Thinking Without Thinking

In an interview, Ray Hemachandra asks: Some people may struggle to disengage the intellect. How do you undo thinking without thinking? Is inquiry not thought engaging itself or deconstructing another thought?

Katie Replies: Actually, it’s mind seeing through itself and understanding itself. I like to say that understanding is the power. The most important relationship is the mind’s relationship with itself. In other words, the ultimate—and, really, the only—relationship you have is the relationship with your own thoughts.


As far as intellect, what else is there? Without intellect, there’s no story and no world. If we are in silence — in absolute silence with no thoughts — for 10 minutes, it’s only a thought that tells us we were silent for 10 minutes. Our only proof is a thought.


Mind is everything. There’s nothing that it’s not.


If people are living their lives for security and comfort and pleasure, then mind’s every waking moment will be plotting those things. That’s how it stays identified — as a body, as a you. The moment it begins to question itself, the mind becomes so clear that it starts working with itself rather than with the body’s identification.

Prandharna - Fixation of the mind on the breath

Pranadharna is a compound word, a combination of two words – Prana and Dharna. Prana means breath and dharna means fixation of mind. While practicing Pranadharna, the Yoga aspirant has to fix his/her mind on the incoming and outgoing breath. The mind is thus trained and conditioned. Generally, the practice of Pranadharna is done in three graded steps. If the mind of any person is under the spell of strong emotion or if it is wavering in emotional imbalance or if a person is suffering from an acute disease or pain, he or she should avoid Pranadharna.

Prandharna First Step. Sit at ease in a comfortable posture. Close the eyes. Count the breaths. Count exhalation and inhalation together as one breath. Breathing natural. In case the mind has wandered away and you have forgotten the count, do not try hard to recall the last counted number. Persuade your mind to count a fresh; do not force your self. Practice one round daily of 10 to 45 breaths. Coming out of the practice: Stop counting the breaths and allow normal mental activities. Open the eyes.
Prandharna Second Step. Sit in any comfortable sitting posture. Close eyes. Start counting the breaths. Now feel the touch of incoming and out going breaths at the wall of the nose. Feel the touch continually. Attach the mind to the soft touch of the incoming and out going breaths. Engage the mind in this feeling and enjoy it. Breathing natural and normal. Practice one round daily of 15 to 60 breaths. If mind is distracted from experiencing the touch of the breath and starts thinking of other things, do not compel the mind to feel the touch. Persuade it by expressing only an ardent wish. Coming out of the practice: Get the mind away from the touch of the breath and start counting the breaths. Afterwards, allow normal mental activities. Open the eyes.
Prandharna Third Step. Sit in any comfortable posture preferably on the ground. If convenient, crossed legged (sukhasana) or on the folded legs, toes touching the ground with sole upwards, bottom resting on the heels and knee closed and touching each other in the crotched position (Vazrasana). The sitting posture should be with back resting and the spinal cord in the erect position and both hands with elbows straight, resting on the knee.

Close the eyes. Start counting the breaths. Then start feeling the breaths. Feel the touch of the air for 5 to 10 breaths. Afterwards take the mind on the soft palate and think and feel the thermal sensations, which are produced there because of the touch of the incoming (cool) and the out going (warm) air. Breathing natural and normal. Keep the eyes closed. Enjoy the thermal sensation of the breath at the soft palate.

Practice one round daily of 30 to 75 breaths. If the mind starts thinking of other things. If it does not perceive the sensation at the soft palate, it loses the concentration. Very gently persuade the mind to come back to the specific activity of feeling the sensation of the breath at the soft palate. Many times it is found difficult to perceive the thermal sensations at the soft palate and some times, the mind gets tired in search of the sensation. In such cases, it is advisable to practice the Pranadharna step two for longer time.

Only after the regular and long practice does one succeed in mastering the Pranadharna step three. Coming out of practice: Take the mind away from the sensation at the soft palate to touch of the breaths at the walls of the nostrils. Then start counting the breaths and lastly allow normal mental activities. Open the eyes.

Benefits of Pranadharna. The mind becomes very sharp and more controllable. Capacity for concentration of the mind increases. It prepares the aspirant for meditation.

source

Self hypnosis vs. meditation

Many of us have heard of the benefits of meditation: a calmer, more focused mind; feeling less emotional; a reduction in anxiety; feeling happier because of the cascade of beta-endorphins and serotonin (“feel good chemicals”) that is produced. But how do we achieve that? Isn’t a meditation practice time consuming and frustrating? How does it differ from self hypnosis, since both practices take you into trance? Why would you choose one over the other? These are some of the questions we will look at here.

