Sever uncomfortable ties that bind

Analysis of the week on dream submitted by M.S. of Brisbane, Australia.

Dream : The setting was ancient China. I was a warrior engaged in battle. I observed buildings with roofs having eaves that curved upward toward the sky. I saw sculpted gargoyles staring down at me. While I was distracted, my cunning opponent cut my head off with his long sword. For a time, I watched the battle as if from above before rising even further above it. (As it is, I'm not Chinese).

Predominant Emotions : preoccupied, disconnected, bored, alienated, spellbound.

Interpretation : Like a warrior, you may fight against people or a situation in waking life, but sense your heart just isn't in it. You may feel you’re getting nowhere fast. Your ego may also be in conflict with other parts of you. Battles are sometimes linked to frightful work habits that cause physical or emotional exhaustion. Your mental and physical body may thus be at odds for attention. Why not take a rest? Your rational thinking may basically be incompatible with your irrational impulses.

Perception of buildings tends to reflect how you see yourself. It’s encouraging you see from varied vantage points. This implies you contemplate choices and are in the midst of inner growth. Looking upward suggests you may be unable to live up to high expectations (either your own or those of other people). Gargoyles represent external judgment or your own hidden fears over issues you have yet to divulge.

Distraction could be interpreted as a change of heart.  Some aspect of your life is no longer compatible with your evolution.  You may be ready to alter your focus in a meaningful way.  Transition will be in your favor.   A new project or responsibility could be in the pipeline. Change is a choice and can a blessing. Sever uncomfortable ties that bind. Begin with doubt, guilt or impatience you create in your mind.

Swords symbolize ambition. Be cautious. Whatever your plan, don’t lose your head over it. Another possibility is a lean toward sensuality or eroticism. If you happen to be over-stimulated or repressing instinctual urges, cutting things off is a bit much. After all, its not the size of a thing or idea that matters, but what you do with it.

Recognize you're a gateway

Regardless of what you desire or hope for, the key to realizing goals is to recognize you're a gateway for the passage of intention energy. As you learn to give and receive love, that is, to give and receive unconditionally, this will lead you to sense new meaning in life. You will realize you never act alone or without support.

To think about it another way, any vision you have for relationships, career, health, growth or purpose, all comes back to how you feel about yourself and what you think you deserve. One basic goal many people have is to feel more confident about bigger goals and plans to achieve them. Consider these ideas to enhance goal-setting:

1) Heal any fears about giving or receiving love. If you harbour any fear of not succeeding in your projects or dreams, this hinders a sense of progress. You send out energy into the universe based on your vibrations. Negativity, doubt or self-destructive thinking is a low vibration which invites more of the same. Healing fears invites more upbeat experiences. You have to be looking for them in order for them to find you.  If you keep working when you are tired, you get stuffed and cannot perform.  Learn to let go.  Trust this is an investment. Put it away for a while.  Relax. Come back to it with a clear mind.  When you devote your whole self with joy, you get more work done in less time with less stress.

2) Forgive anyone who may have hurt you or held you back. You may be tempted to blame others for holding you back from where you think you should be.  However, your own choices and emotions have led you to where you are. If someone didn't react the way you'd hoped, this may be a blessing in disguise. Forgive them, forgive yourself. Step into the light. Your positive feelings offer clues about meaningful goals.  As you listen, you will raise your energy vibration and focus differently.

3) Love & accept yourself. What is unfolding does not have to affect how you feel about yourself. Keep nothing. Dwell on nothing of the past. If one goal does not work out the way the ego wants, listen to the heart.  Know this makes you available for another opportunity you would not otherwise be free to notice. Press the delete button. No person, no set of conditions, no stroke of luck, no mentor, can guide you until you decide you are worthy regardless of goals you achieve. To love yourself fully is to trust what you feel in the heart. Even if the external world judges you based on exam results, your future does not depend on exams. The more you love yourself, the more you feel successful whatever you do. Recognize you are a gateway to self-acceptance.  Quiet the mind.  Meditate on feeling good wherever you are.

10 steps to awaken your third eye

It is felt that the third eye is active and makes wider sensing possible as humans dream. As the physical eyes are closed, the physical mind works in conjunction with this heightened sensitivity. Many people wonder how they could learn to open this third eye while conscious. What if learning is not the issue but rather, getting out of the way?

Consider the third eye," is where, as the Bible notes, "thine eyes become single," where there is no longer a difference between male and female, and where "the peace that passeth all understanding" dwells.  Another view is that deepening awareness enables a seer to access Godhood. Allow yourself to truly be open and receptive to this other eye.

To deepen awareness, you must truly believe the third eye exists and know the pineal gland used to be the third eye.  It is actually a cosmic receiver and sender of multi-dimensional information.  This gland gets calcified (blocked from functioning/ seeing) as you ingest fluoride and certain foods. You can research this.  A good rule of thumb is to stear clear of processed foods and high fructose corn syrup. You may choose to alter your standard food and beverage diet and toothpaste brand, and drink purified (non-fluorinated) water to decalcify the pineal.  Watch how seeing takes new shape.

