Pranayama is the formal practice of controlled breathing. There are many techniques… each one is as accessible and beneficial as the breath itself . Squared breathing is one of those techniques and it has a calming effect. It engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is often referred to as the body’s rest & digest system. Typically … More Practicing Pranayama, Practicing Presence
Noticing is a skill. It reveals the incredible abundance of life on earth. Why? Because there’s just so much to notice. How do I develop this skill of noticing? It comes down to sensing when to shift your attention to the next noticing. It comes down to satiety, to noticing when you have … More Satiety, Silence, and Stillness
We will work with interludes this week, which means we will be paying attention to the space between. The space between thoughts. The space between breaths. The space between moments. Once again, we find ourselves allowing. Allowing the precious space between to become the noticed space. In doing so, a new space arises as the … More Ripples of Awareness
We are all a part of the fabric of life… each and every one of us. Those we love. Those who challenge us. Those we admire. Those we fear. Those who shape us. At times this human experience can seem merciless and at times it can seem blessed beyond belief; this is the … More Loving Kindness
We recognize the heart as the organ responsible for the circulation of blood. It is one of the most vital organs of the physical body… vital to our very existence. The heart is our connection to life, literally and figuratively. We recognize that the heart relates to our ability to express and receive … More All Heart
You! Your expression! Your joy! Your enthusiasm! Your passion! Your creativity! Your vision! Your splendor! Your heart! Your mind! We all share in the glory of its revelation! Heart-Mind is both a quality and a vehicle. As a quality, it is omnipresent; we simply need to tap into it. As a vehicle, it is … More In Love with Cosmological Love
Allowing thoughts to come and go can take quite a bit of practice and meditation offers the perfect opportunity to do just that… to allow. As we allow, we are actually practicing detachment… allowing thoughts to arise and allowing them pass teaches us to be at ease with ourselves and at ease with … More Forgiveness as Release
In 1947, Alice A. Bailey wrote The Problems With Humanity. In many ways, it was a response to WWII in its exploration of evil expression on our earth. It feels as if it could have been written yesterday. Below is an excerpt: “At the very outset of our discussion, it would be wise to remember … More Releasing Separateness
Receive, release, and receive again. This is a natural flow of occurrences that affects our lives in the grandest and the most subtle ways. Yet, this process can easily become distorted. We often resist receiving and releasing. It is easy to cling. We cling to the past. We cling to our fears. We cling … More The Sweetness of Letting Go
We must soften to another to build a meaningful relationship. Union of any sort takes softening. The wintery ground must soften to take in melting snow and summon life-force to the surface as Spring approaches. There is great power in softening so as to allow for union, integration, and cooperation. This meditation references Lao … More Softening to the Moment
The brain is a data bank. It stores pertinent information that is collected from our experiences. It arranges data to formulate thoughts. The thoughts that we think again and again become our beliefs. Beliefs paired with our actions form our morale. So where does the mind fit into this picture? The mind is at … More Opening to the Expanse
The meditative experience is found in the allowing. It is found in the softening. It is found in the opening. It is found in the receiving. When the body, mind, and spirit are receptive, we catch a glimpse of our innate interconnectedness. Connected to what? The ALL. Happy meditating! Soften, Open, and … More Receptive and Serene
Molten magma from deep in the Archean Earth flowed to the surface to create vast expanses of land which allowed for life on the planet to move from the sea and diversify. As in the photo above, when fiery lava hits the water it turns from liquid to gas in the form of steam … More Earthly Flow
We are surrounded by activity. We are immersed in it. The breath is a source of consistent, rhythmic activity. As our awareness meets the breath and lingers alongside its gentle flow, it becomes entrained; it gathers momentum. And what does momentum look like in terms of awareness? Spaciousness. Happy meditating. Flow – Day … More Spacious Momentum
Day flows into dusk which flows into night. Night becomes dawn which flows into day. Youth flows into adulthood. Migrating animals follow the flow of available resources. Words flow from an inspired writer’s pen. Flow is fundamental to each and every aspect of life. Life is flow – steady and continuous, like the breath … More Life is Flow
