Visualization for Inner Guidance and Peace: White Tipi Meditation (Ocean Sounds and Moving Images)

Be The Love You Wave On

Let us talk about relationships. Relationships with people are really just reflections of yourself. How you treat yourself, is how you treat others. And any deep friendship is build on an acceptance and on freedom. Freedom of being, freedom of doing. Judgment, expectations and resentment foil and destroy any deep friendship that emerges.

How you feel about others is how you feel about some aspect of yourself. Unearth that. Find it. Let go of it. And then bring in love. You can create love. It is within you. You can tap into it and let it flow out into your life.

Just let all that you do not need fall away. Let love be the wave you ride on. Be the wave of love. Be the love you wave on.

Thank you.

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You Can Make Heart-Centered Choices

There is much I have to say. The things that matter most are not things. It’s vibration. Staying in a light-hearted disposition, in a cheerful mode, does more than create pleasant company. It creates a sphere of creativity, self-expression and joy. It is an enabling mode; it is a receptive mode. For love and harmony to flow and to create waves of joyful peace, restrictions need to be loosened. An attitude of ‘yes’ is beneficial and helpful.

The sphere has many dimensions and many offshoots. It teems with life and vitality. The journey is really a sequence of now-ness - a consequential pattern emerging in the moment. So really, when they say that you have choice in every moment, it is absolutely the truth. That’s also because you are not connected with past and future the way you are connected with the present. The beauty of choice is that it follows conscious awareness. Before you are aware, your actions are unconscious actions not choice in the true sense of the word. When you make a choice, it means you already have an awareness. You have realized some truth about yourself. From the awareness and realizations, you gain a level of understanding that is both mental and emotional. This makes an action stem from that inner-alignment. The alignment of the heart, mind and spirit. And now, when you are aligned, you can take actions that reflect choice in the true sense of the word.

This is the process - the process of making heart-centered choices.

Thank you.

You Can Be Detached

Just know that the web of life is intricate but simple. To understand it all, you just need to quiet yourself, sit in stillness. All shall be revealed to you. You are as much a part of mystery as the rest of it. Seeds of love and compassion are already within you and you know how to grow them. You know how to water them. Forgiveness. Letting go. Being detached from what happens, lightens your heart. Being unaffected by what is frees your spirit. Letting others off the hook allows you to keep your energy, your focus on yourself, on your part of the equation. It frees up energy for your creative expression; for your experience of joy. And the more you do it, the easier it gets. It becomes a way of being - a way of life. It becomes a way of receiving that which you experience and it becomes a way of how you act in the situation that you are in.

Compassion, forgiveness, detachment, are key to your functioning in a healthy manner. Let us say, you are new at being detached. No worries. When you find yourself engaged in a situation where you are taking things personally, just make note of it. Identify it as what it is: “I am taking it personally. Ah, I want to practice detachment but here I find myself taking it personally. I am aware. I can see that I am not out of its power on me. And I can see that any emotional distress I am experiencing is because of my own thoughts and because of my own process of moving from taking things personally to being detached.”

That awareness, right there, will rescue you. The next time you are in it, you will bring more and more awareness and zoom, you find that things don’t bother you that much; you have greater understanding of yourself, of others and of the situation; and you are able to respond and act with more compassion and greater effectiveness.

Thank you.

You Can Receive Direct Guidance

Write. Write. Write it down. Whatever you feel, write it down. This is your channel of release. You cleanse and let go when you write. It is such a secret but it’s got to be shared. You do not need perfect language skills. Just write down all, whatever seems to be bothering you. In this way, you energetically let it out of your system.

Daily Writing. Writing for guidance has a simple formula. You start writing, “I love you, ...” and then your name. For example, “I love you, Sophia.” Keep repeating this line, line after line, page after page, until you hear a subtle voice. A small transparent voice - a thought. It is an energy field that you tap into. And then jot down whatever you are dictated to write down. You can ask this voice to slow down or pause or to speed up. The voice will respond. You can also ask questions. And the voice will sound like your own voice. This is simply to make things easy for you. It will answer all your questions.

It is magical. It is indeed a way to access truth, knowledge and inner wisdom from the Source. And it gets easier and easier as you do it. It becomes so easy that you can eventually drop the formula I mentioned earlier. And just start writing or just start speaking. It is that powerful and that accessible.

So use this exercise daily - to build your muscle. For 20 minutes.

And remember to thank this voice. At the end of the session say - Thank you.

Thank you.

You Are Being Helped

You are loved. All is well. Be at peace about all that is happening. It is to free you of many things and you will see many new and amazing ways of being. You are to be successful in many ways. Just listen to your instincts. Just listen to your voice within. You are doing great. Be assured that the best, most fulfilling life experiences are coming your way. You are constantly being watched and listened to. You are being helped. You are being assisted.

Just know, trust and have tremendous faith, unrelenting faith and expect only the very best. Expect only the very very best. You are to keep the faith. Do your best. Be unaffected by seeming challenges or things that are not going the way you planned. There is divine blessing in every moment, in every situation and in every experience, in every person you meet and encounter. You are to be sure that the best outcome is being delivered. You are being guided. Listen and act in inspired ways.

Thank you.

You Are Blessed

Do you know how blessed you are? Right now, blessings are pouring onto you. You are a divine child and you are on the right path. Sink into a permanent state of faith. Trust that all is well. Keep asking for that which you want. Know that we only want and work for your success. It benefits the whole when you are at peace.

Good that you are following our message as they come to you as hunches. Keep doing it. Continue to take steps of active faith. We will direct you and guide you. Yes, trust and know that it is all happening. We shall guide your actions and look out for those messages that come to you in your ears - like whispers. Follow them. It will be easy.

