PB With a Side of F Words

The dawning of a new year always brings out the philosopher in everyone and I am no different. As an actual philosopher I am always compelled to inspire others with little nuggets of wisdom or simple antidotes to navigate the many roads in the game of life.
As a consummate meditater, one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is to listen to my inner guidance which is speaking all the time if you simply get still enough to hear. I encourage others to learn a basic chakra meditation and every morning take fifteen minutes to sit, breathe and allow your mind, body and spirit to align and attune to peace, light and calm clarity. Though there are innumerable styles and types of meditations, a chakra meditation is designed to reach the seven basic energy centers of the body where human emotions tend to coagulate. By moving through each chakra you improve the flow of your emotions which thus improves the functionality of your organs, optimizing your health and well-being. Additionally, a chakra meditation has spiritual benefits which can be profound for those seeking a higher way of doing things, one which is effortless.
As a spiritual teacher, I incorporate basic psychology with science/quantum physics, combined with the spiritual wisdom which initially came in my death experience in the Alps over 22 year ago and has evolved over the years. There are basic principles you can incorporate into your daily routine like meditation, eating right and exercising which will add to your overall well-being. There are also a few things you can do when dealing with any situation which will help you alleviate drama. Keeping it simple is a real gift as you age and one you will want to consider.
1. Pause: Don’t react to anything until you have allowed your mind to assess what is going on. Most people jump to conclusions before having all the facts which then leads to misperception and drama. Take a pause, a long one if necessary, not only gives the mind a chance to calm down but it stops the flow of the stress chemicals you are producing. Then from a place of calm clarity decide what you can do to add anything of value to the situation. If you have nothing to add which will produce positive or concrete results, might want to sit this one out. Remember that not every circus holds your monkeys. Pause.
2. Breathe: Most people allow their emotions to escalate causing the heart to race, the tears to flow and the drama becomes unleashed. Taking a deep breath allows the body to offset or reduce whatever adrenaline has begun to excessively pump. When you oxygenate the body a clearer perception free from emoting is engaged. Science has proven that deep breathing not only clears the brain but it calms the central nervous system. Breathe.
3. Focus: When you allow your emotions to overcome your rational thinking you are unable to focus on the actual problem or issue. Assessing the issue then focusing on the solution is far more productive if you focus solely on one thing at a time rather than adding in your own issues, judgements or reacting to emotional triggers. When you focus and break the matter down into solvable parts you bring resolve far quicker. Focus.
4. Facts: With the onslaught of information, misinformation and propaganda we see every day it is easy to lose sight of actual, verified facts. Social media has given most knee-jerk-itis and many instantly respond without first checking the truthfulness of the story. Common sense should compel you to check the facts before responding in any situation. Most people hear only a tenth of what someone is saying and most don’t truly listen with an open heart, they listen through the gauge of their own dysfunction. When you break it down to the basic facts of any situation you will discover that the solution nine times out of ten is a lot simpler than you first recognized. Simplify. Get the facts.
5. Flow: There is a rhythm to anything which is ultimately meant to be or that which stems from your own inner higher guidance and path. If it is meant to be it flows and every door opens; conversely if it is not the best choice for what you came to accomplish, every door will close or there will be too many hurdles to overcome to make it worthwhile. The flow is often negated by the willful or by controlling type personalities who are used to getting their way. Getting out of the flow incurs greater consequences that those which come from choosing a higher path. Each path can be compared to a parallel universe; the farther away you go from the sun, the more light you lose and the more challenging it becomes. The higher choice may still be accompanied with consequences but they pale in comparison. When it is meant to be it is practically effortless. Go with the flow.

Ariaa Jaeger is a Spiritual Life Strategist, Intuitive counselor and Best-Selling Author. If you would like to make an appointment with Ariaa or wish to set up a free consultation or reading, visit her website, Ariaa.com

The Art of Stillness, The Quiet Mind

As the mother of a severely bi-polar, now adult child, like most mothers I have searched my soul for anything I could have done differently. Living without any regrets is a skill which is learned through repetition and in the end when all else has been tried, turning it all over to God. Now more than 40 years later, I can honestly say there is ONE thing in particular I would do differently. I wish that every mother would embrace the wisdom of teaching one basic discipline which is the gift of a lifetime and a cure-all for so many issues children worldwide face.

For more than 21 years I have counseled and taught millions around the globe and the one commonality in the majority of people I have counseled is a lack of genuine self-love /self-worth which is often masked by a false sense of ego or arrogance or a sense of entitlement. I have found that the best way to instill a blend of confidence mixed with the right amount of humility combined with compassion and rooted in inner peace, is teaching children meditation.

Now hold on there mom, don’t roll your eyes just yet. I am not talking about some babbling guru form of meditation leftover from the 60’s or 70’s. There are reams of medical documentation to support the benefits of meditation and it has little to do with whether you are religious or even spiritual. The more neuroscience has learned about the brain the more doctors have eagerly jumped on the mindfulness/meditation/affirmation bandwagon.

Quoting from “7 Health Benefits of Meditation,” “Hard science has caught up: a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published. What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ”disease-fighting genes” were active, compared to those who practiced no form of relaxation. In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call ”the relaxation effect”, a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side effects. ”We found a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group,” Dr. Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research, says. The good news for the control group with the less-healthy genes is that the research didn’t stop there.

