Note:
In Prosperity
Is an Inside Job, Joan talks about getting to know yourself
in order to change your money consciousness. These meditation
instructions were written to help readers of the book develop
a prosperity consciousness.
Get
Ready for the Journey
You didn't arrive at your present life position suddenly --
you have been slowly moving toward it all of your life. As
a result, you can't expect to move to a new state of consciousness
in a few days or weeks. It is like going from California to
New York. You can't get onto a train
in California and pop instantly over to New York. You
have to ride through Kansas, Ohio and a number of other states.
You may even decide to stay in Kansas for a while. It is your
choice as to how far you want to go.
The same is true when moving from one state of consciousness
to another. You have to pass through various stages before
you reach your destination.
What You Need
When you go on a journey of consciousness,
pack lightly and leave your past behind. All you really need
to take with you is a positive attitude, faith in your future
and a strong desire to change. Anything else you drag
along is extra. Slowly but surely, your past is going to fade
away as you approach new horizons. There may be some bumpy
roads and some stormy weather along the way -- these are part
of the process. But as you work through each challenge, you'll
come out stronger than before -- more sure of yourself and
your ability to take care of yourself.
You have the power of
The Universe within you, and you can
accomplish anything you want if you set your mind to it.
The
Vehicle
Travelling into higher realms of consciousness requires a
vehicle for the journey. Meditation
is a time-honored technique that can take you into infinite
dimensions of consciousness.
Many people say, "I've tried to meditate, but I just
can't seem to do it." They seem to think that in order
to meditate, they have to completely quiet their mind. Quieting
the mind comes as a result of meditating over a long period
of time, but any time you are looking within, you are
meditating. There are many meditation methods. Some are passive
and others are active -- not in the physical sense, but in
the sense that you actually do something during meditation.
All of the meditations that you will find at this sight will
help you develop spiritually.
Create
a Space
First, prepare a space to use on a regular
basis for your meditations. Doing this conditions your
mind to relax and ascend to other dimensions. In time, just
sitting in your meditation space will immediately relax you.
Your meditation space can be a separate room or small area
in your home where you can sit with your eyes closed for at
least a few minutes each day. Choose
a clean, quiet place away from all distractions where you
can sit on a chair or on the floor. If you use a chair,
choose one that allows you to keep your back as straight as
possible. If you sit on the floor, you may want to lean your
back against something so that you can keep it straight. If
you are too sick or weak to sit up, you can lie on your bed,
but sit as soon as you are able.
You will need a shelf, table or surface
of some kind. If you are sitting on the floor, an inverted
carton or wooden crate will do. Place any, or all, of the
following items on the surface that you choose:
- A plant or flowers
- An incense burner
- A candle
- A picture of someone who inspires you
- A picture of yourself
- A rock or some other object from a place in nature that
you enjoy
- Anything you want that makes you feel good or that you
feel the urge to use.
I often hold a quartz crystal or gemstone
when I meditate and I keep a selection of them on my altar.
I believe that these treasures from Mother Nature help
to amplify the energy of our Inner Being. This makes it easier
for us to travel deep into our consciousness and connect to
our True Selves.
Don't be in a hurry to create your meditation space. You
might want to start with something as simple as a candle.
Let your intuition guide you. Be patient and wait until you
get a strong urge to add something. When you get the urge,
follow it.
Getting Started
For a few days just sit quietly in your
space for five to ten minutes. This will help establish
your energy. Before you sit, light a candle and/or some incense,
if you like. Eventually, lighting the candle or incense will
signal your brain that it's time for meditation.
Fold your hands gently in your lap and close your eyes. Take
a few deep breaths. Then just sit. If
you have never meditated before, you will probably feel as
if your mind is just a jumble of thoughts. Don't try
to stop the thoughts, just watch them. Imagine that you are
on the bank of a river and that your thoughts are the river
going by. Don't try to stop the river, just watch it. Within
a week, you will see the river begin to slow down. You may
become impatient, or even bored. That's okay. If you find
yourself complaining, just watch the thoughts pass by.
