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Meditate 22 Day 16

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November 24, 2019 { Day 16}

“Be still. Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity” 
~ Lao Tzu

tatah kshiyate prakashavanam

As this stillness arises, the obstacles
fall away and we expand our
awareness of self.
~Yoga Sutra 2:52
Day 16 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery.
Celebrate stillness this magnificent Sunday. Find a bit of time to read and listen to a Yoga Nidra. This healing practice is restorative to mind, body and soul. What is yoga nidra? Referred to as “yogic sleep,” a state of being between sleep and consciousness that’s conducive to deep emotional and physical healing, rewiring your brain, and self-exploration. During the practice of yoga Nidra we access the rest and digest – parasympathetic state- this is where healing happens.
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
  • Crystal – Amethyst: It is thought of mostly as a protective stone. As it is linked to the crown chakra, it is helpful in purifying the mind and clearing it of negative thoughts. This includes the negativity of stress and anxiety.
  • Essential oil – Serenity – apply to bottom of feet and back of neck
  • I like to pick up a cozy pillow case for today’s yoga nidra
send love from my heart,
lil’Kim
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JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal.
  • Are there situations in which your actions are inconsistent with your thoughts or feeling? Sit with it. Is there someone or something you are protecting?
  • How has your meditation practice evolved over the past 16 days?
MUSIC
PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }
UJJAYI BREATH
  • Seal your lips and start to breath in and out through your nose.
  • Take an inhalation through your nose that is slightly deeper than normal. Exhale slowly through your nose while constricting the muscles in the back of your throat.
If you’re having trouble getting the right sound for your breath, try this:
  • With your mouth open, try exhaling the sound “HAAAAH”—it’s similar to the sound you make when you’re trying to fog up a mirror. Get comfortable with this sound to get the hang of the practice.
  • Close your mouth and attempt a similar sound, feeling the outflow of air through your nasal passages. Once you have mastered this on the outflow, use the same method for the in-flow breath, gently constricting the back of your throat as you inhale.
If you’re doing this correctly, you should sound like waves in the ocean

Meditate 22 Day 15

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November 23, 2019 { Day 15 }

One day, you will awaken to your heart’s contentment. Let that day be today.
~ pg 150 Journey to The Heart – Melody Beattie

 

Avidya-Asmita-Raga-Dvesa-Abhinivesa-Klesah

Avidya: ignorance
Asmita: I-ness, ego sense
Raga: attachment
Dvesa: aversion
Abhinivesah: fear of death, clinging to life
Klesah: painful, afflicted
“The Afflictions Are Ignorance, Egoism, Attachment, Aversion And Love Of Life”
Yoga Sutra 2:3

 

Day 15 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery.
Embrace joy! Sometimes we tend to get in our own way. Our experiences and responses lead to tendencies and habits that become ingrained in us. These habits can limit us and keep us from experiencing true self love and awareness. Becoming mindful throughout your day will open your eyes to your habits. As you notice consider whether it is nourishing your true self.
KLESHA : Slef imposed limitations we place on ourselves that lead to tendencies and habits that become ingrained. Keeping us from experiencing life fully and knowing our true self. Cause of all pain and suffering.
  1. Avidya : Misconception / Ignorance
  2. Asmita : Identity
  3. Raga : Desire
  4. Dvesha : Avoidance
  5. Abhinivesha : Fear
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
  • Crystal – Ametrine combines the peacefulness of amethyst with the joyfulness of citrine. This harmonious blend of these two incredible crystals brings balance to our spiritual and mental selves and our feminine and masculine energies. It promotes mental clarity and optimism, thereby sparking positive change in our lives. It brings insight into the cause of issues as well as the motivation to make changes.
  • Essential oil – Wild Orange
  • Make a gratitude list
send love from my heart,
lil’Kim

 

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MEDITATION SCRIPT

 

JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal.
  • Are you attached to any habit?
  • Is there a habit you wish to break?
  • Is there a habit you wish to start? What would your day look like with this habit in place? How can you support your new ritual?
MUSIC
PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }
BREATH OF JOY
To practice Breath of Joy, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel, knees slightly bent.
  1. Inhale one-third of your lung capacity and swing your arms up in front of your body, bringing them parallel to each other at shoulder level, with palms facing the ceiling.
  2. Continue inhaling to two-thirds capacity and stretch your arms out to the side like wings to shoulder level.
  3. Inhale to full capacity and swing your arms parallel and over your head, palms facing each other.
  4. Open your mouth and exhale completely with an audible ha, bending the knees more deeply as you sink into a standing squat and swing your arms down and back behind you like a diver.
Repeat up to nine times. Don’t force or strain the body or breath; simply be absorbed by the peacefully stimulating rhythm. Return to standing. Close your eyes and experience the effects. Notice how quickly your heart beats; feel the sensations in your face and arms, and the tingling in the palms of your hands.

