This is the last lesson of this course, and so the time we have shared together in this space of healing and transformation is coming to an end. Yet the growth you can experience from these teachings is only just beginning. The facets I have shared with you in these lessons are extremely powerful. The more your practice them, the more you will become aware of the profound transformation that is taking place in your life. I share these facets because they are what brought me to find my own inner freedom: it is my greatest joy to share them with others.
Remember to feel your emotions: the facets will bring them to the surface, so they can be healed: don’t avoid them when they do! And at the end of this lesson, there is a video and a list of “Tips for the Practice”. Whenever you have any doubts, refer to that section: many common questions are answered there.
Before I leave you, I want to share a special “inspiration” I have created especially for this course. I invite you to read it every morning before you start your day: you can print it out and put it above your desk, or on the fridge! More importantly, I invite you to observe where you can apply this inspiration to your own life, as you begin making more conscious, loving choices in every moment. Bear in mind that these are choices that we are going to focus on developing more and more, that will evolve as we continue choosing for them: it’s not about being rigid and hard with ourselves if we don’t embody them in their entirety from the word go.
My Focus for today
Today, I choose that which helps to elevate my consciousness and bring more love into my life.
I choose to speak the truth.
In speaking my truth, I am not abandoning myself in the search of external approval.
I choose to be vulnerable and completely human, and to remove my masks in order to achieve unconditional love of self.
I choose never to grasp, or focus on lack, because the true nature of consciousness is to give.
I choose to let go of my attachments and addictions, which give me a false sense of illusory love. I choose to listen to those around me, to take in the things they say, even when I disagree or do not understand; to trust that everything I am presented with is an opportunity to further my journey of self-realization.
Today, I choose unconditional love.
Imagine when you look in the mirror that the face looking back at you is someone you truly love. Just imagine. . .
With love,
Isha Judd
MEDITATIVE EDUCATION TIPS
If any of your doubts are not listed below, contact us at [email protected] for further support.
Timing
You can divide your hour of daily practice into two half-hour sessions or three of twenty minutes. In each session, use the facets in order for equal amounts of time. For example, a twenty-minute session should begin with five minutes of the first facet and then move on to five of the second, five of the third, and finally five minutes of the fourth. You can check the time by glancing at your watch, and it doesn’t have to be exact! Remember, the practice should be gentle, so don’t worry about rigidly adhering to the time frame.
Falling Asleep
If you fall asleep while practicing, that is perfect. When we meditate, we always create exactly what we need. If your body has accumulated fatigue, you will fall asleep. This is because the body is taking advantage of the deep relaxation produced by meditating to rest and regenerate.
If you are falling asleep a lot and never get to meditate, try sitting up instead of lying down. If you still fall asleep, even when you are sitting up, what can I say? You need to sleep!
Sometimes we go through a period when every time we go to meditate, we fall asleep. This may last a few days or even a few weeks, but it is a very good thing. When the body has rested enough, you will feel more lively and energetic than ever before. Don’t fight against it — just remember you are healing, and it will pass.
Posture
When you are meditating it is important that you be comfortable. That is the only rule with regard to posture. You can sit or lie down, change position, scratch an itch . . . as long as you are comfortable.
Practicing for Less Than Twenty Minutes
When we meditate with the eyes closed, it is ideal to do at least twenty minutes at a time,in order to take full advantage of the deep level of rest that makes this practice so beneficial.
If you are sitting in the doctor’s waiting room or in the back of a taxicab, you can still close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes, but whenever possible, try to build your hour of daily practice with sessions of at least twenty minutes.
Music
When we are meditating, we are diving deep within our being. Anything that stimulates the senses will only serve as a distraction and should be avoided whenever possible. Don’t play music of any kind when you are meditating. However enjoyable it may be, when we are meditating, it keeps our attention focused outward, which is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve.
Drinking Water
Another way to help the body in its healing process is to drink water. The body uses liquid to flush out the toxins that are being released, and so during Meditative practice, it dehydrates more quickly than usual. Because of this, it is important to drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day. This will help your body eliminate the stress that is leaving. If you are not used to drinking a lot of water, try keeping a bottle on your desk or bedside table and drinking from it every time you remember. In any case, you will find that your body naturally starts asking for water, and you will start to feel thirsty as you become more aware of its needs.
