Day 1: Build Your Self-Awareness Muscles

Welcome to Day 1 in our journey to expanding awareness. The first step in expanding your
awareness is to examine where you are in life and to take a look at your own presenceinside and
out. By building self-awareness, we can come to a deeper understanding of ourselves, our needs,
our truths, and our deepest desires. Read this advice from Deepak Chopra and other experts to
learn helpful ways to cultivate self-awareness.

Are You in Charge of Your Life? Here's How to Tell

By Deepak Chopra, M.D.

A young happy woman riding a bike with a smile

When it is examined with objective measures, being in charge of your life, or even feeling in
control, looks like a major challenge. Right now doctors are writing record numbers of
prescriptions for antidepressants and tranquilizers. Economic pressures create financial worries in
many families. The world feels threatening in ways that we as individuals cannot really defend
against, from terrorism to climate change. How is it possible to regain control and remain secure in
such an environment?

Most people don't really confront this very basic question. Society urges us to constantly pursue
the next distraction and to equate happiness with money, status, and possessions. But the world's
wisdom traditions offer the most important clues about how to be in control. They define a life
path that proceeds from the inside out. The goal isn't about adjusting to one day's stressful
situations and hoping that you can cope with tomorrow's. The goal begins with a vision of life
where a person's inner world is safe and secure, leading to safety and security in the outer world.

Regain Control, Become Self-Aware

We get out of control because of the habit of depending on the restless mind, which constantly
shifts from moment to moment, largely obeying what the ego wants. The ego feels insecure and
therefore wants to be reassured, seeking the next pleasure or gratification, the next promise of
help from someone else, and the next reason to place blame outside itself. As a result, there is no
calm center to the mind, no place where restlessness is exchanged for peace and calm. Even when
a person gains some control over the restless mind, its worries and disturbing thoughts are simply
shoved out of sightthey continue to cause agitation at an unconscious level.

I'm only painting a bleak picture to underscore that being in control requires a different approach,
the approach of consciousness. Through meditation practice and other lifestyle changes, you can
make it your long-term goal to settle into a deeper level of awareness and to expand your
consciousness beyond day-to-day demands and concerns. Life works best when you regain control
form the inside out.
If you acknowledge the possibility that consciousness links the inner and outer world, you move
ahead on the assumption that any thought can change how you experience the world. The
deciding factors aren't mystical. They have to do with the following ingredients that go into
shifting your personal reality through conscious intention:

Being yourself and following your own truth.

Not creating a false self-image that you must live up to.

Having your own ideas instead of ones you picked up second-hand.

Being passionate about the things that matter most.

Being able to focus, bringing the mind to one point without distraction.

Being centered.

Having the experience of going deep into the mind.

Letting go instead of controlling.

Having confidence that your desire is supported by Nature, God, the universesomething larger
than your individual ego.

Feeling integrated in mind, body, and spirit.

Not feeling confused and conflicted.

Valuing yourself and your well-being.

Wanting to pursue an ideal.

These factors enter into how you live each day. The choices you make can be great or smallthat
doesn't matter. What matters is the degree of self-awareness you apply to any situation.

For example, instead of thinking "What's going to go wrong now?" or "Do I have what it takes to
get through this?", which are self-defeating questions, concentrate your efforts on becoming more
aware. Consider the ingredients on the list above and genuinely make the effort required to
expand your awareness. When you take consciousness seriously, it takes you seriously.

The reason you can be truly in control of your life right this minute is that you are already creating
every reflection you see; the interaction that merges "in here" and "out there is always at work,
regardless of whether you believe it or not. Therefore, you need to see yourself as a conscious
agent with enormous creative potential. This attitude is enough to restore control in anyone's life,
beginning a journey to real mastery.
3 Keys to Finding Yourself in Your Busy Life

By Jennifer Weinberg

A thoughtful man gazing into the distance

The constant running between your job, family, and friendsnot to mention the incessant pings
and notifications from your smartphonecan leave you feeling like youre on a hamster wheel;
youre running, but youre not getting anywhere.

This cycle of busyness can make you feel like time is slipping away. You might speed up to try and
do more, but no matter how fast you move, youre no closer to achieving your dreams than you
were a few weeks or even years ago.

Many people struggle with this. The cycle wont stop until you start slowing down and saying yes
to yourself. Its the only path to inner peace.

Daily tasks can become overwhelming when youre disconnected from yourself, your community,
and your passions. You can lose your sense of magic, imagination, joy, and wonder. Your life might
start to lack a sense of purpose when its only crammed with errands and responsibilities. True
satisfaction and happiness comes when you start connecting with the passion and purpose that
gives your life direction and meaning. Your happiness and contentment naturally expands when
you live in alignment with your inner wisdom. This can give you a life filled with meaning and
value.

You dont need to give up your current life to achieve happiness. You only need to learn how to
structure your life in way that allows you to be more mindful and to carve out enough time to
nourish yourself. It is possible to find peaceful moments amidst the busyness.

Start with these three steps to find yourself in your busy life.

Listen

Your life is always speaking to you and guiding you toward fulfillment, but you may not always
recognize a clear vision or have a complete understanding of your path. Learning to slow down
and listen can help you understand that youre where you need to be, doing what needs to be
done.

Seek Inner Validation

Being an achiever might be an integral part of your identity. The expectations of others can drive
and confine your decisions.

Do you long for the freedom to live your life on purpose, without worrying so much about what
others think? While listening to your family and friends can be a helpful way to learn and develop,
you have to remain aware that they bring preconceived notions as well.
Trust your gut, give yourself permission to grow and live your life on purpose.

Live on Purpose

Completing every task every day can cause you to turn off your mind and simply go through the
motions.

Stepping back from this rush can help you choose to live a more purposeful life. When youre living
your life on purpose, youre aligned with your passions and make choices that are right for you.
This allows you to follow your true calling, and your life flows with greater ease.

Determining the purpose youre passionate about is a process. You need to remain open to
discovery and committed to creation.

The Keys to Finding Yourself

Get in touch with what truly drives you. Allow yourself to start listening within. Yoga, meditation,
and coaching are a few formal places you can start to build a stronger connection with your
intuition.

Consider these three questions as you try to determine your purpose:

What matters most to you?

What talents and gifts do you have?

What are you most enthusiastic about in life?

Take some time to sit quietly and journal about these ideas. Allow any idea to surface without
trying to change or judge it. Use these insights to create a statement and vision for how you
choose to live your life. Turn to this when you need a reminder of who you are and how you
choose to live your life on purpose.

Your Roadmap to Higher Self-Awareness

By Leo Carver

The concept of self-awareness is often talked about as if youre already aware of what awareness
is. While the actual definition of the term may be easy to understand intellectually, you have to
live it to make it work.

Self-awareness is more than just being self-conscious. These are not interchangeable terms. Self-
awareness is being aware of your own presence, inside and out. Self-consciousness tends to lend
itself toward self-judgment and assessment, all too often based on someone elses perceptions.
Self-consciousness doesnt necessarily have to be negative, but it does not often lead to self-
acceptance.
Self-awareness leads to acceptance as well as a deeper understanding of yourself. While self-
consciousness is analyzing, self-awareness is witnessing. Higher self-awareness is possible once
you cultivate an attitude of love, acceptance, and appreciation for yourself. This is not easy to do,
but well worth the effort.

Follow this simple set of directions to help guide you on your path to self-awareness. In the end,
your inner terrain is unique and personal, but if you know the signs, its easier to navigate the path
and know where to turn.

DESTINATION: Higher Self-Awareness

STARTING POINT: Unconscious Living

TOTAL DISTANCE: 0 miles

TRAVELING TIME: Variable

Starting pin

Start off where you are right now.

Make the genuine decision to discover your highest self and move forward.

Turn left @ meditation and silent witnessing.

Listen to your thoughts without judgment. Feel your inner sensations without analyzing. Do not
search for yourself; just be with yourself and observe.

Take another left @ discernment.

Understand that all is you and all is within you, as you are within it. Using the power of attention,
begin to see yourself in the world and in your relationships. Take note of similarities, inner
thoughts that show up on the outside, like-minded people, even opposing personalities that you
might understand, and synchronistic events. Discernment is useful when its used to connect
rather than separate. Learn to see yourself in the world around you. Know that on a subtle level,
this is you. If you start by looking at the positive aspects of self in the world, the negatives will
logically fit as well.

Turn right @ loving yourself.

As you begin to look at the expansion of your own consciousness and thoughts, allow yourself to
fall in love. Seeing yourself in others makes them more lovable. Seeing yourself in situations makes
them less scary. Knowing your own thoughts helps to build awareness of their products. Taking
responsibility for those thoughts you choose will allow for greater gentleness and peace when
faced with the experiences they manifest. You choose your lifedo so out of love. This starts with
loving yourself, and through loving your individual self, you can come to know and love your
universal self.
Turn right again @ appreciation.

Appreciate the miracles, no matter how subtle, that occur every day. Realize that life itself is the
greatest miracle, and you are responsible for yours. Appreciate the synchronistic events in your
life. Appreciate the commonality and familiarity you share with others. Appreciate the things that
make life beautiful, the things that make you come alive. Appreciate your own ability to look
inward and discover these truths. Appreciate your desire to even seek. Appreciate this universe
that surrounds you in support and love, no matter how it may appear. Appreciate it, because it is
you. This is a subtle truth, but one you will certainly discover as you travel toward your
destination.

