• 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”
• by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst Founder • To gaze upon the past is to look upon shadows. It matters not what you have done, or where you have come from. Those who have seen and merged with I Am That I Am, the Christ consciousness, all specify that NOW is the time. This very moment, this very life, this miraculous body that you have possession of, should be deemed extraordinary. It’s extraordinary to be alive; it‘s even more extraordinary to hear about eternal life, and the fact that it can be attained. Therefore, each one of us has one goal before us: its attainment.
To think you have other lifetimes for its attainment is to be deluded. With all your strength, all your mind, and all your love, seek I Am That I Am now, while you can. Who can say if after this lifetime you will hear of it again? Now is the time!
To attain that of which we speak demands obedience to the love and virtue it teaches us. I Am That I Am seeks to bring forth this divine rebirth within each of us. It is waiting for all who will receive, guard, nourish, shelter, preserve, and grow it. Every cell of the physical body will be encompassed by it, born into the kingdom of heaven. The orbits of the atoms begin to change in vibration. The son and daughter of God comes forth in joy indescribably, unimaginable!
This earthly life is so short in duration. All that you desire in this world, having gained it, will not fulfill you. Nothing can fill the great emptiness that can only be occupied by I Am That I Am. Cast aside all desires in hopes that you might gain this pearl of great price; that which cannot be bought, sold or controlled.
Like a tiny flame within you, shelter it from the winds of worldly thoughts and desires. Once receiving it, realize that this is your moment, and only you can bring it forth to its full height and know its full purpose, as a son or daughter of God. Pray, cry, pull, desire Mother-Father Divine.
If negative thoughts surround you and plague you, realize they are not yours unless you accept them. Daily, whether you’re working, eating, playing, or praying, constantly try to give all that you do and are, the good and the bad, to I Am That I Am. In our truthfulness and sacrifice, each of us is seen as we are, and will be rewarded openly. By being honest and forthright before God, we are forgiven; we are relieved and lifted up.
Mother-Father Divine takes a seat in the rear. She is not found in front, but behind; not above, but below. Divine Father walks with you wherever you go, unknown to you unless you seek him.
I said to God, “Speak to me of rebirth. Whisper to me of immortal life. It is for all of us; this I surely see.” I Am That I Am, the name of the most high, our Mother and Father Creator, conceives the true you, the true me, the pure Self. This is the rebirth! This is the immortal Christ Child.
Speak this name, chant it. Think of Him and Her all the livelong day. One drop of that Light will change your life forever. The great bliss and ecstasy is before you now. It alights upon your head as you meditate. It touches the secret places in each of us. I Am That I Am will create us anew while yet we live, if we will but allow, if we will remain steadfast, and seek. We’re afraid to die for fear of losing the body, but in seeing I Am, we become fearless, and in giving ourselves to the Divine, we become immortal. This gift is what we seek; and it is to be administered.
•by Barbara McCaughey•I awoke on a Saturday morning just after sunrise and sat up to meditate. I could see the light of the morning sun peeking over the hills to the east. After a quiet time, I began a prayer for an experience of the uninterrupted purity of God, unencumbered by my own desires. My thoughts turned to Divine Spirit as beauty, simplicity, skill, focus, enthusiasm and joy.
When I opened my eyes, they fell on the leaves of the tree a few feet from my house. I was admiring their form and the glint of the sun upon them. Just beyond the tree it seemed there was an ongoing conference. Repeatedly, small birds flew in from various directions, lit in close proximity, chattered, then flew off.
While I was staring at this scene, out of nowhere a bird flew into view of my window, but just a few inches away. It hovered before my gaze for awhile, showing me its brilliant orange head above a dark band of feathers around its neck. This exquisite burst of color left me in awe, and a flood of tears spontaneously ran down my cheeks. It seemed that I had “tuned in,” with greater concentration than usual, to Nature’s own discovery show.
Finally I arose, filled with a quiet appreciation for the miracle I had just observed, each leaf and creature expressing pure life and joy in its unique way. To witness it was an answer to my prayer. The free, exultant expression of life in its myriad forms is the purity of God. Each individual offering, in harmony with the whole creation, seemed to sing a sweet song. I felt inspired to again read my favorite chapter in the book Cosmic Consciousness by R. Maurice Bucke. Here’s a quote:
“I left my friend and was walking slowly homeward, enjoying the calm beauty of the evening, when I became conscious of an unutterable stillness, and simultaneously every object about me became bathed in a soft light, clearer and more ethereal than I had ever before seen. “Then a voice whispered in my soul: ‘God is all. He is not far away in the heavens; He is here. This grass under your feet is He, this bountiful harvest, that blue sky, those roses in your hand—you yourself—are all one with him. All is well forever and ever, for there is no place or time where God is not.’ Then the earth and sky thrilled and vibrated to one song, and the burden of it was, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’”
As I finish this writing, a hummingbird is sucking the nectar from a jasmine flower by the porch. I watch with fascination and pleasure. The harmonic song of praise goes on.
God says, “It is a pure heart I look for; that is the place in which I rest.” – Thomas a Kempis
•by Dawn King•During this festive to frantic time of the year, we are especially challenged to maintain an even keel of mental and emotional calmness. Current planetary alignments reflect the fact that this will continue to be particularly challenging right through the end of the year. Keeping the following affirmations and quotes at hand in memory, or as a physical cue, can help us survive gracefully.