Today, go to a pond with your notebook and pen. Sit by the water. All is well. Blessings upon you. You are blessed.

Thank you.

How In Losing I Found - What Truly Matters

I would like to share with you a recent aha-moment I had that has completely transformed how I view the things of my life. In the past few weeks, I have shared with you my reflections on letting go things, especially when they are gifts from your loved ones. Today, I will share with you about letting go things that were gifts that you happen to loose.

As you read about my story, think of some item that you lost, misplaced or somehow got destroyed or is no longer in your possession. Some item that you cherished so much, still due to various circumstances you do not have it anymore.

For me this item is a single earring. I received a beautiful pair of earrings from my husband on our wedding anniversary. It is lovely earring made out of silver into the shape of a gingko leaf. All elements of this gift are endearing to me, the choice of metal- silver, the occasion- wedding anniversary, the fact that it was locally hand-made in Asheville by Stuat Nye, the motif- gingko leaf which brings us fond memory of our late granny (my husband's fathers' mom) who loved gingko trees.

One fine late fall day, my husband and I went for a walk by the French Broad River. It was quite cold that day so I was warmly dressed and I had a warm wool scarf on and I had my lovely earrings on.  It was not long before I realized that one of my earrings had fallen off, perhaps entangled in my wool scarf, which has a track record of entangling with my jewelry! Both of us retraced our steps through the gravel, the bank of the river, and the spot near a tree where we sat and watched the flowing river. We looked everywhere possible. No earring!

At the time, I was feeling quite fine about the situation. Things get lost. It is just an item. All is well, I thought and we moved on with our day.

I got home and put the remaining earring from the pair next to our Buddha statue in the bedroom. In the next few weeks, I moved the remaining earring to various parts of the house, not knowing what to do with it. It is a lovely silver piece by itself, beautifully hand-crafted and it was a gift. How could I just get rid of it, I thought. But now after some time, every time I saw the earring, I was reminded about the one that was lost. It was as if I did not even see the earring that was in my hand. All I could think of was the lost earring and the fact that my wedding anniversary gift was now unusable. A certain low energy would come over me, as I went about my day, instead of the joyful feeling I had every time I wore my treasured gift. And I did not like the feeling I felt each time I saw the remaining earring.

So, I decided to share with a close friend about my ongoing challenge to deal with the lost-earring-syndrome. She listened and shared her ideas to help me resolve it. I also shared my feelings with my husband in another walk by the French Broad River. In the course of these two conversations with wise souls, I realized what truly mattered to me in this situation:

1. The remaining earring is a teacher; reminding me to notice what I still have, instead of what is lost. It helps me to be grateful for all that I have and all that I experience.

2. The earring pair represent the love my husband feels for me and is a symbolic gesture of that love, but it is not the love itself. In losing the earring, I have recognized the deeper dimensions of love I experience daily.

3. The lost earring is teaching me the precious lesson of letting go; of being at peace with how things are and being at peace with the changing flow of life, instead of holding tight to how things are, and instead of wanting things to stay the same.

4. The earring reminds me to let items and things be who and what  they are, as themselves, to stand for their own inherent beauty and craftsmanship. The pair of earrings reminds me to free things of the burden of being a placeholder for sentiments such as love and to fully open up to love that I express and the love that I receive.

5. The lost earring is a wise teacher who in its disappearance leaves behind all these precious lessons that help me experience life in deeper, richer, more meaningful ways than before.

6. And most importantly, the entire episode has helped me be happy and peaceful, regardless of the changing status of things and objects around me; a very useful thing indeed!

This earring episode was on the surface a minor experience. It was 'just' a small earring I had lost, no big deal, I consoled myself. But the losing of it pricked at something within me. When I looked carefully, I found precious gems that were hidden just below the surface. I am grateful for wise friends and teachers helped me along and who continuously are sharing freely their wisdom, understanding and compassion in my life. And I am grateful for the lovely earrings and the artist who made them with such love and care.

Now it is your turn! I invite you to look at your own experience of losing something, even your own so-called 'minor' incidents. Look a bit more closely, and see the glittering gifts they carry for you, just beyond the surface. It may be a turning point for your life in a way never imagined, bringing in greater peace and understanding towards yourself and greater compassion for others.

With love and blessings,

Sophia
 

Introspection

Take a moment to notice all that you have.
The things, experiences, love, blessings, beauty, community, nature, abundance, creativity, adventures, family, friends, wisdom that are endowed with right now.

With Patience Wisdom Emerges

Above you see a photo of me taken in one of my preferred places to write. I sit in the hammock on the front porch with a notebook and a pen and allow inspiration to guide me. From such a writing session, I would like to share with you a piece from a series, I call, Messages from Spirit. This one is titled, With Patience Wisdom Emerges:

With Patience Wisdom Emerges

The way things unfold in life have divine logic. The rolling of the seasons, changing path of the clouds, the way the sun shines is divinely orchestrated. The beauty of it all is in the knowing that you, too, are part of this universal plan. You, too, are intricately intertwined with the web of life, the magic of it all. So if at times you feel that you do not understand your part, you don’t ‘get it’, know that that is also part of the divine structure. Your not knowing, not getting it is only a part of your journey in which you are revealed what your part is.

So, practice patience with yourself and your stage in life. The knowledge that you want, the inner-wisdom that you are seeking is all within you. And as you accept yourself, it becomes clearer. And as you let go of facades that cover you, it becomes clearer.

