Step #10, Luminous Perception – Day 1 Have we mentioned the soul yet? Perhaps not. The word soul derives from the Gothic saiwala and the Old German saiwalo; both meanings speak of origins. It is also connected etymologically with the greek aiolos, which means ‘quick moving,’ ‘twinkling,’ or iridescent,’ and with the latin anima, meaning … More The Illumined Self
Step #9, Mind – Day 3 Inhalation & exhalation are the exchanges of breath. Inspiration & aspiration are the exchanges of the mind. As we aspire or stretch our awareness upwards toward finer vibrational states, we invite inspired thought-forms to make their way to the mind. With solid ground established within our meditation practice, we can reach to … More Inspiration and Aspiration
Step # 9, Mind – Day 2 In the last podcast, we mentioned that Day 2 of this step would focus on concentration, which we would usually generate with specific meditation exercises. In the last round, we offered a candle meditation, in which focusing on a flame supports one’s mental steadiness. We’d like to go … More Tracks of the Mind
Step # 10, Mind – Day 1 What is the mind? One definition refers to the mind as “a set of cognitive faculties including consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, language and memory. It is usually defined as the faculty of an entity’s thoughts and consciousness.” Another definition states that the mind is an “element of a … More The Mind
Step #8, Asana – Day 3 In sitting upright, in straightening and aligning the spine, the breath has every opportunity to become balanced. You are balancing your asana, inside and out. You are balancing your sense of ‘self’ so that your inner posture and your outer posture can harmonize. A sloppy posture usually means … More Altitude and Poise
Step #8, Asana – Day 2 How do you sense your body? How do you sense your body’s alignment? That depends on how you define “your body.” Proper asana is not limited to the alignment of your physical body; it also includes your emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. Do you experience comfort (physical), equipoise … More How Many Bodies Do You Have?
Step #8, Asana – Day 1 We’re on the second half of this round of meditations, Step #8. Imagine the number 8. Trace it’s shape in your mind. The line moves up and around from the center and circles round back to its point of origin then loops down below and circles back around … More Simply Observing
Hello meditators. This is just a gentle reminder that we take a week off midway through each round of online meditations. New recordings will resume on Monday as we move into the second half of the practice. Happy meditating!
Intentions: A Living Awareness Meditation Retreat Magic happens when you intentionally put yourself in an environment that allows the mind and body to quiet down, and even more so when a group comes together with that shared intention. Spirit Fire offers meditation retreats throughout the year to support our online practice. Our first retreat … More Retreat Yourself
Step #7, Interlude – Day 3 With today”s meditation, we are half way through the current round of meditations with the Practice of Living Awareness… yet, it’s a brand new year. What happens when new resolutions, new beginnings, and new approaches meet something that’s already in motion? Life happens! What happens when you resolve … More Life Happens
Step #7, Interlude – Day 2 May you find clarity and peace of mind in meditation. And may that guide you to your highest purpose and most lighted self throughout the new year and into the new decade. Happy New Year. Happy meditating. Interlude – Day 2
Step #7, Interlude – Day 1 We simply pause for an interlude as the year nears its end. A pause often follows fullness. Is your tummy full? Pause. Are your lungs full. Pause. Was this a full year? Take a moment to pause. Step 7 is called Interlude. It allows steps 1 through 6 … More Interludes
Step #6, Heart-Mind – Day 3 We wrap up this holiday week with another “straight to our sitting” meditation focused on Heart-Mind. The concept of heart-mind joins two principles that underlie our reality. The first principle is that energy follows thought. This reveals the truth that we create our own reality. What do your … More Embodying Heart-Mind
Heart-Mind Meditation – Day 2 May the spirit of the day fill your heart with peace and goodwill. There is no better day than today to practice a loving kindness meditation. As we focus on family, loved ones and our fellow human beings, may the quality of unconditional love permeate every thought and … More May All Beings Know Peace and Ease
Step #6, Heart-Mind – Day 1 What an auspicious week to be meditating on Heart-Mind! Happy holidays to all. We will celebrate through observance of our heart, our light, and our humanity. We will celebrate by moving directly into meditation for the podcasts this week. What the world needs now… Happy meditating! Heart-Mind … More Celebrations of the Heart
Step #5, Soften, Open, and Release – Day 3 We allow for peace. We create space for it. You need only sense into the experience of judgement, criticism, or blame to feel the contraction; separation requires a contraction of sorts, a cutting-off. Kindness and peace on the other hand, are inclusive. Appreciation, generosity, and … More Release into Peace