Meditate 22 Day 14

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November 22, 2019 { Day 14 }

“ Learn to find places of healing. Learn to find people, places, events and rituals that work for you. Don’t worry about how to find them or wait for someone to point them out. They’ll call to you, or you’ll call them into your life. ” 
~ pg 216 Journey to The Heart – Melody Beattie
“There is abundant love in the Universe
There is abundant love in me
I see myself as the eternal soul I really am
I know I play an important part in this world
Give me guidance to help me see my path
Give me clarity to help me see my worth
I am a Divine being and I love myself deeply
As I am worthy of the love of others
Thank you – So mote it be.”
Day 14 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery.
Happy self love day : ) . These meditation days are so good for self discovery. Focus all day today on the wonderful qualities of you. Some days self love can seem like a challenge. Those are days to reach out. I am always here text, call, DM. Love is our natural state. Bliss, joy and peace together we can feel it and embrace each other.
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
  • Rose Quartz – Hold it in your hand throughout the meditation – the stone will provide the vibration of love, which will assist you in aligning with those energies; and the stone will also become charged with your own loving energies during the ritual.
  • Essential oil – Myrrh
  • Epsom Soak – Fill a tub with warm – hot water add 4-6 cups of salts and soak {I add oils to the salts because I love the extra comfort they bring and healing to my body}
  • Buy yourself some flowers or another plant – a way to connect to the earth
  • Make a fire (outside or in a fire place!), and gathering with loved ones (you can obviously do this alone too). Grab a piece of paper, write down the things you want to let go of, then toss the paper into the fire as a symbol of release.
in love and light,
lil’Kim

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JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal.
  • List 10 beautiful qualities about you
  • Write a letter to your child self about you.
MUSIC
PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }
  • Nauli kriya​ ​(naval cleansing)
  • One round of nauli kriya is optional to begin your practice. If you choose to practice this, do so one time before you sit down, then stay seated as you work with the other pranayama practices.
  • Stand with your feet facing straight ahead, hip width distance or slightly wider. Place your hands palms down on slightly bent knees with your fingers turned in to the inside of your knees. Extend your buttocks back slightly and allow your back to round evenly, letting your head drop forward. Keep your head higher than the hips.
  • Agni saur strengthens agni (digestive fire) and the digestive organs, centers energy in the body, removes excess phlegm, purifies samana vayu (seated in the region of the navel) and balances pitta dosha. It is heating and should not be practiced by people with high blood pressure, hernias or ulcers, until these conditions have ceased.
  • Place the palms face down on the knees or on the floor right in front of the knees with the fingers turned slightly inward. Inhale evenly, fully and deeply. Fold the body forward to empty out the lungs fully.
  • When you have completely exhaled and emptied the lungs as much as possible, hold the breath out as you round your back evenly, placing your chin to your chest. Your arms should straighten enough so your head ends up higher than the height of your hips. Continue to hold the breath out and draw your belly and diaphragm back toward your spine as much as possible comfortably. Move the abdomen in and out at a moderate pace as many times as you can comfortably while holding the breath out. You are not breathing during this process. Stop moving the belly just before you think you need to inhale, relax the muscles and fold forward as close as you can to the floor. Stay there as you inhale, then exhale slowly as you bring your spine back into an upright position. This is one round. Practice three rounds.
  • Note: Breath retentions should never create tension or anxiety, increase in heart rate or the need to quickly suck in air. Stop two steps before you cross that line and eventually the line will begin to move and your capacity will expand. ​

Meditate 22 Day 13

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November 21, 2019 { Day 13 }

