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Thursday, October 1, 2015

A Walk with the Mother



This is a short essay I wrote about a recurring vision I have while meditating. In my vision I meet up with a spirit guide I call the Mother in one of her many forms, the she-wolf. My gratitude for the Mother knows no end. The Mother's presence has been essential to my growth, helping me to change my thoughts and subsequently, my life. 

The Thought Adjuster - The Mother in Wolf-form

Sometimes, while meditating, I have a vision of walking through a forested, hilly, stony landscape, unlike any place I had ever seen. I find myself climbing stairs that seem to have been there for ages. I stop and look to see the Mother in wolf-form waiting patiently for me at one of the landings overlooking a vast, roaring sea stretching towards a hazy horizon. The Mother beckons me to come along and follow her.
“I know of a better vantage point,” she seems to say, though she does not speak with words. “Sometimes it is better to get higher to see the bigger picture.”
I follow her, as she trots slowly, peacefully, as if there is nothing to ever fear, head down, tail low. She turns every so often to glance at me, a galaxy of stars glinting through her eyes. I feel so safe with Mother here with me.
We reach a clearing that is framed by ivy climbing a tall cliff. Before us is a stunning view, beautiful in the fading light. The stars are already alight although the sun still clings to the sky. I could tell that in this world there was nothing to pollute the atmosphere. The sea is clear and vacillates between light and dark blue. In the middle of the clearing is a fountain, seemingly wrought from the rocks that are scattered throughout this land. The fountain is bubbling with lush, clear, glowing water. Mother is standing next to the fountain, and the glint in her eyes begs me to come forth. I approach and look into the water.
“What is this place, Mother?”
“This is a place out of time,” she says, “and I have brought you here to take your fill of the cool, clean waters of life. But first, you must let go of what you are carrying. I can tell it has grown heavier, the longer you live. It is time to shed what troubles you. It is time to give your burdens to me.”
We sit on the cliff overlooking the immense beauty before us. As I run my fingers through her soft fur, I tell her all that troubles me. She listens without judgment. I tell her all of my fears, worries, and burdens, big and small. I am nearly overcome with a heavy heart as I remember all the troubles I must endure in my life. She does not reply, but simply rests her head in my lap. As I stroke her I feel all of the negative emotions release. Then, in an instant, they are gone, as if they had never been there at all. The Mother seems to relax as well. She has sent the burden far away from here. She looks up and asks what I want from my life. What do I truly want? I tell her all the things I’d like to feel, all the things I’d like to accomplish. I ask for opportunities to flourish. I ask for the strength to be a better person, the guidance to go down the right path, the fortitude to face tribulations, the kindness and understanding to see myself and the ones I love through the jungle of life. I ask to be happy each and every day. I ask for the wisdom to always see the big picture, no matter how troublesome the circumstances I face. I ask for mindfulness and the will to live for each moment.
  The Mother is pleased and invites me to drink from the well.
“Everything you want from life, you already have. It is time for you to make the choice for yourself. Drink, and embrace the light inside of you. Let that light shine in the darkness. Be a light for others in the darkness, too. As for other matters, I will always provide. I will always be there for you, to take upon your sorrows and burdens. I will always comfort you and nurture you. I will always bring positivity into your life, if you ask for it. I love you ceaselessly, unconditionally. For my love is forever; it knows not time or space. And I will always be here. I will always walk by your side. You are never alone.”
 I drink the cool, glowing water and feel every inch of me fill with light. I know now that nothing will ever be the same, and that my life’s destiny is finally at hand.
 “You may always come back,” the Mother says. “There is much of this universe to discover, and I will show you the way.”
“Thank you Mother,” I say, and then in ritual, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Blessed be.”
The Mother smiles. Ever seen a Wolf smile? She does. We sit together and watch an alien sun sink below a strange horizon. I am at peace.  