We experience the outside world with our senses; we hear it, touch it, see it, taste it, smell it. They help us navigate the terrain and inform our choices. Meditation allows us to give our sensory organs a rest from their usual roles… the eyes catch a break from judging proportion and tracking movement; … More Follow Your Nose
The essence of this week’s theme, Tip of the Nose, is captured in the photo above. This child is still, focused, captivated, and fully present. Perhaps the outer environment is crowded and hectic, and needless to say, the plane is moving 600 mph… but no worries because from his perspective, there’s nothing to do … More Taking It All In
We meet here again to meditate. Wonderful! Meeting places can be quite specific. Perhaps you have readied yourself for meditation in a specific place; perhaps a designated “peace” zone for an allotted time each week which allows for quiet reflection, your own specific meditation place. This week we are going to explore … More The Meeting Place
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile is the source of your joy.” – Thich Nhat Hahn Happiness is a brainwave, and smiles directly affect your brain. It is a physiological fact. It’s revealed in the delightful quote above. The very fact that you can always offer a smile, to yourself … More Respond with a Smile
The shape of a smile is quite common: raised at the edges and curved from side to side. It’s the shape of a bowl or a basin. It’s the shape of the hammock above… it has a similar function as well. A smile holds and supports; it contains and carries. Create the time and … More Delightfully Held
“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” – Mother Teresa This is true… a smile has a vibrational ripple effect that extends far beyond our perceptive reach. But, we can sense quite a bit of the goodness that it brings by simply wearing one and sharing one. And … More Smile and the World Smiles Back
Sparks initiate. They bring each new moment to light. Sparks reveal. They bring forward the possibilities that each one of these moments hold: creativity and peace, truth and insight, or goodness and beauty. Meditation could be likened to a spark that leads us through the doorway of “now” and into the field of … More And Begin Again
The latest round of online meditations has completed and we will pause for a bit before beginning again. The full round of meditations is on the blog if you’d like to enjoy a guided meditation during the break. Perhaps you’ll take-up self-led silent sittings for a while… set a timer and go. If … More Meditative Momentum
Smile Meditation – Day 1 Welcome to The Practice of Living Awareness, or welcome back! We are excited to begin a new round of guided meditations… in fact, we’re all smiles! Meditation is a wonderful gift to give yourself. Your mind thanks you, your body thanks you, we all thank you. Right on! … More A Breath and a Smile
Smile Meditation – Day 2 Your smile will fill you with all that the present moment can bring… this is its design. It lifts and curves and catches. We’ll start every meditation with a smile so as to cash-in on this feature. What’s more, your time spent in meditation generates a universal smile in the … More A Smile is a Bowl
Smile Meditation – Day 3 Have you ever woken up in the morning to stressful thoughts about the day ahead which lead to a sour mood which then leads to obstacles great and small that seem to turn your whole day into a wretched mess? We all have. And then… someone graces you with a … More Choose a Smile
Tip of the Nose Meditation – Day 1 We are on the 2nd week of the practice or Step 2. The number 2 is awesome because, well… have a listen. It is RE-vealed in the meditation (that’s a hint). Tip of the Nose is the second step of the Practice of Living Awareness. This spot … More Second Time Around
Tip of the Nose Meditation – Day 2 Two deliberate aspirations of meditation are peace, which could also be referred to as alignment and it leads to happiness; and focus, which could also be called concentration and it leads to clarity. In order to cultivate peace and maintain focus, we’ve got to train the … More The Sweet Vantage Point
Tip of the Nose Meditation – Day 3 When we find ourselves caught in a sudden rainstorm, we take cover. Whether it’s an awning, a bridge, a bus shelter, or a newspaper, the space you choose offers refuge from the prospect of getting drenched. It also offers a pause and a new view. Once we’re … More Immerse Yourself
Flow Meditation – Day 1 We begin a new step with a familiar concept – flow. We have all experienced flow in a multitude of ways. Time flows, especially when we are full of enthusiasm. Rivers flow, especially when the seasons have been balanced with sun & rain and heat & cold. Breath flows, … More Flow Forward
Flow Meditation – Day 2 Triplicities abound. If you are old enough to remember Schoolhouse Rock, you know that 3 is a magic number… or so the ditty goes: Somewhere in the ancient mystic trinity You get three as a magic number. The past and the present and the future, Faith and hope … More Intention, Relation, Momentum
