Tag: #spiritual

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Meditation contemplations

Emy Minzel

Seemingly, I lost my meditating mojo… the last week has been fun and busy with campaigning. Yet, on Monday, I forced myself to lay down to quiet my mind even though I had a lot to do. Tuesday, I visited the state Capital and was out in the city most the day.

I did have some quiet time while sitting in the park at the capital across from the food trucks. I sat on a park bench, trying to breathe deeply while relaxing my mind. This worked for about one minute. I cannot relax in the middle of the city. Even though I enjoyed these meetings and activities, I am only human, and I do need some quiet time to myself or I feel anxious.

Wednesday I worked all day then had a great DFL meeting that kept me out past my bedtime. Wouldn’t you know it, even though I was tired as I crawled into bed, I could not fall to sleep until after 2am. As I lay there, meditating, breathing, tossing and turning like a rotisserie chicken, I thought “this is so weird, I know I am a professional at this sleep thing, get to it!”

When I have a ton of things to accomplish, I stay awake in bed thinking about them, so I don’t forget. Even though, I have seven lists on my desk… so I don’t forget. I know I am not alone on this.

I was lying in bed for hours, doing every meditation technique I could think of, I still could not calm my mind enough fall to sleep. This meditating the stress away is harder than I thought it would be. I have stress on top of my stress and now I feel stressed about not being able to release this stress.

Today I am going to try a different technique. I am going to do a walking meditation, and I am also going to spend some time in my garden freeing my asparagus patch from the weeds that intrude every spring. Spending so much time in front of the computer is starting to get to my spirit.

I realized that I like to move, it occurred to me that I like to move because it calms my mind.  I like to pick weeds, plant flowers, cook, walk the dogs because being out in nature is healing for me. Even if I sit on the porch with the laptop while I write, I seem to feel much more relaxed.

The point of meditation is relaxing so that you lower your stress level. I was trying to ‘fit it in’ when really, I found that, I do my best first thing in the morning when I wake up, if I take ten or fifteen minutes to give thanks for waking up and decide that I am going to have a great day.

This gives me the opportunity to decide how my day will look instead of absorbing the vibes of others throughout the day. When I decide today is going to be wonderful, productive and pleasant the moment I wake up. I then my brain responds to make it happen.

I will keep this habit for the rest of the challenge because it seems to work the best on my attitude about how I perceive the schedule of my day. If I ‘think’ it’s going to be stressful, then I manifest myself a difficult day. When I decide, I am going seize the day, I do. Things seem to fall in line; I get things done and my anxiety takes some time off.

I have learned what type of meditation or activity makes me FEEL the best. What I can do to effectively reduce the anxiety I feel during my day is not what I thought it would look like and that is great! The more you know the better you do, right?!

Namaste!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

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Coffee contemplations

Emy Minzel

Sunday morning I had some time to myself, the house was quiet, the day was starting out with the sun shining bright. The temperature was perfect 68 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, although we do need some rain I chose to enjoy this spectacular day waiting for me outside of my door. I had a rare day to sleep in, I felt rested while I sat and enjoyed my coffee on the porch.

During my coffee contemplations I decided I was going to clean the house since I am expecting company through out most of the week. Yet I still wanted to take some time just for me, I has been a while since I have had me time and I wanted to seize my opportunity.

I sat and meditated for a bit, holding my favorite cobalt blue pottery cup in my lap. I love this mug, I like to drink my morning coffee from it most every day. This mug reminds me of home, it was made by a talented local artist. I was listening to the birds, with my two dogs laying on the porch next to me. It was easy to center myself and slip into a calm state of mind.

During my peaceful morning meditation, I felt the calling to do some drumming. I trust my intuition, especially when it talks to me during introspection. Sound healing is very therapeutic, drums are powerful when it comes to moving energy. I knew immediately, yes! This is exactly what I needed today. I good drum shower to shake my up chakras and get my flow to pick up the pace would do my body good.

I heeded the call and went to get my drum, I sat outside in nature while I did my best to use the vibration of the bass drum to clear the lower energy I was holding in my body.  It was time to let it go. The deep rhythms of the drum can put you into a trance like state almost like meditation but with help, which is a very interesting and invigorating experience.

The drumming session only lasted about ten minutes, but the effect of the energy boost lasted all day! I had regained energy and felt revitalized, my mood had shifted, and I felt happier. This joyful demeanor lasted all day as I got chores done while sneaking time outside to enjoy the sunshine of a perfect spring day.

I can’t help but wonder in awe at the affect of noise on our cells and our psyche that we are exposed to every day. I know I like to listen to nature as opposed to television, radio and ringing phones, but this is not realistic all the time; we must participate in life!

