Tuesday 22 October 2013

Soul Contracts


Why are we here? What choices did I make before I arrived here on earth? What did I want to experience in this lifetime to grow as a soul? All these questions can be answered when looking into your own soul contracts.

What is a Soul Contract?
A soul contract is a predetermined contract with your higher self about what you are going to experience when you descend on the earth plane. You and your team of guides get together and talk about what experiences will best serve your souls growth. What is decided becomes your blueprint.

Do I Choose the Souls Who Will Assist My Growth?
You also decide what souls are going to assist you in your journey to experience growth. These are soul-to-soul contracts. Animals also have souls so they also can have contracts with you.  You have primary contracts with certain souls and you also have secondary contracts with other souls, who help support the primary contracts. Lastly, you also have individual contracts with yourself.

Am I going it Alone?
The contrast into this reality to what our souls know is huge. But we are not left alone. We are teamed up with guides and angels to guide us on our way, pointing us in the direction of our souls lessons.

The Gift of Free Will.
One of the greatest privileges we have here is that we also are given the gift of free will. We have the choice when we incarnate here to move in whatever direction that we choose. We are the captains of our own ship. It is often difficult when our lessons are strong and hard, and often we find it difficult to rise above the darkness to see the light? It all comes down to choice. We have the strength and ability to choose the light. We made the plan to experience what would show us how to be the light.

How you choose to live is totally up to you. Your free will is a gift. The most important thing to remember is that when your experiences are challenging, go within your heart and mind , find the truth in what is presented, and use your inner light, your guidance system, to shine your way out of the darkness.

Can I Do it all Wrong?
There are no wrong ways to learn the soul contracts. You cannot fail. If you choose not to experience your “lesson”, then your team will direct you again to have another opportunity to grasp the lesson.

There are souls on this planet that have agreed to show others how to experience their light. This is a contract that you have set up.  When we incarnate, our souls purpose might to be to experience what it is like to be the inflictor of pain on others. Or it might choose to experience being trapped in a physical body that cannot express their divinity in a physical way. We might also choose to be connected to a group consciousness that chooses to help cleans the planet and lift Gaia into ascension. All of these

Contracts are divine. Each person and experience comes from the place of divinity and unconditional love.

What is a Common Lesson That We All Choose to Experience When We Incarnate?
To remember who we are. To remember that we are pure, white, light that is experiencing what it feels like to not be the light, amidst all the challenges and confusion that we face daily. To remember we are all connected, and to remember that we are phenomenal souls. All of us. Not some of us, not some more than others, but all of us equally the same.

Being the Observer of Others Contracts.
Seeing a person playing out their role can be very disempowering to watch when the choices made do not resonate with who you are. What you can choose to do is to see this soul as a light that is weighed down by karmic ties that makes it challenging for them to move forward.  See the person with love and know that they have chosen this life path to experience what they need to experience. It is not your responsibility to control or save others. Work on your own contracts, be the light that you are and make choices that work with your souls lessons. When you live in your truth then this shines the way for others to be who they really are. Be a beacon in the dark for other souls to follow.

Living Through a Difficult Part of Your Soul’s Contract.
Some of you may question how to choose the light when everything around you is so dark. I’m sure we can all think of an experience or a time we have gone through, that has knocked us down so hard that we have no idea how to stand back up. I have been here and the advice that I can give to you, is to reach for the next best emotion that is heading towards the light.  If you can see where you need to be, but can’t possibly see a way to get there, then, take baby steps back to the light.

How Do I Identify My Souls Lessons?
Firstly we need to understand that soul contracts need to be worked through. Once they have been done, we can release them. Some may be released this lifetime, others not.

Secondly, raise your awareness to what patterns of behaviour or emotions are being triggered by certain people or situations. For example, do you always get upset around the issue of money? Do you experience anxiety when confronting authority figures? Are you longing for a relationship but time after time struggle to keep anyone in your life? Usually if a person or situation arouses a reaction in you, you can bet there is a soul contract in place.

Once you have the awareness of the contract then you can see things with more clarity. When you can see clearly, you will be able to make decisions to start to deal with the contracts head on. As you work through them, you can slowly begin to release the contract.


