Hi

I have collected a mixed bag of helpful exercises and useful tips in this newsletter! As promised in the last issue, I have included two more meditation practices that can be used to help ease the dying process. These helpful meditations can also be adapted for more general use at any other time.

Warm wishes
Alison

Uncovering Our Hidden Fears
Unfinished Business, Phowa
Stress Management Tips
Something Interesting...

Uncovering Our Hidden Fears

I was recently reminded of an exercise that Deepak Chopra advocates in his wonderful book The Way of The Wizard. The exercise helps to uncover our unconscious level of fear. We may be able to reel off a list of things that we know we are afraid of, but there can be other deeper level fears that unconciously drive our behaviour.

Try the exercise below and you'll be surprised by the strange and unanticipated associations with fear that arise. I know I was and I thought I knew myself very well! Once you uncover these fears, they can be cleared relatively easily with energy healing techniques. Sometimes even just your conscious awareness is enough to shift the fear. Allow yourself to do this exercise freely, letting your thoughts simply unravel without trying to control them.

Deepak Chopra' instructions:

"Sit with a stack of several sheets of paper. Choose a quiet room with no distractions. Now place the tip of your pen on the first sheet of paper and promise that you will not lift your pen for five minutes. Begin to write the sentence "I am afraid of" and finish it any way you like".

"Not lifting your pen, write the same sentence opening, "I am afraid of", and again let any ending that comes to mind be put on the paper. As you are doing this, take slow, measured breaths in and out without pausing in between. This is sometimes called circular breathing, in which the inhale and exhale are connected. Since ancient times deliberate sort of breathing has been considered a way to bypass the inhibitions of the conscious mind. Without this technique it would be much harder to reach the unconscious level of fear."

"As you perform the circular breathing, in and out without pausing, keep finishing the same sentence, "I am afraid of," over and over again without lifting pen from paper. Once you liberate yourself to write down your hidden fears, you may find it difficult to stop."

"Let all emerge [including any associated emotions], but always return to your breathing and don't lift the pen from the paper until you are done. If you start to feel too uncomfortable, stop. At the end of this exercise it is a good idea to lie down and rest, allowing yourself to regain your normal equilibrium."

Source: Deepak Chopra. The Way of the Wizard, Rider Books, 1996.

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Drikung Phowa Lineage Tree

Unfinished Business, Phowa

People who are dying often suffer anxiety, guilt, regret and depression about “unfinished business” they will leave behind. These feelings need to be cleared as much as possible if the person is to die a peaceful death, “without grasping, yearning, and attachment” as Buddhist masters suggest. While it is very important to let the dying person speak freely about unfinished business, meditation can also provide a helpful means of clearing. Carers, family or friends may also have unresolved issues with the person who is dying and they can use the same method to deal with their issues.

Another Tibetan meditation practice to assist the dying is Phowa (pronounced ‘po-wa’), which means transference of consciousness. Sogyal Rinpoche describes it as “The most valuable and powerful practices I have found in caring for the dying…”. Friends, relatives or others should perform it at the moment of death to help the dying person let go. However, it can be beneficial to use throughout the illness, at funerals or in bereavement groups. It is a practice that is healing for both the sender and the receiver and is very simple to do. It does not require you to be in the presence of the person who is dying.

Phowa is considered to be an essential practice to prepare for your own death and should be practiced regularly, so at the time of death (particularly when unexpected) it becomes automatic process of ease.

Please Click Here for the directions for both meditations.

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Stress Management Tips

Avoid eating late at night if you wish to avoid having difficulty sleeping. When you sleep your body's matabolism and digestive system slows down, so sleeping on a late night dinner can lead to a disturbed sleep.

It is also recommended that you avoid watching negative or disturbing TV programs, such as news or violent/aggressive programs or films, before you go to bed. These just feed your mind with negative messages. To ensure a restful, uninterupted night's sleep, put yourself in a calm, positive state by listening to soothing music or reading uplifting material (not work or study!).

Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy is now available in a special formula, Sleep, for insomnia and other sleeping problems. It is available as drops or a spray. You can find it most pharmacies and health food shops.

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Something Interesting...

Fluorite is a beautiful quartz crystal that comes in the colours of green, blue, turquoise, purple, violet, and white. Among its many qualities, it is credited with calming and purifying effects. This makes it a great crystal to use for meditation and concentration. It is also known for absorbing negative energy and transforming it to positive energy, so it is a good crystal to keep on your desktop near your computer or by your bed.

Placing a fluorite crystal on both sides of your body or your head when you are lying down is a wonderful way to calm and centre yourself, particularly if you are feeling agitated or out of balance. Give it a try!