Take a left @ limitlessness.

Know yourself to be absolute consciousness having a bodily experience, not a mechanical body
with a consciousness. Begin to see yourself as a being that exists outside of your body and daily
observable life. As you cultivate this concept, you will notice when you show up outside yourself. It
will not seem so strange to have a thought and see it happen. It will become more common to see
your consciousness as part of everything. Once this begins to happen for you, it becomes
malleable, life becomes your life, and this universe becomes your universe.

End point

You have arrived. You are home.

You are aware of your higher self and its presence within your life experience. You are beyond
limitation and unbelievably dynamic. The core of your being is the ultimate reality. You are the
ground of the universe, the source of all that exists. Welcome home.

Todays Practice

Find a quiet place to sit for at least 10 minutes, grab a journal or notebook, and answer (without
editing yourself!) these questions:

What are you most grateful for in your life?

What unique talents and gifts do you have?

What matters most to you in your life?

What motivates and excites you more than anything else in the world?

What and who inspires you most in life?

Day 2: Evaluate and Adapt Your Reality
Welcome to Day 2! Today well be focusing on identifying your limiting beliefs, unhealthy habits,
and false expectations. Its important to evaluate these areas before you make a plan to move
forward in the direction of your dreams. Follow the advice below from Deepak Chopra and other
experts to set you on the path to identifying what needs to shift in your life, and creating a plan to
cultivate change.

Life Expectations: How to Get Where You Want to Be

By Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Man standing on a mountain top with raised arms

Expectations is a word that changes as you change, and the secret to achieving your expectations,
first and foremost, is to absorb this fact. You are not the person you were as a child or adolescent,
obviously. But what's less obvious is that you aren't even the person you were yesterday. The
process of living brings uncountable experiences, each of which makes an impression. You don't
have to use the term Karma to realize that these impressions have shaped you from day to day.

But what does this have to do with expectations?

Unless you are centered in a reliable sense of self, your old conditioning, family setting, strong
impressions, and social backgroundall of which come from the pastare guiding your
expectations, not you. To expect something is to foresee it in the future, and psychologists doing
research on happiness have concluded that people are very bad at predicting what will actually
make them happy. Expectations don't often live up to what the present moment brings.

Adapt to the Present

Therefore, the best way to get what you really want out of life is to constantly adapt to the
present, because there is wisdom in its uncertainty. When people expect to be made sublimely
happy by getting married, having children, achieving a successful career, etc., they are substituting
social norms for something deeper. Those external satisfactions can make you happy, of course,
but psychological research once again indicates that they are highly unreliableone of the most
stressful experiences in life is caring for an infant child, for example, which comes as a surprise to
many new mothers.

The most common ways that life expectations don't turn out well include the following:

Setting your expectations too low

Stubbornly sticking to hopes and dreams beyond the likelihood that they will be fulfilled
Clinging to your family's expectations of who you are or should be Being defeated by bad
experiences or setbacks that stifle your growth Becoming entangled in unsatisfying work or
relationships

Any of these things can become a psychological burden, and the outcome is often the same thing:
constricted awareness. Whenever you hear a voice in your head that says things like, "Things
always turn out badly," "I'm not good enough," I should just settle," "Great things happen to other
people, not me." The voice in your head comes from the past. An old, outworn self has gained a
second chance at life in mental activity that is divorced from the present moment.

We've all heard a lot about living in the now, but it's hard to realize that what makes the present
moment so elusive is that it exists and doesn't exist at the same time. Most people accept that the
now must exist because their lives are a string of separate experiences happening to them. But in
the world's wisdom traditions, the now vanishes the instant it is noticed; awareness on the wing is
an illusion when viewed from timeless awareness.

Therefore, only timeless awareness and the higher self that exists in timeless awareness is truly
real. The fact that the ancient sages of India discovered and recognized this point, which is central
to Vedanta, remains incredible. After all, countless people struggle to raise their life expectations,
to achieve perfect happiness and experience unconditional love, yet very few realize that these
things cannot be attained in the domain of ordinary clock time. This isnt because life is somehow
rigged to keep us unfulfilled but because the now, where all love, happiness, and fulfillment are
actually experienced, must be grasped as timeless.

The spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti asked a pointed question once: "Have you noticed that as
soon as you say to yourself, I am happy' that the happiness starts to fade, ever so little?" What he
was getting at is that the instant you put an experience into wordsnot just happiness but any
experienceyou are adding to the story that you keep building up around your life. This story tries
to freeze the present moment, which is impossible. All that happens in reality is that another little
bit of the past has been added to the heap.

How to Revise and Raise Your Expectations

With this knowledge in mind, there are practical ways to revise and raise your expectations,
starting right now. To begin with:

Establish yourself in the reality of now through meditation. Meditation brings the mind closer and
closer to the experience of its source, which is timeless.

Place a value on becoming detached. Your true self is a witness that doesn't get stuck in drama or
distracted by the stickiness of strong momentary experiences.

Don't fall for the voice in your head. No matter what it says to influence you, repeat these words:
"That's the past. I am not that person anymore."
Don't buy into second-hand opinions. Form your own opinions, instead.

Don't accept other people's stories about you. Whether the story is good or badusually it's
mixedthe overall effect is to put you in a box, which is more for their comfort than anything else.

In the end, the very best thing you can do is to escape the whole rigmarole of expectations,
choosing instead to live your life without them. There is deep satisfaction in the now, which
eternally renews itself instead of running after illusions that come from the past and deserve to
remain there.

How to Beat Unhealthy Habits With Ayurveda

By Leo Carver

Woman sitting in lotus yoga pose meditating overlooking the sea

The main thing standing in the way of optimal health is most likely you. There are two main
categories of health problems: those that are linked to genes, injuries, or the environment and
those that are a result of self-abuse. A lot of modern health concerns today are linked to the latter,
and most of those are preventable.

Self-abuse sounds harsh but its the little everyday choices and habits that stack up and lead to
disease. Are you making choices each day that are bad for your body? Realizing this is a matter of
clarity, not blame or guilt. Awareness allows you to do something about it, and thats empowering.
You create your battles before they start and you can tame the behavior.

How do you get out of your own way? As with any other aspects of the human experience, you
can turn to Ayurveda for guidance.

Meditate

One of the most beneficial things about meditation is that it enhances self-awareness. Primordial
Sound Meditation is especially effective at helping you to tune into your higher self. Through a
regular meditation routine you can build greater recognition of your inner voice, and become
more aware of the thoughts motivating your negative behaviors. When observed in silence, this
detached awareness can be very powerful toward efforts to regain self-control.

Understand Your Role

When it comes to any bad habit, it takes a basic level of awareness to create sustainable change.
This awareness is ultimately the recognition of karma. Karma is a Sanskrit term used to describe
the principle of causality in the universe. In many mainstream references to karma its portrayed
as a principle of revenge, a universal equalizer for all the bad done in the world. In some respects
it is, but thats not all it is. Karma is a basic universal law that says every action has an effect or
result. Everything you do has karma, not just the bad things. This karma is equal parts intention
and action. The true scope of karmic power is in your ability to choose, and then to live with the
consequences.

Through this line of self-awareness you can see the direct connection between your habits and the
things in your life that make you unhappy. Once you understand the power of conscious choices,
its possible to open the doors for change. If you want a different result, you must take a different
approach. This logic isnt new, but you can understand it at a deeper level through meditation and
true self-observance. Knowing the intention and purpose of your choices, and their karmic effect,
you can find storehouses of strength to make the changes you seek.

Accept Yourself

You cant force yourself to change a negative pattern. You must accept yourself as you are and
then feed your desire for change. Ayurveda teaches that life is a constant flow of energy,
information, and awareness. When you accept yourself as a being that is evolving instead of
someone who is fixed, it frees you up to accept your mistakes and shortcomings as stepping
stones along the path.

This self-acceptance is key on the path to healing. Start by taking responsibility for the negative
effects of your habits. Make peace with the fact that you enjoy whatever negative habits you have.
If youre interested in change, you may be getting tired of the cons, but you must accept that
youre holding onto the pros.

By observing yourself without judgment, you can stop negative habits with awareness instead of
willpower. For example, guilt alone wont get you to change bad snacking habits. It takes a true
understanding of what youre doing to yourself to inspire change.

Find Healthier Alternatives

At the core of consciousness, your Agni, or digestive fire, is metabolizing the energy and
information of your world through the qualities you experience, both edible and not. Although it
doesnt apply to all habits, sometimes you can substitute similar tastes or qualities with those
from alternative sources. In many cases, your negative habits are uneducated or immature
attempts at healing something within your mind-body constitution. Through self-analysis, you can
begin to work with your inner healer instead of against it.

If youre an emotional eater, you may find yourself reaching for something sweet during times of
distress. There are several reasons, both physiological and psychological, that you may tend to do
this. Ayurveda says you may be able to tame that craving by simply giving yourself the nourishing
and nurturing character of the sweet taste through other means. This could mean spending time
around sweet people, observing tender scenes, giving sweetness to someone else, or connecting
with yourself through nurturing activities. After all, its the qualities of nurturing and tenderness
that youre seeking for yourself.
Another example might be the daily use of coffee or energy drinks. First of all, one effective way to
start dealing with this one is get more rest. If you work on the problem that the habit is solving for
you, you lessen the hold that the habit has on your life. If you still find yourself needing an early
morning boost, you can get that from herbal teas. The decaffeinated Chopra Center Invigorating
Tea is an herbal blend that boosts energy. Also, you can use stimulating peppermint oil to awaken
the senses through aromatherapy or self-massage.

