Morning Meditation for Miracles

I love how this Miracles commitment has encouraged me to take some quiet time for myself. Though I'm exhausted when my alarm goes off nearly an hour early, to sit outside in meditation at dawn is divine. I had a pretty crazy meditation this morning and I swear to you that my dad was sitting next to me. The only other time something like this happened was half way through my training in India. This time was nearly identical to that, but even more comforting because I just knew in my heart what was going on. There were no tears, there was no sadness, just contentment. He's been on my mind so much lately, and I just know that I've been on his. And that feels good.

Miracles: Day 3

May Cause Miracles
Wednesday August 7th
Day Three

Day Three: Choose A New Perspective

The practice of proactively choosing a better perception. 
  

Morning Reflection Day 3: 
Read the passage below, then sit for one minute of silence - close your eyes and breathe deeply in your nose and out your mouth. This minute of silence will let the message set in and permeate your being.

"There's always a loving perspective. Today I welcome new perceptions. I am willing to let go of my old limiting beliefs and let love enter in. I choose to believe that there is always a loving perspective. I choose to see love."


Affirmation Day 3: Love Did Not Create This. 
Fear is an illusion and only love is real. Use this affirmation throughout the day whenever you witness fear sneak it. You don't need to intellectualize the process. Just respond to your fear with this loving affirmation. 

At some point during the day, make an inventory....write down one moment in which you used your affirmation this morning, and then answer the following questions:

1. What was my fear?
2. How did it feel to use my affirmation?
3. How did my energy shift (if only for a moment)? 

Evening Exercise Day 3: 
With pen and paper, write out the following...

"Dear Inner Guide, 
I am committed to transforming my fears to love. I will open my heart and mind to love and I will let my intuition guide me. I welcome all the spiritual assignments that may come and I am ready, willing, and able to smother my fears with the light of love. I choose to see love instead of fear."
SIgn the letter and post this letter on your desk, your bathroom mirror...somewhere that you can see it often. Post it in a sacred space that is just for you. 

Miracles: Day Two

May Cause Miracles

Day Two

Tuesday August 6th

Day Two: Become Willing

The slightest willingness to see your life with love will be the catalyst for your greatest change. When you become willing to change, you surrender to a greater perception, a loving perception. Today's work is about letting go and surrendering to the deep desire within. When you let go, your surrender will crack open your connection to your inner guide - and the loving voice that comes forth will lead the way to new perceptions and become an everlasting companion throughout your miraculous transformation.
 

Morning Reflection Day 2: 
Read the passage below, then sit for one minute of silence - close your eyes and breathe deeply in your nose and out your mouth. This minute of silence will let the message set in and permeate your being.


"Today I am willing to see things differently. Today I am willing to change my mind. I know a simple shift in perception will create a miraculous shift. I know change is what I need. I surrender, I am willing, I am ready to see love. -ing, show me what you've got. Show me the way..."


Affirmation Day 2: I Am Willing To See This Differently. I Am Willing To See Love. 
Let this affirmation guide you out of fear every moment you feel stuck. Use it to open your heart and surrender to love.

Evening Exercise Day 2:
I am willing to see love instead of this...

Heads up - you may resist this practice at first. It's a little mind-blowing. Let's get started. 

Take a moment to reflect on your day, and make a list of all the fears taht came up for you today. Next to each fear write this affirmation from A Course In Miracles: "I am willing to see love instead of this." For instance, if your fear was "I'm afraid to speak up in the office meeting for fear of having my ideas rejected", simply write: I am willing to see love instead of this. Make your list of fears and then affirm that you're willing to see love instead. 

1. breathe in: I choose to release my fear
2. breathe out: I surrender.
3. breathe in: I choose to release my fear
4. breathe out: I surrender.
5. breathe in: I choose to release my fear
6. breathe out: I surrender.
   

MCM Day One Review

FEAR. Bah. What a sneaky bitch fear is! Gabrielle sums it up perfectly...