Friday, February 6, 2015

Modern Chakra Mantras



I AM DIVINE - by Theresa Mattiello   

   Hey guys! Welcome back! Today, I'm writing a short blurb about chakras, how they are blocked, and what to do (and meditate on) to open them. It doesn't really matter how you go about it, just as long as you are focused on the specific energy center you are trying to open. Visualization is key here, which is helped out by cultivating and utilizing mantras.

   You may have heard of chakras before. They are the invisible yet ever-present energy centers that run down the length of the front of your body. There are 7 basic chakras (although in some traditions there are more) which are, from bottom to top, Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown. When chakras are open, one feels balanced. When chakras are closed or blocked, one feels out of sorts, maybe afraid or sad or disinterested or "in a rut." Some chakras can even overcompensate for closed ones. The key is to have every chakra opened at the same time in order to achieve mind-body-spirit balance.

  Let's go through them to get an idea of what we are dealing with. 

ROOT
  •  Located at the base of the spine/pelvis
  • Visualize the color red
  • Governs survival, security, presence, motivation, discipline
  • Blocked by insecurity, detachment, fear of unknown or what's to come, apathy
  • Modern Mantra: I am here. I am rooted to this earth. Gravity has got me, and I'm not floating off into space. I am present. I have a connection to the ground beneath me. I have a place in this world. I am safe and supported.
SACRAL
  •      Located in lower abdomen/navel
  •      Visualize the color orange
  •     Governs pleasure, sex, relationships, creativity, manifestations 
  •     Blocked by guilt, low morality, lack of passion, blame, fear of letting go
  •    Modern Mantra: I am bursting with creativity. I can do anything I set my mind on. I will allow myself to let go of that which no longer serves me. I allow myself pleasure. I banish guilt and blame. I let the past be the past. I will grow my personal relationships. I will maintain inner peace.
SOLAR PLEXUS
  • Located in upper abdomen/core/above the navel, below rib cage
  • Visualize the color yellow
  • Governs self-esteem, ego, personal power, intuition (gut instincts), self-love, mental fortitude, willpower, strength
  • Blocked by shame or giving away one's power, sensitivity to criticism, self-image fears
  • Modern Mantra: I am strong and resilient to what others think. I have positive self esteem, and I know my worth. I am not easily manipulated or intimidated. I love myself, and trust my instincts. I find strength in my powerful body and willful mind. I have tremendous will and I use my will to create the life I want. 
HEART
  •    Located in the center of chest
  • Visualize the color green
  • Governs love, feelings of abundance and happiness, forgiveness, letting go, compassion, unconditional love, trust, confidence
  • Blocked by hate, envy, jealously, lack of compassion, hatred, grief, inability to let go, loneliness 
  • Modern Mantra: I am SO loved, by people near and far, by my personal pets, and of course, I love myself! I feel only compassion and happiness for others' abundance. People want to be around me. I am able to easily forgive and forget. I let go of that which no longer serves me. I strive to see all ends of a situation. I am not quick to pass judgment. I allow the heart to lead me. I trust in love and will be filled with love and in turn give love easily to others. 
THROAT
  • Located in the throat and neck
  • Visualize the color blue
  • Governs the need for personal responsibility and accountability, truthfulness, willingness to give benefit of the doubt, expression (especially creatively), faith
  • Blocked by lies, deceit, judgmental attitudes, lack of faith, inability to express oneself or opinions, not taking care of the physical and mental body, lack of authority 
  • Modern Mantra: I express myself appropriately, creatively, and with conviction. I will continue to believe in the future, not dwell in the past. I take responsibility for my physical well being. I am honest. I give others the benefit of the doubt. I do not judge by how others appear. I trust that everything I need will come.
THIRD EYE 
  • Located on brow line/forehead 
  • Visualize the color indigo
  • Governs intuition, insight, wisdom, opening of the mind, understanding, psychic abilities, intellect, reality check 
  • Blocked by illusion, judgement, fear of truth, lack of discipline, confusion, inability to discern reality from fantasy
  • Modern Mantra: I am wise. I am intuitive, and have the ability to look past judgement to see all ends. I can tune in accordingly. I have a healthy idea of reality. I have an open mind. My intellect is strong. I am connected.
CROWN
  • Located at the top of the head
  • Visualize the color violet 
  • Governs connection to the divine, faith, communication with spirit, integration of the whole, point where pure cosmic energy enters the body, living for now
  • Blocked by earthly attachments, lack of purpose, loss of identity or meaning, loss of trust in the universe's ability to provide
  • Modern Mantra: I trust that the spirit will provide and protect. I trust that the universe will manifest what I need. I am open to receiving the goodness and abundance of the universe. I live for each moment. I am inherently connected to the divine. The divine lives in me. I am divine.


