Step 1/2: Figuring Out What’s Going Ohm, and a Meditation Primer

So, I would say that waking up feeling like my entire body was vibrating at 4am that morning in November 2009 was my “rude awakening” – pun intended! LOL  That was probably the day that I would call my “point of no return” – or rather, the moment I was apparently meant to be vibrated (vs. shaken) Awake. It was electrical, and there was only one other circumstance in my life that had ever produced that current… but that’s just not the story for today. So bookmark it, and I’ll come back to it, when it’s important to tell. Not yet.

Anyway, as I lay there in the dark, wondering, “What the heck???” I was also needing to shake off the last night of one of my several day inter-dimensional episodes – which, by the way, I had no idea was exactly that. So, as I lay there considering that and the vibrations while I was laying there in the dark, I was thinking, “Am I going a little crazy or something?” I was wondering what to do; though my husband had always been kept in the loop about my various abilities, I didn’t want to talk to him about this. First I had to consider what this was.

While I was doing that, I heard a voice in my head tell me (very distinctly) to talk to a woman I really only knew predominantly as a client (though we’d had some good conversations on metaphysics). I considered it, thinking it was funny that we’d already had a meeting set up a few days afterwards. Since I couldn’t get back to sleep – internal vibrating is a little distracting – I crawled out of bed, went to my computer, did a little research, and then yes, I actually did send her an email.

Here’s the funny thing – I know I had done research on a lot of this stuff during previous multi-day episodes of those “alternate reality dreams,” – yet I’d always had trouble finding anything about it on the Internet. However, this time, I hit jackpot… and more! It was like I got the message, “OK, it’s time. Here’s the information you need!”

I spent a majority of the next day reading stuff, mostly online. It was later in the day when I got an email back from the woman I’d been told to talk to, and she said, “Just write it all down. We’ll talk about it when we meet.”

And so I did. The next couple of days worked out to be a great time of throwing up my life in an anonymous blog out on the Internet, so I could go back and read it… and start to make some sense of stuff I’d completely missed before. I guess I also felt that if someone came across the blog, they obviously needed to see it. But otherwise, I wasn’t sharing that… too many things that were too deep inside, and I’m VERY uncomfortable with things like that.

Things started to take shape.

I did a lot of digging online, and was able to find a handful of different Websites that offered discussion boards for Awakening Lightworkers (which is apparently a common term for those of us who are Awakening right now). The funny thing: Every single time I found one of those boards, I really hestitated to write something on them, because I wasn’t sure it meant me! But I did, and I read even more.

So, when I met with the woman to whom I’d sent the email at 4:30am-ish, it made a world of difference. She knew what was going on, with relatively little explanation from me. She explained about being able to move between dimensions, and told me that I’d obviously figured out how to do that… and that she did it quite often. She explained vibrational changes, and a bunch of other stuff.

I told her that several people online had told me to autowrite with my spirit/angel guides; she said that was a really good idea. Then she told me how to do it, and that I could probably even try “autotyping” too.

I had to digest that.

Before I’d even attempt anything, I needed to re-start meditating, from which I’d gotten away for several years. That seemed “right,” first and foremost. So I went online – great place to find lots of stuff, wouldn’t you say? – and found various different sites with some simple guided meditations. I had that “AUTOTYPE” thing hanging over my head, but I really felt I needed to introspect first.

Meditation – Basic (and Important) Steps
I’m going to stop here for a minute and talk a bit about meditating, because that’s important. It’s REALLY important, for everyone. I’d actually really started meditating back around 2001-2002, when I started using alternative therapies to treat migraines. Here’s the key: It’s different for everyone, because our minds are wired differently, with a ton of variable factors. So, for example, I like guided meditation every once in awhile, but I’ve found that I’m much better with some drum, angelic, or similar music in headphones, which actually keep me focused. Some people need absolute quiet. And jumping ahead a little here, now that my husband meditates, too, we’ve found that for the time being, guided Theta Wave meditation is the best thing for him (by the way, I LOVE unguided Theta Wave meditation, myself, for different reasons than my husband – mostly because it dramatically cuts the time it takes to get really focused – and allows me for even deeper meditation and quicker understanding with my guides). Some people use candles, crystals, a glass of water, or something else – but the important point is that you’re meditating, whether it’s five minutes or two hours. Even the Wii Fit video game has a meditation exercise, where you sit on the balance board and focus on a lit candle on the screen; the goal is to sit completely still for three minutes without flickering the candle out from movement. The game even attempts distraction! It’s a GREAT starter – the exercise is 3 minutes. I started at 3 minutes, and then worked my way up to do it three times in a row; it’s a fun and easy way to start on meditation.

Why, you ask, is this so important?

It’s simple: In today’s overpowering chatter, meditation quiets the incessant voice in your head, and allows you to stop and really look inside of yourself. It helps you stop thinking and allows you to feel. Then, once you make that shift, you can delve into the other aspects of the Universe, without the interference of your mind. And then you can realize that what’s in your mind is really just that – chatter!

