage, warmth, fire. Wear red sweaters, scarves and hats, light red candles, bring in red flowering plants (the red poinsettia is a great one!). The color red has a powerful effect in the darkest days of the year to lighten your mood and create a festive, heartening atmosphere..

ADORN YOUR HOME

with sacred herbs and colors. Decorate your home in holiday colors red, green, and white. Place holly, ivy, evergreen boughs, and pine cones around your home, especially in areas where socializing takes place. Hang a sprig of mistletoe above a major threshold, an evergreen wreath on the front door to symbolize the continuity of life and the wheel of the year. Bring in a Christmas tree with colored lights.

CONVEY LOVE

to family, friends, and associates. At the heart of the Solstice was the custom of family and friends feasting together and exchanging presents. Continue this custom by visiting, entertaining, giving gifts, and sending greetings by mail and/or phone. Play games, enjoy children, roast chestnuts over an open fire (what fun!). Consider those who are and/or have been important in your life and share appreciation.

HONOR THE NEW SOLAR YEAR WITH LIGHT

Do a Winter Solstice Eve ritual in which you meditate in darkness and then welcome the birth of the sun by lighting candles and singing chants and carols. If you have an indoor fireplace or an outdoor fire circle, burn an oak log as a Yule log. Decorate the inside and/or outside of your home with electric colored lights.

PARTY HEARTY

on New Year’s Eve, not just to welcome the calendar year but also to welcome the new solar year. Celebrate and remember how much the sun means to our planet earth, bringing heat, and light.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE MANIFESTATION OF MORE WELLNESS ON PLANET EARTH

Donate food and clothing to the poor in your area. Volunteer time at a social service agency. Put up bird feeders and keep them filled throughout the winter to supplement the diets of wild birds. Donate funds and items to non-profit groups, such as churches and environmental organizations. Meditate for world peace. Work magic for a healthier planet. Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new solar year.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR PLANET

Donate food and clothing to the poor in your area. Volunteer time at a social service         agency. Put up bird feeders and keep them filled throughout the winter to supplement the diets of wild birds. Donate funds and items to non-profit groups, such as churches and environmental organizations. Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new year. Helping others can take your mind off your own problems and inspire feelings of gratitude for what you do have.(As long as you don’t over-give and forget about yourself! see #5)

PRAY

Take time for self-reflection, contemplation, meditation. The darkness of the winter solstice time supports going within to give thanks, receive spiritual guidance, and set intentions for the upcoming year. This is one of my favorite prayers:

In my busy-ness, I sometimes forget to stop and give thanks for all the blessings in my life. I am truly fortunate to experience abundance, health and aliveness. I am grateful for the simple joys of laughter, for the ability to love and be loved, for the opportunity to witness everyday miracles.

CELEBRATE

As you think about setting goals for next year, take some time to write down and CELEBRATE everything you have accomplished this year. Keep your focus on your successes. Be careful of negative self-critical thoughts coming in when you remember the goals you did not achieve. Put those on your list for next year.

CELEBRATING

keeps our focus on the positive and attracts more for us to celebrate.  Take this energy of CELEBRATION with you into the New Year and keep it with you throughout the whole year.

However big or small the occasion, look for excuses to be in a state of celebration. You can celebrate failures too. They open doorways for something new to come in. Your positive attitude will make sure you attract more positivity and goodness.

Enjoy this Season.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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If there are people in your life that you don’t like, the negative energy vibrations you transmit towards them drag down your positive vibes and you end up lower down on the “vibes scale” than you want to be. For example, let’s say, on a scale of 1 – 10: 10 is your highest positive vibration, and 1 will be your most negative.

Even if you have high vibes with most people in your life, just having one person you don’t like, can drag your vibes down to a lower level.

It is in YOUR best interests to find a way to be grateful to all people, yes!, even if you hate them, even if they drive you crazy, even if you are completely justified in hating them because of their unspeakably heinous behavior towards you.

Here are 5 keys to transform your perspective.

1.  DISCOVER THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

The first step is to spend time with yourself and look into what happens to YOU when this particular person sets you off. Take the focus off them and shine the light fairly and squarely on yourself. You probably find you’re filled with a turmoil of emotions: anger, frustration, irritation, hurt, disappointment and so on. Allow these emotions to be there with nonjudgment and compassion for yourself.

