Raising your level of consciousness and gaining access to higher influences is like finding a magic bullet for increased happiness. Imagine this...you wake up enthusiastic, passionate and motivated every day. You glide through negative experiences and stress, feeling calm and in control of your life and thoughts. Relationships with others are easy and more fulfilling as you have the ability to respond with compassion and understanding rather than react to challenges.
Sounds good hey!
At this stage in human development most of us are only accessing our lower three energy bodies for daily life - decision-making, emotional responses, thoughts and beliefs. By opening the connection to higher influences, raising our energetic vibration and developing our consciousness, the experience of life can get easier, more peaceful and joyful, with a deeper understanding of the world around us.
It's like a superpower. Your key to health, abundance and happiness.
So, how to access higher consciousness!
Please try some of these beautiful techniques and see what works for you. Repeat one for a while - it takes some dedication and practice but when you begin to feel the results...you'll be hooked.
1. Psychoneuroimmunology (so much easier than it sounds)
An incredibly simple practice but one of the most effective: consciously and slowly inhaling and exhaling the breath. Lie down comfortably, place your hands on your stomach and inhale slowly, feeling your tummy expand and gently fill your lungs all the way from tummy to chest. Then slowly release the air, allowing the tummy to relax back down. Repeat as many times as you wish - weekly, daily, hourly!
The science behind this method is that it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which essentially tells your body and brain that you're safe. When we feel safe, our minds are in a relaxed and open state, ready to process thoughts calmly and with control.
The study of Psychoneuroimmunology has proven that taking even just one slow breath a week helps relieve stress and anxiety, and reduces the risk of physical conditions.
2. Yoga ("to unite")
People have used yoga since ancient times to deepen the mind-body connection, purify our physical, mental, emotional and energetic systems, and unify single consciousnesses with others'. The pactice of yoga unites mind and body, strengthens our connection to others and to nature.
The benefits of physical exercise are well documented, but yoga is leading the way with healing trauma and all kinds of mental and physical health conditions. This may indicate that yoga's influence on the multiple levels of our being has a deeper impact on health, able to reach beyond the physical body in order to reduce and prevent symptoms, and promote lasting health.
"Gym yoga" is great but to raise your consciousness and really experience the true nature of yoga, the benefits are greater with a dedicated yoga school. A practice that involves meditation and breathing techniques will get you there faster.
3. Meditation (of course!)
"Eveyone should meditate for 20 minutes every day. Unless you're really busy, then you should do an hour."
Practicing meditation is really challenging in modern life - we've become used to a fast pace, constant interaction on screens and with those around us, and there are endless diversions taking up our time and thoughts. Rising above and beyond these with a daily meditation practice brings a profound sense of peace and inner joy, something many of us try to find in external influences with only temporary success.
Where to start...sit or lie comfortably, and relax your body. Begin to notice your breath, and feel the sensations of inhaling and exhaling wherever they appear - the cool air in your nose, your stomach rising and falling, your body getting heavier, any tingling, heat, comfort or discomfort. When thoughts come, try not to follow them and bring your awareness back to the breath and those physical sensations.
Every time you bring your mind back, it's a win! It doesn't matter how many times you wander off, what's important is coming back.
You could also try any of these other easy peasy meditation techniques.
4. Mindfulness
This is a therapeutic technique largely based on being present in the moment, increasing your sense of calm and control over your life and thoughts. The method works because by keeping the mind focused on what's happening right now, we hinder the brain's tendency to cycle through unhelpful thoughts. For many of us these are constant, anxious attempts to solve real and imaginary problems.
This leaves us free to enjoy the peace and serenity that exists when we realise that most past experiences and potential future problems in fact do not affect the present moment.
The practice trains your brain that it's possible not to follow unhelpful thoughts. Our brains are designed to solve problems but we overuse this incredible tool obsessing overe anxious thoughts and imaginary problems that we may never need to face in reality. For example, what we perceive another person thinks about us, or fears about the future that may never eventuate.
At times we need to plan ahead or reflect on the past, but by developing control over our thoughts we're able to approach the past and future with clarity and positivity.
5. Chakra Healing
"It's like 50 meditations in one session"
Raise your energetic vibration and get some gorgeously positives vibes happening with some energy healing! Healing Chakras clears the energetic pathways by moving heavy or negative energy so you feel motivated, creative, calm, happy and healthy. This deep healing leads to improved and lasting physical and mental health, by helping our bodies let go of past trauma we release the cause of many symptoms and illnesses - anxiety, depression, insomnia, skin conditions, gut issues and so on.
You can do a mini home session simply by visualising a beautiful white light flowing into each of your seven main Chakras, clearing any darker energy and revitalising your entire physical and energetic bodies.
6. Go to Nature
Forest bathing is a popular Japanese health therapy, and it's been shown that spending time in Nature leads to significant healing for mental and physical health conditions. This is the "real world" in many ways and people notice they feel more peaceful and connected when away from the life we created with tech and schedules and To Do lists.
Leave your phone behind and go for a walk in a forest, at a lake or by the beach. Walking barefoot increases the effect!
7. Take a Sound Bath
This proven therapy creates incredible sensations in the body, releasing tension and negative thoughts by literally shifting our brainwaves to a more relaxed state.