Conversations from the Universe

 Talking to the Universe/source/God/Creator whatever you wish to call it has always been interesting to me. I do it on a daily basis and I read many books that discuss reading the signs all around us and what it means to be in alignment with Source etc. The Power of Now by Eckard Toll and more...

We are a part of Universe/creator and everything we do is meant to be an expression of the divinity of creator. 

No matter how much we read or study regarding this, there is no better way to integrate and understand it than to feel it within your body, to sense it at a deep level. I have always heard this from different teachers and spiritual Masters and know it to be true from personal experience.

You do not know how much someone hurts from the death of a pet or loved one or from pain until you experience it. This experience allows you to have more empathy and compassion for those around you.

I am saying all this to get to the discoveries I have made this week and I may or may not be able to do it justice with words...

I did my usual Body and Brain class.  This consisted of moving my body, improving my mobility and flexibility of both body and brain. I love brain training days. We came to the meditation part of class and I was in a primed position to receive the communication from the Universe: Master Hong (our teacher) led us through the experience of breathing in and out and sensing the energy between your palms (held in front of chest a few inches apart) as you move them close together and then apart. I felt the warmth and pressure between my palms. We were then guided to place our hands on either side of our head and move them closer and further apart too. Whilst envisioning that we are stretching and contracting our brain. (what you can imagine and conceive you can create...this is how Universal energy works)

Then we took our energetic brains out of our skull and continued to expand and contract the energy/brain. What happened next was profoundly experiential for me. We were told to expand the energy by moving our hands as far apart as they wanted to go and imagine that we are stepping inside this energy brain. Inside this brain you can see all the neurons and tendril and inner workings of the brain and it was wonderful. (being in healthcare and having seen many pictures and videos of the brain, I had a pretty clear visual) And then we were guided to see the brain observing the body inside itself and then brain inside the body.

I totally got it...observing myself as the brain and observing the brain inside of me, observing me. Eckard Toll always talks about being present and being the observer and I work at this daily. To feel it so profoundly in my body was phenomenal.  

The next morning I got up to do my meditation and read a piece by Dr David R Hawkins (Daily Reflection) and it was another message felt in my body and recognized by my soul:

"a useful approach is to let the love of God replace the willfulness the is driving the seeking. One can release all desire to seek and realize that the thought that there is anything else than God is a baseless vanity. This is the same vanity that claims authorship for one's experiences, thoughts, and actions. With reflection, it can be seen that both the body and the mind are the result of the innumerable conditions of the universe, and that one is at best the witness of this concordance"

I'm not sure if you can see or integrate what this message is saying. I certainly felt it. We are all one. One energy and that energy is Source energy...we are the Universe and the Universe is in us.  And for me, the thoughts that we think are all from our pre-programming and from the Universal thought stream and we just resonate with it and there it is. Same goes for our actions, they are derived from the thoughts we think are ours etc. etc.

Boy, I'm sure I've lost some of you and this is a rabbit hole and I am probably not explaining this very well. It is sometimes challenging to put into words the feelings of the energy that hits you when you hear the conversation from the Universe meant for you in that moment.

Good luck with your conversations with the Universe/Source/Creator and continue to expand your understanding of how it all works, I sure am.

And incase no-one has told you: YOU are perfect just the way you are and YOU are lovable!

Energize your brain by walking on uneven terrain

Curtesy of Brain HQ....Energize Your Brain

Take the Road Less Traveled

Most of us usually walk on hard, flat surfaces: sidewalks, floors, and the like. And when we walk, we often wear shoes. But all of that is actually pretty new for humans. We used to walk over a wide variety of uneven terrain, often barefooted.

Scientists believe that walking on uneven surfaces may actually useful for honing the vestibular system of the inner ear, which plays a central role in balance and equilibrium. Our current way of walking—on flat surfaces in thick-soled shoes—doesn’t challenge this system. Perhaps partly as a result, as we age, it becomes harder to safely walk on uneven or more difficult surfaces.¹ Studies suggest that the challenge of walking on rough surfaces, where you have to adapt your balance and equilibrium very quickly, can refine the vestibular system and improve its function.²

Here are a few activities that can help give your vestibular system a workout.

Idea 1: Hit the Beach
Walking on shifting sand gives your brain an extra balance challenge. Plus, it’s a good overall workout: walking on sand brings about larger increases in strength measures than walking on firm surfaces.³

Idea 2: Take the Rocky Road
Try an off-trail hike, cobblestone road, or balancing through rocks along a streambed to challenge your balance. 

Idea 3: Feel the Grass
Some people believe that the thick soles on shoes mute the subtle challenges of walking. Take off your shoes and walk through a grassy lawn or field to see how much more you have to adjust your balance.

Idea 4: Walk Backwards
To challenge your balance a little differently, try walking backward up and down a slope. It’s been shown to positively affect gait and balance, too.⁴Just be sure to check your surroundings first so you don’t bump into anything! 

Inspired by Chinese traditional medicine
One study on this topic grew out of a Chinese tradition of cobblestone walking paths. Researchers at the Oregon Research Institute investigated whether walking on cobblestone paths would improve balance and mobility when compared to general walking. It did. It also led to a decrease in blood pressure.⁵

What if getting out to an uneven walk isn't possible for me?
For those of you who don’t have access to sand or rough ground, there is another option: cobblestone mats. You can buy a cobblestone mat to use at home, or even make your own by filling a large flat container with smooth pebbles and stones. 

¹Marigold DS, Patla AE. Age-related changes in gait for multi-surface terrain. Gait Posture. 2008 May;27(4);689-96. 

²Li F, Fisher KJ, Harmer P. Improving physical function and blood pressure in older adults through cobblestone mat walking: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 2005 Aug;53(8):1305-12. 

³Morrison K, Braham RA, Dawon B, Guelfi K. Effect of a sand or firm-surface walking program on health, strength, and fitness in women 60-75 years old. Joural of Aging and Physical Activity. 2009 Apr;17(2):196-209. 

⁴Cha HG, Kim TH, Kim MK. Therapeutic efficacy of walking backward and forward on a slope in normal adults. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016 Jun;28(6):1901-3. 

⁵Li F, Fisher KJ, Harmer P. Improving physical function and blood pressure in older adults through cobblestone mat walking: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2005 Aug;53(8):1305-12.

I loved this article published by Brain HQ....one of my favorite Apps to use for brian training. I love teaching mobility and balance classes and this article had such great tips and information to share.