"Choosing loving thoughts over fearful delusions was a tough transition at first. It seems easy - who doesn't want to trade in fear for love? But giving up fear is like giving up sugar: they're both sneaky ingredients that hide out in almost everything. And just when you think you've got that craving under control, suddenly it rears its not-so-pretty head again. Releasing fear isn't for dabblers. It requires diligence and commitment. It requires you to become a full-on miracle worker."

Amen sister.

Today's fear that was most prominent had to do with teaching. I want to share what I wrote in my journal after this mornings class in Margate...

"Teaching new students in Margate who usually practice with Ari triggers my fear. I worry that my class won't be "physical" enough or will be "too spiritual". This makes me second guess myself and I move into a scattered, insecure place. I feel very vulnerable and judged, which makes me shut down. I fear that I am not good enough. Doubt triggers my fear. The feelings that come with this are insecurity and vulnerability...which affects my behavior by causing me to shut down on the inside."

There was more that I jotted down throughout the day, and I'm so thankful for all that everyone on the email list shared as well. Julianne shared....

"...and every time my alarm went off saying "I am willing to witness my fear," I was amazed that another hour had passed. I wrote "time moves so quickly," completely freaked that the day was moving like this, but later I realized that it was something positive that I could learn from. Time moves so quickly; I don't have time for fear."


Time moves so quickly; I don't have time for fear.

Italy Retreat with Me!

Uccella

Bedroom...

Kitchen

The property...

My retreat in Italy with Paraiso Adventures is SOLD OUT. But not to worry...I'll be in Tayrona, Colombia the first week of December......

Day One

I believe in miracles. I witnessed one. My Dad was a miracle. Every day he chose love over fear, no matter what, up until he left this physical world. And if he could do it, well so can I. 

My alarm went off this morning and I sprung out of bed, super excited for day one! Though my meditation altar is in my room, I felt a pull to practice outside. I did 2 minutes of the kundalini Ego Eradicator to cleanse my mind and energy, setting the tone for my morning sadhana (I invite you all to incorporate this short but powerful kriya into your morning....it is amazing). From there I read day one in MCM aloud, wrote down the affirmation and short morning reading into my journal, and had a short meditation. The total time for all of this (including the ego eradicator)? 14 minutes. 14 minutes to make miracles. Boom. I have my journal with me so that I can write down anything that comes up for me- no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. My alarm is set for 4:30pm with the label "Miracle Moment" (I set my favorite song as the alarm tone), so I can take a minute in my day to just take a deep breath and reconnect with my affirmation. I'm already feeling super fucking powerful and amazing...so excited for this journey ahead!

*a great app for timing your meditation (so you don't open your eyes and cheat) is called the "INSIGHT TIMER". Check it out. 

My morning meditation and reflection oasis...

Army Jack.

Thanks to all of you yogis who contributed to the package for Jack! Jack is Sue Webbs son who just got stationed in Afghanistan. He has practiced yoga with us many times at the Zen Den and I was hoping to send him some love from home to let him know that we are thinking about him. You missed it this time around? No worries. We will do another collection. There were some great homemade cards and lots of goodies-- his mom was so grateful, and wanted to let us know that Jack sends his love. Thanks again to everyone who contributed!

MIRACLES: Day One

Again...though I would LOVE to do this throughout the whole book - my schedule is spread pretty thin and to honor my spirit and my body I cannot continue to post these. BUT, I know there are a few of you who won't be getting your books on time - and since this is a group effort, we are all supporting one another in the journey, here it is: day one!

May Cause Miracles

Day One

Monday August 5th

Day One: Witness Your Fear

Your goal today is to be the witness of your thoughts, actions and energy. When we're not aware of our fear, it takes residence in every area of our lives. Today's work is to raise your consciousness and open your mind to your fear-based patterns. You must witness your behavior if you want to truly change it. You must look at your fear head-on to recognize that believing its lies was a choice you made. Today you'll begin a journey of choosing differently.

Everyone has individual fears that are unique to them. Each of us picks up fear from our past and re-creates it in the present, then projects it onto the future. Projection is perception - therefore whatever fear-based beliefs you've been projecting onto your internal movie screen have become the film that is your life.