The experiment, which showed just how responsive genes are to behavior, mood and environment, revealed that genes can switch on, just as easily as they switch off. ”Harvard researchers asked the control group to start practicing relaxation methods every day,” says Jake Toby, hypnotherapist at London’s Body Mind Medicine Centre, who teaches clients how to induce the relaxation effect. ”After two months, their bodies began to change: the genes that help fight inflammation kill diseased cells and protect the body from cancer all began to switch on.” More encouraging still, the benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with regular practice: the more people practiced relaxation methods such as meditation or deep breathing, the greater their chances of remaining free of arthritis and joint pain with stronger immunity, healthier hormone levels and lower blood pressure.” (see entire article http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/7-health-benefits-of-meditation)

I have taught all forms of meditation in my two decade career and every race and creed to boot. I have even taught atheists to get centered. Your mind is a generator constantly bombarding you with activity but the soul is a sponge and it absorbs everything it sees and hears in the normal course of a day. Television, pollution, noise, witnessing school playground bickering or the fights you have with your husband, wife or significant other, children and adults are besieged with negative overload. Society has become so angry and vitriolic that quieting the mind and stilling the body just makes good sense. Like a statically charged magnet, if you are always emitting thoughts clarity cannot get in and conversely you will absolutely attract whatever your mind focuses on.
With so many children and teenagers experiencing bullying firsthand and the reality television glorification of the crude, crass and dysfunctional of society, not only does meditation make sense but it is simply commonsensical as an antidote to all things unsettling. Goldie Hawn has recently implemented a program in schools around the nation called “MindUp” which encourages children to sit in mindfulness, a form of meditation and this program has had enormous effects on the optimism of the children. The effects of a fifteen minute meditation are equal to taking a two hour nap and there are studies which have found not only are people who meditate happier, they are more productive, healthier and live longer than those who do not meditation. The Dalai Lama said recently, “If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”
“Joy doesn’t happen to you, it happens within you.”

How to begin? It’s really simple. Just begin by sitting upright with your child on the floor or in a supported chair. Depending on the age of your child and their circumstances/lifestyle, there are many ways to help support their daily needs. Most children just want to be loved, encouraged, validated, reassured and made to feel safe and secure. When I work with children, I keep it simple and though you do not have to if you choose, I always begin my meditations with a simple prayer….kids love it when you call upon their angels inviting them to join you. Use simple yet affirming soft words and keep it short and always use the phrase “I am” so your child takes your words into the first person. If you are unsure or uncomfortable with leading a meditation you might want to find someone like myself who can guide you but truly I believe all parents have an innate knowing of these very basic principles and am certain you will be guided as to what resonates with your child. I have listed some suggestions below and they can be used in any combination. Encourage your child to deep breathe in a normal rhythm throughout the meditation and use a closing sentence so your child knows when to stop thinking and just breathe. Allow your child to sit for about 10 or 15 minutes in the silence and allow them to open their eyes naturally when they are through.

Practice makes perfect and with practice meditation will become as common as taking a nap everyday which by the way I also highly recommend for both adults and children. I have been meditating since 1988 and have not been sick with even a cold for more than 20 years and many have repeatedly remarked that I do not look my age. I am certain that is due in part to the practice of daily meditation. Whether you teach your child to meditate or use some other relaxation modality like Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong, learning to be still and quiet is an art form and one which will keep you and yours healthy, happy and whole for years to come.

Useful phrases for meditating with children ages 6-16
1. I am peaceful and calm
2. I am loved and safe
3. I am intelligent and productive
4. I am compassionate and sincere
5. I am kind, thoughtful and considerate
6. I am confident but humble
7. I am creative and successful
8. I am generous and charitable
9. I am happy and full of joy
10. I am healthy, vibrant and energized
11. I am loved and blessed and thankful
12. I send love to all my family and friends,
I send love to everyone else, I send love into the world
And close with…
13. Peace be still, peace be still.

 

It’s Just What Is

It’s not something but it’s not nothing either…it’s just what is. It’s not good nor is it bad…it’s just what is. It’s not about you nor is it about me….it’s just what is. It’s not pain or sickness nor is it health and wellness…it’s just what is. It’s neither a mistake nor an accomplishment…it’s just what is.

That is the mindset of the observer where all judgment ends and enlightenment begins. The notion that anything is bad or good is judgment and though many walk through their daily lives judging everything, the foundation of life is purer than that. In its purest comprehensible form, life is love and love is life and the universe and earth are learning stations. Everything is divinely designed to evolve you, or in this free will zone called earth, you can wallow in the occurrences and manifestations of your life, never owning your participation in their creation. When you judge anything or anyone you limit your own ability to manifest at a higher level. It is often said that if you don’t like your life, then change it yet the emotional images embedded in each cell of your brain’s memory hold you to exactly that, your own perceptions.

The key to life and living it as Jesus and other great sages have done is to dream beyond three dimensional realities. Remove yourself from the emotional attachments which prevent you from exploring the infinite possibilities awaiting you. We stay inside the constraints of our childhood and past life conditioning instead of forging new worlds. Our brain chemistry continues to replay images of hurts, betrayals, losses and hardships we have faced in our lifetimes and the older you get the more emotional pictures you have to contend with. In my work with clients I emphasize the necessitation of healing the emotional body in order to ascertain a higher way of thinking and living. Cellular memory both from the present and the past are the images which are formed in the brain connectors with every emotional high and low we experience. Every time we re-experience an emotional scenario such as having your heart broken or getting fired from a job, peptides are released throughout the body searing new emotional pictures into every cell. The more this happens the more limited you become in your scope and spectrum. Minimize your emotional reaction to every hardship and change your perception about all things there to teach you. You attracted it, you drew it into your world so why on earth would you label it as negative or bad. Everything you perceive as “bad” is nothing more than your higher self at work to produce your highest good. ~Ariaa Jaeger, “Ariaaisms~ Spiritual Food for the Soul” Ariaa.com Amazon.com