Self hypnosis, or auto hypnosis, is defined as entering the state of hypnosis on one’s own, without the assistance and guidance of a hypnotist or hypnotherapist. The benefits of self hypnosis are similar to those of meditation, because the same brain wave states, alpha and theta, can be achieved in self hypnosis. Therefore, if one is choosing a method to reach these brain wave states to experience their beneficial effects, the choice of self hypnosis or meditation is an individual one. Self hypnosis is more commonly associated with providing suggestion to the subconscious mind with the goal of changing behavior than meditation is; however, meditation upon a given phrase or desired goal can also provide a type of suggestion, so in some ways the lines between the two techniques blur here as well.

Meditation is most often a practice entered to calm and focus one’s mind, to release one’s mind of thought. Meditation, like self hypnosis, brings the mind into a trance brainwave state, alpha or theta. These are much calmer and quieter brainwave states than beta, which is our waking, thinking state. Alpha and theta states are associated with creativity and intuition, and with super learning.

The chief differences between self hypnosis and meditation lie in the primary goal and the method of achieving the trance state. The primary goal of self hypnosis most often is to provide positive suggestions for change to the subconscious, while the primary goal for meditation is usually to achieve a relaxed, thought-free state in alpha or theta, with the goal of training the mind.

There are a variety of different techniques to achieve either self hypnosis or meditation, such as following a count-down or a proscribed method of tiring the conscious mind by counting objects, etc. Trance in meditation or self hypnosis can be achieved by closing one’s eyes and repeatedly bringing the focus back to the breathing or focusing on a point such as a flame, while gently releasing thought. If analyzed carefully, someone experienced in both meditation and self hypnosis will recognize that all methods of entering the trance state involve the same mechanisms of tiring the conscious mind, through eye fixation or confusion, etc.

A beneficial practice does not need to be time consuming. Many people are reluctant to begin meditation or self hypnosis practices because they think they need to spend an hour every morning in the state. That isn’t true. The benefits can be achieved with much briefer periods of time, and I encourage clients to start with 20 to 25 minutes, four or five times a week. With practice and consistency, the time required to get into the state will shorten considerably, and then you can reduce the overall time to 15 or 20 minutes, and still gain benefits. The time of day to practice is individual as well. Fit it into your schedule, and listen to your mind and body to determine the right time of day for you.

Consistency is important. Practicing every day is wonderful, but not absolutely necessary if it isn’t realistic for your lifestyle. Four or five days a week is a good goal. The beneficial changes will remain with you as long as you continue your practice. Just like exercising a muscle, if you stop working out it gets flabby. If you stop your trance practice (self hypnosis or meditation) then eventually you will find the old thought patterns and emotional reactions creeping back into your life.

Since the benefits of entering the trance state through either technique are similar, the choice of meditation or self-hypnosis is really an individual one. Often this choice comes down to which method works best for the individual to enter the trance state quickly, easily and reliably, and what their goals are: releasing thought to experience the space between thoughts, or the application of positive suggestions. Try each method, and remember whatever method you are trying, to give it time. It may feel awkward at first, but with time you will enter the trance state more quickly, more deeply and more easily.

Regular practice of meditation or self hypnosis has beneficial effects on many conditions and situations, including ADD/ADHD, anxiety and depression, nervous conditions, psoriasis, headaches and migraines, insomnia and more. Benefits come quickly and grow over time. With a regular, on-going practice, you will feel calmer, become more creative and intuitive, more relaxed and focused.

Article by: Cindy Locher, Minneapolis Hypnosis Examiner

Effective Manifestation

Manifest your heart desires is my latest meditation (or shall I say my latest manifestation). It is a truly relaxing and powerful experience. Feel your energy, love, hearts desires and manifest instantly what you truly long for. This meditation is quick and effective for modern and busy people. Please share this meditation with as many people as you know. Namaste.

source

Three Wishes

If you have 3 dreams you would like to manifest into your reality then listen to this meditation...sit somewhere warm, quiet and comfortable and begin...enjoy! Based on the Abrahams teachings of the Laws of Attraction, manifesting your desires.

Benefits and Advantages of the Vajra Guru Mantra

Having uploaded a really long post about the Vajra Guru Mantra, it occured to me that it might be good to also upload a short overview. If you are interested, you can read the longer post, but if you just want to get to it, here's the short form:


OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

If this mantra is recited a hundred times a day, merely a hundred times a day without interruption, one will become attractive to others and will effortlessly come by food and wealth and the necessities of life.

If one recites it a thousand or ten thousand times on a daily basis, one is able to literally overwhelm others with one's brilliance, in the sense of becoming very charismatic and influential in exerting a positive influence over others, and one will gain unhindered force of blessings and spiritual power.