These are just a few examples of alternatives to unhealthy habits. In many cases youll end up
finding your own personal method. Have fun with it, but always experiment with the purpose to
be healthier and more fulfilled.

Ask Your Inner Self for the Answers

Sometimes all you have to do is ask and youll find the answer. These questions will help you
remember your desire to create healthy habits:

What purpose does this serve me?

What are my reasons for wanting to change this habit?

Is there another way to fulfill the need that this habit is pacifying?

What imbalances am I trying to fix (or maybe even cause) through this habit?

When I give into this habit, how do I honestly feel afterwards? And why?

You may formulate your own set of questions depending on the habit youre dealing with, but the
questions should always attempt to bring greater awareness to yourself and the karma of your
habits.

None of these are going to act as quick fixes. If you truly want to change something in your life,
give yourself the time to do it; dont force it. It took you roughly 21 days or longer to create this
bad habit, so give yourself at least that long before giving up on your efforts. The adage that old
habits die hard may have some truth to it, but with the help of Ayurveda, new habits can arise to
replace those old habits and healing can begin.

Create the Next Chapter of Your Lifes Story

By Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Just for a moment, pause and consider all of the roles you have played so far in your life. For
example, my life roles have included son, brother, husband, father, student, doctor, author,
speaker, and teacher. These have all been fulfilling roles yet they are not who I really am. The real
meand the real youis infinite and unbounded. Yet too often we identify ourselves with our
roles, titles, personality, possessions, and other external attributes. This becomes a boundary that
leads to a limited sense of self and closes off possibilities for creativity and new dreams.
If you want to create a compelling new chapter in your life, the first step is to do away with all
boundaries. This means letting go of any labels you habitually use to identify yourself, for the
moment you define yourself, you limit yourself. Instead of saying I am this or I am that,
practice saying I am everything and I am the universe.

Here are a few specific exercises that will help you shift your perspective from identifying with the
self-image to seeing your true self.

Identify Your Limiting Beliefs

Almost everyone has limiting beliefs. In fact, all beliefs are limiting. If you have a limiting belief, it
will become your reality. For example:

I will never lose weight.

I will never be successful.

I will never attract love.

Question Your Limiting Beliefs

Self-reflection on the illusory nature of limiting beliefs will set you free. Whatever your limiting
belief is, ask yourself the following:

Is this belief true?

On what basis do I believe this to be true?

What makes me believe it is true?

How does this belief limit my potential?

How did I develop it?

Do I need it?

What would unfold if I were to let go of this belief?

Expand Your Boundaries

Recognize the roles you playparent, spouse, sibling, employee, sports fan, and so onbut
understand that you are the underlying, eternal, role-player who wears different masks at
different times. You can use the mantra I am or Ah hum to remind you of this permanent identify.
I am is without labels and has the potential for infinite possibilities.

Experience Your Light Body

Quiet your mind by observing your breath for a few minutes. Now close your eyes and focus your
attention in your body and feel all the sensations as they arise and subside. Slowly introduce the
idea that your body is becoming lighter and more subtle. Instead of a material body, it is becoming
a body of light. Keep your awareness in your body as you visualize the body of light with the same
shape as your material body.

Every time you close your eyes for any reason, experience your light body. Soon you will find your
material body actually becoming less heavy, more flexible, and more energized.

Daily Practices for Transformation

Keep in mind that hammering yourself with criticism and relying on sheer force of willpower will
never lead to positive inner transformation. As you go about creating the next chapter in your life,
be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

The following universal principles will help you become aware of how you create your reality, and
will empower you to transform or let go of whatever is no longer serving you. Choose one
principle to focus on each day and commit to applying it in your life:

The events in my life reflect who I am.

I will choose one thing that happens today and see how it mirrors my self. If I feel angry at
someone, I will consider if what I dislike about that person actually exists in me. If an overheard
conversation grabs my attention, I will take those worlds as a personal message. I want to look at
the world that is inside me.

The people in my life reflect aspects of myself.

Today I will look at my friends, family, and everyone I meet as a group picture of me. Each person
stands for a quality I want to see in myself or want to reject, yet in reality I am the whole picture. I
learn the most from those I intensely love or intensely dislike.

Whatever I pay attention to will grow in my experience.

I will take an inventory of how Im using my attention. I will keep a log of my activities to find out
how much time I spend on television, the Internet, hobbies, gossip, work I love, work I dread,
activities that fulfill me, or escapist fantasies. In tis way I will find out where I am focusing my time,
attention, and energy. Then I will ask myself, What do I want to grow in my life? The answer will
tell me how my attention needs to shift.

Nothing is randommy life is full of signs and symbols.

I will look for patterns in my life. They could be anywherein what others say to me, the way I
react to situations, how I am treated. I will open my awareness to hidden beliefs that shape my
reality. I am weaving the tapestry of my world every day and I need to know what designs I am
making. Do I meet opportunities for success or failure? These are symbols for whether or not I
believe I have personal power. I will discover my underlying beliefs about love, abundance, health,
and every aspect of my life.

The universe always gives me the best possible results.

Today I will focus on the gifts in my life. I will show gratitude for what it working rather than
dwelling on what is not. I will notice how my own level of awareness shapes my perception of the
world I am co-creating.

My inner awareness is always evolving.

Today I will ask myself how far Ive come on my chosen path. Where do I stand right now? Where
am I going? Even if I dont see immediate external results, do I feel that I am growing inside? I will
set my intention on moving from constriction to expansion.

My true self is pure, unbounded consciousness.

I will remember that thoughts come and go, but the core of consciousness is forever. Today I will
experience myself beyond limitations. I will set aside time to be present with myself in silence. I
will experience myself as love, as a light that flows from my heart and spreads out into the
universe as far as my awareness can reach.

Todays Practice

Grab your journal or notebook, and find a quiet place to sit. Here is a set of new questions to help
you uncover any roadblocks to success in your life:

What is one unhealthy habit you want to break in your life?

Identify a date by which you would like to break this bad habit.

Name three mini-goals that will serve as baby steps in breaking this habit. Make sure to add target
dates for each of the mini goals as well.

Are there any relationships that are not offering you value or joy?

Create a boundary for each of these relationships so you can spend less (or no) time and energy on
people that dont offer trust, joy, or value.

What is one mood or emotion that shows up in your life that you would like to change?

Name the mood(s) or emotions(s) and when you observe it surfacing, notice its arrival and
consciously choose a different mood or emotion that may serve the situation better.
Day 3: Meditate on Your Deepest Desires
Welcome to Day 3 of the program! We are already halfway to the finish line! We hope youre
enjoying the lessons and growth as much as we are. Todays lesson is all about using meditation as
a tool for cultivating the inner world and your intuition. Expand your mind and spirit with tips from
todays teachings.

Using Meditation to Explore the Universe Within

By Michelle Fondin

Woman meditating standing up with closed eyes

Our minds can get quite cluttered. We spend so much time exploring and experiencing the outer
world that we are rarely called to get to know the universe within. Do you remember the last time
you sat with yourself without any distractions? If youre like most people, its probably been quite
some time.

When I was a kid, I used to lay in the grass and stare up at the clouds. I could do that for hours just
allowing my mind to wander, daydream, and imagine. Part of the reason I was able to do that was
because we had three TV channels and no other electronic devices. The other reason was because,
in the summer, my mother literally kicked us out of the house and forced us to play outside until
dark. I dont think my children, in todays world, have ever taken the opportunity to do nothing the
way I did when I was young.

The clutter that pollutes our minds is the constant chatter of devices, other peoples opinions and
demands, and an inner drive to get more done. In the midst of doing, being, and seeing so much, it
can be easy to lose sight of who we really are.

One of the greatest gifts of exploring the universe within is that you begin to discover who you
are. Meditation allows the space for this kind of stillness. When you forget who you are, you tend
to conform to what others want. You can also lose your sense of purpose or find yourself chasing
goals that dont even matter.

Listen to Your Internal Dialogue

Inner dialogue can give you a clue to your state of being. What words do you repeat to yourself
constantly? How do you treat yourself internally? Pay attention to which internal conversations
come up often.

I had a true glimpse of my inner dialogue when I participated in Seduction of Silence in 2010, a
silent, advanced meditation event at the Chopra Center that used to coincide with Seduction of
Spirit. I didnt feel I was ready to spend three days in silence at the time, but friends had
encouraged me that it was a fantastic experience and so I went. When you spend days at a time in
silence, there is only your internal dialogue.
Im a natural introvert, and I work for myself. Since I spend a lot of time alone during the day, I
said, Oh, this will be a piece of cake. Well, I was in for a big surprise. If youre honest with
yourself, you can learn a lot about who you are in silence and meditation. In the case of Seduction
of Silence, I was surrounded by people, some of whom were in silence and others who werent.

After day one, I caught a glimpse of who I was. Its a humbling experience to learn that youre not,
in fact, the most fantastic person on the planet. My humbling moment came when we were
gathered in a large group to hear Deepak Chopra speak. I noticed that each time I sat down, the
same woman always sat in front of me. This woman was not in silence. That day this was my
internal dialogue: Why wont that woman stop talking? She has such an annoying voice. She is
saying such utter nonsense. Is she speaking only to hear her own voice? And then I stopped and
another thought came to mind: Oh my gosh, I am such a judgmental person. Why hadnt I noticed
that before?