Morning Reflection Day 1:
Read the passage below, then sit for one minute of silence - close your eyes and breathe deeply in your nose and out your mouth. This minute of silence will let the message set in and permeate your being.

"Today I am the witness to my fear. I open my heart and mind to see how I have chosen fear over love. Today I will watch myself as if I"m standing across teh street peeking into the world that I have created. I will witness how my fears run the show. I will pay attention to my patterns. Without judgement I will become conscious of where my mind chose wrongly and how these fear-based thoughts have tainted my happiness. I know this practice is the first step to uncovering my destructive patterns to create powerful change. I am ready, willing, and able to look at the delusional thoughts I've been projecting. I'm willing to witness my fear."

Affirmation Day 1: I Am Willing to Witness My Fear
Whenever you notice your fears rise up during the day, repeat the preceding affirmation. Take this message with you throughout the day by plugging it into your phone as an hourly reminder. When the alarm goes off, read your affirmation to gently remind yourself to look courageously at your fear straight-on and say, "I am willing to witness my fear".


In addition to using your affirmation, set your alarm on your phone for noon (or your lunch break) with a notification called "miracle break". When your alarm buzzes, gently remind yourself to choose love over fear by reciting your affirmation.

Evening Exercise Day 1:
In your journal...

1. What experiences trigger my fear?
2. What thoughts trigger my fear?
3. What are the feelings that come over me when I am in fear?
4. How does my fear affect my behavior?

Be sure to take this step seriously, because we'll be reflecting on it in later weeks. Once you've identified a few of your fears, take a moment to determine which fears are the strongest. Chose your top three fears and then rate each one's strength on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the strongest). Write these fears at the top of a new page in your journal and repeat your affirmation out loud: "I'm willing to witness my fear, I am proud of myself for doing this work."

In your meditation space, place your hands on your knees, palms facing up, taking deep breaths in through your nose and exhaling out through the mouth.

1. take a moment to reflect on the fears from your day
2. allow yourself to become present
3. center in your body
4. breathe deeply in nose, out mouth
5. continue this cycle of breath
6. breathe in the feelings that came up for you today
7. allow yourself to honor any feelings of discomfort, anxiety, or fear
8. be present with your feelings
9. breathe in your feelings
10. exhale and release
11. honor and allow yourself to accept whatever feeling is with you now
12. take one last deep breath in and release

Miracles: Week One

MAY CAUSE MIRACLES: WEEK ONE

FEAR : False Evidence Appearing Real
When you focus on fear, it becomes your reality.

In every situation, no matter how horrifying it may be, we have a choice: the choice to see love instead of fear. A Course in Miracles says, "You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think." The Course teaches us that when we choose our ego's false perceptions, we become separated from God (aka LOVE). This week we are looking directly into the ego. We will be guided to surrender our ego fears to a power greater than you: your inner guide. This inner guide is the voice of love. "Love will immediately enter into any mind that truly wants it." The subtle shifts for miraculous change occur when you choose to surrender your fear to your inner guidance system for healing...releasing fear through prayer, meditation, affirmations, and the daily unique practices throughout the book. THIS COURSE TAKES COMMITMENT AND TIME....at first it will seem like a lot, but it will get easier as time goes on and you empower yourself more and more!

Day 1: Begin the practice of witnessing. Witness fears so that you can start to understand the choice you've made to focus on them.
Day 2: Surrender to the willingness to change.
Day 3: Begin to choose a loving perspective and start to say no to fear.
Day 4: Focus on gratitude, which will awaken the love presence within you and give you some extra juice for day 5....
Day 5: Forgiveness. Introducing the possibility of forgiveness to ignite your willingness to jump-start the practice of the F word.
Day 6: Awaken your miracle mind set of love. Seeing a world beyond what you have previously chosen to believe in.
Day 7: Self reflection and preparation.

Week one guides us to identify how fear has tripped us up and blocked our life's flow. We are guided to embrace the key principles: witnessing your fear, willingness to change, shifts in perception, gratitude, forgiveness, expecting miracles, and reflecting and recapping.

The results of Week One??

