Dead or Alive??

Have a read of this article: http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3%2C3759%2C0%2C0%2C1%2C0

Its an incredible story, something I certainly didn’t think was possible.

Incase you don’t want to read the story, heres a brief overview:

A buddhist monk in Russia named Itigelov died in 1927. He wished to be buried in the same lotus position that he died in and requested that his body exhumed several years later. This was done in 1955 and 1973, although it was kept secret due to the communist regime in Russia at the time. In 2002 it was finally exhumed and since then has been put on display. On first examination, it was seen that there was no decay on the body. Whole muscles, sections of tissues, joint and skin were completely intact, like it was mummified, although this was not the case. Since 2002 it has been on display, in contact with people, no temperature or humidity control, in open air and, surprisingly, his body has not perished at all! Although it has been written about in buddhist texts, this is the only know case to be seen.

It is believed that meditation may have been a part in how this phenomenon occurred, but there are now also suggestions of how he was buried, such as in salt, and techniques such as types of fasting, that enable the skin to remain so well intact so long after death. Whatever the case of how he has survived for so long, this story is something to be marvelled at, and can give us something to fascinate on!

There are so many phenomenons written about in buddhist scriptures, my favorite is monks being able to levitate stones of substantial weight with incredible precision through the use of sound waves. Although this can be done, and has been done by NASA, it has not been proven on such a large scale through not electric devices!  Its nice to see that one of these has now been proven beyond doubt!

With science slowly becoming more interested in the spiritual world, I hope more marvels are proved soon.

XxxX

Summer sun and lack of Ice cream

The weather has finally turned, its reaching 23C in Cardiff and everyone, including myself, is basking in the warm sunshine, hoping that, for once, it will last more than a couple of days.

Unfortunately for me, Im no longer allowed Ice cream. 😦

Just before visiting home I noticed that I wasn’t feeling too good after having lattes. For me, this is about the only thing I have regularly that contains a substantial amount of milk. Not only this but I noticed that, although I’ve been losing weight, my belly is still prominent, normally a sign of an allergy, so I had an incline that something may be up.

Upon going home I got tested and, to my dismay, found out I was indeed allergic to, not only milk, but soya milk, rice milk, goats milk and sheep milk. I can get away with the lacto free milk but, I’m not going to lie, its not the nicest thing I’ve ever tasted.

My eating habits have now had to change fairly dramatically. I’m genuinely surprised at how much food contains milk, for example, I brought some crisps the other day, sour cream and chive, and was annoyed to find out that it contained milk due to the sour cream. I can no longer have caramel lattes (what used to get me through my day), tea is now black (surprisingly nice), cakes and other sweet treats are limited, practically all forms of chocolate is out (luckily some drinking chocolate doesn’t contain milk), and eating out is just going to be awkward.

Eventually I will be able to have little bits of milk again, which will make things a lot easier. Ill be able to have a sandwich in college, which are all buttered, but for now I’m trying to avoid it all, just to detox my system and hopefully get rid of this belly!

Going through these changes has made me realise how many other changes I’ve made recently. My house (excluding my room) is a lot neater and is being cleaned more regularly and I find myself a lot more confident when having to deal with issues, both day to day ones and others (such as nagging the agency to sort out my garden…or replace the washing machine).

This last term I feel I have greatly matured. I’ve finally managed to control my expenditure and spiritually have developed beyond what I thought I could in this space of time. I am much more relaxed and, generally, stress free, and am finding time each day for me, which I will eventually use for meditation once I’m more used to free time.

Although some changes are hard, such as removing dairy from my diet, a lot are easier than people first realise and nearly all the ones I’ve been through have been beneficial! We all need change in our lives, whether we want it or not. Change is good! Change is something I think we all need to embrace!

XxxX

 

 

 

The Future

In two weeks time I will have finished my third year of college and will be heading into my fourth and final year. In just over a years time I will have finished my university degree and will be heading into the real world. This past week and the two to come are filled with meetings to discuss what will happen in my final year and after. I even have a meeting with the principle of college to discuss my career plans post college. Scary stuff!