If one repeats it a hundred thousand or a million times on a regular basis one will become capable of effecting an immeasurably great benefit for beings, exactly as one would wish to.

If one recites the mantra three or seven million times, one is never separate from the buddhas of the three times and one becomes inseparable from me. All the gods and demons of existence will attend to one and offer their praises.

If a physical form could demonstrate the benefit of even one recitation, the entire earth would not be sufficient to contain the merit. All sentient beings who see, hear, or remember this mantra will definitely be established in the ranks of the masculine and feminine awareness-holders.

Even if you are not able to recite the mantra for whatever reasons, you should mount it on the top of a victory banner, even when the wind touches it, and that wind touches sentient beings, it will free them without a doubt.

Alternately, you may inscribe it in clay or carve it in stone. This will also guard the path upon which these syllables are placed and guard that region from malevolent effects. You may also write this mantra out in gold ink on dark blue paper and wear it as an amulet.

When you die, if this amulet is burned with your corpse, rainbows will be seen and your consciousness will be transferred to the realms of Supreme Bliss. The benefits of writing out, reading or reciting this mantra defy any accurate measure and defy any standard measurement that could be applied. Having established this for the benefit of beings in the future, I am hiding this treasure. May it meet with a fortunate child of mine in the future who has good karma.


The Vajra Guru mantra is not just a single essence mantra, it is the very essence or life force of all the deities of the four classes of tantra, of all the nine yanas, and all of the 84,000 collections of dharma teachings. The essence of all of the buddhas of the three times, all of the gurus, yidams, dakas, and dakinis, dharma protectors, etc., the essence of all of these is contained and is complete within this mantra.



And here's the chant on video, 108 repitions. I think it makes for a great meditation video for this project. All you have to do is chant along and you've done your mantra, chanting practice for the day, and it took less than 10 minutes.

Chanting Quiets The Mind

The purpose of chanting is to quiet the mind and prepare it for meditation. As a means of accomplishing this monumental task chanting stands alone. As Yogananda put it, “chanting is half the battle.” If we practice chanting with the consciousness intention of going deep in meditation, it can take us very deep very quickly.

By first chanting out loud with lots of enthusiasm, the physical, mental, and emotional energies are engaged. As the chanting becomes quieter, we are drawn away from the outward perimeter of our consciousness into a more inward state of mind: Our many thoughts become drawn to a focus on the one thought of God, the body becomes still, the heart beats more slowly, the breath becomes nearly imperceptible — attention is focused at the spiritual eye.

As the chanting draws to a conclusion, the words and music have moved from being an external experience to an internal one; there is a dynamic stillness that can be tangibly felt. At this crucial moment, we have the opportunity to take the vibration set up by the chanting and dive deep into meditation.

Talking or physical movement of any kind can collapse the delicate vibration that has been set up by the music, destroying the subtle, but very real, effect that chanting has created. If we think of chanting as a part of meditation, and not as something that happens before the real meditation begins, it is easy to set the scene so that individuals meditating alone or groups of people meditating together can receive the full benefit.

Prayers, an introduction to the proceedings, even the double breathing and tensing and relaxing exercises can be done before the chanting begins so that [you] can go directly from chanting into the silence of meditation.

Source: Ananda.org

The Art of Chanting

The art of chanting correctly is, first, to practice it with full awareness of its inner purpose. That purpose is not to awaken sentiments or to stir up the emotions. It is to focus the heart’s feelings and raise them toward superconsciousness.

The Maharani of Cooch Behar told me she’d once asked her family priest why he intoned his chants so loudly. “Well, you see, your Highness,” he explained, “God is far away. If I don’t shout, how will He hear me?” God isn’t far away, of course. It is we who distance ourselves from Him by the “noise” in our own minds, a noise people often carry with them into their prayers and meditations.

Loud chanting does have its place. It is good at the start of meditation-not for the reason that priest gave, but to command attention from our own minds. For loud chanting creates a magnetic flow. Like a mighty river, it can dissolve the eddies of thought and feeling that meander idly along the banks of the mind. Like a magnetic military leader, it commands attention from your thought-soldiers and fires them with zeal.

Once you’ve got their attention, chant more softly, more inwardly. Direct your energy upward, now, from the heart to the Spiritual Eye.

Once your conscious mind is wholly engaged in chanting, bring it down into the subconscious by whispering. While chanting in the subconscious, offer the chant there, too, up to superconsciousness at the point between the eyebrows, until you feel your entire being vibrating with the words, the melody, and the rhythm.