Step #5, Soften, Open and Release – Day 2 Release fear. Release doubt. Release dice. Release a giggle. Release control. Release the brakes. Release devices. Release divisiveness. Release expectations. Release grudges. Release the door. Release tension. Release resistance. Release the top button. Release doves. Release tears. Release a smile. Release the breath… presence follows. … More Release into Freedom
Step #5, Soften, Open, and Release – Day 1 Our practice continues with Step 5 by going into the experience of release. Softening, opening and receiving (Step 4) naturally moves into softening, opening, and releasing (Step 5). Once again, the breath leads the way into this experience. Whether we are running or sunning, giggling … More Natural Flow
Step #4, Soften, Open, and Receive – Day 3 As children, on our way out of the door, we were often told, “Be careful!” Essentially, we were being asked to be aware; to pay attention. We were being asked to soften, open, and receive. Actually, this is quite easy for children. They possess a … More Welcoming Presence
Step #4, Soften, Open, and Receive – Day 2 During our waking hours our sensory perceptions are constantly translating our experience. At the same time, we are choosing where to land our focus and what to allow in. Softening to an experience allows it to linger… it allows for appreciation; it allows for more. … More Expand and Include
Step #4, Soften, Open, and Receive – Day 1 We receive a new breath every few seconds. There are great teachings within this natural occurrence; we need only make ourselves fully available to it. Softening and opening to the breath makes one receptive to the meditative experience. As this step begins to permeate your awareness, … More Present and Receptive
Step #3, Flow – Day 3. We’ve been ending each meditation with a mantra of sorts. It moves us through breathing light into the mind, breathing light into our feeling nature, breathing light into our physical body, and breathing light into our sense of self. The mind, the emotions, and the physical body are all … More Breathing With and In The World
Step #3, Flow – Day 2 A tremendous snowstorm went through North America over the last several days. Did it flow into your part of the world? If so, did you get excited and proclaim, “Winter is here!” Did you panic and pack the refrigerator… despite all of the Thanksgiving leftovers? Did you rejoice … More Allowing Flow
Step #3, Flow – Day 1 We begin or 3rd week with a familiar concept – flow. We have all experienced flow. Time flows. Rivers flow. Breath flows. The number three has a way of supporting rhythm and flow. All colors flow from the three primary colors of blue, red, and yellow. The genie … More Go with the Flow
Step #2, Tip of the Nose – Day 3 The tip of the nose offers both a place of rest and a place of exploration; we can move our awareness to this spot in order give ourselves a rest from “the monkey mind,” or a mind that is bouncing about. The stability that this meditative … More The Nose Knows
Step #2, Tip of the Nose – Day 2 Not unlike a bus shelter on a rainy day, the tip of the nose offers refuge from an over active mind. It is a destination, a go-to sweet spot; or rather a go-back-to again-and-again sweet spot. If thoughts were raindrops, some might say it can … More Taking Refuge
Step #2, Tip of the Nose – Day 1 Meditators often say that their practice offers them a greater sense of peace and ease when dealing with life’s ups and downs. Undoubtably, this generates more happiness and a lighter way of being in the world. They also say that they notice improvement in their … More Landing Your Focus
Step #1, Smile – Day 3 The body responds to a gentle breath in the same way most of us respond to a smile: with allowance. In other words, we really want take it in. Smiles make us feel good on a physiological, emotional, and mental level. They inspire happiness. Similarly, the body is … More Allowance
Step #1, Smile – Day 2 There is a common misconception that meditation is about checking-out; that it is about going somewhere else. Ah, the floating meditator off in space. It’s not such an accurate image. A key aspect of meditation is checking-in; establishing presence. Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the many pioneers of meditation … More Consider a Smile
Step #1, Smile – Day 1 Welcome, or welcome back, to the Practice of Living Awareness. This new round of meditations will take us through the holiday season and into a new year and a new decade! That offers plenty to smile about. 2020. Have you pondered that number yet? It begs us to … More A New Round Begins
Hello, friends. We have moved into a new set of seasons for the next round of the Practice of Living Awareness. Late autumn and winter will be with us throughout, as well as the holiday season and a new year. It sounds like a perfect time to settle into meditation; although, which season … More Meditations Resume on Monday, November 18th