I recommend the Gibberish expressive meditation technique* for releasing emotional turmoil. By dumping these feelings out in a meditation context, you quickly re-discover your inner peace, clarity of mind and well-being. In addition, your sense of humor, and creativity return. From this place of wisdom and clarity you can start to move into compassion, and understand that the other person is living in pain and fear and doesn’t know a better way to behave.

2.   FOCUS ON THE GOOD

Most people have some redeeming qualities, although in certain cases they are quite hidden from view. Assume the good qualities are in there, somewhere, because they are. Remember that everyone is born filled with love, joy, and inner peace. Somewhere in their life (for many people it’s because of an abusive childhood), this person has lost their way and become disconnected from the Source of Love. They have become trapped in a cycle of abuse – towards themselves and others.

Send this person vibrations of love. Pray for them.  Ask that they will find their way back to the light. This does not mean that what they did to you was ok. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend time with them, or even have them in your life. It doesn’t mean that you are the person to help them.

It does mean, however, that you raise YOUR positive vibration level. (Hopefully they will receive your gift but we can’t control that part).

YOU BENEFIT, IMMEDIATELY!

3.  CREATE BOUNDARIES

One of the reasons people irritate us and get under our skin is because we don’t make our boundaries clear. It’s important to be clear about what is acceptable behavior towards us and what isn’t. This means we have to speak our truth, no matter what.

Everyone in your life should be respectful, friendly and courteous towards you. If they are not, it’s up to you to address the issue. Always make sure that you are respectful, kind and courteous towards others.

4.  MIND YOUR VIBRATION

We get what we vibrate. If we speak to people in anger, that’s what we get back. If we are disrespectful, mean and insincere, that’s what we get back.

Dump out your turbulent emotions in the gibberish meditation technique* and, when you feel calm and relaxed, have a conversation with the person you don’t like, or write them an email or a letter. Communicate what you want with clarity, friendliness, and respect.

The more clearly you ask for what you want, the more likely you are to get it.

The #1 reason you are doing this, remember, is to shift YOUR vibrational level higher up the scale. With most people you get a positive response, but not always. Hold the faith, because the transformation in YOU is miraculous, irrespective of how the other person responds.

My most difficult experience was dealing with an abusive family member. This individual did not respond to me in a positive way until the day they passed away. However, what happened to me was extraordinary. I shifted my perspective, and transitioned into love and compassion for that particular person, and for all people, no matter how difficult they are to like.

5.  UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF LOVE

When we take 100% responsibility for what is happening inside of us, miracles happen. We find it easy to be grateful because we have transformed dislike into compassion.

Love is recognizing ourselves in the other.

On one level we are physical form and psychological make-up. On a deeper level we are all the consciousness of Oneness. Love is the recognition of our Oneness. Compassion, the highest form of love, then arises in us.

* The Gibberish Expressive Meditation Technique

Benefits: You gain instant relief from turbulent emotions and from the chattering mind. You become more calm, relaxed, and creative.

Step One: Gibberish (30 seconds)

Close your eyes. Start speaking in gibberish, any nonsense sounds. Don’t worry about what you sound like. Make any sounds that arise;  don’t speak in a language or use words that you know. Allow yourself to express whatever needs to be expressed within you. Just go totally mad. This is therapeutic madness. 

Step Two: Sit in Silence and Watch with Nonjudgment and Compassion for Yourself (30 seconds)

You can find more information on the Gibberish and other expressive meditation techniques in my latest book: Laughter, Tears, Silence

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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Are you having trouble staying in a positive state of mind when challenging circumstances present themselves? The Universal Laws state: so without, so within. Everything is a mirror. We cannot change the reflection, but we can change the original (ourselves), and then, automatically, the reflection changes. Here are my top 5 Keys that can help you cultivate not only a positive mindset, but also the feeling state necessary for the positive Law of Attraction. The more you focus on bringing awareness to accepting and loving yourself, the more your inner beauty and harmony is reflected in your outer circumstances.

