Heart of Spirit

The impacts of recent events in Japan are being felt around the world physically, emotionally and spiritually. I can only imagine what the people of Japan are going through with so much devastation and loss. I think about all the loved ones and animals who lost their lives and feel compassion for how painful that must be for those left behind. I know you do, too.

As experts scramble to prevent a nuclear disaster, the ultimate impact to the environment is yet unknown. The world watches the catastrophic images of what has happened while Japan remains in a state of emergency. The recovery process has only just begun and the stabilization of the planet is likely to take a very long time.

I work with people all around the world who are expressing worry and fear about what the physical shifts in Japan might mean for humanity and the future of our planet. Many are generously donating to relief funds but they want to do more and ask what else can I do?

I believe there's a lot we can do right now to support Japan, her people and the healing of the Earth. By joining our minds, hearts and souls together we can become a powerful force to positively influence the direction of things to come.

Scientific research has proven that when 2 or more people come together with intention in prayer, dramatic, measurable changes result. The world needs our help now and we definitely can make a difference. We are at a critical time in the transformation of the planet. Those of you who are asking how you can contribute, are needed. You will play an important role in facilitating the conscious transformation of the planet.

In this article, I will talk about harnessing the power of the mind-body connection for planetary healing and how to transform fears into empowered action. I have created a simple meditation practice to send love and healing to Japan and the Earth. I have also organized a World Healing Group Meditation event this month that you can attend here locally or get a group together where you live and join us.

The Power of the Mind-Body (Earth) Connection

On the individual level, the mind-body connection refers to the relationship

between our thoughts, words, feelings, beliefs, perceptions, actions, spiritual life

(our inner world) and the consequences, both good and challenging, that they produce in

our outer world - our health, relationships, money, and career. As this applies to us individually, it also occurs in the collective mind of all the people globally and has the same kind of impact on a larger scale in the world.

The power of your mind is UNLIMITED and everything in our material world is shaped by the energy and vibration produced through our individual and collective thoughts. Thoughts are things that can be scientifically measured as signals of energy and information. This energy runs the material world and is the driving force behind everything you see and everything that happens in our world. Think about it- every invention, every building, every product started as an idea in someone's mind.

We are all connected through this universal field of energy. You might imagine this as threads in a fabric that come together forming a beautiful tapestry of many colors. Some areas might appear as clear and bright while others show damage and appear heavy, frayed and torn. The recent events in Japan have resulted in a rip or tear in the tapestry there, and as a result it is affecting the integrity of the earth's energy everywhere. The resulting pain, grief and terror being experienced by the people of Japan and all of us worldwide has caused an accumulation of heavy emotion that appears to me as a thick gray ring around the earth.

By consciously and intentionally directing our thoughts into the universal field we can do amazing things like healing the earth, helping in the recovery in Japan, balancing war zones, preventing a nuclear disaster, clearing toxic fear and emotion and really anything else we can imagine. The key is to do it from the position of what we want like healthy air, water and soil, peace in the Middle East, love and support for people in crisis and so on. We must remove our focus from the situation as it currently exists and visualize the positive outcome as though it has already been accomplished. This is the key.

Does this sound impossible or crazy? Let's look at how this principle is already at work in your personal life. How many of you have played with the ability to create a parking space? If you haven't you should give it a try! It's a fun way to see the power you have to create what you want. It's simple - when you get in the car simply state in your mind that a particular parking space will be available for you when you arrive at your destination. You'll be surprised at your success.

You may also have seen this principle at work when you've asked for help, guidance or a certain opportunity to open up and then you've received exactly what you wanted.

Many years ago I experimented with an intention that everything I need is on sale. Every time I went to the grocery store for an entire year I was amazed at how many of the items on my shopping list were on sale. It was such an empowering experience and a lot of fun! Then I realized a flaw in my intention...I could have asked that everything was a gift!

The same principle that helps you create small things will help you create BIG things...even miraculous things!

