Day Sixty-Eight: Transforming Damaging Negative Thoughts into Positive Affirmations

Innately I have always been very hard on myself. If someone else treated

me the way I treated have treated myself in the past they would be

shunned and locked up forever never to be seen again. Never in my

wildest dreams did I realize that I was the one keeping me down all

those years. Yes people mistreating me just made me turn on myself

at a deeper level, but I had the power to treat myself with the respect

I deserved. So many years have been sacrificed and if I had only known

about a simple thing called a Positive Affirmation I would have been

rescued from myself.

Louise Hay one of the pioneers of positive affirmations outlined

a way to re-script the way we talk to ourselves within our own minds

in her profound book: I Can Do It! (A free version of the audiobook

is below for your enjoyment and growth)

My sister struggled with her own self talk as much as I did even though

she seemed very tough and impenetrable. She found the book and started

to transform into a more positive and fulfilled soul. She and I read it for 30

days and put the positive affirmations into practice in our own daily lives.

What a powerful, yet seemingly obvious cure for negative and self deprecating

behaviors. I was always deeply kind to others; now it was my time to be just as

kind to myself.

When I am over taxed, stressed and life is kicking my ass, I fall comfortably back

into the pattern of negative self talk-so as I sleep I listen to Louise recite some

very specific and usable positive affirmations for every situation and in the

morning I look in the mirror with love as a pose to disdain.

That is a beautiful thing.

Our world and others can be so hard us, lets not be so hard

on ourselves. You are a beautiful gift!

Morning Meditation

Journal Entry: Create a line down the centre of your page.

Write a title on top of the left column-Negative Affirmations

and the title Positive Affirmations on the right column.

Now write down as many of the specific things you say to

yourself all the time that are not nice (be honest!)

and then turn that negative thought into a positive affirmation.

Ex: Neg-“How could anyone love me?” Pos-“I am lovable and wonderful”

Do as many as you can!

Some other Inspiring Videos for your Growth

Earthways Yoga Positive Affirmations

Guided Evening Meditation with Positive Affirmations with Micheal Sealey

Peace, Love & Namaste Em

Day Fifty-Six: “You Can Overcome it!”-A Spiritual Guide to Healing Substance Abuse

Here is the next piece in our addiction recovery series. When we are suffering

with an addiction to substance abuse-the knowledge that this substance controls

us is the sign that it is harming us rather than it being a harmless and

moderated social usage. Similarly to an addiction to a certain type of food it

can disable us and pull us apart from our true selves.

I know when I am not doing well or if I have an unbelievable amount of

stress because that 1/2 a glass of red wine becomes three and I stumble

and mumble my way up to bed that night with a feeling that I am dirty.

Some people feel that if they let the substance entirely go the goal of

releasing it completely is too hard to bear-never having their crutch or

little best friend-who got them through thick and thin-ever again! It can

seem daunting and unattainable.

When I quit smoking I knew the only option was to completely let those

nasty sticks go-if they were kept within reach I would have followed my

previous patterns of just starting back up-full bore once a fabricated

or real reason for me to increase my habit materialized to me.

Some people though can regulate and continue a relationship with

their substance-and they are able to moderate it successfully. Each

of us knows at our core what effects us negatively and how it effects

us.

I think not being so hard on ourselves when we fall from grace is very

important-we all stumble and we all end up regaining the strength

to pick ourselves back up.

Love yourself and care for your soul-really consider that crutch and

if there is any other way you can soothe your heartbreak-is there a

friend you can call? A warm soothing lavender bath you can run?

An oasis in nature you can immerse yourself in? A craft you can express

your raw emotion through?

Noticing what triggers you to go for your addiction is also an important

skill to hone-if you are conscious as to how you are affected before you

reach for the crutch-you may be able to change the course of your choice.

Much like all other addictions-you have the power to overcome

and release yourself from mental slavery!!! Believe in Yourself!!!

Morning Prayer for Addiction Recovery

Journal Entry: Explore whether there is any substances in your life that

you feel are controlling you. If so what causes the addiction to spike?

Remember a time that you were free of the chains of this addiction? What was 

different in your life at the time? How did you do it? How can you do more about it?