1. RELAX AND ACCEPT

Relax and accept the challenging situation. Don’t fight it because that will make it worse. The more relaxed you are, the more productive you are. Creativity arises out of a relaxed state. And it’s creativity that you need to come up with solutions to the situation you are in. Notice that I use the word “situation” and not the word “problem”. There is no such thing as a problem, only a situation. When you shift your perspective and see the situation as it is,without negative commentary, then you come up with creative solutions, and/or you find the right person to help you.

2. WATCH THE MIND

Make a practice of watching the thoughts of the mind with non-judgment and compassion for yourself. It is not the thoughts that are the problem, it is our identification with them that creates stress and anxiety. For 5 minutes a day sit with eyes closed, body relaxed, and observe the thoughts of the mind. You don’t have to censor them, or force them to be other than they are, simply observe with non-judgment, and let them pass by. Over time, you become less identified with the thoughts, and more connected to your creativity, wisdom and clarity.

3. CREATE POSITIVE THOUGHTS

A powerful way to undermine the influence of negative thoughts on your well being is to create a practice of saying positive thoughts to yourself. At the beginning these might seem tedious or silly, but believe me, it works! The easiest way to break a bad habit of self-judgment and criticism is to create positive phrases that you repeat to yourself as often as possible. Even if you don’t really believe them in the beginning, say them anyway! Over time they become a habit and the negative thoughts simply dissolve.

4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

Be alert to people who like to complain, bad-mouth others, and/or have a depressed outlook on life. AVOID THEM. Keep yourself in the company of positive thinking people. This is a powerful way to keep yourself in a positive energy field which will LIFT YOU, rather than bring you down. Your life is not determined by outside circumstances, but rather by how you respond to those outside circumstances. Remember that all things are possible, there is a lot going on that is unseen to you. The more you keep yourself on a positive vibrational level, the greater your chances of having positive outcomes to challenging situations.

5. BE GRATEFUL, LAUGH, CELEBRATE

Be grateful for what you have. If things are really bad, be grateful for being able to breathe, get out of bed in the morning, use your legs. Be grateful for the sunrise and sunset, for the beauty of the sky, the trees, the birds and flowers. There is always something to be grateful for. Put your focus there and celebrate what you have. Laughter is a powerful attractor factor. Seek out ways to bring more laughter into your life. You will be amazed at the miracles that occur.

MEDITATION: BEFRIENDING THE MIND

Benefits: When you befriend the mind you are surprised how radically life can change. It becomes much easier to disidentify from the mind’s constant chattering and see yourself, and life’s situations, with more clarity and objectivity. You see life’s dramas with perspective and compassion, and insights and understandings arise naturally.

Directions: Find ways to befriend your mind. The mind is our bridge from the subconscious to the conscious, our gateway of expression to the outer world. Be grateful for it. Find ways to appreciate the insights, understandings, and creativity it brings. See it not as an enemy but as a friend.

As this friendship with the mind deepens, your mind no longer disturbs you. You are not fighting it; you are simply letting it’s thoughts pass by. Your ego/ mind wants to make things complicated, but they are not. Life sings a different tune when you are not controlled by the mind. Your natural joy, spontaneity, self-acceptance, love and compassion arise quickly and easily.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

The post How To Stay Positive in Challenging Times (5 Steps) appeared first on Pragito Dove.

Laughter can lead me to deep meditation?

I never imagined such a thing was possible. As a child I longed to laugh, giggle and be funny but this was frowned upon in our household. Yet the giggles remained, albeit stuffed down deep in case inappropriate gales of laughter erupted at an inopportune moment.

As an adult embarking upon therapy to heal childhood wounds, I experienced a lot of sadness. Allowing those feelings was deeply healing, but unknown to me at the time, the laughter was waiting to bubble up to the surface and make it’s own powerful contribution to my physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

In my late twenties I  traveled to India to delve deeper into the expressive meditation techniques I had heard about, which were created by the enlightened mystic Osho. Amongst the range of expressive techniques, including laughter, tears, dancing, and gibberish, I found a different kind of therapy, a meditation therapy, that worked quickly and powerfully to heal and transform my fear and sadness into joy and inner peace.

