Practicing in the Light of Perfection

Ocean views <3

Perfection is a funny thing in todays society. We all want it, we all crave it, we all need it and we will do anything to achieve it even if it makes us unhappy in the process. We force ourselves to have visions of always having to be bigger, better, and more shiny than what we are. But what happens when leave the idea of perfection behind? Let me tell you how I learned what is truly perfection and how to achieve it just by meditating.

When I was younger I used to strive to be perfect and achieve perfection all the time in everything I did.  I wanted to be the perfect daughter, sister, friend, student, family member, and member of society. All of this want to be perfect and feeling like I had to be perfect followed me through out the majority of my life. When I started dating seriously I wanted to be the best girlfriend ever and would beat myself up if I made even the smallest mistake. During college I wanted to prove I could be the perfect student as well as the perfect employee so I worked 40 plus hours and would not sleep to achieve my 3.8 average.  Then when I started meditating, yoga, and working towards a healthier lifestyle for myself and the strive and want for perfection followed me onwards. I would beat myself up for simple little slips, I would condemn myself saying I was not doing things properly or to the best of my ability, but worst of all I would stop doing things I knew made me a happier healthier person because "I could not achieve them to the extent of perfection". All of this tore me to pieces and literally almost killed me. All the pressure for perfection I put on myself to live such a happy healthy amazing life was the thing that almost put my life in danger of almost not existing at all.

Since then, over the last two years I have worked towards letting go of that need to strive for perfection and controlling my life to be a perfect story. Slowly I started to realize that I did not need to be perfect I just need to be me, no matter how messy or chaotic I was. I was perfection I did not need to search or strive to achieve it. I still struggled with wanting to be more perfect and held on to certain ideals of what perfection was until I was handed what perfection really was.

My Very Own Meditation Corner

I really started to learn how to let go of my ideals of perfection when I started to look at my meditation practice, or what I viewed at the time as a "lack of meditation practice", a few months ago. I was becoming frustrated with myself for my lack of sitting down, and doing my "ritualistic" meditation daily. When I would sit down to do this ritualized meditation practice my thoughts would often interfere, or I would feel chaotic and unfocused. I would often leave meditations feeling more angry or upset than happy and joyful because I did not achieve the perfect mediation.

One day while I was running by the sea I realized how joyous I was feeling and how my run was more meditative than my ritualistic meditation was. I started to take more consideration in how I was feeling during certain activities; baths, walking, yoga, cooking, reading, all the like. Each day it changed for me, somedays sitting in silence was the meditation my body and mind needed, other days it was a relaxing candle lit bath, or a run through nature or by the sea. This is when it hit me; just like other things in life meditation is a practice it is not perfection as it is perfection in its self no matter the meditation.

Candle Lit Bath :D

Meditation is always what it is supposed to be in that exact moment no matter what the activity is that brings it on; whatever it is it is always joyful peace, calm, and love. Meditation is about releasing negative emotion, attachment and energy and how can we do that if we are constantly wanting to achieve a "perfect meditation"? Life is quite the same in the fact that when we focus on doing everything "perfectly", instead of realizing how the things we are doing are quite perfect in themselves, we will never truly live a happy well adjusted life. When we focus on perfection it takes our sight off of the beauty in that moment and takes it to futuristic things that we may never achieve because we cannot see the current beauty. Does that mean I never sit down and take part in my ritualistic meditation practice, no; all it means is that I take that meditation for what it is no matter what happens, because no matter what it is perfect in that moment.

Meditation is always perfection no matter how chatty your mind is, no matter what activity you are doing to achieve that stillness and joyful enlightenment, and no matter where you are. Life is quite the same in the fact that no matter what it is perfect, you just need to look at it for what it truly is and instead of what it is not. Meditation has taught me to let go of perfection almost completely in my life just because meditation is not perfect it can sometimes be a chaotic mess, just like all aspects of life, but it is beautiful just the same. Truth, beauty, and rawness is perfection and everything is truth, beauty and rawness when we open our eyes to it. 

Magical Forest Truths 

The forest may have rotting leaves and logs, have insects that fly and buzz around, animal poop, and mud on the ground but we never condemn it for being anything less than perfect and magical. Now use those same eyes to look at your own life and meditation, because they are both the same as the grungy, dirty forest that we all see as perfection. We all have ability to achieve perfection we just need to change the eyes we view it with.

