Meditation

I started meditating when I lived in Marin in my 20's. I embraced the granola culture and ate it up. I did movement therapy up on the hilltops of Mt. Tam. Went to Harbin Hot Springs to try to release my inhibitions and took meditation classes. I started taking classes at The Berkeley Psychic Institute, I just looked them up to see if they are still around and they are. They would have psychic fairs in Golden Gate Park and give past life readings. Anyone remember them? I started taking classes because when I first started out as a hairstylist, I would go home completely exhausted. I was taking on my clients energy. Through the classes I learned to ground myself and it really helped. After a while I lost interest and moved back to San Francisco. No more granola back to Special K.

A couple of years ago I started listening to Oprah and Deepak meditations and enjoyed them. I liked the message that Oprah had before each meditation and it was a great reintroduction. When I was in the hospital, I had so much time on my hand, I started to meditate everyday. I was so scared, my instinct was to listen to cancer healing meditations. And I did, two to three times a day. I mentioned in another post that I had to have full body radiation before my bone marrow transplant, twice a day for eight days. I think this was the loneliest time that I every felt, ever. I was rolled down in a wheel chair to the basement of UCSF and waited in a room until the technicians came to get me. I would lay on my stomach and would put blocks on my back to protect my lungs. They would leave the room because of the radiation. I remember thinking, I am so alone, no family, no friends, no one. That's when I realized my inner strength, I had the power and knowing for first time in my life, I was there for me, not my children, not my husband, not my family, not my friends...I showed up for me. The technicians were so nice and can not fathom how they do that job day in and day out with an unbelievable positive attitude. The only answer I have is - they are holy people. They asked if I wanted to listen to music and I asked if they could play my cancer healing meditation that I downloaded. The sessions were 45 minutes. That is when meditation really clicked for me. I realized that my mind can heal my body. If I clear my mind of any thoughts, connect with God and tell myself that my cells are healed, what would stop them from healing. My body and my mind are connected, isn't that a theory? I had nothing to lose and everything to gain so I devoted my time to meditation. The Oprah/Deepak meditations were cool but felt a bit more surfaced. I needed to go deep...the deepest part of my soul. I needed to go to hell before I got to heaven. I was trying to make the most of my hell. In that dark basement, my mind could have easily gone into panic mode but meditation gave me something to focus on, healing.

So why meditate? By making your breath the focus, the energy in your body starts to shift. Your body calms down and relaxes. When your body is calm your cells are calm and healing can begin. Whether you have an issue at work, a screaming child, dealing with a sick parent, losing a job or cancer, mediation can be miraculous. It is a reminder of what is truly important and brings you back to the present moment. We all have a purpose, all of us. Meditation brings us closer to that purpose.

A meditation that I love is by Dr. Wayne Dyer called I Am that I Am. The title I AM is the name God wanted to be known as in the old testament. Once I started connecting God with my meditation it was one thousand times more powerful and healing. This is how this meditation works.Take a deep breath in and say I am (fill in the blank) and breath out and say I am. I focus on perfect health so I say, I am perfect health, I am. Here is the link. https://youtu.be/A96OI4b8sFY I do this for twenty minutes a day and I love it. I am more centered, grounded, focused, open and patient, well, the last one is a bit of a stretch but it's helping. Oh, it does not have to be 20 minutes a day, it can be 20 seconds a day. Meditation gives me the power to live in the moment and live in gratitude. It clears my mind of what my ego wants me to do and what God wants me to do.

There are all sorts of apps available out there and if you are open to meditation the universe will provide what you need. Please share any of your favorite meditations as I would love to hear from you.