Make a list of things you can do rather than reach for that substance and make

copies that you can carry with you, place in your home/office/locker etc.

Positive Affirmations for Recovery

My favorite inspirational speaker & wise guru-Infinite Waters-Youtube

Russell Brand Overcomes Addiction with Yoga

Kundalini Yoga for Addiction

Evening Meditation

Day Fifty-Lesson 6-Unleashing Your True Passion & Self Confidence-Sacral Chakra (Svasdhisthana)

As a high school counsellor I was on the front lines of the direct effect

the absurd way that sexuality, sex and intimacy were portrayed on the

viral network. How can a child grow up in our era with a healthy sense

of intimacy? How can they protect themselves from being tainted by

the over-sexualized media giant that penetrates them for so many

hours a day. I think if they trust their instincts about intimacy and

show one another mutual respect they have a fighting chance at a

healthy intimate outlook on their sexual health.

The sacral chakra is the core of our sensuality, passion and the

ability and ease at which we express our true selves.

Another topic of note when looking at the sacral chakra is how

conservative and constrained our society is-I am talking about

how we are programmed to sit still for an eight hour school or

work day-and not act too cray cray-so as not to make others feel

uncomfortable. We are so afraid of seeming odd, weird or crazy that

our true passionate nature-which is the most core sense of our being-

is held down and muffled; kicked under the proverbial carpet of

expression. I find it very sad that I have to tone myself down all the

time-I am a very colourful person but in most situations I make sure

that I play the role I am supposed to like a good wife, mother and

upstanding member of the community. Are we all hiding behind our

masks? I believe we are. It takes so much effort to put on our

‘faces’ our ‘costumes’ and read from the script of the real world-

by the time we get home we are so exhausted it is a relief to just

let it all hang out once again.

Today we are focusing on the sacral chakra-the core

of our passion and sensuality.

Morning Meditation: Balancing the Sacral Chakra

Journal Entry: When was the most passionate time of your life?

What was going on in your life at this time and how did it affect

you this way? What could you do now to tap into that passion once

again?

Some fabulous information about the Sacral Chakra from Chakra Anatomy

http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/sacral-chakra.html

The Sacral Chakra is your passion and pleasure centre and it is located in the pelvic area. While the Root Chakra is satisfied with survival, the 2nd chakra seeks pleasure and enjoyment.

The gift of this chakra is experiencing our lives through feelings and sensations. The second chakra is the centre of feeling, emotion, pleasure, sensuality, intimacy, and connection.

The energy of this chakra allows you to let go, to move, and to feel change and transformation occurring within your body. It allows you to experience this moment as it is, in its own fullness.

The main challenge for the second chakra is the conditioning of our society. We live in a society where feelings are not valued, where passion, and emotional reactions are being frowned upon. We are being taught not to “loose control”. And we get disconnected from our bodies, our feelings.

As if this was not enough, we also experience the wounds of our collective cultural struggles over many sexual issues of our society. On one hand sexuality is magnified and glorified, and on the other hand it is rejected. This results in either blocked or excessive second chakra issues.

No wonder we have so many issues with our passion centre, the wellspring of feelings, enjoyment, and sensuality.

Do you love your body? Do you enjoy feeling your body? When was the last time you walked barefoot on the grass and felt the sensation of ground underneath your feet?

The sacral chakra is also your centre of creativity. Passion is the fuel of creative energy. Everything you create, a poem, a drawing, or a website, originates from the energy of second chakra. It is also where your fertility originates. After all, conceiving a child is a creative process.

A person with an open Svadhisthana Chakra is passionate, present in her body, sensual, creative, and connected to her feeling.

Sacral Chakra at a glance:

Sacral Chakra Affirmations

I love and enjoy my body.
I have healthy boundaries.
I am open to experiencing the present moment through my senses.
I am passionate.
I feel pleasure and abundance with every breath I take.
I nourish my body with healthy food and clean water.
I know how to take care of my needs.
I value and respect my body.
I am open to touch and closeness.
I allow myself to experience pleasure.
My sexuality is sacred.
Emotions are the language of my soul.
I take good care of my physical body.
I am at peace.