I’ve known for about a year know that I don’t want to do too much playing once I’ve left college, partially because of a shoulder injury which I have realised is unlikely to heal back to its full strength in which I could play and perform on a regular basis, but also because much of the playing no longer interests me. I don’t dislike performing, infact I quite enjoy playing in concerts, especially when playing solo or small ensemble works, but I don’t enjoy the rehearsing, a rather vital part of being a performer. Up until this year, all I wanted to do was teach, but, having spent time in a deprived secondary school, I have come to terms with the fact that working in such a school would not sustain me or let my soul thrive, something I feel vital when you spend day after day there for years. 

As of this year I have started training as a spiritual therapist. I have been able to practice my oracle readings on people I know very little about, have seen my abilities thrive my spirituality grow. I can now honestly say that I am the happiest I have ever been and know that a career in holistic therapies is something that is not only right for me but something I was meant to do.

I have never been one to be scared of the future. For as long as I can remember I have been discussing my aspirations, ideas and dreams with friends and family and I am known for jumping upon an idea before fully thinking it through and even now my school friends are leaving university and become ‘real adults’, I am still not scared of having to live and survive off my own back. The reality, however, is starting to hit me. My dreams are becoming reality and I am seeing how much work goes into living, let alone working. There is still so much left that I have to learn, I have no idea how taxes work for example, but I am getting there slowly. I brought my tax disc for my car for the first time this year and later on will be booking it in or an MOT, all tasks that seem simple to many people but for me is another step towards independence. In september I will start looking for a house to move into with my boyfriend and with that we may start setting up our own home properly, discussing many other things that come with long term relationships.

Reality is slowly dawning on me and, although excited for all these things to happen, I am appreciative of how big these things really are. I am thankful that I have my spirituality, not only to ground me so that I don’t get caught in a dream world, but also to keep me strong when things get a little too much. And, as I watch my school friends graduate from university, I am thankful that I have another year of college left to fully make my decisions and make sure they are well informed, before heading into the big wide world.

XxxX

 

 

 

Sceptics

Its the time of year when there are numerous brass band competitions all at once. This means that Im getting lifts to band regularly and recently are topics of conversation have turned to our believes.

Now im not fully sure of what Gareth, who gives me a lift, beliefs are, but what I have found out is that he likes a good debate, and will take the other view point purely for that reason. I dont mind this at all, infact, I think its a good thing to be able to debate believes and view points as it helps you understand more about what you believe and, certainly for me, helps me to put my views in a way that can be explained better.

Now I love science, and, although I don’t believe my views of angels, spirits, crystals, oracle cards or anything else needs to be backed up by it, I have found ways of explaining them in a more scientific way, as I feel it helps prove how they work and, for me, just helps me keep my scientific knowledge up, as I have done very little since A level.

So how do I explain my views to a sceptic?

Healing, for me, is the easiest one to bring people around to. Most people understand and accept the power of the mind. It is able to heal the body when we least expect it to. Therefore, I simply tell people that, if they don’t want to believe that I am channeling the energy of the universe to them, that I am simply a tool to help convince their mind that they can be healed. The fact that someone has asked for healing in the first place is enough to know they can be healed! I dont claim that I can do miracles, I will never, for example, claim to be able to cure cancer or other illnesses, but I can give people more energy to help them cope with their week, or overcome a mental blockage. Some people do just need help to overcome what their mind is telling them. Although, I do honestly believe I am passing healing energy from the universe to the client, which is why their energy levels are raised and their minds cleared. I think I’ve managed to convince Gareth that healing can be beneficial, even if he doesn’t believe what is behind it!

Oracle and Tarot cards are the other topic that constantly come into question which, I think, I can argue successfully. Crystals I can’t as I know very little about them other than they fascinate me!

Many people wrongly believe that card readings are there to read your future. Although they can be a tool for this, a person’s future is not set in stone. We all have numerous paths in which we can travel. Card readings may show you a path, but this does not mean you have to take it. I find that cards are good to read into a certain situation at any given point and are insightful! I use them merely as a mean to give you advice on what you need to do. It is up to you as to whether you take that advice or not. As Gareth said to me, people will always be able to find an answer if they want to and will make the readings fit into their life, just like people will always be able to make faces out of smoke and such. I agree with this to an extent. If a person is desperate then they will make it fit into their situation, but a lot of the time, people just want comfort from readings. They want to hear what they already know and hearing it from someone else just confirms it and helps them to deal with the situation. If all it does is provide comfort then whats the harm and, when it does give more then it is up to the person receiving the reading as to what they take from it and how they use the information provided, but, from my experience, readings are only ever helpful.