Eventually, it reaches a point when you, your inner-self and wisdom are inseparable. You are unified, you are ‘at one’ with yourself and the world. These are the potentialities that exist for you. Knowing this, you can help yourself be more patient with yourself and the stage you are in.

All becomes clear to you. All that you need on your journey is provided for you. Become still and practice patience. This patience oozes from the understanding of the big picture and from the faith that all is exactly how it is meant to be and that all is well.

Thank You.

Spring Flowers and Smiles for You,
Sophia

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The Challenge You Are Facing IS Useful

It is no fun experiencing a challenging moment. As human beings we find ourselves dealing with the various ways fear manifests in us and in the people we love, know and care for. But what if, your experience of ANY challenging moment is actually a fully-potent, loaded gift of miracles awaiting you to unravel it?

Think about it.

Think about a challenging situation you are going through right now. No one can judge the size or intensity this challenge has for you but you. So, big or small it is relative to your life experience, so let us not judge ourselves on this point. Just know that the challenge you are facing, although doesn't feel good right now, is actually full of wisdom. And you can learn a great deal about yourself, about the people you love, about life and about the divine grace through this very challenging experience. But how?

Well, it begins by seeing that what you are experiencing is a result of seeds you have sown. The source is no one but you. This is not about blaming, please. Nor is it about judging ourselves. It is about recognizing that either our past life actions or thoughts and actions in this very life are the starting point for what is happening now. The practical hows and whys may be different from one situation to another but one thing is clear: The situation is teaching you, reminding you and helping you recognize what seeds you sowed, and how you can choose different seeds to sow. And right here, it gets really interesting. If you want to learn more about mental seeds, read this book and read my review of the book here.

What is Being Triggered?

I had a conversation recently with a friend who shared a challenging situation she experienced. During a chat she was having with someone close, her feelings started to get hurt. She had the understanding of herself and of mental seeds already deeply within her. And she was able to stand back from the challenging situation and ask herself, what is really going on here. What is it within me that is being triggered?

This is a very powerful question to ask ourselves. If you read the post from two weeks ago, where I speak about propensity, you know that any situation we experience really is triggering some tendency within us. So, if you are facing something difficult, that difficult issue is a surface issue, and there is a gold mine underneath it. There is a deeper issue that is presenting itself to be actively resolved by you. And to bring awareness to that very fact, is a way to resolve it. Yeah, you do not even need to know the deeper issue exactly, but just recognizing that there could possibly be a deeper issue, can help to dissolve it. Add to that the recognition that there were "bad" mental seeds that are the cause of you now experiencing the "bad" fruits, and you are on an empowering path to free yourself from it.

What seeds can I sow now?
 

Knowing that the situation you are facing is a result of bad mental seeds you have sown, is great because you can now begin to sow good seeds. The great thing about "bad" seeds that give have given their fruit is that, once the fruit is experienced, it is over. It is time for you to plant new seeds. I hope the seed metaphor really gets it home for you, because the mental seeds are similar to the physical seeds we plant in the garden or the fields, except only much more potent and powerful.

They say that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. And the second best time is now. Well, I say, the seeds you sow now are much more powerful because in the last 20 years, you have grown wiser and kinder and more compassionate, you know much more about good seeds and so your future is looking very very very bright.

So, please take some time to reflect on what you are experiencing right now, where it comes from and how can you change your future, starting with fresh, juicy seeds right now.

With Loving Regards and Blessings,
Sophia

Did you know that cultivating the seed of Focus is a spiritual practice and bringing in focus builds your mental stability and emotional harmony? If this intrigues you, then check out my online video e-course that I am sharing with you. If you have been wanting to get focused, this is the right time to jump in and help yourself on your path to peace.

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including guided visualization videos and CDs, the written word and in-person workshops.

The Dance With Focus

The Dance With Focus: How To Say Yes To What's Most Important!

You have heard about focus and how that is important for success, right? Focus is something I have been cultivating over the last few years and there seems to be yet another level of focus that can emerge. Bringing focus into how I spend time, how I create and what projects I engage in, has brought me greater sense of freedom, peace and general well-being. I have found myself happier and healthier since 2010 when I began bringing in principles of focus into my life.

Yet, recently, the bold head of fascinating new areas have drawn my attention. I am getting more and more intrigued by the ancient vedic philosophy of yoga and meditation and the idea of an intensive teacher training course in yoga sounded enticing. And today, I found myself getting thrilled by the study of ayurvedic principles of health and healing. For some time, the traditional wisdom teaching of shamanism have galvanized my interest. There have been other ideas that seem glamorously exciting over the years. Even if I decide to embark on a deeper study on these subjects, and wonderful as they all are, these ideas are simply a test for my current focus and commitments. Do you find yourself in such a situation?

Focus, I am finding, is not about saying no to the ideas (requests, projects, trips, invitations) that come to you. It is about saying yes to those ideas (your dream, your rocks, your priorities) you have committed yourself to. A commitment that says, I shall go through with this all the way, letting nothing distract me or dissuade me from completion. It also means determine beforehand what the outcome will be and what you will put into it. So, now that I have made the commitment to my main focus, then how to maintain that focus and how to determine whether I say yes to new ideas? Simple. I have discovered some useful tips that I have implemented to stay focused on my priorities and I know that these are helpful to anyone who wants to do the same. Here are the seven stages of creating and maintaining focus:

First: Know what your values are

discovering what values and principles float your boat,
identifying these values can make decision-making easy as 1-2-3
 

Second, Know what your rocks are

getting clear about your priorities, your main focus and the area that is most important for you,
creating a life-blueprint and clear vision for your life + project
 

Third, Determine what the outcome looks like

clarifying what are the key elements that the end result need to have,
knowing what success look like,
clarifying markers so  you know that you have achieved your goals,
(no need to know about the hows!)
 

