Getting Connected – The Basics

When I tell someone, “You need to connect.” I expect them to say, “Well, I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.” That’s not what I really mean when I say “connect”.

In all actuality, when we look to social media there are a plethora of ways to belong to a community. Friends and followers abound!

We can talk to people we haven’t seen in decades and have meaningful discussions with someone we’ve never met who lives in another part of the world. That is an incredible way to interact with one another and most of us do this on a daily basis.

The kind of connection I’m discussing here is about your personal connection to the Divine and to your Higher Self. Um…say what?

The connection I want to discuss here is about a daily practice of going inward, deeply inward, and finding that quiet space. The space where you can connect with Source/Divine/God and get reacquainted with your Higher Self. That place of inner peace that allows you to reset your vibration and brings balance.

Okay, stick with me here. Now I know there are some of you reading this blog and you’re nodding your heads in agreement because you are probably pro’s at this. You have practiced this connection daily for years! This blog really isn’t for you, so if you want, stop reading and go connect. Have a beautiful journey! We’ll see you when we can quiet the monkey’s swinging around in our brains.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m writing about meditation. Meditation is an incredible, (hopefully) daily practice that can help anyone find peace and balance regardless of what may be happening in life. I know, it sounds like a bunch of BS, but it’s true.

I’ve talked with a lot of people on the subject and many have said, “I just can’t get my mind to be quiet.” Newsflash! This happens to EVERYONE.

That is why it must be practiced. I have to tell you, the first time I meditated, I could not believe the dialogue I had with myself. It felt like my mind was writing a nonsensical novel that jumped back and forth from the past to the future and introduced characters without plot and had an amazing car chase! I have been meditating for quite some time now, and it has become my daily practice. Some days, however, are better than others. So what I want to impart to you in this blog today are some tips and rituals I use before, during and after my mediation practice . Not everything works for everyone, and that’s why I’m hoping that some of the pro’s still hanging in with us will comment below and maybe offer any of their tips and tricks.

One ritual you can do to begin is to light a candle, or turn on a special lamp. This is a lovely way to honor your practice. In a later blog, I’ll go into more detail about setting up an altar and a sacred space. So I want to issue a small caution here: if your ritual is to get into your pajamas, light a candle and hop into bed to begin your meditation, you are probably going to fall asleep within 3 minutes while your candle is still lit! Please don’t do this. I have not done this exactly, but I have been tired many times and made myself a little too comfortable. Yep, I fell asleep. I encourage you to practice meditation when you are still alert so that you can get the most out of it. If you do fall asleep, don’t beat yourself up about it. Celebrate the fact that you are able to relax completely.

Okay, so once you are comfortable. Close your eyes and notice your breath. Don’t change the pattern, simply notice how you breathe in and how you breathe out. Breath and breathing connects you to your physical body. It’s the beginning of your awareness. Now, as you notice your breath, you may begin to feel relaxed. The next step is to change the energy surrounding you. The best way to do this is to imagine yourself surrounded in a beautiful, crystalline, white light…Divine Light. With intention, think of this Light as a protection against any lower, vibrational energies from entering your space. This light is pure, nurturing, and complete unconditional love and it protects you. With this light surrounding you, imagine breathing it in, and exhaling any feelings, emotions or beliefs outward to be transmuted to pure love in the light surrounding you. As you continue envisioning inhaling the Light, and exhaling lower frequency emotions and thoughts, start to imaging the Light soaking into each of your cells. Nurturing every part of your body. You are in a lovely space, safe and secure. Next, bring your focus to your heart. Breathe in the Light to your heart center. Take a few breaths that way. This is your Soul center.

So imagine that light in your heart flowing downward in a column of light, flowing into the Earth, through dirt, rock, water, all the layers and layers to the center or core of the Earth. Imagine the core as a ball of beautiful, crystalline light. A light of creation and life sustaining power. Once you reach that light, connect with it and lift your vibration. When you are ready, keep the column of light attached to the core of the Earth and flow your energy/attention up the light column back to your heart center. Breathe in and out.

From here, allow the light at your heart center to float up through your head, out of your crown chakra, floating higher and higher, into the Universe until you envision a Divine white light. It is incredibly light and beckons you to enter. As you enter this incredible light, your vibration is lifted to the highest level. When you reach this place, just be. You will have thoughts come into your mind, notice them arrive and allow them to flow out of your consciousness. If it becomes too difficult to let the thoughts go, focus on your breath. With practice, your thoughts will be trained to come and go with ease.

When you have reached this higher vibrational frequency, stay here as long as you can. It may not be very long in the beginning, but that’s okay. If you don’t get there for the first few times, don’t give up. It takes practice.

When you reach this meditative state, you are opening yourself to miracles. You can manifest so many beautiful things from this place. One of the best explanations of meditation I’ve heard is this: You pray to talk to your higher power, You meditate to hear your higher power.

When you are ready to end your meditation, flow your energy down, down, down, back into your heart space and let it reside there. Stay grounded and keep your bubble of protection in place. Staying grounded keeps you connected and the bubble of protection will help keep lower energies from entering into the space you just cleared.

Remember to give yourself a pat on the back for doing an amazing job, for nurturing yourself and for allowing yourself to connect.

Keep this feeling with you and keep practicing.

Remember, your circus, your monkeys. Let’s try to tame them.