There are frauds out there, that use the publics beliefs to make money, and there are people that will use physic abilities for situations other than good. But this is a minority, few and far between, infact, I’ve never come across someone who will use their abilities for anything other than helping others.

I know that Im not the best person when it comes to explaining my views but I think I’ve been able to develop this skill slowly as I have been debating it more and also as I have been developing my own skills as a healer and reader. There will always be sceptics and to those who are completely closed to the thought of healing and spiritualism, I believe that the explanations above can help them understand how they help people, even if they don’t convince them of the cause behind it!

XxxX

Spring Forest Healing

Thanks to my Mum, I got sent a link sending me to a website for spring forest healing, http://www.springforestqigong.com/index.htm if your interested. They recently held a free course online, which you signed into each day to listen to an mp3 or video explain different basics of qigong healing by Chunyi Lin, a qigong master. 

Unfortunatly, due to a busy schedule, yesterday performed my major concert of the year…it went well, I didnt forget my solo :D, I was unable to listen to all of the tracks. I did, however, manage to listen to 3 of them and, even with my limited knowledge of qigong, I can feel the benifits of the exercises I learnt.

I injured my shoulder about 18 months ago, the cause of my pain is unknown, ive been told RSI, swollen tendons and, most recently, torn firbres which havent mended properly and is therefore causing my limited mobility and incredible amount of pain. But through using the one qigong method I fully understand, the pain is beginning to subside and, hopefully, using that alongside my streches, exersise and moderate practice, I will be healed in no time and will be able to play and work to my hearts content without pain.

The method I use is through use mantras before I sleep. Sleep is a form of meditation as the body becomes relaxed. So, focusing my mind on healing my shoulder before I sleep, my mind will be able to work on what I want it to, such as with meditation, where it is good to focus your mind on a problem that you want sorting. Through simply saying, ‘heal, shoulder, heal, heal, heal’ the mind becomes focused and it can be worked on throughout the night. Although I am still in pain, it is not as bad as it was and I am certainly able to cope with more practice than I was before. I think the only reason my shoulder is not fully healed is because there is something else on my mind that is transforming to a knot in my shoulder. Once I overcome this blockage, I will be able to remove the pain in my shoulder entirley.

I would love to learn more about qigong, and am gutted that I missed the 3 final days of the course, but it is something I can learn in my own time. I throughly recommend everyone to have a look at this website and give qigong a try. I know there are numerous exercises he teaches that can be done in the shortest space of time and can be place into your everyday routine. This can only be a good thing as it will only improve your life, however good it may already be.

If anyone else knows anything on qigong, or any other healing techniques that are out there, Im really interested to learn more and try and incorporate them into my everyday life. Even a simple exercise I could do. Leave me a comment and Ill let you know how I get on with it!

 

XxxX

 

 

 

Oracles

I’ve been reading oracle cards since I was 13, only truly understanding their power and the information they hold in the past few years.

At 12 I was given a book by my mum explaining how to use different techniques to contact my guardian angle and helping me connect on a basic level with him. This book ‘A comprehensive guide to Angel Therapy’ by Denise Whichello Brown was my first contact with both angles and oracle cards. It explained how to make my own cards, showing examples of what words I could use, i.e. Courage, Healing, Joy, Love, and explaining how to use them by asking questions and showing different layouts. Me and my best friend spent hours making these cards, which I still have back at my home in Dorset, and I spent hours sitting at my altar we created asking questions and reading my basic cards. I was fascinated by them, and have continued to be whilst I have grown to learn how to read them in more depth.

I have looked into numerous forms of reading; oracle cards, tarot, runes etc, but oracle cards have been the one that has really meant anything to me and where I have had a deep connection with. Tarot and Runes I cannot make any sense of no matter how long I look into it and study, I still have to use a book to help me understand the meaning of them.