At last, chant only mentally, at the point between the eyebrows. Let your absorption lift you into superconsciousness. Once it does so, and once you receive a divine response, you will have spiritualized the chant. From then on, any time you sing the chant it will quickly carry you again to superconsciousness as if on a magic carpet.

To spiritualize a chant, keep it rotating in the mind — days at a time, if necessary: not only in meditation, but as you go about your daily activities. This practice is also called japa. Christian mystics, too, speak of the continuous “prayer of the heart,” and of “practicing the presence of God.”

Once the mind is focused by chanting, and the inner energy is awakened, take your chanting inward. Don’t only “make a glad noise unto the Lord,” as the Bible puts it: Listen for His answer. Meditation is listening, as I’ve said. Feel yourself chanting in attunement, above all, with the Cosmic Sound. Harmonize yourself inwardly with that sound.

What Words to Use

There is not a strong tradition of chanting in the West. Most of the chanting I’ve heard has been Gregorian chant, which is little heard outside of monasteries, or chants transported from India. Buddhist chanting, like Gregorian chant, is a recitation of scripture and is not, therefore, an appeal of the heart to God…

India has developed a tradition of chanting as an expression of deep, intimate love for God. There is power in such chanting, even if you don’t really relate to the words you’re singing.

Paramhansa Yogananda, as a great yogi whose mission was to disseminate the yoga teachings in the West, introduced a new kind of chanting here. It is based on the repetition of meaningful phrases, rather than of the divine names. Some of the chants he wrote he translated from Bengali or Hindi songs. Others, he wrote himself. This kind of chanting is more like a repetitive prayer set to music, and is better suited for meditators, who understand the importance of combining the soul’s appeal for divine grace with self-effort. For by singing God’s names only, what remains in the mind is the thought “God will do it all for me.” What Yogananda’s method of chanting accomplishes is to awaken in the mind the thought “In these ways I will cooperate with His grace.”

One of his chants goes:

I am the bubble, make me the sea.
So do Thou, my Lord! Thou and I, never apart,
Wave of the sea dissolve in the sea,
I am the bubble, make me the sea.

Very simple, you see? And very easily memorized. When such a chant is sung repeatedly, the mind is easily lifted up into meditation.

Some of Paramhansa Yogananda’s chants go further in the direction of personal affirmation, and are less similar to the traditional concept of prayer. An example of such a chant begins with these words:

Why, O mind, wanderest thou?
Go in thine inner home!

These chants, too, are powerful, spiritualized as they were by a great master. They are in many ways better suited for people who follow the path of meditation. I myself have sung them for as long as I’ve been meditating — fifty years. The inspiration I derive from them is precious to me beyond words.

~Source

Activating the Angels of the Heart

The following meditation was left over from our Angelic Assistance project, and if you enjoy this sort of thing, I think it could be used pretty effectively to boost your self worth. The easiest way to use it, is to print it out and then read it aloud. Enjoy!

Angel of Love, Angel of Wisdom, Angel of Power
3-Fold Flame Meditation

Let us begin by surrounding the heart with the energy of GOD that is Love, Wisdom, and Power.

We ask that Divine Mother be present overlighting us with cascades of Divine Love energy. We ask that She harness the energy of Pure, Divine Love on our left by sending one of Her angels to stand guard at the left hand side of our body during this meditation.

We ask that Divine Father be present overlighting us with cascades of Divine Power energy. We ask that He harness the energy of Pure, Divine Power on our right by sending one His angels to stand guard at the right hand side of our body during this meditation.

We ask that Lord Melchizedek, the Grand Master Himself, be present overlighting us with cascades of Sacred Wisdom energy represented from all the Sacred Traditions of the Orders of Melchizedek. We ask that He harness the energy of Pure, Divine Sacred Wisdom from a point above our bodies at our crown chakras by sending one of His angels to stand guard above us during this meditation.

We ask that Lord Sananda be present overlighting us with cascades of Divine Integrated Christ energy. We ask that He harness this Pure, Divine Integrated Christed energy by sending one of His angels to stand guard take a position directly in front of the heart during this meditation.

We ask that Mother Earth be present overlighting us with cascades of Her Divine Nature and Her Three-Fold Flame within Her Heart. We ask that She harness this Pure, Divine Peace energy into our open feet chakras and send a current of her Heart energy up through those chakras into our hearts during this meditation.

• Breathe in the Light of Divine Mother into the Heart.
  Connect with Her ThreeFold Flame of Love, Wisdom and Power.


• Breathe in the Light of Divine Father into the Heart.
  Connect with His Three-Fold Flame of Love, Wisdom and Power.