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.
Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
~ Dalai Lama XIV,  The Art of Happiness
“Tomorrow, I will continue to be. But you will have to be very attentive to see me. I will be a flower, or a leaf. I will be in these forms and I will say hello to you. If you are attentive enough, you will recognize me, and you may greet me. I will be very happy.”
” The Heart of Understanding : Commentaries on the Heart Sutra” pg 26 ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Day 13 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery.
Today is about compassion. I am going to embrace this. I will focus on compassion for my experiences, for healing and for peace. This past month I have been using my meditation practice as an anchor. My little Ellie bean, my 8 yr old daughter was very sick with pneumonia and mono, then my sweet dog, my best friend of 12 years had emergency abdominal surgery and we had a bit of financial messiness that needed to be addressed. Even while meditating daily it has been easy for me to sink into a darkness, to be angry, sad and upset. One day was so dark I was so angry, so sad, so scared. I did something I never do I reached out, I asked for help from my friend. I needed to know I was ok, that is was ok to feel these feelings and I needed help releasing. I felt vulnerable. She listened to my fears, held space while I broke down and sent me so much love, compassion and healing. I felt loved and I allowed her to hold my heart, to heal my heart and to see my suffering. This is growth. I am so thankful for her energy and teaching. I will use my meditation today to feel compassion for my challenges.
Today use 5-10 minutes to breathe, bring your awareness to your mind’s eye {draw a line from the eyes to the back of the head and from the tops of the ears} recite to yourself :
May I see clearly my suffering and pain.
May I respond to my suffering and pain with mercy and empathy.
May I be filled with compassion.
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
Here’s how to practice:
Bring your index finger to the root of your thumb
Join your thumb to the tips of your middle and ring fingers
Maintain your pinky finger pointed straight
For use in meditation, bring your hands to your knees with your palms facing up
Benefits of this mudra:
Releases built-up emotions and anything weighing on the heart
Rejuvenates the heart by releasing stress and emotions and reducing anxiety
Helps one to gain the ability to keep the heart open during trying emotional times
in love and light,
lil’Kim
PS BOOK SUGGESTION : Mudras Yoga in the Hands

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JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal.
  • Do you allow yourself to be vulnerable?
  • How does opening and showing your vulnerability feel
  • Where is in your body do you feel grief? What color do you see?
MUSIC
PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }
Our hands are an expression of our hearts : Begin rubbing your hands together quickly to stimulate prana and warmth place your hands over your eyes.
  • Close your eyes and spend a few moments lengthening your inhales and exhales.
  • Bring your awareness to the area between your shoulder blades, and place your tongue at the roof of your mouth.
  • Inhale slowly and draw the breath upwards, from the back of your heart chakra towards the crown of your head.
  • Exhale slowly, release your tongue, and draw the breath down from the top of your head to the front of your chest.
  • Repeat ten or more times.

Meditate 22 Day 12

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DAY 12 November 20, 2019

“Each on elf us needs to reconnect with ourselves, with our loved ones, with the Earth.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
svadhyaya ishta samprayogah
From self-study of sacred text (svadhyaya) one attains communion with the Divine.
svadhyaya = self-study, recitation, study of sacred text and/or ancient wisdoms
ishta = worshipped with sacrifices, beloved, cherished
samprayogah = union, contact
 Yoga Sutra 2.44
Day 12 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery.
Today set aside 5-10 minutes, or more, for your moving meditation. Today is about incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your movements and daily activities. Throughout your day try to be fully present in the moment. When performing a task, whether it be doing the dishes or folding laundry, pause and fully appreciate the moment. Bring awareness to the senses pay attention to the feels, smells, tastes, sounds and visual stimulations. Be open to sensations as they arise, try not to judge.
” When walking the practitioner must be conscious that he is walking. When sitting the practitioner must be conscious that he is sitting. When sing down the practitioner must be conscious that he is lying down… No matter what position one’s body is in, the practitioner must be conscious of that position. Practicing thus the practitioner lives in direct and constant mindfulness of the body.”
~ The Sutra of Mindfulness
Following your meditation if you wish set a timer for 5-10 minutes to journal.
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
  • Add a few new crystals to your alter
  • Freshen up your kitchen with some herbs to stimulate your sense of smell
  • While cooking play a mantra to add love and healing to your food
sending love and peace,
lil’Kim
BOOK SUGGESTION : The Miracle of Mindfulness – Thich Nhat Hanh