Fourth, What does my commitment looks like

creating an easy to follow plan that excites you,
clarifying time, effort, external assistance/partners, information you need for taking next action steps
 

Fifth, Simple practices to achieve your main focus

the Seinfeld inspired Daily Calendar,
the Jack Canfield's power-hour,
Michael Roach inspired Circle Day
 

Sixth, How to continuously say yes your main focus

using your values to keep you focused,
saying no that shows respect to others,
key questions to ask before taking on new projects
 

Seven, Doing weekly and monthly introspections to keep you on track

what questions to answer at the end of the week and month,
clarify goals and assess next steps,
how to recommit to your plan + goals,
how to review and celebrate success and accomplishments

These are in a nut-shell seven stages of focus that help you in staying focused and can be used for any specific area of your life or project that you are undertaking. If you like to go deeper into this topic, learn about early-bird registration here for an e-course I am launching in April. And I will also share with you my personal favorite, the eight stage:
 

Eight: A not-so-secret secret to success: letting your heart lead the way to your treasures
 

a guided visualization that I have created to help me follow my heart's true calling, and I will teach you how to do your own guided visualization that you can use anytime you need to listen to your heart.

There is a lot to share about each of these steps and if you are really wanting to bring in a new wave of focus, clarity and commitment to your life, I know you will find the ecourse on Focus hugely beneficial.
In all your endeavors, I am wishing you peace, harmony and prosperity.

Heart, Spirit and Angels are with you!
Love, Sophia

Propensity And How It Can Free You Right Now

There is a wonderful spiritual practice that has helped save me from a downward spiral of negative feelings. It may seem counter-intuitive at first, but stick with me. It has immense potential to free you of any suffering at any given moment and it is fast. Soon, you will do it naturally and not even know that you are doing it. That is the added advantage of make this practice a habit. It becomes a part of you.

First, let me share with you what propensity is. You may already know the word and that it means, "a natural tendency". For example, sunflowers have a propensity for facing the sun. Or: Some cats (like the one in the photo) have a propensity for climbing on people's backs! So, propensity is simply the natural tendency of things.

Once we understand another facet of propensity, it can help us free up from negative emotions, both the big existential crises and the small everyday irritation and annoyances. When looking at the propensities we carry within us, everything that happens around us become signposts and reminders for what needs to be recognized, resolved, loved, released and embraced within us. Let us take an everyday situation that I had a propensity for getting annoyed with. In the morning, I prepare chai which is Indian tea that is slowing brewed on the stove. While I am waiting for the tea to boil, I get myself busy with doing the dishes, in efforts to make the "best" use of my time. And then, the chai boils and flows over the pot when I am not looking and of course, there is tea all over the place. When this happened in the past, I had the propensity to get really annoyed. And, I would get mad at myself for not paying attention and feel bad about the whole thing.

So, here I was with the propensity for getting annoyed at the situation and for getting angry with myself. The situation itself is neutral. Some very cool cucumber faced with a similar situation would just brush it off, clean up the cooking range and pour his tea and move along. Clearly, the situation itself is not causing the annoyance or the anger. What is? It is the propensity within myself, that is. The overflowing tea is only an external trigger that has brought my own annoyance and anger out of me. By understanding this very fact, we can bring compassion to ourselves and to others.

Let us say, your coworker did something again that is really irritating you. They used the last paper in the printer and did not refill it, for example. You are preparing for a presentation and go to print it. But there is no paper! You spend extra five minutes fetching the new stock of paper from the stationery room, unwrap it, refill the printer, go back to your desk and then print. This just took the precious time you needed for preparing your presentation. And, now you are irritated. Not a good mood to be in just before making your presentation. Your propensity, or the natural tendency within you to get irritated was just triggered. The trigger: no paper. Or, the trigger: the last person who used the printer.

Okay, so now you know that the coworker and the empty paper basket is only a trigger and is not causing your irritation, but it is coming from within you. So how does this make it any better? Well, first of all, you are no longer blaming the externals. You know that the cause of suffering, in this case the irritation you felt, is related to some unresolved, unloved part in you. By taking the focus off the outside world and shining the light of your attention within, you bring back power to yourself. Now, you can really do something to ease your pain. It may be a small irritation but unattended it can escalate, pile up or coalesce into major anger. At this small irritation stage, we need to be proactive in healing it, so it does not get big and dangerous and extremely painful. So, what to do?
 

First: Gratitude

Thank the situation, the co-worker and your inner propensities for showing you that you have irritation. Know that there is a gift in this situation, even if does not feel good right now. There is a gift. Some of the most amazing breakthroughs have come from someone going through a dark, challenging experience.
 

Second: Allow Yourself to Feel Exactly What You Are Feeling

 We are often so concerned about staying in the positive, cheerful and upbeat, that when we do experiencing anything negative, we run from it. I know I have. Like many of us, I tend not to want to be angry, sad, irritated or impatient. And when I feel a little of it, I go for a walk or try to squish the feelings. The mantra, I now say to myself is: "Sophia, you are allowed to feel like that. It is okay to feel that way." It is amazing how as soon as I give myself the permission to feel whatever I am feeling, the suffocating hold of that emotion loosens up. Yes, you too are allowed to feel what you are feeling and you need to give yourself the permission, too. If you do, either or both of these two steps, you are already dissolving open, unresolved issues within you. And, if you are really wanting to go farther, you can take this third step. It is the taking in of other's suffering.
 