• Breathe in the Light of Melchizedek into the Heart.
  Connect with His Three-Fold Flame of Love, Wisdom and Power.


• Breathe in the Light of Sananda into the Heart.
  Connect with His Three-Fold Flame of Love, Wisdom and Power.


• Breathe in the Light of Mother Earth into the Heart.
  Connect with Her Three-Fold Flame of Love, Wisdom and Power.

Let us connect now to Beloved Lord Buddha and to the Three-Fold Flame within the Heart of Lord Buddha, and the Heart of Shamballa - the everlasting Flame held in the etheric temple that is the seat of government for this planet.

We call forth to the I AM Presence which is connected in to each of our three-fold flames within our hearts and ask for blessings and outpourings of light from the Heart of the Presence.

In Melchizedek's Universe there is full intelligence. There is divine intelligence presiding over every thing in all worlds. Within us there is a devic presence overlighting every organ, gland, chakra, cell and system of our bodies. And within the heart there is not only a deva overlighting the heart and circulatory system of the physical body, but there is an angel overlighting the three-fold eternal flame within our heart.

We call forth to Beloved Lord Sananda to bless and activate now the Three Angels of the Heart. Within our hearts is the three-fold flame that is the same as the 3-fold flame at Shamballa. For this activation, go deeply now within the heart. Know that it is a replica of the heart of GOD and therefore it contains an infinite number of chambers. It is infinite as Is the Heart of GOD. Go into a chamber that you can access now, knowing that there are many more that you will access later.

We ask Lord Sananda to activate the Angel of Love within the heart. The Flame is the color of Pink and the angel is the color of pink.

We ask Lord Sananda to activate the Angel of Wisdom within the heart. The Flame is the color of Gold and the angel is the color of gold.

We ask Lord Sananda to activate the Angel of Power within the heart. The Flame is the color of Blue and the angel is the color of blue.

We call forth to the Golden White Ascension energies, the energies, frequencies and colors of the planetary Waves of Ascension, and the energies, frequencies and colors of the 12 rays of Creation and ask these energies to come in and ignite the Three-Fold Flame within our heart in order to raise our vibratory rates.

We call forth to Lord Metatron to infuse the Three-Fold Flame within our heart with the frequency and color of the Platinum Ray. Feel the touch of platinum joining with the pink, with the gold and with the blue.

We call forth to The Mahatma and ask to infuse the Three-Fold Flame within our heart with the frequency and color of the Rainbow White Light of Synthesis. Feel the touch of rainbow white joining with the pink, with the gold, and with the blue.

We call forth to Divine Mother and ask for the silvery platinum-pink of Her frequency and color to join with the pink, with the gold and with the blue.

We call forth to Divine Father and ask for the platinum-blue-gold of His frequency and color to join with the pink, with the gold and with the blue.

We call forth from Divine Mother and ask to come into Full Resonance with Her Three-Fold Flame.

We call forth now to GOD and ask with all of our heart and soul and mind and might, that if this prayer be in harmony with Your Will, we ask that you supply this heart which is really Your Heart - with an activation from Your Clear Creative Light of All That IS directly as a current of the Love of GOD, the Wisdom of GOD and the Power of GOD directly into our hearts for an explosion into the ThreeFold Flame within the Heart.

We ask this for Heart Illumination so that we might let go of all discordant feelings, all feelings of division, separation, judgment, pain, sadness, and suffering - everything and anything that keeps us feeling separate from You. We ask this so that we can Unconditionally Love YOU, Love Your Creation, Love the Masters and Angels, Love our planet, and Love our Selves even more and with this love set our hearts free forevermore. Amen.

Sending Love Ahead to Your Day

Upon waking, many people consider the coming day with trepidation. Because of the natural human tendency to focus on what we fear or dislike, it is easy to unwittingly send a message of unease into the future that negatively impacts the quality of your day. However, while our lives are busy and frequently replete with challenges, they are also rich with joy and experiences worth savoring. We can attract this natural bliss into our lives by starting each day with a message of love. When you send love ahead to your day, that love will manifest itself in your interpersonal interactions, your professional endeavors, and your domestic duties. Tasks and circumstances once made trying by your own anxiety are transformed by your love, and you will find yourself approaching life’s subtle nuances with great affection.