1. Being miracle minded will enhance every area of your life.
2. You'll come to understand your fear and therefore be willing to release it.
3. Each exercise offers up a subtle shift in your perspective towards life. The more subtle shifts you add up, the more peace you will feel.
4. Judgment, attack, and anger will subside.
5. You'll inherently know a new serenity, and miracles will occur naturally. 

Miracles

May Cause Miracles is a 40 Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness!! You're in right?? There are six weeks, broken down into:

Week 1: Becoming Miracle Minded
Week 2: A New Self-Perception
Week 3: Body Image
Week 4: Relationships
Week 5: Raise Your Self-Worth, Raise Your Net Worth
Week 6: Working Miracles

"Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find." 

--Wayne Dyer

Bernstein says...

"Sticking to the Course principles is that the more you choose gratitude, forgiveness, and love, the more miracles you experience. If you're wondering what I mean by "miracle", it's simple: a miracle is a shift in perspective from fear to love. A miracle can be the moment you choose to forgive your ex-lover and let go of decades of resentment, or the moment you recognize that losing your job was not a tragedy but an opportunity to follow your true calling. Simply put, each moment you choose love over fear is a miracle. And the more miracles you add up, the less likely you are to perceive life through dark-colored lenses. When you choose to perceive love over fear, life begins to flow. You feel peaceful and you see love in all situations. Your hang-ups subside and your life feels guided."

40 DAYS...

Try your best not to skip ahead or practice more than one exercise a day. If you'd like you can read the next days guide the night before as you lay in bed so that you can contemplate it a bit before you go to sleep, and then practice the affirmation throughout your day, and do your journaling right before bed. Maybe you'll want to set your alarm ten minutes early and read the days guide and then journal before dinnertime. It's not necessary, but I have included the EGO ERADICATOR, which only takes 3 minutes, because I have found it to be a powerful tool for change, and also - it's Gabrielle Bernsteins favorite kundalini kriya!

What you need for the 40 day course:

1. May Cause Miracles book by Gabrielle Bernstein (the physical book or an ebook)

2. A meditation space

3. A journal

Your Meditation Space:

A lot of this course is about self-reflection. Set up a meditative space in your home. Maybe it's a corner in your bedroom, a nook in your office, or simply the edge of your bed. Find a space where you can be alone and feel at peace. My meditative space has some pictures of my Dad, friends and loved ones. I have a little buddha statue, some incense, candles, crystals, and some little notes with positive words written on them. 

Your Journal:

Have it with you at all times! You never know when something is going to come up. 

ON THE BLOG: 

I have created a MAY CAUSE MIRACLES tab on the right hand side just for this Course.

WHY FORTY DAYS???
True transformation occurs with daily repetition. Metaphysicians and yogis place much emphasis on the repetition of a forty day practice. Mythical examples range from Moses's forty days and forty nights spent on Mount Sinai to the story of the Buddha reaching enlightenment on the full moon in May after meditating and fasting under the bodhi tree for forty days. Scientific significance? Research has shown that after repeating a new pattern for forty days, you can change the neural pathways in your brain to create long lasting change. FORTY DAY FEAR CLEANSE! 

You definitely need to have the book, but I know that some of you were late joining us and will not receive the book until day 3 or so...so for the first week I will post the information for the day. But please, I do have a busy schedule and will not be able to keep up with this throughout. To be a part of our email group, message me on my gmail account cailin.callahan@gmail.com . If you are following along with us, or jump in at anytime, please message us! The email group is so that we can support one another with any struggles, share our stories, encourage one another, and have a team to go through this with together! At the end I will be organizing a dinner of some sort, and I hope that you'lll all be able to make it. If you'd like to share any of your stories on the blog please let me know and I will happily share it! 

It's ALIVE!