Sanskrit name: Svadhisthana (sweetness)
Element: Water
Color: Orange
Shape: Circle with crescent
Petals of the lotus: Six
Seed sound: VANG
Vowel sound: Oo
Rights: To feel, to want
Endocrine gland: Ovaries, testicles
Physical association: Womb, genitals, kidney, bladder
Psychological function: Movement and connection
Identity: Emotional
Developmental stage: 6 months – 2 years
Challenge: Guilt
Plane: Astral plane
Planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Moon
Deity: Indra, Rakini, Vishnu
Mythological Animal:
Incense: Gardenia, damiana
Herb: Fennel, corriander
Sephira: Yesod
Tarot Suit: Cups

As you try these sacral chakra balancing poses try listening to

this incredible Kundalini music by Uma Mohan:

Yoga Poses

The best sacral chakra yoga poses are those that work with movement in the hips and lower abdomen. Some poses are aimed at opening and some are aimed at moving energy through this area. Learn yoga poses to open the flow of creativity in your life, to feel more sensual and to experience your life with more passion.

Sun Salutation

Sacral Chakra – Sun Salutation to encourage graceful, flowing movements. Movements that keep us fluid and flexible in body, mind, and spirit. Learn the sequence of 12 powerful poses to balance your second chakra.

 Evening Meditation: Chakra Balancing Music for Sleep

Peace, Love & Namaste Em

Day Forty-Eight: Lesson 4-Visuddha/The Throat Chakra-There’s Power in Speaking Your Truth

Have you ever felt like you are holding your tongue more often than

you are speaking your truth? Yes there is honor in silence as the

great sages tell us. We try to be humble and kind and there is a 

sense that by saying nothing we are taking the higher ground. But

if we are silent for the wrong reasons it can be a slow and torturous

way to exist in your world. The more you hold your tongue the more

the words build up and then they reach the peek of resentment and

come tumbling down the mountain of truth. There is strength in

speaking your truth-even if the listeners of your truth may disagree.

If you are in a healthy relationship you should be able to say absolutely

anything that is on your mind (other than those nasty little hormonal

thoughts or the daggers that creep out after a shitty day). An unhealthy

relationship is one where you are constantly screening your inner script

and only saying what your co-partner would like to hear.

The key in speaking your truth can be to ensure that what you are saying

comes from a place of sincerity and honor. The last thing you want is to

leave a collaboration with someone only to beat yourself up for not

releasing those little gems or ideas or for not saying something that

maybe didn’t compliment the other person’s discourse. 

If you feel silenced in a relationship you may want to consider letting

it go, or if it is one you will not let go of, redefine your role with that

person by coming right out and saying what is unbalanced in that

relationship.

Morning Meditation:

http://www.auracacia.com/chakras/chakra-balancing/throat-chakra-meditation-practice.php?utm_source=post&utm_medium=pinterest&utm_content=meditation&utm_campaign=Scents_of_Balance

Some information about the Throat Chakra:

http://www.oneworldhealing.net/chakra-healing/vishuddha/

Throat Chakra Music 

Journal Entry:- As you listen to the Throat Chakra Music create your

own journal page resembling the image above. Draw and make connections to 

your symptoms as well as what you can do to heal them. 

Create Seven Positive Affirmations relating to speaking your truth.

Yoga for the Throat Chakra

Evening Meditation:

Peace, Love & Namaste Em

Day Forty-One: Mending Buried Scars-Reconnecting with Your Inner Child

When I was fourteen I experienced my first psychoanalysis by

a very frail looking middle aged man. As I cheerily spoke to him

about all of the trauma I experienced in my childhood; he could

see through the ‘grocery list’ recitation of the events of my

childhood and tried to break through the formerly impenetrable

facade that I had carefully built up with the bricks and mortar of

escape. Along with a prescription for prozac he asked me to purchase

a journal and complete the following homework assignment (by the

way-this will be today’s entry ;)) Write whatever comes to your

mind using the hand that you typically do not write with. See 

what it is that comes out. As per usual I waited until mere hours

before my next appointment with said Dr. to complete my homework;

a task I avoided because I was afraid of catching a glimpse of my

deeply scarred little girl within. With hesitation I opened my journal

and placed the pen awkwardly in my passive left hand. The barely

legible scrawl that came out on the page was the scrawl of a deeply

troubled little girl. I sobbed as the violent words appeared on the

page-possessed by the darkness that consumed that unhealed

little one. After I wrote it I read what I wrote-the pain that had been

unleashed was palpable.