You see, I never noticed or even thought I was judgmental. It was a great awakening for me, and
this insight created a tremendous impact on my life from that moment on.

Remember Your Deepest and Most Cherished Desires

No one knows your deepest desires but you. And no one is your biggest cheerleader but you. One
of the greatest reasons to explore your inner universe through meditation is to remember your
desires.

I have a great family who believes in me, but my dreams are bigextremely big. And heres a
reminder: Yours should be, too. As great as my family is, they will never believe in my dreams as
much as I will. The only way to gain inner strength in re-establishing the fire for your dreams and
desires is to turn within. We live in a seemingly limited world. Even well-intended people will try
and give you a reality check. Because many people are not listening to their own inner voices, a lot
of doubt exists.

When you turn inward through your meditation practice, you build your strength and stamina to
face the world and move confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Understand How Connected You Are

You are not alone. So many of us try to face this great big world alone. We strive to do it all, be it
all, and achieve it all by ourselves. You are part of a dynamic universe. The creative force that
orchestrates the entire universe created you. It doesnt matter if you call that orchestrator God,
Spirit, or Mother Nature, you are a piece of something big.

Meditation connects you to all that is. We often look at meditation as a chance to unplug from the
world, but in reality, we are plugging into the entire universe. By getting in touch with your soul,
you can more easily match the vibe of the universal soul. You can begin to see yourself as
expansive rather than restrictive. You find that youre able to connect to others more easily, and in
return your reality becomes much bigger.
Create a Clearer Vision

Finally, by exploring the universe within, your vision can become clearer. As you discover who you
are, where you want to be, and whom youre connected to, life becomes much easier. Your sense
of intuition takes over and you begin to make better choices. You see situations that are no longer
serving you and ones that will help you. Your love for life expands, you grow into yourself, and
youll begin to watch more clouds.

How to Deepen Your Meditation Practice with the Seven Spiritual Laws

By Adam Brady

A man meditating at sunset in lotus yoga pose

Meditation is one of the most reliable tools to manage stress, improve relationships, fulfill your
desires, and connect with your Spirit. Although its relatively simple to practice, your intellect can
often make it more complicated than it needs to be.

One way to see meditation in a new light is to look at it through the lens of the Seven Spiritual
Laws of Success. The Seven Spiritual Laws represent the way in which the unmanifest becomes
manifest, and can serve as the operating system thats running behind the scenes in your life.
These principles can be used as the instruction manual for living a happy, fulfilling, abundant, and
profoundly spiritual life.

Each of the Seven Spiritual Laws is deeply woven into the practice of meditation. By exploring this
relationship, you can better understand your practice, which will deepen as your awareness
expands.

1. The Law of Pure Potentiality

The first spiritual law is essentially a reminder of your true nature as a soulan outcropping of the
field of unbounded awareness. Like waves or eddies in the ocean, you are an expression of that
infinite field of conscious intelligence, creativity, and bliss.

This law is the governing principle of your meditation practice that takes awareness beyond the
level of the mind and into the Gap between your thoughts, which is the field of pure potentiality.
The process of meditation is to enter into that level of existence and come face to face with your
true identitySpirit.

2. The Law of Giving and Receiving

The second law awakens you to the flow of energy and information in the universe and in your life.
Energy doesnt sit stillit needs to move. By keeping that energy flowing through giving and
receiving, you nourish the entire universe.
In meditation, this law manifests by allowing your thoughts to come and go without resistance.
The flow of thoughts during meditation is the current of life energy as it comes and goes through
awareness. Allow sensations, sounds, and other thoughts to effortlessly drift by without
obstructing the current or getting attached to a particular thought.

3. The Law of Karma or Cause and Effect

While the Law of Giving and Receiving is about keeping the energy of life in motion, the third law
focuses on the quality of that energy. Karma means action and also implies the consequences of
that action. The more positive and uplifting the actionthought, word, and deedfor everyone
involved with that choice, the more positive and life-affirming the effect of that cause will be.

The Law of Karma encourages you to make conscious choices that nourish others and yourself,
leading to fulfilling and healing results. Unconscious choices, on the other hand, lead to less than
evolutionary and healing consequences.

During meditation, by choosing to not indulge in the meaning of your thoughts, you avoid the
karmic conditioning that binds you to predictable and habitual patterns of thought and behavior.
As you repeatedly enter the stillness between your thoughts, you transcend your karma. Like
repeatedly washing a dirty cloth in a stream, the stains are gently lifted away until no impurities
remain.

4. The Law of Least Effort

The fourth law teaches that the intelligence of nature functions with effortless ease. It is carefree,
harmonious, and loving. It is the principle of do less, accomplish more as seen in the flights of
birds, the growing of grass, and the swimming of fish.

The Law of Least Effort is about the economy of motion in your activities. This is the central theme
of your practice of meditation. Accessing the non-local field of Spirit is dependent on the least
amount of effort. Force and struggle cannot open the door to higher states of awareness.

If at any time during your meditation you feel as if youre struggling, forcing, or concentrating,
soften your focus on your breath or mantra. This allows the process to be light, innocent, and
effortless so you may be carried deeper into stillness.

5. The Law of Intention and Desire

This principle outlines the mechanics for the expression of everything in the material universe.
Intention is a force of nature that contains its own infinite organizing power. In the same way an
apple seed contains the potential for bushels of apples or even an entire forest, your desires and
intentions hold the same manifestation blueprint through which they can fulfill themselves.

Becoming aware of your desires and intentions is akin to choosing the seeds you wish to sow. In
meditation, you plant those seeds into the fertile field of pure consciousness. Nourished with
regular visits to the Gap, you water your desires and allow them to blossom when the season is
right.

6. The Law of Detachment

For any desire to manifest, you must be willing to let go of your attachment to the outcome. The
sixth law reminds you to not be too rigidly attached to the way you want things to be in your life.
Embrace uncertainty and step into the unknown. In doing so, you experience the freedom from
your past conditioning and open the door to unlimited possibilities.

In your meditation practice, this law helps you let go of expectations and attachments to a specific
result. Each meditation experience is unique and provides exactly what your mind and body need
at that time. Wanting it to be something other than what it is binds you to the notion of an ideal
meditation and robs you of the gifts of the present moment.

7. The Law of Dharma

The final law teaches that you are here in this life for a purposethat you have a unique gift to
give the world in your own special way. There are no spare parts in the universe and you perform
an irreplaceable role in the play of the cosmos.

The root word of dharma means to uphold. In this sense, by fulfilling your dharma, you are
supporting the entire world. It is vitally important that you discover your true purpose and
perform it in service of the world.

As it relates to meditation, the minds dharma is to expand into higher states of awareness. It is
the destiny of the mind to experience Atma Darshan (glimpsing the soul), Cosmic Consciousness,
Divine Consciousness, and ultimately Unity Consciousness as part of its path of awakening.

By letting go into the present moment, you allow your mind to express its dharma to the fullest
potential. This is the true and highest purpose of meditationthe expansion of consciousness.

By regularly reviewing and integrating the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success in this way, you open
the door to a broader experience of the principles along with an ever-deepening meditation
practice.

5 Ways to Develop Your Intuition

By Melissa Carver and Leo Carver

Intuitive skills are inside all of us. Intuition is always there for us, to guide, protect, and help us
develop. As we grow into adulthood, we may push this intuition to the side to conform to what
society says we should do. The more we do this, the less we tend to listen to that little voice or
those gut feelings.
And like anything else in life, when you stop using it, you can lose it. A muscle must move, an eye
must see, a brain must think; the same holds true for the intuitive process.

Here are five ways you can develop intuition.

Meditate

If youre an avid reader of Chopra.com, you may be tired of seeing articles on meditation. But
theres a reason meditation is suggested so oftenits important. Meditation can be beneficial for
almost anything in life, including helping you access intuition.

There are several states of consciousness described in Silva Method. Beta is a normal level of
consciousness. Alpha is relaxed awareness, theta is a state of meditative trance, and delta is a
state of transcendental experience. Of these four mental states, alpha is the level that helps you
learn, memorize, interact, and read the thoughts and emotions of others and yourself. The alpha
state of the brain also relates to meditation. A daily meditation practice helps you control this
alpha state, and therefore control the intuitive process.

Cultivate a Healthy Pineal Gland

The pineal gland is a small gland in the brain the size of a grain of rice. If you place one finger on
your third eye and one just above your ear, and you could have the two fingers meet in the brain,
this is the location. The pineal gland regulates your circadian rhythm and helps your brain enter
the meditation state easier by the alpha state of consciousness. For optimal health of this gland,
try these steps:

Avoid Fluoride: Fluoride builds up on the pineal gland, calcifying and reducing, or eliminating
altogether, the intuitive function. Fluoride is in our public water system as well as in toothpaste.
Although the toothpaste is not being consumed it does soak into the bloodstream through the
gums. This also holds true for the shower, hot tubs, etc. Skin is our largest organ; turning on the
hot water opens pores and welcomes the fluoride into the bloodstream, circulating onto the
pineal gland.

Tune Your Chakra: The third-eye Chakra, or the Ajna, is the area to concentrate on for heightened
intuitive abilities. Balance in this area can be tuned by daily meditation and yoga practices. Up the
intensity of tuning by incorporating the color indigo around the home and office, carry or wear
healing crystals such as an amethyst, and consciously focus your mind on the area between the
eyebrows (Ajna) each day.