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JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal whatever comes to your mind.
  • What task can you make a moving meditation?
  • How does the task change?
  • Bring your awareness to your body can you feel any tension? Where is the tension?
  • What can you do to loosen the tension?
MUSIC
PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }
Start by contracting the pelvic floor and the lowest portion of the abdomen (just above the pubic bone) as you begin to exhale. Then contract and pull the lower belly in and up. Continue exhaling and contract the upper belly. When the whole abdominal wall is strongly contracted and drawn in and up, and the breath completely emptied out, suck the diaphragm up under the ribs.
Immediately release the diaphragm and begin the inhalation by releasing the upper abdominal wall above the navel center. Then release the lower belly, continue inhaling, and release the pelvic floor as you finish the inhalation. Without pause, begin exhaling and draw the pelvic floor and the lowest portion of the abdomen in and up. Continue exhaling and contract the lower belly. Continue exhaling and contract the upper belly, and draw the diaphragm up. Then release the diaphragm, and as you inhale, release the upper abdomen, then the lower abdomen, and finally the pelvic floor.

 

Meditate 22 Day 11

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Day 11 November 19, 2019

“Each one of us has to be our true self: fresh, solid, at ease, loving and compassionate. When we are our true selves, not only do we benefit, but everyone around us profits from our presence.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh

Satya

Speaking with the intention of being truthful, the “truth” is filtered throug experience and beliefs about the world. When we speak with truthful intention, we have a better chance of not harming others.
Satya also has to do with inner truth or integrity, a deeper and more internal practice, having the integrity to act in an honest manner when others are not around and will never know about our actions.

 

Day 11 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery.
Today is about truth. Each one of us in a unique soul made up of all the cosmos- you are beautiful, amazing and divine expression. At conception we are in balance our truest self we are living in ananda, joy, peace and love. This is our true state. I am working everyday to get back there- to find the balance to live, to love, to experience joy through my senses, to allow my prana to flow and to enhance my aura with energetic exchange of others. The work is not easy some days I catch myself answering yes to things I either don’t even understand or I know I can’t do. I do this because of the desire for connection. I want to be liked, I want to love and be loved. I want to remember in every moment that by expressing my soul I allow the divine to act through me. When I act in truth my prana flows freely and begins to resonate with those around me. When our energetic body starts to vibrate together our physical bodies follow. This creates a deep soul connection.
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
  • Granthita Mudra – Interlace your last three fingers (middle, ring and pinky) together inside of your hands. Interlock the index fingertips and thumbs to form two rings and hold this mudra in front of the base of your throat. Inhale and exhale through the nose for 4 rounds of breath. {see below}
  • Explore the Visshudha Chakra {our throat chakra}
  • Essential Oil – Lavender – apply to throat
  • Sing or Chant along with the music below {Sanskrit is hard don’t worry if you think you are saying it wrong}
  • Shoulder Rolls
  • Breathe {Kriya below}
  • Try the 1-5 hr Silent mini retreat again!!! – The observance of silence awakens our inner sound and illuminates ancestral memories. The silence empties our hearts of wounded memories making room to heal.
  • Mantra – Sat Nam – When we say “Sat Nam” to one another, we are acknowledging both the divine truth in the other as well as in our own being. We are both Truth, that whole cosmic Truth of divinity, we are one.
in love and light,
lil’Kim
PS BOOK SUGGESTION : Eastern Body Western Mind – Anodea Judith

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Or Simply repeat Sat Nam : mentally link SAT to every inhale and NAM to every exhale. In this way the breath and the mantra work together to calm us down, energize and purify us and link us to our true identity.

