Many people live busy lives full of errands, commitments and self-imposed recreational activities such as sports, social events and travelling.
Perhaps they want to give the impression how fun and interesting their lives are, and they believe that an admission of doing nothing could damage their reputation.
I’m doing nothing sounds a bit like I’m being lazy.
Doing nothing makes some people feel guilty, as doing nothing is a bit of a taboo in our society.
If you do nothing, you’re a lazy waste of space.
But of course, there is nothing wrong with doing nothing.
Doing nothing means you don’t have any commitments.
You don’t need to rush anywhere.
You have time for yourself, and can do what you like.
And these are the times when magic happens.
Suddenly you aren’t busy, which can make you feel a bit lost.
Good.
Feel lost and savour that moment. Make yourself comfy on the sofa and put your feet up. Close your eyes and relax.
Listen to the silence, or listen to the radio.
Look out of the window with your cat.
Make yourself a cup of your favourite beverage and savour it in peace without any pressure of having to dash off soon.
See how your plants grow in your house or in your garden. Smell the flowers.
There is absolutely nothing you should do. The time for commitments and errands and work will come back again later.
But not now. Enjoy the moment. It will give you strength when you remember it later with fondness.
Suddenly you decide to look through your book collection or some old photos.
You may just decide to have a bath.
Or light some candles on a gloomy, rainy day.
Maybe you are thinking of leaving the house for a walk. Or you might just stay in.
Rather than letting the outside world with all its activities influence your thinking, you are taking back control.
Your brain has to adjust to standing on its own two feet, using imagination and jumpstarting your creativity. You begin to generate ideas, like you want to tidy up your messy desk, or you want to bake a cake.
These ideas spark your passion and enthusiasm.
Once you have decluttered your desk, it looks inviting. So you sit down and start writing or crafting or whatever you normally do at your desk.
Doing nothing can ccontribute towards wellbeing and growth. It relieves tension.
Give yourself permission to do nothing.
You will feel so much better afterwards. Don’t feel guilty. You will have done more good by doing nothing than you think.
Whether change is forced upon us or we are consciously seeking it out, we either need to learn to adjust or initiate it.
Once we have the will and commitment to embrace the new, letting go of our old lives can be painful, and we can easily fall into the trap of procrastination.
It’s time to examine our habits, beliefs, behaviours and thought processes to make conscious choices about what we need to strengthen, release or change in order to heal and grow.
We need 30 days to free ourselves from outdated thought and behavioural patterns.
During that time it is essential to take action every day towards manifesting the desired change.
After that, another 70 days of daily practice will help to anchor the new patterns in our mindset, so they are more likely to be permanent.
100 days is the magic number, but if you can stick to 30, then you will be well on your way to where you want to be.
So what can you do each day that will help you transform your life?
Hop over to my Patreon space and print the Manifesting Change Empowerment CardsI’ve designed, pull a card each day and take action according to the message.
The idea of these cards is to shake up your routine and push your comfort zone a little on a daily basis.
The cards are divided into three types:
1. Mantras
Mantras are just like affirmations, but they work by repeating them throughout the day in a musical way.
Basically, sing them! Create your own melody, which will help you remember its powerful message, and gradually it will help you eliminate negative thought patterns.
Mantra cards are marked with M
2. Explorations
These are prompts to help you explore your way of thinking and how you can unblock and actively influence your mindset.
You can use tarot or oracle cards with the explorations, and it will be particularly helpful to record them in your journal.
Exploration cards are marked with E
Combine with a tarot or oracle deck for intuitive guidance
3. Actions
These are tasks you should do on the day you draw one of these cards.
I have made these actions as practical and easy to follow as possible, so please try to stick to this rule, even if you only spend ten minutes on it.
You’ll be glad to did it afterwards!
Some of the actions are also worthwhile journalling about. Record what you did, how it turned out and made you feel.
Action cards are marked with A
All you need to do now is download andprint the cards (36 plus bonus cards and blanks for your own messages) on cardstock or heavyweight paper (min.120 gms), cut them out and start using them.
Please do let me know how you get on with them. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you like the cards, please share a link to this post with your friends. Thank you!
Do you find it hard to still your mind during meditation?
Do you tend to sit in your meditation class desperately trying to avoid thinking about what you’ll have for dinner or those bills that keep piling up?
Let me assure you, you’re not alone.
I was just like you, and sometimes those unwanted thoughts still trip me up, but I’ve come across a method that has helped me immensely, and perhaps you will find it useful, too.
First of all, don’t underestimate the power of meditation. It’s good for your general wellbeing. It helps you relax, build inner strength and promotes a healthy balance of mind-body-spirit.
But our busy monkey mind stops us from meditating effectively.