Make it a Game

Think of simple items, colors, or situations. Create the vision in your mind and watch as your
intuition guides you through certain scenarios. For your first try, notice how long it takes for your
intuition to speak to you. Keep notes in a journal. Notice if the answers to certain items or
situations come faster than others. If so, what do they have in common?
Play with these optional outcomes and try to gain an object, this time faster than the previous
effort. For example, you may think of the color pink. You walk outside to check the mail and your
gut tells you to look to your left. There you notice a pink Cadillac drive by, that had you continued
to focus on the route to the mailbox, you might have missed. Keep your goals simple; it will help
you receive answers on a more regular basis because the game is more likely to hold your
attention. As the intuitive muscle builds and subconscious declines, you can increase the
complexity of your goals.

This is, of course, purposely manifesting. Manifestation is the main reason to tune your intuition.
For example, saying, I am always safe is an affirmation of a specific manifestation, and the
intuition will guide you through the road of safety. Making a game of this intuitive strength will
create excitement, show the universe this is a goal, and keep you focused. Focus plus intention
equals results.

Live in the Now

It becomes difficult for your intuition to speak to you if your mind is in the past or the future.

Consider this quote from Lao Tzu: If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are
anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.

The gift intuition works best when the mind is in the present. Pain caused in the past can take over
the mind. The future can seem frightening. What is on the other side of today or even an hour
from now? At this point even when the intuitive process could send you signals loud and clear,
your fear will allow the subconscious mind to override those signals.

When depression or anxiety creeps into your thoughts, repeat the above quote. The now is the
place where intuition resides. Your higher self has no concept of our earthly time.

Talk to Your Higher Self

Intuition is yourself, your higher self, that is. Creator, the Universe, or your soul are all patiently
waiting your instruction, more than happy to guide you. So why dont humans just have gold
rolling out of every home, happy relationships, and eternal good health? Humans have forgotten
how to communicate such things to the universe.

Ask yourself, Am I sending the message of what I want or am I vibrating what Im worried about?
The universe may end up giving you the signals that send you to all the wrong places.

How do you speak to yourself? Do you say I am always sick or I love being healthy? Consider and
consciously choose your inner dialogue and language. In both statements, you may really want to
be healthy. But the statements vary, and they send different signals to the Universe. Choose your
dialogue wisely to ensure your desires dont get skewed.

Your intuition is your own personal GPS, built in with 24/7 access. Continue to charge the power,
program the software, and input the correct data and you will succeed.
Some of the above steps will take practice and patience, but will be well worth it. Your personal
intuition will become like a magical wand; youll wonder how you moved through life without it.
Intuition is not for the spiritually gifted, those who meditate all day, or those with relaxed lives. Its
a tool for each and every one of us Now use it!

Todays Practice

Find a quiet space to sit, set a timer for 15 minutes, and meditate. If you dont already have a
meditation practice, follow these simple steps:

Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breathing, observing the inflow and outflow of
your breath through the nose.

On your inhales, begin silently repeating the word So.

On your exhales, begin silently repeating the word Hum.

Continue to allow your breath to flow easily, silently repeating So...Hum... with each inflow and
outflow of the breath.

Whenever your attention drifts to thoughts in your mind, sounds in your environment, or
sensations in your body, gently return to your breath, silently repeating So... Hum.

When your timer goes off, take a few deep breaths before gently opening your eyes and emerging
from your meditation.

Enjoy the stillness and peace that follows, and carry it into the remainder of your day.
Day 4: Set Your Intentions
Today is Day 4the perfect time to set your goals and intentions. Deciding to achieve something
new is an invigorating process, and a big sign to the Universe that you are ready for
transformation. Today is the day to crystalize your vision and intentions. Here, Deepak Chopra and
other experts weigh in on the best way to set powerful intentions.

5 Steps to Living Your Dreams

By Deepak Chopra, M.D.

What are your deepest dreams and desires? What do you really, really want? You may be longing
for an opportunity to travel or have a child. Perhaps your heart yearns for a romantic relationship
or the chance to express your creativity. You may be dreaming of changing your career and
creating more material abundance in your life. You may just really wish you could take a long nap.

The fulfillment of all of our dreams begins with intention and desire. As the sages of India
observed thousands of years ago, our destiny is ultimately shaped by our deepest intentions and
desires. As a passage from the Vedic text known as the Upanishads states, You are what your
deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your
will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.

Our destiny ultimately comes from the deepest level of desire and also from the deepest level of
intention. The two are inextricably linked. An intention is a directed impulse of consciousness that
contains the seed form of that which you aim to create. Like real seeds, intentions cant grow if
you hold on to them. Only when you release your intentions into the fertile depths of your
consciousness can they grow and flourish. The spiritual Law of Intention and Desire lays out the
five steps for cultivating and fulfilling your intentions with grace and ease.

Step 1: Get Clear on your Intentions and Desires

Your dream is more likely to come true if you first see it clearly in your mind.

What would fulfill your needs at the deepest level? What would allow your soul to complete its
destiny? Develop a clear vision of what you want and be specific with your intentions so that the
universe has a clear structure to work with. At the same time, you dont want to be so locked into
your vision that you miss the different and more wonderful response that may present itself.
Although it is important not to be attached to a particular outcome, formulating an unambiguous
intention is essential.

Its better to write your intentions in positive language rather than in terms of what you dont
want, because the important part of formulating intentions is to generate a field of awareness that
feels spiritually complete, whole, and content. That state will naturally organize the means
through which whatever you need will be manifested. If you are generating a field of lack, worry,
and fear, then that is what will attract and manifest. That is why if we want peace we become that
peace; if we want love, we become the love within us. If we want abundance or health, we contact
and become the timeless aspect of ourselves that is inherently whole, lacking nothing.

As you consider your dreams, become clear about who you are and what would truly make you
happy. Set aside external notions of success, such as labels of status, money, possessions, and
social connections.

For every intention, ask yourself two questions: 1.) How will this intention serve me? and 2.)
How will it serve everybody I come into contact with? If the answer to both questions can be
distilled to true happiness and fulfillment, then you are on the right track.

Step 2: Establish Yourself in a State of Restful Awareness

Most of the time our mind is caught up in thoughts, emotions, and memories, and its easy to fall
into the grip of our egos fears and demands. Beyond this noisy internal dialogue is a state of pure
awareness that is sometimes referred to as the gap. This is the field of pure potentiality, which
gives rise to everything that manifests in our physical universe. It is important to spend time each
day quieting the mind and connecting to the timeless awareness and peace that is our essential
nature.

One of the most powerful ways to enter this space of expanded consciousness is through a regular
meditation practice. In meditation we experience our true self, which is pure awareness, pure
potentiality, and pure being. When we're rooted in the experience of pure potentiality, our
intentions can spontaneously manifest. Meditation takes us beyond the ego-mind into the silence
and stillness of pure consciousness. This is the ideal state in which to plant our seeds of intention.

Step 3: Release Your Intentions and Desires

Through the practice of silent meditation we establish a deep baseline level of awareness from
which intentions can manifest. We first settle down to a quiet state of simple awareness, and then
we gently introduce our intention, letting it drop into the silence of pure awareness. We can
visualize our intention, repeat it silently to ourselves, or feel it in our bodyand then we let it go,
planting our seed of intention in the infinite field of all possibilities.

Step 4: Detach from the Outcome

This step asks us to relinquish our attachment to a specific result and live in the wisdom of
uncertainty. Attachment is based on fear and insecurity, while detachment is based on the
unquestioning belief in the power of our true self. Intend for everything to work out as it should,
then let go and allow opportunities and openings to come your way.

Intention is much more powerful when it comes from a place of contentment than if it arises from
a sense of lack or need. Stay centered and refuse to be influenced by other peoples doubts or
criticisms. Your higher self knows that despite any appearances to the contrary, everything is all
right and will be all right, even though you dont know the timing or the details of what will
happen.

Keep in mind that often is isnt possible to let go all at once. This is a path of many small steps, a
process of replacing automatic reactions with deepened awareness. Be gentle with yourself and
take one step at the time.

Step 5: Let the Universe Handle the Details

Your focused intentions set the infinite organizing power of the universe in motion. Trust that
infinite organizing power to orchestrate the complete fulfillment of your desires. Dont listen to
the voice that says that you have to be in charge, that obsessive vigilance is the only way to get
anything done. At the level of spirit, everything is always unfolding perfectly. You may not fathom
the whole picture, but clearly there is a grand design. You are included in that design, and theres
no need to struggle or try to force situations to go your way.

By detaching, you end the struggle, freeing yourself from fear and doubt and releasing the
obstacles your ego has created. The outcome that you try so hard to force may not be as good for
you as the one that comes naturally. This doesn't mean that you become passive. You will feel
more energy and wider possibilities than you do when you think that you have to accomplish
everything by yourself. You simply take the actions that you know to take while staying open to
the opportunities, clues, and synchronicities unfolding around you. You have released your
intentions into the fertile ground of pure potentiality, and they will bloom when the season is
right.

Exercise: Focus Your Intentions

If youre unsure what you want, this exercise will help you explore your desires and find clarity,
allowing you to set more powerful intentions.

Begin by considering the following aspects of your life and write down everything that youd like
to experience or create in each area. Writing (or sketching, listing, or otherwise putting your
thoughts into form) is a powerful first step in clarifying what you really want.