 

JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal.
  • Lies can be told with words but also with the body. When we are not honest in our actions because of fear or judgement our muscles contract holding the emotion. Can you describe a time when you held back your excitement, your fear or joy? How it felt in your body. Close your eyes take a moment to allow that feeling to surface. Can you release it and allow the prana to flow freely?
MUSIC
KRIYA / PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }
SAT KRIYA
Posture:
  1. Sit on the heels in Rock Pose, knees together.
  2. Stretch the arms over the head with elbows straight, until the arms hug the sides of the head.
  3. Interlace all the fingers except the index fingers. Men cross the right thumb over the left. Women cross the left thumb over the right.
  4. The spine stays still and straight. This is neither a spinal flex nor a pelvic thrust.
  5. Remain firmly seated on the heels throughout the motions of the kriya.
Locks & Mantra:
  1. Begin to chant Sat Naam with a constant rhythm of about 8 times per 10 seconds.
  2. As you pull the navel in and up toward the spine, chant Sat from the Navel Point. Feel it as a pressure from the Third Chakra.
  3. With the sound Naam, relax the belly.
  4. As you continue in a steady rhythm, the root and diaphragm locks are automatically pulled. The steady waves of effort from the navel gradually enlist the movement of the greater abdomen. The breath regulates itself – no breath focus is necessary.The focus of the sound Naam can be either at the Navel Point or at the Brow Point (the point where the eyebrows meet at the root of the nose; the area that corresponds to the Sixth Chakra).
  5. The force is through the navel but the two locks come along sympathetically. This natural pull of the two locks creates a physiological balance. Blood pressure is maintained evenly.
Time: Continue for 3 – 31 minutes.
To End:
  1. Inhale and gently squeeze the muscles from the buttocks all the way up along the spine.
  2. Hold it briefly as you concentrate on the area just above the top of the head.
  3. Exhale completely.
  4. Inhale, exhale totally and hold the breath out as you apply a firm mahabandh – contract the lower pelvis, lift the diaphragm, lock in the chin, and squeeze all the muscles from the buttocks up to the neck.
  5. Hold the breath out for 5 to 20 seconds according to your comfort and capacity.
  6. Inhale and relax.

Meditate 22 Day 10

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Day 10 November 18, 2019

“Breathing mindfully, you simply enjoy your in-breath and your out-breath. You bring the mind home to the body, and you realize you are alive, still alive, and this is a wonder. To be alive is the greatest of miracles.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
visayavati va pravritti utpanna manasa sthiti nibandhani
” Awareness directed to that which is having sense experience has intelligence of higher realms and brings stable tranquility to the mind. ” ~ Sutra 1.35
–
In addition to calming the mind through control and awareness of breath, the mind is stabilized by focusing on specific senses. We can focus on each of the five senses or simply observe sensations of the body as they arise.
Concentration on the senses cultivates a focused mind, deepens awareness, we can directly experience impermanence in relation to the sensations of the senses. Too often we are reacting to our senses without needing to. We experience sensations when we walk into a room, meet someone for the first time, these are all under the sense experience. To heighten awareness it is important to practice sensitivity to such areas.
Day 10 of Meditate 22 days of self discovery. REMINDER** if you are ready and wish to up your time to 5-10 minutes!
How do we perceive and understand world around us? We see, feel, hear, touch, smell and taste. Our senses are always present and tuned to what’s real. Today try to think with your senses by noticing what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Sensing heightens awareness of place and purpose by reconnecting you with the present and the divine. With today’s meditation explore and cultivate gratitude for our senses.
“For he, who has gained control over his breath,
shall also gain control over the activities of the mind.
The reverse is also true. For he, whose mind is in control,
also controls the breath. The mind masters the senses,
and the breath masters the mind.”
~ HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA
Today’s Suggestions for Ritual :
  • Essential Oil – Balance – apply to bottoms of feet
  • Breathe { Pranayama below}
  • Kitchen Ritual – find and prepare recipe in which the smell brings your heart joy
  • Mantras
1. Ears – Om Dikdevatabhyo namaha
2. Skin – Om Samirnaya namaha
3. Eyes – Om Arkaya namaha
4. Tongue – Om Varunaya namaha
5. Nose – Om Ashvinikumarabhyam namaha
with love and gratitude,
lil’Kim

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JOURNAL PROMPTS
Set aside 5-10 minutes to journal.
  • Bring to mind the 5 senses
  • Describe the senses and how they move prana ex. I bring my attention to my mind’s eye (the center of my mind the point of neutrality and equanimity : find it by drawing a line from between the eyebrows to the back of the head and connect the tops of the ears) notice the feeling of my body – the air gently brushing my skin – a warm air feels safe, cozy and welcoming, cool air I feel nervous and guarded… then move to hearing etc.
MUSIC
PRANAYAMA { BREATHWORK }