The Laughter Meditation was my favorite. Just laughing for the sake of laughing was an inexplicable joy, awakening my creativity, innate happiness and sense of humor. Everything changed, as if life had gone from black and white to technicolor. I could hardly believe that so much joy was possible. I discovered there is always more laughter, more joy, more happiness because it comes from inside us, from our very source of being. It has nothing to do with anyone or anything on the outside.

The laughter washed through my body, opening my heart, releasing all the tensions, calming the anxiety and fear in my mind and allowing me, for the first time, to experience  deep, inner peace.

Laughter serves as a bridge to take you deeper into your inner silence. Laughter is an ordinary experience that can give you an extraordinary experience, a glimpse of no-mind, of meditation, of a transcendence of mind. It can be used as a preparation for meditation.

Through the Laughter Meditation technique, you can make a conscious practice of using laughter to release your stress and drop deeper into inner silence and stillness.

Laughter gives you a glimpse of freedom from the mind

For those moments when you are totally laughing, you are free of the mind. All your problems disappear for a few seconds, don’t they? In those seconds of hilarity you are brought from worry to joy, from tension to relaxation, from fear to trust, from timidity to courage, from the mind to the heart.

You cannot think and laugh at the same time. In those moments when you are out of the mind you are in meditation. In those seconds the mind is not and you are in the present moment. Meditation is being in the present moment!

THE LAUGHTER MEDITATION

Step One: (One Minute)
Start laughing. You can shout out “Yahoo” a few times and raise your arms up in the air, or use a funny Youtube video, or any idea you have to start yourself laughing.(It’s easier, especially at the beginning, to do this with at least one other person.) Do not speak in any language you understand (Gibberish is good).  Just laugh!

Step Two: (One Minute)
Sit in silence with your eyes closed. If there is still laughter bubbling up, allow it. Never repress your laughter. Eventually your laughter transforms  into a joy-filled silence.

You can do this technique for any amount of time that you wish. For example two minutes of laughter followed by two minutes of silence. Take the same amount of time for each stage.

Laughter is one of the easiest ways to free yourself from the mind’s constant thought process and find inner peace. It will make you more alive, more healthy, more creative, and more silent. Simply relax into the enjoyment. You will discover in yourself a tremendous natural talent for rejoicing in life. You may even laugh your way to enlightenment. Yes, it’s that good. Remember to laugh, a lot, every day!

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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Being calm isn’t always easy, let alone when chaos erupts around you.

You have to cultivate a practice of being calm – and that practice must be consistent.

Consistency is the key here. More important than the length of time your practice is, do it consistently, every day. Three minutes every day will bring you the results you want quicker than one hour of your practice once a week.

Here are eight tips to help you on your way:

1. Make a decision to create calm in your life – even when life gets chaotic. This decision is powerful in helping you maintain your daily practice. Know that this is possible to achieve, even if it seems impossible when you start. Keep going and the results will come. Don’t give up. If you forget one day, start again the next day.

2. Breathe consciously as often as you remember. Take three deep breaths when you get up, in the shower, waiting for your coffee, driving in traffic, sitting at your desk…whenever you remember throughout your day. Three deep breaths.

Ignore negative thoughts from the mind trying to undermine your practice. Breathing is the cornerstone of remaining calm, relaxed and at ease. Your body is anyway breathing. The key is to sync up your mind to your body, so they are working together, rather than at odds with each other.

When the body and mind are disconnected, stress is created. Breathing is the simplest, easiest way, to reconnect your body/mind. An added bonus – breathing is free!

3. Take time for yourself – every day. To stay sane, you must take at least a few minutes, 15 – 30 minutes or more is better, to be with yourself. Go outside, take a walk, look at the sky, the trees, the flowers, listen to the birds. Allow the stress of the day to slip off your shoulders and savor some moments of joy.

4. Process your emotions. If you are upset about something, or with someone, give yourself time to recognize the emotions and allow them. It’s important not to stuff emotions, and also not to start yelling at someone who has hurt you either. Rather, wait…and then, when you feel more calm, express how you are feeling to a friend, family member, or, if possible, to the person who upset you.

5. Listen to relaxing music. Whatever music you enjoy, listen to it at least 5 minutes every day. Music has a powerful ability to relax the body, mind, heart, and soul….and bring joy. You can have it on in the background whilst doing other things, or you can dance, sing, with the music. It doesn’t matter what the music is, just that it is music that you enjoy and that relaxes and uplifts you.

