Cynthia Bischoff

A Few Holiday Tips!

by Cynthia Bischoff | Dec 22, 2012 | Heartliving

The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate your faith, to connect with family and friends, and to welcome in a new year. Yet this is also a time when your balance can be greatly affected because of changes in routine, extra duties, and feelings triggered by old memories.

Here are a few tips toward keeping things together this holiday season:

Make a list to stay organized. Write down things you’d like to accomplish and then create a prioritized approach. Would you like to give neighbors homemade baked gingerbread? Of course you would. Is there really time to do this in your schedule this year? Just be sure you have enough time or are simply realistic.

Ask for help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by certain tasks that you believe have to be performed, be sure to ask others to pitch in. For example, holiday meals can be pot luck. Young children can help by doing activities that are easier, like dusting, vacuuming, or helping with a pet. You can ask a neighborhood teen to take your kids to a matinee so that you can complete certain holiday preparations.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. De-emphasize the idea that everything has to be perfect. Set realistic expectations for yourself. We are bombarded by magazine images showing gorgeous decorations and incredible meals. Remind yourself that a staff of people both designed and prepared those glossy spreads! Sometimes “more is less” and simple ideas can be very heart-felt.

Stay connected for support. Take a break from your holiday routine by meeting up with or calling a friend to chat briefly. Letting out your feelings to a supportive friend can greatly help you relieve holiday stress and anxiety. This can be great for both of you.

Do what you need to do to restore yourself. Don’t leave off your list a healthy walk or simple exercise or a nice healthy salad. Even a moment or two of quiet can be helpful–listen to a meditation tape or a favorite CD, practice yoga poses, or take a calming bath.

Hold a witness perspective if an issue arises. It helps if I remind myself that the things I was concerned about last year, the year before, or the years before that (!), I no longer remember. Most often we don’t. So take a deep breath, fast-forward to your 85th birthday, and ask yourself, “Will I even remember this issue then?” Probably not. So enjoy the good stuff and let go of all else!

Have a wonderful holiday and a new year of blessings. With love and gratitude, Cynthia

Allow for Healing through Sound!

by Cynthia Bischoff | Dec 15, 2012 | Heartliving

Sound is vibration, and we are vibration. Whether prayer, music, song, or chants—”sacred” sound can be an amazing healing force that has been considered a direct link to the divine. The ancient mystery schools taught students to use sound as a creative force that had the potential to heal not only the body, but also the mind and spirit.

Everything in the Universe (including us) is vibration. Every cell in the body is a sound resonator and has the capability of responding to any other sound outside of the body. Every organ will also respond to particular sound vibrations. The human body is a bio-electrical system in which the energy is created in varying frequencies through muscular actions. Therefore, it can be altered, strengthened, or balanced through the use of sound. It has been shown that steady, directed rhythms restore the body’s rhythms when they are out of balance.

Only you can determine what sounds evoke a sense of “sacredness” in your life. These sounds are those that evoke powerful calming or healing feelings. Here are a few suggestions:

If you have a heart connection to certain songs from your past, listen to them to evoke and heal emotions.

If you find certain songs energizing, play them while you are working either at home or in your office.

To quiet you at the end of the day, consider listening to soft instrumental music that has a calming effect.

Try singing as a way of healing and uplifting your spirit as well as opening your throat chakra.

My personal favorite CD’s and musicians are Enya, Merlin’s Magic, A Woman’s Heart, Garden of the Gods, to name a few. There are numerous other wonderful options, including the music of crystal bowls, chanting, and so on.

Remember that your children and animals respond and benefit from the vibration of sacred sounds.

The Most Important Five Minutes of Your Day!

by Cynthia Bischoff | Dec 1, 2012 | Heartliving

Spiritual writers for centuries have talked about the power of positive thought, mentioning how our thoughts create our reality. A few have talked about the power of the thoughts you hold BEFORE falling asleep each evening, asserting that these thoughts are perhaps the most powerful. Why?

As you sleep, you enter into your subconscious and unconscious levels of the mind. These are deeply connected to your psyche, influencing your body, your health, and your reality at large.

Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), remarkable renowned psychic and spiritual teacher, suggested that before bedtime, you should spend five to ten minutes imagining the body you wish to have–perfect weight, health, and vitality. Since this would be the last thing on your mind before bedtime, your thoughts would continue to influence your deeper layers of the mind in your sleep state and, in turn, help you to manifest your desires.

Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book Wishes Fulfilled (2012) states that sleep is a natural state for the subconscious mind and advises that the last five minutes of your day BEFORE you enter the sleep state are “the most important five minutes of your day” (p. 136). It is during this brief time that Dyer suggests you can do one of two things: (1) Review the day in regard to frustrations and disappointments or (2) Allow yourself to reflect on and feel what it would be like for your “dreams to come true”–in other words, for you to have the best circumstances.

Recently, I had a difficult couple of days. Things had not turned out as I had hoped they would in regard to a specific plan. In fact, I felt betrayed by what felt like a “false presentation” of opportunity that had been presented to me.

The first night I tossed and turned and woke up feeling such loss. The day that followed felt dreary and it was hard to be positive as much as I was trying.

That second night, though, I thought about the power of the last five minutes. I took several deep breaths, bringing mindfulness to my body. Then I imagined the situation being “taken up” in a beautiful balloon and returned to the “heavens” to be transformed. I saw in my awareness a much larger picture than the exchange that had taken place on this Earth plane in which I had felt disappointed.

In contrast, I saw that it had all been a lesson for me and that in the greater scheme of my life, all was well. I then focused on the people involved and saw and felt a stream of light from my heart being sent to theirs. I wished them well on this journey. I honestly felt so much peace.

The next morning I woke up feeling so much better–energized, peaceful, and happy.

I share this story with you because I know the power of this simple technique, and I encourage you each night to use it as a spiritual tool. May it bring you greater peace!

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled!

by Cynthia Bischoff | Nov 24, 2012 | Heartliving

From an evolutionary perspective, fear was meant to alert us about potential danger and to protect us. We may have been afraid of a sound that was heard in the forest in order to alert us to danger or afraid of a cloud formation that might signal a treacherous storm.

In modern times, many of our fears keep us bound and are not helpful in alerting us to danger. Instead, they are formed by a reactionary pattern that keeps us in a less desirable overall state.

We know that our thoughts create our reality. One of the major problems with unconscious fear is that the brain can be in a state of constant anticipation of negative things. We then focus our attention to look for ways to validate these fears. Fear becomes the gatekeeper of our comfort zone and causes us to limit our experiences.

What is helpful is to begin to think and respond differently, to hold a positive outlook.

What are some of the benefits of OPTIMISM?

Based on the Law of Attraction (Like attracts like), by being optimistic, you will draw positive outcomes to yourself.

Research shows that optimism leads people to better overall health.

Optimistic people are generally “luckier,” more successful, and regarded as more appealing.

Studies have shown that imagining positive outcomes releases fear.

The more optimistic you are, the more you create a pattern of response that perpetuates your positive feelings.

What are some steps to bring about more positive thinking?

Recognize what is NOT happening in your life that you would LIKE to have happen.

Identify what you CAN do to make it happen and focus on that.

Fear and optimism cannot occupy the same space, so the more optimistic you can be and feel, the LESS fear you experience.

Focus on one thing that makes you happy, that you are grateful for, and bring this into your mind whenever you experience a fearful thought.

You may be surprised that small steps toward optimism can bring about big changes. Combine optimism with gratitude and you are on your way to a better life!