Daily meditation is the key to stilling the mind.
To control the breath is to control the mind.
Affirmation: I take a deep breath and realize this moment is a fleeting scene in a cosmic play. I remember that I am a divine spark of God manifesting in this physical body. A detached enjoyment of life helps me maintain my spiritual awareness.
Affirmation:I relax and cast aside all mental burdens, allowing God to express through me perfect love, peace, and wisdom.
Sibylle Custer: This world we live in has been compared to a web. If you touch a spider web in one place, the whole web quivers. Our vibrations, our thoughts, what we do, all send a quiver through the web of this planet. May the vibrations that we each send out this moment, this day, be for the healing and comfort and upliftment of all.
Paramahansa Yogananda: God has given us one tremendous instrument of protection—more powerful than machine guns, electricity, poison gas, or any medic—the mind. It is the mind that must be strengthened. An important part of the adventure of life is to get hold of the mind and to keep that controlled mind constantly attuned to the Lord. This is the secret of a happy, successful existence. It comes by exercising mind power and by attuning the mind to God through meditation. Be in constant attunement with God. Talking with Arjuna, in the Bhagavad Gita God says: “The state of constant calmness (neutralization of restless thoughts) is attained by the continuous practice of meditation and by keeping the attention fixed at the point between the eyebrows. In this state of calmness, man witnesses the thoughts and emotions and their workings without being disturbed at all, reflecting in his consciousness only the unchangeable image of Spirit.
•by Patricia Paulsen•Norman Vincent Peale, a contemporary of Paramahansa Yogananda, was born in 1898. Living in New York, he reached out to inspire people through his ministry and writing. In 1952, his book The Power of Positive Thinking was reviewed by mental healthprofessionals who claimed his “radical” ideas were going to mislead people. He lost friends and got bad publicity, but his controversial book became a best seller that endures today. It was written with the sole objective of helping people achieve a happy, satisfying and worthwhile life.
Dr. Peale’s main point was that positive thinking is the foundation of happiness. His principles are used today in most self-help groups, life coaching, motivational speeches, and in spiritual practices. He wrote: Pray a great deal, and let your prayer take the form of thanksgiving. Cast out those old, dead, unhealthy thoughts; substitute for them new vital dynamic thoughts. You can depend upon it: an inflow of creative healthy thoughts will remake you and your life. Negative thoughts may vie for your attention, but the new and healthy thoughts will now be stronger and better fortified and therefore able to replace them.
How can we train our minds to think positively? Today science tells us:“While we appreciate positive experiences, we are much more finely attuned and give much greater weight to negative experiences like fear, threats, or even just bad news.” (Jeff Haden, “Psychology Today”)
Negative experiences are quickly imprinted in our longterm memory. However, positive experiences and thoughts require that we hold onto them for twelve seconds (or longer) in order to create a longterm memory. Neuropsychologist Rich Hanson says “The brain is like velcro to negative experiences and Teflon to positive ones.” That being the case, we have to consciously apply ourselves, focusing on the good to stay in a positive healthy frame of mind.
Try it! Catch the good moments, and hold onto them. When something positive comes your way, hold that thought for at least 12 seconds. Plant positive seeds in your memory and watch your life transform.
This is a life process; it’s going to take time to create a new habit of thinking more positively. Believe in yourself! Have faith and confidence in your abilities! Catch the moment before moving into gossip, snippy remarks that are not necessary or
kind. Forgive yourself and others. Start filling your mind with creative healthy thoughts. Replace the weeds of negative thoughts with positive thought seeds and enjoy the peace of mind this brings. Thoughts only stay alive by the energy you give them.
Meditation trains the mind to slip into a calm peace, the wellspring of positive creative thinking. Here we have the power to plant seeds in the living field of consciousness within and around us. What a gift!
•by Norman Paulsen, Sunburst’s founder•In the beginning was the great ignition and explosion of light and life force. Everything that exists originated at that point in deep space: spinning galaxies, star systems, planets, and all life forms including these bodies that we find ourselves encompassed in today.
Each of us is directly connected to the Source, the first ignition, through an inner-dimensional tunnel of light. This tunnel can be seen in deep meditation by the grace of Spirit, and sometimes through accident or illness. Every human being is connected. This means every human being can see God face to face—can see the center of creation, the light where it all began.
The experience is of seeing the impossible being possible; this incredible vision staggers the self-conscious mind. It goes reeling away with all its former concepts of what the world is, what God is, and what life’s about. All concepts are being destroyed in the immensity of the stupendous reality of this experience.
The self-conscious mind wants to believe that God is alive, but it has no proof. We want to believe we are immortal and we’re going to gain a heavenly place, but we don’t have any proof. This event is more than the proof; it’s the direct experience of immortality. In that moment, looking into that Light and Presence, the most wondrous thing is that it is personal!
Yes, the light you see at the end of the tunnel, appearing brighter than our physical sun, begins to speak through audible thought transference. You hear a voice that is seemingly coming from all space, but it’s directed to you personally through inner space.
There’s a personal relationship just for you with the Divine, like a son or daughter to a father or mother. That relationship is such that you always wanted to believe it was possible, and suddenly, here it is. You are in it; you are experiencing it. It’s true, and it’s staggering. There are no words to describe it.