Light and love to you all. And always remember to LIVE FOR EACH MOMENT.


 

  

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The Importance of Slowing Down

 Hey, everyone! Hope you are all having a great 1st week of 2015! I am writing AGAIN after my New Years Day post because I need to share something with you that is important to remember when you are starting out your new years' resolutions, especially if your resolutions include adding a new workout routine. Now, for many of y'all, just getting started and sticking with it is the real battle. But has anyone reading this ever overdone it to the point of overexertion, or even worse, suffered injuries as a result?

People, it has happened to me. I've been a little stressed as of late because I may or may not have some health issues that may cost big bucks at the doctor. Money, or lack thereof, always stresses me out, and has become so commonplace to me to the point where I don't even realize I'm actively stressing about it. I've been wising up lately. Once I identified this stress, I knew I had to get rid of it. I was more than eager to get into my 30 days of Yoga routine. I was so stoked about YOGA. I've been doing yoga for a while, but here was a steady program I could grow to love. Here was something I could stick with. I was even ready to try more difficult poses than I had ever done before. My body, at times, was trying to tell me to ease up and find what feels comfortable. Instead, I was so gung-ho about it, I have seem to overdone it and aggravated my old shoulder injury. It hurts. It hurts a lot.

 But there is a lesson to be learned here. A HUGE lesson.

I realize now that the whole point of yoga is to learn to listen to your own body. Yoga is not what gave me an injury. It was ME who gave myself an injury. I was stressing too much over things I cannot control, when I should have been paying attention to my body telling me to stop. Stop stretching that way if it hurts. Stop holding plank up if I'm feeling tension in my neck. But I didn't listen. My enthusiasm and my willingness to "just feel better, already" - call it what it is, IMPATIENCE - led to this injury. Not taking my time with yoga, and not taking care in how I positioned my body, was leading to more stress and tension on the body. And because I did it every day, plus worked busy shifts at work, I didn't give myself any time off to heal my muscles. And now, I have to wait for it to get better to even begin thinking about getting on the mat again.

This is why it is important - nay, imperative - to slow down! Anything that is new and more strenuous than your normal routine needs to be managed with care and precision. Otherwise, you end up like me. It is so painful, I had to get someone to pick up a shift for me at work. The time off I could have spent not straining my body is now being borrowed from my future obligations, and that is not a great thing.

But, silver linings and positivity are what I consistently strive for. I know now what I have to do. I need to take this time to tune into my body, meditate, relax, and maintain easy range of motion, as much as I can. I am still going to do yoga today. But I am going to examine my breath instead of contort my body. Focusing on the breath is both a form of yoga and meditation.

I will definitely learn from my experience. Hopefully, soon, I can jump back into my yoga routine. But until then, I cannot stress about it or anything else for that matter. Stress does nothing positive for pain.

Thanks for reading, and remember to always Live for Each Moment!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year! 2015 = Mind, Body, Spirit Transformation

"The Spirit Tree," a beautiful Red Mulberry in my neighborhood, a great meditation spot!

   Hello again! I haven't written in this blog for many moons now (a normal occurrence for me when it comes to keeping blogs) but I figure the first day of the new year is a GREAT time to write again! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are looking forward to 2015! I, for one, am insanely stoked that 2015 is finally here. 