6. Practice gratitude. When life feels like a struggle, it’s easy to get caught up in looking at everything that is wrong. Practice gratitude. I promise you, there is always something to be grateful for. Write down 5 things every day you are grateful for – simple things like breathing, walking down the street, enjoying the fresh morning air, your morning coffee.

7. Savor moments of joy. As you practice gratitude, you become more aware of the moments of joy sprinkled throughout your day. Laughing with a work colleague, taking your dog for a walk, sharing a look of love with your beloved, watching your kids play. As you nurture these moments of joy, they will grow, until feeling joy becomes your new normal.

8. Listen to your body. If your body is thirsty, drink; if hungry, eat; if tired, sleep/take a nap; if restless, go outside and breathe the fresh air, jog, walk, run. A relaxed body helps the mind and emotions calm down.

These 8 tips give you a framework for each day, so that when chaos hits, (which it will!) you have your framework already in place to help you remain calm, and relaxed. You’ll find creative solutions to your challenges arise, easily and naturally. You’ll be aware you are resting in Divine Order, knowing that all is well, and all will be well. You are safe, blessed, and loved.

Your essential nature is peace, love and abundance. You have received a wrong conditioning telling you life is difficult, hard, and chaotic.

As you cultivate your practice of calm joy, and gratitude, your true nature begins to become more obvious to you, and that which is false in you dissolves.

To help give you greater confidence in your ability to stay calm, no matter what, join us for my Practitioner Certification Meditation Training.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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First, be one with yourself. Accept yourself. Love yourself.

Society conditions, educates, and “civilizes” each of us in such a way that we begin to condemn ourselves. For example, society states that you should not be sad. You should be happy. If your truth is that you are sad, you repress the truth, and become something you are not; you become phony. This phony side of you is what society accepts. A division is created within yourself.

Psychological pain exists because you are divided, at war within yourself. As a result, life becomes complicated. When you lose touch with your inner truth, and are living from a divided self, pulled this way and that, by your desire to please and be accepted by others, you find yourself  lost, isolated, and deeply unhappy. You create challenges, adversity, and difficulties to keep yourself distracted and to   prove to yourself that you are worthy.

If, however, you are able to live your sadness with total authenticity, the division disappears. For example: you are sad: that is the truth of this moment. But your conditioned mind says: “You have to be happy. Smile! What will people think of you?”

Here is the problem: you pretend, you act, you repress the truth. The phony becomes the ideal.

How can you know, and love yourself, if you don’t accept yourself?

Live your sadness in total authenticity, and you will be surprised. A miraculous door opens in your being, because the division disappears. Sadness is there and there is no question of any ideal to be anything else. There is no effort, no conflict, no war. “I am simply this” and there is relaxation. And in that relaxation is grace, and joy.

Psychological pain exists because you are divided. Pain means division, and joy means no-division. You might be thinking: how can feeling my sadness bring joy? It looks paradoxical, but it is true. Try it. However, please note: accepting your sadness with an agenda to feel joy, is not going to work. Joy arises through your authentic expression of sadness.

Joy is a by-product of being authentic.

Joy is a natural consequence of being united with your sadness, because it is your truth, in this moment. In the next moment you may be angry: accept that too. And the next moment you may be something else: accept that too.

Live moment to moment, with acceptance, without any division, and self-love, self-worth, self-confidence arise within you, naturally, and automatically.

Drop all ideals of how you should be,and accept who you are, in each moment.

The journey of self-acceptance starts with becoming aware of your feelings, and allowing yourself to feel your feelings. We are human. Feeling is a part of the human experience. Get used to feeling because feeling is to LIVE, feeling is to be ALIVE. When  uncomfortable feelings arise: allow, experience and accept.

On the other side of your sadness, hurt, and despair is your magnificent, brilliant, luminous spirit, which is not damaged. Your spirit is love, and when aligned with your authenticity, guides your life with grace, and ease.

Accepting yourself, warts an’ all,  helps you become strong and confident from within, so that no matter what other people think or say, you are deeply rooted in your own self-worth. Your feelings are the key. Love is always waiting on the other side. The only thing blocking you from receiving more love is your resistance to feeling your feelings.

