Ilchi Lee's Blog, page 41

Meditation for Sensing Your Infinite Creative Power

[Source: Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash]

When you think of creating something, you may think of putting things together in novel ways or going after objects, people, and circumstances you want. You are concentrating on what already exists. My experiences and realizations have taught me that you have the most freedom and power to create something when you start from nothing.

This is because, I realized, life itself is nothing. The energy and force we call life is merely a cycle without beginning or end. All of the philosophies, theories, and romanticisms we make and fight over, and all of the visible phenomena and physical realities we suffer over are meaningless. They are constantly changing layers we add to the never-changing creative force.

Fully awakening to that nothingness and meaninglessness ourselves is the point where infinite creation begins. True Nothingness is not nothingness, but limitless potential.

When you awaken to the true Nothingness, all of the illusions you once thought were “you” disappear. Then life, self-existent and neverending, can touch your heart and the divinely creative aspect of your brain can be expressed.

Knowing this, you don’t need to worry over troubles and conflicts, which ultimately have no substance. There is no greater comfort and blessing than awakening to the truth that a life surrounded by illusion is nothing.

You may have heard of getting rid of your attachments and putting aside your ego—that they are momentary phenomena created by your true nature. That is, in fact, what we need to do in order to feel the great life force of the universe inside us and to use that force to create our lives.

Here is one meditation you can use to empty yourself of the thoughts and illusions that cage your life force’s creative power. It’s also helpful to do any kind of mindful movement, such as tapping, Brain Wave Vibration, abdominal breathing, qigong, yoga, and the like.

Erasing Meditation from Living Tao: Timeless Principles for Everyday Enlightenment

Write your name on a peace of paper and call it out. As you do this, examine what words and feelings come into your mind. Write them on the paper. Do you have any strong emotions about any of the things you wrote down? Do any of the words or descriptions associated with your name ring particularly true or false for you?
Choose a tool to use in your mind’s eye as an eraser such as a pencil eraser or the eraser tool in a computer graphic program. You can also use fire.
Begin the erasing process with your name. Close your eyes and imagine your name as it’s written on the paper. Call it out, and then erase it with your chosen tool in your mind.
Continue this exercise with everything you wrote on the paper. Then erase any other thoughts or emotions that come to mind.
Finally, erase your body one part at a time, finishing with your head.

How do you feel now? Even when all of these things are erased, something still remains—the nothingness that you originally are. You contain and reveal everything.

You can readily move into and use the state you find yourself in now if you cultivate it with practice.

[Video] Brain Meditation To Boost Your Immune System

We often living without being conscious of our brain, which manages our physical and emotional activity. If we want optimal health, we can learn to manage our brain. We can do this with meditation.

Brain meditation helps you feel your brain through energy. Our body’s subtle energy is the means by which our bodies and brains can communicate and affect each other.

Follow along with me in this video and do methods of brain meditation to create an ideal energy state in your body to enchance its natural healing ability.

Recharge Yourself with Energy Meditation

Our complete selves are not small, limited beings huddling alone in the dark. I’m sure you have felt that. Just as the moon does not always show its full self, we cannot always see all that we are. To shine a light on that self, our consciousness needs to brighten.

Energy meditation can reveal the great brightness of our true selves to our own eyes and those of the world. Energy is the medium that interconnects every part of ourselves and is, at the same time, a wonderful tool for developing them. We can feel and know through energy the subtle textures of life that we have failed to detect through words and intellectual knowledge. Energy is the seen and unseen world, matter and spirit, and the bridge that allows communication between them and connects them with each other.

Try this energy meditation to grow your brightness and expand your awareness of your complete self. You can do this meditation standing, sitting, or lying down. In any posture, do your best to keep your back straight.

First, smile. This is very important. Moving your facial muscles into a smile stimulates your brain and starts to make you feel more positive.
Next, use your imagination to visualize bright heavenly energy coming down through the top of your head.
See it come down the front and back of your body, pushing dark energy out of the ends of your hands and feet.
Encourage the energy to flow more freely and strongly by shaking your body. Move every part as if you were trying to shake something off you. At first, you need to move deliberately. After a few minutes, however, your body and mind will relax more, and you may find yourself moving automatically. Your innate rhythm will take over as your preconceptions fall away.
After a few minutes, you may feel yourself becoming calmer and more positive, and your awareness may be deeper inside you. At this time, stop moving and breathe quietly. Feel the sensations in your body, the vibrations that are still occurring.
Then bring your focus to your breath. Close your mouth and place your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your teeth.
Inhale slowly, letting your belly rise and imagining energy coming in through your nose and gathering in your lower abdomen. Exhale slowly, pulling your belly toward your back. With every breath, accumulate bright energy in your lower abdomen, where there is an important energy center. Do this for a few minutes.
Now that you’ve recharged yourself with energy, picture the same bright, heavenly energy going to your loved ones or to a dream that you wish to create.