The Greatest Tool to Changing Your Life

While my world gets busier and crazier I am often reminded of how thankful I am for the quite moments and the moments of silence I get. Meditation has been a huge life saver in my life for many reasons and in many ways. To be completely honest with all of you, until I found meditation I do not think I was truly accepting and okay with myself. My meditation practice is what has got me through some of the biggest ups and down's in my life and it has continued to be the one thing that I know I can count on every day. Meditation for me is a must, it is something I would not, and could not live without. It has so many health benefits to it and it has helped so many people take control and change their lives around. Exploring the world of meditation for many can be intimidating and very scary; some do not know where to start, some do not know how they could do it, and some just do not even understand or really know about the concept. Because meditation has become such a big part of my life and has helped me in so many ways it has become my personal goal to help others understand and realize the potential of this amazing tool, and this is exactly what I am going to do by giving you; simple meditations, helpful hints, and reasons why it is so grand!

Meditation is an amazing tool that can help in so many areas, actually thousand's of area's, in your life. Meditation has the power to take your life and change it in to something that you never even believed it could become but only if you let it! Here are some areas and things that meditation can help you with in your life:

~Improved concentration: when you exercise your mind by meditation it activates your minds ability to concentrate on one thing at a time, this is a really good thing for everyone but is especially good for those with ADHD, ADD, those who feel like their mind is constantly on the go, and people who have constant mind chatter.
~lowers stress and anxiety levels! The slow breathing and concentration that meditation takes helps the brain to focus on something else and not magnify or focus on the things that cause stress or anxiety. Also meditation has been known to release serotonin and dopamine into the blood system, which we all know are feel good, blissed out hormones!
~Helps us to focus on the here and now instead of past and future. Do not get me wrong there are times where we need to think ahead or remember things from our past but most of the time this does not serve us any good. While you are meditating you are bringing your focus into the here and now and forgetting about all the small details that do not matter to you other than what is happening at that moment. When we practice meditation and experince the here and now through meditation we are more able to bring this thinking into our everyday lives, this is oh so good in too many ways!
~Lowers blood pressure, helps the muscles and body to relax deeper (which can aid in helping with insomnia), helps aid in weight loss, increases stamina and vigor (this is why athletes are told to meditate)!
~Helps to increase confidence and better sex!!!! Both of these are due to the fact that your hormones regulate with a mediation practice and also you are more prone to in the moment thinking and positive thinking :) And really who would turn down the possibility of better sex!
~Increased spirituality!!! Meditation helps us to connect more deeply and purely with our true and higher selves which helps us to connect more into our version (which ever that might be) of spirituality.

There are tons of benefits and area's in life that can be helped by meditation, these are just a few, to check out more visit http://www.artofliving.org/benefits-meditation

When starting out meditating there are many ways that you can go about it but I recommend taking it slow and using guided meditations. Lots of people rush in to meditation thinking that it will be easy and they will just be able to do it, but truth be told meditation actually takes lots of energy and focus so sometimes it is not so easy. When you start out you may not meditate for more than 5 minutes and that’s okay, or you might not be able to completely calm your mind and body and that’s okay too. It is called meditation practice for a reason, you practice, it is like any activity, the more you do it and the more your body/mind gets used to it the easier it comes to you. The point is just to do it without expectations and see what magical things happen fro you. I still to this day do not set time lines around my meditations I just meditate until my body and mind no longer want to, some day’s it is 10 minutes and others it is 30 or more. When you meditate and come more in tune with your body, you body will let you know exactly what it needs and how much. I also recommend using guided meditations when you first start out, this is not a must I mean after all I did not do this when I started out, but guided meditations when you first start out can make it easier for you to focus, less scary, and they usually help to relax your mind and body more (sometimes silence makes us anxious and can be scary fro some). Anything from Gabrielle Bernstein or Deepak Chopra are my favorites!!! Doreen Virtue also has some great meditations but they are much more spiritual so if you do not want to go down that road just yet I would not recommend them.

