by Cynthia Bischoff | Jul 9, 2017 | Heartliving
The word “miracle” has come a long way from its original meaning, derived from the Latin “miraculum” which means “to cause wonder and astonishment,” and “mirus,” which means “wonderful to see.” A miracle, therefore, is something that is extraordinary, inexplicable, and unexplainable by normal standards.
According to Webster, the standard definition for a miracle is something that goes against the normal laws of nature and is usually ascribed to some super power. In fact, virtually all religions express a belief in miracles.
In our current society, we are taught to believe only in those things we can logically understand. We are generally not taught that Universal Law reveals limitless potential or that Universal Power can be used to work miracles in our lives.
What we need to know is that miracles are not logical and that we are connected to an unlimited source of energy and power. To open yourself to a miracle, pay attention to these principles:
- Stillness: Empty your mind through practicing stillness and moments of quiet receptiveness.
- Alignment: Align yourself with your heart and practice compassion in your world. Know that everything is energy (you included) and everything is available to you.
- Request: Make a request that is clear and decisive.
- Visualize and Feel: Elevate yourself to a higher state. Envision yourself happy, healthy, and whole, receiving what you have requested. See and feel this.
- Gratitude: Practice an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks for what you know you will receive.
Now set up the conditions and believe your miracle into being!
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jul 2, 2017 | Heartliving
How free do you feel? Is life passing you by? Are you in the game or a spectator?
So often we have been trained to ignore our “insides” and stay exclusively with “reality.” Being able to remain open to your gut feelings and to value their messages is a key to liberation. This experience of being free within the moment is the core of mindfulness and of real healing. Instead of managing or controlling the moment so that nothing surprises you, why not choose to live with the understanding that each moment is the gift of all there is?
For many of us, it may be hard to be fully present in each moment because we have so much to do. For example, when watching a movie, do you think, “I have to fold the socks?”; when driving, do you sometimes miss your exit? Or you may be so exhausted when you have down time that you can’t consider “experiencing the present moment fully.”
So often we hear of people who deprived themselves of “real” living or postponed full living while waiting for some future time to manifest. Their recitations may have been “when I retire…,” “when the kids are out of school…,” “when I have enough (fill in the blank)…” In fact, you may believe that the possibility of being fully present lies somewhere in the future and it will be highly managed and conditional when you put everything in place so that you can have it.
Take three steps today to create a deeper, more meaningful life:
- Be mindful about the “busy-ness” you are creating in your life. Use your heart as a barometer to know when to say “yes” or “no.” Does saying “yes” make you feel heavy or light? Un-clutter your schedule.
- Practice “sacred time” for yourself. Take a “time out” for at least five minutes each day. Breathe deeply and pay attention to your breathing. It reflects your life.
- Give your full attention to what is occurring in each moment. Notice what is going on within you.
Use the next few days to try this out!
In essence, the gift of the moment is always with you. It is you who might be absent from it.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jun 25, 2017 | Heartliving
Are you at ease in your body? It is believed that the more at ease you are in your body–that is, the more you treat it with respect and care–the more at ease you’ll be in your life. The state of your body and your connection to movement and peace often closely reflect the state of your life.
How can you ensure a healthy relationship to your body? Paying attention to the language of your symptoms, honoring a relationship to movement, loving your body and honoring your spirit are a few ways to connect with your body. Here are other pointers:
- Your body reflects what is happening in your life, and you body tends to get sick more easily when you are not present in it.
- A commonly held perspective in integrative medicine is that the body gets sick to get your attention, and your symptoms provide a type of language about what is going on with your spirit.
- Healthy people usually have a loving relationship with their bodies and often feel inspired.
- Life is movement, so when you’re feeling in pain or in some way disconnected from your body and spirit, one of the most effective integration tools is through movement.
- Movement releases and helps energize the body, creating a new sense of aliveness in the body and mind.
- The body, mind, and emotions are interrelated, and deeply negative emotional states can cause enormous stress in the body–contributing to disease.
- The body is a living, breathing organism in which every cell is aware of every other cell—constantly conveying information through numerous communication pathways.
It can be healing to engage in bodywork and meditation, particularly to practice “listening” to your body.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jun 18, 2017 | Heartliving
I am pleased to announce The Power of Your Dreams, a new, one day Heartliving Workshop!
This information-packed workshop will be held 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Conference Center on the Chesapeake Bay!
Your dreams are extremely powerful as a source of information and healing. In this exciting and informative workshop, we will explore:
- The history of dreams and approaches to dream analysis
- Sleep stages and cycles, particularly progression of five sleep stages
- Tips for achieving a good night’s sleep and remembering your dreams
- Types of dreams, such as night terror, lucid dreams, & paranormal dreams in particular?