So, try a few different types of meditation – guided, unguided, to music, to silence, theta/alpha/beta waves, group meditation, even yoga and/or Tai Chi (which is called a moving meditation), or any combination thereof. There are many choices out there, and more every day! You’ll know when you find the right way for you! Note: If you want to simply download something to use for meditation, http://www.itunes.com actually has a really nice variety; plus it’s reasonable, and you can get it immediately via download. All you need to do then is either a) download it to your iPod, or b) plug those headphones right into your computer, and just float away!

Also, there’s a huge misperception that you should meditate for  a set period of time – like a half hour or an hour. You know what? It’s a lot like exercise – every little bit counts! Any time when you can escape from our 3D world and just be, you’re moving in the right direction, even if it’s ten or fifteen minutes.

On Behalf of My Husband (Who Had Some Really Frustrating Meditation Beginnings), Some BASICS.
As I’ve been practicing one form of meditation or another for 25 or so years, I’ve developed a custom style that works really well for me – and I’m continuing to investigate different kinds and try them out, to further refine my practice. This will just naturally happen over time for anyone. However, my husband got really frustrated when he started the effort, because I forgot to explain to him some of what I would call the basics. I guess I assumed since we’ve been through 5.5 years of martial arts practice together, that he would at least know something about it.

You know that saying, about the word assume? Yeah, well, you got it. SOOO…. I guess it would be a good idea for me to put some basics on here, for the beginner. Anyone reading, please feel free to chime in under the Comments section! 🙂

• Wear what makes you most comfortable. When you meditate, you’re completely leaving your bodily concerns behind. You can’t really do that if you’re wearing clothing that doesn’t fit well! Anything that is going to distract you isn’t good. So… pajamas, sweats, workout clothes, heck your birthday suit, if you prefer.

• Pick a time to meditate when you’ll be able to relax, but not fall asleep. Depending on the type of person you are, pick the time of day when you’ll be able to zone out and focus without dozing off completely. For example, I’m definitely a morning person, so meditating is much more effective for me if I do it early in the morning, right after I wake up. If I do it later in the evening, it’s hard for me to relax without falling asleep. However, sometimes, a lunch break meditation works really well, too! Try out different times, get to know your body’s rhythms, so you can pick the best time possible for you.In my opinion, the goal to a good meditation is to clear the mind, quiet the voice, and just exist, so you can let the Universe flow…. I call that the “twilight” zone, in between being awake and falling asleep. If it’s done right, you come out of meditation completely refreshed and ready to take on the world! It’s difficult to find that zone at first, but once you get there a few times, it becomes exponentially easier. Don’t feel bad if it takes a few tries – it still happens to me every once in awhile! However, when you first start out, it’s easy to accidentally take that extra half-step and fall asleep. If you have insomnia and it’s the primary purpose of your meditation, that’s fine. However, if you are introspecting, working to calm physical functions, visualizing, manifesting, working on your non-physical/psychic abilities, or connecting with your guides, your higher self,or just connecting, the most effective zone is that “twilight zone”!

• Sit someplace that makes you comfortable but not so comfortable that you’ll fall asleep. This was my husband’s toughest obstacle in the beginning of his meditation efforts. He’d sit in a plushy chair or lay down on the sofa. Guaranteed, within 15 minutes, he’d be snoring away!Some people can lay down all the way and meditate without falling asleep – I usually can’t do that, but I’ve found that I can – for some meditative purposes – incline myself back about 45 degrees and still stay awake. For me,the best position is sitting straight up in a comfortable (but not too comfortable) chair, with my feet flat on the floor or cross legged on the floor with my back up against the front of a chair or sofa.When I can, I love meditating outside – there’s nothing better than fresh air and smells surrounding you, especially at the ocean, in the woods, or some other inspiring scenery! However, most of don’t actually live in or near places like that, so we have to make do inside our home (or at some studio) when we can’t do that.

• Make sure you won’t be interrupted during the time you’ve blocked off to meditate. If someone barges in on you, the phone rings, or the dog or cat decides to nuzzle or snuggle you while you’re meditating, it can blow the whole effort. I also find that I get really irritable when that happens – which again, defeats the purpose of meditating! So, wherever you decide to meditate, strategize about where you’ll be. I’ve literally gone into my bedroom and posted a paper sign on my bedroom door that says in big letters: “MEDITATING UNTIL ____; DO NOT DISTURB!” And when I do go in my room, I throw the cat out, shut the door, made sure my cell phone was either in another room or had the ring turned off, and and I’ve even pulled out the phone plug from the answering machine – because no one’s going to need you that badly that they can’t wait an extra half hour or hour to call you back (do you remember the days without answering machines or cell phones? People actually somehow survived back then!)