Be as specific as possible and dont limit yourself. Let go of any thoughts of what you should
want. Your heart knows your deepest desires, so give yourself some time to meditate, become
still, and connect to the authentic voice of your true self.

Material Abundance: What do you want on the material level? Your own house? To be debt-free
with an abundant flow of income? A new wardrobe? Consider your desires for sensory
gratificationsound, touch, sight, taste, and smell. Do you want to live a beautiful nature setting?
Would you like to get a massage on a regular basis? Would you like to enjoy more freshly prepared
meals?
Relationships: Write down all your desires for your relationshipsyour romantic partner, friends,
children, parents, co-workers, and anyone else in your life. What would you like to experience in
those relationships? More conscious communication? Deeper appreciation? More time together?

Spiritual Awakening: What would nourish your heart and soul? Do want to go on a meditation
retreat? Start a journaling practice? Perhaps you feel a longing to explore a particular spiritual
path or spend time reading inspiring literature or poetry. Write down all the spiritual intentions
you have for yourself.

Personal Growth: What areas of your life would you like to nurture? Do you want a new
intellectual challenge such as studying a language or learning new software? Would you like more
time to play or develop a hobby? Write down what you truly want.

Community: What do you want to contribute to your neighborhood, country, or the world?
Consider how you might use your unique talents to serve others. Make a list of everything youd
like to manifest in your community life.

Health and Wellbeing: What are your health goals? Do you want to learn to meditate? Exercise
regularly? Get more sleep? Are you ready to let go of emotional pain from the past? Write down
everything you desire for your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Keep this list with you and look at it once or twice during the day as well as just before you
meditate.

A Guided Meditation for Setting Intentions

By Tris Thorp

Adult female meditating at home in the morning

More and more, people are doing away with New Years resolutions and instead setting intentions
for what they would like to achieve over the next 12 months. Resolutions, intentions, goals
whatever label you prefer to useare only possible if you take consistent action toward them.
Whatever it is that you want to achieve should become your primary focus, and you should
maintain an unshakable level of momentum and focus.

The thing people get tripped up on is the notion that goal-setting is primarily done at the
beginning of the year. On the contrary; deciding to achieve something new can (and should) be a
point of focus throughout the entire year.

The way to make your dreams turn into reality is by revealing your vision for how you would like to
be living your life, to associate into that reality as if it is happening NOW, and then to identify
action steps that you can take every single day to get yourself there. Weve all heard the phrase
Rome wasnt built in a day and neither will your new life be created overnight. The biggest
mistake people make is trying to do everything all at once, which only leads to overwhelm and,
subsequently, giving up.
Your best bet for making it happen is to see the vision, set a few bigger goals, and then break them
down into smaller, more manageable chunks that you can tackle one thing at a time.

A gentle and inspiring approach to identifying where you could place some focused energy and
attention is through meditation, or guided visualization. There are a couple ways you can begin. If
you know what area of life you are wanting to transform (e.g., health and fitness, career,
relationship), you can do the following guided meditation with that area of life in mind. If you
arent sure what direction to go in, you can follow this process by doing it several times, each time
with a different area of life in mind. That will ultimately give you several visions to work with that
you can combine into one big picture vision for your life.

Guided Meditation for Intention-Setting

Minimize distractions by silencing your cell phone and letting others know you need silence and
privacy for a period of time.

Find a comfortable, upright seat with your feet placed firmly on the floor (or a meditation
cushion).

Begin to breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, exhaling with equal depth also through
your nose.

When you feel as though youve settled into a calm, centered, and relaxed state, bring into your
awareness the area of life you would like to transform.

Imagine your highest vision for this area of your life as if it has already happened, and you are
presently living in this energy. For example:

How do you look?

How do you feel?

What are you doing?

Who is there with you?

What is happening around you?

What are your daily practices to keep you anchored in this ideal vision?

Make the vision as compelling and as real as possible. Your vision isnt something that needs to be
createdit already exists within you. You just need to access it.

When you have spent some time breathing into the being-ness of living in your vision, next ask
your Higher Self, God, the Universe, or your intuition (whichever feels most appropriate for you) to
show you a goalor a few goalsthat you will need to achieve in order to fully step into this vision
of your life. Think of your goals as milestones along your path. What do you need to produce or
gain in order to actualize your goal? Make a mental note of these things.

Now, knowing that this goal must be attained for you to move closer to living in your vision, its
time to identify action steps to be taken each day or each week; perhaps there is a practice or
some other support structures you may need to put in place to assist you in getting to where
youre going. Ask yourself, What do I need to do this week to move me powerfully forward in my
life toward (your goal)? Is there a daily practice you can be doing (e.g., meditation, exercise, clean
eating, conscious communication, writing) to anchor you to your vision? Are there support
structures you can put into place (e.g., join a mastermind group, hire a coach, ask a friend for
support, or enroll in a course) to help fortify your resolve and maintain your focus?

With your action steps, support structures ,and practices now in your awareness, its now time to
energize themto set them in motion on your trajectory toward that which you desire. Visualize
yourself inside a picture or movie in your mind where you are seeing yourself take action; you are
feeling inspired and empowered because of the momentum you have gained and the progress you
are making. As you look around, notice how your life has changed as a result of achieving your
goal. As it all merges together, you realize that you are now living your highest vision for your life
in this area.

Now, step out of the picture or movie in your mind and imagine you are holding it in your hands.
You no longer see yourself inside the picture or the movie you are looking in on it. Take a deep
breath in through your nose and exhale the breath out your mouth, sending it straight into the
image of you living in your highest vision. Do this four times to energize your intention with
pranalife-giving energy.

Next, imagine that you float up above where you are now. Taking the picture of your highest vision
with you, float out into your future and let it gowatch your picture float right down into your
future-based timeline on or before the date you would like to actualize it. Its important to trust
that it will land exactly where its meant to. Notice how all the events between then and now
reevaluate themselves to support you in bringing about your goals and vision.

Float back down into now and spend a few moments following your breath in and out, settling
back into your body, back into this moment in time. When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes
and sit quietly for a few minutes reviewing your vision, the goals, and any action steps or practices
you need to take or cultivate.

Last, take out your journal and make some notes. What was the area of life you focused on? Write
in detail about your vision and what you saw as being possible. Make some notes about the goals
or milestones you will need to hit to make your vision a reality. Prioritize the goals, if there are
more than one, and set start and end dates for them. Next, jot down the action steps, support
structures, and practices that will aid you in achieving your goals.
Now that you have put your vision, goals, and practices out into your future, and youve written
them down where you can see them every day, its time to act. As soon as youve gotten 90
percent of the way to achieving your goal, begin acting on the next one. This year, you have 365
new days to take a new action. With momentum like that, there is wild success in your future.

Vision Board 101: How to Use This Manifestation Tool

By Karson McGinley

A vision board of pictures of dreams and goals

If youre reading this article, chances are you have already done some reflecting on what you want
to be, do, or have in your life. Perhaps youve heard of vision boards and are curious to learn more
about how they work, or maybe rendezvousing with the Universe via the Law of Attraction is new
for you. Creating a vision board is a fun, tangible, and powerful way to say Yes please! to the
abundance youd like to receive (and deserve!) in your lifewhether its the first or 50th one you
have made in your lifetime.

What Is a Vision Board?

Since the release of the 2006 book (and film) The Secret, vision boards have grown in popularity. A
vision board is a collage of visual images or words that represent the life you want to live. Quite
literally, it is a tangible representation of the vision you have for yourself. You can make one by
handthink old-school magazine cutouts on a bulletin boardor you can make one digitally, via a
website like Pinterest. What matters is that you manually create it (no one else can do it for you),
and that it excites you when you see it. It can represent your vision for a particular area of your life
(i.e., your career), or your whole life in general.

How Does It Work?

You know how when you get a new car, you see that particular make and model everywhere you
go? Thats because you have put your attention on something specific, and are unconsciously
scanning the world for items that match it. Its not that those cars were never there; its simply
that you never noticed them before.

So it makes sense then, that if you put your attention on the images in your vision board (e.g.,
pictures of your dream trip to Hawaii) that the energy of that thing will more likely be in your
awareness (e.g., commercials for Hawaiian Airlines might keep popping up on your TV, or your job
might unexpectedly send you there for a work project).

When you continue to give your attention to the things your want, you attract those things into
your life. But be careful! The Universe responds with both the positive and the negative! If you
look for reasons to support why you are having a terrible day (I stubbed my toe, then spilled my
coffee, then got stuck in traffic), youll keep attracting annoyances to prove you right! Bottom
line: The more you surround yourself with the things you want to experience, the more youll
actually get to experience those things in your lifeas so perfectly put in the adage: Energy goes
where attention flows.

Follow the steps below to create your own Vision Board.

Step 1: Connect to Your Vision

Meditate, daydream, or journal about all the things you want to be, do, or have, and dont forget
to consider the multiple dimensions of your life as well. Imagine your ideal career, relationship,
house, car, community, body, and so on. The more specific you can be, the better! You want to be
in a good headspace when you sit down to make your vision board, so lighting some candles and
playing some good music can also help to set the scene.

Step 2: Gather Your Materials

Sometimes its fun to flip through magazines and cut out images and words that call to you. If you
go this route, take into consideration what kinds of magazines you have laying around. For
example, Yoga Journal Magazine might be a good choice, whereas Us Weekly might not be quite
as choc full of positive imagery.