Physical Exercise
When we are meditating, it is not only our perception that is changing. The vibrational shift that occurs when we think the facets affects the entire nervous system. The frequency of love-consciousness progressively upgrades the body at the cellular level.
In the presence of a high vibration, any low vibrations naturally become higher. When this happens during meditative practice, everything that vibrates on a low frequency within the body — such as toxins, stress, and physical tension — begins to fall away naturally.
You can help your body remove the stress and toxins that are surfacing by getting some exercise. Any kind of exercise is beneficial — walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga — any sport or physical activity that you enjoy. Let’s try and do a minimum of half an hour per day.
Headaches
If you get a headache during or after meditating, make sure that you are not using any mental effort. Headaches can be caused by trying to forcefully avoid those thoughts that you judge as negative. Remember that this process does not require you to clear your mind of thought or concentrate intensely; nor should you try to control your thoughts. This meditative practice should feel agreeable and natural to the mind.
Another possible cause of a headache while practicing is dehydration. When you are using the facets, the liquid in your body is being used to release toxins, so it is important to drink a lot of water.
Headaches may also arise as a result of physical stress leaving the body. If this is the case, the pain will pass before long — just continue meditating, drinking water, and getting exercise.
Points of Attention
Sometimes people have difficulty with the different bodily points of attention in the facets. This is usually because they are trying too hard. When we put our awareness deep in the heart, for example, we do not need to visualize a particular color or light. Nor do we have to concentrate in any way. We just bring the attention gently into the heart.
The points of attention open the energy centers in the nervous system, so we can vibrate in ever-higher levels of love-consciousness.
How long to practice for
It is very important to commit to doing this practice for a minimum of a month. When we separate ourselves from our surroundings and create the illusion that we don’t deserve love, we close off all our energetic centers. These centers are surrounded by stress and toxins. As we start to heal, these stresses and toxins leave, along with the negative belief systems that caused us to protect ourselves from the outside. In order to start energetically feeling the presence of love-consciousness, all this accumulated rubbish has to leave, so we can vibrate on a higher frequency. Some of you will experience the peace and joy immediately, but others will be removing toxins and healing the central nervous system, and this will result in quite the opposite; it will cause incessant chattering of the mind. You might not initially feel the peace and joy. Persistence will allow you to have this experience, and it is well worth the effort. So make this commitment to yourself, and give this practice the opportunity you deserve. Of course, after that month, I am sure you will want to continue! The growth you can achieve with these tools is unlimited and they will never stop working.
Feeling Your Emotions
A fundamental aspect of the Isha Judd’s Meditative Practiceis feeling your emotions without judging them. This is quite different from getting caught up in drama or suffering. For example, if we are sad, we allow ourselves to cry. If we are angry, we scream into a pillow, punch a punching bag or mattress, or do physical exercise to move the energy. We do this with innocence, just as a small child would.
Sometimes when you are meditating, you may feel a deep happiness. Your thoughts will become a distant melody of which you can’t quite make out the words, as you are wrapped within the warm blanket of unconditional love.
At other times, you might start feeling sad or angry, maybe for no apparent reason. This is all part of the process of growth, and it is by no means a reason to stop practicing. As I said before, when we focus on love-consciousness, everything that is not vibrating at a high frequency starts to fall away naturally. This includes all the emotions that we have learned to repress throughout our lives.
How many times have you held back your tears? How many times have you put on a fake smile to hide your anger? In most parts of the world, men are taught not to cry because they have to be strong, and women are not supposed to get angry — they have to be gracious and sweet at all times.
We have all learned from a very early age to abandon our feelings, but these suppressed emotions have not disappeared. They lie deep within us, slowly building up until they explode in bursts of rage or drawn-out depressions.
As your experience of love-consciousness expands, your emotions will start to flow more spontaneously. Children are a perfect example of this. They don’t hold on to their emotions, so those emotions move very quickly. They are completely present in everything.
When we meditate, we are returning to that state of being. We are recuperating that level of consciousness while at the same time living a mature adult life. It’s possible. In fact, it’s easy. You will see that as your consciousness expands, naturally you will become more innocent, more spontaneous.