• If you get distracted easily, use headphones, guided meditation, and/or at least some relaxing music or nature sounds to prevent noises that will cause you to lose your focus. At first, you might even prefer to do guided meditation, which is when someone else actually guides you through the meditation. This allows you to focus on the practice of not getting distracted until you get used to getting into your “zone.” Plus, guided meditation is great when you’re learning the basic rhythm of meditation, and how to go about it. Try different people/guides, either in groups, classes, and/or DVDs/downloads! I’ve included some great resources to use at the bottom of this blog.Since I do get distracted easily – and because I have a noisy household, with 2 tween/teen kids, a husband, 2 dogs, and 2 cats – I usually listen to meditative music of some sort, with stereo headphones on my head, plugged into my laptop or iPod. Earplugs don’t do it for me – I’ve yet to find a pair that don’t always feel like they’re falling out of my head!Another great tool I’ve recently discovered is Theta wave meditation. When we meditate, we typically aspire to reach theta waves for optimal results (here’s a good basic explanation of the different brain waves we have). After you’ve been meditating for awhile, you know how to get there; however, until you mapped the route, it helps to have a guide! Theta wave meditation gets you to the optimal brainwave level for the best results from your meditation. Even when you’re more practiced, this is helpful – I love it because it gets me there very quickly, and I can get down to business – and get to the focus of my meditation.

• Sit with your back straight, unemcumbered. Whether you’re inclined or sitting up, you need to keep your nerve and energy flow pathways as clear as possible when meditating: no slouching, crossed legs (though cross legged is fine), crossed arms, or twisted body.

• Starting the meditation.

Close your eyes and take 7-10 deep, intentional, cleansing breaths. This helps the process of slowing your heart rate, “centering” you, and it also helps you to clear your head and take your focus away from the outside world. Do it in sets that are easy for you – 5 breaths to a count of 5 (breathe in for a slow count of 5, hold it for a count of 5, let it out for a count of 5, hold it for a count of five, and repeat it 5 times), 7 breaths to a count of 7, etc. Usually, it’s best to do at least 5 repetitions of this type of breath. Also, if you can do “heart breathing,” even better – imagine your heart had a nose, and the air you breathe is being inhaled and exhaled from a “nose” in your chest. You can also do diaphragm breathing.

Focus. For some, all you need to do is close your eyes and think of a blank, black wall, or some method to think of “nothing.” Others can’t clear their mind that way; in that case, you can use a piece of paper with a dot in the middle, light a candle and focus on the flame, or another similar method.

Evoke the White Light of positive energy. That’s what I call it, though others use different terms, such as White Light of protection (I’m trying not to use words that would imply an negativity), White Light of Christ Consciousness, and other similar terms. Here’s an easy, quick way to do that (extracted from Inspiring Energy):Step one: As you take in your next breath, imagine that you are drawing in energy from from the heavens, from the sky, through your 7th chakra, on the crown of your head.Step two: As that powerful energy enters you, imagine on your exhale that the energy, the breath comes out from your heart.

Step three: As you continue to breathe in through the crown of your head and out through the heart, imagine, visualize that breath, that energy forming a white light bubble around you. See the bubble of energy, of light, of breath completely around you, like you are in a ball of universal energy, where nothing can get through, unless you let it.

Step four : Sit with that bubble visual for a minute, feel it fully.

Set your intention. State specifically – whether out loud or in your head – what you intend to accomplish in this meditation. Need to focus on health? relaxation? The answer to a problem? Want to use manifestation techniques? Improve self love? Do you want to meet your spirit/angel guide? Do you have a specific question you’d like to have answered? Any of these are good intentions. If you state the intention at the beginning like this, it immediately connects you with your “higher” self, and puts you on a mutual concentrated path. Believe me, it works!

Now you’re on your way! This is a great start… for some good resources, see the section below. And if you have some great resources to add, please do so, in the Comments section!

Meditation Resources

Some of my faves for meditation:

Non-Guided (sound/music only)

• The Healing Touch – Music for Reiki & Meditation, Vol. 2, Shajan
• Meditation Drum, David & Steve Gordon
• Tibetan Chakra Meditations, Ben Scott & Christa Michell

Theta/Alpha/Beta Waves (sound/music only)

• You can find a lot of short, 10-minutish options on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com)… just type in binaural wave meditation
• Solfeggio Harmonics, Source Vibrations
• Any of the options available from the Unexplainable Store (particularly Shaman Consciousness, Christ Consciousness,… but I’ve done most of them at this point, and enjoyed every one, depending on my mood)
• Brain Wave Therapy: Living Prayer (there are both guided and unguided versions), Kelly Howell

Guided

• Brain Wave Therapy: Living Prayer (there are both guided and unguided versions), Kelly Howell
• Any of the guided meditations from www.enlightenedbeings.com (particularly Samadhi and Kundalini), Jafree Ozwald
• Awakening Kundalini Meditation, Kelly Howell