Remember that its crucial for everything you select to appear on your vision board to be
representative of what you DO WANT, not anything you dont. For this reason, it can be even more
helpful and specific to use your old friend Google to pull up the exact image or word you want to
see. Its a lot easier to search online for a pile of cash to represent abundance and then print it out
than it is to count on your magazine collection to contain that specific image.

Once youve gathered your images, youll also need a bulletin board, poster board, or several
pieces of paper, scissors, and glue or tape. Sidebar: If you dont consider yourself particularly
crafty, and would rather create a digital vision board, Pinterest can be a great way to collect and
display images that light you up.

Step 3: Display It

Once youve made your vision board, its important to hang it in viewmaybe on the inside of
your closet door or on your refrigerator. Dont feel like you need to stare at it 24/7, but it does
need to appear in a place where you will encounter it every day. If you make it and put it under
your bed, youre likely to forget about it. But keep it in your consciousness, and youre sure to see
results much more quickly.

Some people like to make smaller vision boards that they can take with them. You can put it on or
in your journal or daily planner. If you are a student, you can slide it into the plastic cover of your
three-ring binder. Or if its digital, you can make it the desktop picture on your computer, or the
wallpaper photo on your smartphone.
Step 4: Let the Universe Do Its Thing

Once youve clarified your vision and made your vision board, your job is simply to look at it often,
and trust that the Universe will provide you with the opportunities to manifest each and every
thing you truly desire. Hold these images in your awareness on a regular basis, and say Yes!
when opportunities present themselves to make your dreams come to life. As you come up with
new ideas and inspirations, feel free to add to it at any time. Your vision board should be a flexible
and fluid representation of your desires as they shift and morph throughout your life. In fact, its
recommended that you create a completely new vision board every 6 to 12 months to be sure its
current, inspiring, and up-to-date with your values and priorities.

So get to it! Your vision board doesnt need to be perfect and can certainly be a work in progress.
Each persons vision board will be unique and individual, so try not to compare to others or judge
the outcome. Have fun, be open and willing, and see what happens! The Universe might just
surprise you.

Todays Practice

Set your intentions and plant seeds in your own creative way. Here are a few ideas on how to put
your intentions out into the Universe:

Create a vision board.

Visualize the life you want in a meditation.

Journal: Write freely about your deepest desires and life visionbe specific with details, structure,
and emotions you wish to feel.

Talk to a close friend or loved one about your deepest intentions.

Post your intentions on your favorite social media site to tell the world exactly what you want.
Day 5: Detach and Let the Universe Handle the Details
Welcome to our fifth and final day together. Youve done a lot of work this weekbuilding your
self-awareness muscles, evaluating your life story, setting powerful intentionsnow its time to
detach from your deepest desires and cultivate faith.

What we dont often realize is that the Universe is constantly working to create the life of our
dreams. This doesnt always come to fruition in the way we imagined it would, and thats why an
important step in the process is to trust. Trusting that the Universe is far wiser than us and has a
better strategy for achieving our intentions is critical in order to experience surrender. Follow this
advice from Deepak Chopra and other experts on how to release control and have faith in the
process.

The Conscious Way to Make Dreams Come True

By Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Couple house searching

When we speak of dreams coming true, we are talking about some form of desire. Beyond the
basic necessities for food, water, and shelter, which are enough to satisfy the desire to survive,
human beings invent countless other desires.

What we all experience is that some of our desires come true while others don't. That seems clear
enough, but in fact people approach this simple fact from very different angles. If asked, "How do
you get what you want? or an even bigger issue, How do you make a dream come true?" people
will offer answers that aren't at all compatible.

Think of the mixed messages we've been getting all our lives:

Desires are fulfilled and dreams come true if you work hard enough and never stop fighting for
what you want.

Dreams come true only if they are meant to. It hardly matters what you do; destiny or karma plays
the major role.

It's pure luck which desires come true and which ones don't.

Making your dreams come true is a spiritual journey. Prayer, meditation, and good karma are
critical.

Dreams come true by the grace of God. To make your dream come true, you must surrender to
divine will.

Desire is self-fulfilling. Every intention includes a path to fulfillment within its structure, however
remote fulfillment may seem to be.
Getting what you want is inevitable, but you have to look deep enough. Fulfillment can occur on
the level of fantasy, dream, or imagination. It doesn't have to be physical.

Our tendency is to pick and choose among these explanations, and as a result, the picture of
desire gets more confusing than ever. Fulfilling a desire could require hard work or the opposite
total surrender. If something wonderful falls into your lap, does it matter if God or random chance
caused it? These appear to be exact opposites, yet in Indias wisdom tradition, the Bhagavad-Gita
fuses opposites when Lord Krishna says, "Perform action without attachment to the fruits of
action." In other words, use focus, determination, and hard work all you want, but stay detached
about the outcome. In that dictum, a commitment to action and surrender to the outcome are
fused.

Mechanics of Desire

But why is this a wise strategy? In everyday life, were all attached to the outcome of desire. We
want the paycheck, the girl, the raise, the nice house. Focusing on those desires without caring
about the outcome doesnt seem like wisdom. It seems self-defeating. We need to go back to the
common experience of having a desire.

Let's say three people want a piece of chocolate cake. Person A goes to work and earns enough
money to buy a chocolate cake. Person B comes home to discover that by coincidence, his wife
just that day baked a chocolate cake for him. Person C orders chocolate cake at a restaurant only
to be told that the last piece was already soldsorry.

The unlikely truth is that all three desires operated by the same mechanism in consciousness. This
mechanism is intention working to a conclusion. Despite the fact that an actual piece of cake
appearsor doesn'tthe entire mechanics of desire takes place in consciousness.

Why don't people see this automatically and accept it as a fact? Why don't we expect our desires
to come true without hindrance or struggle, letting fulfillment unfold through consciousness
alone? The inner path of desire is masked because a persons consciousness varies enormously
according to many factors:

To be effortlessly fulfilled, an intention must be clear. Mixed messages bring mixed results.

We send out mixed messages because of hidden beliefs and self-assumptions that muddy the
waters (such as, "I don't deserve to get what I want" or "Its sinful to want too much" or "God
wants me to be pure and without desire.")

Some intentions come from a shallow level that has no way to fulfillment. The deeper the desire,
the stronger the intention.

Intentions can take a direct path but also many indirect ones.
Intention will reach a conclusion unless blocked or thwarted, but we can't control the conclusion
or predict what path it will takethis is ultimately why detachment is necessary. There are so
many variables in even the simplest desire that the mind cannot calculate them.

For example, wanting a piece of chocolate cake, persons A, B, and C followed the same mechanics
of desire but got three different results, and now we see why. Their intention was the same, but
their inner world wasnt. Your awareness is like a filter through which a desire must pass, or better
said, awareness is a maze of twisted turns that intentions must negotiate. Therefore, the Gitas
advice to remain detached isnt just a snippet of ancient wisdom; its practical advice, which can
be literally stated as Let the mechanics of desire bring your fulfillment without interference. The
more you interfere, the less likely you will get what you want.

Follow your dream but remember this: desire is the Universe's evolutionary tool. This is a clear-
eyed statement, reflecting what we all experience. The Self unfolds over a lifespan through
growing desires, moving from infancy to adulthood. Detachment occurs naturally as childish things
no longer possess any charm and the desires of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood make new
claims. Finally one arrives at the mature adult who can formulate a vision of life and aspire to
spiritual understanding. Then the path of desire and the path of consciousness both come to
fruition.

9 Tips to Release Control and Trust the Universe

By Leo Carver

carefree woman by the beach

Trying to control the world around you may seem like a fruitless pursuit. While you chase it, others
around you may seem well organized, like a picture of control.

While life may seem to fall right in line for some people, this doesnt mean they have control.
Most people have a strong desire to feel in control of their life. From a young age, youre taught to
make sure your grades are good, your bills are paid, and your career is on track.

When you dont meet every one of the items on this perfect-and-in-control list, it can leave you
feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and depressed. The physical and mental health problems that can
result from this can be serious.

You are never truly in controlat least not from the viewpoint of our personal soul, according to
ancient wisdom traditions. Once you acknowledge and choose to let go, youll feel at one with the
universe. It can be tricky to learn how to give up control and let the universe take over. Expressing
gratitude, embracing helplessness, and observing nature are just a few ways you can live more
cooperatively with the universe. Follow these nine tips to learn how to trust the universe.

Embrace Helplessness
Many individuals are looking to develop a sense of empowerment, not its opposite. Those
moments of helplessness are actually rich with potential.

Sometimes when youre at your most desperate, you shine the brightest because in these
moments youve arrived at a point of surrender. This occurs when you realize that whatever
youre up against is too big to face alone.

When you come to this conclusion voluntarily by asking and allowing, youre no longer helpless.
You are embracing this truth from an empowered viewpoint, not as a victim. It is then that you
consciously draw on the greatest force there is: simply by letting go of the struggle, and asking.

Tune Into Love

Love is the force that moves the entire universe. In order to tap into love, its crucial to understand
how love works. Love is grace. Love is helping. Love is caring and sharing. Love is disciplining when
destructive behavior arises. Love is tolerance and understanding. It is so much more than emotion;
and it is always there, if you tap into it.

Become a loving influence to all whom you encounter. By prioritizing love in your life, you will
attract more of it for yourself from the universe. Practice this, and watch your life fall in line,
without any perceived control or input from youonly loving intentions.