Most morning's I start my day out with a meditation, after I have showered to wake myself up that is, and this has been an amazing way to start my day out I have realized, I also meditate during the evening as well but both meditations are very different from one another, yet similar. My morning meditations are usually my longest ones as my body and mind are still relaxed and usually are not completely "turned on". In the morning I sit cross legged with my hands face up on my legs in my meditation area, light some incense, and turn on some meditative music; I then close my eyes and take a few deep breathes and bring focus internally and begin to thank my guides, angles, etc for the day that I have before me and all the love and good things I will experience, I also ask and pray for those in the world experiencing hurt/pain/sickness to have love and healing light directed towards them, I then ask my guides to let me hear any guidance that I may need for the day clearly in my meditation and throughout my day, after this I bring my focus to my breath and go completely within for however long is needed. I can usually tell from my body when my meditation is over because I will just feel the sudden need to open my eyes, stand up, or move in some huge way. By starting out my day with this meditation I have noticed my mood through out my day is over all better as I am focusing on positive things before it even starts! My evening meditation's are very much the same as the morning minus the insence, music, I also usually do these in silence and thank my guides for the day that I had and list 5 things minimum that I am grateful for that happened. My evening meditations are usually done after a workout, run, or yoga class so that I can thank my body fro doing the activity and I always end them the same, I bring my hands into prayer at heart centre then I bring them to my third eye and say "may you think love", then to my throat chakra "may you speak love", and then back to my heart chakra with "may you be love". I do other forms of meditation but these are the two most common as I do both pretty much every day. There are many forms of meditation and almost anything can be meditative. For me when I am running in nature this is highly meditative, also when I am dancing I find the same stillness in my mind as I do when I am sitting cross legged meditating. If you can find stillness in your mind (without falling asleep) and relax your body then you can make anything meditation, focusing on your breathing also helps a ton! There are many people that meditate while cooking, cleaning, creating art, playing music, drumming, walking and so much more!

Meditation is a tool that has been given to each and every one of us and we all have the potential to change our lives with it, after all it could be the greatest tool given to us to do so. Meditation can change you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I encourage each and every one of you too try out this tool that has been given to you and see exactly how life changing and magical it truly can be. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about meditation, as I have only touched on a small amount here, please feel free to contact me. I hope you all see the love and light within yourselves and within others. Namaste.

Magical, Healing, Wonderous Fullmoon Practices



Alright so here it is FINALLY!!! I have been asked by many many people to write about the full moon and some of the practices that I talk about often on my Facebook page. So after all that asking and begging from people, I will finally be letting people in to see what the full moon can mean, bring, and change in your life if you allow it.

Before the introduction of heavily organized religion and modern technology full moon celebrations were something that everyone took part in every full moon to help center themselves, let go of the old, and welcome the new. The full moon has magnificent power over our bodies and minds for two main reasons; 1) the majority of our bodies are made up of water and the full moon effects gravitation pull on water, and 2) at the time of the full moon the moon is not only giving off its own energetic rays but also the suns as well so double the energy is coming in through its rays, when we combine both of these we get a super force of greatness that can be useful to us if we allow it. If we allow the full moon to work its' power over our body, mind and soul we open ourselves up to spiritual clarity and inspiration. It is even said that during the full moon there is a gateway for any ascended master, deity, god, or goddess to enter our realm and help us to connect more deeply.

Many religions and spiritual practices are centered around the moon and its cycles, science has even started to research and support how the moon can affect the human body, mind, and spirit. In most traditions the moon represents a great feminine power, intuition, emotions, and creativity. The full moon helps and signifies closure, rebirth, and manifestation. There are many people that will tell you that they feel the difference with in their body around the time of the full moon and those in the helping professions will even tell you that they can see a difference in their cliental around this time as well. Many people cannot sleep properly, feel a lack of energy, or their intuition spikes, this is our bodies way of telling us to pay attention to what is going on around us and take part in the celebration that is happening.

By developing a full moon practice or celebration, or simply taking part in one you allow yourself to open up and receive so many benefits that can come to us from the full moon. I will share a few of my practices some that may be a little shocking and others that will not surprise you at all. You can pick and choose any or all of these to create your own practice, because after all not every practice is beneficial for everyone.

1. Write down any thoughts, feelings, or messages, also known as journaling. Now I used to be a big journaler but I longer am, except when it comes time for the full moon. People often find around the time of the full moon their heads are usually either; racing with chaotic thoughts/emotions or foggy with hard to make out any thought/emotion. I, personally, am one where my head is flooded with information, thoughts, and emotions and writing these down really helps to make everything more clear. When we put pen (or pencil) to paper and write any messages we are getting from our higher self, or guides, it all becomes very clear and because this is a time where we will get flooded with messages journaling can be very beneficial to help us hear and see the messages more clearly if needed.

2. Do a cleansing/clearing of your house, mind, body, anything really! This is a great time to do any kind of cleanse as it can help to release any stagnate energy that has been built up anywhere. I sage my house around the full moon, drink plenty of water, eat very clean, and also do a saltwater bath to help cleanse my home, mind and body. If you want to know how to do a salt bath see my post on balancing.