What came after that was years of necessary, intense and varied

therapy. That was the day I realized that my life would always be

segmented until I healed what was broken within.

How is a soul supposed to evolve unless the scars are treated

and heal. It may seem as though we are opening wounds to

get there, but really these wounds never did heal-they just

got buried by the debris of our fast-paced lives.

I have to be honest; I have neglected my inner child directly

and without meaning to for many years so I was trepidatious

about doing the inner child meditations below.

During the meditations I came face to face with myself as a

seven year old child. Seeing her again was painful but

necessary. I did’t know if I had enough to offer her; but

I realized that she needed me and I put my stresses aside and

just held her-saying nothing.

Doing these meditations verified one thing I have been

coming to terms with; we can attain happiness but there

will always be challenges to try and overcome. Life is about

ying/yang; dark/light; good/bad…

Through the darkness we conquer, the more visible and

satisfying the light that penetrates. 

Today’s focus is on reconnecting and nurturing your

inner child; in doing this you have the opportunity to

heal the wounds that keep you from moving forward.

Journal Entry-Accessing your Inner Child: 

Write whatever comes to your mind using the hand that you typically

do not write with. See what it is that comes out. 

Morning Meditation:

One Hour Physical Activity: Spend this time doing something

you loved as a child.

Inspiring Talk-TED Talk-Hold Onto Your Inner Child

Short Film that Is About Inner Child Dreaming

Healing Affirmations for your Inner Child

Inspired & Healing Reading-Reconciliation

Link to a Preview of the Book

https://books.google.ca/books?id=ks8MatCA_VoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Healing+Your+Inner+Child+Book&hl=en&sa=X&ei=l0LaVM7oJIG5ggTMy4HAAQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Evening Meditation: Inner Child

May You Reconnect & Heal Your Inner Child

Much Love, Peace & Namaste Em

Day Two: “I Could Get Used to This…”

Now, I hope that you had time to try one or more of the soul enriching activities yesterday.

For your journal entry today I would like you to answer this question:

“How did you feel after completing your first activity that was soulfully for you?”

The morning meditation for today is: “Guided Morning Meditation-By Wayne Dyer”

Posted by: Youtube-Mels Inspiration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts0PIi64Y-k

Wayne Dyer was one of the first prolific self help authors that I was introduced

to when I was attending University. He opened my eyes to the possibilities of

changing my thoughts to improve my life. He believes in living our lives in a

state of conscious awareness. Nothing is an accident. All events in our lives

have meaning, we just need to learn to decipher what that meaning is.

Part of this whole way of living and being has to do with the negative thought

patterns that lead us into the darkness. We have the power to change those thoughts.

An amazing book by renowned author: Louise Hay called “I Can Do It!”

was the book that awakened my soul to the practice of positive affirmations.

Here is a link to the audiobook:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ofuvkAcM6Y

Her incredible nurturing voice and teachings enriched my life.

Our Soulful Art Project today is a free art project from Lucy Engelman from Indiefixx.

http://indiefixx.com/2011/12/12/feed-your-soul-the-free-art-project-from-lucy-engelman

Our half hour of mindful physical activity is: Tai Chi with Chris Pei

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D7qAQ720x8

Quote of the Day: “The Best and Most Beautiful Things in the World Cannot Be Seen or Even Touched-They Must Be Felt with the Heart.”-Helen Keller

Helen Keller was both blind and deaf and learned from her teacher, Anne Sullivan how to

communicate with others and live an inspired life.

Our Musical Inspiration today is a Playlist from Songza-“Today’s Female Singer-Songwriters”

http://songza.com/listen/today-s-female-singer-songwriters-songza/

Finally, we will end off the day with an evening meditation for Deep Sleep by Pittaa Sarayana-Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SivzcKAKsEA

Good Night, Peace & Namaste

Em