Are you thinking: I don’t want to feel because I don’t want to be hurt any more?

I understand. I went through this very same experience.  As I allowed myself to start feeling, something wonderful happened. I began to feel more love,  to laugh, and enjoy my life more. I was  liberated  from a prison of pain and opened up to more self-love, self-worth, and self-confidence, AND  to receiving more love from others.

Inner strength and confidence are an inside job. When you get to the point where you can accept yourself, the need for challenges, adversity, and complications, just falls away, because you don’t need to prove your worth any more to yourself.

Meditation: Accept Yourself– 4 minutes

Benefits: In the very experiencing of your feelings, a spaciousness is created, and miracles can occur. Trust that, even when you feel miserable, on the other side of the misery, is love. Our natural state is love. All we have to do is accept who we are, in any given moment, and love is there.

Start gently, with compassion for yourself.

Sit, or lie down, whichever is most comfortable for your body.  Breathe, relax your body, open your palms upwards, in a receptive posture. Allow your feelings, whatever they are, without judging, condemning or criticizing yourself. Accept what is happening, in each moment, without wanting it to be different. When you fight what is, you make it worse. You are the way you are: accept yourself with joy, with gratitude.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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Life, however, has other ideas for us. Everyone is here to be there true selves, have their own opinions, likes, dislikes etc. How boring things would be if we all agreed on everything all the time. Where would our creativity be needed?

The exciting thing about conflict is that it forces us to expand into a greater creative expression of ourselves. Every time I have found the courage to call someone to task and have a discussion about our conflicting opinions, good things have happened. It doesn’t mean I always get my way, but I do put myself in a position to express my opinion, speak my truth, and listen to their side. Then I have a CHOICE: find an agreement, or walk away from the relationship/situation. And, importantly, I feel good about myself, that I have made every effort to find a resolution.

If we don’t speak up, we are sitting on an energy of resentment, fear, or frustration  which can lead, later on, to unconscious expressions of that same energy which will probably not have good outcomes.

Conflict is not inevitable. Conflicts are created by people and people can choose to end them. This cannot happen if the parties are set on victory instead of compromise; or, while they prioritize self-centered interest over the highest good of everyone concerned.

When the willingness to be available for discussion exists, there is no conflict that cannot be resolved.

If conflict is rooted in an ‘us’ and ‘them’, or ‘me’ and ‘you’, approach, then peace-building is precisely the opposite. We have to get past the adversarial mind-set, and involve everyone concerned in addressing the common challenges, listening to other points of view, and seeing where we can meet, with an emphasis on what we DO agree on, and not on what we don’t agree on.

When the focus is on what we all want, and not on what we don’t want, there is a higher possibility of success.

Our personal histories are all, in one way or another, shaped by the legacies of conflict. But as profound and deep-rooted as our differences may be, it is in our power to redefine those legacies, and, in so doing,  redefine ourselves. Wherever we live in the world, we must recognize that ‘peace’ is not something you can win; it is something that has to be built and shared.

Here are 7 suggestions for conflict resolution:

1. Start with the points you all  agree on. This sets a positive foundation of agreement to build upon.
2. Can you all agree that the outcome you want is for the highest good of everyone concerned?
3. Are you willing, if necessary, to set  aside your personal interests for the highest good of everyone concerned?
4. Can you allow yourself to admit you are wrong?  And/or admit that you hadn’t seen the situation from the other person’s point of view?
5. Are you speaking from wisdom or from self-centered ego?
6. Do you want to be right, or be happy?
7. Before starting a conflict resolution do one of the following meditations, either alone or with the other people, to  release tensions and emotional charge, and to help bring your wisest self to the table. The more you are at peace within yourself, the more likely you are to manifest a positive outcome.

Setting an Intention Meditation – Two Minutes

Set the intention that you want the outcome of your discussion to be for the highest good of everyone concerned. Sit silently, eyes closed, relaxing into acceptance of what is, with compassion for yourself and everyone involved.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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What is creativity? Are your conditioned ideas keeping you in a box? How can you find out where your creativity lies?