Each morning, when you have cast off the fog of sleep, take several deep, grounding breaths and reaffirm the love you have for yourself. Speaking a loving, self-directed blessing aloud enables you to access and awaken the reservoir of tenderness in your soul. Before you leave the comfortable warmth of your bed, be sure to tell the universe that you are eager and ready to receive the blessings it has set aside for you. Then as you prepare to meet the day, visualize yourself first saturated by and then surrounded with a warm and soft loving light. Gradually widen the circle of this light until you are able to send it ahead into your future. If you are commuting to work, send love to the roads upon which you will drive, your fellow commuters, and your parking space. If you have colleagues who arrive at your workplace before you, send them love. Likewise, a day spent being a parent or addressing household chores can benefit from the sentiment that precedes you. Sending love ahead to everyone you will meet and everything you will do can ensure that your day is suffused with grace.

If you have difficulty sending love to those situations and individuals you deem particularly frustrating, consider that the warmth and tenderness you project can change your life for the better. Each morning, in sending this love, you will exercise your power to control the ambiance of your existence and to color your day with positivity.

Via: The Daily Om
(I think that's where this came from.)

Meditations for Self Worth

I collected a number of meditations for this project. Initially, I had thought to upload them at intervals, here and there, as we worked on our worthiness issues. Then, it occured to me that maybe it would be better to start off with a bang and upload them all at once. So that's what I did.

Now, we can pick through them, finding what we like, experimenting with what works best, and giving us plenty of time to make use of it. So... here's a list of links to the individual posts:

• Self Acceptance and Emotional Freedom
• Confidence and Self Worth
• I Am
• Sufi Meditation for Self Esteem
• Guided Meditation - The Perfect Self

I also went back through our previous posts and found links to meditations that we've worked with on some of our other projects. Here they are:

• Finding the Cosmos Within
• That Loving Feeling
• Visualization for Self Esteem
• I Am A Spark of Light

I Am

The longer we are quiet and have most of our mind chatter silenced ... the sooner our true inner self arises. Here's a meditation from Deepak Chopra. It's quite simple. Silently repeat, "I Am" while breathing deeply.

I Am

Optimum time is 20 minutes, but any minutes spent in silence, breathing, and remembering that you are part of the greater I AM is going to be beneficial.

Confidence and Self Worth Video Meditation

This is a two part series - that's why there are two videos.



(You may need to visit this post at the Prosperity Project in order to view these videos.)

Sufi Meditation for Self Esteem

Meditation with the sound Ar-Rafi:

Center in the heart and breathe this sound gently toward the belly. Call a circle of the inner self and use this name as a greeting. See who shows up. Who feels exhalted or honored? On the breath, the sound can become both an invitation and a blessing, which allows our small self to feel carried away by its connection to the greater Self of the divine.

Guided Meditation - The Perfect Self

(You may have to visit this post at the Prosperity Project in order to view this video.)

An Angel Sets You Free

In this lovely 10-minute meditation, from Carrie Hart, an angel takes from your heart your burdens of unforgiveness, anger, sadness, fear and doubt, and transmutes them into a gentle rain of love. You are left glowing and free, ready to do and be anything, utterly fearless and confident, shining and bright with love.

Download the 10-minute Meditation
(right click the above link and save the MP3 to your computer)

If you'd rather not download the audio version, here is a transcript of the meditation. Enjoy!

An Angel Sets You Free (a Meditation) by Carrie Hart

Sit quietly and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and then out. And another in and then out. And yet another, in and then out. And now, just relax as we ask an angel to come to you and set you free.

See her before you now, a beautiful angel floating in the air, her fluttering wings outspread, a bright golden glow about her head and emanating from her entire body. She is aglow with love, with caring and affection for you.

First, she reaches into a little bag of golden silk and pulls out a handful of sparkling angel dust that she now tosses over you. It falls down upon you, but instead of clinging to your skin, it becomes a band of energy, bright and glowing, around you. This golden glow is clearing the field around you, purifying it, removing any residue of doubt or fear that has been clinging to you.

And now, she pauses and looks deep into your eyes, asking permission. Nod your head yes: Yes, you grant her permission to look into your heart.

She touches you lightly over your heart and your heart opens wide to her view. And as she looks within, you find that you can see it as well.

First, see that your heart is glowing golden. It is made of love. It is a great treasure within you, the place where the light and love are stored. It is glowing and golden but it is also soft and pliable, able to change and adapt as life requires.

But here and there within your heart are some stones you have picked up along the way, things that happened to you, things you considered sad or bad at the time, and you stored them in your heart. At the time these things happened to you, you were unable to just let them be or to examine them and allow them to dissolve, and so you stored them away, hoping that they would not exist in your life any longer.

But yet here they are, stones that you carry in your bright and glowing heart, weighing it down, making it less soft and pliable than it could be. Stones that block some of the bright love from glowing and flowing. Stones that you must carry every day, even though you are not even aware that they are there.

