Monday, February 29, 2016




 
Tarot Reading for March 2016
 
 AND
 Blog #54: A Few Types of Meditation
 
Legacy of the Divine Tarot
 
 
10 OF COINS:  March is shaping up to be a month of abundance, with good things happening.  See the results of your work and efforts start flowing to you as you enjoy the bounty that is on the way.  You may experience abundance not just in finances, but in any area related to the physical world—job/career, health, home, and/or sense of stability and security.  Start out the month by visualizing what you want and do the work that is needed to make it happen.  If you have already put forth the energy, be patient as you see what unfolds.
JUDGEMENT:  This month would be a good time to evaluate where you would like to see yourself in the next several months or a year.  Feel rejuvenated and inspired to do something different that can help propel you forward.  Perhaps you are ready for a change or just want to focus on something new. Take stock of where you are and ask yourself questions such as “Am I happy with my life right now?” “Is there anything I can be doing besides my same routine?” “Am I ready for a change?” “Should I take a risk and see where it leads?”  Remember that there are unlimited possibilities waiting for you if you will just give yourself a chance to explore them.
QUEEN OF SWORDS:  Do your best to stand in your own truth and let your authentic self shine through. Take action based on what your intuition is telling you to do rather than accepting what others want you to do.  Listen to your heart, for it is the source of who you truly are.  Do not give away your power to others by letting them make decisions for you, nor allow them to sway your thinking despite doubts that their way may not be best.  Listen to your own inner self and go with your gut instinct.
9 OF CUPS: Satisfaction and fulfillment can be yours this month, because good things are in the works.  Look forward to positive outcomes that will bring you joy and delight.  As with the 10 of Coins, success is on the horizon, and this is another indication that you are on the right track.  Whatever you have done up to this point has been part of your divine path, so give yourself credit for all the positive actions you have taken.  Sit back for a while and enjoy the abundance that you so richly deserve.  Be grateful for all that you have accomplished and all that you will do in the future.
TRENDS FOR THE MONTH:  What a beautiful month March is shaping up to be!  Both the 10 of Coins and 9 of Cups bode well for you enjoying the results of the work and effort you have expended.  Look for abundance not only in major things such as financial gain or a job upgrade, but in the everyday little things that can bring enjoyment and satisfaction on a smaller but equally important level.  The other two cards, Judgement and Queen of Swords, encourage you to look objectively at yourself and ask honest questions. While in this feeling-good space of things going well, take time to look deeply within to get to the core of your authentic self and recognize the truth of how you want to live your life.  Then you will be able to bask in continued joy and contentment.
                                                                                                                  
Blog #54:  A Few Types of Meditation

 
When people think of meditation, the most obvious picture that comes to mind is someone sitting on the floor with legs crossed and eyes closed.  Many people, of course, do practice meditation this way, but it is by no means the only way.

First of all, you can meditate in any position you like—sitting on the floor, sitting in a chair, standing, lying down, walking.  Your eyes can be open or closed, or you can focus on an object, such as the flame of a candle.  Even yoga and qigong are considered forms of meditation.  You can meditate alone or in a group. 

Some teachers say that meditation is a state of mind related to awareness and acceptance. If this is so, then you can meditate any time in the middle of any activity. (See “mindfulness” meditation below.)

The purpose of this short article is to give a few types of others kinds of meditation that can be practiced.  Perhaps you will find one that works for you, or maybe you have been meditating all along in your own way that felt right to you, but didn’t know that it was “meditation”.

There are many more kinds of meditation than those listed below, but this is a good place to start if you want just a quick summary.

Concentration: This type of meditation is what it implies—you train your mind to focus on an object, your breath, a mantra (a meaningful word or phrase) or nothing at all, so that all distractions are removed.  This lets the mind be calm and still, which has a positive effect on the body by removing stress and tension.  It is recommended that beginners start with the simplest thing to focus on—your breath.

Several types of concentration meditation are: transcendental meditation (TM), om, and chakra.

Open Awareness: The idea here is to open your mind to whatever is happening around you without focusing on anything specifically.  For example, you could focus on the blue sky with clouds floating by, or a river that is moving swiftly in a current, or the stars that you see on a clear night.  The idea is to be present with whatever arises.

Mindfulness:  One author states that this is the most popular and widely researched meditation in the western world.  It is a combination of concentration and open awareness.  In this type of meditation, you focus on an object (breath, bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings, or sounds).  You can extend your focus to daily actions, such as eating, walking, driving, or doing housework.  The key is to pay attention to whatever you are doing, rather than simply acting like a robot and then realizing you did something without being aware of it.

Some examples of mindfulness are:  deep breathing, body scan, visualization, mindful breathing, mindful eating, seated meditation, walking meditation.

Guided meditation:  This may be the best technique for you if you find the idea of focusing on your breath to be boring.  In a guided meditation, you listen to a recording that elicits certain images, affirmations, states (such as calmness) or imagined desired experiences.  Guided imagery has been used to facilitate health and well-being, and is even used to rehearse successful outcomes of surgeries or athletic performances.

Reflective Meditation:  This is also called disciplined thinking, in which you choose a question, theme or topic to focus on.  Then you reflect on it or analyze it.  At first, your mind may wander to other topics, but you keep coming back to the topic in question.  For some people, starting out with the concentration meditation would be helpful before moving on to this type.

Examples of ideas to focus on include: Who am I? What is my life purpose? What is my role in this universe?

Heart-Centered Meditation:  This type of meditation can help you release fears and focus on loving kindness and compassion.  Another name for it is the heart chakra meditation.  In this technique, you would choose a quiet place, select the position that is most comfortable for you, and focus on the heart area.  Inhale and exhale slowly but smoothly. You can also connect with the heart of a person whom you feel is compassionate and loving.  This is also a good technique to use if you want to help change the negative energy that exists in parts of the world today.  Set an intention to spread love, kindness, and compassion to all the people in the world who are suffering.  Buddhist monks focus daily on the cultivation of compassion in their meditations.

For more in-depth information on meditation and how to do it, one good source is Meditation for Dummies by Stephan Bodian.  Of course, there are other good manuals available, as well as numerous articles, so you can go on-line to find resources that might appeal to you.

Sources


 

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