It's time to expect miracles. What do you believe is possible? We are continuously creating our physical reality through conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings, beliefs and actions. Let's start to intentionally direct them for the good of humanity and for a positive future for our planet, for our kids and grandkids.

There are universal and spiritual laws in place that are continuously working behind the scenes to produce exactly what we think about. We can create ANYTHING so let's put our heads together and THINK BIG! These are proven laws that do not discriminate and work whether we believe in them or not. A couple of examples I'm sure you're familiar with are the law of gravity and the law of cause and effect.

The collective consciousness is always creating in two ways. One is fear based and one is love based. It's really important to consciously choose which one you want to align with and then focus on it through meditation, visualization, quality of feeling, affirmation and prayer. It's like having a vote in the future of humanity and our planet.

Prayer, Meditation, Visualization, Quality of Feeling & Affirmation

When we pray, we make a request for help, healing or guidance to a power greater than ourselves and it's generally reserved for times of desperation or challenge. Many of you have shared with me that you are already praying for Japan.

I also believe in using prayer as part of a daily practice to expand the good qualities of life like peace, love and harmony. Spiritual support, no matter what you call it or what your beliefs are, is an opportunity to co-create in partnership with the spiritual world. All of our intentions are instantly received into the universal energy field and when you add a spiritual request through prayer, you invite the power of spirit to support you in achieving your goals and intentions.

I subscribe to the daily practice of combining meditation with prayer, visualization, quality of feeling and affirmation to consciously direct my life. It is also a big part of how I help people in the healing work I do. There are many forms of meditation to choose from but essentially it is a method of going within to calm your body, focus your mind and nourish your soul. Once there, you are in a receptive place both inwardly and outwardly. This is an ideal state to consciously and intentionally plant the seeds of your desires directly into the energy field that uses it to create physical reality.

Visualization, or imagining the result you want, is one of the keys to manifestation. The tricky part is that you are imagining something different than what you currently see or are experiencing now. The creative universal field doesn't know the difference between what is currently happening and what you project so it simply creates whatever it is receiving from you. There's no processing at all- it just assumes it's real and supports its manifestation into form. For example, in order to support the health of Japan, you would imagine in your mind's eye that it is healthy and peaceful right now even though you know that it isn't. That's why I said it's tricky.

Next, add the quality of feeling. In this example, you would fill your heart with the feelings of health and peace as you hold the images clearly in your mind.

You can then add an affirmation like, "Japan is healthy and peaceful". As those thoughts, images and feelings combine and are sent out into the universal field it starts to make them happen.

Then say a prayer asking for spiritual intervention and support to bring your intentions into reality and give thanks that it is done. As these intentions combine with the positive intentions of others, we become a powerful voice for positive transformation and change in the world.

Moving Beyond Fear to Personal Empowerment

In order to move beyond fear based thinking it's helpful to understand the role of fear in your life. Fear is a feeling that is powerful in an emergency and is there to help you take action and deal with what is happening right now. It screams RUN or ACT because it produces adrenaline - the super charged energy that instinctively prompts you to take action during an immediate threat to your safety. It's called the flight or fight response because it helps you survive what you sense as a life or death situation. It's likely that the people in and around Japan are in survival mode based on fear and that is an appropriate response in their current situation.

But what about the people who live in other parts of the world? Let's face it- we live in a fear based society and many people live in a chronic state of fear. We're afraid of physical harm, of loss, of the unknown and of the future. Unlike survival fear that prompts action through the flight or fight response, chronic fear generally produces a frozen state of immobility and feelings of anxiety and helplessness.

Chronic fear is bad for your health and it doesn't serve a positive purpose. This state is perpetuated by the barrage of negative images projected into our homes by the media designed to produce the "illusion" that the world is essentially bad, dangerous and scary. We believe it because that's what we see on a daily basis. It has invaded our consciousness so deeply that we don't believe in anything else.

When a global event happens such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan we want to be informed but with the daily reporting of these catastrophies right into our homes, it can leave us feeling continuously scared and powerless.

