“Through my meditation practice I have become more aware of the subconscious ideas that can influence my life in a negative way. When letting go of these negative thought patterns and stepping into a state of awareness, it has increased my appreciation of my inner experience and life tremendously. This inner state has made it easier to apply and remember appreciation in all parts of my life and it has made it easier to stay in a mode of awareness and joy. It is as if this state of awareness has a natural tendency to see beauty and appreciate what is presented here and now, as if praise is the natural state of the mind.”

Would love to hear your experience with praise. Have you actively had your focus on it and noticed how this can change your experience of your life? Do you have a meditation technique that aids you in letting go of critical voices? My challenge for you and myself this week is to apply praise throughout the day every time we remember. Would love to hear your experience with this! 🙂

What brings you most joy in life? What makes you come alive? What gives you inspiration? What did you love to do as a child?

I found that when I act when I am inspired, it is like I am creating in a flow, it is easy, it is joyful, it is filled with positive energy and I only want to do more of it. I find this inspiration especially when writing and creating music.

One of the things I have been playing with is connecting with what I loved as a child and finding ways of connecting with that now. It can be anything from football to picking flowers. I loved for instance nature, the sea, music, dancing and can easily find ways to have fun with that now. Getting in touch with our more playful and childlike side will aid us in being more creative and open up new doors for inspiration to flow, maybe you can also find ways to implement this in your work day.

I am talking more about this in my book: Be the Alchemist of Your Life

This childlike aspect of us is especially important in balancing what we call in Vedic/ yogic literature our Second Chakra – you can read more about that energy center here: Svadisthana

My challenge for you this week is connecting with this childlike side of you, first writing a list of what brought you joy as a child and finding ways in your every day life to implement some of these things. I would love to hear your experience with this! 🙂

To consciously choose to praise instead of judging will have a positive effect on everyone’s life. Both the person praising and everything this person praises.

You can try this for a day – every time you have the opportunity to praise something or someone, do so. This also works internally if you don´t have the opportunity to say it out loud, then choose to focus on what you appreciate instead of what you can there to criticise. Then notice how this changes your inner state. Do you feel happier? More connected to your self and the world? Do you notice more beauty in your surroundings? Do you feel more open towards the people you meet? Do you feel more grateful for the life you are living right now?

Our natural state is praise, our natural state and birth right is happiness, it is easier to turn into a state of appreciation and awareness then it was to get caught in our judgemental thinking. And remember you have never been and will never be the judgmental thoughts, so don´t judge your self for judging 😉 It is just a thought passing through your unbounded awareness.

“To remain in a state of ongoing appreciation, we need to remain as awareness in this present moment. Most of us have negative thought patterns and subconscious beliefs that will influence our state of mind and what we create as soon as we step back into unconscious thinking. The more we turn inwards to a state of awareness and stillness, the more this negative programming will dissolve. The most effective way to experience stillness and awareness is in meditation, where we can choose to disengage from the negative thinking of the mind on a perpetual basis. ”

From “Be the Alchemist of Your Life”

The second chakra, Svadhisthana in Sanskrit, is the place where the soul abodes, where we feel nurtured and safe in the world. When this chakra is balanced, we feel loved, we know that we are loved and safe in the world. Any imbalance here comes from blocked fears and emotions from the past that we are not willing to look at and let go of. This imbalance can make us search for a union outside of ourselves instead of the sacred Union within. When this chakra is balanced it creates an energy that supports our spiritual growth and nurtures us from within.

A balanced second chakra also gives us healthy and balanced relationships. If we have suppressed emotions and fears we will keep certain parts of ourselves hidden to our conscious awareness, often referred to as our shadow sides. The tendency could be to project our shadow sides on to our partners and friends, which again can create friction and arguments in our relations. If we dare to look within instead and noticing what it is inside of us that are reacting to our surroundings, we can use our relationships as a way to grow in acceptance and love and step out of blame and control.

“Wholeness in the second chakra establishes a positive emotional identity: we know we are loved and lovable; we accept our feelings and realize that others accept our feelings; we can give emotional support without condition.”
“Enlightenment. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”, by MSI

“The sacred truth inherent in the second chakra is honor one another. This truth applies to our interactions with each other and all forms of life. From a spiritual perspective every relationship we develop, from the most casual to the most intimate, serves the purpose of helping us to become more conscious.”
“Anatomy of the Spirit” Caroline Myss

A quick and easy way to shift our attention from taking to giving, is practising kindness in our daily lives.

When we give a smile to a stranger, treat the people in our lives with gentleness and love, it opens up to a whole new way of being and the reward goes both ways.
In that moment of giving kindness, we give that same gentleness and love to ourselves.

In the western society it seems like for a while we have gotten more rewarded for being successful,  working hard, getting ahead and being tough, then being loving, kind and giving to each other.
To me it looks like this is about to change, that again we see the value in kindness, in going inward, in experiencing our true Selves, that again we are listening to the teachings of the mystics and sages of the world. I believe this is the only way we can change our planet into being peaceful again, every person returning to our own state of inner Peace and realizing that we are already One.

“The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person’s suffering and bring that person joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh

When I dare to be open, dare to let go, dare to try a new venture, dare to look at the world with new eyes, letting go of old judgements and beliefs, this is where the magic starts.

Fully letting go of control, surrendering to what the Universe gives in this moment, fully being attentive to the Presence within, daring to see beyond the thinking mind, daring to let go and let the presence within guide the steps.To live a life consumed by the Silence, let the guidance from the intuitive mind instead of the thinking mind guide my day and actions, gives a flow and ease to existence.

No judge there, no right or wrong, creating from inspiration and joy and letting go of any desired outcome for the creations.

Seeing people with new eyes in every moment, not holding anyone to past experiences, but seeing them for who they are now, which is also this Presence of Stillness.

 “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
 there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

  When the soul lies down in that grass,
  the world is too full to talk about.”

 Rumi