When you are full of energy, you can develop your immunity, self-esteem, and creativity. You can also personally experience that we are all One Body in One Society as part of One Nature on One Earth. We are One Heaven. Your bright awareness and bright energy will shine radiantly from your face.

The more often you recharge yourself with energy this way, the fuller and brighter you will feel, and the more you will come to realize the infinitely creative self you really are.

Let Life’s Bitterness Show You the Light

[Source: maridav at 123RF]

Much of the suffering we feel in life comes from our egos. We all have an ego, and we all need an ego. But our ego relentlessly seeks to possess, control, and get recognition. Everything is always changing, however, and we can never completely possess or control anything. So the needs of our ego are temporarily satisfied at best. And when those needs go unsatisfied, we feel pain. It’s even more painful if we feel like we are failing or losing possessions or control we already have. That pain is needless, however. Even if the situation is serious, we can reduce the pain we feel by remembering not to identify with our egos, to put distance between our awareness and our ego so that we can watch ourselves clearly.

Even if we do this, however, we cannot completely avoid the suffering of life. In the larger sense, life’s suffering encompasses more than physical or mental pain. It includes all the limitations that come from existing in an imperfect physical state in an imperfect world. We have hopes, dreams, and good intentions that often go unrealized. We have moments of happiness and joy, but, like stars that glitter and then fade in the night sky, they don’t last forever. We have loved ones, friends, and other relationships that eventually change or disappear. And we never know when our time will come, or what the next day will bring. This uncertainty of existence is another unavoidable part of life.

This is not meant to suggest that we should avoid joy and happiness in life. Rather, it is simply a matter of acknowledging the universal truth that suffering is inevitable because we are finite, imperfect life forms. It means serenely accepting that suffering is a part of life.

When we taste the bitterness of life, we come to understand it more deeply. Understanding life’s suffering allows you to meet difficulty and challenges with more acceptance and grace. If we realize that life inevitably includes difficulty, we can feel less stressed, even when we experience painful events. We are better able to deal with life’s challenges in a calm, patient, and courageous manner. When good things happen, we are better able to relish those precious events with complete gratitude. We also have greater capacity for compassion and understanding for others who suffer amid life’s pain.

When we accept suffering as a part of life, we become more humble and truthful. Life is nothing more than a succession of painful experiences that are attenuated by flickering moments of happiness. Opening to this awareness is critically important to personal growth and spiritual development, what I think of as the path of Tao.

Those who truly and deeply realize that life is suffering do not remain at that stage. They may think, “Is life truly suffering, and is the essence of life really nothing more than this? Clearly, there must be some way to escape from this suffering.” From this realization, they set out on a continuous journey in search of that something that will relieve their distress. Along the way, they have many of their own realizations. They learn what provides temporary relief and what offers deeper and more satisfying peace. They find their own road to harmony with their inner essence. Approached with an awakened consciousness, the suffering of life can be a spiritual guide more wonderful than any other.

Note: I derived this blog post from one of my older books, Living Tao: Timeless Principles for Everyday Enlightenment, because I thought it was wisdom we needed to have in this time.

Chest Breathing Exercise for Stress Relief

Breathing is one of the automatic processes in our body over which we have some control. Through breathing mindfully and intentionally, we can calm ourselves when we are stressed or anxious. Controlled breathing can lower cortisol levels, improve our autonomic response, and more. It can help enhance our body’s natural ability to fight disease. In this video, I show you a basic form of breathing from your chest that you can use whenever you feel anxious or overwhelmed, or when you just want to unwind.

Believe in Yourself

[Source: @Annalarina via Twenty20]

Life is like the weather. It’s possible to feel all four seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter, in a single day. Sometimes it rains or snows, or there are thunderstorms, and then it clears and then becomes overcast, and that’s life.

Regardless of such weather, your soul shines. Believe in that luminance. Believe that you have your bright, shining soul and divinity and move forward. Your everlasting soul and divinity are who you really are. If you don’t believe in yourself, who’s going to believe in you? And if you can’t trust yourself, whom can you trust?

What keeps our soul bright is having a vision that sets our lives ablaze. With such a vision in front of us, every obstacle becomes an illusion or information from our past. Even if we feel tired and weary or have moments when we want to give up, we know that this path is the only path by which we can be recharged.

