One of my earliest visions was of a high cliff I'd have to climb along with hundreds of others. I knew it represented the higher consciousness all light workers and helpers need to achieve to survive the rising seas, the climate changes, and the growing fear and conflicts of our old me-first thinking. I asked spirit how I could possibly lead people up that cliff? The answer was that I didn't have to be the most evolved to do so. My job was to get people going there. I also knew there were hundreds of others looking for that path upwards. It's a collective movement!
So how to evolve? Where to start?
For each of you, the path to higher consciousness will be a personal choice and unique to you. It will involve finding your own authentic self and asking that Self for a path. We can write about it here.
Asking your Self is a good place to start. A wise teacher, Maria Sirois, wrote, "Questions are doorways...They open up our thinking, our conversations and eventually our living to new potential paths."
So many of you have devoted your lives to evolving. You have been addressing this question throughout this forum and your answers are sprinkled throughout.
One of my favorite visions comes from a story a student shared in my last course. Christine B told us of her dream of being in an ascending elevator that had stopped. She had to reach out to the wall and pull herself up painstakingly and slowly, along with the elevator, to a higher floor.
I want to learn your ideas and discoveries for how you (and others) might evolve. Tagging a few who pop in my mind but calling for all who feel moved to share.
@bluebelle @deetoo @coyote @iridium @lovendures @dannyboy @cc21 @vestralux
@jeanne-mayell Finding this website was a major step in my evolution of consciousness. Not only did I find a community of like minded people, but I read posts from people all over the world who were talking about intuition, about spiritual matters, about becoming a light in the world without the strictures of religious dogma. Then I took your Intuitive Way classes and that experience alone changed my life completely because I learned how to recognize my own intuition and how to trust it. I began to recognize all the ways spirit speaks to us about our lives and our earth. It was a transformative time four or five years ago and I feel as if I'm still evolving, still learning. Another thing that has helped is finding my tribe, my inner circle of like minded friends who support one another. We have that here on this site, too, Jeanne.
Another thing, in reading your post, I'm reminded of a dream I had 4-5 years ago. In my dream, I was on a beach on an island in the Puget Sound when the tide started to pull away from the shore, pulling all the way back across the sound. My husband was with me and we started running for higher ground, climbing up the rugged cliffs and pulling ourselves up by holding on to tree trunks and strong tree limbs. We knew there was a tsunami coming.
At that time, I had no idea I would end up living on an island in the sound and that didn't come about until several years later. I always thought the dream was about a literal tsunami (and my house is hundreds of feet over sea level), but perhaps it was a metaphor for climbing the upward path of consciousness and a better world ahead. I like that idea, Jeanne. It speaks to me.
@bluebelle Your post brings tears (good tears). Thank you.
I love your dream.
I've been meditating on how to evolve.
For me:
First thing is to take some quiet time twice a day to breathe and kick back. When that happens, the whole body slows down and calms down (this is physiology 101) and I feel better. I also awaken with gratitude when I slow down. I look around and feel so much gratitude. That's a great feeling. There's so much good I miss when I'm not grateful.
I also find myself seeking peace even more. A more peaceful state begets even more peaceful states and then more clarity.
When I get aggravated, I try to not act on it. That's hard for me, but I'm working on that. I call upon friends (you know who you are!) to help me with that.
A tricky area for me is when to call out wrong doing, and when to just breathe. We need to stand up to injustice and lies. But we also need to be at peace. Tricky.
Hi Everyone:
I found this article on the Telegram and Gazette, a Worcester, Massachusetts newspaper. It gives me hope for the future that a seven year old girl can see things a grown up person can't seem to realize.
@jeanne-mayell Jeanne, these are wonderful tips. Walking in nature is another way to meditate and y’all know how I feel about tree energy. When I walk everyday, I don’t distract myself by listening to music or podcasts anymore. I just savor the moments of mindful awareness of the physical world around me and savor the fresh air. Yoga is another form of physical/mindful meditation that calms the inner self. By the time I’ve practiced the movements and focused on breath for half an hour, I have a sense of calm and serenity. During the shavasana at the end of practice, I can reach a deeper meditative state. It’s almost as deep as the liminal state between sleep and wakefulness. I’ve discovered that both of these states, yogic meditation and liminal, are times when I become most receptive to intuitive insight and inner visions.