- Format for keeping a dream journal of entries;
- Ways to categorize your dreams, for example, clearance, spiritual guidance, psychic/prophetic, and lucid dreams;
- The thirteen themes of spiritual guidance dreams;
- What “chase,” “search,” “avoidance,” “entrapment,” and “flying” dreams may mean
- Meanings of dreams of injury, disease, or fighting, as well as recurrent dreams;
- Importance of dream fragment
- Ways to enhance dream recall, including creative dreaming activities!
Program Fee: $165 (includes course materials, supplies, and food). EARLY BIRD SPECIAL is $150.00 before 9/15/17
Conference space is limited. Your paid registration ensures that a space is held for you
REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY: All conference payments include an $85.00 nonrefundable fee. No refunds after October 15, 2017.
Ready to Enhance Your Life? Click Register
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jun 11, 2017 | Heartliving
Certainly being nice can mean that we are sensitive and caring about the needs of others. We know that being considerate makes us happier than being selfish. So our nice behaviors may serve us well overall.
On the other hand, some people wear what might be called a “programmed sense of niceness.” Being “too nice” when it is not what we are feeling authentically can be a face that we have worn for years.
When we try to be perfect and take on too much we are often out of touch with what we actually need for ourselves. These behaviors can weigh us down. We may take on extra responsibilities and sometimes feel cheated or angry that we are doing something we don’t want to do.
Do you regularly say “yes” to people when you want to say “no”? Do you cut yourself off from others by not telling them what you want? Do you pretend to be calm when you are feeling angry because you don’t want to upset someone else?
People who are too nice sometimes undermine their own good intentions. Being too nice may stem from programmed messages that you received throughout your childhood:
Don’t be selfish.
Don’t say anything to hurt someone.
Be thoughtful of others.
Always be nice.
Issues of being too nice are often closely related to issues of boundaries. As you establish a better sense of who you are, especially in relation to other people, you will often help heal the “too nice” syndrome. This does not imply that you will be rude with others. It simply means that you will do what truly feels “right” to your authentic self and be sure you don’t leave yourself out of the equation of your life.
by Cynthia Bischoff | Jun 4, 2017 | Heartliving
In life we generally encounter people with difficult personalities. It’s important to know that everyone may be difficult at some time in their interactions with others. So to expect perfect interactions all the time would not be realistic. Yet, what is important is to understand methods for dealing with individuals who may be consistently difficult.
In fact, what’s necessary for starters is not to be overwhelmed by your own response to these individuals. It’s amazing the number of people who report being constantly “surprised” by the same behavior that others give them.
I taught communications workshops and courses for years for local businesses and also in the business school at Old Dominion University. Frequently, I asked my attendees, “Why are people difficult?” Their answers were primarily as follows: people have had difficult childhoods; they have personality disorders; they are full of repressed anger or fear; they weren’t taking their prescribed medications!, etc. All these answers seemed possible.
The real answer to this question, though, is simple: People are difficult because it works for them! It’s very important that you try to understand the reason for the individual’s behavior so that you can respond in a way that does not condone the behavior.
Let’s take one type of difficult personality: the Exploder. This person appears to have adult temper tantrums, often exploding out of nowhere. So what’s behind this behavior? Let’s try to understand the Exploder’s behavior. What brings explosions out?
- This person usually feels personally threatened before exploding.
- When a person feels personally threatened, he/she usually wants to be alone.
- The Exploder when threatened usually attacks–this creates distance which is what the Exploder wants.
- The Exploder usually feels suspicious of others and often makes the other person feel afraid or ashamed. Often these feelings are what the Exploder feels and he/she is projecting them on to others.
So how do you not allow this to work for the person? When the Exploder explodes or attacks, do not withdraw or become silent. Weigh your situation, but be sure to maintain your ground, take a stand, and respond by staying in your power.
What about another difficult personality–the Complainer (also known as the Whiner)?
What’s behind the behavior? Usually, the Complainer feels helpless and overwhelmed by an unfair world and unobtainable perfection. He/she may see problems as much worse than they really are and may try to make others miserable too. So offering solutions to them may make them whine even more.
Here’s a Strategy:
- Listen attentively to the complainer’s complaint even if you feel impatient and give good eye contact. Complainers wants attention.
- Don’t agree; you’ll encourage them.
- Don’t disagree; they’ll repeat their problems.
- Don’t try to solve them – you can’t.
- Don’t ask them why they are complaining to you since they may start again from the beginning.
- So listen for the main points, paraphrase and reflect. Write their complaints down.
- Then shift the focus to asking them to come up with solutions.
- Try to move into a problem-solving mode by asking specific informational questions.
- ATTENTION: Your goal is to form a problem-solving alliance.
- If all the above has achieved nothing, bring your conversations assertively to a close with something like, “Since your issue seems to have no feasible solution at this time, talking about it will probably not allow us to achieve the results you’re seeking. If you happen to think of a possible solution, please put it in writing, so we can proceed.”
When you put them in charge of solving their own problems, they usually cease complaining!