Look at the stones now. There are stones of unforgiveness, bitter and sharp. There are stones of sadness, each a heavy weight your heart must carry. There are stones of anger, hot and smoldering; stones of fear, like chunks of ice that keep the warmth of love from spreading easily; and many pebbles of doubt, which add up to a heavy weight indeed.

The angel now looks again deeply into your eyes. She is asking you a question. Are you ready to free your heart of these burdens? Are you ready to let all of this leave your life? Are you ready to forgive yourself and others, to let go of the anger and bitterness and disappointment? Are you ready to let go even of the doubts about yourself? Are you ready to free yourself of fear?

Nod your head yes: Yes, you are ready.

And now the angel opens wide her silken bag. She reaches into your heart and removes the stones one by one, taking them from your heart and placing them in the bag. One by one, they come out of your heart. And with each one that is removed, you can feel your heart growing lighter and lighter. All the regrets are taken out. All the fears of the future. All the doubts about what you can accomplish. All the anger and frustration, all the disappointment, all of this is removed.

Feel your heart growing lighter and lighter. Feel yourself growing freer and freer. Feel what it is like to let your heart glow as brightly as it can, unencumbered by these burdens it has been carrying. You do not need them any more.

And as your heart glows more brightly, that glow spreads throughout your body. And your body, now exposed to this bright glow of inner love, finds that it no longer needs the habits and addictions that it has been using to shield it from the energy of the stones. Your entire body now feels light and free, bright and glowing.

And the angel looks at you and smiles. Then she closes her silken bag and flies up to the heavens, where she holds the bag to the light. And as you watch, in a great golden burst of light, the stones are all transmuted into love, love bright and golden. And a gentle shower of love begins to fall down upon you, golden drops shimmering in the sky and falling down upon you, pouring over you, covering you in sweet love.

And this you are. Love. Love glowing in your heart. Love glowing in your body. Love shimmering all around you. Purified and clean, glowing and golden, you are.

And all of the possibilities of this precious life are glowing and shimmering around you as well. You can do and be anything. You are utterly fearless and confident. You are completely unburdened with the past. You are in this moment only, shining and bright, feeling and being love, knowing yourself as love and only love.

It is a new day and a new life. You are born anew in love and the world lies open before you. Step into it and embrace it now, right now. You are this sparkling wonder of love. You are.

Angels Sing Your Name

You guys are wonderful...
Here's a little guided meditation from Carrie Hart that underlines that fact.

Listen to Sample
Download the Message

If you'd rather not download the audio version, here is a transcript:

Angels Sing Your Name by Carrie Hart:

If all of the love in the world were contained in one star, it would shine for you.

If all the answers in the world were contained in one word, that word would speak your name.

If the full sea of peace were contained in one drop of water, that drop of water would be on your tongue.

You are the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, the source and answer, the thought that reaches across time and the timeless beat of the heart of God.

Your importance is immeasurable, for you are what there is. The entire universe is contained in one atom of your being. Each breath you take gives life to all that is.

You do not have to try to be this vital force. You simply are.

Now, right now, go deeply into your heart and find the peace and love that reside there. Now, right now, embrace yourself completely with love, granting to yourself the right to be who you are, as you are, without criticism and contempt, without dissatisfaction and frustration, without blame and regret.

You, exactly as you are, are good. You are what is needed. You are what is wanted. The entire universe embraces you with love, and when it does so, it simply embraces itself.

You cannot lose the love that is there for you, for you are made of love. You cannot lose the light that shines for you, for you are made of light. You cannot disturb the peace that contains you, for you are made of peace, peace and joy and light and love, all made manifest in your being.

Simply be who you are and you will hear the angels singing your name.

Crystal Angel Meditation

This is a lovely meditation to help you meet the crystal Deva. You will need a quartz crystal point. The meditation itself can be recorded, or you can print a copy and refer to it as needed.

Make sure your crystal is cleansed by washing in clear water and drying in the sun (or moon)light. Sit quietly holding your crystal in both hands.

Center yourself and calm your breathing. Imagine roots growing out of your feet and curling round the damp soil going deep into the earth, allow your roots to touch the green gold mother earth energy. Draw the energy up towards you with each in breath. Until your whole body and your crystal are filled with the beautiful green-gold mother earth light.

Now reach up with your mind and pluck a strand of pure white light from every star in the heavens and draw it towards you. Allow the strands of light to gather in a ball just above your head. Let the ball grow larger and larger. Now bring that ball pure white heavenly light down through your body to mingle with the green gold mother earth energy within you and your crystal. (This in itself is a wonderful energising, cleansing and grounding exercise.)

