A very big aloha.
Cindy Palos here with you.
And,
You know,
I think it's good to stop sometimes and just take a look around.
Ponder what you're doing when you meditate or what you're really looking for.
What's your goal in meditation?
There are so,
So many ways to meditate and so many different things you can get from meditation.
Now,
I'm going to give you a perspective from the point of view of me doing this for over 55 years.
I've started meditating when I was about 13.
And at that point,
My main goal was just to connect with my inner self.
And I did it from kind of a mystical point of view,
The inner way of looking within and finding that one source,
For me it was connecting with God.
And it was very different then.
I mean,
This was back in the 60s,
My friends.
So it was a different experience.
Now over the years,
It's really good to see that the meditation changes as you evolve or as you become more aware.
I'm part of a metaphysical group and someone just started in their thing.
It's so good to be finding out about all this and I'm trying right now to master my meditations.
So it was funny because anyone that has been meditating for a while realizes trying is one of the things you try not to do.
In meditation,
Because the mind does try.
Of course,
It'd be nice to say,
OK,
I'm going to sit down and meditate,
And I'm just going to master this meditation thing.
And I think probably some people think that's the way you do it.
And there certainly are tons of talks and ways and shortcuts and things that happen.
But meditation is a living thing.
You're a living thing.
You're an energy field.
You are connected in your mind to the ultimate.
Energy field of all.
So it's not like you can just sit down and say,
Okay,
I'm going to meditate right now.
I'm going to master this.
Because there is no mastering meditation.
Meditation is,
For me,
Every day of my life meditating,
It's a constant thing and it's always a little different.
I think that's what's kept me meditating most all of,
Well,
Since I was 13,
Over 55 years.
Because you go within at some point and you just.
.
.
You kind of check it out the same way you would when you wake up and see what the weather's like,
Right?
Is it rainy?
Is it sunny?
Is it cold?
Is it hot?
So many things within you,
Some can be influenced by you.
Dreams,
Some can be influenced by your circumstances in life,
And I have also found,
Since we are all connected to the world,
That a lot of times my meditations are connected to what's going on in the world.
And as we've been seeing more challenges,
Certainly have here in Maui when we had the fires,
We certainly have seen this with the war in Ukraine and the other wars that we're going through,
The war that's going on between Palestine and Israel.
That does influence us.
That does affect us.
And you might add to your meditation at that point a prayer for peace.
You might direct energy and love towards those situations.
Healing,
Of course,
For the world.
So those things are all things you can't ever predict.
I don't care how many people say they can predict some of those things.
There's no way you could have predicted really all of that.
I mean,
I know there's a few people who are pretty good at predicting.
But life is fascinating and it's really hard.
To really know what's going to happen,
No matter how good a psychic you go to.
So to have a core base within you that connects you to that inner self and to God and to the world in meditation,
For me,
Has been invaluable.
It's changed my life.
I'm not just talking about,
Okay,
I'm going to meditate and then do it.
No,
It's not like I'm going to meditate and then I'm going to go out and do the rest of the things I do.
The meditation.
Sets a tone.
It sets an energy field.
For me it sets a connection up that is a reflection for me to really understand more of what's going on inside myself.
And oftentimes what's going on in the world.
And along the way,
And it's been a pretty long,
Long journey for me.
Along the way,
You find fellow people on the path who understand.
Now,
I've never been one to get a million followers.
I mean,
I'm really grateful on Insight Timer to have,
I think I'm about getting close to 6,
000 followers.
And that's pretty amazing.
But I'm not one of those people that has 10,
000 followers or something.
And that's not my goal,
Because what I do is very different.
And I'm doing it because I like to be able to share a little bit of what's going on from my practice,
From my meditations,
From what I get in my books,
My words,
My music,
My creations.
It's hard to share here what I get in my art,
But all of that has come from this inner connection.
I have,
Is it eight books?
Eight hard copy books.
I have six,
Five or six audio books.
I have,
I think,
14 CDs and I'm working on my 15th.
All of that.
Including now my artwork,
All of that comes from my interconnection and from meditation.
And most of the people I collaborate with in music are people I have found to understand.
That deep connection within.
And this is a beautiful thing.
It's something that's very,
Very valuable.
You can't put a price on any of that,
A connection with another person.
Who wants to collaborate and build something of value and of worth.
It's priceless.
Now,
Actually,
There is a cost.
I don't know.
I think I'm up to about $6,
000 on my new CD.
But somehow it all works out.
It's not like I'm going to make that money back.
Because my next CD I'm going to donate if I make anything back to the firefighters here on Maui.
The intention is where that comes in.
So,
So far,
Let's review what I'm saying,
Because I know I'm rambling,
Kind of nothing written down here.