The Body Ecology Diet emphasizes *heaps* of RAW CULTURED VEGETABLES (sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.). When I first started telling people that I was interested in fermented foods, they made some funny faces at me. But I think that most people don't realize that we are already eating foods that have been made using lacto-fermentation....beer, wine, cheese, olives, and yogurt. Kimchi, tempeh, miso, kefir and kombucha are some more examples of lacto-fermented foods we ingest. Anywho, as an attempt to completely rebuild my health from the inside out - I need to start incorporating more probiotics and the live foods that contain them. When I presented this challenge to Kelly, she was totally on board for my fermentation-madness and away we went. I searched the web high and low for some pretty awesome concoctions and came out with some awesome recipes. All it really is is slicing and dicing, some salt, filtered water, and a little bit of kefir starter cultures. Oh yeah, and mason jars, hiphop music, and lots of club soda (the latter two are personal provisions!). It was a long day, and lots of hard work, but it was a lot of fun! 

Lacto-fermented food has so many things going for it: natural probiotics that aid the digestive and immune systems, tons of beneficial enzymes, and lots of vitamin C. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of lacto-fermentation, don’t be intimidated by the word. It’s just the official term for the chemical process of “culturing” that takes place in the presence of lactic acid producing bacteria. This change increases the nutritional profile of the food being cultured, and makes it less prone to spoilage.

So How Do We Do This?

In a nutshell, raw cultured vegetables are made by shredding cabbage or a combination of cabbage and other veggies, and then packing them tightly into an airtight jar or crock. They are then left to ferment at room temperature for several days or longer. Easy.

During the fermentation process, friendly bacteria grow, multiply, and thrive in their new environment. They convert the sugars and starches to lactic acid and partially digest the veggies, softening them or "pickling" them in the process.

As I was scouring the world wide web, I came across a great insight that Kelly and I incorporated throughout the process.....

As you wash the vegetables, focus on your inner cooking. As you prepare the food, prepare your mind. Recognize that the way you prepare this meal is the way you are preparing your life. Put your total energy and attention into it. Clean your mind of all surface troubles and tribulations, all worries and fears. Focus on this exact moment in time. Observe the colors and textures of the vegetables. Feel them in your hand. Relax. Connect with your purpose and with the purpose of those who will be eating this food. Recognize that you are preparing totally healthy, life-giving fuel. Feel the love that you are demonstrating for yourself and for others as you perform this important service. Smile inside. This is going to be great! Its going to taste awesome!

Kelly, super proud and pumped....capturing the days hard work

Recipes will be up as soon as my chaotic schedule dies down a bit....

Comforting Tastes.

I LOVE BEVERAGES! Specifically warm, creamy, sweet beverages...like lattes, cappuccinos, and chai! Giving up sugar and milk, and caffeine, has been a bit of a challenge - but it's the name of the game on this candida cleanse. I have come up with some delicious alternatives though that I'm excited to share....

Chai :

• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup almond milk 
• 1 teaspoon xylitol (made from the pulp of vegetables, super low glycemic index, 9 calories per teaspoon and great for your teeth!)
• 1in chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
• optional: fresh cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, and/or 1 cardamom pod smashed  *All of these spices are great for digestion! 

Chicory Root "Coffee":

• 1 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons roasted chicory root granules
• 1 teaspoon xylitol 
• almond milk or coconut milk (unsweetened) to taste
• *The granules partly dissolve, and if you let it sit then they will settle to the bottom. You can strain it if you'd like, but I don't mind the granules. Chicory root is great for the liver!

Candida Alkalizing Lemonade :

• Juice a dozen lemons
• 1/2 cup of xylitol
• 1 quart distilled water
• *Lemons are alkalizing, xylitol is great for your teeth, and distilled water is a great way to stay hydrated. Also, lemon water helps to cleanse the body, cleaning our liver and kidneys (and also helping to assist in your morning bowel movement).

Apple Cider Vinegar Alkalizer:

• 2 cups of distilled water
• 3 tablespoons of Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 teenytiny spoonful (the spoon that they give you with it) of Stevia 
• 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
• *Powerhouse, amazing, healing, healthy, nutritious beverage. Sip.All.Day.Long.

CHAI Ingredients: Decaf Chai tea, fresh ginger, xylitol, unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Chicory Root "Coffee"

Candida Coffee!

Give It Away.

Wanna be free...? Give it away! 

Give it away.

