Higher Self Magazine ™

It's funny how we are effected by world events. The current state of unrest has left me feeling
angry, frustrated, and incredibly helpless, my fear rising to look me right in the eye. It's unsettling,
and has led me to turn to the tools that draw me back to a place of inner peace and safety. For
these tools to work we must take the idea of peace and safety back to a place of Self.

Looking Within

We live in a world of projections. Our belief systems, our political ideals, and societal rules are
generally accepted because someone else said, "this is the way things are." We see this tendency to project beliefs and ideals come into full bloom in times of crisis judging who is right and who is wrong. It has frankly been hard to know who to talk to in these times, lest I overstep some invisible line of political idealism when my own consciousness is screaming, "how could you find this to be acceptable!"

I am a big fan of quotes; especially the really profound ones that strike you at the core of your soul and make your hair stand on end. One quote that I received recently really hit me between the eyes. J. Krishnamurti asks the question, "war is merely the dramatic outward expression of our inward struggle, is it not?" It is a pretty straightforward reminder that if we are to live in peace with each other, we had better find peace within our Selves. It is a hidden request to stop projecting, release our judgements on who is right or wrong, and accept the simple task of looking within to see where we are in conflict with ourselves. I suppose the idea isn't new, but it was my answer to the search for ways to deal with my own anxiety where world events are concerned.

The Issue of Safety

In my experience, when my feelings of calm have been shaken, it is because I feel my little paradigm has been threatened. When we are threatened, we feel unsafe. To be peaceful, we need to feel safe, warm, and comfortable. So how do we achieve this feeling of safety? We may not be able to change the world to suit these needs, but I can convey to you an effective method that has been taught to me.

We can go into our personal inner landscapes through meditation and sit in our place of beauty and comfort. This is a place where the activity of the outside world cannot harm or influence us. We can take a few moments out of our busy day to go within and recover from daily stress, and come back out revitalized, and better equipped to face the world. With this in mind, I offer this meditation in hope that we can reflect this beauty and comfort back into the world. May the world one-day reflect the Peace that we are.

Creating Your Safe Space

Prepare for meditation, whether it is deep breathing, lighting candles and incense, or taking a relaxing bath. Certain scents such as sandalwood, lavender, and, frankincense are very good for meditative and relaxing purposes.

Sit or lie comfortably being sure to breathe, letting your muscles in every part of your body relax. Close your eyes, and see a path before you. Start walking along this path, taking note of your surroundings. You may sense a feeling of moving downward on the path as though you are descending or even ascending. This is perfectly natural. Go with the feeling, and accept it as a quality of the meditation.

As the path ends you will enter into a space that may be a field of flowers, the beach, or the desert. Whatever it is, is your safe space. Explore this space, taking it all in. Do whatever you want to it. You may visualize furnishings and friends, add sounds and smells. You may see animals, and spirits. There are no boundaries to what you can do here. If it feels good, and makes you overjoyed, run with it! When it is time for you to return, give thanks to that part of your Self and the energies you have invited there and return along the path that you traveled in on. The path will carry you back to your physical surroundings.

Have fun and enjoy!

*This meditation is inspired by Starhawk (author of Spiral Dance and Twelve Wild Swans) and teachings from the Reclaiming Tradition. A special thanks to Amy Moondragon for her inspiration.

About Heather

Heather Darnell is an intuitive reader, group facilitator, and Reiki healer. Her experience over the past 16 years includes Tarot reading, meditation and ritual, and Taoist meditation. As the founder of Connect Charlotte, she is working to bring together the greater spiritual community of Charlotte and the surrounding area.

To contact Heather:
(704) 665-8217
Despoenas_readings@yahoo.com