by Navjit Kandola
Is there an emotion you wish you did not feel?
Is it constantly damaging your relationships or work prospects? Is it always there, heavy in the background, sabotaging the way you experience your life?
I think each one of us can answer yes to at least one of those questions. We move through our days without a single thought to the quality of the emotional states we inhabit, or the fact that we can actually choose to feel differently. It is almost as if these emotions (plus the thoughts) have their own agenda, freely running their tyrannical schemes to create dysfunction and dissociation in our lives.
Each time we hear ourselves saying,“I’m not good enough”, or hiding our true feelings, there is an emotion (or group of emotions) sabotaging us.
So for today, let’s examine that emotion that’s keeping you from peace, contentment and prosperity.
Take a few moments to sit quietly and close your eyes. Breath deeply, and ask your emotional body to show you which emotion/s is keeping you stuck. It could be anger or anxiety about survival, or it could be lack of motivation or sadness. Take a moment to reflect upon how this emotion is affecting your relationships, goals, dreams or health.
Give yourself time to get a real idea of the impact this feeling has on you, and the the sense of self it creates. Then, take a deep breath and ask your body where it holds this emotion. You may feel or sense the place, or simply instinctively know where it is.
Take your awareness to this place and see what it feels like. Is it heavy or dark? Allow yourself to become aware of the actual “weight”, “texture” or “quality” of this energy.
Now take another deep breath and ask this holding place what color it needs to release this painful feeling or internal dialogue. Take the first color you perceive and draw it directly into that place. Feel the color begin to dissolve the emotion, allowing your body to relax as it releases that troublesome energy. Stay focused on this sense of release for as long as you need, until you feel a shift occur. Give yourself a moment to meditate in this new, liberated place you have created within yourself. Allow your body to realign and fully experience a new vibration.
And now take another deep breath and command all the trillions of cells of your body to imprint this new, freer space – it belongs to you.
When you are ready, open your eyes.
A brighter, wider, dauntless new world of perception awaits you. Enjoy it to the utmost!
by Navjit Kandola
Memo:
Enemy No.1 needs your love and attention for the good of the whole
Imagine you received a memo like this. Would you be up for the challenge? Would your superhero curiousity be piqued? Mine certainly would be. I’d be looking for my cape and getting ready for some fearless maneuvers!
Granted, we don’t usually receive such memos calling for grand gestures to save the world. But there are many opportunities to transform the lives of those around us through acts of kindness, compassion and love. Real life heroism at its finest!
This assignment today requires a strong heart. Are you up to the task?
For today’s mediation, we are going to send love to those we have deemed unworthy of our love for any reason. For example, someone who has caused us deep harm, abandoned us, or someone we just “don’t like”. (Keep in mind – animosity never appears out of thin air. There’s always a reason for such strong feelings.)
You may be asking yourself, “Why should I do that? Those people owe me. They have hurt me.”
The purpose of this exercise is to expand your capacity for love. You must transcend your own story of you and your “enemy”. By stretching our compassion muscles in these particularly challenging areas, we can begin to contemplate the possibility of inner and world peace.
Will you answer the call?
Here we go, and thank you.
Find an amazing spot to sit for this mediation. Begin to become aware of your breath, and consciously begin to quieten the mind and body from external distractions. Take another deep breath and close your eyes.
Now think of someone that you do not like or feel angry with, or someone you deem unworthy of your love. Take the first person that comes into your awareness and allow them to stand to the right of you in your consciousness.
Turn your attention back to yourself. Breathe, and quieten your body and mind. When you are ready, ask your body where it holds the ability or quality of love that can transcend fear, judgement, or your own story of being hurt.
Take your awareness to the place that holds this expansive, transcendent capacity to love. What does this kind of love feel like? Is it warm or light? Allow your senses to touch and vibrate with this energy. Once you can feel it vibrating in your body, begin to radiate it out as waves of energy towards your “enemy”.
Observe what happens. Does the person move away or change? Stay focused on being in this experience of transcendent love, and allowing it to flow from you. Take your time here to really connect to this energy, and the healing transformation that is taking place. Let your mind be silent.
Continue in this exercise until the person leaves, or fades into the light.
Now take another deep breath, and begin to radiate this loving energy into yourself – to all the places you hold judgement against yourself, places where you feel unworthy. Allow the same wonderful, transcendent energy to pour into your inner fibres, nourishing and healing you. Take as long as you would like, or until you feel you have completed this transformation.
As we clear the energy fields within our own bodies and auras we have our first taste of peace, acceptance, love for ourselves and those we deem our enemies.
Yippee! Let’s get it on!
by Navjit Kandola
Silence is ever-present; between our thoughts and words, activity and inactivity. It is familiar to us, a friend we seek out when we need to rest, replenish or rejuvenate. “It is the language of God,”*.
Yet for many of us, silence may feel awkward or discombobulating when we consciously meet it from within.
So today, let us practice sitting in silence for a few moments. Allow yourself to dispel any anxieties or expectations around silence, and focus instead on listening for it.
Commit to this listening in a relaxed, natural way.
Here we go.
Sit in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Take a moment to allow your body and mind to settle down, and close your eyes. Continue to breathe. Feel yourself quieting down. If any thoughts or emotions arise, allow yourself to notice them, but do not “go” with them. Instead, allow them to pass through you. As you observe this, continue to tell your mind and body to quieten.
Now, begin to listen for the silence between your thoughts and feelings. Slow down your thoughts in order to allow your focus to deepen.