The first step for moving beyond chronic fear is to stop filling your mind with scary thoughts. If you feel afraid when you see the images on TV, stop watching the news. Yes, there are negative things going on in the world but on the news, they are exaggerated and sensationalized to prompt more fear and to boost ratings.

There are incredible numbers of good people doing amazing things for each other and the world. There are millions, maybe billions of kind, generous and humanitarian people who are making a difference in their families, in their communities and in their world everyday. Make an effort to fill your mind with the examples and stories about good things and you'll feel better and help humanity at the same time.

This idea and the belief that we are powerlessness usually starts in childhood. Most children are taught to be careful, to watch out and be afraid of bad things happening. Fear tactics are often used to discipline and protect them. This creates frightened adults who then pass this on to their children.

But how many children are taught how to live a safe, empowered, loving and abundant life? We are struggling as adults because we were never given the basic tools to create a safe and fulfilling life. Most parents try to do the best they can, but they can't teach what they don't know. Many of us are learning as adults how to take good care of ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I believe that life is essentially safe. Yes, there are challenges large and small, but most of the time nothing bad is happening. So, why do we focus on the fear rather than on all the good things? If there is fear of a specific negative thing happening then the best thing to do is to empower yourself by taking action steps to prevent it and then focus on the positive outcome that you want. When you are in a positive frame of mind you are much more able to handle any challenges you may have. Chronic worry and fear keeps you from enjoying your life when nothing bad is happening.

For example, if I'm afraid of someone coming into my house uninvited, then I'll lock the doors securely. If I've done what I think is enough then I won't need to worry about it anymore. If I lock the door and continue to be chronically afraid of someone breaking in then I am programming that undesired intention into the universal field which begins the process of creating it in my life. A better way to address this fear is to take appropriate steps to secure my home and then focus on the idea and feeling that I am safe. This is a simple example of something small, but the same principles apply to the larger fears about life, the earth changes and worldwide events.

I want to be a part of the solution and I know you do, too. The antidote to chronic fear is to feel like there is something we CAN do. Let's put our minds, hearts and souls together to create the health, peace, love and harmony we want in our lives and for the planet through conscious creating!

Simple Practice for a Healthy and Peaceful Japan and a Better World

Sit quietly, close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply until you feel relaxed. Imagine, sense and feel all the tension in your body draining away and allow your body and mind to become centered in the present moment.

Focus your awareness in your chest using your breath. Imagine, sense or feel your heart filling with love. Once you've established a good flow of love in your chest, allow it to expand into every area of your body and into every cell. You may want to imagine it as a soft pink energy.

Now you can put down good roots so you are grounded during your practice. Imagine, sense or feel strong roots entering the fertile earth and planting themselves firmly. You can bring healthy energy up through the roots and mix it with the love in your body. You can use any color that feels good to you as long as it is vibrant and clear.

Now that you're grounded you can begin to help Japan, her people and the World. Imagine, sense or feel Japan as healthy and peaceful. You may want to use a globe or atlas and put your hands on Japan so it's easier to connect and visualize the area.

Hold the image of Japan in your mind and add the feelings of health, peace and love. Feel that it's true as deeply as you can.

Add the words out loud or silently, "Japan is healthy and peaceful".

Ask in a prayer for spiritual intervention and support for a healthy and peaceful Japan. This is when you can add your requests for anything you want to happen. I suggest a prayer for the world and humanity.

Express gratitude and give thanks that it has already happened and surrender it to a higher spiritual power.

Every time you do this meditation practice, you can know that you are helping to heal Japan and the world. You can feel good about that!

The Meaning of Health 2006

The words "healing," "health" and "holiness" are all rooted in the word "whole". As a human being, your intrinsic wholeness and holiness express through your physical body, your mind, your emotions and your spiritual nature. These aspects of your being are completely interconnected and interpenetrating. Healing a physical illness, for example, always calls for emotional healing, always relates to your mental belief structures and patterns, and always has implications for your spiritual learning and transformation. In the same way, imbalance, weakness or dis-ease in mind, emotions or spirit will always have impacts on your physical health and well-being.