Do this for 5 to 10 minutes.
You may find that you fall asleep because you are so relaxed.
In the beginning that's okay. Eventually, you will be able
to stay awake. If you're afraid that you will miss something
if you fall asleep, set a timer for 20 minutes. Doing this
allows you to relax and forget about time.
A Basic Meditation
The Watching-the-River Exercise is an excellent way to quiet
your thoughts. You can either stay with this exercise or move
on to something else, such as the basic meditation described
below or any of the other meditations that will be appearing
on these pages. All of these can help you on your journey
to higher consciousness.
I highly recommend that you begin each
inner session with the following meditation. It serves
the purpose of placing you in the energies of The Light, which
can be protective.
- Sit in a chair with your back straight and ankles crossed
or in a comfortable cross-legged position on the floor.
Fold your hands gently in your lap and close your eyes.
- Take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths. Then let your breathing
find its own level.
- Imagine that a beam of rainbow light is entering the center
of your forehead. You don't actually have to see anything
(although you may), just imagine the presence of a light.
Imagine that the light travels down the center of your body
and diffuses into all of your cells.
- Repeat silently to yourself a few times, I am in The Light,
I am filled with The Light.
- Do this for 5 to 10 minutes.
If You Resist
At first, it may seem as if you can't fit all of this new
activity into your life. Even though we are only talking about
ten to thirty minutes a day,establishing
a new habit pattern can take time (21 days on average),
and you may find yourself resisting. It would be perfectly
natural for you to avoid meditation and then feel guilty.
You can eliminate the guilt by telling yourself that
there is no hurry and it does not matter if you miss a few
days. Even if you meditate only once a week, you have
made progress. You are more apt to continue if you take away
the self-criticism. No one is judging your performance --
there is no right way or wrong way to meditate -- and no one
else cares if you meditate.
You may find yourself saying, "I haven't got the time
to spend with all of this." If you haven't got the time
to sit quietly with yourself for ten to twenty minutes a day,
you are probably too busy or you aren't using your time well.
If you are always in a hurry to do
the next activity, you're in the future and missing the now,
which is where your life is happening.
It is a matter of priorities. If making money and getting
it all while you can are the focus of your life, then you
probably don't have the time to spend with yourself. But if
you would honestly like to find more meaning in life and you
hope to feel prosperous, then you will have to slow down and
get into the flow of life. The idea is to stop trying
to make everything happen and allow your life to happen. The
purpose of meditation is to help you build a better life for
yourself. If you want that, then somehow you will find the
time to do it.
If you have a strong desire to meditate but find that you
are really resistant, examine the following
reasons that keep people from travelling into their inner
world. These happen on a subconscious level, but if
they apply to you, you will know.
- People are afraid that if they go
within and learn about who they are, they won't like what
they find. If you never look within, then you will
never know who you are, and in a strange way, that may seem
safer. It takes a lot of effort to avoid yourself. Many
people resort to overeating, eating junk foods, drinking
alcohol, smoking, taking drugs, compulsive shopping, overworking
and anything else that numbs feelings.
- People are afraid of meditating
because they instinctively know that, if they connect to
their Inner Power, they will have to take responsibility
for creating their lives. It is a lot easier to blame
God, luck, other people, circumstances and lots of other
things outside of ourselves for the problems in our lives.
Accepting our own power as co-creators with the Universal
Force can be frightening.
- If you have a need to be taken care
of, the idea of connecting to your Inner Power may frighten
you. You may reason that if you use your Inner Power,
you won't need anyone else and you'll be alone. People learn
at an early age that if they are weak and/or sick, others
will pick them up and help them. The thought of health and
independence, which many people say they want, can be frightening
because those thoughts often create a fear of being alone.
The reasoning is, if I am sick, other people will be there
for me. If I am healthy, no one will notice me.
In reality, that's not what happens.
Healthy people are like magnets and they draw in others.