See if you can identify the exact vibration of silence in your consciousness. Is it fast or slow? Velvety or silken? Touch it with your inner awareness, and command your consciousness to move in the same frequency as the silence. Reach for this quietude by relaxing even more deeply with every breath. Breathe, relax, and ride the waves of silence until you are feel complete with the exercise. Then, take a couple of deep breaths and open your eyes.
Feel the silence within you as you move through your day. Silence is you and God/the Source on the same wavelength. Enjoy!
*Rumi
by Navjit Kandola
Think of all the different kinds of love that you love: being in love, love for the truth, the love you feel for a child, the love of your lover, and, of course, self-love. We watch movies about love, listen to songs about it, and hunger for it in our hearts. We desire love because it’s the greatest nourishment there is – it heals the deepest wounds inside of us, allows us to open the parts of ourselves that were once under lock and key, and it simply feels absolutely delicious.
And yet, we tend to forget that love resides, first and foremost, within ourselves.So, we seek the love of others – a mother’s words, a lover’s embrace, a dog’s loyalty – to feel whole or complete in ourselves. We all know so much about love, but rarely trust it (or ourselves) enough to celebrate it without reason or cause. But we can make love a fuller, deeper, richer experience and expression by choosing to do so.Love is a living flame within us, waiting to be remembered and reactivated. There is no special code, permission, or person we have to wait for to enjoy the splendiferous energy that it ignites.
For today’s meditation let us focus on the essence of love. It’s time to celebrate this glorious feeling for its own sake.
Here we go!
Find a wonderful spot to sit, and take a couple of deep breaths into your body. Feel your body, your heart, and listen to your breath. Allow yourself a few moments to adjust from your outer awareness to your inner awareness.
On your next breath, ask your body where it holds the essence of love. Repeat the question as many times as you need, and allow your body to “speak” until you feel, sense, or see the place you’re looking for.
Once you can take your awareness to that place in your body, ask yourself: What does it feel like? Is it warm? Light? Blissful? Quiet? Feel this lovely energy, and allow the feeling to deepen and amplify until it radiates out from your whole body, filling every single cell like a vast, shimmering light.
Continue to radiate this love essence until you feel ready to open your eyes, and welcome its full presence in your whole being as you work and play.
Remember: we can connect to and expand this energy at any time. Think of it as an opportunity to ‘refuel’, to fill your own heart up with the essence of all that is loving and bright. By doing so, you create familiar pathways of deep nourishment and fulfillment that can be accessed at any time.
by Navjit Kandola
I see magic all the time, everywhere.
I see magic in my garden, in my son’s happy jumping, in a weed sprouting, or a kiss. I am not talking about spells, witches or strange brews here. Instead, I am speaking of the alchemy of creation itself. Magic is wonderment at life – things, events, people truly connecting…
Magic is a doorway to mystery; it begs inquiry and draws us to step out of the box, to witness the extraordinary beauty of ordinary things. It questions our assumptions and beliefs and sends us on our way to awe.
Today, let us step out of the mundane for a moment and celebrate the magic that is all around us.
Here we go:
Seek out a place to sit quietly for a few moments and take in your surroundings, whatever they may be. Allow yourself to sigh or breathe deeply, releasing any tension or stress from the body.
Close your eyes as you breathe in and out comfortably. Allow your senses to perceive the life that is happening around you; the sounds, smells, tastes and textures. Now take another deep breath, and ask your body where it holds the essence of magic or wonderment. Listen and observe. You might sense a tingling sensation, or you might immediately know where it is in your body.
What does it feel like? Is it giggly? Is it filled with sparkles? Or is it quiet and still? Each one of us will experience this energy differently, and will connect to it in our own unique way. The purpose of this exercise is to feel the quality of energy as it lives within our bodies.
Once you can sense this place, dive into it with your awareness and open it up, letting it fill your whole body. Allow yourself to quicken and vibrate with this energy. You may feel a smile appearing on your face, or sense warmth beginning to radiate from you. These are just signs of your body beginning to respond to the expansion of this joyous space.
Take a few moments here and enjoy the sensations of your consciousness within this state. As you become filled with this energy, allow it to flow out of you and into the room like a radiant sun.
Breathe into your body now and command all the cells to imprint this energy so that you can turn it on whenever you feel the mundane reality seeping into your consciousness.
Then whenever you are ready open your eyes and see the magic and wonderment around you!
by Navjit Kandola
Who doesn’t love to laugh?
Laughter truly is the best medicine. It’s incredibly good for the heart, kidneys, adrenals and the immune system. It’s an amazing stress reliever, and can even help you get your sexy on! The more we learn to laugh, the more easily we can shake off depression, heaviness and inertia in our bodies and minds.
Unfortunately, most of us feel we need a “good reason” to laugh or smile. So we wait for a joke or comical situation to arise that sends us into fits of giggles… but if you ask me, there may be too few of those around to ensure you get your healthy, daily dose of laughter. I say: why wait? If you really think about it, it’s ridiculous to hold back, especially because it makes us feel so great!
Feeling-self conscious about chuckling for no apparent reason? Well, take a deep breath, because it’s time to let that go.
Take a break and smile. Now that you have smiled, slowly build your stamina for a baby snortle, a giggle or maybe even a guffaw. Do you feel your laughter muscles beginning to twitch and respond? And now let it rip! Quietly or raucously – off you go!
Here are a few short videos that will help you on your way today! Click the descriptions below to watch.
A little strange but funny enough to get you giggling!
Or how about a baby laughing to start the day?
And here is an audio of laughing
For more laughs: A documentary about the benefits of laughter and some great exercises.
Part One
Part Two