It's good to know why you're meditating.
It's good to know what works for you and that it's going to change from day to day.
It's also good to know that this is going to create something that's invaluable,
That's very,
Very,
Very important in your life.
So you can't treat it as if it's nothing,
Unless you're a Buddhist.
Then you treat it as if it's nothing.
When I have found out that in that nothingness is everything.
Now,
Not being attached to it,
It's a good lesson,
Believe me,
And a hard lesson.
Maybe the hardest lesson to learn is to do this living in that one state and try to maintain that state.
There,
The word trying again.
Maintaining whatever state of consciousness that is with awareness in your everyday life and creating from that as well.
So let's just take some time here.
Together,
Let's just ponder some of those ideas.
And we all know how important it is to get relaxed and comfortable,
To sit upright,
And to breathe,
Because breath sweeps mind.
My Zen teacher.
My friend.
Roshi,
Bill Kwong Roshi,
Said that,
Breath sweeps mine.
It stayed with me for 40 years,
That one statement.
So let's let our breath sweep our mind.
Breathing deeply in and holding that breath.
And allowing our breath to just release and let go,
And let go,
And let go,
And let go,
And let go.
Just release.
Breathing in.
Holding.
And just breathing gently out,
Feeling the whole body attuning.
To your whole field of energy present in your body,
In your mind.
And your awareness.
Okay,
With awareness,
Let's breathe in.
And hold.
And just breathe out,
Breathing out,
Out,
Out,
Out,
Out.
One more time,
Just breathing in.
Holding and breathing out.
Allow yourself to go within just being aware of What's going on?
How are your different parts feeling?
How's your body feeling?
Just breathing in awareness and feel how your feet feel and your calves and your knees,
Your thighs.
Your lower back.
And your hips.
If there's anything there you need to send light to,
Let's just.
.
.
Ah,
Breathe in and breathe out in that area.
Send again,
Loving.
Light breathing in.
And allowing that whole pelvis area in the second chakra to be full of light and release any feelings that might be blocked there.
You know,
Just see if there's anything going on.
And from the objective observer,
You don't need to become that thing.
You can just see it and feel it and be aware of it.
Breathing in again and feeling your whole solar plexus area.
Seeing that whole beautiful area full of wonderful light and clearing and Ah,
Feeling good.
Just feel good.
Is there anything?
Is there anything there in your heart?
That wants to communicate.
And express anything.
Give your heart.
A chance to speak to you in this sacred,
Safe place.
What would your heart tell you?
What would that place within you wish you to feel and know?
Ah.
And thank your heart.
Thank your heart for caring.
Being with you in this wonderful loving space as we move to our shoulders and our creative center in our neck.
Breathing into the neck area.
Is there any tightness?
Ah,
Is there anything you need to release there?
This is a beautiful blue chakra area,
Your creative throat chakra.
Allow yourself to just be in this creative center.
That communicates.
Is there any message here?
And a creative.
Energy that needs to be expressed and released and communicated.
Ah,
Just allow yourself to be present in the presence here.
And as we continue to just breathe,
Just be.
Just be.
And now go to that lovely area of your head and that violet third eye area and just allow the highest light to come in and through and guide you into that third eye area and just focus here.
And see what you see.
Just take that journey within focused on that one point of the third eye Deeper and deeper and deeper.
Ah,
Just allow all of the light that you are to be present here.
And now go to the head and the top of the crown,
The beautiful crown chakra.
A lotus of lovely pinks and golds and just be at your crown center.
And allow that crown center to blossom open.
A beautiful,
Beautiful petal of beauty.
Floating there amidst the entire world's pond of beautiful lotuses is your crown chakra centered in the light a beautiful heavenly light shining through it and down through all of your chakras and through all of you And now see a wonderful light combined all the way up above your head to the very soul,
The source of all,
And just see that light Coming down in a protective,
Wonderful way.
Light down through you and out your feet.
Through your heart in front of you and behind you and on either side of you,
You are now a beautiful cross of white light.
In a cocoon of gold and white light.
Be in this beautiful,
Safe,
Sacred place.
And now let's go to the soul,
The room in your soul.
And let's just dwell there and ask your soul.
What is my purpose in meditation?
Am I meditating for?
Allow yourself to understand this journey that you're on.
And see yourself from this beautiful objective standpoint on this long,
Long journey,
Lifetime after lifetime after lifetime,
To bringing you to this very moment right here and right now.
I thank you,
My fellow travelers,
And I thank you,
My friends of spirit.
I really,
Truly appreciate you being here with me.
I send you my love,
My light,
My blessings.
And don't forget to always know that you are loved.
You do have a purpose.
My deepest appreciation to you on this journey.