I forgot to mention a few people on this site who have opened my mind to new concepts and intuitive awareness and for them, I remain deeply grateful: @baba @Vestralux @Coyote @Lovendures @Deetoo @RunestoneOne @Gracesinger @Cindy @TeriZ @TonyaW
This is a great topic! Thank you @jeanne-mayell for starting it and everyone who is contributing their thoughts on the subject. Also thank you to @bluebelle for the kind mention.
I think that the path to evolving is a long one. For me it began long ago and has developed in fits and starts over the years. A big help to the development over the last few years has been this website and those on it. As Bluebelle mentioned, finding your tribe is very helpful along with participating in the courses and meetings that we have had online. I would not have had the courage to even try to do what we do regularly now with predictions without all of you and your support.
I use walks in nature regularly to center and ground myself and try to find something of beauty or wonder in nature to admire every day. I also meditate regularly: first just calming my mind for a time and slowing down “thinking” and then I actively but gently try first to make requests to the universe for those who need help and situations that need shifting. Then I ask to know anything that is for the highest good that I need to know. That is when I usually get any visions that come. It really is that simple and practice does help with the whole process.
I look forward to reading everyone’s contributions. There is always something to be learned!
@baba @bluebelle Thank you for these wonderful tips. I'm sure everyone has some system, even if it's small.
I love a hot bath at the end of the day.
I talk to my dog and love how she cocks her head quizzically.
Humor and laughter are as good as meditation.
Remembering to breathe is a big one.
@bluebelle , thanks for the kind reference. I just try to pass on things I've found useful over the years. I was sort of coerced into evolving. It was sink or swim for me given my circumstances. I know I haven't tapped into my true potential, and I certainly don't "see" like many here-but I've been shown & told in dreams recently that the time for me to tune in more precisely is nearing. I think there are a few more things on this plane I'm supposed to deal with first.
The universe also conspired to make me learn as well-like suddenly being introduced to James VanPraagh and Dr. Brian Weiss around the time I had taken up meditation. I was only trying to destress at the time, but some of the visions I encountered were incredible, even if I didn't understand them at the time. Once I no longer had visions at all during meditation, I stopped. It's something I intend to start practicing again. Listening to my gut feelings, images I see while walking in nature, or dreams that feel like messages instead of being an ordinary dream also helped me grow.
I once tried to paint something I saw in a meditation years ago. The grid I saw encompassing the universe was much more complex geometrically & much more physically beautiful than what I could actually paint. I reduced the golden net to simple ropes in a square configuration instead of the complex triangular patterns & I eliminated the vivid gem-like objects that were at each intersection of the grid. It was made clear to me during that particular meditation that the colorful intersections were points where we connected spiritually-showing me that we are all truly connected.
@jeanne-mayell, I think part of what you envisioned was your current endeavors. You generously put together this community with your insight, compassion and dedication. Together we are aiding one another and all of our lurkers & occasional browsers to find likemindedness, guidance, and encouragement to make our individual journeys more fruitful & less cumbersome since we have each other.
Becoming an elder (about to enter "the top of the seventh inning") is helping, being able to let go of have-to's, should-do's, ambitions, and better able to discern what is truly important. Plenty of quiet time with the companionship of nature - walking, working in my garden, listening, drawing plants, even just hanging clothes on the line - has always been helpful even from childhood.
Committing "random acts" of generosity has been helpful in teaching me not to judge. For example, I carry a few nickels and dimes in my pocket to feed expired parking meters at my workplace in the morning (but only if there are empty spaces available), figuring maybe it will give someone an extra few minutes to get back to their car and not have their day ruined by the overzealous parking police. I find myself hesitating to help out huge-*ss pickup trucks and showy sports cars, but I do it anyway and remind myself that I don't know these people or why they drive what they drive and it's not my business anyway. Even people with disagreeable bumper stickers get a nickel. That is hard to do, but I think necessary.