It’s impossible for us to stop thinking. Even while we sleep, our minds produce thoughts in the form of dreams.
Buddhism teaches us that rather than trying hard to stop thinking, we need to trick the monkey mind instead.
How are we going to do that?
By giving it something else to do – something meaningful, too! – which helps us create some powerful magic within us at the same time.
A couple of years ago, I discovered chanting whilst on a Buddhist retreat.
It may sound eccentrically New Age to you, but believe me, after initially feeling weird, I felt its benefit almost straight away.
When you repeatedly chant the same words in the ancient and magical language of Sanskrit, it becomes a mantra, which can gradually shift negative patterns in your life, depending on the meanings of the words.
So depending on what you want to manifest in your life, you choose the mantra that can help you make it happen.
What I love about chanting is that you don’t need to sit still or in a certain position; at the retreat, we walked in a circle on a meadow and around a fireplace (nobody else saw us ?)
For example, you can chant whilst having a relaxing bath, go for a walk, or you can of course choose the traditional meditation position.
How many times should you chant the mantra?
The magical number is 108. The best way to count correctly during chanting is by using Mala prayer beads. One bead for a complete mantra, until the circle is completed.
My Mala prayer beads – turquoise beads divided by white beads into 4 x 27 sections
If 108 times sounds too much for you at first, you can also shorten your chant down to 27 or 54 times.
These numbers are important and in Buddhist and Sanskrit teachings they have magical powers.
The Number 108 divided by 4 equals 27. A Mala bead necklace is divided into four sections of 27 beads.
Do you need to have a good singing voice to chant?
No. You can simply recite the words repeatedly at a steady and regular pace.
Now that you know the basics, here are four chants I use:
1. Ham Sa
Pronounced: Hahhm Sahh
Meaning: I am That
This very basic mantra helps you ground yourself and focus on your breathing: Ham (inhale) Sa (exhale).
It is said to be a mantra for the heart; it helps you relax and centre. After chanting a round of Ham Sa, you may feel calm yet more energised.
2. Om Namah Shivaya
I discovered this chant in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love. I love the sound when I chant it; its vibration resonates with me deeply.
Pronounced: Aum nah-mah shi-vay
Meaning: I bow to Shiva.
The Hindu God Shiva symbolises the inner self, so by chanting this mantra, you honour the divinity within yourself, and it is said to promote self-worth and confidence.
A spiritual healing mantra, it is made up of five syllables, which represent the five elements earth, air, fire, water and ether.
3. Om Kleem Shreem Brzee
This is an ancient Sanskrit mantra for bringing love and abundance into your life.
It is often recommended for attracting money or new romantic love, but abundance doesn’t always relate to financial wealth, and love can also relate to friendships, connectedness and a loving support network.
Pronounced: check out this YouTube clip, and if you like, sing along to get into the groove 😉
Meaning:
Om – universal sound of creation Kleem – sound for spiritual development, love and devotion Shreem – sound for the divine feminine associated with abundance and prosperity Brzee – sound for removing scarcity from consciousness
Put these four sounds together, and you create an open mind and receptiveness to let love and abundance into your life by removing inner blocks and obstacles surrounding you.
You can shorten this mantra two-ways to make it more specific:
1. Om Shreem Brzee – to attract abundance and prosperity
2. Om Kleem Brzee – to attract friendships and relationships
4. Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung
A universal healing mantra, which consists of the sounds of the four universal energies
Ra – sun Ma – moon Da – earth Sa ( repeated) – infinity
together with Say So Hung, meaning I am Thou.
This mantra is said to build bodily resistance to disease and can have a healing effect on the body. Its sound stimulates flow and circulation of prana (life force) through the body.
Chant it steadily, inhaling Ra Ma Da Sa and exhaling Sa Say So Hung. Linger a little on the sound ‘ng‘ in Hung as it is said to stimulate divine glands.
Notice this chant has eight syllables – the number of rebirth.
If you are a novice to chanting, then you may find the above mantras easy to pronounce and remember.
With regular practice you will notice their calming effect and power to help you focus your mind on manifesting your desires.
For more information, you can search online for chanting meditation for beginners, or google the above mantras.
There is a wealth of information freely available including viewpoints on how to chant “correctly”.
Remember to keep it simple at first before you delve deeper. One step at a time.
Let me know how you get on, and if chanting is already part of your spiritual practice, please share your tips and favourite mantras in the comment box below.
I’d love to hear from you ⭐
Warmest wishes,
Christiane
⭐Grab my printable mantra cards on Patreon (join the Study tier)⭐
Many people live busy lives full of errands, commitments and self-imposed recreational activities such as sports, social events and travelling.
Do you find it hard to still your mind during meditation?