I Started Something...

“If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever.” -Don Millman "Way of the Peaceful Warrior"

As I stated in a previous post, I am currently reading "The Power of Intention" which has been reminding me how important it is to have purpose and intention in all we do.  It's also been guiding me back into visualization about what I want in my life.  I've been struggling with this question: what do I really want, and do I have the courage to believe it can happen?

I have high hopes, but I keep them at a distance.  Instead, I've realized how important it is to surround yourself with them, to believe they have already actualized.  Wayne Dyer calls this "end thinking"-being able to believe what you wanted to be true.  This is a powerful exercise, but can also be a scary one.  If you battle with yourself into believing it, one may start to wonder if it is something you actually wanted in the first place.  Is it ego standing in the way or is it enlightenment?  And if you do achieve what you worked so hard to attain, is it yours to keep?

How do you really know what you want?

Mindfulness and Intent

Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves. Consider, for example: a magician who cuts his body into many parts and places each part in a different region--hands in the south, arms in the east, legs in the north, and then by some miraculous power lets forth a cry which reassembles whole every part of his body. Mindfulness is like that--it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life.  -Thich Nhat Hanh

This is probably just one of many posts that I will gush about how awesome it is to be a massage therapist.  Not only do we get to make people feel better, but we also get to share a sacred space with our client and connect on silent and energetic level.  I think all of my massage therapist friends will agree with me on this-we work directly with energy.

I started reflecting on some extraordinary sessions I've had over the past 5.5 years of being a massage therapist.  The common tie was my degree of mindfulness and intent.  When I make it a point to focus and be truly mindful during my treatment, I can connect with my client on a deeper level than purely musculoskeletal. Massage therapy is amazing in the sense that we work so closely with Universal Life Energy.  It makes me think how wonderful life would be if we could always tap into that Source and keep it constantly flowing freely in our lives.

Mindfulness is important in everything we do. Thich Nhat Hanh is a great teacher on the subject.  His writings emphasize the importance of being aware and mindful of every action, every breath.  This can be a very difficult practice!  I admittedly fall short even though I know the important benefits.  I have an app on my phone that has helped me in this pursuit.  It is called "The Mindfulness Bell" and it randomly rings once an hour reminding me to stop, close my eyes, breathe, and be in the present moment.

By being mindful we can set our intent and connect deeply with the energy around us.  We become open channels and connect freely with the Universe.

Let's start right now.  Close your eyes, breathe and set your intent...