Third: Take On Other's Suffering

Pema Chodron, the American Buddhist teacher did a powerful talk on this third step, also called Tonglen. At first, it seems counter-intuitive but it feels right. She says that whatever we are feeling, we breathe it in and we also breathe in the feeling of everyone else who is feeling it too. So in our case, we breathe in the irritation that we are feeling and that of everyone else that is feeling that irritation. We take in everyone else's suffering, whether it is people, animals, birds, trees or our Earth. And we allow it to transform within us into love. There is also a very popular meditation in which we transfer all pain energetically into the ground to be transformed into love. This does two things, says Pema. First, it disconnects us from blaming the outside world and second, it opens us to the vastness of our being: "You use yourself and your own experience as the basis for opening your heart as big as the universe and for connecting with the vastness of your being, the vastness of your mind".

This is something that also gets deeper the more we do it.

Understanding my own propensity and recognizing that the external world is really a reflection of my inner world, I learn to embrace life with compassion and to be kind to myself and others. I hope this helps you to resolve the little angers and small irritations that you face from time to time, so that we can bring in more peace and joy into our days. Thank you for reading this extended piece today.

With love,
Sophia

 

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including music, films and books, e-courses and training workshops.

Receiving Gifts From The Heart

In the last two days, I sat with my sister on the shore looking at the vast ocean and the horizon beyond. I saw a little girl listening to a live music performance and dancing across the room with her arms wide as if flying in the sky. I spoke with a warm, generous and strong woman about a very important question to ask oneself at all times. And all of these were moments were I witnessed and experienced presence, one of the truest gifts from the heart.

Yesterday, at an art museum there was a live music performance where I got to see beauty pour out through self-expression. A little girl of about 6 years also named Sophia, danced like a free bird floating in the sky. With here arms spread across like the wings of a bird, she would swoop around the room in full speed and in beat with the music. In this movement, she was dynamic and she was free. With her enjoying the music and dancing to it from her heart, she showed all of us there how it is to give of what you have, freely and with joy in the heart.

Today, sitting on the beach with my sister was simple and beautiful. She is an amazing young woman of gentle cheerfulness and kindness in her eyes. She makes conversation easy and flowing. She allows me to be who I am. Speaking of how the Universe conspired for her day to become completely free on the last minute, she invited me to spend time together with her. In a similar way, the Universe conspired for me too to have an extra free day as well at the last minute and so going to the beach is what we did. We giggled about sea gulls walking sideways and running quickly from an approaching wave. We pondered what it is like to live right across from the beach. We shared ideas about what makes one a yogi. And we sat observing the ocean in silence. It was just silence. And it was beautiful. We were each having our own communication with the ocean separately, together. And a sea gull joined in this conversation. It first looked at us. It was pretty close to where we were sitting. It stood there; feet firmly planted in the sand. After a few moments of two of us looking at it and it looking at us, it sat down on the sand and now all three of us were looking at the ocean. All three of us; communicating with the ocean. Separately yet together. I found a new meaning and a new depth of communication with no words. The three of us were communicating to the ocean, to each other and to ourselves that all is well in this moment, and we are just being here now. And in this way we shared a gift from the heart - a gift of presence.

What we most need always comes to us exactly when we need it. I had a conversation today with a phenomenal woman who has shared her kindness and generosity with me my entire life. Today, she gave me one of my biggest kernels of truth. She reminded me about giving up anger. She said that getting angry at a situation or a person means hurting ourselves exponentially. She said, if we are angry at someone, we hurt ourselves first and then it hurts the other. Then it reflects off of them and comes back to us. And like this it hurts us twice. I shared with her how I often go for a walk if something is upsetting me or when I am under distress. Immediately she replied that walking away means running away. We need to be present with what happens not run away. We must be with it and ask ourselves, “Do I want to be the king (queen) of my mind or the slave?” We want to be king/queen. So we must be cautious and on alert constantly about what thoughts or seeds we water in our mind. Are these thoughts of love and compassion and patience? Or are these thoughts of anger, irritation, annoyance, frustration or complaints? Her talk reminded me of what I recently read in the book, The Unthethered Soul: “Everything is fine, as soon as I decide it is”. This way of thinking completely shifts the focus from what we think is wrong in the world or our life to focussing on the thought that everything is fine because I choose it to be so. This is shapeshifting of the highest order. We transform the world around us by the predetermined thoughts about the world we carry within us. I am filled with so much joy, possibilities and empowerment everytime I come across this kind of thinking in people I meet or in the books I read. This outstanding woman is my aunty who shared her wisdom with me and in doing so she truly shared from her heart. She gave me today a life-changing gift of her understanding of the principles of life and successful living that is a real turning point in my life.

There are so many ways we are given gifts from the heart. It is a continuous flow of blessings. I am grateful for experiencing them and for being able to receive them fully and for the opportunity to share them with you. Thank you for reading this blog today.

From the heart,

Sophia
 

Introspection:

What gifts from the heart have you received in the last few days or even years. Take a moment to reflect on that.

Disentangling From Placeholders

By the end of this post, you will be compelled to delete this email (if that is how you are reading this). You may even be compelled to finally let go of something that you are holding on to unhealthily. You will become ready to embrace the new. You will learn how to be fully present with your friends and family, yourself and with life.

So be very present now. Take a deep breath. And be here with me, reading this.

I have begun deleting my emails. For far too long, I would keep them in my inbox for reading them later, even after I have read them. It is much easier to delete a message from a service company or newsletter subscription. But email from a friend or a family member - very hard to delete. The email may simply say, "Let us go of lunch". Or it may be a letter filled with a deep heart connection. I am learning to let go.