I love stuff....but I'm not attached to it (well, most days anyway!). The other day my crystal mala from India broke, and for a minute - it broke me. My heart dropped into my stomach, then was in my throat, and then it shattered into a thousand pieces. This was the mala that I used twice a day, 108x in the morning and 108x in the evening, to chant my beloved Gayatri Mantra. I chanted this for my Dad, and for myself...filling up the 'darkness' inside of me with the 'light' from the Divine and from this mantra. After a few deep breaths I reassured myself that this mala was just a 'thing', and though it held some representation of my Dad and my spirituality - it didn't define it. And ultimately - nothing is permanent...not this body, not our relationships, not our emotions, not our possessions. So free yourself. Give it away.

Yesterday in class I told everyone to think of their most prized possession. And then, their "second" most prized possession...and then I told them to give it away once class was over. Throughout Asia I was constantly giving away the shirt off my back. I gave away my yoga mat, my surfboard, my jewelry, and my love....and no, I wasn't left empty handed - I left with more than I'd come with, and with more love in my heart than I'd arrived with.

Give something away. Give a lot of things away. Give away one of your favorite things. Liberate yourself. I dare you. It feels GOOD. 

Giggity Gig.

Lovely Ladies.

Partner In Crime. KCS.

Last nights gig @ Buschs was super shanti, but it was just what I needed. I'm coming off of a very, very, very busy week...so it was nice to relax into a few mellow sets with a crowd full of friends. Thanks to everyone who came out, you always fill me up.

Miracles.

May Cause Miracles.

Juno

It's almost Monday! Have you ordered your "May Cause Miracles" book yet?! I'm super excited about the 40 day commitment that lay ahead, and I'm pumped that some of you are taking that journey with me. While talking about this with one of my massage clients, Mike, he asked if I'd read "A Return to Love" by Marianne Williams. This is a book of 'reflections on the principles of A COURSE IN MIRACLES", which Mike assured me was a great prelude into the somewhat-heavy-hard-to-digest Course. Because he is an amazing man (who also has an amazing dog, Juno, who likes to cuddle with me while I'm trying to massage his dad!), he had a copy of this book for me when I arrived for our weekly massage the other day! I dove right into it and was reading from it for my class this morning. Williamson writes...

'SEEING YOUR STRENGTHS EXACTLY AS THEY ARE, AND EQUALLY AWARE OF WHERE THEY CAN BE BEST APPLIED, FOR WHAT, TO WHOM AND WHEN, HE CHOOSES AND ACCEPTS YOUR PART FOR YOU.'

"Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others. We're compensated by grateful looks in people's eyes, whatever material abundance supports us in performing joyfully and at high energy, and the magnificent feeling that we did our bit today to save the world.

The Atonement means putting love first. In everything. In business as well as everything else. You're in business to spread love. Your screenplay should spread love. Your hair salon should spread love. Your agency should spread love. Your life should spread love. The key to a successful career (and life) is realizing that its not separate from the rest is your life, but rather is an extension of your most basic self. And your most basic self is love.

Knowing who you are and why you came here- that you are a child of God and that you came here to heal and be healed- is more important than knowing what you want to do. What you want to do is not the important question. The question to ask is, "When I do anything, how should I do it?". And the answer is "Kindly." People don't normally associate business with kindness, because bush was has come to be regarded as simply a tool for making money. Miracle-workers are not it business only to make money; they're in business to inject love into the world. That shift is a miracle.

Dear God, please give my life some sense of purpose. Use me as an instrument of your peace. Use my talents and abilities to spread love. I surrender my job to you. Help me to remember that my real job is to love the world back to health. Thank you very much. Amen."

Amen. Aho. Namaste.
God. The Divine. Universal Spirit.
Love. Love. Love.

In today's class I had everyone meditate on their strengths. And then pick one, and let it be their mantra throughout class. Opening and filling their hearts with this strength and intention. And then to make a promise to always move from this space, from this strength, no matter what facet of life. It was a dark, rainy day and we enjoyed a slow, deep, mindful class. It was just what the doctor ordered, and then I had some breakfast (the most delicious crab and spinach omelette to be exact) at the OC Surf Cafe with Brookie afterwards. Such a great morning. Feeling super blessed today!