My intention for writing this blog is to share my thoughts, teachings, and experiences about self discovery, personal development, and self healing that I have learned along my personal journey towards relearning to love myself and living an authentic life. I believe we are all trying to be the best versions of ourselves. As we move along life, gathering different experiences, we seem to get so overwhelmed with all the external demands that we forget that at our core we are really spiritual beings. When our life choices are exclusively centered on materialism, satisfying the ego, and meeting other people's needs and expectations, we lose connection with our higher spiritual selves and our lives become fragmented and out of balance. I have learned that becoming whole again comes from our perfect spiritual center. The truth is that at our spiritual center we are all great bright lights! We are all divine! In my opinion, making a choice to take responsibility to rediscover this spiritual center is the key to living a life that is meaningful and full of purpose. No one else can do this inner work for you. It must be done by you. As you begin to move from the outer consciousness to the inner soul you discover some undeniable truths 1) Everything and everyone is energy and we are all interconnected 2) Everything begins and ends in love 3) Our thoughts create our reality. There are so many authors providing information on the world of energy, energy healing, meditation, self healing, and personal development. I would like to share many of their ideas on this site in hopes that you may find direction and a place to begin the journey inward. I love quotes so you will find many of my favorites here as well.
I will end by sharing one thing that you can do right now to begin your inward journey - pay attention to your breathing. Your breath is what links your mind and your body. It also is the link to regulating your emotions. Your breath not only carries oxygen and eliminates carbon dioxide but it also carries energy to every cell in your body. Learning how to breath correctly is a tool that will help you disrupt the flight or fight stress response and bring your body and mind back to its natural relaxed state. Try this simple breathing exercise, focusing on following the breath with your awareness for just five minutes and see if you notice any changes in your body and mind before and after the exercise.
Begin by sitting on a solid surface, feet resting flat on the floor, your head, neck, and trunk should be in alignment, your hands resting on your knees or in your lap. Close your eyes and immediately become aware that you are breathing. See if you can notice where your breath is settling in your body. Follow the breath as it enters your nose and travels into your chest or abdomen. Notice if your breath is fast and tight or flowing with a sense of ease and rhythm. Is the inspiration and expiration of equal lengths or is one longer than the other? Are you breathing from your nose or mouth? For the first two minutes you are just observing your own breath without judging and without making any changes, just witnessing what is happening.
Next it is time to gently direct your breath into your lower abdomen. See if you can get it to the area below your naval. Then imagine that you have a balloon lying there and as you inhale, you gently inflate the balloon, causing your abdomen to rise up slowly. And then as you exhale you deflate the balloon which causes your abdomen to fall back softly. Continue inflating and deflating the imaginary balloon as you notice the gently rising and falling of your abdomen. Continue this pattern of breathing for a few more minutes or until you feel it is time to stop this breathing exercise. Then slowly open your eyes and sit quietly in this space observing your body for any changes. You have just given yourself a dose of self love and increased energy is now flowing throughout your body. You can practice this simple breathing exercise daily or more frequently whenever you feel the need for a boost of energy or a dose of calm.
Love and Blessings,
JoAnn
“Keep knocking and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look out to see who is there.” -Rumi