Step #14, Living Awareness – Day 1 This is the final week of postings for this round of meditations. If you’ve been with us for the last thirteen weeks, congrats on setting the intention to develop a working and sustainable meditation practice – it is called a practice for a reason. By now, at … More Living Awareness
Toroidal Flow Meditation – Day 3 While most of us associate Albert Einstein with his scientific prowess, his personal writings reveal a spiritual side that is every bit as revelatory. He writes, “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences … More Expand and Include
Step #13, Toroidal Flow Meditation – Day 2 Intentions lead to choices and choices lead to manifestations. As we look out into the world, we respond with new thoughts, feelings and desires. As a result, we create new intentions. We are constantly in relationship with the world, subtly and physically. As we’ve said many … More As Within, So Without
Step #13, Toroidal Flow – Day 1 Flow, in the shape of a torus, is happening all around you… microcosmically and macrocosmically. It exists as an atom, the earth, the human heart, a chakra, our galaxy, to name a few. Toroidal flow is circuitous in motion. Breath is flow. We have worked with flow … More Breathing with Toroidal Flow
Step #12, Central Channel – Day 3 Enjoy this quote from Brian Swimme: “The universe emerges out of all-nourishing abyss, not only fifteen billion years ago, but in every moment. Each instance protons and antiprotons are flashing out of, and are as suddenly absorbed back into, all-nourishing abyss. All-nourishing abyss then is not a … More The Moment of Becoming
Step #12, Central Channel – Day 2 By Week 12, we have options. Options are like fuel. They generate hope. Here’s a delightful acronym that came to mind one day while meditating on hope: H.O.P.E. – Having Options Promotes Expansion It is factual. We live in an abundant universe. As we expand our … More Expansion Mechanisms
Step #12, Central Channel – Day 1 What does it mean to feel “centered?” Most would say that when they feel centered, they can sense the entirety of their being and it feels intact or poised or collected or aligned. We could use any number of terms that refer to some sort of equilibrium. If … More Your Vibrational Core
Step #11, Ground of Being – Day 3 As the Pierre Teilhard de Chardin quote proclaims, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” The earth beneath our feet provides stability, the sky above our heads provides spaciousness. Light reveals and the rhythm of … More The Human Experience
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. Step #11, Ground of Being – Day 2 One could utilize any number of the meditative tools that we’ve been … More Interconnectedness
Step #11, Ground of Being – Day 1 Human being. Being human. Being still. Still being. Being grounded. Grounded being. Yes, meditation accentuates all of these states of being. Working directly with the mind for the last two weeks may have generated a bit of reverence for the incredible vessel in which it is housed… your … More Your Body, Your Ground
Step #10, Luminous Perception – Day 3 Energy follows thought… it’s a fact. Lighted thoughts create a lighted mind. This meditation sets out to generate light in the “third eye” which then projects and distributes this illumination throughout the body and into the world. We start with an explanation of the energetic architecture which … More Generating Luminosity
Step #10, Luminous Perception – Day 2 A dimly lit room allows for general vision, you can see objects and have a general idea of the space. As you turn the light up on the dimmer switch, everything becomes clearer; you may see objecst that you hadn’t seen before. Details emerge. As we generate … More The Super-Beyond
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 # 9, 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