You may think its desirable to force the third eye open quickly, like with a drill.  This is not advisable.  An unexpected bump on the head, meditation and yoga are practices that help quiet the mind. The gradual or spontaneous rising of kundalini energy has a huge impact.  When you are ready, the third eye reveals itself.  Ask yourself why you want it open now.  What is the urgency? Did someone tell you to do it? How do you suppose this can serve you?

It is relevant George Boyd explores the attentional principle (purusa). As you evolve to separate yourself from its vehicles; the astral (used in dreaming), causal (your logic) and mental (assumptions), you discern how the third eye functions alone.

At its core, the nature of your attention is like a wave of self-understanding. When you focus at this level, you move from contemplating your 'attentional principle' to being it. Different kinds of meditation focus  attention on the expansive view of the third eye.  Engaging the third eye reveals that you are raising your core vibration.

Practice of Purusa Dhyan Meditation (Based on work by George Boyd)

Sit upright in a chair, or in a comfortable cross-legged position on a sofa or, on a cushion on the floor. Loosen your shoulders. Do head half head circles. Close your eyes. Focus attention at the point between your eyebrows. Shift attention to the areas blow for 3-5 minutes each. Discern experience at each level, then move on:

1) Sense what it means to sit 'here & now.'
2) Become aware of sensations arising from the external environment 'in the now.'
3) Detect sensations arising in the body 'now.'
4) Feel emotions arising 'now.'
5) Recognize thoughts arising 'now.'
6) Reflect on 'I AM' statements, with related thoughts, feelings, & memories.
7) Notice memories and impressions bubble up from the Subconscious.
8) Identify the present sense of time is being recorded in memory.
9) Refocus attention be move through each chakra of the Subconscious mind.

After you have completed the 9 steps above, you are ready to focus attention behind the point between the eyebrows towards the top of your head. You will encounter a presence behind this center that silently observes. Focus more intently on this presence. You will begin to see and feel light emanating from this presence.

Affirm quietly, "the self, the size of a thumb, is seated behind the two eyes. It is self-effulgent light. It is consciousness itself. I am this consciousness." This outlines the attention principle. In a nutshell, its your third eye that expands your vision within when your two eyes are closed.  How detailed your visions become begins inside.

Invest in your priorities

Lots of people talk of writing, but fewer actually make the time to 'get around to it.' As you consciously choose to invest in writing as a priority, you will also be investing in your self-growth and your future. Even if you're uncertain about how you will approach a writing project, whether it will be an article, a story, a book, a blog, a column or prose, thinking about the activity is a vital step. Whether you'll ever write for yourself publish is very much up to you. Ask yourself these questions:

1) Why do you wish to write? Are your motives ego-based (self-interested) or more altruistic? Do you wish to serve (raise awareness)? Some people keep a diary or journal to document events, explore emotions or vent negative feelings. Other people write to work through painful experiences or with hopes to initiate reflection or discussion. Still other people engage in automatic writing to communicate with spiritual worlds and to heighten sensitivities. All choices are steps you take to better understand yourself. You may write to help yourself or others or both. Will you seek to generate money? to promote a cause? to educate? to provoke controversy? or, do you have hidden motives? Answers here enable you to identify a clearer course of action. As you narrow your focus, its easier to clarify a path.

2) Which subjects interest you? Ask yourself if you desire to write pure fantasy or concentrate on non-fiction. Topics that enter your mind will inspire you and then, naturally narrow your focus. Do you have real-life experience in this area? Are you well-researched? Have you consulted experts? Are you on a path to follow in someone's footsteps? To get the point, you need to become aware of your priorities.

3) Who will be your readers? Whether you decide to share your material is partly determined by your desired audience. Decide whom your efforts would really benefit; business, organisations, individuals, groups or yourself in terms of personal growth. Will your writing need structure and deadlines? Will your work be voluntary, freelance contract or salaried? Are you writing as part of a therapy exercise, for self-healing or another reason? Is your audience to be very general or specific? Will it be older or younger? Will you reach out to a particular culture, race, religious or community group, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, income bracket or another category of people? After decisions, the next step is to develop self-confidence.

Move beyond contemplation

You may be in a romantic relationship where you contemplate the next step. What could indecisiveness reveal? When things seem to go well, you might begin to question whether the situation is "too good to be true." When arguments frequently arise and things seem increasingly tense or precarious, you may wonder if your efforts are misdirected. To sense being 'between a rock and a hard place' invites you to explore underlying messages in your emotions. These three strategies will help:

1) Share how you really feel. It may be timely to engage in a candid discussion with someone you cherish. Are you being honest with yourself and others about your hopes and feelings? Why fear revealing your true nature or postpone accepting who you are? If you doubt, ask yourself why you feel you aren't lovable. In reality, the more integrity you manifest, the more real and fulfilling your relationships will be.

2) Reflect on relationships of same gender. Any intimate connections you feel or develop are linked to interactions with family and friends of that gender. You may have unresolved feelings such as hostility, envy, blame or guilt. Negativity will influence the state of your romance and how you treat or accept treatment from a partner. Identify any patterns and habits that may need revising or eliminating.

3) Strengthen faith in your intuition. You may benefit from taking steps to boost self-confidence. This may develop through meditation, physical exercise, devoting yourself to uplifting pursuits in renewing environments, and spending time with people who enable you to feel good about yourself. The more reasons you have to feel happy and capable, the more likely you'll believe your intuition or inner voice.