Flow Meditation – Day 3 Patience is being at peace with the flow of life. Wisdom is striving to live in harmony with the flow of life – as it is – in any given moment. One aspect of that wisdom is that we are all in this together, creating the world around us, breath … More Peace In the Process
Soften, Open, Receive Meditation – Day 1 Our human form masters receptivity from the moment of conception. It is consistently receptive to the flow of life force inside the womb. It is nurtured throughout infancy as well: hunger is fed, thirst is quenched, cold is met with a blanket, cries are met with affection … More Softening the Body, Softening the Self
Soften, Open, Receive Meditation – Day 2 Every aspect of you is designed to receive. As a conscious being, this is innate. You are also designed to move along with the expansive nature of the universe. As each new moment unfolds, you are presented with the opportunity to receive it, process it, and decide if … More Universal Abundance
Soften, Open, Receive Meditation – Day 3 We complete this particular step of the practice with this meditation and something to ponder for yourself… can I receive and remain fully present, and then linger there? In other words, can you create the space for an experience, allow it into your awareness and then stay … More Namaste
Soften, Open, Release Meditation – Day 1 Paying attention to the breath inevitably leads us to the lungs, those masters of receiving and releasing. Notice that the bronchi pictured above look like branches? Tree branches? Well, your lungs have a lot in common with the other masters of receiving and releasing – trees. Have … More Loveliness and Your Lungs
Soften, Open, Release Meditation – Day 2 Second only to our consistent release of the breath, is our consistent release of sound in the form of words… talking, talking, and more talking. We are creative beings so our tendency to make conversation is strong. Words are thoughts clothed in speech. We use our words … More Golden Silence
Soften, Open, Release Meditation – Day 3 We live in a material word. We hold things. In the summertime, we hold sunglasses & beach towels. In autumn we hold caramel apples. In the wintertime, we hold snowballs. In the springtime, we hold wildflower bouquets. And then the sun goes down, our sunglasses come off … More Release and Let Go
Heart-Mind Meditation – Day 1 When we center our awareness in the heart, we are accessing the space within ourselves where we find our true presence; where we often put our hand when we refer to “I” or “me” in earnest. As we breathe and gently focus upon the heart, we begin to vibrationally … More Heart-Mind Awareness
Heart-Mind Meditation – Day 2 In the mid-nineteenth century, scientists realized the Earth is a closed system, which means that the only thing that can be transferred with its surroundings is energy. It receives lots of energy from the sun, but its exchange of matter is near zero. That means that the elements in our environment … More Circulating Goodness
Heart Mind Meditation – Day 3 Heart/Mind combines the unifying qualities of unconditional love with the expansive qualities of inner-wisdom. Love and wisdom are foundational aspects of consciousness and both are put to right use in the Loving Kindness Meditation. The words to this guided meditation are pictured above. Each stanza is read three … More Loving Kindness Meditation
Interlude Meditation – Day 1 As we begin a new week of meditations, we begin to experience the efficacy of the steps we’ve worked with thus far and we begin to recognize that, in fact, we are meditating. Fullness of any kind often leads to a pause, an interlude, which is the name of … More The Sweet Lull
Interlude Meditation – Day 2 It’s the sweetest space, the space between. The space between Friday and Monday. The space between doing this and doing that. The space between what was and what will be. The space between thoughts. The space between break-ups, between breakfast and lunch, between Act 1 and Act 2, between hugs, … More The Space Between
Interlude Meditation – Day 3 Joy arises from a stillness of sorts, deep within the center of our being. We can locate this center by moving our awareness to the space of the heart. Heart-focus connects us to our livingness. Stillness resides there, as well. A stillness made possible by immovable truth and wisdom; … More Stillness. Movement. Joy.
Asana Meditation – Day 1 As we move into the second half of this round of the Practice of Living Awareness, we’ll spend some time each week considering the ways that the second set of seven steps is a spiraling upward or a conscious extension of the first set of seven steps. For instance, … More The Body
Asana Meditation – Day 2 What are the various parts that have come together to make the whole of you? Certainly these are not limited to your physical apparatus. As we include all of the cooperative components in our awareness, we support the fullness of our being. Proper physical asana allows the body to be … More Cooperative Components