Creativity has nothing to do with any activity in particular – with painting, poetry, dancing, singing. Activity itself is neither creative or uncreative. You can paint, or sing, in an uncreative way. You can cook, or clean the floor in a creative way. Creativity is the quality you bring to whatever activity you are doing; it is an attitude, an inner approach, how you perceive things.

Your creativity is already inside you, waiting to be unleashed. If you are feeling blocked then do whatever brings you joy. It doesn’t matter what you do, do it joyfully, lovingly, with totality, and not purely out of economic motives. Be fully present and you will feel something spiritual, creative, divine, arising out of you. Love what you do regardless of what it is. If you clean the floor with love, you have done an invisible painting. You lived those moments in such delight, the value is intrinsic. Small things become great by the touch of love and delight.

Some people turn into master chefs, others open a can of soup for dinner. But then maybe the master chef is a terrible dancer and the can-of-soup person dances magically. It doesn’t matter what you are passionate about — what matters is that you follow your passion, allowing your creativity to arise from that. Every child is born creative. Children are so in the moment, so in touch with their innate joy, and spending time with children can greatly enhance your own creativity.

If you believe you are uncreative, you will become uncreative – because belief is not just belief, it opens and closes doors.  You were born creative,  but your creativity has been pushed aside if you have been filled with ideas to become ambitious, economical, and political.

When ambition enters, creativity disappears because ambition is in the future and creativity is in the present. Your creative sources have been plugged, blocked, destroyed and your whole energy has been forced into some activity that society thinks is going to pay. You have been taught to be money-oriented, power-oriented, and power is destructive, not creative. Creativity gives to the world, it does not destroy.

You have to take your life in your own hands, purify yourself of all conditionings, and suddenly you will see you are creative. You have to find what you can do, and what you cannot do. You have to grope in the dark. It is not clear-cut, you are not handed a template, but that is good, because in the very search, something grows in you. You are an opening, a potentiality for a thousand and one things and you have to choose, to feel your way. If you love your life, you will find your creativity. Dance because you love to dance, walk your dog because you love your dog and the fresh air, play tennis because you love to play tennis. Whatever you love to do, do it!  Never hide behind masks – be real, authentic, true to whatever you are doing, and you will find your creativity.

To be creative is to be close to the divine, but this closeness is available only if you pour your whole energy into your chosen activity. Discover your innermost joy and passion, and do it. Make what is invisible inside you visible, make your dream exist on the earth. Transform your potential into reality: this is the greatest joy there is. You attain real bliss when you have helped the divine shine through, when you have made the world a little more beautiful, when you have enhanced its joy. Live at your optimum. Don’t think of life as a burden, a duty to be fulfilled. Make it a dance; let it be a celebration.

You were a child once. As you pay attention to magical moments from your childhood, you help your creativity, passion, and joy grow. A new life energy runs through you. You become more receptive, more loving.

Here is a powerful technique to help unleash your creativity:

Four-Minute Meditation: Gather Moments of Joy

Step One

Remember one moment from your childhood, from joyful times, when you felt that life was magic, that just to be alive was ecstatic, that just to breathe was enough. You didn’t need anything to make you joyful. Gather this moment. Close your eyes and remember it.

Step Two

Now relive this moment. Become a child again. Run, sing, play. As you continue this practice, do it for a longer time, ten, twenty, or thirty minutes. If memories are triggered of times your passion for a particular activity was cut off, reinfuse that activity with passion NOW. Your life becomes revitalized with creativity and joy.

Creativity is the ability to see what other people can’t. How can you be creative when your sight is clouded by an overbusy mind?

Spending time doing nothing, relaxing, walking in nature, sitting on your porch, enjoying any kind of downtime that you can fit into your day: all these help you tune in to your creativity. Laughter and dancing help you to loosen up. Having fun, being playful, playing sports and games, singing and dancing, and whistling all enhance your creative process. Laughter breaks up the serious grip of the mind so that your natural talents shine through.

Creativity means allowing the new to happen. Be courageous! Put aside memory so the past does not interfere. Let the new penetrate you and thrill your heart.