Knowing we have a soul and divinity is our value and our enlightenment. This enlightenment makes us realize that both living and dying are blessings.

But enlightenment needs to be maintained and managed. Maintaining enlightenment means maintaining our consciousness—keeping it clear and bright. We can maintain it by how we live our lives.

With physical exercise and meditation, we can stay clear in our hearts and minds. We can keep our goal clearly in front of us and clearly see the steps we need to take to get there.

And we can stay bright, always addressing ourselves with a smile. That smile is conveyed with love and brightens our surroundings. It lights a spark of hope. Maintaining enlightenment means putting it into practice, and that is possible only by delivering love. It’s loving and saving people. In that process, our consciousness becomes brighter.

The seasons keep changing, but we need to put in effort in order to change and get bright. If we change the angle of our thoughts and lifestyle, we can learn and grow toward the vision in our hearts.

How to Deal with Pain and Sickness

[Source: @feeling_lucky via Twenty20]

Although we may be treated by a healthcare professional or have the help of our family, being sick can be a lonely affair. Pain, discomfort, worry, and fear are experiences that may be thrust upon us that we need to bear, moment by moment. No one can do it for us.

I speak and write about health and have my own practices for taking care of myself, but I also experience times when I’m not feeling as well. Physical and emotional discomfort are part of having a body and a physical experience on earth. Rather than being circumstances to shy away from, they are useful information. They indicate when we may need to change our behavior or when our life is going in a direction that doesn’t match what we want deep down. It may also happen when we interact with a layer of stuck energy inside, or simply give us clues to what’s injured when we have an accident or infection.

How we think about pain or discomfort makes a difference, not only in our experience of it, but in our treatment outcomes. Like any other circumstance, if you accept your condition as it is, you can let go of your stress, fear, and worry about it. Such negative emotions can worsen your condition if you keep dwelling on them. On the other hand, making peace with your situation can reduce the pain and discomfort you feel.

I often tell people to use their body to heal their body. Our body has its own wisdom. If we listen to that wisdom, we can help its natural healing mechanisms bring our body back to full health more quickly and easily. We can even have many awakenings about ourselves in the process.

Our bodies are speaking to us all the time. They let us know when they need to eat or drink. They tell us when to move or rest. And they guide us in how to move in order to release pain, tension, or stagnant energy.

When I was thrown off a horse and injured my back, I was bedridden for a while and could barely move. But that didn’t stop me from using my body to help my condition. I made subtle vibrations using small movements as I lay in bed. With time, those vibrations helped my back return to normal without surgery.

Listening to your body is a sense that can be developed through training. It’s a trust in your body that is forged with experience, just like any relationship. The Brain Education exercises that I teach involve concentrating on what your brain and body are saying as you do them. For that period of time, you ignore external stimuli and focus within, honing your ability to notice and understand what’s going on inside. Rather than dwelling on the thoughts or emotions you have, you tune into your physical sensations, bringing your consciousness solidly into your body and grounding it in the here and now.

Focusing on your body in this way not only helps you feel calmer and more centered, it also helps energy to flow more easily in your body. Wherever your mind concentrates is where your energy gathers and moves. Physical sensations such as pain, discomfort, heat, cold, or vibration are manifestations of energy. As you bring your awareness to them, any energy that is stuck will start to flow and any energy that is depleted will fill up. This is the essence of energy healing.

The ability to listen to your body can then be used when you’re not training as well. When your concentration improves, you can hear what your body is saying even while going about your daily life. This ongoing conversation with your body can guide your behavior so that you can prevent illness and injury.

Your body is like a wonder drug. It’s the best doctor you can have. Whenever you’re not feeling well, no matter what else you do, ask your body for help. Bring your attention inside yourself and connect to your body. Let it show you how it needs to move, to breathe, to eat, and to rest so that it can return to its natural state of health.

[Video] Wrist Rotation Exercises for Immunity

One important factor in our level of immunity is body temperature. If our body temperature is at the higher end of the normal range, our immunity can increase fivefold. But increasing our body temperature can be simple. You don’t necessarily need to do difficult exercises or jump up and down to bring your temperature up. It can be as simple as rotating your wrists. Follow along with me in this video and try it now.

Yes, You Can Clear Away Negative Emotions

[Source: flotsom @ Envato Elements]

No one can be free from the effects of negative emotions. When bad things happen, it’s natural for them to cause negative sentiments. A brain is broken if it doesn’t.

There are times when I, too, find myself immersed in such emotions. But I know when I have sunk into those feelings, I can come out of them immediately. It’s all about how you manage your brain.