Thursday 10 October 2013

Letting Go

There is one thing that is for certain and that is the world is in a constant state of change. Our lives are ever changing, growing and evolving.  Our life is a series of changing times, emotions, lessons and adventures. Change is what we can count on for sure. But to move with the changes in life, we have to live life free from the baggage (or lessons) of the past.
Sometimes the lessons in life that are presented to us are difficult. We can experience pain, trauma, heartache, confusion, distrust, disgust, fear and anger. One of the hardest lessons for us to learn in this life time is to let go of the past and practice forgiveness.
We all hold experiences that have given us the opportunity to grow on a soul level. It is the choices we make after our lessons that determine if we are going to move and change with the times or stay stuck in the past in an ever changing world.                                                                                                                                                                
What Am I Holding Onto?
When we look into our hearts we may see that there are things that we hold onto. Are we holding onto the past? Are we holding onto old emotions like fear or anger? Are we holding onto an old belief that no longer serves us? When we hold onto the past and it no longer serves us, we become blocked and stuck, inhibiting the ability to grow as souls.
Life is challenging and it is without question that we have the right to feel resentment and anger. We have the right to question, shout, cry and hide from the world for a while. But there is a choice. You can choose to stay locked into the past, giving all your power away to the circumstance and rob yourself of a future. Or, you can choose not to be a victim of circumstance, find forgiveness and walk without the past defining your future.

Acknowledge What You Need to Let Go Of?
Often we know exactly what we need to let go of. But sometimes we have done such a good job of hiding our pain from ourselves that over the years it is very difficult to identify what lies beneath the surface. What we can often recognize is the patterns of emotions, fears and struggles that play out in our lives. Our actions and behaviours often mimic the pain left behind from something we need to let go of. Be kind to yourself and take time to see the truth in your behaviours. You do not need to give your power away to your past.  When you can see patterns repeating, stop! Investigate the truth and set yourself free. Here are some common behaviours that we may need to let go of:
1.       Fears - Sometimes we have been afraid for so long that we are unable to see how afraid we really are. Are you staying away from people, places and opportunities? Do you talk yourself out

of new things to try? What are you really afraid of? Acknowledge your fears, see the truth in your behaviour, take a deep breath and release your fears. Ask yourself, “If I do this, will I get hurt?” If not, LET GO and jump into life with two feet. LIVE LIFE with JOY.

2.       Control - It is your decision to let people control you and have power over you. It may be obvious that they are wrong and you are right. You may feel the urgency to push your truth and win the battle. But this is also letting others control you. People will try and control you out of fear. But control is not a behaviour that comes from the place of love. As you awaken more on your spiritual journey, you will be more sensitive of peoples need to control you. All that is required of you is to see that behaviour for what it is…a blockage to love.

3.       Resistance - Resistance is also something many of us need to let go of. We resist new lessons by putting up a block. This block may be in the form of an old belief or an old feeling. Life is kind to us. If we don’t take the opportunity to learn the lesson it presents us, it will continue to bring us the lessons until we learn what we need to. Lessons are hard and we often resist the challenges it presents to us. As each lesson appears to us, ask yourself, “What do I need to learn”. Embrace the challenge, and break through the resistance. For what we resist persists.

4.       Resentment - Resentments are hurtful not only to yourself but also to the people around you. When you are living in a resentful way the energy of this negativity spews out into the lives of the people around you. The stronger the resentment the more powerful the energy is. Be aware of this painful, toxic energy. You are responsible for the direct negativity that flows onto others. Let go of resentment. Free yourself of the unhappiness and free those around you. Live in the light.

Forgiveness - Forgiveness from the heart is for your own benefit more so than anyone else’s. Pain, judgement, anger, fear, hatred, jealousy, resentment, negativity, and control are all behaviours and feelings that are from the dark or shadow side of you. When we live attached to these feelings and behaviours than we cannot live life with love and joy. We cannot be happy and fulfilled. We cannot live in the truth of who we really are.
Forgiveness releases us from the attachment to past pain and hurt. When we forgive we free ourselves from the control that the past has. Forgive yourself from past guilt, past behaviours, past people. Stop the judgements, stop the negativity, stop the anger, and stop the bitterness. Forgiveness is letting go. When we let go we move forward.

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but enlarges the future” Paul Boese

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness?
It is awareness of the present moment. It is to be truly alive and awake in each living moment of your life. It is to notice your breath as it flows in and out; it is to the connection with everything you experience with your senses, it is the realisation that you are part of the cosmos as is everything around you.

Being mindful is a practice that we as adults often have to relearn. When we are very young children we are naturally mindful in everything we do. We felt the grass we sat on and were tickled by the feeling on our skin. We experienced creating in the moment with our art, stories and imaginative play. We felt emotions as they were, not afraid of being judged or afraid of expressing ourselves. We lived in the moment.