I have spoken to many people about my readings, both those who are open to the concept and those who are not. The one thing I have always had to explain is how, when giving someone a reading, I am not reading their future. To me, oracles are not there to predict the future, nor are tarot, runes or any other form of reading, as the future is not set in stone. It is merely there to show a path, or provide suggestions of ways to overcome problems. I found a good explanation on sunway.com, a site on rune reading, that said

‘readings give one a means of analyzing the path that one is on and a likely outcome.’

The future can be changed whenever we choose to change it. Sometime guidance is needed to know if we are on the right path or how to get over an obstacle we are facing, this is where readings come in. 

I have recently found a set of cards that, for the foreseeable future at least, I am keen to stick with. The set is animal spirit guides by Dr Steven D Farmer. I have two other sets, guardian angles and saints, and fairies, both by Doreen Virtue, but these cards ringed different with me. I have always loved animals and the cards gave more than just a single word answer. A picture of the animal and a simple explanation is shown, for example, the kiwi states ‘do a walking meditation’, a card I drew the first week I had them, and was particularly fitting for the week I was having. I find these cards very easy to read and understand their meanings. As with all oracles, each card can be read in many different ways, and with this set more than my others, I find it particularly easy to understand the correct meaning.  

 

I have recently stuck to doing readings for myself, boyfriend and housemates, as I am still getting used to the cards. I find it fascinating how, even when asking a specific question, the cards can come up on a topic that you were not even thinking about, reminding us what we really need to focus on at that specific time. 

I love reading and finding the meanings to what the cards are saying. It calms me and makes me feel especially connected to my angles and the universe. With every reading I am learning more and growing in confidence. Other the next year I will be setting up a website where I will be aiming to do readings online, as I have no place where I can do them otherwise…I feel it a bit inappropriate to do them in my bedroom. I hope by then Ill know their full meanings and give readings that people will understand and take something from.

 

Im interested to know in other peoples experiences with readings, both receiving and giving. Leave me a comment to let me know or give advice if you’ve been reading for a long time. Im really keen to learn and develop my own skills so that I can use them to help others!

XxxX

Death and New Life

Last Sunday, after a long battle with Dementer, my Gran passed away. Although it was expected, I had been told over a week before that she had suffered a serious stroke and was unlikely to wake from her coma or recover in any way, it still came as a shock.

This is the first time that I have experienced death first hand. I have been to numerous funerals before, from singing in church choirs to supporting friends, but this is the first time it has affected me personally. Although I am sad that she is no longer with us, I know it is not all bad. It has given me time to really think about what I believe will happen once we part.

My gran was a very christian woman and believed in heaven. If heaven exists, I know she is there with Granddad and her brothers. I, on the other hand, believe in reincarnation, not necessarily straight away, but I know that she will return to this world at some point. I believe that her soul is somewhere in the universe right now, with my Granddads, watching over us until we are all ready to say goodbye to her, which I know will not be for sometime yet, as she will be here looking after my aunt, her daughter, who is mentally handicapped and will struggle to cope without my Gran.

This is one of the reasons I think that I am not too sad that she is no longer with us. It may sound harsh, but Im glad she died when she did, as she was not in too much pain and she didn’t lose her dignity, something she was very particular about. Although I will miss here dearly, and it will hit me more when I am back in Dorset and will not be going to visit her, I know that she is in a better place, and, when not watching over us, will be preparing for her next life.

This whole situation got me thinking about our lives, past and present. When speaking to my mum about the situation, I explained to her how I believe I have had five past lives, a serving girl in the royal palace in ancient Egypt, a temple girl in ancient Greece, a solider fighting in WW2 and two other lives I have yet to be informed of as they have no current affect on my life. Although my soul has been around for many centuries, millennia even, I am still a very young soul, and am only now starting a new age of development. My mum, on the other hand, is a very old soul, one who has been through horrendous ordeals, and is coming to the end of her age, ready to start a new one in her next life. I am unsure as to where my Grans soul was as I only came into this knowledge recently, when she was too ill to discuss with me or for me to understand her. But I know, wherever her soul is in its development, she shall still return to learn something new.

Finally, I believe that for every life taken, a new life is given. This is the final reason I am know that my Grans departure is not something to be too saddened over as she gave her life up on Earth so that someone else could have one. She always was a kind woman, this is proof.

XxxX