True wholeness is achieved through cultivating an inner balance whereby these four interdependent dimensions of your existence--physical, emotional, mental and spiritual--are actively and consciously expressing harmoniously within you. All these aspects of your being, working together, directly affect how you feel and the quality of life you enjoy.

Relying on one or more dimensions while ignoring or excluding the others will create internal imbalances and disharmonies that eventually will manifest in challenges and problems in your life. It is through understanding, accepting and developing all the parts of us that we gain access to the whole of life and are able to express fully the truth of who we are. In the work of healing, each of these dimensions has its own specific purpose and needs, and each dimension or aspect offers a distinct doorway that gives access to the healing potential in all the others. This will become clear as you reflect on the four aspects of the person and the four aspects of healing described below.

The four aspects: spiritual, mental, emotional, physical

Spiritual: Your spiritual energy is real. It refers to your soul--that timeless, unending, unlimited and wise part of you that is expressing in this life through your physical body. It is not "out there" somewhere; it is within you. Intimately connected to intuition and inner wisdom, to higher levels of consciousness, to your life purpose, to the spiritual gifts you hold, the lessons you are here to learn and the service you will do in the world, your soul's energy is the driving force in your life. You were born to express the beauty of your soul through a physical body.

When you have a healthy relationship with your soul, you feel a deep sense of belonging, of being a part of something greater than yourself, connected to all life. You feel a sense of purposefulness in your actions and experiences and use them as pathways to greater consciousness, love, healing, compassion and soulful growth and transformation.

Mental: The mental dimension of your being includes your intellect, your words and the power of your mind. This includes your inner and outer dialogue, thoughts, perceptions, attitudes and beliefs as well as the conscious and unconscious decisions you've made about yourself, others and the world around you. This is a very powerful level of your life because it magnetizes to you the people and experiences that match how you think and what you believe.

Healthy mental energy gives you clarity, focus and inspiration. With conscious use of this faculty, there is an awareness of the power of your thoughts and your internal dialogue is loving and conscious. You consider the impact of your words on your own mind, emotions, body and spirit as well as on other beings, an you therefore use your words wisely and consciously. You mean what you say and say what you mean. You have integrity with your word.

Emotional: Your emotions, your feelings, are an integral and meaningful part of you, intimately connecting you to your life. Everything that happens in your day-to-day experience registers on this level--whether you feel it or not. Emotions are a significant and purposeful aspect of your health and well-being. Consciously experiencing the full range of your emotions will provide important information that will guide you to greater, healing, health, happiness and emotional vitality.

When your emotional nature is healthy you naturally, spontaneously and immediately feel your life as it is happening. The feelings you experience through love, relationships, fun, success, etc. feel good and are enjoyed. The more difficult feelings that arise during the challenges and stressed of your life serve as catalysts to help you emotionally process and understand the meaning of what you are going through. As you feel what is happening to you, you are able to let go of the experiences and resolve the feelings completely, neither being controlled by emotions from your past, confused or overwhelmed by feelings in the present, or carrying them into your future as unfinished business that will have the potential to negatively affect your health and well-being.

Physical: Your physical level of life includes your physical body and all aspects of the material world. Your body directly reflects your individual consciousness and the levels of physical health you enjoy reflect the health of your mind, emotions and spirit. Life is created through your thoughts and attitudes, felt and processed through your emotions, experienced through your soul and becomes manifest through your physical body and experience. The earth is also a manifestation of the physical level of existence and directly reflects the global collective consciousness.

When you are physically healthy, you have a vibrant, energetic body, you enjoy prosperity and abundance and you are able to accomplish your physical goals in the world. You lovingly take care of your body, providing it with healthy food, good nutrition, clean air, restful sleep, recreation and exercise.

Donna Murray December 2006

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