You are a human being, the very culmination of this existence; you are conscious. You have come into this world with a specific destiny – you have something to fulfill, a message to be delivered, some work to be completed. You are not here accidentally: existence intends to do something through you.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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Have you ever lost your car keys? Or arrived at the grocery store and realized you’ve left your wallet at home? I have and I’ll bet many of you have too. You know how much stress and anxiety these situations create; and all because we were not present when we put our keys down (somewhere!) or were preparing to go to the store.

Cultivating a practice of deliberate presence can help us be more relaxed, productive and confident in our daily activities.  This practice is not about erasing our thoughts. It’s about becoming aware of the process of thinking so that we are not in a trance – lost inside our thoughts (which is when we lose our keys!). That’s the big difference. To train in becoming aware of thoughts can help us notice when our mind is actively thinking, either using the label “thinking, thinking”, or identifying the kind of thought- “worrying, worrying”, “planning,planning”. Then, we can change our focus to what is happening right here and now.

Here are 8 Reasons To Be More Present In Your Life

1. SAVE TIME

Looking for lost items takes up a lot of time, not to mention the stress that goes with it. By taking a few extra seconds to be more deliberate when you put things away, you can save yourself time and stress. And you gain more enjoyment in your day!

2. SAVE MONEY

The last time I lost my house key, I had to pay a locksmith to come out and let me in to my own home. Being lost in thoughts can get expensive. It only takes a few extra seconds to stop, breathe, come into the present moment and check we have everything we need, or check an email before we send it out, or whatever it is that our present moment requires. The investment of a few extra seconds of time can save us a lot of money…and stress!

3. BE MORE RELAXED, CONFIDENT, AND CALM

When you are not scurrying around in a state of high anxiety because you can’t find something, you feel good because you know you are well-prepared for your trip. In that relaxed state, your self-confidence is strong, you are at your productive, creative best, and you know that you can handle any unexpected circumstance that might arise with focus and clarity.

4. BUILD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

When you listen with deliberate presence, the other person feels heard and has a tendency to trust you more. Trust is the cornerstone of all relationship-building, whether it’s with friends and family, at work, or even random people you meet at the grocery store or when travelling. Being present is a likeability factor, and gains you respect, friendships, and good things happening.

5. EXPERIENCE LESS JUDGMENT AND MORE LOVE

Being deliberately present gives you choice. At the moment in which you pause and realize that these thoughts are not really serving me, you have the option to come back to presence. This process of choosing becomes more powerful as you realize how thoughts can create suffering and separation. They can create an “us” and a “them”. They create judgment. Deliberate presence allows us to see people(and ourselves!)without judgment, which opens us to being more kind, compassionate, and loving.

6. GAIN GREATER SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-LOVE

As our practice deepens, we become more aware of our thoughts. This gives us the opportunity to assess them and notice that much of the time our thoughts are not really serving us. Many thoughts are driven by fear and lock us into insecurity. We realize we don’t have to believe our thoughts! They are not reality. Presence gives us the opportunity to be kinder to ourselves.

7. ACTIVATE THE POSITIVE LAW OF ATTRACTION

The Law of Attraction states that we get what we vibrate. The more present we are, the more we can be aware of our thoughts and feelings, and keep them positive. Becoming more in mastery of what we are transmitting energetically, changes what we are attracting and life becomes easier and more positive, and joyful.

8. GAIN IN INTEGRITY

Integrity means being connected to yourself – body, mind, heart and soul. You are in an optimal state to respond to daily occurrences.
Integrity also means making three agreements with yourself:

*  Saying yes, when you mean yes.
*  Saying no when you mean no.
*  Always doing what you say you are going to do.

A practice of deliberate presence helps you to tune in with yourself. Then you respond to situations from a place of inner integration and feel good about yourself. It’s easier to make decisions and keep your word.

The key here is that we approach this practice with gentleness and kindness. Each time we recognize thinking and come back into the present moment we are planting a seed of awareness. We are creating a new habit – a new way of being in the world. The incessant buzz of thoughts in our minds starts to take a back seat. We live in what is true – the aliveness, vulnerability, and honesty of the present moment – rather than in the story line of our thoughts. We experience the courage to be our true selves.

If you would like to publish this article on your website or magazine, you have my permission as long as you include the following: Reproduced with permission from Pragito Dove www.discovermeditation.com

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