Ancient spiritual practices taught us to honor the sacred in the natural world to maintain balance, to respect our place within the spectrum of the entire universe. Through quiet contemplation and vision quests, people discovered how to nurture their own intimate connections with the divine. Mystical visions were seen, and phenomenal discoveries were born, out of dreams and spontaneous bursts of insight. We fully embraced the true nature of our being in two parts: spirit and human. Over time, and through the dependence on more readily available sources of information we began distancing ourselves from our true spiritual gifts.
There are many ways to open your own spiritual gifts. One way is through the power of meditation. Meditation is thousands of years old. Though techniques have evolved over time, the concept is still the same: resting in stillness for a period of time and focusing the mind opens the gateway to greater awareness. Whether you are new to meditation or more seasoned, you can utilize this tool as a way to expand your own spiritual gifts.
Meditation works to slow down the body’s biorhythms thereby harmonizing the physical and spiritual bodies. This creates open space by emptying the mind and igniting the third eye. You become an open container as your own vessel engages it’s own natural receiving mechanisms. When the third eye is activated some people see visions, others hear messages, and yet others have a deep sense of inner knowing. There is no right or wrong way to receive. Some experience a deep sense of well being and peace. Everyone is different. All are beneficial.
To open your spiritual gifts, you can choose to experiment with different ways of meditation until you find the one that suits you best. The key to successful meditation is to sustain an activity for a length of time, where you intentionally empty your mind and create space to receive. If you are someone who has a difficult time sitting still for periods of time, try out one of the moving meditation options. The most important thing is to discover practical ways of incorporating meditation into your daily life.
Before you begin, I encourage each person learn to incorporate some form of grounding and protection. With your feet on the ground and eyes closed, imagine chords of light connecting you to the center of the earth. For protection, invite a trusted guide, loved one, or power animal to join you for the meditation. This is a great first step!
There is no one size fits all way to practice meditation. Here are some examples:
- Sitting on a park bench at your lunch hour. Listen to calming music and breathe at a nice, rhythmic pace. Making time in your every day life lends predictability and consistency, two things that are important to any spiritual practice.
- A moving meditation. Stretch, walk, and listen, observe and reflect. Do household chores in silence. Some are best served by moving their bodies to achieve a sense of balance and grounding.
- Breathing techniques. Simple cleansing breaths are incredibly effective as a basic meditation technique. Yogic or pranic breathing opens the meridians of the body, clears the chakras, and prepares the vessel to receive.
- Shamanic drumming or dance. These practices are shown to put the mind into an altered state, which is then more receptive to accessing and merging with energies and the spirit realm.
- Utilize nature. Sit quietly in an outdoors space and open your senses to the sights and sounds all around you. Try connecting your body and your heart to the Earth until you feel her pulse. Put your hands in the dirt for some contemplative gardening.
- Sitting in complete silence. This isn’t for everyone, however, this is the most ancient form of meditation, and how it originated. The disciplined practice of silence has multiple benefits, training the mind to let go of mental clutter.
- Sit by a bonfire. Fire or candle gazing is a time-honored form of meditation. The idea is that as you gaze deeply into the flame, your third eye is ignited, bringing you visions or insight.
- Sound healing practices. Methods such as singing bowls or chanting can alter the mind and body’s vibrational frequency, bringing you into greater alignment with spirit.
Feel free to experiment with more than one way to meditate! There is a multitude of YouTube videos and meditation apps. that can make this process incredibly effective and immediately available. Once you have chosen your preferred method(s), you can next build in a journaling exercise to document what you receive through your natural spiritual abilities. If you have a question, write it down ahead of your meditation. Otherwise, you can remain open and simply accept what comes to you.
You are now well on your way to activating your own spiritual gifts! Over time, you will notice patterns emerging, and similar themes. These messages act as a spirit code to support and guide you throughout your life.