Release What You Cannot Hold

Most of us live in a state of reaction. Your sense of control relates to how much of a handle on
things you think you have. You probably already know what a self-deceiving concept this is. What
is control? Is it really just how well or fast one is able to react to what we cant control?

Enlightenment follows once you release this sense of control, according to some ancient wisdom
traditions. You truly dont know what will happen in the next five minutes of your life.

As part of your growth process, try to learn to relax and let go of your control. While you may be in
control of yourself on some levels, your life is not meant to be micro-managed. Allow yourself to
experience with wonderment. Let yourself be bewildered by the unknown. You may find that the
unknown is more favorable than your tight hold on life. You already know what you know, why not
experience something new and potentially beneficial?

Observe Nature

Jesus is quoted as saying, Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I
tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.(Matthew 6:28-29).
One can use this wisdom as yet another lesson to learn from nature.

Look at how bountiful and giving nature really is. Observe the beauty and synchronicity of it all. As
much as you may feel like a stranger here, you and your life are no accident. This entire universe
has conspired to give you experience. This force is in and around you always because you are part
of this universe, too. Try to see yourself as part of the works instead of as an outside observer.

Show Gratitude

When you express gratitude, the world will naturally soften and brighten for you. There is
something powerful about being authentically thankful to the universe. When this is turned
inward it can be transcendent. Be thankful for the small graces that pop up in your life. These are
signs that you are supported. The more gratitude you show, the more your life will open up to this
kind of relationship with the universe, and trust will develop.

Increase Self-Awareness

Awareness of your thoughts is important to all self-evolving practices. The more you listen to your
own mind, the more you will realize the role it plays in your life. Many of the trappings of our life
start there. As you learn to trust and cooperate with the universe, you must move beyond these
inner limitations.

Meditation is particularly helpful to increase your self-awareness. As your meditation practice

grows, you may notice the adversarial nature of thoughts. By working on yourself to clear these
negative thoughts, you naturally will begin to trust more. This comes from the realization that
many areas of your life are organized and enjoyed through a force bigger than you.

Witness the confusion and randomness of your mind and be thankful for the grace and
synchronicity that you experience. Let go of the details, focus on self-evolving, and the universe
will take care of the rest.

Listen to Your Intuition

Your intuition is an inner guidance system for your life. Since it comes from a higher, more subtle
part of your consciousness, it is often ignored, unheard, or misinterpreted. This part of your being
is found in the silence of meditation and deep sleep. While awake, you may hear it in the quiet
spaces of your mind, or during brief moments of awareness.

The importance of intuition cannot be overstated. This guidance comes from within the soul and is
directly linked to the rest of the universe. Listen to it. Just as your mind is adept at maneuvering
through your tasks, so is the soul at navigating the higher, more significant planes of life. This is
the conversation within that leads to living a life of universal trust and love.

Acknowledge Lifes Grace

Every person has known suffering of some kind. Sometimes you may tend to focus more on the
negatives than the grace that life bestows on you. Try to understand that attention to the negative
is what drives your inner control freak. If youre seeking to build a relationship of trust with the
universe, try to spend time focusing on how good it is to you.
This practice is more than gratitude; it is a redirecting of perception. No matter what annoyances
or even serious issues you may face, there is always an element of grace involved. Everything from
the air that fills your lungs to your family, work, and friends are meant as a blessing from the
universe. All aspects of your life experience can be fulfilling and blessed, if you choose to see them
as such.

Take some time to notice how beautiful the sunlight is coming into your living space. Appreciate
that random warm smile from a stranger as you wait in line. Take time to fully appreciate the
delicious meal you have, chewing fully and tasting with awareness. These small and often
unnoticed occurrences are the universe showing you kindness and love.

Pay attention to how even the tiniest things may go your way or fall in place just for you. In order
to let go of your preoccupation with control, allow yourself to feel the safety of the universes
intentions toward you. Though there can be unkind elements to life, in general, it is extremely
benign to you. Tune yourself to this awareness and have more of it show up in your life.

Seek Oneness

Look to the unifying principles of your life for the truth of who you really are. Build awareness of
yourself as a being having an experience. Your outer life with its actors, dramas, and props is just
as much you as your innermost thoughts. You are the all-encompassing experience.

Take a real interest in who you are, what you do, how you live, your health, family, and work. This
is not meant for the sake of manipulating, analyzing, or taking charge of these parts of your life.
The intention here is passive enjoyment and study.

Your fear and control seeking arise from concern about the unknown. Engage the world more so
that you are more comfortable. This can be said for your personal life experience as well as the
larger global picture. Try looking at life as well as yourself from different perspectives and embrace
it all. This powerful act can bring harmony and trust into your awareness, and will release your
desire to control everything.

5 Steps to Detaching for a Happier Life

By Tamara Lechner

Detachment reveals the great paradox of life: In order to acquire something, you have to
relinquish your attachment to having it. When you recognize that the only genuine source of
security is living as your true self, then you can more easily detach. But what exactly is meant
when we talk about detachment?

What Is Detachment?

The Oxford Dictionary defines detachment as a state of being objective or aloof. Being objective
is powerful in practicing detachment; however, being aloof is not terribly useful. When you
become emotionally aloof, you are disconnected from your feelings. You are not really getting
involved in decisions, actions, relationshipslife. I recommend you get entirely emotionally
immersed in whatever it is you want.

True detachment allows for deep involvementbecause of the lack of attachment to outcome.
The trick is behaving like an Oscar award-winning actor playing a role: become fully emotionally
immersed and recognize that you can step outside of the character and be objective. The
emotions in that moment are just as real as your dreams, goals, and plans. This ability to recognize
that you can step outside and reflectto not attach who you are to any desired outcomeis what
true detachment is about.

As spiritual author Ron W. Rathbun wrote, True detachment isnt a separation from life but the
absolute freedom within your mind to explore living.

Clues You Are Attached

When you are attached to an object, a goal, a dream, or another person, there are feelings that
tell you If I dont have that, I wont be whole. These are feelings like:

Anxiety

Fear

Anger

Jealousy

Hopelessness

Sadness

Disconnection

Pride

Vanity

Why Do We Attach?

In an effort to define ourselves, we listen to what others want us to be and make choices about
the things we like or dislike. The paradox here is that in our effort to become ourselves, we
actually create separation from others.

The things we use for self-definition act like a protective shell, except it doesnt actually protect us
at all. Instead, our insistence on this definition keeps us from connection and happiness. A
common misconception about happiness is that if you have all the things you want, and you attain
all the goals you desire, then you will be happy. However, the reality is just the opposite: If you
start from a place of happiness, you are much more likely to attain your goals and attract
abundance. It begins when you are able to say, I can own things, but nothing owns me.

What Do We Attach to?

Many people are attached to relationships, money, social status, jobs, and more. Basically,
anything you can use to describe who you are can be a sign of attachment. I might say: I am a
blonde, mother, wife, daughter, and sister who is physically healthy and socially vibrant. I am a
teacher, a writer, a speaker, and a student. However, if my brother dies and I was no longer a
sister, I am still me. If I change what I do and stop writing, I am still me. Recognizing that the
meremains without all the descriptors is the goal.

How to Detach: 5 Steps

1. Observe your mind: Become aware of what kind of thoughts you habitually think. What things
or descriptors do you identify with most? Become a student of self and heighten your awareness
of where attachment happens more frequently for you. Recognize attachment comes with an
emotional charge. Notice where you feel this in your physical body. Its different for each
individual and learning your patterns is a useful tool in creating change.

2. Distinguish between the voice of your ego and the actual situation: Your ego might tell you
that not getting the job you want has ruined your career. The actual situation is: you are
disappointed because you dont have something you never had in the first place. There has been
no loss. Nothing has changed except your thoughts about your future potential. The actual
situation is the same as it was prior to not getting the job.

3. Embrace uncertainty: Only a willingness to embrace the unknown provides security. As

Deepak Chopra says, Those who seek security in the exterior world chase it for a lifetime. By
letting go of your attachment to the illusion of security, which is really an attachment to the
known, you step into the field of all possibilities. This is where you will find true happiness,
abundance, and fulfillment.

4. Meditate on it: Meditation is a vehicle to help your mind release patterns of thought and
action that no longer serve you. Spend some time in meditation each day and watch how the
patterns in your life begin to change.

5. Dont beat yourself up for falling into old habits: The first step in making change is recognizing
what it is you want to change. Instead of getting frustrated or disappointed when you fall back
into an old habit, celebrate that you are now noticing when you repeat the pattern of thought or
habit. In time, this will allow you to transform your behavior.

Happiness
When you begin living a life that starts with happiness from an internal place rather than placing
your ability to be happy on external conditions, then you have understood detachment.
Remember, its a practice. Happiness is the journey and not the destination, or as Wayne Dyer
said, There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.

Todays Practice

Now that you have a powerful intention in mind, we invite you to release it to the Universe. Use
natures elements to help you symbolically release your attachment to the intention, and allow
the Universe to work out the details. Here are some ideas:

Write down your intention on a small slip of paper and submerge it in water, watching it dissolve.

Build a fire in your fireplace or backyard and throw your slip of paper into the fire, watching it
burn.

Go to a beach, scoop up a handful of sand, and infuse your intention into the sand. Then, toss the
sand into wind and water, letting nature carry it away.

Pick a dandelion, close your eyes, and re-affirm your intention. Blow on it, symbolically releasing
your intention into the ether.