3. Charge anything that has high energetic properties in the moonlight. During the full moon I place all of my crystals and ritual items outside to absorb the rays that come off the moon, remember they are twice as powerful at the time of the full moon. The moon at the time of the full moon is giving off crazy feel good energizing power that can be absorbed and thus placing objects or even yourself in the rays of the moon makes this absorption possible. There are a few people I know that also place any food they frequently consume, and healing houseplants outside to absorb these rays. By absorbing these rays from the full moon not only does it energize the item, or yourself, but it also clears it and releases any of negative stagnate energy that may have attached.

Some of my favourite crystals to work with



4. Now I bet you were wondering where this one was but here it is, meditate! The full moon is great time to deepen and increase mediation and meditation gives us another way to connect in with your intuition and hear your messages more clearly. Meditation during the full moon is most beneficial when done outside but you can still get the same wonderful effects mediating inside, so do not worry about that. Meditation also gives us time to absorb all the wonderful energy that is pouring out from the moon. I have my own full moon mediation that I have developed over time to suit my needs but if you would like one that is already created there are tons out there, Doreen Virture has an amazing one that I used to use. Also, if you can find one or get friends together meditation groups around this time are amazing as well, there is already so much energy on a regular day that you can absorb in a mediation group and paring it with the full moons energy is just magnificent.

5. Do something creative! The full moon release a lot of energy and a lot of people report feeling more creative and creating their most creative work around the time of the full moon. So dance, write, play/create music, draw, paint, do anything that engages your creativity! You will thank yourself later!

6. What can make you feel like you are setting up physical balance in your body? Well of course it is YOGA!!! Yoga is a great thing to do the night of the full moon and the night after. Yoga on a regular basis helps us to open up and absorb energy while releasing stagnate energy, but on the night of a full moon it can also help us to open our heart so that we can receive any manifestations, or thoughts that we have put forth for ourselves into the universe. I recommend going to a yin or restorative yoga class around the full moon as these classes work deeper into your muscle tissue than others and release more stagnate energy than regular yoga poses, they are also full of hip and heart openers which is important because you need to open your heart to receiving the energy of the full moon and opening the hips also helps to ground your root chakra which is also highly important. If you cannot make it to a class do some poses at home, I suggest pigeon pose, down dog, bow pose, dancer pose, bow, warrior 1 & 2, sun warrior and some sun salutations.

7. The full moon is great time for releaseal as I have said. During the day of the full moon I gather my thoughts and think about that which is not serving me anymore, has negative thoughts/emotions attached to it, blocks or anything really that I want to release. I write these items on a piece of paper and then I meditate for about 5-10 minutes and focus on releasing any emotions/energy that are tied to these items I have listed. When I have finished meditating I burn the piece of paper in a small flame such as a candle and say out loud all the things that I release. There are others ways to do releasing and unblocking this is just the method that I use. Another popular one is cord cutting, which is also great to do around the full moon or just anytime really, if you would like to learn more about cord cutting Gabrielle Bernstein has some great mediations as does Doreen Virtue.

8. Last but definitely not least I use the full moon to enhance manifestation in my life. The full moon is great for manifesting anything that you would like to add to your life, dreams that you would like to work on coming true and so on and so forth; because you are releasing so much during this time you can make room for new things and experiences to come into your life. Manifesting is something that is widely talked about and practiced there are just different names for it. To manifest you simple just need to think about the item/thing/place that you want in your life and then picture it in your head, by doing this you are creating the visualization piece. Picture yourself doing or being where ever it is that you want to manifest, let yourself experience the emotions that come along with it, the experiences that you would experience, see yourself doing all of it. I do the visualization piece while I meditate in my salt-water bath as I am completely at one with myself and my greatest good at that time from releasing toxins and relaxing my body. After the visualization piece, or you can do it before just make sure you do it at some point, create something that is concrete that involves what ever it is you are trying to manifest, vision boards are great, you can draw a picture or simply write it down. Keep the concrete version of what it is you are trying to manifest in a sacred place, I keep mine with all my goddess cards, crystals, and meditation items on my alter. When you need a reminder of what it is that you are trying to manifest take a look at this item and go back to what you visualized along with the feelings.

I hope you will all celebrate the full moon and create your own practices/rituals after reading this. The full moon can be very beneficial to everyone as long as we allow it to be. Open yourself up to the wondrous, magnificent, magical energy and power of the full moon and experience all that it has to give to you. If you have any more questions or would like anymore direction on this feel free to contact me via a private message on Facebook, email, or in person. The light in me is equal to the light in you <3 namaste!

Full moon and rainbow celestial body