Wednesday, October 30, 2013

One-Minute Meditation: Cloud Tracking


Remember when you were a kid and you'd lie on your back and stare at the sky, watching the clouds drift and collide and change shapes? I'm taking you back to those days for a minute.

Settle in, let your shoulders loosen, and watch the clouds go by.

Need a few more minutes? You can watch my previous one-minute meditations here and here

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Happiness Can Be Found in the Right Here and Right Now


When you can recognize manifestations of your desires in your current life, you'll attract more of what you want. (Plus it just feels good to recognize that you already have what you're seeking.) What are you after? Love? Peace? Fulfillment? Adventure? Fun? Stop and think of all the places you can already identify those things in your life. You might be surprised.

Friday, October 18, 2013

5 Places to Find Abundance in Your Day-to-Day Routine


Harvest is in full swing in the valley where I live, which means gourds and pumpkins and apples and grapes are abounding around every turn. Cornucopias can't hold all the plenty going on around these parts.

It's a good reminder to focus on abundance rather than scarcity. 

Where our attention goes, we go. The more we focus on something, the more of it we attract. 

So if your focus is on lack of love, finances, fun, shoes, whatever, you're sending a signal into the Universe that boomerangs back a whole lot more lack in that area.

How do you shift your vibe from not enough to a whole lotta lotta? Practice looking for abundance. You may not be with the love of your life right now, but where else can you feel love around you? Or if your bank account isn't as full as you'd like, where else do you feel rich? How are the things you want most already showing up? How do you already have what you're seeking?

Even if you don't zero in on a specific area of your life, it's great to practice looking for abundance in your daily routine. Here are 5 place to find it as you start your morning.

1. In your closet
I would bet that most of us have enough clothing to stylishly cover a small village. How many jackets and sweaters do you have to keep you warm? How many memories come up when you look at your dresses and cute tops? How many places have all your different pairs of shoes carried you? Our closets and dressers are often bursting with bounty. We just have to stop and notice it now and again.

2. In the shower
Talk about a treat for the senses. How good does your shampoo smell? How much better does your voice sound when you're singing between those tiled walls? (Everyone sounds like a pop star in the shower. It's a proven fact.) How many body parts are feeling the warm tickle of the water? Notice the sensation of it against your skin. How many delicious scenarios can you daydream up while you're under the shower head?

3. On your breakfast plate (or in your lunch bag) 
We are so fortunate to have such an abundance of food available to us in this country. Taking the time to actually taste your toast or coffee or pb&j sandwich lets you experience all the flavors and textures your food has to offer. How does that latte feel when it hits your lips? What do your tastebuds detect when you chew a bite of your bagel and cream cheese? Food doesn't have to be gourmet to offer an abundance of satisfaction.

4. Outside your front door
Again, the path to more abundant experiences often starts with sensory perception. When you walk outside, what do you feel? Sun on your face? The nip of cool autumn air? What do you smell? Can you hear birds chirping or planes flying overhead? Do you see neighbors or new flowers budding in your yard or leaves starting to change color? How much activity is already in the works around you as you're just getting out to start your day?

5. In the car
Car stereos and ipods have to be some of the most abundantly packed items on the planet. Yes, I know sometimes we scan the radio stations and can't seem to find any songs we like, but I would bet that somewhere most of us have a killer playlist overflowing with great tunes—or even a stack of great CDs—we can use to fill the air around us with melody. How many great songs do you hear on your morning commute? How many interesting facts or funny stories do your favorite DJs share? And how lucky are you to even have enough money to be driving a car? You're prosperous enough to keep gas in your tank. And I bet you even have the luxury of going to the car wash now and again.

If we make it a point to look for it, abundance can be found in all different areas of our lives. And because abundance is gratitude's faithful sidekick, it makes a great starting place for shifting into a mode of increased thankfulness.

Where can you see abundance in your life today?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

One-Minute Meditation: Afternoon Rain



This week's One-Minute Meditation is probably better as an auditory experience. My hand isn't super steady, so the camerawork is a little shakier than I'd like it to be... Click play, close your eyes, and listen to the soft rhythm of the rain as it makes its first autumn mark on California's Central Coast.

And when you're finished, hop over to The Path to Wonderful Facebook page and check your settings to make sure you're receiving all of my posts. Apparently Facebook has changed its algorithms again, so we have to make some minor adjustments if we want to make sure we're seeing everything our Liked pages are posting.

1. Mouse over the "Liked" button and be sure that "Show in News Feed" is selected.
2. In the same drop-down menu right underneath "Show in News Feed" you will see a "Settings" option. Click on that.
3. Then check "All Updates."

Thanks for stopping by to share another meditative moment with me!