You now see yourself standing on the shore of a lake. On the other side of the water you see your crystal. It has grown to the size of a mountain. With it's point high up amongst the clouds. Halfway up the crystal mountain you can see a doorway. Stretching from that doorway across the water to just beside you is a rainbow bridge. You can see the rainbow arching gracefully across the lake to the doorway halfway up the crystal mountain.

Your guide has come to take you across the bridge. You can feel the reassuring presence behind you as you step on to the rainbow bridge and begin to glide upwards. As you come to the top of the bridge the air is cool and fresh. You can see the lake stretching out below and around you.

As you glide downwards the crystal doorway comes nearer. Step off the bridge as you arrive beside the doorway, the floor is sandy and cool to your feet. Your guide will wait for you here. This is your journey now.

As you enter the crystal mountain you can see the walls are suffused with an orange glow. Bathe in the gentle orange light as you are gently lifted and begin to float upwards. As you drift notice the walls of the crystal mountain. Look above you as your surroundings now begin to glow with a yellow light. See how the colours blend as you float ever higher within the Crystal. Yellow gives way to pink as you rise, lighter than air. Pale blue shot with silver now as you travel higher, see the light refracting off the walls. Pale blue changes to deep indigo with gold and brassy flecks blinking and flashing as you drift upwards. Feel surrounded by the deep indigo light. Upwards higher and higher, the indigo pales to the purest violet, with a beauty that catches your breath.

You have reached the very top of the crystal now. There is a floor beneath your feet. Look around you, ehat can you see?

Very soon the Keeper of the Crystal will come to you. Talk with him or her for a while and recieve the message. When it is time to leave. Thank the crystal angel.

You will begin to float downwards through the coloured realms of the crystal mountain. Down through Indigo, drifting gently passing the blue and sliver. Falling gently as a leaf from a tree, through the pink and yellow, finally alighting gently on the sandy floor of the orange area. Close to the doorway where your guide is waiting to take you back across the rainbow bridge.

As you travel across the bridge share with your guide the message from the crystal angel. Perhaps your guide has something to add. Feel reassured by the presence. As you step off the rainbow bridge on to the ground beside the lake, say goodbye to your guide and thank him or her for protection during your journey.

Breathe a little deeper now and begin to bring your awareness back to where you are sitting. Allow your crystal to shrink back to it's original size between your hands. Let go of that ball of white light and see each beam winging back to it's star. Become aware again of your roots holding you to the earth. Just experience that feeling for a while as you gently return.

Look at your crystal. Does it look or feel different to you, now you have met it's angel? Reflect on the message you were given. What does it mean to you? Please remember to take a drink of water after meditating.

~Submitted by Meva

A Gift from an Angel

From Carrie Hart, we have this 7 minute Angel Meditation. It comes as an MP3, and is free to download. Here's what she says about it:

This is a highly effective tool for bringing yourself to peace and serenity. It is not only soothing while you listen to it, but it provides you with a powerful image you may call upon at any time. Spend just seven (7) minutes with it every day, and you will find that whenever you need to, you can just dip the angel's wand into the rosewood box, touch the light of silence to your forehead, and your mind be flooded with sweet silence and your heart with peace.

Learn More
Download the 7-minute Meditation

Not sure how to download it?
Simply right click the download link and save to your computer.

The Angelic Elevator

If you choose to record this exercise, place your tape player right beside your bed, so you can reach out with your eyes closed to turn it off at the end of the exercise.

1. Close your eyes and feel yourself drifting into sleep. Your breathing is slow and easy.
2. Let your neck relax. Let your shoulders relax. Feel your entire back relaxing. From head to toe, feel your whole body releasing tension.
3. Now, visualize a long, long hallway in your mind. The walls and floors are made of glowing light. See the light, and see yourself slowly walking down the luminous hallway, with your Angel right beside you.
4. At the end of the hallway you see a shimmering portal. This is the doorway to the Angelic Elevator. As you and your Angel get closer, the door slowly opens.
5. Hand in hand, with one of its wings wrapped around your back, your Angel and you step into this elevator. When you do, your body is bathed in the purest, warmest light you can imagine. It soothes your body and flows deeply into every part of you, into every cell.
6. You watch your Angel reach out with the tip of its wing to push one of the glowing buttons on the panel by the door.
7. The elevator door slowly closes. Bathed in light, you and your Angel are slowly rising up into your dreams.
8. If you are working with an affirmation, repeat it now, slowly, several times over.
9. If you would like to ask your Angel a specific question, or seed a particular dream, now is the time to do it.
10. Notice your breathing again. Feel yourself drifting into sleep. Together with your Angel, you are moving up, up, up into the world of dreams.

-Author Unknown