More and more people are learning how to follow a path from fear to love. But we still live on a troubled planet, where people experience anger, conflict, and ill-health. Very few of us realise that pain and suffering arises from fear stored in our own minds and hearts. Christmas-time can be a flash-point where our unhealed issues rise up in our consciousness, causing anxiety, resentment, envy, and a whole host of other feelings. Quite often we project these emotions onto those who are close to us, causing them to feel quite miserable. Try incorporating these universal spiritual practices into your daily life for a joyful Christmas this year
1) RAISE YOUR ENERGETIC VIBRATION
The Infinite Arts assist you to rise above fear, anger – both collective and personal- so you can connect to peace, love, light and joy for longer periods of time. At this time of year, it’s easy to tune in to the collective busyness. This contains worry, stress and the energy not at all calm. So it can quite easily disturb our inner equilibrium unless we raise our consciousness and energetic vibration through Infinite Tai Chi, Chi Yoga, Chi Kung and Meditation.
There’s plenty of bad news in the media that can easily drag us down into anger, fear. It helps neither the situation nor anyone else by becoming miserable. Best to be a bright presence that lifts the mood of those around you. This takes some mindfulness training and some discipline, as well as the energy work and meditation. In meditation, repeatedly hold whatever is troubling you in the bright warmth of your conscious awareness, and watch your troubles melt away. Find ways to rise above the fear-based collective human consciousness, such as Infinite Meditation and Infinite Tai Chi.
2) BE AUTHENTIC
That means to your true self, your higher self, not to your personality-self. Being authentic is not about giving someone a piece of your mind! Rather, it is about aligning with the best of human spirit- integrity, courage, kindness, generosity.
Don’t buy into what society or the media tell you Christmas is about. Go beyond the stereotypical views of Christmas and connect to the true meaning. What is that? It is Love, for Life, for mankind, for creation itself as a manifestation of Divinity. Listen more to your heart/intuition/feelings as to how that may express itself in your own Christmas.
Please don’t spend more than you can afford on gifts. It is not generosity, it is actually a form of self-harm. There are other ways to show people you care. Give what you can, do what you can. When you give a present begrudgingly, perhaps with resentment, out of duty, out of fear, you are offering the recipient a poisoned chalice. You are giving them the gift of all that negative energy that accompanies it. If it doesn’t feel right to give a present in a certain circumstance, don’t.
3) PRACTICE BEING NON-JUDGEMENTAL
We all have a tendency to make assumptions about other people and the world based on our past experience and past programming. Judging others is self-deception, but we all do it, which is one reason why family get-togethers over Christmas can end up being so stressful. Ram Dass famously said: “If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a weekend with your family.”
Judging others is actually an automatic human process until we cultivate enough awareness or mindfulness to notice what our own egoic mind is doing to us. Moreover, the lower mind is always thinking about the past or fantasising about the future. We seem to find it incredibly difficult to keep our minds in the here and now. If you observe your mind closely for a while, you will notice that it is always wandering off into the past or the future. Not many people have yet cultivated the capacity to keep their minds and bodies together in the present moment.
Our judgement of events and people will also vary according to how we are feeling on any particular day. For example, if we are in love, nothing will disturb us, and we will see the good in everyone. But moody emotions will create dark clouds in our minds that totally obscure the eternal, vast blue sky that lies beyond our egoic thinking and feeling, and it won’t take much to annoy us. Be aware about this, and take it into account when about to pass judgement.
When spiritual teachers talk about this world being an illusion, they do not mean that it does not exist. But they are pointing out that we never see the world as it really is. We do not really see other people clearly at all. We see them through the illusive veil of our past programming that we then project out onto them. Thus each time the mind makes an assumption about someone, it places another veil of illusion over true vision.
4) FORGIVENESS
If there is someone in your life to forgive, do it now. That person might be yourself. It’s is a good time to let go of grievances, to let go of the ghosts of Christmas’ past! Forgiveness is really a process of releasing the negative energy of the emotion attached to the grievance, which is stored in the body, and letting go of the “story” behind it, until no emotional charge remains, and you realise you feel neutral when thinking about that person, that event. It is a liberating act, freeing you from the past, so you can live in the present, which is forever fresh, forever filled with opportunities and possibilities. Where life begins anew in the present, eternal moment.
5) THINKING OF OTHERS
How may I help you? Let this be your mantra. We are all hard-wired to help others. It makes us feel good too, so mutually beneficial. It gives meaning to our life.
6) LET GO OF EXPECTATION
Expectations about what Christmas is supposed to look like, be like will of course make you (and those around you) just feel anxious.But really there’s no need to conform to a stereotype, which can be stifling. Just allowing the day to unfold, remembering what’s important- sharing love with your family, friends, your pet. They don’t have to be physically present to share love with them.
7) PRACTICE THE ART OF GRATITUDE
When we are busy, it’s so easy to “forget” how fortunate we are. So whatever your personal circumstances this Christmas, whether with family or alone, do your best to look out for the good and bright things that are present in your day. It will make you feel so much better!
8) THIS CHRISTMAS, ABIDE IN THE WARMTH AND COMFORT OF YOUR HEART
Please make a conscious choice this Christmas to take a pause from the busyness of the festive season, with all its accompanying stress and irritation. Make time for nourishing and nurturing yourself, to create a spaciousness in the body and mind that leads to calm thinking, an at-easeness and generosity.
Remember the peace and joy of this time of year. If you can connect to your “calm centre” you will find peace. You will be aware of any anxiety, fear and anger that exists around you, but it will not diminish the powerful peace you carry within.
This does not mean that you become unfeeling. You will have concern, compassion and care. But these will arise from love, not fear. Fear can lead to self-protection and tribalism; Love expands and extends to everyone and everything, brightening and enriching the lives of those around you- friends, family, work colleagues.
So how can we hold this peace, when all around us, people are losing theirs? How do we remain compassionate and retain clarity of mind while the barrage of negativity from the media is causing people to panic?
I would like to share with you a simple practice that you can do anywhere: at work, at home, while sitting, standing and talking. It will take just a few moments using this exercise to return to your calm inner being. It is “Abiding in Comfort.”
STEPS TO ABIDING IN COMFORT
- Sit with a straight back, so the spirit can rise
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor, rooting into the Earth, connecting to its strength and comfort. Allow your lower half to “sink” in a relaxed fashion.
- Tuck in your lower abdomen.
- Place your hands on your lap, palms facing inwards towards the Dantien area just below the belly-button.
- Focus on the breath to still the mind, breathing to the Dantien. If the mind is very busy, it may help to use a mantra.
After just a short while, you will notice peace permeating your being. The mind will start to become whole again. Focusing on the deep breath and the position of the hands at the Dantien will help to activate this powerhouse, energising your body. Stay here as long as you need to, and return to it several times a day, and you will be in a state of peace, alert relaxation and Radiance. You feel alive.
Abide in comfort, regardless of what is happening. Abide in comfort for one day, and you can abide in comfort for the rest of your life.
Who does not want this?
Peace and Joy to All
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