•by Dawn King• One of my favorite books in childhood was The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley. The 1930 edition’s cover is shown in part above. It was a wonderfully imaginative tale of escape from a dreary existence into a delightful world of water. Since I wanted to grow up to become a mermaid this suited me.
In a recent blog I wrote: We are each inhabiting a physical body that is 60 – 70% liquid. This body has its own electromagnetic structure that is sensitive to solar storms and other influences—the Moon’s tidal influence for instance.
Oceanographic Magazine says: “Our bodies have been shaped and formed by water; we have an ocean inside us. Like the Earth, we are 70% saltwater. In 1897 French physician Rene Quinton discovered a 98% match between our blood plasma and sea water…. Like our mammalian cousins, dolphins and seals, we too have evolutionary aquatic markers. Take for example our brains. Simply looking at water changes our brain wave frequency, putting us in a more meditative state. Consider our nervous and endocrine systems. Cold water stimulates the vagus nerve, calming our fight or flight response, lowering cortisol and releasing feel-good hormones.”
Wow! No wonder we like to go to the beach or lake, or maybe to walk in the rain. And no wonder the element of water is associated with our emotions.
Perhaps you are familiar with Dr. Masaru Emoto who wrote a book called The Hidden Messages in Water. His experiments with water were an illustration of how our thoughts affect our surroundings. A review states: “He found that water from clear springs and water exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns, while polluted water and water exposed to negative thoughts forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. Emoto believes that since people are 70 percent water, and the Earth is 70 percent water, we can heal our planet and ourselves by consciously expressing love and goodwill.”
Reflecting on that statement reinforces my concern that my self-talk, my thoughts, affect my physical body in more ways than I realized. I’m programming the water molecules in my body by thinking positive or negative. Of course, keeping my body’s water content “unpolluted” by ingesting healthy liquids and solids would also be helpful.
So…be mindful of how you are programming your body’s cells. And always remember the symptoms of dehydration, which we can experience at any time of the year. Some of them are:
Early signs: Headache, thirst, dry mouth, dark urine
More severe symptoms: Dizziness, confusion, rapid heartbeat, reduced urination.
Yes, we are each encouraged to drink 8 glasses (64 ounces +/-) of water each day for optimum health. According to an early study, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%. Even our bones are 31% water. So let’s keep our miraculous bodies healthy by staying hydrated, and thinking all the positive, loving, and peaceful thoughts with which we’d like to fill the world.
•Poem by a 15th century Indian mystic, saint, and weaver, known as Kabir.•Translated by Robert Bly• Kabir saw religions as meaningless. He was condemned by both Hindus and Muslims; but after his death members of both religions claimed him as being of their faith.
Are you looking for me?
I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas,
not in Indian shrine rooms,
nor in synagogues,
nor in cathedrals,
nto in masses,
nor kirtans,
not in legs winding around your own neck,
nor in eating nothing but vegetables.
When you really look for me,
you will see me instantly—
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Kabir says: Student, tell me: What is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
•by Dawn King•Confusion is rife on our planet today. Realize that this too shall pass, and all human conflicts will end over time. Meanwhile, you are expanding your awareness of how to be part of the solution of rebuilding society and the planet…starting today.
Why me? Embrace the idea that “I chose to be here now, and chose my life experiences because they serve me. They help me grow stronger in spirit.” The law of attraction (your thought) is powerful; you will continue to attract what you need. Think positive and you will attract positive experiences.
1. Affirm: “Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I’m making it a purposeful life.”
2. Feel safe in your own space, your own spirit. Yours is the power to create your life as you will it. Your spirit is in a place separate from fear. Your thoughts and actions can operate from that same centered place. If needed, physically move yourself into a place that feels safe, while asking for, receiving, and knowing spiritual help is guiding you. It will FEEL right.
3. Grounding is needed while we live in these physical bodies. Plant a garden. Create or take a job that serves humanity and the Earth. Be practical in your decisions to act. Idealism can lead us into rash actions we later regret.