What I am realizing is that that email is always a placeholder for the connection I have with someone, not the connection itself. The message it carries goes beyond the words, it goes deep into my heart. I realize that if I can be fully present with that heart connection, with that deep feeling that I feel with a person, I will not feel the need to "hoard" the emails.

This same thing applies to every object we have that are actually placeholders. A vase that a friend gave us is symbolic of their love and appreciation for us. If you are using it and loving it, keep it. But if is the fourth vase in your house and it is starting to make your life cluttered, it is time to be with the heart connection and let go of the symbol of it. Somebody will be very happy to receive it as a gift or a charity will receive it with open arms as a donation. Your friend who gave you that gift would never have wanted that gift to become an emotional shackle for you or to clutter up your living space. Their intention was to enrich and enhance your life. But whether or not it does it, is something you have to determine. And so allow yourself the permission to let go.

This brings me to another very important realization that I would like to share with you. Because I think this is another dimension of the idea of decluttering your home or studio or deleting emails in your inbox.

This is about being with people and yourself fully.

There are times when we are spending time with a friend or family member but we are lost in space. We are physically there but not fully there. It is only later that we realize our real loss. People who have lost a loved animal companion or a family member or friend know this all too deeply. 

In February 2013, my husband's band was going on a music tour through the Northeastern US. This would have been a great opportunity for me to go on a road trip and to visit my parents in NJ, about 12 hours drive from our home in NC. The night before my trip, I had this intense feeling that I needed to stay back. There was no rational reason to explain it. I had made my plans, the bags were packed, parents were preparing to welcome me and everything was in place. But my feet felt solidly rooted in North Carolina. I just knew it in my gut that I needed to stay. I just did not know why.

That entire February, I stayed with my beautiful, loving cat Sunflower. She and I shared special moments of connection. She would climb and then curl up on my back while I lay on the floor reading. Or she would explore curiously in the yard on a sunny afternoon while I did yoga on the porch. She would sleep on my chest at night and keep give me heart energy healing. It was really a very beautiful time.

Next month, Miss Sunflower became ill, went through surgery and then on April 15th, she crossed the rainbow bridge.

Looking back at those moments when I had this gnawing feeling in my stomach that I needed to stay back, I now understand that this was a very precious time to be with my dear friend. A time that would never come back. Even though I did not understand it and even though I had to disappoint some by cancelling my trip, I am so grateful that I followed what felt right because I dearly miss my lovely cat friend and I have those special moments in my heart to soothe my soul.

This story reminds me to be fully present with the people I am with. When I am at Bele Chere (annual summer festival in Asheville, NC), with a friend I am going to be fully there with her. Because she may move to North Dakota. When I am chatting with my neighbor kids, I am to be fully present, because they are going to grow up. When I am with my parents, I am fully there for them because they are growing older. When I am with the trees outside my yard, I am admiring its beauty because the next day I come out of my house and see that it was cut down by the utility workers. I deeply enjoy the food I am eating because soon it will be digested!

And then, I remind myself to bring this presence to myself. I am deeply present with my dreams, my emotions, my desires, because they are transitory. They bring gifts that I must catch or else like bubbles they fade away.

All this does is help me connect with life with my heart. It helps me enjoy each moment fully. It helps me to listen more closely. It helps me to be living life NOW. And I disentangle from placeholders.

EASY ACTION STEPS

So now, it is your turn. If you are reading this as an email, click delete at the end. That action will be your message to self that you are absorbing the message but letting go of the placeholders. Then go on and do three things today:

1. Look at one item that you have that you are emotionally attached to in a unhealthy way. You will know that it is unhealthy when you sense a slight doubt or hesitation about keeping that item. Then decide if it can still go into donation or as a gift or shall it be recycled. Remember if it is from a friend or it marks a special occasion, that connection is already in your heart. No item can replace what you feel inside.

2. The next opportunity you have to be with a person, be fully present. Drop your digital toys. Drop your to-do lists. Just listen to that person fully. That is all they deeply want. You may not even need to say anything heroic. Just show them your presence. Easy way to do that is to breathe deeply while your ears are listening to the person speak. Breathing consciously will help you to be present fully.

3. Today, fully allow whatever you feel and experience to be just the way it is. Drop the need to resist it, or question it, or analyze it. Just allow whatever you feel to be like that. Like a mother embracing a child who is crying, not asking why or how come, just soothing and allowing the space for the child to be with their crying. Do that to yourself. It may be any emotion like frustration, irritation, doubt, overwhelm, anxiety, anger, resentment, impatience, jealousy, unworthiness and so on. Just be with it. Shine your loving light and be fully present, again, with conscious breathing.

Do this and let me know how it works for you.

Blessings,

Sophia
 

Introspection

The first thing that you feel is cluttering : LET GO

The first person you meet : BE WITH THEM FULLY

The first emotion that arises : BE WITH IT FULLY

How to Decode the Language of Our Inner Self

When there was an important task or project that you wanted to do, how often have you heard yourself say:

I do not have time for that.
I don't have enough time.
I am too busy right now.

Even when you knew that it was very important for you to do that task, your inner dialogue consisted of these statements:

I will do it another time.
When the time is right.
Later, not now.

And did that "later" moment in time ever come?

Recently, I found myself say, "Let me just do this, before I begin this." I also said, "Ah, that takes too much time. I rather wait until later, when I have more time." Rationally, this statement makes no sense. If I do not have time now, how will I ever have time later. Either I have time or I don't. But it makes complete emotional sense. The statement basically says, "I do not have the emotional energy to invest myself into this, right now. May be at another time, I will have the energy". It is not about time. It is about energy.