When you find yourself immersed in negative thinking, quickly change your thoughts. Move, smile, sing, dance, practice energy meditation—do whatever you can. It’s important to escape from such feelings quickly for your own sake and the sake of those around you. The scariest thing is intentionally soaking in those emotions.

Paying attention to and understanding your brain is a life-giving elixir that can save you. Inside you is a pure, bright, consciousness. Finding it under the layers of negativity that surrounds it and looking at the world through its eyes is the best way to manage your brain.

[Video] Feeling Depressed? Try Belly Button Healing

The social isolation, uncertainty, and economic strain put on us by the coronavirus pandemic has left many people more anxious and stressed, and depression is on the rise. The coping mechanisms many people typically use, such as going to the gym or meeting with friends, are often unavailable. While reaching out to healthcare professionals is helpful, our own daily habits and self-care are also important.

I often like to remind people that any kind of imbalance or illness we experience, whether mental, physical, or emotional, corresponds to imbalances in our body’s energy flow. Making sure all of our energy points are open and that energy flows freely throughout our body is as important as making sure our blood is flowing well.

Emotions are energy and also need to flow. If we get stuck in our emotions, especially negative emotions, our energy also becomes stuck. Then the systems of our body responsible for rest and repair don’t work as well. We may have trouble sleeping or eating, or experience stomach or intestinal issues. The idea that “things will get better” or “everything will be OK” may seem like wishful thinking, and hope may seem far away.

Emotions cannot be changed with emotions. It’s also difficult to change them by changing our thinking alone. Even when you understand that an emotion is irrational or does not match the current situation, and especially if it does match, that emotion can be too strong to respond to rational thought. Physiological phenomena, as well as our subconscious processes, also make up our emotions and need to be addressed.

All of these can change if we change our energy. Being filled with bright, warm, flowing energy brings us a body full of vitality, a heart full of love and hope, and a mind full of optimism. Since our minds alone are not always strong enough to overcome our emotions, we need to use our solid physical body. Just as running releases mood-enhancing endorphins and dancing and smiling can make us feel happier, we can use moving meditations to beat the blues.

While taking a walk in nature could do wonders to improve our mood, we may not always have the means to get outdoors or make it a daily habit. And, if we’re feeling lethargic, discouraged, and sad, we may not always have the energy or motivation to fight against it. Techniques such as Belly Button Healing, however, can be done on your own in the comfort and security of your own bed whenever you want.

What Is Belly Button Healing?

Belly Button Healing involves rhythmically stimulating your navel through your clothing while focusing on the physical sensations this creates in your abdomen. You can use your fingers or a sturdy tool to do this. It can be done standing, sitting, or lying down, but doing it in a relaxed way is best. The pressing itself helps to relax your body, your mind, and your breath.

But Belly Button Healing is not just a relaxing massage for your abdomen. The belly button is a powerful energy point on the body that lies over an important energy center. Stimulating the navel opens many energy channels at once and allows more energy to go into the energy center. The center of energy in our lower abdomen is associated with our physical vitality and keeping it full of strong, clear energy helps to ground and center us along with making us feel more energized. Making this energy center strong and full also helps stuck energy flow out of the energy centers in the chest and head and keeps them open as well.

The belly button also lies over our digestive tract and its associated enteric nervous system, with the vagus nerve bringing messages to and from it and the brain. Some psychiatric or other brain disorders, such as depression, have related digestive symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome. The gut makes ninety percent of the serotonin in your body and about fifty percent of the dopamine. Serotonin in particular is out of balance in depression and some anti-depressant medicines correct this. The mix of microbes in the gut are also thought to affect our mood. Belly Button Healing may help improve gut health by relaxing and warming the intestines, pushing food and waste through them more efficiently, and circulating more of the blood there. Keeping your gut healthy is one thing we can do to improve our overall health.

How to Do Belly Button Healing

I show you one way to do Belly Button Healing in this video. You can follow along with me, but it’s important to listen to your body at the same time. If you experience too much pain or discomfort from pressing on your navel, you can do it more gently, or you can press around the navel on other parts of your abdomen at first instead. Once you get used to the sensations, you can also press in and out more rapidly, finding your own comfortable rhythm.

Doing a practice like Belly Button Healing is a way to clean out the energy that builds up every day. Clearing your energy for about five minutes in the morning to help you start your day and about five minutes before bed to remove negative energy from the day and help you sleep better are simple ways to alleviate symptoms of depression. They help you take back power over your life and your health and are easy enough to do even when you’re not feeling well. Belly Button Healing can help you remember that you are not your emotions or your depression. I hope you use it to bring yourself the health and happiness you deserve in any situation.