Step #14, Living Awareness – Day 3 “The soul is the core of your being. It is eternal. It doesn’t exist in space-time. It is a field of infinite possibilities, of infinite creativity. It is your internal reference point with which you should always be in touch.” – Deepak Chopra May the … More The Realm of Infinite Possibilities
Step #14, Living Awareness – Day 2 Happiness has a liveliness to it; it creates momentum. When we’re really happy, we want to yodel from the mountaintops! As we spiral up from happiness on the emotional scale, we get closer to feelings that become tinctured with aspects of the mind… appreciation, empathy, … More Joyful Awareness
Step #14, Living Awareness – Day 1 We’ve arrived! The final week of meditations in this current round is here. The secret is, we’re arriving continuously. That’s the beauty of awareness. Each and every moment holds something new, something you’ve created as a result of your conscious presence. Establishing a ‘living awareness’ in your … More The Practice
Step #13, Toroidal Flow – Day 3 If we were to set the intention of focusing on harmlessness and inclusivity throughout the day, our thoughts, words, and actions would naturally become more altruistic. We would begin to see the evidence and the perfection of toroidal flow in action. On that day, and perhaps for … More Ripples of Hope
Step #13, Toroidal Flow – Day 2 We are in a constant state of being and becoming. Becoming arrives at a place called being and, alas, as a result of our ever-changing, ever-expanding universe, being is becoming again. This is the construct of our time/space existence and it magnificently grants us the freedom to create … More Lighted Expression
Step #13, Toroidal Flow – Day 1 The energy flow of the torus is experienced at this point in our practice. This flow is related to the spiraling nature of everything from the water going down a drain to the spiraling arms of our galaxy. The truth is, we are a mini-galaxy with similar … More The Torus
Step # 12, Central Channel – Day 3 Conditions reveal rainbows. With the right combination of sunlight and water droplets, the full spectrum of color comes forward as radiant magic. Sunlight always holds the potential of a rainbow. Today’s meditation reveals the radiant potential of the chakra system. Enjoy. Central Channel Meditation … More Radiance Revealed
Meditate in the splendor of autumn in New England. This year’s Deepening Retreat will focus on Goodness, Truth, and Beauty… three distinct qualities that are innate to our human experience. Meditation and mindfulness allow them to come to the forefront of our awareness and our lives. Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center offers an environment which … More Deepen Your Practice with a Living Awareness Retreat
Step # 12, Central Channel – Day 2 Meditation is often promoted as bringing about peace of mind for the practitioner. This is true, but there’s more… much more. Meditation is also helpful with mental receptivity; in this sense, it can be very creative. Meditation can produce new thoughts, illuminations, and inspirations. This is … More Seed Thoughts for the Chakras
Step # 12, Central Channel – Day 1 The Central Channel step of our practice brings awareness to the stream of energy that moves along the spine connecting our energy centers (chakras) to higher levels of consciousness. Now that body and ground are part of our meditation training, we can rely on them … More Your Aspiration Mechanism
Step #11, Ground of Being – Day 3 Meditation is a celebration of what is. There’s nothing more clear as an is than your body. It is and it does. It responds. It breathes. It moves. It has the potential to move wildly. Today’s meditation is simple… dance! Sometimes we just need to shake things up. Happy shaking! Ground of Being Meditation … More I Got Life
Step #11, Ground of Being – Day 2 Have you ever spent time in the forest? It is rejuvenating. In fact, the health benefits of time spent among trees have been proven; so much so that it’s got a name: forest bathing. The air is alive. It is pure and rich. Trees are the … More The Lungs of the Earth
Step #11, Ground of Being – Day 1 This particular tool within the Practice of Living Awareness explores the ground upon which our “being” sits. It explores the various bodies (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual) through which consciousness expresses and awareness arises. After all, your luminous perception must have a place to preside; and it … More As Above, So Below
Step #10, Luminous Perception – Day 3 Let’s go galactic. Better yet, let’s go UNIVERSAL… and beyond. Within the light of the mind anything is possible. Today’s meditation one of our favorites and one we like to share at this point in the practice. It is a journey into the realms of the creative imagination, … More Let’s Go Galactic
Step #10, Luminous Perception – Day 2 “In the infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole, and complete.” Now that is a luminous perception… and this polar bear seems to be in a position to take it all in! The perception aspect of ‘luminous perception’ is as much about receiving as it … More There’s Always More