One of my personal favorite mantras is Dance like the Maiden, Laugh like the Mother, Think like the Crone; drawing by me, Theresa Mattiello
      

   So I'll be honest, 2014 was equal parts awesome and rough for me. Lots of AMAZING things happened in 2014, but I also encountered many barriers and limitations in my thinking and physical body. I have done some serious reflecting on all of the issues (both physical and mental) I encountered throughout the year and realized that many of my mental/emotional issues stemmed from insecure feelings, self-doubt, guilt, anxiety, stress and just overall negative cycles of thinking. I spent a good chunk of 2014 rooting out these tender emotions, figuring out exactly why I was feeling them, and why I was allowing my own thoughts to sabotage my progress. On a physical scale, my injuries from 2013 (neck and shoulder) crept up yet again. I knew then that I had to get to the bottom of what causes all of my stress, because a lot of pain occurred right after I had stressed hardcore about something, usually something money related. So, in order to address these issues, I began practicing meditation, to find peace within myself, to decrease the negative feelings and be present in the moment. yoga for my chronic pain, for strengthening and lengthening my body, and keeping me relaxed and mindful; and gratitude, by writing or vocalizing what I am grateful for each day, in order to stop thinking about what I don't have, and in turn, feel the abundance of everything I DO have.

Moonlily feeling the love at the "Spirit Tree"

  In 2015, I want to strengthen these practices. I want to make a part of everyday routine. I want to reap the benefits of meditation for my mind, yoga for my body, and gratitude for my spirit.
Below, I am sharing some great resources for starting your own mind/body/spirit practice. These are the programs I am currently following, and I encourage you to do them too! Everyone's practice will be different. There will be different goals and different barriers to break through. But EVERYONE can benefit from doing this. You just have to do it. Do it for yourself!

"You can do it! We believe in yooooooooouuuu!"

The Benefits of a Mind/Body/Spirit Makeover
 So I've listed three great links that will tell you all about the benefits of meditation, yoga, and gratitude. And I'll tell ya right now, the lists are LONG! :-)

Health and Yoga: Meditation...Its Benefits

Yoga Journal: 38 Health Benefits of Yoga

HappierHuman Blog: 31 Benefits of Gratitude 



Find Your Mantra: Commit to You 2015 by My Yoga on Gaiam TV

 This is a fun interactive quiz that helps you develop a personalized mantra according to what you are looking to get out of your practice. The result mantra I received was I AM HERE. Perfect!

30 Days of Yoga with Adriene 

 I just discovered the amazing-ness that is the Yoga with Adriene youtube channel. Adriene Misler is a yoga teacher/actress from Austin, Texas, and she makes yoga a wonderful, benefitting, and fun experience. She has a warm, grateful, quirky attitude, and she inspires you to do what feels good for your body. Plus, she has the cutest blue heeler puppy. AWWW! I highly recommend you check it out here or go to her actual website, where you can find lots of amazing free yoga videos, tips, and instruction. She is currently holding a 30 days of FREE yoga through her youtube channel and website. For 30 days, starting tomorrow (January 2) she will post videos varying in length and sequences all designed to challenge and inspire people in their at-home private practice. Another great thing about this is you can start whenever you want. I will be starting tomorrow and I simply cannot wait! Check out this video below, and get ready to hop on your mat!



Meditation Invitation: 28 Days of Meditation 

 This is a free guided meditation spread out over four weeks, in four different modules, in which you follow guided meditations aimed at helping you successfully achieve meditation, including posture, seating positions, breathing techniques, visualization, and asanas to open up your hips. The guided meditations are designed to help you reach a "meditation current." I just did the first one today and I really enjoyed it. Though I cannot say I reach a full meditation current, I was definitely relaxed and achieved some clarity. At least enough clarity to write this blog, ha! I definitely invite you to join this program. It is completely free and you don't have to do it in 28 days, but it would be beneficial for you to do so, as each meditation session builds upon another, no matter how successful or unsuccessful it may be. Read this article by Sally Kempton, Daily Meditation Made Easy, for further explanation of what to expect from Meditation Invitation.


Good luck everyone! Namaste.

Chill out, yo!