I believe we must be sure to make time to rest and quite your mind, body and soul to feel and be our best selves. I just thought I would send a reminder; to take care of you this week.

Maybe sound healing or meditation is not for you, that is okay! Maybe try a massage or acupuncture treatment to let your body be rejuvenated. Maybe just enjoy a cup of coffee or an iced tea by yourself enjoyed outside in peace will do.

Regularly be sure to let your mind check out and reset into a calm state, however it works best for you. Wherever you can, sneak in a time out, seize your opportunity to just breath.

You are worth it!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

 

 

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Let me be the light

Emy Minzel

Before my life was in full swing with working, writing, campaigning and fitting in family time. I had a couple years when I was able to spend ample amounts of time by myself. I enjoy my alone time and my own company. As an only child, I know how to keep myself entertained and occupied.

During these stretches of solitude. I would ponder deep thoughts about my life, what am I doing with it? Where am I going in the future?

Honestly, I didn’t know for sure. I had plans to live more sustainably, so I worked outside in my garden a great deal, I spent time with my dogs and got lots of exercise. All these activities gave me ample time to contemplate life. I was content in my relationships, I have a wonderful life, I was writing books with my best friend, yet I felt deep in my soul I still had much more to do. But what?

I would pray to whomever was listening to me, my grandma up in heaven, my guides and angels that look over me, and of course the Higher Power above. I had one consistent prayer that I would ask for and that was “please just let me be a light in this world.”

I didn’t have any thoughts or ideas how that would look, so I just went about life, doing my best to be kind. To help others when I could and tried my best to be a good steward of the earth. After all if God created this beautiful planet, I want to treat the earth as the gift is. With respect.

Adventures into the forest of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. Guided me to inner work on the goals I wanted to accomplish for the coming year. My friend and I would make lists, then have a fire ceremony where we would burn the list to send them up to the heavens in the smoke to be answered.

Over the years we’ve held many fire ceremonies over the years. I’ve found it is an effective way to communicate with energies beyond what we see with our eyes. I believe there are angels/spirits watching over us, somedays shaking their heads in disbelief, I am sure.

Some of the ideas I tried to manifest weren’t for me, or maybe not just at the time I asked for them. Yet a great deal of what I had asked for did start coming true for. Psst… Manifesting tip #1, if you want it, you must make steps toward it. Hardly ever does it just come in the mail delivered to your front door or get set on your lap.

Also once you burn it, trust it’s on the way and detach from it as if it’s not your problem to deal with because the heavens up above have it handled. You must not be stubborn or too specific about exact details. For it may not come in the way you think it will. Like Mike Dooley says, “You can’t micromanage the Universe.”

This prayer of “please just let me be the light,” I never told anyone. It was only between me and the Higher Power.

Fast forward to today after several years of this constant prayer/mantra and I was sitting in the car with my Campaign Manager just a week or so after being endorsed by the DFL. We were both feeling overwhelmed by the giant undertaking of a campaign neither of us had planned on participating so acutely in.

We were running around chasing our tails trying to gather what we needed to craft a plan of action, while feeling like we had no energy left to keep moving forward.

I looked at her and I say, “I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.”

She sat there for a few seconds and said to me. “You can’t quit. Please don’t quit. You are the light! We all need you.”

I could not believe she said those words to me. It was like God had put those specific words into her mouth, she knew exactly what to say so that I knew; I needed to persevere.

I could not help myself and I started to cry, I cry a lot. I feel deeply. Yet for some reason I knew in my soul that she was a messenger of the heavens above. Sending encouragement and answering my prayer with the confirmation I truly needed.

That was the day, I knew in my heart. I must not give up. I must continue so that I facilitate the change I wish to see in the world. It was not easy for me to leave my comfortable life I had been blessed with. I was not used to the demands of my time and energy; I was my own boss for a reason. The change of pace from a work at home business owner, writer, wife, and mother to campaigning for the State House of Representatives was a drastic shake up of my days and how they used to look.

I am choosing to keep moving forward because I believe it is the answer to my prayer; just let me be the light.  I am choosing to shine the light in my community, doing what I can because I can. Because I have been asked to do so. Right here at home, in the beautiful place I live.

I love Minnesota. I love our Minnesota way of life. I believe I live in one of the most beautiful places in the United States and I wish to keep it that way.

I will shine my light as the beacon to the way of progress in the direction that is sustainable and healthy for all. I hope I get to be one of the lucky ones that gets to lead the way to a brighter future.

My vision is to be the proverbial brave hermit coming out of profound solitude and contemplation to shine my inner knowing like a light.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ I am love.

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

Picture courtesy of Pat Theilen