As we grew we learnt that our mind had to be focused and on task. Society did not teach us to be and stay present. Over time we learnt to forget the practice of mindfulness to allow room for our egos to expand and control.

Why live mindfully?
When you are fully present there is no room for the ego. There is only space for peacefulness and happiness. In a mindful state there is no fear, anxiety, criticism, shame, dishonour, judgement or sorrow. When you are mindful your mind and body are unified, they are working together consciously. Your mind is uncluttered and you can be fully present in what you are doing. When you are not unified your mind separates you from yourself. You lose the link to who you really are.

How to become mindful?
There is much research and teachings on mindfulness and many how to guides, but the clearest and most profound explanations that I have listened too are from Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist Monk who teaches the art of mindfulness all around the world. He explains mindfulness with such clarity and love that his message and teachings are adopted and received by many all over the world. These are some of his suggestions to live a peaceful and happy life.

1.       The Breath – This is so important. When you are breathing in, know that you are breathing in. When you are breathing out, know that you are breathing out. This practice stops the thinking. When we are thinking too much we are not ourselves. Our body is present and our mind is somewhere else.
When you are not present you do not see things clearly…you miss things. Think of when you are busy in your mind and your family members want your attention. How can you be fully present and give them what they need if your mind is not there?

Be there. Be available to the people in your life. Life is only available to you in the moment. It is not found in the past or the future. See the world as it is. See the beauty and the freshness of what the world has to offer. Try not to miss life. Breathe in with awareness, breathe out with awareness. Happiness, peace and joy are all in the present moment.

2.       Flower Fresh – When you breathe in see yourself as a flower, when you breathe out ‘I feel fresh’. Humans are born as flowers. Think of a baby…a baby is very fresh and very beautiful. Just like a flower. Buddhist’s describe our eyes like a lotus flower, and our lips like a beautiful flower too especially when we smile. You can offer this flower to anyone at any time just by breathing in and breathing out and smiling.

Our eyes can smile too. We can smile through our eyes. When we do this we can give 2 flowers and if we smile with our mouth as well we can give 3 flowers.

We need to know how to take care of our flowers. If we do not tend to them they will wither and become tired. So you need to breathe deeply and smile like a flower, breathe deeply out, you are fresh. Practice refreshing yourself and being a flower. Being a flower is happiness.

3.       Mountain Solid – Sit in a strong position like the lotus position or half lotus…You feel solid in this strong position. Stability and solidity in the body help the mind to become stable. Practice breathing in see yourself as a mountain, breathe out… I am solid.

During our lives we experience strong emotions from time to time. Sometimes we can feel very overwhelmed which can make us feel vulnerable. But we are more solid than we think. When we practice being strong like a mountain we can weather these strong emotional times much better.

We are like a tree. Our emotions are on the top like the branches in a storm. They are very vulnerable. But our trunk is strong. Our trunk is just below our naval, so bring your attention to this place and see yourself as a mountain. Breathe in and breathe out watching your stomach. If you practice this, your emotions will not be able to destroy you. When you breathe in, say to yourself…”I see myself as a mountain”, when you breathe out…”I feel solid”.

4.       Space Free – Space is the symbol of liberty.
Breathe in…”I see myself as space”. Breathe out…”I feel free”. Allow yourself space inside and space outside. If you do not have space around you, you cannot move. All human beings need space. Though space can only be obtained by practice. You can practice to offer freedom, to offer emptiness to yourself and to others. 

If you are very busy with many things going on, you don’t have space. How can you be happy? You may need to throw away most of the things around you to be happy. People who have space around them are happier than those that do not. If you want your loved ones to be happy, give them space. If you want to be happy, than give yourself space.

5.       Water Reflected – Visualise a lake in the mountains, the water so still, so clear. It reflects the blue sky and the mountains. You can look into the lake and see your face because it is not distorted at all. It is calm, still and everything is reflected just as it is. Breathe in…”I see myself as still waters”. Breathe out…”I see things as they are”.

When we are not calm we distort things. We cannot clearly see the message from other people and not be open to seeing the truth.

Imagine the full moon in the sky – she wants to reflect herself in the water of your pond. But the water in your pond is not calm. How can the moon reflect herself in you? Therefore it is not the fault of the moon; it is the fault of the water.

If the pond of the mind is still, your perceptions will be correct and you will understand what people are trying to tell us. When the mind is not still you cannot receive the truth from the cosmos. Therefore, practice breathing in and breathing out to calm you, so true understanding can be possible. Sitting quietly is a wonderful way to calm you and to be still waters.

References: The Art of Mindful Living, Thich Nhat Hanh