by Cynthia Bischoff | Aug 28, 2016 | Heartliving
Often, we suffer because we have roamed so far from our true core that we don’t know who we are. We haven’t looked into our own vulnerable hearts. What do you need? What does your heart wish to tell you?
We may run from our inner awareness because we feel that if we actually gave attention to our hearts, we would be overwhelmed.
Our perceptions are what make our life sacred or monstrous. These perceptions create our point of view about who we are, who other people are, and about life itself. We engage in our life dramas every day and are partnered with other cast members to share life’s lessons. Our issues and fears cause us to protect our real needs and even to negotiate away our power.
We may respond to life by making adjustments that cause us to cut off essential parts of ourselves to stay present with people and situations. We may deny our emotions because we’re afraid our partner will leave us. We may do work that does not inspire us because it keeps us feeling secure.
We decide how we think the world is and create a list of judgments about ourselves and others. The items on our list feel very real even though we don’t always check out the validity of them. We assume that we have to accept something because “that’s the way it is or it has always been that way.”
Here’s the key: Your freedom lies in challenging your beliefs, in removing any mask that keeps you from being your real “you,” and in waking up from the trance you have been living in.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Aug 21, 2016 | Heartliving
Most people have at some point had a dream of flying. The more creative you are, the more likely you are to have flying dreams.
Flying dreams are considered “spiritual” and are seen as symbolic of several possibilities. They may indicate:
- your relationship to your ambition in the world—your spirit is soaring high;
- that you are trying to gain psychological freedom from everyday life;
- that you can triumph over obstacles.
A dream in which you fly would suggest that whatever the circumstances are in your life, that you are seeking to reach for greater heights. You can assess the dream by looking at basic factors: How high are you flying? How are you feeling about this experience?
Dreams are magical, and analyzing them is a fascinating process. When you dream, you are to some extent finding answers to problems that have carried over into sleep from your waking life. Using on-line resources for dream interpretation or a good dream dictionary can provide you with insight into the meaning of the dreams, and hence, the meaning of your life!
by Cynthia Bischoff | Aug 14, 2016 | 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.
Some of my favorite CDs 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 even animals also respond and benefit from the vibration of sacred sounds.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Aug 7, 2016 | Heartliving
Do you try to please everyone? –Try to control everything so as not to meet your fears? –Try to be a superstar at your own expense because, after all, YOU can do it best?
Here are a few tips for living in better balance:
1. Understand that reactionary behavior perpetuates states of imbalance, so instead of quickly reacting, try pausing, thinking things through, and then responding with conscious intention.
2. If you are a human “doing,” anxiety may feel natural. Try relaxing so that you have a reference point for balance.
3. Practice mindfulness in the moment. Be here now. For example, when you wash a dish, truly wash it, feel the soapy water and sponge, without having your mind be somewhere completely different.
4. Focus on your breathing from time to time. You can wear a rubber band on your wrist (assuming you don’t normally do this!) and when you notice it throughout the day, check in with your breathing. Breathe deeply from your lower abdomen and slowly, allowing the breath to relax your body.
5. Challenge your assumptions and beliefs about anything that troubles you. What is really happening in the situation? Let go of ideas that do not serve you.
6. Practice mind-body methods, such as meditation, walking, listening to relaxing music–all of which will calm your spirit and help take you out of the rat-race pace.
By slowing down in general, in a very magical way, you become more focused and less distracted, better able to respond to what is important in your life.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jul 31, 2016 | Heartliving
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
by Portia Nelson
“There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk”
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost. . . .I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in. . . .It’s a habit.
My eyes are open. I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jul 24, 2016 | Heartliving
“It’s too much,” my client told me. “I just can’t deal with it all. I was able to do it for a long time, and I now simply don’t have the energy.” My coaching client (whom I will call Joan) was anxious, stressed, often unable to sleep. And she had become angry with herself for being unable to keep up the usual pace. The usual pace, of course, would tire an Olympian.
Although she wasn’t totally aware of it, she did know her problem: “There was too much.” As simple as it may sound, I introduced Joan to the concept and reality of “stopping.” As I pointed out to Joan, although it seemed as though her life had moved into “fast forward” rather suddenly; in fact, she had been gradually living a life of too much for a long time. But like all mountains that we create, it wasn’t until she reached her maximum point that she could no longer keep up the pace. It was like putting one more item into a too-full suitcase.
So when did it become “too much?” As Joan grew in greater awareness of what she wanted to invest her spirit in, she realized that there was little space for personal growth or nourishment. That’s when she became acutely aware of “too much.”
I began coaching Joan to practice “pausing”—which is the act of doing nothing for a specific period of time (stopping)—from five minutes to five days if desired.
Joan began with five minutes each day. Five minutes was painful for her at first. She associated the space with “wasting time,” “not getting something done,” etc. But by staying with it, the internal uncluttering that she did in the state of stopping for five minutes was very powerful. It required that she be alone with herself. It allowed her to see herself much more clearly and to remember over time who she really was—what she actually wanted. In other words, she began to see her real self—her truth.
To practice “pausing,” simply set aside five minutes a day to do absolutely nothing. During that period of pausing, remain silent, do nothing—absolutely nothing—and see what happens. Continue this every day, and you will become more and more able to do it. Over time, you will remember important things about yourself.
Pausing will allow you to restore balance and energy to your weary spirit. It may cause you to feel sad, relieved, or even angry. Releasing the feelings within you is a beginning toward mindful living.
Sometimes, when we refuse to allow ourselves stopping points, our bodies make them happen for us. We develop migraines, colds, the flu—ways of making our bodies stop.
Instead, commit to conscious moments in which you pause and do nothing. It is then that you will really be doing something!