So what I am finding out is that anytime I am not wanting to do something right away, it is not so much about how much time I have, but how much emotional stamina or strength I feel I have in order to handle that particular task.

This is a very useful realization because now I know that any reference to not having enough time, at least for me, is a code that tells me that I do not feel confident that I can fully take care of a particular task to my satisfaction in that moment. This means also that my internal system is alerting me to get resources to help me before I can embark on that project. Too often we don't listen to that code message and quickly let that message flow over us and we "move on" to doing something else that may be emotionally "easier" in the moment. But this is very dangerous. Because by moving on, we really are not. We are neglecting, ignoring and hiding from what needs our immediate attention. By saying, "later", we are postponing our own sense of joy and peace. And if we learn to understand the code language and how to learn from and how to use it, we can actually bite into whatever we have in front of us, instead of superficially "moving on" to something else.

STEP 1. See What's Really Happening

So the first thing, like anything we do in our personal growth, is to become aware of what's happening. Just noticing it helps it to move from a nebulous, invisible phenomenon to something we can describe and put a finger on. For example, if there is a project that you want to start but are not able to begin, notice that. Notice if you are making excuses and what messages they contain. And whatever statement we are saying to ourselves, question it. For example, let us say this statement comes up: I will start that tomorrow. See if you can very gently ask yourself the question why. Why will I start tomorrow not today? And then let the answer come. I am too afraid of beginning today because...

I do not want to spend the whole day and still not be able to complete it
I do not want to start something which I am not sure how it will look when done
I do not know if I am fully prepared for it and what if I do not know all the answers
I am feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of it
I am feeling guilty that I have not yet begun it already and I should have 10 min, 10 hours, 10 days, 10 years ago
I am afraid that I will be successful and then I don't know what will I do
I am not sure if I can be consistent with it if I start now
I don't trust myself and I am afraid I will slack off or lose interest in it half way and then it will be incomplete

Basically, the code "I will start tomorrow or later" or "I don't have time now" is a message from your internal being that is saying this:

PLEASE HELP ME. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I ABSOLUTELY WANT TO DO THIS BUT I CANNOT BEGIN WITHOUT SOME EXTERNAL HELP. PLEASE GET INSPIRATION FROM SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. PLEASE REACH OUT FOR HELP SO I CAN EMBARK ON THIS TASK WHICH I SO WANT TO DO BUT AM NOT ABLE TO. PLEASE HELP ME NOW.

STEP 2: Get the Help Your Inner Self is Asking for

So once you decode the message go on to Step 2 which is to get the help. Talk to a friend and just describe what you are feeling and experiencing. Then ask them to give you some advice on how to go on. It is always easier to hear such advice from another person when your inner self is asking for help. Then listen carefully to that advice. The other person will know exactly what to say to you because they will be divinely guided. Your guides are always helping you and when you ask for help, they immediately help you directly or through other people and circumstances. Another suggestion is to go for a walk, or take a bath or cook a delicious meal, or do something that will help you to relax.

STEP 3: Take Action

Step 3 is to implement the first piece of advice from the friend that resonates with you and you feel good about it. It may not be easy but you will feel that it is the right thing to do. And then do it. If you have gone for a walk, you will come back ready to embark the task you had hesitated or postponed before. You will be able to take action and that is what Step 3 is about.

You will find that already after Step 1, you feel much better. You are able to put a handle on the problem. After Step 2, once you have shared your situation with a good friend or journaled about it or gone for a walk, you may find that things seem much more possible. You feel lighter. And all of this prepares you for Step 3 which is to go ahead and do the thing that you most wanted to do but could not find time for.

There may be other messages hidden in these outward excuses. Excuses are our friend. They are codes and they give us hints to our internal emotional landscape. Let us not just used them superficially. Let us look deeper. There will be something underneath there waiting for us to be found. Learn to decode these code phrases and help yourself to move through obstacles. And of course please do share what you have learned from your own codes that others can learn and benefit from. Every little bit helps the puzzle. 

Here is to learning to understand the language of codes from our inner self. And to decoding them so we can literally move on.

Blessings,

Sophia

Introspection

Do the first step of decoding. Ask the question why to any surface statements/excuses that come up. Let that be your starting point. Ask why as many times you need to get to the core of the issue. Your inner self is waiting for you to probe so it can give you the answers.

Playing From The Heart

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Recently, I had a conversation with a friend in the musical community who talked about playing from the heart. And I was intrigued. I was intrigued by what musicians have tapped into. When someone plays an instrument or sings or composes a piece, they are connecting with the life force, with the very essence of life that exists. They tap into it and through their heart, allow it to flow. Their hearts become the instrument both physically and energetically that connect them to their internal music. They become open to listening to it, removing judgments that come from the mind and then they let it happen.

This feels so fundamental to being human. Artists of any kind seem to know about it: writers, painters, sculptors. But the wonderful thing about tapping into this inner-flow is that it is not limited to artists. Scientists, architects and engineers have connected to it. So have teachers and philosophers and chefs. Leaders and managers have tapped into it. And so have mothers and fathers. It is available to everyone in every moment, at any time of night or day!

Children, we shall all agree, make it seem so easy; they are completely tapped in.

What is it that they are tapped into? Like holding a palmful of sand, I will attempt on writing about something so intangible yet so palpable. Children are tapped into a never-ending supply of ideas, inspiration and a flow that is beyond limits. They seem to step-aside and let "it" speak, let "it" express through them. Isn't that why when we look into a child's eye, we see purity, beauty, grace and deep wisdom and so much more that is indescribable? When we look into a baby's eyes there is curiosity and there is love, isn't it? When they have an idea, they do it. When they desire something, they ask for it. When they do not like something, they express it. And children seem to know intuitively, (because it seems no one needs to teach them this), to accept others as they are. They are not judging anybody for who they are, on the contrary, with ease they accept people and how they are being. This is a direct channeling of divine love that does not judge, that does not have opinions. They are playing from the heart.