Same goes for giving granola bars and dollar bills to curbside panhandlers, no matter how ungrateful or gross they appear. Etc etc.
It's become a kind of practice that keeps me mindful of my prejudices, though it did not start out that way.
That is beautiful! You never know, perhaps one of those sports car owners will be inspired by your kindness and will decided to shed some of their own kindness on another person or for a wonderful cause.
It's human nature to have a "me" vs "the other" outlook; it's natural to have survival fears and instincts. There is nothing wrong or sinful about that, it's how we're made. Yet we do exist in a cosmos that is all connected. We are all connected. I feel we are meant to resolve that dichotomy. Awakening to, and living our connection resolves the human condition. But oh is it hard!
I try to set aside quiet time each day to fill myself with little mantras that remind me of connection. One of my mantras is, "Place your conscious focus in the truth that all beings are ONE being. All creations are ONE creation. All fulfillment is ONE fulfillment. In this ONE moment you are fulfillment itself."
These mantras can usually fill me with such happiness that it is like nourishment to my body and mind. In this way I feel I am helping humanity.
@maggieci I love your mantra! I will try it in meditation today.
Years back I used to say this mantra, I am awareness. Something marvelous would happen. The world around me would become suddenly vivid, intensely vibrant, the trees, the sounds, the furniture. I am suddenly awake, present, here in this moment.
Years back when I used to go to Kripalu Yoga Center, we'd say some Sanskrit mantras, Om Nama shivaya, which I'm sure many here know means, "I honor myself". Also Om Nama, Bhagavate Vasudevaya which is a Hindu mantra that creates a circle of protection and goodness around you. I learned and said this mantra at Kripalu for hours, not even knowing what it meant, and felt wonderful!
Today with all the divisiveness, it helps to remind myself that we are all one. During the Circle of Light, when we do the loving kindness meditation, oneness is the ultimate state we achieve as we work our way up to opening our hearts to the whole world. The feeling is glorious.
But it is not possible to maintain a happy enlightened state. I still find it painful when someone from the Trump cult or the anti-vax cult starts speaking that propaganda to me. I have tried to reason with them. I have tried to just love them. But mostly I have to keep them away from me, heal from the brainwashed statements they make, and get back to self love with I honor myself and I am awareness.
That is beautiful! You never know, perhaps one of those sports car owners will be inspired by your kindness and will decided to shed some of their own kindness on another person or for a wonderful cause.
I love this thought. The multiplier effect!
That is beautiful! You never know, perhaps one of those sports car owners will be inspired by your kindness and will decided to shed some of their own kindness on another person or for a wonderful cause.
I love this thought. The multiplier effect!
I suspect most people don't even realize they got an extra 5 or 10 minutes. They'll probably think they just checked the time incorrectly, if they checked at all. Or they think the meter malfunctioned. Initially I started feeding parking meters as a way to help smooth over the rough spots in peoples' lives-- figuring if someone is spared from getting a ticket they will have a better day and be nicer to others and negativity won't be multiplied.
What I didn't realize was that the practice is actually heart-opening. Who knew?
I've realized that Ive been more helpful to others by dealing with my own pain. Meditation to me has always been a tool to relax and calm my racing mind but lately it's evolved to more of a introspective tool. I've been healing aspects of myself that I had chosen to ignore as a child. Accepting.
I've also been reading some nuggets from Buddhism. One particular meditation is one about death and how it can be used for compassion. I've been actively using this one when meeting new people, people I don't agree with and more just to feel a small connection towards them, maybe try and understand them. I think one of the greatest tools I've been given in this life has been pain because I've been able to turn it into empathy.
I do realize that this might be elementary to some of you but for me it's been particularly beneficial. It's been particularly beneficial to me as a future teacher.