4. Be a loving person. Our task today is to move our center of consciousness into our hearts. Be kind; love yourself for acting in a way that will make you a better person. Your spirit is perfect; it is the offspring of a loving Creator. Identify with your perfect spirit; it is eternal—going on after this physical life is past.
We are spiritual beings in physical bodies, trying to cope with the drama unfolding around us. Take the time to tune out the drama of the world, and tune into your spirit.
Learning to control our thinking is vital to living a productive and happy life. Meditation and self-reflection is helpful in this process. Use affirmations: “I am choosing to let all conflict go; I am choosing to be at peace.”
“I am grounded.” Visualize your roots of support and strength extending into Gaia, our Mother Earth. Your energy field naturally extends around you in all directions, including going into the Earth. Spend as much time as you can in Nature. Absorb its energy and teachings.
Like a little child, when you live from the heart you have no fear, and others cannot control you. Your effort to be your best is always good enough. And like a little child, you need not judge others. Embrace those who feel like your own, and let loose of those who do not. Wish everyone well, but keep your distance from those people and things which don’t uplift your spirit.
You are valued by the Earth and the Universe. You are loved by those beyond this dimension, and by your Mother-Father Creator. Keep yourself mindfully in that positive light. Open your heart and mind to all the light and love that is available to help and nurture you. You are never alone.
•Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder• NASA Photo “Hand of God” • What a fantastic thing it is, this Divine Consciousness which is within and around all of us. It is here within you right now, as much as it ever will be. Think of what life would be if everyone was fully aware of I Am That I Am within themselves.
Yes, then the gods would walk the Earth again. Everything human created would be of divine design: the arts, the sciences, structures. One can hardly imagine what our world would be like with all children of God in total possession of Christ consciousness.
Why do we meditate? Meditation leads us within, to discover our true relationship with our Creator, and all life forms. We learn to be caretakers of all the images that I Am That I Am has created.
Meditate to gain your own freedom, and to help the cause of freedom for everyone. Meditate to possess immortality and know it possess you. The answer to every question is within you. It is investigated in solitude, deep prayer and meditation, and with desire and love for God, our Divine Father and Mother.
The nature of the universe is love—unconditional, unending. We think we lose loved ones; that’s an illusion. We find them again the the future. This life was all wrought not that you suffer, but that you joyfully exist in it; to realize how wonderful, how thrilling it is to be in your body, this great atomic structure produced by light and consciousness.
Yes, who created us? Who sustains us? Who keeps all those electrons in obedient orbit? I Am That I Am does! It is dreaming, through our self-conscious minds, that it is you and me and everyone else—each of us unique. But when it wakes up into Christ consciousness, it knows who it really is.
This Divine Consciousness knows it created each of our bodies and everything we see. With each step you take upon the Earth, it feels the vibrational ring and connections with all the atoms therein. You put forth your hand to pick the fruit of a tree, to taste the nectar the sweetness—I Am That I Am is there within you.
Yes, the senses of taste, touch, sight, and hearing are raised to another level when you experience them with the Divine. Hear the wind moving through the trees; see the blue sky and feel the warm sun; realize the miracle of this world floating in infinity…with no end out there that you can behold at this moment.
Who created all of this? That which is inner-dimensionally right within you today! You need to and can know our Creator face to face! That is why we pray and meditate, to know, to speak with, and to enjoy the creation with our Creator every day.
•by Dawn King• photo by April Juels •Today, I found myself reflecting on the music gathering we had last Saturday at Sunburst. People came from near and far corners of California to play and listen to impromptu performances. Mostly the instruments were windblown—Native American style and other flutes, including a didgeridoo, with drums and hand-held percussion. Some years we have participants from out-of-state. This annual event is always well attended, and very enjoyable; some of the musicians are world-class professionals.
What I reflected on this morning was finding myself thinking, “I wish this moment would never end.” Right then, my husband was playing a Native American style flute while a friend was playing a Japanese bamboo flute (shakuhachi). It was such a beautiful moment of harmony, and breath. Every onlooker was rapt with enjoyment. The consciousness of the whole room was raised to a high vibration. It felt as though we were all beyond any thoughts, simply suspended in the exquisite beauty, peace, and perfect harmony. We were in a moment of Heaven on Earth—everything was perfect.