I am asking myself, "how can I play from the heart?". The first answer that comes to me is to trust the voice that I hear coming from the heart. Allow it time. Allow myself all the time that I need to let it flow. There is no hurry for anything to happen. Moment by moment, I am learning to allow life to be just as it is. To observe the paradox of events. To realize that there is no assessment needed. All that is required is to be a witness to the flow that is happening through me and through others around me. In loving what is, as Byron Katie says, we are at peace.

I am grateful for reconnecting with "playing from the heart". Thank you so much for reading this post today.

To watch how playing from the heart feels and looks like, I invite you to watch some beautiful souls perform Native American Music for you. I can promise you that it is a heart-warming experience that lifts your spirits so high, you feel like you are flying with the angels.

Click the links to watch any of these LIVE + FREE shows.
http://vaughnlive.tv/jimtzu Sat 8:30 pm  EST
http://vaughnlive.tv/tahoelarry Sun 7:00 pm EST
http://vaughnlive.tv/raedent Sun 8:00 pm EST

With all my heart,
Sophia

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including music, films and books, e-courses and training workshops.

Ocean Waters Meditation

Ocean Waters: When you need inspiration, let the ocean inspire you. When you feel like you are waiting, know that you are incubating. When it feels like you are making space for something new, know that you are letting go in the same instant. Allow the rhythmic flow of the waves to hypnotize you and heal you. The waves in this meditation video will do just that. Just listen. Just be with it.
Watch The Video In Full Screen.

Gratitude, Love and Blessings To You,
Sophia

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including music, films and books, e-courses and training workshops.

Share What You Have

I am humbled by the response to last week's blog post about simple awareness for embracing ourselves. Thank you for taking a moment to write me your personal reflection on that thought.

This week, we continue the theme of acceptance by extending it to sharing wholeheartedly the gifts of your heart and simply Share What You Have. We must begin now. We must begin where we are and with what we have. This means, no more waiting for the right mood, the perfect husband/wife, the x amount of dollars, or waiting when this is done and that is done. Say yes to now. Embrace where you are, who you are, what you got and begin sharing. I will keep the blog short and let you watch the video.

Please let me know which part of this message resonates with you. Do you have any uplifting thoughts on this? Please write me an email or do it publicly by commenting on the blog post. Thank You.

With Gratitude, Hugs and Blessings,
Sophia
 

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including music, films and books, e-courses and training workshops.

How To Use Simple Awareness To Embrace Who You Are

Last week's newsletter contained a video about remembering that we are beautiful and awesome and therefore, we can bring awareness to how we talk about ourselves to ourselves in our mind. In this way, we can learn to be kind in our thoughts towards ourselves as a starting point of being kind to others.

This week, I want to remind you to be yourself. I am learning that more and more myself. The YOU that is inside of your body, is vast and limitless. It is filled with infinite potential. You have within you the power to change yourself, to uplift others and to do good in this world. And you have been doing this all along. Remember that within you resides divinity. There are unlimited number of reasons to love and embrace yourself - and to respect who you are. It has to begin with you respecting yourself, loving yourself. And not just the nice parts of you but ALL of who you are, even the part that is judging a part of you as 'not nice'!

Without realizing it at times, we apologize for being who we are. There is no need to apologize for being you. Yes, we can apologize for causing hurt and pain with our thoughts, words and actions. We can apologize for neglecting a certain aspect in our relationship with another being. We can take responsibility for being unaware or insensitive or just too caught up in our own thing to have had the energy or sensibility to help another.

Yet, you do not have to apologize for being who you are. You are a beautiful gem on this planet, an angel helping and blessing everyone with you sheer presence. There is no one on this planet just like you. No one. And there never was and there never will be. You are a gift.

Begin to embrace that thought more. So that you can begin to love and respect yourself more deeply. So that you can begin to be kinder to yourself. This, you need to do, for all of us.

Allow your true, quirky self to emerge. Let no one make you feel small or insignificant. Because each one of us makes a difference with each thought, each word spoken and every action taken. If no one laughs at your jokes, you laugh. If no one admires your art, you admire it. If no one shares your thoughts, that's fine. Just let go of judging yourself. How? Simply notice when you do judge yourself. Or when you judge others, know that it is only because you are judging yourself in some way. It is not complicated. It is simple. Just become aware.

Where there is awareness, you shed light. And with light, you brighten up all that is. By becoming aware - simply becoming aware -  amazing things happen. You see reality in a new way. You are no longer in a mist, in a fog. You enter a new kind of clarity - clarity about how things are. And with this clarity, it becomes easier to be kinder. It is easier to embrace things as they are. It is easier then also to be patient and accepting of life. You are no longer fighting with life. You are no longer resisting. You are letting things be. And then you are feeling lighter, at ease, relaxed and joyful. You open up to allow joy to blossom within you. You love yourself. You love life. And your love is now felt by others.

This is what I am learning to do each day. And I invite you to do that too. This is one way we can bring peace in our world. Let us be at peace with ourselves. Be kind and loving and respectful to yourself, beginning with simple awareness of how you think of your own self.

With Love and Blessings,
Sophia

PS: There is a new short video called: How to Be Confident When Meeting The Parents, for all of you who are anticipating meeting the parents of your beloved for the first time (or at anytime) and are wanting to be a bit more confident. Enjoy!