When you are healthy, you will get to pick and choose the
people with whom you want to spend time. If you are resisting
the meditation experience or finding lots of reasons why
you can't meditate (time, inability, no quiet place, etc.),
then you might want to look at your
hidden fears and what connecting to yourself really means
to you.
Breathing
Breathing is essential to life and when
you breathe properly, it can help you clear your mind and
reach higher states of consciousness. Although breathing
is an instinct and everyone does it, most people don't breathe
correctly. Many people develop bad breathing habits and as
they age, their breathing becomes shallow and incomplete.
Bad breathing habits not only contribute to ill health, but
they also keep you from realizing your full potential. When
your system is denied the oxygen it needs, it can't function
properly. Learning to breathe properly
will help you both physically and with the inner work we'll
be doing.
To check your breathing:
- Stand with your feet together and arms at your side. Close
your eyes.
- Take a deep breath through your nose. Observe yourself
as you breathe. Take notice as to whether you're expanding
your chest or your abdomen as you inhale.
- Exhale.
If you're breathing properly your abdomen will expand when
you inhale and contract as you exhale. Breathing this way
allows your lungs to fill properly. If your chest expands
and your shoulders rise during inhalation, your breath is
incomplete.
Belly Breathing
Belly breathing can help you relax any time you are tense.
When you feel anxious about something, just close your eyes
and take 5 to 10 deep breaths. Deep breathing can also energize
you. When you are feeling tired or drained,
do a few belly breaths. If you are breathing from your
chest, I strongly suggest that you retrain your body to breathe
properly, which means breathing from your diaphragm or belly.
- Lie flat on the floor or on your bed. Take a few deep
breaths and feel yourself relax. Place one hand on your
abdomen. Take a deep breath through your nose. As you inhale,
let your abdomen push your hand out.
- As you exhale, feel your hand go down. Do this 3 to 10
times. Take your time with each breath. Breathing
this way will probably feel strange at first, but with practice
you'll become accustomed to it.Try to do belly breathing
every day. A good time to do this is when you get into bed
at night, when you first wake up in the morning and/or any
time you want to relax.
Candle Gazing
Meditating will help you develop discipline and concentration,
two valuable skills that are found in successful people.Candle
gazing is an exercise that can help you learn to concentrate.
It will also accustom you to sitting quietly and focusing
on something other than your outer world. If possible, do
candle gazing in your meditation space.
To do this exercise, place a lighted candle at eye level
about two feet away from where you are sitting. Focus your
gaze on the flame of the candle and just watch it. Try not
to blink your eyes, but don't force them to stay open. Continue
to watch the candle flame for 5 to 10 minutes. If your gaze
wanders, slowly bring it back. As you do this, be aware of
your thoughts without trying to change them.
Some Guidelines
- Try to meditate every day in your meditation space.
- Aim at meditating at the same time every day. In the beginning,
you may skip some days as you begin to develop the meditation
habit. Don't be hard on yourself if you do. It's okay --
there is plenty of time. When you first start these inner
activities, you aim for three times a week.
- Establish some rituals to signal your subconscious that
it is time to connect. Lighting a candle, burning incense,
doing some breathing exercises, sitting quietly in a chair
in your meditation space -- these are all activities that
can be part of your ritual.
- Don't have any expectations about your meditation; don't
go into meditation with any preconceived ideas about what
is going to happen.
- Be patient with yourself. Just like anything else you
might be learning, meditation techniques take time to develop.
Enjoy the process as well as the results.
- Don't be afraid to try meditations that you create. Most
of the meditations that you will find in this book are ones
that I developed during the past fifteen years and they
work for me. You may discover others that work better for
you.
- If your mind wanders when you are meditating, gently bring
it back.
Read more about Prosperity
Is an Inside Job
More
Meditations.
Go to:
Let
Go & Relax - an audio tape with a guided meditation
by Joan Sotkin
Affirmations
for Prosperity
The Library
of Articles
|