It is my good fortune to have had a number of these Heaven-on-Earth moments, times when I’ve wished the moment would never end. Today I realized that this euphoric feeling is the enjoyment of being in a state of illumination, or Christ consciousness. One’s higher senses, and deeper heart’s love are experienced so intensely, with so much joy. These are moments in which we may find ourself moved to tears—tears of joy.
My greater realization today is that this transcendent experience is available to us EVERY moment. We only need to see/hear/feel the perfection of every moment of life. Through the eyes of the Divine Creator, ALL is perfect. And no moment in time is ever lost from the memory of the Creator.
Our challenge today is to be fully here NOW. The NOW is all that exists, and in the NOW, as you read this, you are FINE. How many moments we have in which we are fine, secure, needing nothing more than to breathe! The more we consciously realize this, the more of these “perfect” moments we will have. We were not created to suffer, but created to enjoy living. We have to allow ourselves to hold that thought, and find the Good, the Beauty, the Love that is available to us. We need only embrace and nurture that which brings joy to our hearts.
The Earth is freeing itself from the negativity which has inadvertently polluted its aura. There may be increasing fires, floods, earthquakes, etc. as this cleansing takes place. Be assured that this is only increasing a pull to Spirit within humankind, like no other time.
Fear comes from thinking we are alone, or not good enough. We are never alone, and we are made in the perfect image of our Creator. All we need do is ask Divine Spirit for help, and it will come. Sometimes it comes from our own realization of the next steps we need to take. We are to empower ourselves by realizing our oneness with the Divine, and offering our gifts to others, to Nature, to the Earth. It starts with our own consciousness, NOW.
Postscript•Before posting this blog, I shared it with a friend who is a long time Zen Buddhist. He commented: I like what you said in your blog article. The only reality is the present moment. The Divine is always with us. In Buddhism, everything comes from the same source, yet everything is always arising and disappearing.
• by Sharon Ray • You will often find that people who care about their health have a strong spiritual life. Loving God and loving life go hand in hand with loving and caring for the body temple that one lives in. Building and maintaining good health is a way to honor the gift of life we have been given. When we are full of energy and vitality, it is easy to be joyful, and it is a sign that we have a strong nervous system.
Our bodies are like light bulbs and the nerves are the pathways upon which energy travels. To feel vital and alive we have to have pathways in good repair and lots of energy traveling along them.
One thing we can do to increase our energy and sense of wellbeing is to be sure we are oxygenating our blood through diaphragmatic breathing. This way of breathing is different from chest breathing in which the rib cage rises in response to our inhales. With diaphragmatic breathing, which is deeper, the abdomen rises and falls with each breath. The oxygen goes deep into our lower lungs, not just into the upper part.
Oxygen fuels all the processes in the body and makes them strong and vibrant. Oxygen helps keep the nervous system strong. Studies have shown that our breathing is directly connected to our emotions and sense of wellbeing.
Shallow breathing is associated with the sympathetic nervous system and can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Holding your breath may happen unconsciously when you are very focused, thinking deeply, or repeating negative thought cycles.
Deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic nervous system; this promotes relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety. We can practice diaphragmatic breathing by lying on our backs, hands on our lower abdomens, consciously breathing in through the nostrils, sending the air into the lower abdomen.
Feel the abdomen rise. Exhale and feel the abdomen deflate. After a week, begin this practice sitting up. After another week, do it standing, then walking. It will soon become your natural way of breathing. When you catch yourself chest breathing start moving the breath into the abdomen.
Let’s visualize our body as comprised of sparkling, happy cells. In the name of Joy, and of Loving Life, let’s embrace deep breathing!
Paramahansa Yogananda offers this affirmation: “Every cell of my body is filled with light and life. I am radiating vibrant health, peace, and joy through every cell of my body”
