Somebody is here

At some point in your life, you may be motivated to take steps to "become a somebody."  You may develop the idea that in order to be known, to leave a legacy, to do worthwhile things, you cannot be a nobody. If you relate to this, an underlying restlessness is intepreted by the mind as dissatisfaction. What if there is another reason for this apparent unrest?

What if somebody is already here?  What if that somebody is reaching out for conscious recognition of its existence?  What if imbalance is your body's way of letting you know you are not valuing true self? What if everything that you feel invites you to see your life from different points of view so you rediscover what love and freedom truly feel like?

If you feel inspired by a new calling, have the desire to take course, certification or qualification, know that every choice or pursuit is always helping you in some way. If you feel compelled to change careers or cities because you outgrow a dream or activity, that's your perogative. If you feel drawn to leave a job or put a relationship on hold in order to assist sick family members, this decision is as valid as any other.  Only the inner judge prompts you to believe otherwise. Are you  missing the bigger picture?

Stop where you are. Take a moment.  Explore deeper reasons for your current focus.  If you totally forget the bigger picture and only experience life close up, you can also opt to put down the magnifying glass.  See what else is here.  Without the judge, we're all the same. 

"Its only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." -Chuck Palahniuk

Appreciate the little things

Whatever situations are unfolding in your life, you choose where to focus your attention.  You decide how to interpret your unique  experiences, whether you get something meaningful out of each stage of your life journey.  Notice the true nature of any restlessness you feel.  Why find anything wrong where you are, doing what you do? Be creative.  Love something about where you are now. 

Notice your conditioned ways of thinking.  Notice whether you focus on thoughts that trigger sadness, joy or evoke other emotions like anger and fear.  Notice when you focus on gratitude or allow discomfort or dissatisfaction to cloud your focus.

This said, you can always renew appreciation for 'the little things.'   This brings clarity. They may be people, aspects of nature or the environment, conditions or anything that uplifts your spirit. Notice whether you view the glass of life as half full, half empty, or as something else. What happens as you are kind to yourself and show kindness to others? The sun always shines.  You see, you take it with you wherever you go.

Take a few moments to reflect on little things that  bring joy.  What stands out? Share your perspective of 'the little things' that truly make life feel worthwhile.

"It is good to appreciate that life is now. Whatever it offers, little or much, life is now - this day - this hour."  - Charles Macomb Flandrau

"None of us has gotten where we are solely by pulling ourselves up from our own bootstraps. We got here because somebody bent down and helped us." - Thurgood Marshall

Train your attention

Mindfulness is training your attention to be awake and aware of what goes on inside and outside yourself.  It is a sharpening of the senses.  Notice what you are creating and adding to your experiences.  Notice also what ideas you cling to and also those attachments you are willing to let go. Notice the feelings that arise and dissipate as you decide nothing matters.

What do you sense about your own observation and evolving behaviour in this moment? How does your life perspective (the nature of seeing) shift as you only speak to people who are truly present? What do you see in common with people you encounter and those you don't?

"If you first fortify yourself with the true knowledge of the Universal Self, and then live in the midst of wealth and worldliness, surely they will in no way affect you." -Ramakrishna

Celebrate every dream

Notice how you hear, see and know things on a deep level that nothing can actually shake. You view this as intuition, gut feeling, inner knowing or something else. Why shake it off?

Let's say everything you encounter is a layer of a dream, itself a reflection of the divine that takes form to invite you to respond. Its like a cosmic holodeck. You design the program and play the virtual game. Imagine that each person, place or thing you encounter is a different version of you inviting you to see something more clearly or to learn about yourself. All you notice in the external world is what you do not yet consciously know yourself to be.  You are not only what you are becoming, but what you already are, like a tribe of many colours.

Notice whether you feel things out or think your way along. You have intelligence and insight to make conscious choices.  What happens when every moment feels the same to you?

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” -Henry David Thoreau

7 Beginner's Tips for Intentional OBEs

Several techniques can be used for intentional out of body experiences (OBEs) also known as astral travel.  The rope technique is one of the most common and popular methods. Consider these 7 Tips for intentional OBEs:

1. Prepare the Mind

Make sure you are comfortable in a place you will not be disturbed and try to leave enough time so that you don’t have to think about time at all.

2. Feel Yourself Relax

It is best to be in a relaxed state of mind for astral travel, so you may like to meditate for ten minutes so that your Consciousness is open and receptive.

3. Allow Yourself to Almost Fall Asleep

It is best to practice astral travel when you are not too tired, otherwise, you may fall asleep! The goal is to feel as physically relaxed as possible while maintaining a wakeful mind.

If you do fall asleep, consciousness is shifting along a scale of dimensions.  Your physical eyes are closed, yet the dream mind sees.  As you grow more alert and aware of the out-of-body experience (OBE), you begin to sense the physical mind continues thinking and being while the projected double is split into an independent aspect. You can shift focus or point of consciousness out in front of the body, even above and beyond it.  More than one aspect of you is expanding on experience.

4. Notice Your Senses Sharpening

At this stage, you may notice mysterious visuals or sounds as well as sensations such as floating or falling. You may also feel slightly numb, which is exactly where you want to be.

It comes to your attention that the mind is recording more than one set of dream memories. In fact, you discover you can have two or more sets of memories for a single time period, that of the participant and the observer, and possibly other perspectives.  More than one set of dream memories co-exist.  As the projected double re-joins or re-integrates with the physical body, the strongest set of memories stand out.  Other, shadow memories also exist, but are often lost. 

Even now, you gain insight into a range of experiences from non-physical sight to projection. Mind's eye vision is revealing itself. The depth and complexity of dream recall sharpens as you practice, strengthen awareness, learn to keep OBEs short and train the mind so physical and projected aspects are aware and focused on each other. You see what you are ready to accept.

5. Visualize a Silver Cord

Now imagine a silver rope dangling from the ceiling, just within your reach. Spend some time visualizing this rope in detail, to the point where you can imagine what it will feel like.

6. Attempt to Grab the Rope with Your Astral Hand

Instead of diving right in and trying to astral project your whole body immediately, simply begin with one limb. Focus on reaching out to the rope and grabbing it with your astral hand.

7. Allow the Rest of Your Body to Follow

After you have successfully gripped the cord with your astral hand, feel the rest of your astral body rise from your physical form, and begin to climb the rope. It may seem heavier or lighter than usual to lift yourself.

Ultimately, it can take practice to master OBEs at will, but with persistence and discipline, travel anywhere is possible. If you don’t succeed the first time, or have lapses in your progress, encourage yourself to keep it up.  Conscious visits through astral realms are closer than you imagine.

"Men are the dreams of a shadow." - Pindar (Ancient Greek lyrical poet)